Representation of Gender (Wire In The Blood analysis)

Camera Shots – At the very beginning of the clip, an over the shoulder shot is used when Tony and Carol are having a conversation. This is used so that you feel part of the conversation. At the end of the scene you can see a crane shot and an extreme long shot which sets the scene. During the scene where Tony is assessing the files it goes from mid shots to extreme close up shots. This is because the intensity of the scene is increasing. A crabbing shot is used several times in the clip to follow the action or character being focused on in the scene.

Editing – The editing in this clip is fairly basic. It often cuts to the character that is talking and there is no use of special effects. During most scenes it is very quick as it jumps from shot to shot.

Sound – The majority of sound in this short clip is diegetic (sound that is part of the action, e.g. voices). However there is some use of non-diegetic sound (sound that is added for effect, e.g. music/narration) during the scene in which Tony is looking at the files. It creates a sense of eerie tension within the scene. The eerie music continues in the scene where the men break into the house and kick the other men out. After cutting to the scene with Tony and Ben, slightly more upbeat music is played however it is not jolly music. It is mixed in with the sound of the television programme which is diegetic.

Mise en scene and gender – Tony seems to be a man that likes to get on with his work and get to the bottom of whatever case he is trying to solve. Also, in the scene with him and Ben, he appears to be quite comfortable with kids although he says he doesn’t have any himself. Alex gives the impression that she is similarly also engrossed in her work. When Ben is watching the TV he says “Mum’s always home late. She’s always angry and she’s always tired” which shows how she spends most of her time at work. Ben is portrayed as the innocent child that gets caught in the middle of his mums’ problems. A lot of people would relate to Ben’s situation and would therefore feel sorry for him. The violence of the men when they break into the house shows how men are often represented as the alpha male characters in media. It is clear that the men are quite stupid as he falls for the ‘damp patch on the door’. Also, I can guess that the ‘one who does all the talking’ had been taken by the men who broke in due to the clip that is shown with his mouth covered and him shouting. This backs up the idea that these men are quite powerful in authority.