Representation of Regional Identity 2

Regional identity is portrayed in a number of ways in the Doc Martin Clip through use of camera work, sound, editing and mise-en-scéne. The first way in which regional identity is shown is through the use of costumes. Throughout the clip, the people of the village all seem to wear very informal clothing, such as boiler suits, whereas Doc Martin is wearing a very formal blue suit. This helps us to understand that Doc Martin is not used to wearing informal clothing, even in an environment where it is seen as normal to, and seen as abnormal to wear a formal suit. Also, those with formal clothing also tend to be higher class than those with informal clothing, giving the audience an idea as to what background Doc Martin is used to.

A second way in which regional identity is shown to the audience is through the use of décor. The fact that there is a broken sink suggests that the houses are not very well put together, (which is then emphasised through the fact that the sink starts to spray water everywhere). The fact that Doc Martin seems surprised at the trouble with the sink suggests that he is not used to things breaking in such a manner, indicating that where he is from is quite unlike where he is now.

Body language also plays an important role in showing how relaxed the people of the village are. One of the plumbers is slumped in his chair when he is supposed to be working, suggesting that the people of the village are very laid-back and are not required to work very hard. Doc Martin, however, is used to presenting himself in a smart way, so he stands up and walks in a very grand manner, which clashes with the way the people of the village stand and walk.

The next way in which regional identity is represented in the clip from Doc Martin is through the use of sound. Diegetic sounds can be heard (sounds in which both the characters and the audience can hear) whenever Doc Martin is outside. Seagulls are commonly associated with the beach, and therefore the country, allowing the fact that the setting is in a country village to be reinforced into the minds of the audience without directly telling them constantly, through use of dialogue. Another example is the loud barking of the dog, which is used to show chaos within the home, and adds to the stress of Doc Martin due to its loudness. Non diegetic sounds are also used (sounds in which only the audience can hear). An example of a non diegetic sound is the soundtrack. When Doc Martin is walking the dog through the village, quite a snobbish piece of music is played over the top, which suggests that he thinks himself above the village.

Dialogue plays an imperative part in the representation of regional identity. The village appears to have their own words and vocabulary to use in certain situations that Doc Martin is unaware of, so he must ask some inhabitants of the village what particular words mean. This is to remind the audience that Doc Martin is not used to the environment of the country, and seems to be confused as to why he doesn't understand a certain word. Another way dialogue is used to portray Doc Martin's lack of knowledge about the countryside and the people that live there is when the woman convinces him to sign her a prescription in a few words (when, to begin with, he was adamant that he set himself up and got used to the village first). This suggests that the people of the village are clever, and might have the belief that they are more intelligent than Doc Martin (due to the fact that they can persuade him so easily). However, Doc Martin seems to hold the belief that he is above the people of the country, for example, in the line "you can get out of here or go and find a mop and figure out how to use it". Also, Doc Martin is very well spoken compared to the inhabitants of the village, who speak with what would be described as a stereotypical farmer's accent (southern accent).

An example of an editing technique that worked effectively was during the scene with the broken sink. Many angles are shown of each character in the room in a short amount of time, even introducing a dog that enters the house. This is effective, for it gives the situation quite a chaotic feel to it, but only from the Doctor's point of view, due to everyone else in the room apparently remaining calm about the problem. Also, the fact that the Doctor was standing above the two plumbers, and then within a few fast shots he is below both of them, panicking, shows that when faced with a situation that the people of the country may not be particularly bothered by, he reacts strongly. This difference indicates that the urban norms are less use to malfunctions such as this, which those from rural areas may face on a daily basis. A jump cut is used to end this scene and introduce a new one, which also introduces more of the setting.

Setting is also very important when trying to show regional identity. The village is shown to have quite small establishments, such as the police station. The fact that it is small is further emphasised through the struggle Doc Martin has with actually entering the building (the entrance is very narrow). In the police station, a hoover is a prop used by a policeman who appears to have nothing else to do except clean, which could be interpreted as suggesting that there is a severe lack of crime within the small village.

