Section A: Textual Analysis and Representation (Unseen moving image extract) 

• You will be allowed two minutes to read the question for Section A before the extract is screened. 
• The extract will be screened four times. 
• First screening: watch the extract; you must not make notes. 
• Second screening: watch the extract and make notes. 
• There will be a brief break for note-making. 
• Third and fourth screening: watch the extract and make notes. 
• There will be a brief break for note-making after the third and fourth screening
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  1 Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of AGE using the following: 

  • camera shots, angle, movement and composition • editing
  • sound
  • mise-en-scène. 

There are multiple elements which contribute to the representation of age in the extract, which is a clip from Monarch of the Glen. The elements used, such as a range of camera shots, angles, movement, sound and mise en scene, are apparent from the opening scene. The extract opens with the entrance of two middle aged men carrying farming tools.

The camera movement follows the characters in a slow pan motion to highlight the conversation between the characters, while also setting the scene of the busy farm and scenic Scottish highlands in the background. There is a deep focus as both the foreground and the background are visible in full, equal detail. The inclusion of the workers in the background shows the sense of community among the middle aged members of the community. This opening scene is short and does not contain a range of shots as its purpose is to create the setting of the story rather than develop the characters which follows later.

There is a lot to take from this scene in terms of sound. The angle and focus of the camera at a slight downward pan movement already pulls the reader`s focus toward the two middle aged men and the short conversation between them. Listening closely to sounds apart from the conversation, calm background music is heard and the tweeting of birds is notable. This relaxing atmosphere among the middle aged men majorly contrasts the music used in later scenes involving younger characters which is more living and upbeat to reflect the energy associated with youth. This calmness among the middle aged men is supported by the sound of birds tweeting which adds to the tranquillity of the scene. The sound of the clattering farming tools at the end of this scene reinforce the importance of farming in the lives of these middle aged men, who had all share the role of farming and construction in the community.

The mise en scene of this scene is crucial as it instigates the tone of the rest of the extract. For example the workers, including the two highlighted characters, are dressed in lumberjack like costumes to emphasize the rural nature of the extract. The dull colours of their clothing reinforce the lack of liveliness and energy in their farming activities as they work on the farms to support their families in the Scottish countryside. This differs from the brighter colours used in later scenes that focus on the youth, which are used to associate youth with excitement and vibrancy.
The transition between this scene and the next is extremely quick, it uses quick cuts. This editing technique is common in online videos, vlogs or on YouTube, and is less common in television and film. In this extract, the use of this jump cut changed the pace of the clip, which was necessary as the next scene involved faster camera movements. This scene, along with most outside scenes, use natural lighting.

The next scene shows the quick paced introduction of a new character who immediately stands out from the middle aged men we saw in the previous scene. A young girl, aged 16, walks briskly across the frame of the camera which follows her fast movement. This reflects the energy associated with youth. The camera stops as the character engages in a conversation with a slightly older male character and stops in the position of an over the shoulder shot. Over the shoulder shots are used commonly in scenes of dialogue between two characters as it isolates the surroundings of the background. This over the shoulder shot allows the camera to capture a full image of this young character who, we can assume, will become a point of focus to the plot. A subtle close up shot is used when the young girl is wondering how to start the car. This closeness emphasizes her confusion and slight fear to the audience and this highlights her naivety and irresponsible behaviour as she takes control of a vehicle she cannot operate. This recklessness represents the youth age group accurately. Another shot combination important to the representation of age in this scene is the upward pan movement from the younger character to the older character standing beside her as a way of imposing the authority of the middle aged man who we can gather from the dialogue of this scene, is her guardian. The effective use of shot reverse shot between the middle aged man and the elderly headmaster while they converse about the young girl further supports the authority of the older characters as the young girl`s guardian speaks on her behalf while her headmaster speaks about her behaviour. In a conversation which is of a serious nature that involves her, the young girl barely engages in the dialogue. This highlights the young girl`s lack of influence among her elders and strengthens the representation of age in this extract. It also shows the opposition relationship between the youth in elderly in this extract.
The sound in this scene is unique to the opening scene which focused primarily on diegetic sounds of clanging tools and dialogue between characters. However there are uses more non- diegetic sounds in this scene for example the car engine can be heard in the background of a shot which focuses on other characters after the car has left the area of the scene. This is important as although the car and the character driving it are no longer the main focus of the shot, they remain important in this scene and therefor must remain present, which is achieved by non diegetic sound in their physical and visual absence. This is followed by the more important non diegetic sound of the car crashing. The reason this sound is non diegetic as the reactions of the other characters are more important than the actual crash itself, as this aids the character development. The background music in this scene is not majorly different from the music of the opening scene however it does have a slightly more upbeat tempo which reflects the entrance of the youthful, more lively character.
The mise en scene during this part of the extract is quite different to the mise en scene of the opening scene. The young girl is wearing a pale cream coloured top which represents her innocence and purity, along casual jeans that follow the trends of teenage fashion of the time. Her costuming set her apart from the costumes used for elderly characters in following scenes for example later in the scene her headmaster is wearing a formal suit to assert authority and gain respect from his students. The costumes of the younger character highlight the age gap and her significance to the plot as she stands out among the dully dressed middle aged men and the formally dressed elderly characters. In this scene we are introduced to the headmaster who is wearing a formal suit and red tie. The red tie could reflect his anger with youth as he encounters children and young adults on a daily basis in his job as a headmaster. His formal attire completely contrasts the casual clothing of the young girl and immediately creates a division between the youth and the eldery.

