How does the clip from the TV drama ‘The Fear’ represent class with the use of sound, editing, shot types and mise-en-scene

In the TV drama ‘The Fear’ mise-en-scene, sound, editing and shot types are used to represent different class types within the scene. Characters of different social class are juxtaposed throughout, and when the ‘patient’ enters the scene he consequently disrupts the status quo which as of now, has been left untouched.

In 'The Fear' the use of sound is used to signify Ritchie's social class in terms of his dialogue. The diegetic sound of the dialogue itself, with the continual use of swear words such as "fuck" throughout, highlight the stereotype of people from a lower social class background and a lesser extent of education continually using curse words in their everyday language. Another way in which diegetic sound is used within the scene to represent social class is when Ritchie uncovers his phone and plays loud music aloud in the surgery. This action disrupts the equilibrium which has been created in the office, and therefore this action further implies Ritchie's lower level of class in society in general-- for that he doesn't care for the disruption of the status quo and a lack of self awareness.

The way mise-en-scene is used to represent social class is through the setting and lighting of the scene itself. The scene is set in a plastic surgeons office, open plan windows bask the room in natural sunlight, the walls are white, reflecting a lot of light and making the room appear airy and spacious. The colour white is suggestive of purity and can be an equilibrium in its own right, possibly inducing a calming effect on the audience watching the clip itself. The spacious feel that the lighting gives to the room, signifies a sense of wealth and high class. High class can also be exuded in the form of the clothing presented in the scene at hand. The receptionist wears a smart women's suit, with the surgeon opting for a suit of his own, Ritchie on the other hand enters the scene wearing extremely casual clothes. Juxtaposed against the other two characters within the scene, Ritchie seems out of place, and due to the overwhelming difference in the attire that they're wearing- he seems that of a lower class from the moment the characters are placed side-by-side in the scene.

Shot types and camera movements, is another way in which social class is clearly represented within the clip. The shot type most frequently used at the start of the clip were 'wide shots', the use of this particular shot and the start of the was to, "set the scene" in a way, and confirm to the audience how elegant and luxurious the setting is. As well as this it also creates an even bigger contrast between Ritchie and the other two characters. Another shot type which regularly appears in the clip is that of 'close-ups'. The use of close ups in this clip is to highlight the facial expressions of Ritchie and the Plastic Surgeon, as they are in increasing conflict with each other. In conjunction with the CU shots used; jump cuts are of frequent occurrence throughout, especially when the close ups and jump cuts are placed side by side. The quicker and more aggressive the conversation gets, the faster the jump cut becomes. This adds a lot of danger, aggression and tension to the scene, consequently making the scene more dramatic and fast pace. Brought on my Ritchie, the verbal fight within the scene also illustrates his class and character throughout- and that of a lower class. Throughout this scene Ritchie continually uses swear words in his dialogue, which further adds to his character, as a lower class part of society. The camera movement of pan is used throughout the scene, acting as an outsider looking in rather than a point of view of a character. This adds to the contrast between Ritchie and the opposing characters, as we are not biased in the way that we conceive the characters being and the way in which they interact with each other.

In conclusion the use of editing, sound, shot types, camera movements and mise-en-scene help portray Ritchie as a citizen of a lower class society, who disrupts the equilibrium of the plastic surgeons prestige looking office. Juxtaposed throughout the scene, Ritchie appears as a stand out figure throughout, with his foul language and desire for conflict between the other characters; eventually leading to his assumption of a lower class citizen.

Background to TV Drama

There is no expectation that students will learn about TV drama as a genre or form. What is expected though is an understanding of how serious fictional television Engadget its viewers by representing real world events, themes, people and places through a series of technical and symbolic devices. There are, however, a set of sub-genres or dramatic types that have different conventions:

Teen dramas: (which depend entirely on the target audience empathising with a range of authentic characters and age-specific situations and anxieties)

Soap operas: (which never end, convey a sense of real time and depend entirely on us accepting then as 'socially realist')

Costume dramas: (which are often intertextually linked to 'classic' novels or plays and offer a set of pleasures that are very different to dramas set in our owl world contexts and times)

Medical/hospital dramas: (which interplay our vicarious pleasure at witnessing trauma and suffering on the part of patients and relatives with a set of staff narratives that deploy soap opera conventions)

Police/crime dramas: (which work in the same way as medical/hospital dramas but we can substitute the health context for representation of criminals and victims)

Docu-dramas: (which are set apart from the others by their attempts to dramatise significant real events which usually have either human interest, celebrity focus or political significance)

Each of these types has its own set of conventions, its typical scheduling patterns, its target audiences, it's narrative formulae and its history/expectations.

Representation in Crisis

It is useful to explore the claim made by some media academics that representation is a concept in crisis. This claim arose from a rather obvious aspect of the effects of digital technology. As it becomes cheaper, easier and quicker for people to make videos and upload them to the Internet for an 'imagined audience', then is it the case that the representation of people by the media is increasingly replaced by people representing themselves?

Consider the example of YouTube. Research in Barcelona by Gonzalez, Martinez and Fernandez (2007) found that in secondary schools in the city, students were regularly engaged in the production and uploading of video to YouTube, and that they had developed a range of discourses (ways of thinking and talking) about each other's work. Three groups has emerged--a group of students who only uploaded videos for each other to see; a 'playful' group who were uploading for a potential audience but were not concerned about the impact either way; and a third group of vloggers, who were actively pursuing a critical audience online, looking for a broader community of viewers. And it emerges from the group that being successful in 'playback' (people watching your videos and making comments) could acquire popularity with your peers, in the same way as being good looking, fashionable, good at sport or a musician. Video uploaders with lots of playback were treated as minor celebrities. This way of using the media is very different to the index of youth being represented in, for example Skins.

Key Concepts: The Representing Text

Sohn-Rethel (2003) describes four forces at work in media production which we can use as a framework for analysis. These forces are:

1. Technological
2. Economic
3. Cultural
4. Regulatory


Representation is a cultural force as it relates to tastes, identity and interest that are shaped by the culture in which we inhabit. Representation is also related to regulation, and people have legal means to respond to representations that they consider inaccurate or harmful. OFCOM (the regulatory body overseeing broadcasting), can intervene when a programme makers represent issues in a controversial way. Representation is increasingly shaped by technology, as the audience is able to watch a series in a staggered fashion or all at once, with a range of interactive features that may not appeal to all viewers--this is described as a fragmented audience.

A basic level of media literacy allowed a person to understand the narrative of a television drama. Advanced media literacy enables us to 'deconstruct' a television drama--to understand how it has been out together. To do this successfully, we would need to work at both micro and macro levels of a specific text.

Micro level involves pulling apart the detailed aspects of the texts frame by frame construction--camera angles and movement, shot composition, use of point of view, specific edits and transitions, cutaways and visual effects, pieces of dialogue, music and sound effects, lighting choices, props and costumes. All of this builds up to work at macro level. This is all about drawing conclusions from the micro work about how the sequence overall represents people, events, places and themes--how it portrays a sense of the 'reality' being dramatised.