In this blog post I will be analysing the sound in this clip of Adulthood. Adulthood was written and directed by Noel Clarke, released in 2008. It grossed £1,203,319 at the UK Box Office during its opening weekend, beating many of the top films that were released then. The embed video below is my sound analysis of Adulthood, I used youtube to add annotations on the clip.
This post will explore the past decades of British Social Realism films, trying to establish if the conventions are the same or if they have changed in recent times.
1950's Look Back In Anger
A 1959 film directed by Tony Richardson which had a fairly low budget of £250,00 but in the box office, it regained this money as it made $1.1 million (£689,387). BSR Conventions Denoted: The titles in this film are the same as all typical BSR films, they're are transparent and run along with the image. The location is real, it wasn't filmed on a set, you can tell this as when he comes out of his room and into the other mans room at 6:26 - 6:35, it looks like a real house. Also from the location, you can tell that they live in industrial England. In this same gif, you can also see the camera work. This shot here looks very professional and smooth, the person handling the camera did this very well. They've followed the man with the camera as well as panning to the other room.
Gif showing it's a real house
Within terms of production design, the props in the room (e.g they hang their clothing in the room on a line to dry) connote that the couple aren't exactly rich, so it follows the typical story line of following the underprivileged. One of themes that is made clear in this clip is Masculinity. At 8:01 you can see that the women is ironing the clothes while the man is sitting there reading his newspaper. This theme pops up a lot in BSR. This also relates to the characters, as the man is seen dominant while the woman is more weak. In the screen grab below, you don't see the womans' face due to the over the shoulder shot. This also can relate to the womans' role as in this shot she's not very important otherwise her face would have been shown.
8:01 - Two men reading the newspaper while the woman irons.
There are also some things that aren't typical of BSR in present times. For example, the costume is very smart, it doesn't look very ripped or damaged, it looks fine. Also the dialogue is very scripted, it looks almost unnatural. 1960's Poor Cow
A 1967 film, directed by Ken Loach, which was based on a novel of the same name written by Nell Dunn. It had a budget of £210,00 and made $1,400,000 (£877,402). BSR Conventions Denoted: Thelocation is similar to BSR films now as the clip shows lots of flats that all look the same, it's basically an estate. This also means that it's a real life location and not a set, as at 1:15 - 1:35 they have a shot of them on roof and you can see the other houses in the background.
Shot of them on the roof.
The props connote the typical type of family they are - underprivileged. At 2:19 there's a shot of them in the room, but there's not much there, just a couch and a table. Also the wallpaper is quite grim. The framing on the screen grab below is done very well. As you can see, their eyes are on the top third, which follows the rule of thirds.
The theme in this film shown from the clip is mainly childhood. From the clip it doesn't look like film will be very negative as it's just a clip of a family spending time together. Although it does show the typical characters, the woman is seen putting up the washing,but saying this, you do see the man taking care of kid which is not majorly seen in BSR films now. In terms of sound, in this clip there is very little dialogue, it's just a range of shots that are strung together with music. The music is non-diegetic for the most of the clip, but towards the end it becomes diegetic as you see the man singing the same song that has been playing in the background previously.
1970's
Bronco Bullfrog
A black and white film directed by Barney Platts-Mills, it was his first full-length feature film. It was reported to have a budget of only £17,000. BSR Conventions Denoted: The location of this film is in the city, which is typical of BSR films, it's located in an urban area, this is shown from 1:04 - 1:15 by the denotation of the city buildings and the motorway. The gif below is taken from 1:10 - 1:15, connoting it is an urban area.
The main themes represented in this clip of film are violence, crime and rebellion. Violence is shown from 2:06 - 2:10, as the character gets beat up and is thrown to the ground. Crime is connoted from 2:12 - 2:14 as you can denote one of the characters hitting something with a metal pole, then in the next shot, four boys kick open the door to a shop and burst in. It suggests that they're breaking and entering.
Gif showing them breaking into the shop.
The theme of rebellion is clearly connoted from 1:30 - 1:39. The girls mother asks her 'where do you wanna finish up then?' to which the girl replies ' with him, not stuck with you.' The mother then says 'you wanna finish up with a boy like that', this conversation connotes the theme of rebellion as it's clear to see that the mother doesn't like her daughters boyfriend very much, but the girl is going against her mother and still says she's want to be with him.
1:35 - the mother and daughter are having a conversation
Denoted in the gif below is a pan. The clip shows limited camera work especially with movement, apart from in this one shot with a pan. The shots are predominately all midshots with some establishing shots and about one close up.
