The document provides guidance on how to answer exam questions about how social groups are represented through technical film techniques. It specifies the social groups that may be asked about and advises using specific examples from camera work, mise-en-scene, sound, and editing to show how these construct representations. Descriptions are given of different techniques for each area, such as camera angles, set design, uses of sound, and editing transitions.

1. Exam Revision
Section A
By Sophie Hales.

2. What will be asked?
I will be asked a question on how one social group
as been represented in the extract through the use
of camera work, mise-en-scene, sound and editing.
The question will specify which social group to
focus on:
 Age
 Sexuality
 Gender
 Class and Status
 Disability/ability
 Ethnicity
 Regional identity

3. How to do well?
What to do?
 Use a range of relevant and specific
example from the extract.
 In detailed explain how my examples
construct representations of the social
group.
 Use a range of examples from all four
technical areas (at a balanced number
for each).
 Use terminology accurately and
consistently.


4. The four technical areasCamera
The use of camerawork can be used to represent
characters in varied way:
 Camera movement to suggest the characters
movement e.g fast and energetic or chaotic and
anxious.
 Close-ups to represent emotions/reactions.
 Long/establishing to show setting/costumes.
 High and low angles/tilts to represent
dominance/inferiority.
 Zooms for emphasis.
 Point of view/over the should to encourage the
audience to identify with the character.
 Two shot- emphasise the relationship of two
characters.

5. Camerawork continued…
Close-up – showing someone from the shoulders
up
 Mid-shot-showing someone from the waist up.
 Wide shot- showing a wide view of the scene.
 Two shot- A shot showing two people.
 Long shot- showing someone from head to toe.
 Establishing shot- shot showing the location the
scene is taking place in.
 Aerial shot- shot filmed from the air.
 Master shot- shot showing where the
character/objects are positioned in a scene.


6. Angles/tilts in camerawork
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High angle shots- the camera is looking down at
someone/object
Low angle- the camera looks up at someone/object
Point of view shot- showing the perspective of a character.
Over the shoulder shot- is what it says
Pan- the camera moves from side to side.
Canted angle- the camera is at a slanted angle.
Tilt- the camera moves up and down.
Track- the camera follow a person/object.
Steadicam-The camera is strapped to camera operator’s
body, creates a gliding effect.
Hand-held- A shaky handheld effect.
Zoom-the camera zooms in or out.
Reverse zoom- The lenses zooms in or out.

7. Mise-en-scene
Mise-en-scene is another important
representation:
 Where the scene is taking place and how
it appears
 What a character wears.
 Lighting connotes certain meaning about
characters.
 Props can signify informations about
characters.
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8. Mise-en-scene continued
 Set
design- how the setting is designed.
 Location- where the scene takes place.
 Costume and make-up- clothes worn by the
actors and the make up used.
 Props- objects used in the scene.
 High key lighting- bright lighting.
 Low key lighting- dark lighting.

9. Sound
Sound can too represent social groups in
varied ways:
 The use of music can tell the audience
about the character.
 The language and accent of a character.
 Ambient sound can tell you about the
setting.

10. Sound continued
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Diegetic- sound originating from a source in the
scene e.g dialogue
Non-diegetic- sound added in postproduction e.g
background music.
Sound motif- a sound or piece of music associated
with a character, place, or theme.
Dialogue- word spoken by actors.
Voiceover- dialogue spoken by an unseen character
over related images.
Direct address- when the actor speaks directly to the
camera.
Sound mix- the way in which the different sounds in a
scene are mixed together.
Ambient sound- background noise.

11. Editing
Editing can also be used to construct
representations by:
 Creating links between characters or settings.
 Contrasting characters settings (crosscutting,
shot/reverse shot).
 The pace of editing (fast pace-young, energetic,
slow- old).
 Showing us what a character is looking at.
 Showing us what a character is thinking about
(cutting, superimposition).
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12. Editing continued
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Cutting- the process where one shot is replaced on screen immediately by the
next.
Jump cut- cutting out the middle section of a shot.
Crosscutting- cutting back and forth between two or more scenes happening
simultaneously.
Shot/reverse shot- cutting back and forth between people in a conversation.
Eyeline match- cutting to show what a character is looking at.
Graphic match- a similar shape or colour linking two consecutive shots.
Action match- cutting to show another angle of the scene.
Dissolve- when one shot fades out as the next shot fades in.
Fade out fade in- the image fades out to a blank screen, or fades in from a
black screen.
Long take- a single continuous shot that doesn’t cut for abnormal length of
time (e.g over a minute)
Fast pace/ slow paced editing- when the editing is fast paced the action will
cut rapidly from to shot with each shot lasting only a few seconds. Slow
aced editing will involve limited cutting from shot to shot.
Slow motion- what it says.
Superimposition- when one image is placed on top of another.