Analyse how the extract from Queenmaker, 2023 constructs meaning, including the specific representations of individuals/groups/events/places, through the following technical elements:
• camera shots, angles, movement and composition
• sound
• mise-en-scène
• editing
The text shown was from the TV series Queenmaker, 2023. It portrayed a matronly woman making decisions for a scandal hit colleague. Some of the ideas explored in the extract are that of a strong, authoritative female, the power imbalance between her and the assistants, as well as the craziness and unpredictability of the second female.
The text uses many technical elements to depict the main character as strong and authoritative. The scene opens with a tracking shot of the main characters feet as she walks through a luxurious apartment. The camera starts with a close up of her fancy shoes before smoothly panning to her upper body, revealing a well dressed and stylish woman. Her smart attire has connotations of importance, she looks like a serious businesswoman; already the audience is getting a feel for her authority and no nonsense attitude. Furthermore a long duration shot is used for her entire entrance as the camera dollies smoothly around the room while keeping her centred. This movement could indicate that she is calm and in control, and always the centre of attention when she is in the room. It is also used to showcase her in the grand setting, making her look at ease in the room. The scene only features the diegetic sound of her heels walking on the hard marble floor, this builds some suspense as her identity is concealed from the viewer, possibly a hermeneutic code to make the audience eager to see who this character is. The preferred reading here is that this person is a character of great import, and the audience is keen to follow her story.
Another theme explored in the text is the power imbalance between the women in the scene. Upon initial viewing there is clearly a distinction between the two main characters and the assistants that are present. One notable distinction is their clothing. Although all characters are formally dressed in fashionable clothes, both of the main characters’ white blouses greatly contrast with the assistants black suits, separating their roles not only through their actions but also through colour. The audience could read into these as possible Binary opposites of dark vs light; dark having negative connotations and light having more positive connotations of cleanliness and purity. This use of colour is applied in a later scene with the main character wearing a green/grey jacket, contrasting to the black clothes of all other characters. We will see as the show progresses if these opposing colours have a deeper meaning. Camera work is also used to show the differences between the two. Often they are positioned at opposing sides of the frame, the main character dominating one side while the assistants are smaller and grouped together on the other. Their interactions feel quite tense as the main character is shouting orders, this is emphasised with the edit that cuts to reaction shots of the helpers. Close up shots are used to highlight their panicked emotions and draw the audience's attention to the one sided relationship between the two. The entire clip features mostly women, this is interesting because it shows a broad spectrum of women, from those in power to those more inferior. The main character is subverting the typical convention of women on screen by being powerful and in control, while the servants are conforming by filling the role of weak, silent servants.
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