Taken from 0:27 - 0:31
1980's Rita, Sue and Bob Too
A 1987 British film directed by Alan Clarke, set in Bradford about two teenage schoolgirls who have a sexual fling with a married man. According to IMDB it made a gross of $124,167 in the USA. BSR Conventions Denoted: Denoted through out the whole clip, is a man who is clearly an alcoholic. He himself connotes the whole theme of Drug abuse, but more the alcohol side of drugs. Denoted in the clip, in every shot of him, he's either stumbling when walking, or slurring his words when talking, it's clear to see he has a problem. Also in the screen grab below, you can see him raise a baseball bat, to his daughter, while saying ' your mum's a lying bastard an' all, and i'll wrap this around your fucking neck'. This abuse language as well as him having a baseball bat in his hand, connotes the theme of abuse. From the dialogue you can connote that there is a large amount of verbal abuse, but there could also be domestic abuse.
Screen grab showing the man with the baseball bat in his hand.
Another theme connoted in this clip is racism. At 6:25, the father says 'you keep out of this you black bastard.' to the Asian man in the room. Then proceeds to tell him to get out and if he comes back he'll 'smash his black brains off his black head'. This clearly connotes the theme of racism, as the father is telling this man to get out because he's 'black'. He repeatedly uses the word 'black', connoting how he feels that this man is different to him. The father feels like he has to point out that the man sitting before him is different.
6:25 - their reaction to the father being racist towards him.
The father in this clip (Bob), is connoted as the archetype of the failing man. In every shot, he's drinking and abusing others. This could also connote him as the weak but aggressive man as he's picking on people that are weaker than him, such as the Asian man. But he's mostly connoted as the failing man. This is also connote as at 6:01, the mother says 'you've done a days work in years', connoting how he isn't providing for his family, he's failing to be the man of the house.
The gif above taken from 0:45 - 0:50, denotes the man walking along a street with a flat building behind him. In the background of this building, you can just make out that there are others like it. This connotes the typical location of BSR films - an estate type area. It's not a very posh area, but just common.
The gif above is taken just a couple second after the gif that's above this one. This shows very good camera work, as they've used one track to do this whole scene. They must have stopped in between but the editing makes it look like it's one continuous shot.
1990's
Trainspotting
A 1996 film directed by Danny Boyle, based on a novel by Irvine Welsh with the same name. The film is ranked 10th out of the top 100 British films by the British Film Institute. This link here shows how it did in the box office, with a budget of about $3,500,000.
BSR conventions denoted:
The main theme connoted in this clip is that of violence. In the gif below,you can see a man that starts to kick a boy and then he gets out a knife. This clearly shows violence and maybe an anger issue as all the boy did was look at the man while he was taking his shot, but the man overacted and is now beating him up. This gif also can connote the archetype of this violent man. It connotes him as the weak but aggressive man, he feels like he has to hit people in order to make himself feel big which in seen in the gif.
Gif taken from 2:17 - 2:22
In the whole of this clip, there is no music what so ever. It's solely dialogue, which is mainly swearing. This connotes the type of area they live in is probably harsh as from a 3 minute clip, they swear about 25 times.
The screen grab below denotes the costume of the characters. Denoted is very casual clothes; t-shirts, jeans and denim jackets. This connotes that the people aren't very fancy, they're everyday normal people which are typical of the BSR genre. Also the props in this shot; the empty beer glasses and the cigarette in his hand also connote the rough area. They drink a lot and they smoke.
Screen grab from 0:08 denoting the costume.
In terms of camera work, I really like this shot that is shown in the gif below. It's one of the first shots in the scene and the way it's filmed is really interesting. It starts off showing lots of people near the bar, then zooms out and tracks back to where the main characters are sitting. It emphasises that in this room, they are the most important people.
2000's
This is England
A 2006 film written and directed by Shane Meadows, based on his experiences. It had a budget of about £1,500,00 and made £207,676 in it's opening weekend.
BSR Conventions Denoted:
One of the clear themes denoted in this is Racism. From 3:07 - 3:23, the white man repeatedly uses the word 'nigger', a derogatory word used against black people. He continues to say this, while the boy just sits on the bed not saying anything. The man then provokes him to start a fight, but the boy still does nothing. Starting at 3:43, the man starts to beat up the boy in a very graphic manner, also connoting the theme of violence. While beating him up he repeatedly says 'I fucking hate you' and also uses the word 'nigger' once again. This connotes the theme of Racism in a very explicit way, it's the worst form of Racism.
Gif from 3:52 - 3:57, shows him punching aggressively.
The main character in this clip, Combo, is connoted as the weak but aggressive man. Denoted is him picking on the black boy because of his race as he repeatedly uses a derogatory term against him and then beats him up. He makes himself feel and look bigger but beating him up.
Screen grab from 3:25.
The location is set in a small room, shown in the screen grab above. Denoted are two beds, a sheet for a curtain and some little posters. The wallpaper looks very old and ruined. This connotes that they aren't very rich, they're poor, which is typical of the characters that BSR films follow. The sound in this clip is mainly dialogue, but at about 1:09, non-diegetic music starts to play in the background softly. This is done as the boys speech is about his dad and how he respects him and the music adds to sentiment of his speech. When the shots come in of Combo hitting the boy, the music starts to get louder and fast paced, it stands out as before it was very slow. The music continues to be fast paced until he stops hitting the boy, then it slows down again. I think this was very clever the way the music was edited as it highlights the important part of this scene, the fight.
