Call the midwife

1. Task 1
Television and Film

2. Call the midwife
At the start of the show we see a selection of images in black and white symbolising the set theme is the olden days.
Music is used at the start of the intro, which is the theme tune. After we go into incidental music and foley sounds. We
hear diegetic sounds such as busses, trains, dogs barking people talking etc. Fast upbeat aural motif music is used as
one of the midwife’s announce Shirley is due to give birth. The music creates tension but excitement for the midwife’s.
Dialogue is then used in the opening scene “Don’t leave me mum” illustrating that the lady is going to give birth. Upbeat
music is played behind the dialogue of the lady giving birth and the nurses surrounding her. This symbolises the build up
of the birth. The slow music had a happy vibe as it included pleonastic sound as she gave birth happily. The incidental
music changes into a slow happy instrumental and the baby is born. There is then a voiceover explaining the story so
the viewer understands what is going on. Sound effects is used such as a beep from a horn symbolising the area they
live in could be busy. Sound effects of the baby crying, footsteps have been used so the viewer understands the
environment of the show. The first lady that gave birth had a eastern accent which could represent her class in society.
In another scene the next couple had a posh accent representing that they come from a better background and
lifestyle. Noise is used such as the dialogue and the children playing and skipping in the road. This is used to give a
naturalistic look on how all the midwifes and community live. Music is then used to set a happy mood as the children
were having fun and socialising with each other. When the posh couple get intimate the music starts to play again
symbolising their romance and love for each other. One of the midwifes is having a incoming “important call” the two
other midwifes sneak behind the wall and try to over hear what she is saying on the phone. Incidental music is played
whilst they are whispering to each other. The music used was slow and had a mysterious touch to it as they are spying
on her. It sets a suspicious mood for the viewers as everyone wants to know what is going to happen next. The cockney
lady who gave birth is conversing with one of the nurses. During the discussion they tend to pause in silence due to her
losing a baby before her recent pregnancy with her new-born. In the next scene we see the cockney lady and her
husband running for the bus, they use incidental music which is very upbeat. The dialogue is of them both laughing
setting a funny but entertaining mood for the audience watching. The posh couple is then seen together, the pregnant
lady is watched by her husband playing the violin which is seen as very high classed back in those days. They are a
educated couple, they also talk in a good manner. The posh pregnant lady goes to the hospital whilst the Cockney lady
who just had a new-born is seen sitting down in the waiting line. The posh lady then looks at the noisey children making
noise and sits down next to the lady. The noise is very loud as it is a group of children and babies. There is foley noises
of a lady slapping her child as she is misbehaving. There is a scene of one of the ladies bumping into a police officer. The
policer officer offers the lady if she wants to go to the ‘pictures’ again. This is when incidental music is used such as slow
music symbolising romance.