Media Mock 'Monarch of The Glen'

Notes:

Amy:

• Bright Colours, casual everyday wear.
• Body language-slouched.
• Given her manly props such as driving the car.
• Digetic sound of crash.
• She's always a lower level, looks up to headteacher.
• She has less power and control.
• Close up zoom on teddy's illustrating inner touch with childhood. Low level of maturity.
• Outsider shot of women from outside the window.
• When teddy's appear they stay on screen for a long duration.
• Stereotypical teenager.

Headteacher:

• Smart traditional headteacher suit.
• Stronger tone of voice.
• Hierarchy-always looked up to.
• Drink- brandy emphasising a mature older taste of drink.
• Lighting- natural working colours.
• Directed to a wooden panelled room demonstrating freedom, open, spacious.
• Tie- business wear, wise, traditional, office, stereotyped headteacher.
• Responsible.

Mock Exam:

In the viewing of 'Monarch of The Glen' the audience begin to explore the ways in which the extract constructs the two opposing representations of age between the two protagonists by anaylising mise-en-scene, editing, camera and sounds. Furthermore I will use the theory of Levi-Straus 'binary opposites' to illustrate the differences that exist between different ages. I will discuss how 'youth' in the clip is portrayed as vulnerable and naive whereas in the older generation 'maturity' is conveyed in a more powerful and aggresive tone, whilst still being responsible and caring.

The two protagonists I have decided to study and analyse are Amy and the headteacher as they are clear opposing representations of age. Both characters are key and everything that they have been set up to do is vital when backing up the narrative.

The director of 'Monarch of The Glen' then presents the audience with a series of close up shots of Amy whilst being in her bedroom. These shots allow us to interpret Amy's characteristics and props which are directed to catch the audiences attention such as the teddy bears, love hearts and keep sakes. One very important scene is when the camera zooms from a mid angle to only focusing on the bears placed on the bed. This shot emphasises how that Amy still has an inner touch of childhood and highlights her low level of maturity. Furthermore the non-digetic sounds that only the audience can hear highlights her thoughts and emotions as the music is slow paced and has a soft sad tone which links into the long lasting duration that the camera stays on the bear, to really engage the audience.

This scene can be compared to another key scene however containing the headteacher as the main point of focus, which brings the theory of Levi- Straus' 'binary opposites.' Binary opposites exist as the audience now can interpret the theme of mature vs childlike, and youth vs elderly . The audience can see the level of maturity once the headteacher enters the office/'work room from just the props and surrounding. The theme of maturity can be illustrated through the wooden panelled room surrounded with books, and a tidy professional environment. The midshot of him consuming brandy creates a huge picture and interpretation of the professionally stereotyped headteacher. The audience straight away picks up on the drink that he has been offered as the connotations of a man to be drinking brandy is very sophisticated, old fashioned, traditional etc portraying his high level of maturity. Levi-Straus' theory of binary opposites is present as clearly you can see that it would be unlike the generation of the youth to be seen drinking brandy. Similarly the clothes the headteacher was presented in was chosen for a reason by the director as he wants the headteacher to be conveyed as smart, professional and business like, therefore leading to another interpretative binary opposite of power vs weak as Amy is presented in a casual everyday style and looking up to someone can be very daunting and intimidating.