Our Girl

In the TV Drama series 'Our Girl' there are a lot of different editing techniques that are used in the scene where the main protagonist character, Georgie Lane, is kidnapped by the male terrorists. One editing technique that is used is fast-paced editing, this is when all the different camera shots are sped up so that it looks like everything is happening very quickly. When the audience begins to see the car full of terrorists the pace starts quickening quite rapidly - this makes the atmosphere tense and fill the audience with suspense as they begin to get caught up in what they're watching, viewers start to question whether Georgie gets out of her situation which then makes the audience feel anxious but excited. In the opening scene the clips start to slow down when the antagonist starts to evacuate his vehicle after they take down the soldiers in the ambulance, the director has done this to put the focus on this individual and present him to the audience. This makes it much more tense for the viewers as they know this character has all the power.
The sound used in this scene is synchronous sound which is when the audience hears noises that is expected to what they are viewing on screen. In this scene you expect to hear shouts, deep background music, squealing tires etc. which is what you get, this makes the audience feel more involved with the TV show and they follow and understand the storyline much better. Diegetic sound is also used which is when the sound coming from the scene has a source on-screen e.g. no voiceover. In this scene when you hear shouts you see people shouting, when you hear tires squealing you see cars racing down the roads. This makes the audience understand what is happening despite all the fast paced editing and loud music. When Georgie gets taken into the antagonists car there is music in the background to create tension. This tension is built by the bass of the music fitting in with the story this makes the audience aware that what is happening is bad and will result in numerous problems within the show. There are screams heard from the protagonist as she gets carried away, this portrays to the audience that she is a victim and is part of the stereotypical 'damsel in distress'. Her screams remind the audience that she is female despite being strong and capable of looking after herself in these situations.
The setting used in this scene is very rustic that makes the audience know that the storyline is based in a war zone area, the director does this by having bad quality materials for stuff such as roofs, windows, doors etc. Props used are to make the audience aware that most of the characters are soldiers, this is done by giving them weapons e.g. guns, the clothing also suggests the same thing by giving them camouflage outfits. The other characters who are not soldiers are wearing poorer quality materials that are dirty or ripped, this is to help the viewers separate the poor people who live in Kenya from the wealthier soldiers who have arrived from England. This makes the audience familiar with the problem occurring with the terrorists and the soldiers which in turn makes the viewers understand what is happening are able to follow the story, this also makes them feel more invested in the show and more involved with the characters.
There are lots of camera shots used in the opening scene that adds to the tension and suspense. The first shot that is used is an establishing shot, this is shown when the ambulance is coming around the corner of the road. This makes the audience aware that the characters are travelling fast due to the car skidding, this then makes a more tense atmosphere and builds up suspense of what's to come. A hand-held camera is used a lot throughout the opening scene as it is used within the ambulance when it starts a quicker pace down the road. This makes the viewers aware of the characters situation and creates a realistic action. A low angled shot is used when the terrorists start shooting at the soldiers in the ambulance, this is used to show power and present to the audience who is more powerful. In this shot it conveys that the terrorist is more powerful as they have guns and were prepared for this part of the scene.