Representation of Regional Identity

In this essay I will show the representation of regional identity in the clip in relation to Mise-en-scene, sound, camera work and sound

In the opening scene of the short clip regional identity is displayed immediately through 

a low angled shot from the level of the plumbers looking up at Doc Martin implying that he has a greater status. It is also straight away represented through the characters dialogue where distinct accents are used to imply the areas where they're from. Doc Martin's accent is significant ; it differs majorly from the other characters as his accent would be associated with a 'londoner'. He has an educated posh accent whereas the two plumbers have a very distinct accent which is usually associated with a rural county. The other characters all have the same southern accents which implies that Doc Martin is out of place in relation to his regional identity. Doc Martin's vocabulary, which is shown through dialogue, is seemingly intellectual posh whereas the elder plumber is portrayed to be less intelligent as he struggles to put a sentence together and uses regional dialect. However, the younger plumber uses very intellectual vocabulary which demonstrates how he is seen to be educated unlike the other plumber and therefore confronts the stereotype of his region. Also the recognition that the younger plumber refers to the elder as 'dad' through speech represents that they have a small family business which is usually associated in small rural areas. The jobs they do further the identity of their region. They are shown to be plumber through the use of costume. Doc Martin is wearing a suit which implies that he is a business man who would stereotypically work in urban areas. The other two characters' are dressed in dark all-in-ones which define that they're plumbers. The costumes distinguish the difference in regional identity between people from urban and rural areas.

The identities of the two sets of characters can be represented by the body language 

acquired to them displayed through a long shot. Doc Martin is shown as uptight and tense where the plumbers are laid back and the elder plumber isn't doing any work. When the elder plumber picks up a piece of equipment (prop) and begins to work he breaks the sink straight away. When the sink breaks, Doc Martin reacts seriously and quickly which is shown through medium and close up shots which make his body language and facial expressions clear. Whereas as the plumbers, who are supposed to know what they're doing, are slow to react and the elder plumber in particular is laid back about the situation. Despite the fact that Doc doesn't know the term used to describe the equipment needed he improvises and grabs a pillow to to the water. The editing in this scene associates a fast and frantic pace displayed through many cuts between close up shots emphasising their actions associated with Doc Martin. A slow pace with the other characters to show the difference in lifestyle between them. The prop of the dog also represents to region where the clip is set; the fact that it is has no collar implies that it is left to roam around the streets, emphasising the culture and nature of the area.

The next scene begins with a tracking shot which follows Doc Martin walking with the 

dog in the previous scene and it also has a non-diegetic background soundtrack which contributes to the regional identity of the clip and provides it with a rural/country feel. The setting shown in the tracking shot contributes further to the regional identity as it is made up of very narrow streets and many small, old looking attached houses which represents a small rural area. Also the prop of fishing nets being sold outside a small corner shop is included on this shpt and is equally significant. They define the location of the setting extremely well and imply that it is set in a rural area near the beach. The pace of the scene is once again slow, it is visible through the tracking shot that there are not many people walking about and it is relatively calm and relaxed which adds to the regional identity. The diegetic sound of a sea gull also contributes as it represents a location which is very rural and near a beach.

Another tracking shot from a side on angle is then used when Doc Martin takes the dog to the police station. This in itself  conveys the calm/relaxed nature of the area as it seems very safe as the main things the police have to deal with is stray dogs. A camera tilt helps display that a hoover is used as a prop to show the calm atmosphere of the area as the policeman, who is dressed in a police uniform which is also shown of by a camera tilt, is hoovering instead of stopping crimes. Shot reversal is then used to display the conversation between the two. The character's speech of the policeman knowing Doc Martin's name, despite it being the first time they have met, suggests that the location is small as everyone knows everyone. The policeman also has the same accent as the plumbers which therefore adds to the regional identity of the clip.

