Monday 15 December 2014

Representation of Age

In this essay i will be discussing the representation of age based around a clip from Waterloo road.

The first stereotypes we associate with teenagers is that they are selfish, always moody, vandalisers, up to no good, drinkers, drug users, criminals and addicted to social media and their phones. In this Waterloo road clip we can clearly identify the main stereotype of teenagers from the characters within the TV drama.

Mise en scene

The first part of the mise en scene we see is that it is based in quite a large school, that looks a lot more grown up to a primary school, we can tell this because of the clothing they are wearing such as all the pupils wearing ties and the girls wearing short skirts. This obviously indicates a school for teenagers. Another reason we can tell it is a school for teenagers is that the tables in the class rooms are set out two seats per table, like an exam room, this gives the impression that they are growing up and aren't little children anymore. Another example of age reprentation would be Grantley dressed in a tweed suit with a knitted waistcoat, whilst stood next to teenagers who are wear big coats and cardigans.


Younger female teachers present youth with the contrast of smart formal trousers and then a vibrant pink top. Depicting her as an adult and professional, with the formal clothing, whilst still incorporating an essence of her younger age.


Later on in the clip the male fat teacher decides to have a new image and dressed in trainers and wild top. Because of his older age, this is the reason he appears so out of place and ridiculously dressed. This is the reason for all of the students laughing at him and another teacher saying "you look ridiculous".
Camera Shots

The first shot of the clip what is a low close up shot of a pair of brown heavy shoes walking tables and chair legs, that look like they have been set up for an exam as it is in a big hall. This immediately shows us that this scene will take place in a classroom or formal setting of some sort.

I recognize a mid shot which shows us a contrast between the two age groups, this time through body language. As the older teacher looks at the students with a stern look yet a smug one, the boys stand very closed and almost never make eye contact. This fits the stereotype that the older generations always have authority over the younger ones and they also enjoy having this power. The use of the broken camera in the scene also shows that the younger students are lacking in discipline and are also careless with their property. However shortly after this camera is revealed, another character is introduced who fits different parts of each stereotype.

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