Representation of disability

Inside i'm dancing


First impressions:
no communication between people - all in their own little world
remote area - big old building
classic white van indicates doctors and disability
grey and dull represent the mood
kids films on tv - treating them like children


During the film, we will be exposed to Rorys struggle through his situation as he comes to terms with it not maybe just being a temporary situation. He may make friends with the man who could not speak and offer him a friend and motivation as they help each other.


In one of the first scene we can see one of the main characters in the foreground and then everyone else in the background is fuzzed out. This shows us that the character at the front of the shot is a main character and that he is the one we need to focus on.
He is also facing away from the rest of the group secluded from them which suggests he may be unable to communicate them and gives the feel of sadness/isolation.
Group of characters are sitting in a structured formation which implies that there is a structure to their lives that they have no control over.
The clothes that the main character is wearing are fairly dull colours and quite boring which shows their is no excitement in his life and that his mood is quite 'blue', as are his clothes.


When we are introduced to the other main character, Rory, we see him in a medium close up where we can see his style clearly - punky which implies that he may be quite a rebellious character, restricted in a wheelchair which is doesn't want to be in.
He is the only person in the shot which suggests to us that he is another main character.


As Rory is introducing himself, there is a shot of him and the rest of the room which shows him the foreground (main character) and then the rest of the group fuzzed out in the background.
There is a light in the centre of the shot which implies a divide between him and the rest of the people there. His side is far lighter than the other side of the room which can suggest that he has more life left in him.
He is the only person in the shot that is wearing much colour - everyone else in the scene is just wearing patient gowns etc - very dull




Mise en scene:
The lighting is fairly high key which makes the environment seem fairly ordinary.
The characters in the scene are just dotted everywhere which gives a feel of no personal connections between the patients - they are all unable to communicate etc - treated as objects and not humans
All the colours used in the scene are very dull and colourless almost - pastel colours - except for Rory's top which is bright and orange making him stand out from the rest


Camera work:
Often has the main character in the foreground of the shot and then the rest of the room fuzzed out
There are a lot of close ups on the main characters so we can see their emotions - or maybe the struggle to show their own emotions
Shot to set the scene shows the large manor house where it is set
Opens the white van up which is usually connected with disabilities to reveal Rory on his own in this van, which suggests that he is independent even though he may have this disability.
The two main characters are usually in the front of the shot with everyone else blurred.


Editing:


Sound:


Discuss the ways in which disability is represented in the clip


Disability in the scene from 'Inside i'm dancing' is displayed in many ways through the use of typical associations that we use in everyday life, the persons struggle to show their emotions and what life may be like in one of these places are all shown by the use of mise en scene, camera work, editing and sound.


The Mise en scene is used very effectively through this extract of 'Inside i'm dancing' as it is able to create an overall image of life at the place. the way the that this shown is by the positioning of the characters this creates the image of no control over their own lives.


The use of camera work is able to help represent the disability, the way that is done is by there being a lot of close ups on the main characters so we can see their emotions this helps to show across their struggle through or how they are emotionalist this could show the mistreatment of them and how they feel about their own disability.


Non diagetic sound is used at the beginning of this extract and it is quite a relaxing and sad melody. This is a good opening tune as it sets the mood of the film. Diagetic sound comes in soon after when they are watching TV and then the woman is asking if anyone wants to do mass. The ways no one responds to mass shows that people have lost faith and they are not interested anymore.

Media Ownership

Oligopoly - A small group of elites that own a large proportion of the industry.

Synergy - The term used when companies market particular products through different industries e.g. advertising things through magazine interviews, adverts.

JAWS DROP AS PRICES RISE..

The way technology has expanded has allowed the audience to be not just a consumer but also a producer within the media.

IPC media

1. Find out who owns IPC media.

IPC is owned by Time Inc. which is the publishing sector of Time Warner Inc. which is one of the largest content companies in the world.

2. What other 'entertainment' interests does this company own?

It extends into online, television, cable VOD, satellite radio, mobile devices, events and branded products for example blackberry and iphone apps are one of the many components the company is involved in. Television networks, filmed entertainment and publishing are other sections of the industry.

