The Stereotypes of Immigrants

Stereotypes:
They immigrate into a country merely to 'steal' the potential jobs of the native people
They engage in a lot of criminal activity
They claim a lot of benefits, a lot of which they have no right to receive
They immigrate illegally


I think people's opinion that they come to the country to 'steal' jobs just stems from the fact that it is currently very difficult to find employment and these people are angry that a lot of jobs are occupied by people whom have immigrated into the country. People also think that the majority of immigrants are illegal, despite the fact that this is untrue, many come to the country legally and train hard to gain high professional jobs such as doctors. This also dispels the stereotype that immigrants are lazy.


In my opinion, the main cause of these views being held is the media, and in particular, newspapers. They often focus on features that have little relevance to a story, for example, the ethnicity of a person involved. Also, they sensationalise stories which may give the image of someone being highly dangerous when in fact the incident was relatively small. Here is an example of this..

Ethnic Representation

Alvarado et al 1987
 Four key themes in racial representation
Exotic - character who is racially different to the main characters is done because it is unusual - exotic
Dangerous
Humorous
Pitied - evoke sympathy from fellow characters and the audience


Changes in Representation over time:
Slave - Blaxploitation - Clown - Rising Middle-Class Figure


The attitudes towards the involvement of ethnic minorities as changed a lot over time. This is partially due to the fear of being accused of falsely representing the ethnic minority concerned. This causes awkward situations when people recognise that producers fear to create storylines for characters of ethnic minorities.
'Albert Square's previous Asian family, the Ferreiras, were criticised as boring and unrealistic - their first names were a mixture of Muslim and Hindu, their surname was Portuguese. "We admittedly came under the spotlight with the Ferreiras," says John Yorke, the BBC's controller of drama production. "We played safe with them and ultimately didn't give them good story lines. We're certainly not doing that with the Masoods, but the devil is in the detail and now pretty much everything we write for them that has a cultural or religious aspect is checked."' http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/22/masoods-eastenders-bbc


Current Ethnic Representation
An example of a humorous character whom is of a different ethnic group to the majority of the other characters is Fat Boy from EastEnders.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/characters/




A character who is racially different to the main characters is Neil Cooper from Hollyoaks. This is an example of the key theme of a character being 'exotic'.

http://www.e4.com/hollyoaks/cast/boys/index.html

Ethnicity

This is a group of people that share a similar heritage and culture. They usually have a common language and religion. People are usually conscious that they are a member of an ethnic group.

Shifting Attitudes Towards Mental Illness

Television dramas have a lot of influence on the attitudes of the public towards mental illness, a subject shrouded in ignorance and misunderstanding.


What responsibilities does the industry have with regards to the shaping of people's attitudes about mental illness?


Some see an opportunity for old stereotypes to be turned on their head. An indication given by some television dramas is that mental illness is experienced by very few people, when in fact it affects many. 


Key findings of content analysis:

• 63% of references in dialogue were pejorative or unsympathetic, including 'crackpot' and 'basket case'.
• 45% of programmes featuring mental illness storylines portrayed those with mental problems as dangerous.
• 45% of programmes had sympathetic representations.
• Key themes in the characterisation of those with mental illnesses include representations as 'dangerous outsiders' and 'tragic victims but deserving of sympathy.

The industry feels a responsibility for producing authentic and responsible drama on this topic. Writers claim to be stuck in a 'cul-de-sac' while trying to balance a dramatic pace and realism. The consultation by programme-makers with people with experience of mental-illness and experts varies enormously.

Some believe that multiple portrayals of mental illness have led to exaggerated public fears of people with mental illnesses. These portrayals have upset many people with mental illness and those close to people with a mental illness.

Conclusion

• Television drama has enormous potential to challenge stigma and improve the public's understanding of mental illness.
• Unsympathetic portrayals and references are still predominant.
• Professionals, charities and people with mental illnesses are keen to help the industry to create authentic programmes.

