Clip Analysis

Clip analysis

 I will be analysing how different ages are presented on a clip of ‘Waterloo Road’

The scene begins with a low level close up that pans on moving feet. The scene then cuts to a full body shot of the two boys later also revealing earlier it was a teacher shown at the start. The scene cuts a close up to the camera being hidden away and both boys. It is then followed by a short pan of the two boys and the teacher.

 There are close ups when each character is talking to emphasise the dialogue. Once the camera is revealed there is a low mid shot of the teacher holding it. When the lady teacher is introduced there is a pan of her walking towards the three characters followed by a mid-shot of all the characters standing together. Every time there is a new situation shown, it includes a mid-shot that introduces the character as well as several pans to show the movement.

The footage is cut into different situations such as from the start with the camera incident, to the boy passing on information on a school incident. All these cuts to new scenes demonstrate how there are many issues presented that are mostly teenage oriented but also show adult characters.

This gives perspective on two different generations and how all the issues aren’t just school issues. The ages here present how the characters each get in to situations and how the programme is not just about teenage issues but how the link to adults and how the adults get mixed up into them. Music is also added in to effect the scene.

Sound from the start mostly came from dialogue and background noise however there is also music shown.

The scene where the man is dressed in what he considers ‘youthful’ cuts to almost cheesy rap music that mocks the appearance of the man as ongoing lookers and the students both show humorous expressions in the current situation.

This also demonstrate how age is interpreted, as the man appears in mockingly youthful clothing where he thinks it might appeal to the other students while the truth is that they find him funny to look at as he looks humorous in his outfit. The students mockingly laugh at him showing how teenagers and adults have different perspectives. The music is generally considered youthful and quite cheesy which highlights how the setting is in a high school which is filled with youths.

The mise-en-scene is a high school, symbolically it presents how children from primary school begin to mature and eventually grow into young men and women. While this is a high school setting there are adult characters shown primarily as teachers. The audience sees both adult and teenage perspectives and it shows how each of the characters react to each situation. The scenes transition quickly from classroom, to corridor etc. The setting is a generic and textbook example of a high school as someone who is in a high school I can see the similarities there are to it and how the layouts and teachers are. The starting scene demonstrates a clear distinct age difference with the similar aged students and the senior teacher dressed in professional attire while the next teacher that shows up is dressed quite casually showing three different generations. The high school setting comes with a lot of mundane to somewhat less mundane situations that are realistic portraying high school life.

The camera shots used such as close ups details the differences in age and detail the character appearance and dialogue. The students themselves all are in uniform of course with facial expressions and facial appearance highlighting their personalities rather than outward appearance.

The First teacher introduced shows a posh looking old teacher that also contrasts in terms of accent compared to the two boys presented in the beginning. He appears to show a dislike towards the boys as they may have been known by the teacher to misbehave. He appears to be smug once it is revealed that the camera they attempted to be kept hidden was revealed showing his satisfaction for busting the students.

The first teacher is dressed in a professional suit which presents a sort of authoritarian look compared to the students and when compared to the next teacher shown in the scene it demonstrates personalities presented on the programme both adult and teen.

The next teacher shown appears quite casual and somewhat contrasts the appearance of any character shown on the clip as she is the only one on the clip wearing a bright top. This also compared to the older teacher shows a younger adult presented.

The next student ‘Amy’ appears to show issues at home and clearly appears to be angered by his parents. Her personality shown suggests that she is very blunt and hard headed as later on she is seen confronting another student.

The next adults are then shown, like mentioned earlier we can see the so called outfit the man is wearing something rather embarrassing and doesn't seem to be well received amongst the students as it appears rather humorous.

There are many scenarios shown in just a 5 minute clip which shows how each of the characters have their own problems but may intertwine with each other though some situations seem mundane and set the mood more than others as a school filled with drama.

Other all we, can see that the students each carry their own personalities and perspectives as the situation changes from each transition along with the points of view from adults as the story itself is about the staff, students and adults linked to the students. Age is also presented in different ways as adults of different ages are shown differently while the youth of the show have their own types of personalities that make stands them out along with the scenarios they are involved with. This shows how busy with issues there are in the school.