Wednesday 16 November 2016

Casualty - Representation of disability



In the BBC TV series Casualty disability is portrayed as having no independence and being solely reliant on their carers or other family members. In this clip it shows a young man needing help while trying to complete basic abilities that 'normal' people are considered able to do e.g. going to the toilet. This causes some friction between family members due to upset and depressed feelings.

In this clip a point of view/over the shoulder shot was used during the two men were shopping at the start of the scene. While the brother of the disabled character was looking in the mirror, watching his reflection of himself posing for the clothing item he intended to buy, the camera was angled over his shoulder to represent his point of view to the audience. This has been used to show the characters everyday life, this points out that despite knowing someone has a disability they still act as if everything is fine and go on with their daily routines trying to portray their life as being 'normal'. Another camera shot that has been used is a hand held camera shot. This has been used at the end of the clip when the lady in the café witnesses someone she knows to pass out in the middle of the road and almost get hit by a car, while her and the two men run up to the man this camera technique has been used. By using this camera shot they are able to show the shock and disbelief of this action happening. This can be seen as disabled people being portrayed as being unable to take part in daily life due to the character in a wheelchair being able to approach the man in a fast pace, however this shows an example of a counter stereotype due to the man in the wheelchair ordering help and knowing what to do to improve the situation. For the audience this camera shot added urgency and made them feel desperate for the protagonist characters to make it to the man in time to help him - this helped make the atmosphere seem more tense and suspenseful.

A lot of different editing techniques were used throughout this clip from the series Casualty. The first editing technique noticed was the continuity editing. This was seen to be used at the start of the scene when the two characters were displayed in the clothing store trying on different Christmas jumpers, the clips came smoothly showing how the scenes flowed together making it seem continuous. By doing this it made the audience remember the recognisable setting and characters making them understand the storyline and follow with what is happening in this current episode. Continuity editing helps the audience understand what is happening due to the scenes linking together which fits with the mini stories inside the episode that all combine in the end. Another editing technique that is used is shot reverse shot. This is used throughout the clip when two characters are in a conversation e.g. when the two men are talking in the café and when the woman and the man are speaking to each other in the ambulance. By using this it represents two people having a polite conversation that shows everyday norms that society deems acceptable. However due to the dialogue the audience understands that argument between the characters and recognises the tense situation they seem to be involved in.

Bright ambient lighting has been used throughout this scene, this is to show the transition from being inside the building and then to being outside in the daytime. To show the difference between the two the director has used a darker and drastic lighting to portray the characters being inside a building and away from the light. The director has done this when the two men are in the café talking over coffee and then walk outside and witness the young man collapse in the middle of the road. By changing the lighting qualities the director is able to help the audience understand more of the storyline and benefits them by being able to easily follow where each character is set due to different characters have different storylines in this TV show. Each character is wearing different clothing to portray multiple features about each others personality and day to day life. For example, the paramedics in the ambulance wear a certain type of uniform whereas the two men wear casual clothing. This has been done to show the profession of some people and to help the audience understand what the characters are doing or partaking in e.g. the two men are shown to having a shopping day that contains no work due to the lack of work clothing.

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