Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs representations of gender using the following:
• Camera shots, angles, movement and composition
• Editing
• Sound
• Mise-en-scene
I have just watched a 5minute extract from an episode of Doctor Who and was able to pick put many different camera techniques, editing techniques and camera compositions. I was also able to identify the different parts of the Mise-en-scene used and how sound was used to portray an atmosphere. Included in the clip there is a clear construction of the representation of gender, mainly shown between the main characters. I am now going to discuss what I found.
The sequence begins with an opening shot showing the Doctor trapped in a cage, this straight away gives us an enigma of why is the Doctor trapped? When the camera is showing the Doctor in the cage, the movement is very slow and slight; this is in contrast with the Doctors mood and facial expressions, which are shown to be quite sad. We are then shown a brief shot of a man, who we yet don’t know, next to a guard who is pointing a gun at him and lastly before we are shown the protagonists are shown two maids next to a guard. Finally we are shown the two protagonists the Master and the women. As you can see the opening shot is a short introduction to the characters involved or who are in the room, also are given a detailed view of the setting from different angles. Between each frame the camera cuts, to show a passing of time and so the audience can establish a new introduction; this also helps keep continuity between the shots. The sound in the opening shot is very slow and quiet. It is non-Diegetic sound so can only be heard by the audience, there are no lyrics to it. The music in a way sounded like the end of time and educates the audience into knowing that a death is about to take place (of the women).
Gender is portrayed in the opening sequence as this is when we are shown the characters. The guards are both male, this shows dominance, especially as two of the people having a gun pointed at them are female. It shows the women to be more vulnerable and trapped in a bad situation. The main protagonist who is shown the have power at first is male, the master, the women is shown to have less power due to the male dominance and this is shown through the camera movement and angle.
When the master and women are having their conversation the woman is told to kneel down, this makes her at a much lower level. To emphasise the point of levels more the master is standing at the top of a flight of steps. The camera is titled at a low angle when we are looking from the women’s point of view, which makes us look up at the Master and when we are looking at the women from the master’s point of view the camera is titled at a high angle which means we are looking down at the women. The main camera shots used throughout the clip is mid shots, reaction shots and close ups. Close-ups are used to show the weapons and peoples facial expressions. Using a close up means we are able to identify the mood and feelings of the character and feel more involved in their thoughts as it expresses a lot of detail to us. An extreme close up is used in one of the flashbacks, it is of the Doctors lips, this is used to emphasise what he is saying as his words here are important; “Here’s the countdown”. Throughout the clip we are always looking up at the master, this is until the doctor breaks through the cage. We see the doctor rising to a higher level then the master is at. We see one last remaining shot of the Master from a high angle and this is when he is holding a weapon, at this moment he loses the weapon, which was the last bit of strength and dominance he had. The dominance here is still shown from a male but has just switched between male to male, which is still representing the fact that males have more dominance then women. We are shown a two shot of the man and a guard; two shots usually are used to show two characters engaging in a conversation or to signify some sort of relationship. In the two shot I mentioned neither of this is shown, the only relationship they have is that one male has more dominance over the other and this is shown through costume and props. One male is dressed in a smart black uniform which already shows authority and is holding a gun. The other male is in scruffy dull clothes, and is covered in mud; furthermore he has the gun pointing at him. The dull colours they are both wearing stands out compared to the bright background behind.
Only one establishing long shot is used throughout the 5 minute clip and this was used to show the studio and setting they are in; this brings me onto the Mise-en-scene. The set design is technical and very modern which could represent them being in the future, it also triggers the fact they are in space. The majority of the filming in the extract is done in a studio; however the flashbacks and various clips of people saying ‘DOCTOR’ are filmed on location. The studio itself looks like boat, identified by the circle windows and the maids; this shows them maybe being on a spaceship. In the ship itself many levels are used, to show some sort of hierarchy; for example the master standing on the platform with his mistress when he has the dominance. The lighting is brighter during flashbacks; also the image itself here is more blurry. The lighting through the rest of the clip is normal indoor lighting and natural light is used when the filming is done on location. Props are very important in this clip as they play a huge role in what’s going on and are closely linked to the male dominance. The first prop we are shown is a cage with the Doctor in it, this establishes the point of the Doctor being trapped and can’t get out, he is helpless. This juxtaposes what happens later in the clip. Another prop used is a weapon called a sonic laser. This shows having power, when the master had the sonic laser he had power as everyone listened to what he said, however when he lost it he had nothing to defend himself from the doctor with and lost all the power he had. The final prop which was important in this clip was the countdown clock. This clock brought tension to the clip as at the end of the 3 minute countdown we knew something was going to happen, whether it was good or bad. The ticking of the clock keeps us focused.
The costumes used could help identify the authority they have. The master is first shown all smart in a suit however at the end of the clip he is not looking so smart. The maids being in a uniform help us identify who they are and also helped us identify the type of location they were in. The colour of the clothes are quite dark and dull apart from the Master’s mistress whose dress is a bright red colour and really makes her stand out. The red colour of her dress plays an important part as we understand the colour red signifies danger and a warning to people; knowing what happens in the rest of the episode we know that it is closely linked as she shoots the master. The Mistress wearing a different colour from everybody else could signify her having more power as she’s not the same as the others. This means somewhere in the episode the dominance can change from male to female; however this is yet to be shown.
The sound doesn’t play a big part in the 5 minute clip we watched, the main sound being Diegetic as the conversation between the two characters happen throughout. Reality noises such as footsteps, the Master catching the weapon and him releasing the knife were emphasised, the knife being emphasised could show more threat to the audience as it shows how sharp it is. When we were shown the flashbacks the dialogue was shown to sound echoic and quieter, this was used to make it clear for the audience that is was a flashback. Non-Diegetic sound is used throughout the clip which is used as a sort of sound bridge, as it links each shot together more comfortably.
A key word used in the clip is ‘DOCTOR’ this word is repeated and gets louder showing importance which will make it be memorable. The maids are one of the first to say the word ‘Doctor’ which shows to the audience they may have been treated badly by the Master and aren’t’ bothered what happens to him. The Masters last words and the last words heard in the 5 minute extract are ‘No! No! No!’ by the Master, these words are short and too the point.
The last area I am going to discuss is the editing used in the clip. Continuity editing is used throughout, when we are shown each clip the maids, guards, props and other characters are all in the same place as the previous shot, this shows a good continuity and helps the film flow better. A shot reverse shot allows the audience to see a conversation or conflict from both sides, with the camera alternating between view points; this is what is used when the Master and the women are talking. Point of view shots are also used in this conversation to make the audience feel more involved and understand what is going on better. Cutaways are used to break up the main action which in this case is the conversation. In between us watching the conversation we are shown various other shots of the ‘Masters children’ (the satellites) and the people in the streets saying ‘Doctor’. This interrupts the continuous action but is followed by a cut back to the original shot. Between the Women talking and a cut to a flashback which she is in, the woman is framed in the same place and position in both the shots, this is known as a match cut. Also when the woman is talking she is in shallow focus, this means that her face is in focus but the background and everything else in the view of the camera is blurred. A shallow focus is used here to establish what she is saying is serious and important to the clip.
In conclusion the representation of gender in this extract clearly is showing male dominance and how women can be seen as more vulnerable then men. Although the Master lost power and was due to what the women had said the dominance then didn’t get passed onto the women but instead was given to another male. Gender representation was clearly shown between camera shots and angles, also the use of the Mise en scene.