Finally, camera angles are used to represent regional identity in a manner of different ways. At the very beginning of the clip, a low angle of the three men in the room is shown. It could be argued that this shot was used to allow the audience to interpret who is of higher status, due to being psychically higher up. In this instance, the Doctor is the highest, followed by the older plumber, and then the plumbers son. A tracking shot of Doc Martin is used when he is walking the dog to the police station, which is effective, for it shows a vast amount of the village as he walks through it, allowing the audience, again, to see how odd Doc Martin's suit and behaviourisms look in this environment. When talking to the plumbers, a high angle of the man slumped in the chair is used to perhaps show inferiority due to where he lives, and a low angle of Doc Martin is used to show his authority due to where he is from being perceived as better, or of higher status than the country. Similarly, a low angle is shown of the policeman to show his authority, and a high angle is shown of the dog to show its inferiority to Doc Martin (which is further emphasised by the fact that it backs away from the camera). Also, the shot of the woman and the Doctor discussing the description is quite long, which allows the audience to yet again see more of the environment, hear more diegetic sounds and see how relaxed the village is compared to what the Doctor is most likely used to.

List

Mise-en Scéne:
Props
Lighting
Body Language
Costume/Make-up
Decor

Sound:
Dialogue
Diegetic/Non Diegetic
Music

Editing:
Fade
Dissolve (shows relation between scenes)
Cut (Shows different scene)

Camera Work:

Camera Angles (e.g Low Angle, High Angle, Close Up)
Shot Types (E.g Establishing Shot, Tracking Shot)
Zooming

Representation of Ability/Disability Analysis

There are many ways in which ability and disability are represented to the audience in this A Touch Of Frost clip. The first recognisable sign that is shown is the slurred speech by Billy when he has been tackled to the ground by the police. He says "I haven't done anything wrong" in a way that suggests he has some form of speech disability, for it is not entirely clear. Also, a low angle shot of Billy was used to show him being overpowered by the policeman. This shot could suggest that someone with no disability can overpower someone with a disability, physically at least. The music used could also be seen as quite mysterious music, which suggests that we are supposed to not know what Billy has been doing or what he is doing now.

A panning shot is then used after the titles to show the vast amount of people that have turned up at Billy's house. This could be to show concern towards what has happened, perhaps indicating that the neighbours view Billy as someone they want to look after, or want to be safe specifically, due to his disability. Guards are also shown, however, which could indicate that Billy is somewhat of a threat to the public, and mustn't be allowed to leave the house until those without disability allow him to. This could also show a sense of empowerment over the disabled.

During a conversation with Billy's father, the detective asks the father if Billy is 'mentally subnormal', as if he is trying to avoid words like 'handicapped' or 'disabled'. This is to either show that the detective does not want to offend anyone in any particular way by saying what might be the wrong words, or he might be represented as being ignorant about such terms, indicating that those who are abled bodied do not pay much attention to the disabled, or what it is preferred to refer to them as.

The detective then proceeds to ask the father to come in with him in case he 'breaks the rules', suggesting that disabled people require careful treatment, going as far as to say that there are in fact rules to go by. The mother is then introduced by stating that she'd rather clean Billy up before the interrogation so he would feel better, suggesting that the disabled need assistance from the abled in order to make them feel better. Also, the tone the mother is using is such a tone that would suggest that Billy is a child, not a young adult, therefore suggesting that even the parents of the disabled treat them differently to how he would have been treated had he not had a disability.

This representation of the disabled being child-like is reinforced in the next scene, where his father talks to him in a patronising tone, telling him that no one has said he has done anything, despite the fact he has been tackled to the ground and is being interrogated. This is an attempt to calm Billy down, which could suggest that the abled try and keep the disabled happy, even going to the extent to exaggerate or lie to them, indicating that the abled view the disabled as not likely to catch on. Also, from this point onwards, Billy is being shown from a high angle, which is typically used to show inferiority, or authority from someone's point of view.

A shot of Billy tilting his head to his side is then shown. When a child is confused, they tilt their head, so the way in which this has been written to make Billy tilt his head could suggest that Billy is, yet again, like a child due to his disability. The detective then tells Billy that the policemen 'must've frightened' him, to which Billy replies 'I was frightened', as if he would like to agree with the detective, or is answering the detective like he had asked a question. Once more, this shows that Billy is under the influence of the detective, suggesting that the disabled are under the influence of the abled, in this case, mentally.