The costume and props in this clip connote that they're typical every day people. With regards to costume, they aren't wearing anything fancy, its everyday clothes. Using the same screen grab from 3:25 above, denoted is a man wearing a white vest and jeans, a little boy wearing a shirt and jeans and then another boy wearing a white shirt and trousers. The costume isn't anything over the top and fancy. The props in this room are fairly ordinary, but they help set the class of the people. The blankets look old and they're also very dark colours, connoting the darkness of this scene. There's also an England flag hung on the wall, which foreshadows the title.
2010's
Ill Manors
A 2012 film written and directed by Plan B - mainly known as a musician. The film revolves around 8 characters lives which are narrated by songs that Plan B has written. The clip below shows one characters life.
There are many themes shown in this 3 minute clip such as; Drugs, Drug Abuse, Childhood and Parenthood.
This screen grab from 2:15 shows how Drugs is a theme. Denoted in the shot is the man on the right making the drugs and the man on the left is giving him money that he made from selling drugs. Drugs is a common theme used in many BSR films.
From 2:00 - 2:08, denoted is a shot of the boys mother lying dead on the bed with a needle in her arm. This connotes the theme of Drug Abuse as in the music in the background, the narrator says she died of a Heroin overdose.
2:08 - the boy lying next to his deceased mother.
Childhood is also a theme in this short clip, but in a typical BSR way. It's not so much about the childhood, but the absence of the childhood. In the screen grab below, denoted is a little child sitting on a chair in a basement, this is no place for a child of his age. It also looks like it's late at night, he should really be at home or sleeping, but he's in the basement of some strangers home.
1:01 - shot of the boy in the basement
The fact that he's in that basement alone, while his mother is upstairs with the man, also connotes the theme of Parenthood. The father is absent while the mother isn't being the best parent she can be. She's left her child alone in a basement while she's upstairs with a man. In the song at 1:22, it says 'what an environment to raise a kid, 'round crack dealers house', the music emphasises the point that she's not a good parent, she's struggling.
The location of this clip, is mainly just in the basement. A basement is underground, dirty and usually where bad things happen. Denoted in the screen grab below is a dimly lit basement that looks dirty. It has dirty quilts on the right and a couple of chairs. It connotes the genre of film as BSR follows characters that aren't perfect and all clean, it follows the 'basement' type of people. Like a basement is the scary, unknown part of the house, the people that BSR films follows are the scary, unknown part of society.
0:54 - shot of the basement
I found the music in this clip very interesting as the non diegetic music narrates the shots on the screen and this is the first time I've seen this been done.The soundtrack - written and performed by Plan B, who is also the director- goes through step by step whats going on in the clip. In the screen grab below is a shot of man who looks quite smartly dressed, so you would think he is a pleasant character. By the soundtrack in the back repeatedly says 'Mr Drug Dealer', connoting he is a drug dealer. It makes it clearer for the audience to see who this character is as appearances can be misleading.
0:04
0:22 - shot of woman sitting down
0:26 - shot of man sitting at table
Denoted in the two screen grabs above of the man and woman is the costume of this film. The women is wearing a plain blue shirt with shorts and a hat, while the man is wearing a white polo with trousers. Both of these costumes aren't very fancy and expensive, they're everyday clothes, connoting that these characters are every day people.
In what ways has British Social Realism evolved over the last sixty years? In my opinion, I think BSR has evolved in many different ways over the last sixty years but mainly in terms of tone and issues in the film. For example, the things that have stayed the same are; the themes - nearly all BSR films have an element on Poverty in them, be it in 1960, with Poor Cow, or in 2012 with ill Manors, Poverty is a recurring theme. Another thing that has stayed the same is the location, most BSR films are set in urban areas, the city, but as of recent, most of the films are set in even more urban areas, like estates or flats. The sound has evolved hugely over the last sixty years, but that is mainly due to it being a whole new era, music develops as time goes on. Even then, in past BSR films, the music in the background wouldn't have lyrics, it was mainly a backing track that would go over dialogue. But now, lyrics have become more heavily involved, like in the film ill Manors, the lyrics play a major role in narrating the story. The music now a days in BSR films is mainly the genres of rap and grime. In terms of dialogue, I think it's stayed the same, there's obviously changes in the way the characters speak, but the amount of swearing and aggressiveness in the speech is the same. The tone of BSR films is one thing I think that has evolved dramatically. In the past the tone was serious, but with a bit of light heartedness, it wasn't serious in every single shot. Since the 2000's, I think the tone of BSR films has become much more intense and the films show a lot more that would have been previously held back. Like in Rita, Sue and Bob too, Bob is clearly an alcoholic, but from the clip, you never see him actually put his hands on either women, but I think if there was a more modern version of this film, this would have happen as the directors now try to put across a more serious approach. They want people to take something away from the films. The issues in BSR films have also evolved. There's a repeated issue of having to get by and carry out their mundane tasks across the decades but as time evolves other issues play a bigger part. Some of the major issues now are; drugs, gang violence and peer pressure which are all put on young peoples shoulders, where as before it would've been elder people struggling with money troubles or a related matter. The issues have been more graphic in terms of what they are and how they're presented. Overall I think BSR films now make the audience that watches them think more about the issues faced by the society around them.
