Representation of Age in Glue

My chosen area of representation is age in the episode of glue.

 Camera Angles: At the very start of the episode we see many extreme long shots and establishing shots. This gives us an introduction to our setting, environment and the time of day in each particular clip. There is also several long shots of the characters at the beginning of the episode, which gives us an idea of what the characters look like and their behaviour at the start which immediately gives us an impression of the characters. For example from their actions, which are mainly portrayed through these long shots we can see that they are behaving erratically. We also have point of view shots, for example at the beginning when we are shown the man taking drugs from a small bag that he is carrying. With all of these features put together we can already see that the characters are quite experimental and enjoy the party lifestyle. This already, in the opening scenes alone matches the stereotype of many teens and young adults in the UK. They are portrayed to be irresponsible and endanger their own lives through reckless behaviour, a common stereotype which is becoming more publicised in the media due to social networking etc. There is also several two shots between the characters when in conversation, so that we can see the relationships between characters. Through these shots we can see that the characters appear often to be quite emotionless and do not regret their behaviour. What they say often doesn't match the truth however from these two shots we can see that the characters seem quite confident in not being entirely honest. This again matches the stereotype that teens are quite unfeeling and emotionless. They are consumed in their own interests and not those of others. Furthermore, there is also several crabbing shots which show movement of the characters and helps us to keep up to keep up with their actions and behaviour. When the man is standing on the top of the large container we see a low angle shot. This shows possibly the feeling of power that the character has at that specific moment in time possibly due to the influence of drugs. When he jumps and is falling we see a low angle shot which perhaps shows his vulnerability as he is not fully aware and in control of his actions. There is also several close ups of the characters, for example when one character tells another about the news of Cals death, this allows us to see the expressions and their reactions to the news. It shows their regret at their behaviour and emphasises the stereotypical idea that teens do not think about actions and their consequences.
 Editing: When the man jumps at the beginning of the scene we see slow motion. This perhaps emphasises his vulnerability as he is not in control of his own actions and is putting his own life in danger. This again adds to the stereotypical image of young adults, the representation that they are irresponsible and do not care about their reckless behaviour. When Cal and the girl then jump in, slow motion is used again. This could be done to emphasise their behaviour and their actions.
Sound: There is several pieces of non-diegetic music used throughout this episode. For example at the very beginning there is music played in the background. It almost creates an uncomfortable feeling for the viewer as it gives a sense that something is not quite right and gives us a feeling that something is going to end badly. It almost seems to create a feeling of danger which matches the characters behaviour. When Cal is found the next morning in the field, music is also used to create greater effect and to build tension. It is used throughout to create a feeling of uncertainty for the viewer and to build tension and suspense. Diegetic music is used when the two female characters are dancing, which shows us that the characters are young and quite playful , and are just keen to explore the world and the different things on offer to them. The use of this different music may emphasise the tendency of young adults to explore the world around them. This again shows a stereotypical view of the young teenage characters.
Mise en scene: The characters throughout are stereotypically represented to be irresponsible and show reckless behaviour . They portray the idea of the ‘lost innocence of childhood’, with their frequent drug and alcohol misuse. They are portrayed to be troublesome and involved with crime, for instance in the use of the drugs or the burning of the car. This is a stereotypical portrayal of young adults which is ever growing in the media in current times. Most of the representations are negative and show only the bad stereotypical images of youths.