The lighting used to portray Billy is dark, whereas the detective is under a light. Darkness in lighting is usually used to portray untrustworthiness or even evil, and being shown in light lighting is usually due to the character being good. This difference in lighting could be interpreted as deliberate to show the detective as higher up and more reliable than Billy, who is being shown as quite unreliable during this interrogation.

Billy's father speaks to the detective over the top of Billy to confirm what time he went home, showing that Billy was incapable of giving an accurate description. This again enforces the idea that the disabled are in need of assistance regularly from those with abled bodies. The fact that his dad just speaks directly over his head with no effort, as if he is used to speaking over his son also suggests that he thinks himself above Billy.

A low angle of the detective is repeated to the audience many times to suggest that he is more important than Billy, or of a higher status at least. Whether this is due to his age, or the fact he does not have any disabilities is unknown, but this angle has evidently been shot deliberately to show higher status in the room.

However, as Billy starts taking an aggressive tone, and the detective begins taking a patient tone, it is evident that the tables have turned and Billy has taken control of the situation through means of his disability. This could then be interpreted to suggest that those with disabilities can manipulate situations by using their own disability to their advantage, for he is shouting at the detective without being reprimanded.

How I Consume/Produce Films

Like most people, I enjoy going out for the evening, and in my opinion, one of the best ways to spend such an evening is by going to the cinema. However, quite often I find that the film choices available at most times during the year are not to my taste. I am fussy when it comes to choosing what film I will see, for I only tend to go for sci-fi or fantasy, and the best films of those genre come out only a few times a year. Therefore, I rarely go to the cinema (3 or 4 times a year), due to my fussiness relating to what genre the film is, and when I do go, it would be with someone else who would be willing to go, such as a friend or a family member, for I do not like going to the cinema on my own. Luckily, the cinema is not the only way to see films any more, unlike around 50 years ago, so I am able to have access to satellite and cable TV, of which often show films on their many film channels, such as FILM 4 or Sky Movies as well as the main channels, such as British Broadcasting Company (BBC), the Independent Television company (ITV) and Channel 4.

There is also another advantage to the film industry in modern society, which is that if I am unable to catch a film in the cinema, I can buy it on DVD in a few months later, and play it on my DVD player that I have at home. I do not, however, own a blu-ray player, so I am unable to see films that are released on blu-ray before they are released on DVD, or films that are exclusive to blu-ray. Many people also use hard-disc recorders to their advantage, by simply recording a film on their TV that they would like to either watch again, or watch at a later time to when it is being shown live on the channel. I do not own such a device, however, so I usually have to make sure that I am not busy before I plan to watch a movie on a TV channel.

The internet is another popular way to access films, and well-known companies such as Netfilx or LoveFilm, of which provide a number of films, old or new, benefit hugely from this popularity. Luckily, I have access to the internet via my laptop, and via the video game console, the Nintendo Wii, in which I also have access to Netflix. YouTube is the most used video website on the internet, and the majority of videos uploaded to it aren't even professional videos. They can range from being homemade videos to being videos that go viral. This website is also a place in which music videos are uploaded by famous music artists with the intent to become well known, and therefore more likely to be purchased. I myself have uploaded home made film videos to YouTube when I was younger, using a camcorder to video it. Nowadays, I would be more likely to film something on my camera phone, and upload it to other social media sites, such as Facebook or Twitter. I would do this so I could gain the opinion of friends and family on my video.

An interesting fact is that 7 in 10 people in Britain own a smartphone, which can be used to view films on via, again, internet access, or you can download them or transfer them from a computer/laptop to the phone. The availability of internet on smartphones also allows people to book tickets for the cinema in advance, which has allowed a new form of film consumption to come into effect. Around 40% of the world has access to internet, and therefore can get information and more on the films they may plan to see in the future, as well as information on films that have already been released. Also, sites such as eBay or Amazon allow people to buy a large variety of DVD's, blu-rays or videos without having to even leave their house, for it can be posted to them directly once they have been paid for.

To conclude, there are many ways in which people can gain access to films, especially in comparison to around half a century ago, when the only way you could see a film was to watch it in the theatre, so I (as a film lover) feel very privileged to have such access, even if I do not own all the modern forms of accessibility to film.