In this blog post I will be analysing the mise-en-scene of the film Sket. The film Sket is written and directed by Nirpal Bhogaland was released in October 2011. It was rumoured to have a budget of about $1 million according to IMDB.
Production Design - Costume
This screen grab, taken from 47:29, represents the costume in this film. Denoted in the shot is 5 female characters all wearing a similar costume. You can see hoodies, tracksuit bottoms, big leather jacket, jeans and trainers. Also the girl on the far right is sitting on the rail while the rest of the girls are leaning against it or standing on the stairs. Additionally, the area they're standing in doesn't look very clean, the titles look very yellow and grimy. The costume connotes the BSR genre as the main characters are wearing hoodies and tracksuits which are common of present BSR films. The fact that the girl on the far right is slightly above the rest, it connotes how she's the main person in this group of people. It represents her as being dominant than the rest. Location
This screen grab is taken from 47:41. It represents the location of this film well as denoted is an alleyway with lots of graffiti and event posters. Alleyways usually have dark connotations as bad things tend to happen in them, in this film, the girls walk through the alleyway to go and beat a man up, so this connotation in this sense is correct. The graffiti connotes the type of area they live in, it's not very pure and white, it's a wall that has been plastered with paint, tags and event posters. This location is a typical BSR location as many of the films are filmed in locations that are estates or run down areas, so graffiti and alleyways are a typical thing to be seen. The colours of the graffiti are quite dark, they're not bright and all happy, they're mainly dark blues and and grey, connoting that the BSR genre is dark.
Actors
Adelayo Adedayo
The screen grab above, taken from 49:00, shows the character Kerry, played by Adelayo Adedayo. This actress isn't very famous, but she has done many projects which I have seen. Such as the recent film, Gone Too Far and she also stars in a TV series called Some Girls. Both of these are typical BSR texts. Gone Too Far explores an immigrant coming to England and trying to fit in with his brother, while Some Girls follows a typical British girl group of friends that are in school. Adelayo Adedayo isn't in hollywood movies, which represents the type of actors that are in BSR films. They're not actors that are very well known for big movies, most of them are first time actors as they want the scenes to be realistic and natural. Some Girls (2012) and Gone Too Far (2013) were both made after the release of Sket (2011), so Adelayo Adedayo, wasn't even very well known in British cinema when she starred in this film.
Lighting
In this shot, taken from 23:32, denoted is a group of people in a dimly light alleyway. The only light is from the few street lamps and you can denote a couple of buildings in the background. The lighting is natural as the light there (apart from the street lamps) is naturally occurring. The lighting helps connote the meaning of what is about to happen. The shot is mainly dark, and the dark is often connoted with danger. From the shot you can see that the woman looks like she's about to be in danger. Also the light is mainly on the woman in the middle, connoting that she is the positive character (protagonist) in this shot, while the man on the right and the woman in the foreground are not as brightly lit, connoting they may be the antagonists. Colour
This is a shot taken from 31:09, which shows the typical colour palate of BSR. Denoted is slight colour of blue and white across the whole shot. Blues are mainly used for colour design in BSR as it connotes the sadness and coldness of the genre. Denoted in the shot is a woman that has been beaten up in a hospital bed, with her little sister sitting beside her. The blue and white overtones of this shot, connote the little sisters sadness. Also the colours make the shot look even more clinical and blues and whites are the typical colours you would see in a hospital. Era
In this gif, taken from another clip, at 6:07 - 6:12, represents the era of this film. Denoted in this gif is people at a 'rave'. From the clip you can see the era, as 'rave's are very common in the present now than they were a couple of decades ago. Also the artists performing are wearing snapbacks and hoodies while rapping, which is also popular now. Click Here to listen to song that plays in the background of this gif. The fact the director used this song in the background connotes the era as this type of genre - Grime, was very popular in 2011 - the year the film was made and set in. Also grime is a typical genre of music, most people live in that live in an estate and are teenagers, so it also represents the film's characters.
This week in class I learnt about the different conventions needed in a British Social Realism film, for it to be classed under that genre. In one lesson we learnt all about the mise-en-scene for British Social Realism films. An easy way to remember the different categories of mise-en-scene is PLACE. Production design, Lighting, Actors, Colour design and Era.
My notes about mise-en-scene in BSR.