3. Why might this company have bought IPC media? Benefits?

The IPC media company unit in the UK are read nearly 250 million times each month and by approximately 150 adults. It has a consumer market of around 70% of females in the UK and 50% of the men. It also covers around 60% of the online population. As IPC media is so diverse within digital and print, it offers something for everyone. IPC is very much at the heart of the cultural life within the UK. All of these points make them very attractive for companies such as Time Inc. to get involved. Also, IPC media are big in the magazine industry and can offer Time Warner more synergy to advertise their films and other products they may have.

4. Are there any potential drawbacks for the consumer/society when big corporations own a large share of the media market?

There are some drawbacks with big countries such as Time Warner Inc. owning a large part of the media market because they are then more able to dictate the prices that are on the market, there is no competition if they own a majority of the market which may mean standards may drop, and also all the brands under the same company will have a lot of similarities which may get boring for the consumer.

The regional representations of Liverpool

Sound

Dark and slow sounding music to create a bad atmosphere - non diagetic

Chimes etc emphasise the religious when in the church

Becomes more fast paced as the action begins

Children screaming suggests a more frantic situation - diagetic

Synchronised sound to emphasise the situation in the scene

Mise en scene

Fairly gloomy lighting to make it more dark

The colours used throughout the scene are more dull - shades of greys and browns - shows run down areas which are very common in liverpool

Worried/Panicked expression on the mans face shows that he may be going through some sort of situation

The furniture used in the scene is high class and posh which emphasises the status and the religious side because the furniture is quite formal

Camera work

Range of camera angles used - through the pane of glass, from down below when in the church - and shots are quick technical - sweeping down from ceiling in the church, reversing backwards through the car, shot reverse shot

Lots of long shots so it is clear to see the setting of the scene

Close ups on the mans face so can clearly see his emotions

Editing

Lot of shots to show the focus of the scene - the crucifix

Close up on his face to emphasise his expression

Short clips next to each other in different places to give the feel of him travelling a long way

Slow motion at the end when he's running to create a dramatic tension

Summarising the extract

• Poverty stricken
• Inner city areas

Exploring the subject of status represented in television extracts

Semiotic analysis:

The study of signs and symbols within a text to show different things e.g. communication.

Connotation/Denotation -

Stating what is seen in the scene/Analysing what this means.

DENOTATIONS & CONNOTATIONS OF A SCENE

The denotations in this scene include things such as the street being very simple and ordinary, the clothes the woman is wearing emphasises her motherly figure and the class that she may belong to. The way the family rushes through the door suggest that she's under quite a lot of stress especially with her late shifts that we can see by the fact she comes home late from work and has to pay the babysitter, which also shows us she is a single mum.

What does sound bring to a media text?

• Sets the tone of the scene

• Add a sense of realism that the audience can relate to

• Suspense

• Dramatic tension

• Sadness

• Action

4 Different types of sound:


Diagetic - sound that exists within the scene e.g. a radio, nightclub etc. Adds atmosphere.

Non diagetic - sound that is added over the action to create a particular mood or impression e.g. theme tunes and sounds over clips to emphasise actions and moods.

Synchronous - occurs when there is a match between the visuals and sound, so when what your seeing has an appropriate sound to accompany it. E.g. an action scene and a fast paced piece of music.

Selective - Emphasise particular moments of the text to create dramatic effect.







TYPES OF SOUND WITHIN A PIECE OF TEXT -

There is non diagetic sounds in terms of the theme tune, which is quite sad and ordinary. This shows us there are no surprises etc. There is selective sound when the kids are shouting in the scene which emphasises the stress within the scene. Lots of synchronised sounds - visuals of taking a shower along with the sound of the water. Gives you an insight into the characters life.







Showing status within a piece of text

School governors shown in very smart clothes with Dee and her children looking distraught etc. Dee, the main character often says "please" which shows her begging which also emphasises her status by the use of selective sound.




Discuss the ways in which status is represented in the clip

In this answer you must:

• Use media vocabulary and terminology.
• Discuss the different types of sound in the extract and how does this effect the clip as a whole.
• Make sure you discuss everything in detail.




