Representation of Age in 'White Girl'

Thorughout the clip we follow a young girl around the age of 13. It begins with an establishing shot of a sunny, grassy area creating an emphasis on the innocence of the girl riding her bike that she is far too old for, as though she is clinging onto her childhood. The camera is close up to elements of the bike, putting an emphasis on the fact that it is pink and too small for her. The cuts are quick and jumpy as the camera is not static, making it seem as though the audience are riding along with her. When the girl stops at the chip shop, editing is used to creat quick cuts, putting emphasis on the fact that although she is dealing drugs at a young age, it is nothing out of the norm for her and she just continues on as if it didn't matter, which makes her appear less innocent. The camera is positioned in a way that only allows the top of her head to be seen, making the audience to see how short she is, which would connote innocence however, this is followed by her dealing drugs and so contrasts the previous innocent and childlike image. When she arrives at the block of flats, and a feathered pillow is thrown out of the window, the camera looks up at the white feathers as they float around her signifying her youth and contrasting the dark and dingy building in which she lives. Her brother and sister are represented as typical children of their age, through mise en scene. The boy carries an 'x box' and the girl carries her toys, these are stereotypical items that a child would have in their possession and they highlight the ages of the characters. When the girl hands the money over to her dad, he says "good girl", this contrasts the drug deal she has just made as the condescending nature of the phrase makes her seem young and innocent. When the family are running away from the father, sound is used to create confusion as it is distorted and echoed, it also creates a sense of panic and the audience empathise with the girl and her family as anticipation is created as we await the father to realise they have left. The girl's older sister is laughing as they drive away from their father however, she is more apprehensive about their leaving, this is shown as she is hugging her dog and crying which makes her seem more vulnerable and as though she is leaving against her own will and as though her mother made the decision for her and her siblings as she is not old enough to decide for herself.

Gender Representation in Waterloo Road

In the clip we see a high school that has introduced a scheme to split male and female students during lessons, this essay will show how camera, editing, sound and mise en scene represent gender throughout. The clip begins with male students in a food technology lesson, this contrasts the stereotypical view that women usually cook and men do more manual or academic work. Sound is used to represent gender as the music during the scene is fast paced and the ambient sound reflects the behaviour of the boys as they throw the ingredients for their food around and generally misbehave. The female teacher is an authority figure, which again contrasts the stereotypical role of men and women. Mise en scene highlights the gender representation as the teacher is wearing a blue, floral apron emphasising the fact that her character is feminine but still in control whereas the boys are wearing darker, more masculine colours. She states that the boys' food is already measured out for them, as if to say that they are incapable of cooking and therefore need a woman's help to prevent them from making any mistakes. The camera is filming from outside the classroom, through the blinds which makes it hard for the audience to relate to the characters. A shot reverse shot is used throughout the conversation the teacher has with the deputy head and shows her reaction in response to his comments about the new student. The editing during the scene makes the situation feel more chaotic around the boys as the cuts are quick and short. This is in contrast the the classroom of girls as the cuts are slow and calm, as though the audience were in the classroom with the girls. The camera pans around the room and allows the back of students' heads to be in the shot, making the audience feel like they are in the lesson amongst the girls. The camera angles throughout the clip are low angle, looking down onto the classroom to enable the audience to see that the girls are sitting in an ordered fashion, not standing and throwing things like the boys had previously been doing. This, and the lack of music and background noise denote that the girls are calmer and more mature than the boys as they can follow instructions and sit civilly. In addition, the girls suggest that not only can women cook, like the teacher in the previous scene, but they can carry out academic discussions and work intelligently. However the rules are being reinforced by a male deputy head teacher, giving him a rol of higher authority and making both the female teachers and the female students seem inferior to him.