Conventions in Relation to Audience Mise-en-scene - This is everything in the shot. In BSR mise-en-scene is very important as it helps determine the genre. The props, lighting, actors, colours and era all have to relate to the film, if one thing is out of place, it won't make that much sense.
Screen grab from the Adulthood trailer
In the screen grab above you can see that the mise-en-scene fits perfectly with British Social Realism. First of all, the location is just outside an estate, which is a typical BSR location. The lighting is low key, which connotes the darkness of the BSR genre. The costume the character is wearing, is a tracksuit and trainers, a typical BSR costume and the colour design is very dark, it's not very bright. All of these aspects help the audience to figure out that it's a BSR film.
Themes
There are many different themes that appear in British Social Realism films, but the mains ones that come up all the time are; Poverty, Corruption of youth, Petty crime and
Drugs.
Screen grab from Attack the Block
This scene from Attack the Block is 'Ron's weed room'. This clearly shows the theme of drugs, but also the one of corruption of youth. The kids that live in the estate are mainly teenagers, yet they're in the weed room and through out the film, many of them smoke weed. Themes are important in relation to the audience as it helps them understand that it's a British Social Realism film and that these themes are typical in the area where characters live.
Actors
All the actors in British Social Realism films are very unknown. Some of them have never acted before. This is so the acting of these characters is more believable, it isn't overdone and fake.
Screen grab taken from The Selfish Giant
These two boys from 'The Selfish Giant' were casted from an open casting process, neither of them had acted before. It makes the relationship between the two characters more real. The actors are just ordinary everyday people, which is exactly what the characters are meant to be like, so it helps if the person you're playing is just another version of you, it's not that far from reality.
Also, with BSR actors, they're mainly young actors. You're likely to see teenagers as the main characters as usually they're the ones that fit in with the BSR genres. BSR films that are dominated with teenagers are; Adulthood, Attack the Block, Fish Tank and Kidulthood.
With having unprofessional actors, it makes the dialogue flow more. They don't stick to script word for word. They realise the parts that are important but most of the time they improvise.
A Room for Romeo Brass
In this scene from 'A Room for Romeo Brass', you can tell that the conversation between Romeo Brass and his mother is improvised and not repeated again and again. It's important for the actors to look and feel realistic as it means that the audience can relate and sympathise with them more. If it looks like they're clearly putting on the character, than they won't sympathise as much.
These conventions will inform my production as now I know what conventions to put in to clearly show the BSR genre.
For example, in my film, I will make sure that the mise-en-scene is perfect. The film 'Adulthood' uses mise-en-scene very well in the film as it is filmed mainly in an estate and the costumes and lighting all relate well to BSR. From watching this trailer, I already had a few ideas about where I would shoot my film.
The location where I am thinking of filming - It has an alleyway and flats in the distance.
I will use the different themes of BSR, but mainly the one of Corruption of Youth as I am very fascinated by this theme in British Social Realism. Usually films that include Corruption of Youth, lead the character back on the right path after, but this is very unlikely in BSR, so I am excited to come up with a storyline that includes this.
Regarding to actors, I am likely to get people from school to act, as they are going to be the age that the characters will be likely to be - teenagers.
One text I found particularly influential was 'Tight Jeans' by Destiny Ekaragha. One of the main reasons I like this short film, is because for the whole 8 minutes, there isn't one static shot. In every single shot there is some action, be it a subtle zoom or someone talking. Click Here to watch the film.
Screen grab from Tight Jeans
Shown in the screen grab above are the three main characters of this short film. I like how this film, is based on just three characters having a conversation about a man wearing tight jeans. The conversation sees very real and effortless, which is something I hope to replicate when I make my film. I also like the choice of location in this film. In the background of every single shot, you can see a part of the estate, you can tell the director thought of every single shot and where the characters are positioned.
Another text I found influential was 'My Brother the Devil'. I haven't seen this film as of yet, but watching the trailer in class made me really intrigued and I will probably watch it in the near future. Click Here to see the trailer. I really liked this trailer, as the story enticed me. It's about a man who does all the typical 'gangster' stuff, so his brother doesn't do it. He wants his brother to get an education while he's out making the money and providing for him. But it becomes apparent that the younger brother wants to follow the same path his older brother is on. I found this influential as it's different from the typical BSR films, it's not all about the crime and drugs, this film is about a man trying to get away from all of that and wanting better for his family. I hope that my opening sequence will tell the audience what the storyline is, like this trailer did for me. I want it to be different from typical BSR films.
I think I will definitely conform to the conventions as I need them for the audience to realise that it is a BSR film. But I will be careful in how much I conform to them, as I don't want it to be very similar to all the well-known BSR films out there, I want it to have some originality. I will mainly conform to the actors and mise-en-scene conventions, but maybe steer away slightly from all the typical themes in BSR.