Lighting

Key Light
This highlights the form and dimension of the subject, omitting the key light can result in a silhouette effect.
High
This aims reduce the lighting ratio present in the scene. Nowadays, it is used to suggest an upbeat mood, often being used in sitcoms and comedies. It is usually quite homogeneous and free from dark shadows.
Low
This lighting creates a chiaroscuro effect (see below).It accentuates the contours of an object by throwing areas into shade. Low-key lighting has a higher lighting ratio than high-key lighting.


Back Light
This lights foreground elements from the rear. It is sometimes called 'Shoulder Light' because when lighting an actor/actress it causes the edges of the hair to glow. It is often used to show the characters as good/pure. It is used quite a lot in soap operas.


Rim Lighting
This creates a thin outline around a subject without necessarily hitting the front.


Chiaroscuro ('light-dark')
It is used to indicate extreme low-key lighting to create distinct areas of light and darkness.


*All of the information above that I collected was from Wikipedia.

Skins Trailer Analysis - Representation of Young People

Sound
All sound in the clip is non-diegetic, with the song 'Standing in the way of control' by The Gossip playing over the clip from the beginning up until the voiceover states what the program is and when it starts. This dominance of music perhaps symbolises the dominance that parties supposedly have in the lives of young people. The lyrics of the song itself show that young people are perhaps rebellious and like to go against authority. 'We live our lives, because we're standing in the way of control' suggests that they like to enjoy life as much as possible, which, for them, means disobeying rules. It also suggests that their age group are the only thing preventing complete control and conformity; they must maintain the fun factor in life whilst adults remain responsible and spend most of their time at work and do not usually go to parties. The song also helps to give the clip a quick tempo, showing the 'non-stop' nature of young people and their party-going stereotype. Finally, as the clip comes to a close, the music slows down as the party does; the characters are beginning to feel the effects of the drugs, alcohol and tiredness. This perhaps suggests that they are not responsible and forward thinking, they merely live for the moment which some may see as a negative characteristic.


Mise-en-scene
Throughout the scene there are many toys shown in the frame, these include a trike, water pistols and someone is dressed in a massive bear costume which obviously reminds us of the traditional childhood toy. This perhaps suggests that people of this age still are rather immature and tend to cling on to their younger days in the refusal to grow up and take more responsibility. Also, there is frequent evidence of drug use in the clip, this is a stereotype of young people, some people say that a lot of young people take drugs. It could suggest that they are quite irresponsible and do not care for their well-being or that of their peers.


Editing
The shots of the clip are edited to cut very quickly to the next and give the clip a very quick tempo. This could symbolise the lifestyles of young people in that they rarely calm down and relax; they frequently go to parties and engage in these kind of activities shown in the clip.


Camera
The camera composition is quite important in this clip. The frame is regularly filled with the faces and bodies of young people, this suggests the chaos and lack of control that these parties have, showing how uncontrollable young people are. There are quite a lot of close-ups in the clip, possibly suggesting that people of this age are quite 'in-your-face' and maybe disrespectful and inconsiderate.

Doctor Who Clip - Evaluation of Answer

I think my answer is worthy of a level 2. It shows examples relating to various technical areas, but not in enough detail to gain a level 3. I have used some terminology but again, not enough so as to reach level 3. My main target is to analyse the technical areas in greater detail and to make greater use of terminology whilst making my points.


In this exemplar answer, there are many examples of terminology in the analysis of the text. Also, the points, despite the proficient detail, are concise enough to allow for further answers to be made about the current, and other technical areas. This is something I aim to improve in doing in future answers.


For example, in the analysis of camera shots, a lot of terminology is used and the points are concisely explained to show that they have understanding of the question. Also, the answer is written in a style that consecutively shows the various technical areas, as opposed to being in chronological order. This is good as it ensures all techinical areas have been covered as opposed to concentrating on analysing the whole clip.

Monarch of the Glen - Camera angles and shots

1. The beginning of the clip shows the use of a wide shot to introduce the audience to the area and the people living/working there. The characters in shot are all older and are shown to be hard working and collaborative. The wide shot helps to express this by including many of them in the shot, showing that they are working as a team.

2. When we are introduced to the young female character, the camera tracks her and seems to pivot around the boy, this perhaps suggests she is important to him. As he is looking away, but still the camera tracks her form his position, it shows he may not be confident enough to speak to her but still pays her a lot of attention.