A two/tracking shot is used to show the conversation between Doc Martin and another 

person who lives in the area. This shot shows off the setting which consists of narrow streets and small houses but it also shows a landscape in the background which represents the 

rural location of the clip.This idea is furthered due to the apparent diegetic sound of sea 

gulls heard. Also once again another person already knows of Doc Martin without meeting 

which shows that the location is small. The accent of the women is different to the other 

people around the area and is more similar to Doc Martin’s. This suggest that she is 

educated and is also implies that she has moved to this area as she opposes the stereotype of women in the area.The prop of a prescription pad and a pen is also shown in the tracking shot to illustrate Doc Martin’s job as a doctor and furthers the impression that he is educated and intellectual. The editing and pace of this clip is seemingly slower which implies that Doc Martin is coming to terms with the lifestyle and nature of the area.

The ending scene off this clip consists of a two shot showing a conversation between Martin and an elderly woman who is emptying crates of vegetables out the back of a van. The 

prop of the crates of vegetables assists in creating the regional identity as it represents that food is grown and distributed locally which usually occurs in a rural area. The fact that an 

old woman is delivering food adds to the regional identity of the clip. Stereotypically elder 

people move to more rural areas for the relaxed lifestyle which is demonstrated throughout 

the whole clip. The woman mentions the word ‘skulking’ and ‘skulks’ which is regional 

dialect. Also the first sight of a sea gull is introduced right at the end which confirms the 

location of the setting. Finally the clip ends with a pan which shows of the setting; the setting itself illustrates the narrow roads with old looking houses which is associated with rural areas.

To conclude, this clip has a specific regional identity which is demonstrated through Mise-en-scene, camera work, sound and editing. This clip's regional identity relates heavily to rural areas close to beach. The areas can be specified due to the accents of the people around the area. Also regional identity of educated urban areas are represented in Doc Martin and the female character who asks for a prescription. 

G322 Micro elements

Mise-en-scene
Setting 
Costume
Make up
Decor
Lighting 
Body language
Props


Sound
Narrative
Background soundtracks
Diegetic/non-diegetic
Synchronous/Asynchronous
Sound and character speech (dialogue)

Editing
Transition types (e.g. cuts and fades)
Action Match
Flashback
Juxtaposition 
Continuity - Passage of time editing
Montage - Passage of time editing 


Camera Work
Shot types
Camera movement
Composition
Camera angles
Depth of field

Representation of Disability

Camera work contributes significantly towards the representation of disability in this clip. The opening tracking shot of billy walking through the forest at night combined with the actions of dusting himself off suggests 'wrong doing.' Disability could be , at this point, associated with deviant and mischievous behaviour. This is further portrayed by several camera shots of dogs, policeman with torches. implying they are looking for billy.

A close up shot of billy's reaction furthers the impression that billy had done something wrong. This close up shot also illustrates billy's appearance which can be considered to be stereotypical of person with a disability.
Other close ups on billy are used during the speech with the inspector where several interesting facial expressions are acquired to billy. He looks rather confused which could result in the assumption that he cannot keep up with what the inspector is explaining.

This shot is showing his dad sitting behind him; illustrating that he supports him and helps him explain things in order for him to make sense, implying disabled people need assistance
many reaction shots showing Billy's behaviour. Close ups on inspector showing his attitude towards billy - his facial expressions also show frustration as he cannot communicate with billy


Speech and dialogue is used to represent disability throughout the play. It is understandable that Billy has a speech impediment, therefore the audience will come to the assumption that Billy has a disability. When billy shouts out 'I've done nothing wrong' it presents him to look completely innocent and vulnerable and could make viewers pity him. Also Billy's simple and unclear responses to the inspector implies that several audiences would consider Billy and people with disabilities as unintelligent. Coming to the conclusion that they are unable to communicate sufficiently. this can also be considered when billy mentions a 'playground' and can lead to people thinking that he is childish. the inspector has to be corrected by the father when refereeing to the condition which billy has., implying that people are respectful towards handicapped people. The tone of the inspectors voice can cause the audience to come to several assumptions, one of them being that people speak down to people with disabilities and treat them as inferior to them. Another perspective which could be formed is that by looking at the fathers and inspectors tone/choice of language when talking to Billy's implies he is uneducated; displaying how these types of people are treated like children and try to communicate with them on a low academic level. When the mum says about cleaning billy this suggests that he isn't capable of cleaning himself and furthers the impression that handicapped people can be treated like children. towards the end the inspector habits an impatient tone which demonstrates how people with disabilities are treated and are not respected. This can also be conveyed by several sighs assigned to the inspector. When Billy raises his voice towards the end , it can imply that people with disabilities are considered to be violent.

