'The Fear' essay

The TV drama clip ‘The Fear’ can be used to construct representation of social class using features such as camera shots, editing, Mise-en-scene and sound.

Throughout the clip, the social class difference and the effect that it has on the characters changes. The clip starts by the camera moving from left to right, in the direction of the two characters, which has been shown by the tracking movement of the camera. This camera movement has been used to make the audience look at the whole scene while it moves from left to right, rather than just focus on a close up of a character. The long shot being used by the camera is also affective for the same reason. It makes the audience focus on everything in the shot, which is good for an opening scene in a clip because the audience can identify the characters and the setting at the same time. The social class is automatically assumed and explained in that shot, this is because the props that is in the doctor’s reception. There are leather chairs, wooden desks and chairs flat screen computers and big glass windows which suggest that they doctors surgery and the people that work there are from a high class.

The sound in the clip also represents the social class. The first male character that appears in the clip; Ritchie, uses dialogue towards the reception lady which suggests that he is more important than her, although he is probably from a lower or even the same class as the woman. He says “Looking for doctor Whiteing” and by him using a demanding deep tone to his voice, makes Ritchie seem like a powerful and higher class character. When the reception lady replies to Ritchie by saying, “Do you have an appointment” in a soft but stern voice, it makes her then looks like the powerful one by questioning him. Because there isn’t any non-diegetic sound and there is just dialogue, it builds tension when the reception lady rebels against the male character. More dialogue is continued when Ritchie replies, “Just tell him its Ritchie”. The reception lady replied to Ritchie again by saying “im afraid doctor Whiteing can’t see anyone without an appointment” and then pauses to let Ritchie think but then adds “im afraid im ganna have to ask you to remove your car”. This shows representation of class because the woman who is the higher class is more dominating and demanding.

 The Mise-en-scene in both scenes; the reception area and then in the doctors room both show representation of class. In the reception area the props such as the furniture and the desk is all very modern and the costume of the receptionist is smart and formal that represents her as a high class. Even though he is in a suit and does look formal from his costume, the way he presents himself by picking up the computer keyboard and going to swing to hit the woman if she didn’t let him off moving his car is represented as violent and intimidating. This can make Ritchie look like he is from a high class by bossing the reception woman about but he can also be made to look weak because of how nasty he is. After Doctor Whiteing comes to see what was happening, he saw Ritchie at reception and caught him with the keyboard in his hand ready to swing at the woman he took him into his own room to have a chat.  

Editing has been used in this scene to represent class. The camera movement goes back to the very first tracking of the view of the whole reception area. The camera shot of Ritchie’s close up shot of his face has been edited with a cut onto the long shot. This goes from making Ritchie look powerful to looking small. The next shot that is shown of Ritchie is the close up in the doctor’s room. This editing cut has been done from one long shot to a close up to emphasize the facial expression. Because Ritchie’s personality is aggressive but also jokey in a way, it shows that he is not from the posh formal background unlike the receptionist who uses a formal tone of voice and Doctor Whiteing who is also formal and dedicated to his job. You can tell this from the dialogue: “What do you want Richie”. This is showing that he thinks Ritchie is messing him around and taking up his time by joking and shows he doesn’t want to speak to him. It represents class because the doctor is from the upper class and is looking down onto Ritchie who seems to be wandering in and annoying people.

In conclusion, social class has been represented in this clip by the use of sound, Mise-en-scene, editing and camera shots. Camera shots and angles gives effect by making the character look more or less powerful which can represent their class; the higher class looking powerful. The sound and dialogue plays a big part in the clip because the tone of voice and what characters say to each other are different depending on the gender, class and age.