How is class represented in Shameless?

The clip of Shameless displays class in numerous ways. The clip focuses on a lower class family in their family home. The family are very close, juxtaposing with the typical. We know this by the way they are positioned around a table all together; this is opposing the stereotype that lower class families don’t get along. However you can tell there is tension below their values. Even as the scene progresses, they are positioned together, this is breaking the stereotype and by doing this, it is showing that the family are special in a way.

Camera movements play a big role in the representation of social class. The movements used throughout this show are hand held, creating the feel of it being low budget and cheap, reflecting on the portrayal of class. Because it is hand held, it is slightly shaky and unprofessional, this makes the viewer fell like they are actually in the scene, this supporting my first point of the close knitted family. This use of movement when supported with the close up, visible zooms help the scene move along and it helps to create emphasis on certain parts of the scene. The hand held camera movements connote a documentary style of filming; this gives the impression of an accurate and realistic representation of class.

Mise-en-scene is a strong way to show class in the scene. The house is quite dark and dull, all the colours are very natural and neutral, this gives the idea that lower class isn’t happy and they are more depressed. The dull lighting represents, accompanied by the light being blocked out, shows how they are caged in and could be more afraid of the outside, because of the lower class area they live in. The walls of the house are unfinished and dirty, with the breeze blocks exposed. This rough exterior could be a reflection of the lower class family that live there. The dirt shows how the lower class are seen as dirty themselves and how they don’t take care of themselves. It could also be connoting how the poor don’t have any values of their possessions, or that they don’t care about the things around them. It is suggesting they care more for each other than the material goods they have. An example of this is shown towards the end of the scene with the contrast of the turtle and the caravan. The family show a more emotive response to the animal dying to what they do when they find out the caravan they have inherited is worthless.

The lower class are represented in this show as irresponsible and careless. This is shown in the scene by the overpowering cluttering of empty alcohol bottles in the room and the casual drug references that are used. There are different bottles placed everywhere. This gives the impression that the lower class are all alcoholics. This stereotype is an unfair representation of social class. The bottles give a bad impression of the lower class. The impression of alcoholic lower class could also suggest depression and using alcohol as a coping mechanism. The family use drug references casually around the children in the scene, this shows the difference in class. The reaction to the reference also shows how they see things differently to the upper class or even the middle class. It is a strong direction to their social class.

As well as lower class, the middle class are also represented in the end of the scene. The man in the suit enters and he immediately looks out of place, he is wearing suit and he is holding a briefcase. This suggests he is very prestigious and important. It also gives him power and authority in the3 scene. This suggests that the upper class is more important and more powerful than the lower class. We see him leave, pushing past the family, showing how he doesn’t think highly of them at all, as they are a lower class to him. It suggests that the upper class are snobby and disrespectful towards people that are below them.

The Walking Dead: 5 Minute Editing Exercise

TV Drama: The walking Dead
Series: 3
Episode: 11 (I Ain’t A Judas)
Year: 2013
Time Slot: Monday 9pm (UK Time)
Air Channel: FOX
Target Audience: Male, Aged 18-49

Eye line Match – Andrea is shown looking around the town, it then cuts to a POV of what she is looking at, it cuts back to her face and she turns her head to look at something else, this cuts to the POV again showing a pan to the right.

Shot/Reverse shot – Andrea and the Governor are having a conversation. Shot/ reverse shot is used here when the each character is speaking. It is also used to show the reactions of the characters.
Long take – A long take is used to show each character walking out of their cell room this following the characters as they walk to a spot and have a conversation. The camera stays in this shot as they continue their conversation.
Visible editing – Visible editing is used throughout the show to show that it is not real life. The editing is visible because of the jumping between different angles and shot types.

Invisible editing – Used to show a natural transition during the scene.

Ellipsis – Shot of Andrea driving out of the prison in the daytime, then cuts to her arriving at the town in the night. Used to show time without showing all of the boring scenes in between.

Section B - Research, Key Terms

Conglomerate - A conglomerate is a combination of two or more corporations engaged in entirely different businesses that fall under one corporate group, usually involving a parent company and many subsidiaries. Often, a conglomerate is a multi-industry company. Conglomerates are often large and multinational.

Consumption - Media consumption or media diet is the sum of information and entertainment media taken in by an individual or group. It includes activities such as interacting with new media; reading books and magazines; watching television and film; listening to radio; and so on.