3. In this next screenshot, the camera is angled so as to show the girl quite trapped in the car, with various things covering her from the camera. This perhaps suggests that she feels quite trapped and nervous. 

4. This low angle shot shows the man to be powerful in the conversation and be quite intimidating for the girl.

Kat And Alfie Trailer - EastEnders - Sound

Sound that plays throughout the clip is the wind. It adds to the feeling of desolation within the location. Also, it gives emphasis to the characters (Kat and Alfie) as the location seems empty apart from them. It may suggest that without these characters, the soap has not been quite the same, with a sense of emptiness. So, when the music begins and the returning characters are shown, it has a big impact on the audience and draws them in.

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The similarity of the sound to that of a Western styled film suggests that there is going to be some sort of conflict. When Kat enters the set, the sound of her walking is louder than usual, adding emphasis to her return to the square, suggesting it is a significant event and will effect other characters living in the area.

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Also, the sound of her bag hitting the ground after she drops it is emphasised. Perhaps this means that she means to stay and it will take a lot to collect her belongings and leave again. This will interest the audience as they may want her to stay. The bag sounds very heavy, along with suggesting her plans to settle in this place, it could also suggest that she has a lot of things to deal with in this place, possibly unfinished business with other characters.

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The suggestion of conflict is again shown when Kat opens her mirror. It sounds quite alike to that of a gun, again, similar to a Western style film. The feeling of conflict is given as it reminds us of a duel, the way she is standing reinforces this idea. Again, this will interest the audience as they will look forward to the future storylines involving Kat.

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The music from the beginning despite it's occasional increases in volume, has been quite calm, yet tense. But, when we see Alfie, the music changes and the volume increases. This may be because the two characters have now returned and will together, have a large effect on the square. It also raises the question of conflict as up until now, Kat has been shown as a dominant character, but she is now seen as subordinate to Alfie. The music plays a big part in showing the position of these characters.

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The motif at the end of the clip is very effective. As we hear each bang of the drum, it switches between the two characters' eyes. The sound suggests their strong feelings towards each other. This implies the conflict is going to be big.

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Finally, the non-diegetic sound after introduction of Alfie sharply lowers and we can only hear the squeaking of a sign. This may symbolise the 'calm before the storm', the square is empty apart from these two characters, they dare not venture outside and be caught in between this crossfire. 

Soap Opera Conventions - EastEnders

All the episodes begin with an establishing shot of the area the soap is set in. Because it is in London, the shot shows a densely populated urban area, this could suggest the nature of the film, in that it is busy, possibly involves violence and includes a range of characters from various backgrounds.

The establishing shot is a typical shot within Soap Operas, for example, in Coronation Street the episodes begin with an establishing shot of the rooftops and shows the viewers the street. Also, the camera shows the audience the local pub, 'Rovers Return Inn', this is a convention of soap operas as it is amongst the vast amount of meeting places that allow gossip to circulate. The example of this in Eastenders is the 'Queen Vic' pub.

Soaps also have interweaving storylines, this helps them to flow better and keep the audience entertained with a multitude of plots to think about. For example, in this episode the emphasis is on the relationship between Ben and Christian and Phil's feelings towards it. But, as we follow this story we also see the story between Ian and Jane. The way these stories interweave also shows the precise continuity that Soap Operas exhibit; as Phil walks out of the pub we go to the other stories, but we then see/hear Phils actions with the baseball bat from their perspective.

Another convention of Soap Operas is the use of music for a motif. The music is one of the main associations we have with them and reminds us of them when we hear it. In Eastenders it is the famous drums at the end, usually sounded when there is some kind of shocking advance in a storyline.

A further convention of Soaps is the dominant use of diegetic sound. Watching and listening to the Eastenders clip above, we can hear very little sound added from outside the actual clip. But, there is an exception with Hollyoaks, they quite often have non-diegetic sound, especially at the beginning; usually there is a song playing quite far into the episode as opposed to having a theme song that finishes as the episode begins.

Finally, another feature amongst Soap Operas, and shown in this EastEnders clip is over-the-shoulder shots and two shots.