Textual Analysis and Representation (The 7 key areas of representation)

You need to understand how these technical elements (in the last post) create specific representations of individuals, groups, events or places and help to articulate specific messages and values that have social significance.

Particular areas of representation that may be chosen are:
Gender
Age
Ethnicity
Sexuality
Class and status
Physical ability/disability
Regional identity

Textual Analysis and Representation (The 4 key areas of textual analysis)

Camera Shots, Angle, Movement, Composition

Shots: establishing shot, master shot, close-up, mid-shot, long shot, wide shot, two-shot, aerial shot, point of view shot, over the shoulder shot, and variations of these.
Angle: high angle, low angle, canted angle.
Movement: pan, tilt, track, dolly, crane, steadicam, hand-held, zoom, reverse zoom.
Composition: framing, rule of thirds, depth of field – deep and shallow focus, focus pulls.


Editing

Includes transition of image and sound – continuity and non-continuity systems.
Cutting: shot/reverse shot, eyeline match, graphic match, action match, jump cut, crosscutting, parallel editing, cutaway; insert.
Other transitions, dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, wipe, superimposition, long take, short take, slow motion, ellipsis and expansion of time, post-production, visual effects.


Sound

Soundtrack: score, incidental music, themes and stings, ambient sound.
Diegetic and non-diegetic sound; synchronous/asynchronous sound; sound effects; sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue, voiceover, mode of address/direct address, sound mixing, sound perspective.


Mise-en-Scène

Production design: location, studio, set design, costume and make-up, properties.
Lighting; colour design.

Representation Task

At a first glance, and i'm sure many others can say the same, I thought this man was homeless. His clothes looked tattered, his face unclean and very poorly groomed, and the cigarette in his hand all fit very nicely into the stereotypical image of a homeless man. But, as I looked closer, and examined this man more carefully, my very shallow and ignorant opinion changed. I noticed that his shoes were actually very well kept, and could possibly be Red Wing (a brand which can cost upwards of £200) so that instantly changed my mind. I then noticed the precise rolled up cuffs on his trousers and single button done up on his cardigan. Both of these things show that he is well up to date with fashion. The final thing which I noticed that completely changed my opinion on him, is the posture which he has assumed. It is a very confident way to stand, and definitely not a way in which a homeless man would carry himself. This led me to believe that he could be a model of some sort.

In actual fact this man is Doug Bihlmaier, who works as an interior designer for all of the Ralph Lauren stores. 

This lady shocked me with her extravagant outfit choice, and wild colours. This made me very intrigued to see who she actually was, as i noticed a few things about her which I was not expecting to see. The first of which was that after closer examination, I realised that her clothes were in fact very expensive, the handbag looks as though it is a designer brand, and the fur coat looks like it is real fur which makes it very expensive and exclusive. Her choice of colours shows that she isn't bothered about what anyone thinks of her, and could also show her confidence in herself. These two things together helped me to come to the conclusion that she worked in or was involved in the design or production of high end clothing.

This woman is actually Anna Di Piaggi, an influential fashion writer who is famous for never being seen wearing the same outfit twice. The clothes she is wearing were most likely given to her by a high end designer as a kind of product placement/brand endorsement.

I found it hardest to find an opinion for this picture. Where the other two pictures are very over-the-top, this one shows a very average and normal looking man. His clothes look relatively average, he is sporting a well fitting blazer, jeans and some high end canvas shoes, possibly Converse. Also, he looks fairly well groomed and has assumed a very standard stance.

This man is in fact Calvin Klein, who created one of the most well known brands on earth. He is most famous for his jeans and underwear.

American Beauty - Representation Of Lester Burnham

The opening scene of this film is a fly over of Lester's town. Whilst this is happening, we hear the voice of Lester for the first time. He has a very monotonous voice which immediately gives the impression that he is a very boring man. To emphasise this point, the use of a happy non diegetic soundtrack is being played which contrasts very clearly with his voice, making his voice seem even more monotonous compared to the upbeat soundtrack.

The first time the audience meets Lester, he is shown laying alone in a double bed. This hints towards the idea of an unhappy and loveless life, and it leaves us wondering where the partner could be, if there is one at all. The mise en scene in his bedroom also shows many things about Lester. The room is very bare and is coloured using only browns and beiges. This once again shows his boring and empty life. The camerawork in this scene also shows us how little Lester's presence is valued by his family, as he is shown to be very far away and small. The next scene shows Lester in the shower, as his narrative voice tells the audience that the highlight of his day is 'jerking off in the shower'. This once again backs up the idea that his life is very boring, and also that it lacks any love or sex. This scene also hints at the idea of Lester being trapped in this circle of events, as he is shown inside the shower door 'caged in'.

The next scene shows his wife out in the garden, and the contrast between himself and his wife is very obvious straight away, as the scene is overwhelmingly colourful and vibrant. This scene also highlights that Lester has been 'feminised' by his wife, as she is the one up ready to face the day, leaving Lester inside doing his normal boring morning routine. This is also another scene which Lester is shown to be 'trapped' as he is situated in the back of the scene behind the bars of the window, as if in a jail cell. The 'reversed role' idea is brought up again in this scene, when Lester's wife is shown impatiently beeping the horn of her car to signal that she is ready to leave. She is wearing a well fitting suit and even assumes the stereotypical male stance up against the car. This is a brilliant example of how Lester has been pushed to take the role of the stereotypical female in his relationship. He is also made to sit in the back seat of the car on the journey to work, showing his family have branded him not only as an inferior, but also as a child.

The final scene we watched in the film starts off with Lester's face in the reflection of his computer screen. The numbers on the screen form 'bars' of a prison cell and illustrate how Lester is trapped once again, but this time by his job. As the scene moves on, he visits his boss who is placed in the centre of the frame, and fills the frame top to bottom. The same cannot be said for lester however, who is made to be the smallest object in the frame, barely covering the centre. This shows us (the audience) how Lester's relationship with his workmates is very poor. It could indicate that Lester is not seen as an important part of the business, only someone who is present at all times with no real purpose.