Downton Abbey - Improvement 2

An establishing shot is used at the start of this clip when the audience get their first look at the huge building where all the narrative is taking place. This camera angle has been used for this particular moment as it sets the scene for the viewers in order for them to understand the location and the setting of the characters position. A medium shot is used during the time that the character 'Daisy' walks down the long corridor while holding the heavy objects. This has been used to show half of the characters body to portray to the audience their different body movements in order to interpret them anyway they want e.g. Daisy shows rushed behaviour by making fast movements, this could display the urgency of the situation and how fast their pace needs to be for their job position. Another camera technique that has been used is an insert shot. This has been shown when one of the character is carrying a set of keys, the camera focuses on the keys while they are still gripped in the person's hand and the background is blurred showing a shallow focus. By doing this it portrays to the audience something of importance and represents the high level of power this inanimate object contains. The camera shot also enables the clip to make smooth transitions between different cuts creating the scene to be portrayed as having continuity and flows from shot to shot. A long shot has also been used towards the end of the clip, this occurs when the paper boy is cycling towards the building. This has been used to emphasize a sweeping location around the subject and showing the viewers where the character is heading. By doing this it enables the audience to understand the storyline and the characters position in society.

Throughout the start of this clip there has been a continuous effect of cuts. This has been used when the character 'Daisy' is walking around attempting to wake the other workers and staff and continues when she is cleaning in the kitchen. By using this type of technique the director is able to show a simplified life for these members of staff due to using the most basic and common editing style. An invisible cut has also been used later on in this clip when the camera is following the character 'Daisy' down the corridor and carries on behind her as she walks through different rooms and the audience witnesses workers doing multiple jobs. The editor has chosen to do this in order to create a sense of everything happening at once and makes the viewers see the different characters doing tasks in order to make the upper class members of the household feel joyful and contain pride. Fast pace editing occurs at the end of the clip when the servants are preparing for breakfast for the owners of the building. This has been done to create a sense of urgency which is influenced by the hand held effect of the camera, by doing this the audience feel rushed and sympathetic towards the workers due to the effort of making sure the meal is of high standards. When the cuts are edited to create a faster pace to the characters movements it adds to the storyline and emphasizes the line between the upper class and working class making the differences between them more noticeable.

This clip frequently shows uses of diegetic sound. This has been shown through the huge amounts of dialogue that this clip contains e.g. when two characters are talking to each other. Diegetic sound has been shown when the head servant is ordering the other servants to increase their pace to make sure the owners of the building receive their breakfast on time. By using this type of sound the audience are able to understand the storyline and focus on the individual characters due to the tone, volume and pitch of their voices. For example, when a characters voice is raised the viewers see the signs of anger, disbelief and frustration. Synchronous sound has also been used in this clip when the audience hear certain things that you would expect to hear if they were in this particular situation. For example, in the kitchen the viewers can hear rushed voices and dishes clanging against each other as the workers prepare for breakfast by cleaning the utensils. These are all sounds that are to be expected in this setting and location. By containing synchronous sound it makes the audience understand what is occurring and can easily follow the basic daily routine for these characters by focusing on the sounds without realising what they are doing.

The clothing in this clip separates the different social classes for the audience which makes it clear the positions of each character within their modern society. For example, the servants are wearing clothes that are portrayed as being distressed, dirty and having a lack of quality - this immediately displays themselves as having little wealth and having a low position in society which explains their current occupation. However the characters who own the building are wearing high quality material clothing that looks highly presentable with the different colours that the servants clothing doesn't contain. By doing this it shows the binary opposition to the viewers and makes them understand which character is from which social class. The lighting in this clip can also represent the different social classes of the characters. For example, when the camera shows the workers downstairs in the basement the lighting is slightly darker and eerie which could represent their lack of control and power in this situation whereas when the camera is upstairs with the Crawley family the lighting is brighter and more ambient to show their stress free life of having no money issues. The setting also determines the characters different positions by portraying the numerous props around the rooms which suggests their wealth.