The mise en scene is the most striking element of the next scene. The polished wooden interior of what seems to be an office, is classically decorated and gives a mature feeling to the room. The brandy on the table again emphasizes the adult atmosphere of the room. The representation of age is furthered in this scene through the inclusion of neatly stacked books on the table. As previously established, the young girl Amy, seems to have a lack of interest in school making it unlikely she would engage in relaxed reading of scholarly books which are usually aimed at an older generation of readers.
In terms of sound in this scene, dialogue is extremely important. The most notable difference between the young, the middle aged and the elderly in this scene is the difference in accents. Amy speaks in a strong Scottish accent while the headmaster speaks in a more formal and polished accent. This distinguishes the level of formality between the youth and the elderly and the headmaster speaks in a manner that would be more respected than the way this youthful character talks. The headmaster speaks with a tone of confidence as he seems sure of his years of knowledge. We are almost distracted from the actual script of the scene and become more focused on the accents of the characters due to the overwhelming strength of the accents.

The shot reverse shot is the most used shot of this scene with cut transitions from the last scene to this one and from this scene to the next. The lack of different shots allows the reader to focus on the main thing occurring in the clip, which is the serious conversation between the middle aged man and the elderly man. This directs the readers attention to this and holds their focus, as when the camera is filming one character is quickly changes to the next so the audience don't get distracted by the mise en scene or background, and they concentrate on the intended subject. This quick movement is effective as it builds tension for the next scene where an argument ensues. This change of pace was therefor necessary in preparation for the following scenes. The camera stays on a fairly level angle at the beginning of the scene as it follows the characters entrance into the office with a slow pan movement. This is reflective of the lack of speed and excitement in the movement of the middle aged to the elderly generation. An upward angle is used when the characters stop and this serves to strengthen the authority of the two older characters, in contrast to the use of downward angles in the previous scene for the younger character. It widens the gap between the multiple age generations represented in this extract.

Camera shots and angles are vital to the establishment of authority in this scene. While the young character and her middle aged guardian engage in intense conversation a shot reverse shot is used, which in common in scenes of dialogue between two people as it isolates background distractions. In the shot reverse shot, when the camera is focused on the middle aged man, it is at an upward angle which again serves to strengthen the authority of the adult over the youth. When the camera is on the young character, in terms of the rule of thirds, she takes up most of the middle area of the frame. This gives the reader a closer look at the characters emotions and in this scene, the young character is evidently nervous and fearful toward her guardian who holds control over if she goes back to school or not.

The ending of this scene quickly cuts from an intense situation to an extreme long shot of a rainbow over some fields. This relaxing image changes the tone of the extract and slows the pace as the landscape creates idillic and relaxing atmosphere. It brings the audience attention back to the initial setting of the extract which is in the rural Scottish farmlands. This reminds us of the workers from the opening scene, which we immediately associate with the middle age generation of farmers. The calm image of a bright rainbow mirrors the colours used for Amy in her costume, however it contrasts her fiery outburst in the previous scene and can be associated with the more relaxed demeanour of the middle aged guardian or her elderly headmaster. 
In relation to dialogue in this scene, the young character used 'typical teenager' phrases and language with quick changes in mood, which is reflective of her age group. Phrases like "I hate you!" and "Please don't make me go back!" highlight her immaturity outbursts and begging to get what she wants despite her rebellious behaviour. Language used by the middle aged guardian "Go and pack. Right now" with a stern tone indicate a sense of finality and control. When Amy realises she is not getting her way with the adults who hold the control over what happens in her life, she childishly raises her voice in confrontation.
The mise en scene of this scene is an area of less intensity in the representation of age. The interior of the hall and the decoration of the staircase obviously indicate a sense of elegance and class which is usually associated with the elderly. Amy's erratic behaviour and brightly coloured costuming differs from the polished brown wooden decor and it therefor makes her lookout of place in the company of adults.

