Analyzing Luther scene

Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of gender using the following:

Camera shots, angles and movements. 

The extract opens with a mid shot of the woman in the scene, Alice. This suggests that she is going to be the main focus of the extract. At 8 seconds in we are presented with an establishing shot which shows the setting of the extract. We can see that the extract is taking place in a city and the drama is the exchange that is taking place between a man and a women. 

At approximately 20 seconds in we are presented with an low angel over the shoulder shot. The camera is pointing down on Alice and therefore emphasising how Luther is physically bigger and Alice is smaller. This makes Alice look weak. This camera angel highlights a stereotype of women being smaller and therefore weaker and suggests that Alice has less power, because men are stereotypically more powerful. At approximately 1 minute 45, Luther and Alice are taking part in a discussion. At first Alice and Luther appear to be equal in the conversation which is suggested by the use of the mid shot, but then Luther begins to take the power which is highlighted by the zooming in on Alice's face and then the over the shoulder shot which emphasizes how much smaller Alice is. Again this supports the stereotypes of a women being weaker than the man. 

Mise En Scene 

The setting of the scene appears to be in the city, we can see this from the opening scene. The colours presented in the scene are all all quite dull which suggests Alice and Luther know each other for business purposes as colours such as grey have more serious connotations. Alice is presented wearing makeup. Her lips appear to be redder than they would be naturally which suggests she's wearing lipstick. By Alice wearing makeup and red lipstick it suggests that Alice is shallow and cares about the way she looks.Being shallow is stereotypical of a women, so by portraying Alice in this way suggests that she just cares about Fashion and makeup. Alice is wearing red lipstick and also has red hair, red connotes danger but also connotes lust towards her. By Alice being presented in the colour red it suggests that she's dangerous which is stereotypical for single adult women to be seen as dangerous as people assume there is something wrong with them. Also by her being presented wearing red it suggests that men are sexually attracted to her, this emphasizes how women are seen as sexual objects and that they are there for men to look at. Luther is presented in a suit which suggests he is wealthy and also has an important job, this also supports a stereotype that men should have important, highly paid, professional jobs. Alice's apartment does not fit the stereotypical image of a womens home. She has lots of educational tools in the apartment such as books and scientific maps, this goes against the stereotype that women are stupid and suggests that Alice is clever and enjoys learning whereas women are sometimes portrayed as stupid and uninterested in learning. 

Sound

Diegetic sound is used when  Alice and Luther take part in conversations. Synchronous sounds are used at the beginning of the scene when we can hear the sound of traffic when Alice and Luther are standing on the bridge to emphasize the fact they are in a city setting. At approximately 52 seconds we hear Alice talking about a 'black whole which consumes matter' and as she's speaking we hear Asynchronous sound can be heard in the background. This sound creates drama and builds atmosphere. The use of sound here also contributed to the way Alice is perceived as a character, the use of sound here suggests that Alice is a evil character. Luther has a loud voice which is typical of a 'man' which therefore creates the image in the audiences head that he is masculine whereas Alice has a softer, quieter voice which is again stereotypical for a women and suggests that her personality is calmer. At about 2 minutes in we can again hear non diabetic sound as the pair are talking, by adding sound into the background tension is being built. 

Editing 

Mise-en-scene

• setting/ location

• colours

• props/ objects

• hairstyle

• costume (clothes)

• make-up

• posture/ gesture

• position in frame

• choice of actor

• performance

• lighting

Skins

1.setting/location

The setting appears to be in a forest/woods. We can infer this  because of the tree's in the background and leaves/twigs on the floor. It appears that the people in the scene are camping. 

2. Colours

The colours in the background are natural colours such as brown and green. Green symbolizes nature and harmony which suggests that everything is calm at this point.

3. Props/Objects

There are tents and sparklers used as probs in this scene. This tells the audience that the characters are camping as tents/sparklers connote camping. 

4. Hairstyles 

The two girls at the front of the frame have their hair down and it appears to be a bit messy which suggests they're not bothered about how it looks. The girl in the background has her hair dyed red and a hair band in it which suggests she cares more about how she looks. There are 3 men in the frame, 1 is wearing a hat which suggest its cold and the other two have brown hair which is styled and messy which also suggests they don't care about how they look. 

5. Costumes 

The characters are all wearing coats/long sleeves which suggests its a cold day and maybe it's in the autumn/winter. The girl at the front with brown hair is wearing grungy black clothing with holes in which suggests she's a more angry/sad character because black connotes sadness. In contrast the girl opposite her is in bright colours such as pink with suggests she's happy. The girl with red hair is wearing a fur jacket which suggests she's into fashion. The boy walking towards the girls outfit looks scruffy which suggests he doesn't care about fashion. 