As part of my coursework, I had to watch and then analyse 'The Selfish Giant', a film by Clio Barnard which was inspired by 'The Selfish Giant', written by Oscar Wilde. The film follows a young boy called Arbor, who has ADHD and his friend Swifty. These two boys get mixed up with stealing and selling scrap metal and it doesn't end well for either of them. For this blog post, I will be analysing the different social groups in this film. Regional Identity This film was placed in North England and from the different shots and locations you can assume that the area the characters live in isn't very nice and it's mainly an industrial town.
A shot that shows an electric pylon in the midst of a scenic area.
27:10 - this shot is taken from just before the race with the horses
In this screen grab you can see a horse and a few men at dusk. You can hear lots of murmurs from the men that are in and out of the shot. The man on the far right is wearing a grey tracksuit with a logo on the front. This costume is similar to the men surrounding him as well, they're all wearing very casual clothes. In the back you can also see a caravan that is presumably attached to the carrier they kept the horse in. This shot denotes that the people in this area are travellers. The audience can tell this, first of all by the horses. It's mainly known amongst traveller culture, that they keep horses, so straight away that tells the audience who the characters are. The clothes that the men are wearing suggest that they aren't very educated. They're all wearing hoodies, with some of the older men wearing flat caps instead of hoods. Flat caps were popular in the 20th century, giving the audience some indication of when this film takes place. The lighting in this shot is fairly low key, but you can see just enough. I think the directors decision on filming this scene at dusk, instead of really late at night when its pitch black, denotes a type of innocence to the activity the men are doing. They're racing horses which is illegal, although they're doing it to make money. Money that presumably will go to improve their lives. They live in an industrial town, so they don't get that much money as it is, so they will do anything to obtain it, even risking their lives. In this shot the horse takes up two thirds of the screen, this is done to show the audience that this object in central to their lives. It puts more emphasis on the fact that they are travellers. Age
12:00 - Arbor tells his teacher to shut up after he gets sent to the study room for misbehaving in class
In the shot before this, Arbor is misbehaving in class, chucks his pencil and paper on the floor and swears at the teacher. This connotes that he doesn't have much respect for the teachers at his school at this age, he doesn't value his education. The facial expressions of both Arbor and the teacher, connote the relationship they have together. They both look annoyed, on the teachers' face, he is frowning his eyebrows and looking down at Arbor. Arbors' face looks very clenched and he's avoiding looking at his teacher. This connotes how the relationship between these two characters isn't the strongest. This connotes the typical stereotype that today's generation has no respect for teachers and will do whatever they like, it conforms to this stereotype in this shot and throughout the film.
20:47 - Price Drop attempts to hit Arbor but Swifty defends him.
Denoted in this shot is Price Drop trying to attack Arbor but Swifty jumps in and tells Price Drop to leave him alone because 'he's his mate'. You can also denote Mrs Swift in the background looking helplessly at the scene in front of her. This shot connotes how even though Price Drop is older, he's not better or more mature. He tries to hit Arbor, which is what a kid would do, he's not a grown up man. This leads us to believe that Price Drop is the archetype of the 'failing man', there is no hope for him. The name 'Price Drop' itself connotes he's failing, as it connotes he doesn't have much money to provide for himself or his family. Also the way he is dressed, in greys and blues, connotes depression in his life because he is failing, he's got nothing to do with his life now.
This whole argument between Arbor and Price Drop started because Arbor wants to scrap the metal from the bikes, where as Price Drop wants to fix them and re-sell them. Swifty doesn't say anything until Price Drop tries to hit Arbor. He steps in and says 'get away he's my mate,' and pushes him away. This connotes Swifty as the follower, he's loyal to Arbor and is also sensitive as he pushes away his own father when he is about to hit Arbor. This also connotes some maturity in Swifty as he's putting his friend before money, Price Drop would get more money for selling them than Arbor if he scraped them. But this doesn't matter to Swifty as he values Arbors' friendship over money. He has more sense of what's wrong and right than Price Drop. Price Drop may be older, but he is no role model to the kids in this film; he's a broken man, doing anything he can to save or get his hands on money to provide for his family.
Mrs Swift in the back is blurred due to the depth of field in this shot. Swifty protecting Arbor is the main thing in this shot, but there is some purpose for Mrs Swift to be there otherwise she wouldn't have been there. The director has blurred Mrs Swift to show how she is helpless in this situation, she can't do anything about Price Drop arguing with Arbor and also connotes how she can't do anything about where they live.
Disability
00:53 - Where Arbor is underneath the bed.
