Homework Task 2

Task #2

Public Enemies

This episode is seen to fall under the category of a police/crime drama. It starts of with a thrilling yet suspenseful scene where the audience is almost left in the dark with the situation that is taking place, this relates to the setting and/or theme of the episode, in which the story has been set, with dull colours, almost as if the film is left in the dark becoming a mystery.

The establishing shot shown at the start of the film is of some type of forest/bush. The camera angle slowly moves from a low angle shot of the trees to a midway shot, where we are shown the whole picture. This tells the audience where the scene is set and is an indirect connotation of sketchy/dodgy activities that may be occurring.The first sign of movement that we see in this episode is after our establishing shot where the characters car drives in on the right third of the shot also relating back to the framing and placement of props. This creates iconography within the scene as the car becomes a big part of the suspenseful nature in which the TV series is being portrayed as. We as the audience are shown the credits at the opening of the episode, this falls under editing where the names of cast and crew are added to the screen, appearing at the bottom, after the finishing touches of camera work are finalised.

Our first character that we are introduced to is shown to us through the reflection of his rear view mirror. We are only shown parts of his face building tension and implying that he may be untrustworthy or an almost 'villain-like' character. We are shown what could also be considered as a point-of-view shot, where we are only able to view the mans hands on the steering wheel and the picture that is shown beyond the front windscreen (trees and the gravel road that he is driving upon). We are shown a picture of rubbish/a lower class area, it is almost as if they have turned this natural scenery into a place where people feel as though they can dump their problems. This not only indicates the status of the scene, but it also implies that this may be an evasive environment, not a suitable setting for a film such as family friendly movie i.e. a place where you would have a family brunch/picnic. This camera shot adds to the mise en scène of this TV drama, where the dirty elements are placed in such a way that it is a signifier of a poorer community.

A dark hue is placed over the scene making it look gloomy as if something bad was about to happen. The music/radio is interrupted and is turned off by the male character. This then allows not only the audience but also the character to hear the wails of a girl who sounds as if she has been trapped/locked in a confined space. It almost becomes a pleonastic sound, and the girls cries become more apparent as he walks towards the rear of the car to the boot. The camera follows the man’s face but we are never fully shown the whole structure, it is as if part of his identity is yet to be revealed almost a mystery in the way that they are covering up the characters true identity by not showing his full facial structure. We assume that the male character has opened the trunk and is now either injuring/hurting our female voice. The camera changes it’s view to nature shots showing the calmness of the leaves as they rustle between the branches of the tree tops, giving a sense of peace and serenity almost ironic to the situation that is now being carried out, where the male character is holding a female hostage (we assume). A reflection of the front windscreen is shown as the voices that we were hearing is cut off abruptly leaving the audience suspenseful and curious to what has just happened. The camera shots of natures beauty almost acts as an equilibrium to the fact that something may be happening to our female character but we are still unaware. The non-diegetic sound of bristling leaves creates a sense of peace, which is almost ironic considering the fact that we have just been put on edge by our ending view/scene.

We are introduced to another establishing shot where the camera lens is focused on to another camera screen, making it seem like we are looking through another persons eyes acting like a point of view shot for a piece of technology. We hear the diegetic voice in the background describing a murder, the racking focus then switches from the camera and feeds into focus on the people standing in front of the white stature building. Whilst the male and female figure are standing talking to the press, the camera view we are shown becomes shaky and unsteady as if representing the emotions of the characters on the screen. The voices are uneasy giving the sense of disturbance to the audience making us wonder what the full story is and what has happened, in order to affect our characters the way it has.

Hidden shots are shown from behind the pillar where we can only see half the picture and the other half is blocked by the building in front. This allows the audience to only understand half the story, still being kept in the dark, but slowly being drip fed information to perceive the main story line of this episode. The lighting throughout has a dingy feel, where brightness is blocked out by the despair of our characters loss. It is portrayed throughout the first minute where even natures greenery has a bland and distasteful aura. Representation and gender control is a clear figure and influence in the first few scenes of this TV drama. The male is shown to be over bearing of the women who is our classic damsel in distress but this time there was no hero to save her.

We can assume that this girl who has supposedly been 'murdered' is of a young age. The people shown talking into the microphones and cameras, may be the parents of this female voice, and if so they look to be as if a similar age to this girls kidnapper. The 'parent' figures shown are distraught to the fact that (what we assume to be their daughter) has been killed/murdered, relating back to the name "public enemies" where this male character we are first introduced too, has made adversary opponents that may alter the path of his future. They want to make known the crime that has been committed causing our male lead to form "public enemies" himself.