I am analysing a 4 minuet extract from the east Enders live 25th anniversary episode, unfortunately I cannot find the original YouTube video I watched so I cannot embed the clip
The extract opens with a three shot featuring two male characters and one female. Note rule of three and character positioning, the female is in the far left of the shot which implies significance however the two male characters are in the centre and the right of the shot, this opening shot is very male dominated as two thirds of the frame are male. The woman is wearing a large white coat which connotes innocence and purity this idea stems from marriage tradition. In the background a row of lights are stringed up along a market stall however because of the camera angle the lights appear to be hovering above the women like a halo, this further emphasises the idea of innocence. The male characters in this scene are wearing dark black suits which imply wealth or a high end job. The dark colours also introduce negativity or darkness to the characters. The voices of the characters have strong east London accents to make the location more obvious. The men’s voices are very deep making them seem very masculine comparatively the woman’s voice is shrill and high pitch. The characters voices are very traditional and are what we would expect from these characters. The second shot is an over shoulder shot from the women’s point of view this reveals another male character, this mid three shot has the same layout as the opening shot same rule of three with male dominance. The 180 degree rule is used here keeping the women on the left side of the shot making it easy to assess the action within the scene. The shots are joined with quick cuts; this gives the extract high energy and helps the viewer understand the mood of the extract, which I assumed was panicky and exciting. A close up is used to show what we assume the main character, to show fear and anxiety. The lighting non ambient but very simple, a small amount of soft focus light is thrown over the character we are supposed to be focusing on. A low angle long shot then introduces two female characters. The low angle makes these characters appear powerful and important. The dress of these characters is very interesting and helps with depicting and retrieving extra information about these characters. The first character is wearing a smart suit showing she is controlling or powerful, the second character is dressed very much like a femme fatale this gives us the impression that she uses her looks to get what she wants. Both of these women are blonde and wearing a lot of make-up, this shows us they are possibly insecure or uncomfortable with their natural beauty. This is the first female dominated scene which connotes independence. The two characters seem very strong and appear to be able to take care of themselves, without needing a man to care for them. The dialogue in this scene is joint together using sequential over shoulder shots this makes the viewer feel like part of the conversation. A jump cut leads us to a packed traditional pub where a further two characters are introduced.
A large bald headed man violently grabbing a young girl. The girl appears too young to be buying alcohol in a pub however she is wearing a very revealing top; using her body as a device of persuasion this connotes social and moral issues. The male character grabs the girl and spins her round very roughly majorly inappropriate, the violence shown by this character raises ideas of abuse and raises a very delicate social issue. The pub scene continues to a mid three shot featuring a second female dominated scene following the rule of three. The first character we are drawn to is a red headed woman in a wedding dress, thus keeping with tradition she is wearing white. However her mannerisms are totally opposite of what we would expect from a ‘blushing bride’ as she is being very mouth towards other women in the pub. The mouthy women is associated with alcohol or binge drinking as this is a huge problem in Britain and this theory is demonstrated in the extract. In this short scene a man stands helplessly in between the two women, this generates the idea he isn’t in control and that perhaps he is the insignificant person in the relationship. The background noise is very subtle and hardly audible which draws the viewer’s concentration to the central action. A long shot is then used placed waist height amongst the crowded pub focusing on a female character clearly distraught, this shot makes her appear isolated or trapped amongst the other pub goers, this woman is portrayed to be alone and in dismay. The quick jump cut takes us to a small corner shop where the two blonde characters from the previous scene are arguing. When watching this scene I didn’t notice at first the woman in the background working a lower end job stacking shelves in the shop, this didn’t seem significant however when noticing this I realised that all the women we see working are either bar staff or small low paid jobs. The action is then taken outside but to keep the audience involved in the scene a dual shot and an over shoulder shot is used to keep us close to the action. The lighting is once again non ambient but very subtle and made to look like street lamps, this reinforces the idea of being in London city.
This clip from east Enders cleverly constructs stereotypical representation of gender and also elaborates on more unusual gender ideas. The women in this clip are generally stereotypical representations of women. The biggest clarification of gender representation is in the mise-en-scene, the producers and director have cleverly chosen appropriate costume and lighting to set up the correct mood and tone of characters. The males of this extract all seem to be wealthy and in executive positions however all seem to be troubled to a certain extent for example: the newlywed husband in the pub seems to have a considerable amount of trouble staying in control, or the large man who violently grabs the young girl. The characters portrayal also engages various social and moral issues for example abuse and binge drinking. East Enders has followed basic criteria for characterisation and produced characters so that the audience can relate to them to a certain degree; this is a very wise and safe move in making a popular soap opera.
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