Denoted in this shot is Arbor underneath the bed and he is the hitting the top of it. From 00:53 - 1:01 you hear Arbor screaming and shouting 'I can't stand you! Bastards.' The fact that is the first shot you see in film, shows how the director has represented Arbor's disability as taking over his life. It's the first thing you know about his character from watching the film. It represents his disability in a negative light, as the shot isn't of him trying to fight the disability, but of him having an episode. The fact that the director has chosen for the first shot of the film to be his disability in the worst light, it connotes how the rest of the film, isn't going to be a happy ending. It's starting with a negative so it will presumably end with a negative, which is a typical convention of British Social Realism; they don't have happy endings. In this shot, the lighting is denoted as very low key, you can barely see his face, but you can hear clearly what is going on. This connotes how the disability has taken him over a person, it's what identifies him now. You can't see who he is, or what he looks like, just that he is an ADHD patient. This conforms to the stereotype that people with disabilities are helpless and have to get others to help them. You can see this in this shot, as Swifty, Arbors' best friend, has to help him calm down and get out from underneath the bed. Arbor has difficulty trying to calm himself down. This shows the clear archetype of Arbor as the lost boy. Arbor is connoted as the lost boy in this shot, as he is trying to find his way but his disability gets in the way.
09:13 - Arbors' mother asks if Arbor has 'taken his tablet'
Denoted in this shot is Arbors' mother asking if he took his tablet, after Arbor has another episode. He's shouting at his mother and calling her an 'ungrateful bastard' and then when his mother realises he's getting out of hand, she asks if he took his tablet. He says he has, but when she asks Swifty, he says no. This conversation connotes how this family in particular, think that taking the medication, will solve everything. They would rather treat the symptoms than the actual cause, they think that it's better for Arbor to behave 'normal' for a while and get him off their backs than actually spend money on proper treatment, like cognitive behavioural therapy. This conforms to the stereotype that if you take medication, you will automatically get better. Although, it's hard for this family to try anything that gets to the cause of his disability, as they don't have the money. It makes Arbors' disability worse as he's helpless in the sense that he has it and helpless in the sense that he can't do much about it. Arbors' mothers facial expression is one of worry but also annoyance. She's worried that Arbor isn't taking his medication, like any mother would be, but she's also annoyed at the fact he hasn't. If he did take his medication, her life would be that bit easier. While this conversation is going on, the director mainly shoots Arbors' mother, instead of Arbor, I think this is done to connote how the people around Arbor suffer because of his disability. Although he is helpless, he affects the people around him.
45:45 - 46:20 - A collection of shots showing how disability is seen in a negative light.
In the first shot, you see Arbor drinking an energy drink. In the background you can hear Kitten say 'you're hyper enough as it is, you need tranquillisers'. This speech connotes how Arbor isn't really seen as human because of disability, Kitten says he needs 'tranquillisers' which are mainly used on animals. It's connoting how Arbor is an animal, just because he is hyper, he can't be still, which is a symptom of ADHD. Kitten then tells him to 'bugger off'. This connotes that because Arbor has a disability, Kitten doesn't want him around the horse as he doesn't want anything to happen to it because he knows Arbor is unpredictable. This then comes to life in the second shot, where you can denote Arbor picking up the reigns of the horse and is ready to ride him. Arbors' facial expression is denoted as very innocent, he looks content with just being able to ride the horse. The third shot is when Kitten catches Arbor and pulls him off the horse. As you can see, Kittens facial expression is very vicious and harsh. It connotes how he has no consideration for Arbors' disability, he doesn't understand that it makes him act without thinking. He pulls him off in such a vicious manner, that Arbor ends up on the floor. In the fourth shot, denoted is Arbor on the floor and Kitten standing up. Kitten is standing very tall and upright, where as Arbor is sort of hunched on the floor, he's made to look small. This shot connotes how Arbor is seen as little because of his disability. It also puts Kitten as the typical archetype of the 'weak but aggressive man'. He is abusing and picking on a little boy that has a disability to make himself feel big. He's putting Arbor down and excluding him from things, such as riding as horse, because he has ADHD.
Social Class
33:05 - Arbor waits outside Swifty's house.
Denoted in this shot is Arbor hanging around Swifty's house, swinging on the gate. He's wearing ripped clothes, presumably hand me downs. This connotes that his family's social class is either working class or underclass, as he's wearing clothes that aren't in the best condition. The colour of the clothes are all dark clothes, the blacks, dark greys are all very gloomy. Connoting how his life is very gloomy because of his social class. It represents the underclass as very poor and having to just get by.
13:36 - The inside of Swifty's house.
In this shot you can see barely anything. The shot is just of some clothes on the floor and a blurred image of a little girl. I chose this shot to represent the Social Class in this film as it emphasises how this family really has nothing. All the colours in this shot are very dark, it makes the area look even more dingy. The clothes on the represent how very little space they have in the house, it's very crowded. The director has used depth of field here to make the audience feel emotional. It shows a little girl looking at her living room. There's nothing there and that should be no place for a kid to be. She's blurred as she can't do anything about it, she's only young and has be born into this horrible situation. This shot conforms to the stereotype that the underclass are poor and helpless. Price Drop is having to sell his sofa where all the kids sit, just to make £250, for the electricity and heat. It's a scene you wouldn't expect to see in 2014 Britain, but this shows how it does still occur in some parts.
31:14 - Mrs Swift tells Swifty he must go to school.