6. Makeup 

Although it is hard to see what makeup the girls are wearing in this frame, we can see that one of the girls is wearing dark eye makeup which again suggests she's more gothic and grungy. This may suggest this girl is less friendly as her appearance is harsh. We can see the girl with the red hair is heavily made up which again highlights how she might be a shallow character. 

7. Posture/Gesture 

The two girls at the front are both slouched over and looking at something on the floor. They are sat opposite each other and appear to be talking. The way the girl behind them is stood suggests she's annoyed at them as she's slouching and staring at what they're doing. The fact thats she's slouching may also suggest she's feeling insecure so whats to make her self smaller and less obvious. The boy behind them appears to be walking over to see what the 2 girls are doing. The 2 boys at the very back appear to be talking happily as they are stood up straight which suggests they're in good moods and feeling confident.

8. Position in frame 

The two girls at the front are the centre of attention and it is clear that the boy and the girl behind them have their attention on them too. The girl with the red hair also appears to be important because she's higher up looking down on the while also being in the centre of the frame. 

9. Choice of actor

All the actors in this program are amateur and this is often their first big acting job  This may be done to make sure that people know them for their role in skins and they can be seen as effy, for example, rather than a previous role they've played. 

10. Performance 

It is difficult to analyze the performance from a still image but you can infer that there is some drama/conflict taking place. 

11. Lighting 

The trees cover the sky and shade the area however you can still tell its daylight because the sun is streaming through gaps in the trees. 

Mad men

1. setting/location

The setting appears to be a place of work. We can tell this from the desks and phones. The building also is decorated in a business style and looks like an office. 

2. colours 

The background colours in the clip are  mainly neutral with occasional pops of colour. This suggests that it is a place of work because neutral colours are used in offices as they help people concentrate and feel calm which is needed when working.  

3. Props/objects 

The probs used in this scene include a telephone and typewriter. These highlight that it is a place of work and the typewriter also suggests that his show is set in the 60s/70s. People are also smoking inside which highlights the time period it is set in. 

4. Hairstyles  

The hairstyles in this clip look quite outdated and suggest that the programme, is not set in the last 10 years. 

5.Costumes 

As well as highlighting the time the programme is set, the costumes also present how the women are in a place of work. The woman in the blue dress is wearing a long, blue dress. It has long sleeves and she is also wearing earrings. This outfit accentuates the curves of the woman which may make her appear like a strong female character. Also her outfit is long and work appropriate which highlights where they are. All the women have their arms, chest and thighs covered which highlights how they are at work. 

6. Makeup 

The women are all heavily made up which suggests they all care about their appearance and what people think about them. 

7. Posture/gesture

The woman in the blue dress has a good posture and is standing very straight, this suggests she's confident and in power. 

8. position in frame

The woman in the blue dress is clearly the most powerful in the clip. At the beginning she stands up talking to the lady at her desk and is looking down at her which makes her seem more powerful and the other women more vulnerable. 

9. Choice of actor

The actors and all women which is unusual because it was set it the 60s and it is in a place of work. This may be to highlight how women were working towards the equal pay act/more rights during this time. 

10. Performance 

The characters performance is very convincing and they all stay in role. 

11. Lighting

The lighting appears to be artificial light which highlights that they are in an office/building indoors. 

Audience institutions the 7 key concepts

Section B: Institutions and Audiences

Candidates should be prepared to understand and discuss the processes of production, distribution, marketing and exchange as they relate to contemporary media institutions, as well as the nature of audience consumption and the relationships between audiences and institutions. In addition, candidates should be familiar with:

• the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice;
• the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing;
• the technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution, marketing and exchange;
• the significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences;
• the importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences;
• the issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically, British) by international or global institutions;
• the ways in which the candidates’ own experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour.

• the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary (current) media practice

The depth and range of ownership across a range of media and the consequences of this ownership for audiences in terms of the genres and budgets for films. How for instance, can Channel4's Film4 survive in the British market place against the high concept, big-budget films made by Newcorp's FOX, Warner Bros, Disney, Universal, etc.? What kinds of niche audiences are left for Film4 to attract? Are mass audiences out of reach given the genres of films Film4 have the budgets to make? How successful have they been in reaching mass audiences with their films? How healthy is it that just a few mega media groups can own such a range of media and can decide what the public may see, and, perhaps, shape audience's tastes?

• the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing

 Digital technology is enabling various media to converge in hubs, platforms and devices. For instance, mobiles phones do a lot more than act as hand held telephones: you can download and watch films and TV programmes, use them as alarm clocks, watches, play music on them, take photos and short films, text, go online, use GPS functions, a range of apps, and a whole lot more. New HD TVs, Playstations, X-Boxes, iPads, Notebooks, MacBooks, etc. are also examples of hubs which in which a variety of media technologies can converge for convenience for users. Media convergence is having an enormous impact on the film industry because of the ways in which institutions can produce and market for audiences/users on a widening range of platforms, capable of receiving their films.