Cross-media Convergence - Cross-media convergence is the way that different products are produced and distributed on different platforms. E.g. the Guardian used to be a purely paper-based media product. Now it's produced and distributed on iphone and ipad apps, the website, etc. I'd say cross-media convergence also applies to marketing strategies whereby products are marketed using print, web, film, tv-based platforms.

Technological Convergence - Technological convergence refers to the process where new technology is moving towards single platforms delivering multiple media outputs that can be used to reach audiences, for example, a PS3's primary function is video gaming but you can download and watch movies from Lovefilm.com on it and also watch catch up TV and music videos.

Distribution - This refers to how something is released and spread. For example, how the film is marketed and how knowledge of the movie is spread around. It could also refer to how a film gets to the cinema.

Exchange - Can also be used to refer to the exhibition of the film, which we might automatically think of as the screening at the cinema, however we may also do this by an iTunes purchase or even a pirate copy.

Exhibition -  This refers to Exchange.

Proliferation - Proliferation is essentially the new media spreading; often at a rapid rate of growth, and more frequently now throughout new technologies and new, common forms of communication (namely, social networking).

Synergy - Synergy means companies working together to achieve an objective that couldn't be acheived independently. Cross media convergence can help with synergy if companies take advantage of the links they have forged. Disney is an example of a synergistic company from the top film studio down to the kids tv channel (where it further plays and promotes it's films).

OCR Specification

How is gender represented in this extract? (2009 media exam)

In this scene, gender is represented primarily within the two opposing characters. First, the main female character is represented in a strong way. She enters the scene and is following the man's commands, kneeling before him. This representation of gender shows how the male has ownership over the female. This is emphasized by the low and high angles used. The girl is seen in a high angle, showing how she is vulnerable and weak, this is then partnered with the low angle used on the male to show how his presence in the scene is dominating hers. This ownership then, gradually, starts to decrease as the scene goes on. In the start, she is silent, however, the longer the scene goes on the more she starts to take control of the conversation, this could be representing how women's rights have gradually changed over the years and how women have become just as equal as men. This is then supported by her movements in the scene, especially when she starts to rise from her earlier position. The stand could also be reflecting on the metaphorical stand that women took over their rights. This representation is symbolic of history and femininity.

 The setting also plays a big role in the representation of gender. The male is placed at the top of a staircase on a raised platform whereas the woman is placed below him on a lower level, this representation is very symbolic of how both genders are perceived. The raised platform suggest the level of importance and dominance of the gender, this meaning that the male has more power over the female and that he is considered more important, this again is reflecting on beliefs in the past and also the present. This then starts to break up towards the end of the scene. The Master starts to move down the stairs, this showing how the roles are starting to reverse. This is seen more clearly in a long shot from behind the female. This shot shows the back of the girl kneeling, showing the full body of the male looking down on her, this shot is also showing how gender is represented. We are seeing the face of the male but only the back of the female, this is suggesting that the male is more important because they are the ones we are seeing.

 As well as the lead female character, gender is also represented in the Master's wife. This character in the scene is very much like a prop. She is stood at the top of the stairs in a red dress and she doesn't say anything. This suggests how the Master is controlling over her and how she isn't seen as important. She is used in this scene as a sexual object, this could be reflecting on people's perceptions of women. This representation is showing how the woman is being used as a sexual object and not as an important part of the story. This representation is then supported by the fact she is placed behind the male. This is suggesting that she is in his shadow and she is following him. The male is in front so the audience can see he is the one they should be focusing on. This representation is an important reflection on how woman have been portrayed in film and media. The Masters wife and the main female are contrasting characters. The juxtaposition of the two women show how times have changed. The masters wife represents how woman were perceived then and Martha represents how woman are perceived now. They also represent brains versus beauty. The red dress love and is very symbolic of a female stereotype, this is completely contrasting to the strong black attire Martha is dressed in, These two ideas and perceptions could also be showing how women see women and how men see women. With the Master's wife being a male perception and Martha being the female perception. This contrast in character shows the contrast in gender and in the audience.

 Costume has been used very well in this scene to show representation. Martha is actually dressed in a military uniform, much like the background soldiers in the scene. This has been done to also reflect how women are seen in modern industries and it is reflecting on equality in the armed forces. A soldier is something that is often perceived as a male oriented job and the female character wearing this is symbolic of how woman are the same as men. The military outfit connotes dominance, strength and empowerment, and this is very reflecting on the character, as well as gender, in the scene.

Transistions from Lizzy Bradbury