Props such as police dogs and torches implies he has done something wrong and demonstrates that people are searching for billy and therefore leads to the association of handicapped people with negative behaviour. The washing up bowl is also a convenient prop as it displays how billy cant clean himself and making him look incapable and immature.
Police costumes also add to the atmosphere that billy has done something wrong and forms a negative perspective around and raises questions on his behaviour.

The cuts on billys head shows that he has been injured, once again making him look vulnerable and weak. Also it cold be taken into consideration that the police injured billy, implying how negatively these types of people are treated

Consuming and Producing Films

Consuming and Producing Films
I used to go to the cinema relatively frequently when I was younger however in the last couple of years my visits to the cinema has dropped. This is due to the ridiculous prices off both tickets and food/drink which have increased alarmingly recently, so therefore my visits to the cinema have decreased. Ticket prices have increased also due to the introduction of 3 dimensional movies where tickets costs can range around £10. However at home I have access to a 3 dimensional TV which satisfies my needs so I don't tend to go to the cinema for the 3D films. I have access to a couple of satellite TVs at home which contain countless films. I am currently with Sky broadband and this provides me with many movie programmes which run throughout the day. Also it provides me with films on demand which allows me to have access to hundreds of films available to watch as many times as I wish. New films get added to demand weekly so the collection of films is constantly being updated. There is also a Sky Store available where I am able to purchase any film i would like and watch it many times until the availability date expires.

     I don't have a specific DVD player or Blu-Ray player but I have an Xbox and PlayStation which allow me to play both DVDs and Blu-Rays on any connected TV. Very rarely I purchase some of the latest films on DVD but otherwise I sometimes get given DVDs as a present on some special occasions such as birthdays and Christmas. I don't have access to a hard disk recorder but I have HD TVs. I have many devices where I can access the internet on including an iPhone, computer, iPad, Kindle and TV. I often use all of these to access the internet but because there are other people in my house using them as well I tend to usually use either my phone or computer to access the internet. I have no preference as they are all quick and easy. 
    I don't tend to watch many films on the internet but I have watched a couple of films on http://www.movie25.cm/ before. I normally watch films at home in my lounge or bedroom or even round my friends houses. Depending on the category in which the film is in the people who I watch the film with will vary. For example, I would prefer to watch an action film with my dad or friends and I would watch a romance with my mum, sister or girlfriend. I also watch a lot of films alone as it allows me to just be on my own and peaceful. 
     I have access to a video camera at home but the quality of the video has depreciated due to the age of the device so we don't tend to use it as much as we used to. The only time I tend to create any sort of video is usually on special occasions like birthdays, Christmas and holidays when I there is something sentimental to records which holds memories.
     At this moment in time the UK’s statistics state that around 96% of homes have at least one television set. Also roughly 60% of families have 2 or 3 televisions in their homes. In the USA a couple of years ago the average household had 2.86 televisions. This year, 54% of homes in the US had 3 or more TV's whilst 28% had 2 televisions and only 18% had one! Also of the 25.1 million homes In the UK, 19.2 million have access to a free-view television box. This demonstrates the availability of television to the public and how it has increased, providing more people to be granted the opportunity to watch films on their own televisions. According to recent analysis, in the UK, 82.5% of people are internet users, which has increased by 60% in 10 years. Similarly, in the USA 84.2% are on-line. This statistic implies that almost anyone who wished to watch films on-line in any economically developed country can do so, thus showing the increasing film availability. Finally, the number of people in the UK with a smartphone has risen by 14% in 10 months alone and has now reached 72%, whereas the total in the USA is 61%. Once again this shows us just how almost anybody can view film on a range of devices and how film production, editing and sharing technology is available to almost everyone.