Highlights from textual analysis




Camera angles -

At the start of the scene when theres a fight we see it from behind closed gates which put into perspective the fact that it's something bad going on.

Close up when she's in the board room - emphasise emotions

In the boardroom shot from up above to make the point that they are seen as lesser people compared to the governors, which are more superior

Long shot as they walk down the corridor - sense of gloom and doom about the situation

Shot reverse shot to show the reactions of the board - don't show much interest

When they first enter the boardroom shot of the governors table - much larger than needs to be - emphasises the point that they are superior to the woman.

Side view focuses mainly on the woman (Dee) and the main board woman - shows that they're the main people in this scene. These shots include the children although they aren't focused on as we are drawn to the woman and her emotions.




Mise en scene -

Mark from being punched in the face on both the woman and her son - show struggle in their lives

Make up is smudged and her hair is quite messy although she's obviously tried to look smart by having her hair up and wearing a smart jacket

Governors are smartly dressed and neat - shows power and business

Facial expression of Dee, the main character, are very distraught and she's pleading the board to make her stay

Dee is often leaning right forward when she's talking to the board trying to get as close to them as possible - shows begging and desperation

Waiting room - sitting slumped and looking awkward whereas the others are sat up straight to show that they are of a higher status than them




Editing -

Shows shot of the place they are in to set the scene

Waiting room - shots of different peoples faces to emphasise the emotions

Constantly cutting to show the governors faces whilst she's talking

Not much editing overall which shows the ordinary feel of the scene - focuses on the facial expressions of the characters etc to tell the story




Sound -

Silence in the waiting room - emphasises tension

Selective sound of "please" and "i'm sorry" shows her desperation paired with the use of non diagetic music which is quite sad and slow to emphasise the mood of the scene. (Synchronous)

Pleading in her voice shows how desperate she is and how much of a struggle her life is for her. Can see how nervous she is - how important this meeting is for their family - by the way she struggles to get through without crying and she stutters quite a lot.

How has the magazine industry responded to developments in new media technologies in terms of the distribution of content since the 1990's?

Since the 1990's, when the media first started to broaden it's range of distribution onto the internet with the use of online and CD-ROM magazines, it has expanded further in many ways due to the increase in technology available. From 2001 onward, media use in the magazine industry has led to many new ideas and developments. In 2001, the media content was introduced to the use of video content online, which brought a whole new level to the way they wanted to intrigue their audience. Also in 2003, the use of text messaging was then brought in, another way to reach the market audience. This, in 2006, then led magazines to enable their consumers to download the magazine onto their phones, as the rise in technologies of phones meant they were able to access things like this easily at the click of a button. With internet use continually expanding, big sites such as YouTube play a massive part in the advertising of magazines and giving magazines such as the Radio Times more content to include in like coverage of films and online podcasts. At the end of 2006, the first completely digital magazine was introduced - Monkey from Dennis. At the beginning of 2007, online magazines had been introduced to other audiences, Jellyfish was launched for teenagers, and although the advertising revenue for these were growing, there was thought that these had no perfect business model yet. With the rise of channels on TV (Sky and Free-view), magazines have moved in here as well which the production of NutsTV etc. 2008 saw the digital magazine aspect finally become established properly, which led companies such as Exact Editions and Zinio to launch new titles (as many as 850 for Zinio) to become available to read and buy online. As well as the regular production and selling of paper magazines, this also become common for digital magazines and fortnightly issues of Gizmo from Dennis and many other things have appeared. The latest update in technology which has caused development in the magazine industry is the manufacture of Umee, which allows content from sites like Facebook and Twitter to transfer information to other social utilities, like the iPhone. This has allowed the industry to create app's for magazines like NME where users can effectively download and view music, videos etc from the online magazine, straight to their phone.

Media Convergence

Media convergence is the interaction between different types of media. It shows the similarities and differences in the media and how these are used to create new products such as the iphone, which incorporates more than one type of technology ultimately to create an even better product.

What benefits might MEDIA CONVERGENCE confer on both consumers of the media and producers of the media?

It helps producers of the media to think of new ways of getting their product into the world, it helps consumers of the media as it is easier to to see what people have done and they have easy access to what other people have done which may encourage and inspire people to join the media business.