The next scene does not contain any dialogue, instead the main sounds are background music and the sounds of moving tools and equipment. The upbeat fast paced tempo of the background music indicate the high spirits among the middle aged working and their relaxed manner shows the strength of community and unison among them, they are not divided or fazed by childish arguments or disruptions. 
In terms of editing, the continuity of this extract is consistent for example a mid shot shows a man lifting a heavy piece of equipment over his shoulder and he carries it around the front of the building in construction. The next shot is a long shot which focuses on the activity of the other middle aged workers, but in the background the man from the previous shot can be seen carrying the equipment, following on from his movement in the previous scene. The quick transitions between shots match the fast pace of the music which mirrors the continuous stream of movement in the physical job of the middle aged workers. They cannot afford to stop and take a break, or avoid work altogether like Amy does, which adds to the representation of age as it shows that the middle aged workers know the importance and urgency of work.
The mise en scene of this scene revolves around the outdoor setting, with natural lighting to compliment the rural setting. These middle aged workers spend most of their time outside which could reflect their appreciation for nature and farm-life in contrast to scenes that feature the younger character Amy, which have mostly been inside. This adds to the representation of age as the stereotype for youth nowadays is their preference to stay inside and procrastinate as Amy does with her education, which is different to the representation of the productive middle aged workers. Most of the colours used in this scene are nature based colours for example greens, browns and more darker colours.

The mise en scene of the next scene, which shows Amy in her bedroom planning to run away, is extremely important in the representation of age.  The short establishing shot of the brightly coloured bed and placement of pictures near the bed adds to the teenage image and adds to the character development. The placement of discarded magazines on the bed adds to the stereotype associated with teenagers of being disorganised or messy. Amy places an envelope written to 'Molly' and the camera follows her movement in a pan motion to show the placement of another envelope on the bed addressed to 'Cameron'. The significance of this particular part of the mise en scene in the representation of age in this extract, is the elaborately decorated font written in pink ink. This perhaps highlights her childlike creativity nature or even her immaturity as a middle aged or elderly individual would typically write in natural, neat writing with black or blue ink.
The camera angles and shots in this scene are quite different to previous scenes for example the camera follows Amy in a continuous movement from the bed to the mirror. The camera shows her reflection in the mirror to highlight her emotional state, which is one of despair. After Amy leaves the shot, a pull focus technique is used to direct the audience's attention to the photographs on the mirror. This is relevant to the scene as Amy emotional distress is clearly related to the individuals in the photographs. This young girl is making a radical decision to leave home following a difficult  and emotional situation. This reflects her naivety and her age as she runs from her problems and troubles instead of staying to face them and solve the problems logically, like a middle aged adult or elderly person would know to do.
The sound in this scene focuses again less on dialogue and more on setting the emotional tone of the scene. The slow paced music creates a sombre atmosphere and gives the audience an indication to the young character's emotional situation.

The next scene shows the entrance of an elderly lady into Amy's bedroom and she quickly realises that Amy has run away. The camera is angled on an equal level and rises in an upward pan movement from outside, looking into the bedroom from the open window. This places emphasis on the open window and possible exit route. However in the previous scene, Amy is shown to walk in the direct of the bedroom door to leave instead of climbing out the window. But it is the open window that gives the indication to the elderly woman that Amy has ran away.
Most of the mise en scene of Amy's bedroom was established in the previous scene. In this scene the dull and darkly coloured costuming of the elderly woman majorly contrasted the pale colours of the walls and door frame and it differs from the vibrant pink and red decorations. This widens the gap between the two age groups and adds to the representation of the lively youth. The interior of Amy's room also notably contrasts with the decoration of her guardian's office which is polished wooden brown. The classy and sophisticated decor of her guardian's office is very different to Amy's white and cream coloured bedroom with bright pink decorations. 
The same background music continues from the last scene into this scene without interruption for continuity purposes. The music shred by both scenes could symbolise the emotions shared by both Amy and the elderly woman, who are both upset and worried.
In terms of editing and continuity in this scene, again is strong and consistent. In the previous scene we see the elderly woman leave in a hurry. Her entrance in this scene shows her running out of breath. This represents her age well as it shows the lack of fitness among the elderly.

The last scene opens with an upward pan movement into a long shot, which allows the characters to be clearly seen in the full image of the setting. This allows the audience to see the boy language of the characters and are able to understand their emotions for example the elderly man is in an angry stance to indicate his frustration. The establishment of the rural background and the inclusion of the middle aged workers again adds to the representation of age as the older generation is associated with manual work. In relation to continuity and editing, the elderly lady is seen running from the top right of the frame and slowly and out of breath. This strengthens the representation of age from the previous scene which shows the lack of fitness in the elderly lady in contrast to the energy and fitness associated with youth. The mise en scene is similar in other outdoor scenes with the use of nature lighting and natural colours like green, sky blue and browns.