Representation

• Gender • Age • Ethnicity • Sexuality • Class and Status • Physical ability/disability • Regional identity

• Representation: the process by which images, words or sounds are used to indicate issues or debates beyond what they literally mean.

• Stereotype: an oversimplified definition of a person or type of person. It is to place a person into a narrow definition that allows little or no opportunity for change. It is frequently, though not always, a result of prejudice.

Types of Representation

• The reflective view• The intentional view• The constructionists view

The Reflective view

• According to this view, when we represent something, we are taking its true meaning and trying to create a replica of it in the mind of our audience — like a reflection. This is the view that many people have of how the news works — the news producers take the truth of news events and simply present it to us as accurately as possible.

The Intentional view

• This is the opposite of the Reflective idea. This time the most important thing in the process of representation is the person doing the representing — they are presenting their view of the thing they are representing and the words or images that they use mean what they intend them to mean. According to this theory, if you see a picture of an attractive person drinking a can of Coke in an advert, it will have the same meaning to you as the advertiser intended — go away and buy some!

The Constructionist view

• This type of representation is a mixture of:• 1. The thing itself. • 2. The opinions of the people doing the

representation • 3. The reaction of the individual to the

representation • 4. The context of the society in which the

representation is taking place.

TV Drama and Representation• You must comment on…

CameraSoundMise-en-sceneEditing

• And how they link to…

Representation

Camera

• 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.

Sound

• Diegetic and non-diegetic sound; synchronous/asynchronous sound; sound effects; sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue, voiceover, mode of address/direct address, sound mixing.

• Soundtrack: score, incidental music, themes and stings, ambient sound.

Mise-en-scene

• Sound• Lighting• Camera angles and movement• Editing• Setting• Costume• Props• Dialogue

Editing

• Cutting: shot/reverse shot, eyeline match, graphic match, action match, jump cut.

• Other transitions, dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, wipe, superimposition, long take, short take, slow motion, post-production, visual effects.