Areas of Representation

REPRESENTATIONS – COMMON STEREOTYPES

4 Key Areas Of Textual Analysis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_5YoG-iXjQ
Camera Shots:
The opening shot is of the front of the car where you can see both characters having a conversation. This is a long shot as you can see the car and what is going on in the background e.g: the cars moving past, you can see that the car is parked and it looks like they are waiting.
There is a mid shot as Phil leaves the school which follows him as he moves forwards, so the camera moves backwards like in a tracking shot. You can see what is happening in the background as he moves forwards.
There is also several long shots, for example when Phil gets in the car.
There is also an over the shoulder shot when Stu is looking in the mirror.
There is several long shots when Stu and his wife are in their house, which shows their movements and actions, for example when Stu is packing his cases, we can see that he is getting ready to leave and get the impression he may be going on a trip or holiday somewhere.
When Stu and his wife are sitting on the sofa, there is a mid shot which moves into a close up to show increasing tension between the two. We can also see their facial expressions better from this which shows their emotions.
There is an extreme long shot outside the house, where we can see the environment and the two people running past. This allows us to establish the current environment and the time.
There is also a two shot between Stu and his wife on the sofa when they are having a conversation, we can see the interactions between these two characters and see the tension between them and Stu's wife's lack of trust in him due to the events of previous trips.
Sounds: There is the sound of the school children when they are parked outside the school, from this we can establish the setting.
The music is then introduced, it sounds almost mischievous and starts when Phil gets into the car suggesting that the group of them could potentially cause trouble when put together.
Mise en scene: 
In the two shot at the beginning of the scene, we can see Alan and Doug sat next to each other. Doug is in the drivers seat which perhaps states that he is the more mature and authoritative figure. He is also dressed well compared to Alan who doesn't look well groomed and is dressed more casually. Alan is placed closer to the school and perhaps all these features tied together suggests he is more like a child himself. Also when Phil enters the car, Doug does not allow him in the drivers seat, suggesting he perhaps has more of a wild side than his job as a school teacher suggests. He also carelessly jumps over the side of the car which could signify how he is himself quite chilidsh and thoughtless at times.

 

The call

Camera Shots
There is a lot of close ups used in this clip, possibly to show the increasing tension as time closes in and the action begins. These shots shows Jordan's (the call operators) facial expressions. Such as at the beginning when she rapidly goes from looking quite happy and content to suddenly very focused and concerned when she gets the call from a young girl.
There is also lots of point of view shots for example on the computer, we can see Jordan's actions, for example when she is typing in the address of the girl onto the screen.
There is also a close up of the young girl when she is on the phone. We can see in the background that something is happening. We also get a point of view shot here, for example when she turns to look around the wall and hears the glass smashing we can see what she would see from where she is standing. This puts us in the characters position and makes us feel as if we are there, which increases the anticipation in the scene and builds action and suspense. It also gives us a sense of the fear that the young girl is feeling at that moment.
We also see a crab shot when Leah is running up the stars so that we can keep up with the action.
Again there is several point of view shots so we can see what Leah sees and get a sense of her fear and vulnerability.
There is also a long shot of the man when he is in the corridor in the house. This shot is quite eery as we can only see the outline of the man but can establish that he is a lot more powerful than Leah who we mainly only see close up and can see from her facial expressions that she is fearful.
When the young girl cries 'i think he heard the phone ring' we see a zoom into Jordan, This almost shows impending doom and we can see the terror and dread on her face as the shot moves inwards. It almost gives a sense of what is to follow and makes us feel like something is closing in.
Just before Leah is taken we have an extreme close up where we can see her eyes in detail. This is quite intense for the viewer as we can see nothing that is going  in on the background and therefore her scream comes as a shock and builds the action in the scene. It also allows us to see the vulnerability in her eyes.
The shot where Leah is pulled from underneath the bed is a tracking shot, the camera moves forwards as Leah is pulled out so the camera closely follows her and we can see her facial expressions at all times which makes the viewing more intense for us.
Sounds
We can hear the sounds of Jordan typing underneath the narrative, This creates a sense of urgency as she quickly tries to find a resolution to the problem and keep things under control. There is also the beeping noise as the light turns to red, This sound may signify that there has been a change in the environment, and shows us how the room has gone from being relatively calm to an emergency situation. The sound of the breaking glass as the man enters increases the tension and also adds to our fear for Leah as the viewer. The sound of music in the background almost predicts doom and again builds tension as Leah desperately tries to find a place to hide and get out of dangers way, The scream at the end rounds of the action for that scene.
Editing 
Some editing may have been used in this scene. For example the writing on the screen could have been done by using special effects to make the software look professional and to allow it to fit the context of the film,
Mise en scene
We can tell almost immediately that Jordan is a dedicated worker by the way her character seems to change as soon as she hears the girls voice on the other end of the phone. She seems to switch from relatively calm and laid back to suddenly very alert. This may also represent her intelligence and knowledge of the job as she seems to immediately know that the situation is very bad and we can tell this by the expression of her face and the sound of her voice. We can also tell that she is a caring person that is dedicated to her job and wants to help people. She uses a very kind and soothing voice when she talks to the girl and does all she can in her power to make her feel a little bit of comfort in a horrible situation. This may also show how she is good with children and younger people by the way she seems to speak to Leah.

Basic Camera Angles

Media - Film Roles by laurenamyharriman

Areas of Textual Analysis and Camera Shots

http://downieasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/4-key-areas-of-textual-analysis.html