This video analyzes the representation of disability in a scene from a film. The scene shows a woman nervously meeting a disabled boy for a care visit. Various camera techniques are used to highlight the tension, awkwardness, and power dynamics between the characters. The boy struggles with appearing independent despite needing help with tasks, while the woman seems uncomfortable around his disability.

1. Representation of Disability
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a
By Zara, James and Holly
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2. The scene starts with a
shot of a woman with
her back to the camera
opening a door. This
already creates a sense
of mystery in the scene.
The camera pans down
to show a medium shot
of a disabled boy. The
camera angle is at his
eye level (Rule of
thirds) to show that he
is the main focus in the
scene. This is because as
an audience we see him
as ‘different’
The audience hears the
woman say ‘Hi, you must
be Blake’ even before
her face is reviled. This
brings attention to
what she is saying and
as an audience we can
hear emotion and
nervousness in her voice

3. Her facial expression
shows an audience that
she is wearing a ‘fake
smile’ to hide her
nerves and
uncomfortableness.
The establishing shot of
the flat reveals that
the walls are red. This
gives the connotation of
love and romance.
When the disabled boy
and his dad enter the
flat there is complete
silence. This emphasizes
the tension and
awkwardness between
them all. It is obvious
that there would not be
as much awkwardness if

4. The boy hints at his dad to
help him onto the bed. This
helps to create the typical
stereotype that disabled
people are not
independent.
The shot cuts to the woman
about to walk into the
room but she then stops
and becomes hesitant. This
is showing that people feel
uncomfortable around
disabled people and are
not sure how to act.

5. The boy does not want to
be seen as dependent by
the woman. When the dad
asks weather he needs
help undressing the boy
refuses help.
The dad kisses his son on
the forehead. This shows
that he is over protective
of his son and sees him as
vulnerable because he is
disabled.

6. Once the dad has left
the flat the camera
cuts to the woman
locking the door then
realising that she
shouldn’t. This is most
likely because the boy
is disabled and she
feels that something
injury related could
happen
From this point the
conversation between
the boy and the call
woman has a lot of
pauses and unfinished
sentences for example
‘just in case you…’ This
awkwardness affects
the audience and
The woman then offers
the boy a drink.
A lot of sympathy is
then generated because
there is a close up of
the woman helping the
boy to drink. This
shows the boy’s
incapability to do a
task that to an able
person may seem

7. The camera then cuts to
the boy’s dad sat in his
van just outside of the
flat. He uses the radio
to distract himself
from what is going on.
The sound of the radio
is the only diegetic
music used in the clip. It
then switches to nondiegetic music which
creates a sound bridge
from the shot of the
dad in the car to the
boy and the woman on
This shot shows the
woman and the boy
laying on the bed. The
woman takes up the
left and centre third of
the shot, therefore
dominating. This could
show the superiority
she has over the boy.

8. When the woman Is
helping the boy take his
top off there is a lack
of dialog in the scene.
This could emphasise
the woman’s care when
helping the boy as she
doesn’t want to cause
him any pain.
The boy also doesn’t
say anything when this
is happening. This could
highlight that he feels
embarrassed because
he is always dependant
on the woman to help
him.