In this shot, the dialogue is more important that the actual picture. Mrs Swift tells Swifty 'I want better for ya, if you're to get on, you've got to go to school.' This dialogue represents how Mrs Swift wants Swifty to get an education, she doesn't him to turn out like her husband, Price Drop, she wants him to get far in life and leave the underclass society. This conforms but also challenges the stereotype of underclass people. It conforms to it as some people from the underclass try to go out and get an education and be better, which is what Mrs Swift tells Swifty to do. But it also challenges the stereotype as many of the underclass are happy to take benefits and live in beaten down areas, but here Mrs Swift is pushing Swifty to be better than that, she doesn't want him just getting by, she wants him to be doing well and to do that he has to get an education.
Gender
12:39 - Price Drop shouts at Mrs Swift
Denoted in this shot is Price Drop shouting at Mrs Swift about the electric. He tells her 'look at you, you're useless aren't you, you're meant to put money aside for the electric.' This connotes how women are seen as second class citizen in this film. He calls her 'useless' and the way his body language is towards her also connotes that. He's towering over her and is pointing at her, while she's facing away from him and looking down. She is downgraded to being 'useless' even though she is the one that's trying to make the kids their food while Price Drop is just standing in the kitchen shouting at her. The lighting in this shot also connotes how she is a second class citizen because she's a woman. Price Drop is much more lit than her, while she is in the shadows, it connotes how woman are only important when they're made to feel like they are. At this moment in time, she's in the 'shadow' of Price Drop, she has to agree with him and listen to his abuse as without him, her kids wouldn't even have food. He is the provider of the house, so she takes the abuse for her children. In this scene, Mrs Swift conveys to typical archetype of the 'downtrodden woman'. Her life is very hard and she gets abuse from everyone, but she sticks with it. This shot conforms to the stereotype that women are seen lesser than men as Price Drop is insulting her, but she can't do anything, because she's a woman.
28:56 - When the men are racing horses
This shot shows a typical stereotype of men in the film. Denoted in this shot are lots of men following the horses in their cars. As you can see, they're all hanging out of the cars and when Kitten tells the man at the front to get back he tells him to 'fuck off'. This connotes the typical stereotype that men are all very rowdy, loud and explicit. They're all shouting and swearing for no reason. They're not mad at each other, they're just racing the horses, but feel the need to have their voice heard over the rest. The fact that there is different ages of men in this shot but they're all acting same, also conforms to stereotype that all men are loud. The activity they are doing is illegal, they're racing horses on a road. This conforms to the stereotype that men usually act before they think. They haven't thought about the consequences of this race, they just gone right ahead and done it.
Sexuality
08:04 - Arbors' brother is talking about Arbor and Swifty's relationship
Denoted in this shot is Arbors' brother saying to Arbor 'this is the first night I've not seen you and your boyfriend fucking spooning'. From this dialogue you can tell the type of attitude this town has towards homosexuals. His brother has taken the relationship between him and his best friend and turned it into one that doesn't exist. The way he speaks about it shows how he's uncomfortable. He uses the term 'fucking spooning', he curses when he says it, which brings a sort of harshness to his dialogue. But this has no affect on Arbor, he doesn't say anything back, which leads us to believe that he is okay with his brother saying these things. It doesn't mean that he's homosexual, but it means that he has the same attitude to it as his brother. It's casual homophobia, they don't stick up for homosexuals when they insult each other using the word 'gay'. It's been engraved into their culture that being gay isn't right.
Ethnicity
11:17 - A shot from the classroom scene
In this film there are very little different ethnicities, it's mainly just white people. The shot above shows only one asian person in the midst of white people. This is done to show how this underclass town is predominantly filled with white people. It conforms to the stereotype that it's mainly white people that are underclass as they're lazy.
12:23 - A shot from the kitchen which is crowded with all the kids asking for their food.
Denoted in this shot, is some of the Swift family in the kitchen wanting their food. There's a different age range of children from toddlers to teenagers. This shot represents to the audience that this family doesn't have much as the only food they're eating is beans on toast and one of the boys says 'beans on toast again, I hate this!', this connotes how this is presumably a food they have a lot as it's cheap to buy and make. It connotes how the white people in the underclass society, barely just get buy. They don't manage their money properly, so the children are left having the same food every day. This shot also connotes the typical stereotype that white families have too many children but can't look after them. This stereotype is definitely true of this family. In the shot above you can see four of the Swift kids, but there are also more off the shot, all with hardly anything to eat. The directors decision of not having all the kids in the shot, makes this moment even worse as the four kids in the shot are suffering, but then you realise that there's more kids that are going through the same thing in the same house. It's a brutal way of showing the representation. In the shot you hear all the kids shouting and talking very loudly, which also conforms to the stereotype that white families are very rowdy.
In this film, the director has represented the different social groups so well and I hope that I can do this when I make my film. I will definitely take some ideas from this film, such as how the social class is represented and I will try to find an area that is similar to this as I thought it connoted British Social Realism very well.
