This scene from Battlestar Galactica shows the military leaders Adama and Cain being reprimanded by the President. The dark lighting and colors represent the grim situation faced by the human survivors of war. Cain sits upright defending her actions while Adama sits back with guilt. Their postures reflect their character dynamics. The plush presidential setting contrasts with harsh military environments and reinforces the authority of the President over the military leaders through costumes, documents, and flag placement.

1. Week 2 Theory Analysis, Character VS Character
This scene is from the 2004 remake of Battlestar Galactica, a science fiction, post apocalyptic, military TV series. Since it is primary a post apocalyptic show its mood and colours are usually
very dark and dull. This is done in order to represent the grim situation of the surviving members of the human race after the apocalyptical war with the series primary antagonists, the
Cylons. This specific scene is from the series 2 episode Resurrection Ship part 1 in which the two military leaders Adama and Cain the (latter outranking the former) are being berated by the
President for almost going to civil war with each other. You can see the character dynamics in this shot just by the different postures of the 3 characters. For example you can tell that the
President is the one with moral power in this scene as she is the one standing up while she orders the other two to sit. This is done in order to give her a sense of authority over the other
two characters when in reality because of there situation Adama and Cain could outright disobey the president without consequences since they hold the power over the military.
I believe they have used this specific shot from this angle as you can see the Presidents posture and how it compares to the postures of the other two. Cain is trying to defend her actions
and as a result is sitting upright and is being more assertive. This is likely done so it appears that she is more of a threat then Adama since she commands the superior military force. She is
also introduced to initially be a protagonist however her later actions turn her into a secondary antagonist. This contrasts to Adams posture which seems to be laid back and relaxed since
he is sat back with his legs crossed. However you can also feel a sense of guilt in his posture that he has allowed this to happen since he is also sat humbly with his arms crossed looking
down. Since Adama is one of the main protagonists alongside the President unlike Cain, this is probably done to make him seem like the better person but also to make the audience realise
that his character doesn’t believe there will be any personal consequences for him since he has a personal relationship with the President.
Dominant posture over the
other characters to show the
position of power.
Cain has a more assertive posture over
Adama since she is trying to justify her
actions as well as showing she is a bad
person as she feels no remorse over them.
Humble but guilty posture of Adama
shows remorse over his actions showing
him to be the good person. This also
shows he is slightly more relaxed due to
his personal relationship with the
president.
Character Posture and Dynamics

2. Week 2 Theory Analysis, Character VS CharacterUse of Colour and Lighting
As previously stated the colour and lighting throughout this series is usually dark and drab. I believe this is done to represent the emotions of the characters as well as the situation they
are in For example in this scene the lighting is very dark this could be reflective of the characters emotions in that due to all the harrowing experiences they have been through as a result
of the war the characters could find themselves experiencing dark emotions such as hatred, depression and fear. I believe it is also representative of the dark situation that could have
arisen if Adama and Cain had actually gone to war with each other hence the reason why the lighting on this set is perfect atmosphere for this scene.
Another reason for the colours and set design could be because the writers want you to feel what the characters are feeling. In this case it would be that the characters may feel trapped
and claustrophobic in such a dark environment especially since they are wondering through space aimlessly, trying to survive. This coupled with the fact that there is no natural sunlight
or fresh air could cause great emotional strain on a human which is perhaps what the directors want you to feel in order so you can relate to the characters. The fact that you can’t see
any stars out of the windows also adds to the sense of isolation in that even though there are hundreds of other ships in there fleet they are in a very remote region of space and that
there is not much hope in sight. In the real world long term spaceflight has been proven to have a negative phycological impact on humans causing things like anxiety and depression.
This is further developed by the fact that the artificial light source around them is extremely dim.
Blackness of space with no
stars or sunlight creates the
feeling of prolonged
isolation as well as a sense
of foreboding.
Dim artificial light as the only
light source makes the set feel
realistic and claustrophobic
which gives the sense that they
are “stuck indoors” so to speak.
Dark coloured, big furniture makes
the room feel smaller and more
enclosed.

3. Week 2 Theory Analysis, Character VS CharacterProps and Setting
The props and setting of this scene are really interesting. The reason I believe this is
because this scene is set aboard the Presidents spacecraft and office Colonial One.
It is interesting to see how the set is laid out and how its layout is specifically used
in this scene to represent the character dynamics. The set itself is very plush
compared to the harsh military environments usually seen on the show. As a result
this gives the set a sense of wealth and power that would be appropriate for a
presidential office. In the continuity of the show this ship was originally a passenger
liner so the set would therefore be expected to have a comfortable and relaxing
atmosphere however the way it has been shot in this scene makes it look like it is
the type of place you would go to conduct important business or to be given a
berating which does happen in this scene.
In the scene the president is placed behind her desk which adds an extra sense of
authority to her character is it shows that this is her office and that she is someone
important. This is an obvious but clever trick by the directors as anyone just by a
glance would be able to tell that she is in charge. The idea that this is someplace
that business is conducted is shown with the props onscreen. For example the
Presidents desk looks like it has a lot of important documents on it. This gives the
impression that she is a busy women and perhaps adds an extra layer of meaning
to the scene which is that she is frustrated with having to deal with the situation of
Adama and Cain as this shouldn't have happened in the first place and that this just
adds to the immense stress and pressure that she is already under. Whilst you are
not able to see it in the right screenshot, once you see her facial expression from a
different shot this idea becomes more believable.
Important looking documents and
desk make it obvious that the one
standing behind it is in charge.
Flag behind
the President
emphasizes
her power and
importance

4. Week 2 Theory Analysis, Character VS CharacterCostume
The fact that everyone is dressed formally in the scene automatically sets the mood and tone but also reveals a
lot about the characters. From there uniforms it is obvious to any newcomer that Adama and Cain are military.
This is due to there dark blue colour (which was likely adapted from the colouring of real world Navy uniforms),
assignment patch on the shoulder as well as the military badge and rank insignia on there chests and collars.
You cannot see it in any of these screenshots but Cain's rank insignia is slightly more elaborate then Adama’s,
this is to indicate her superior rank.
Whilst this indication of authority would work well on there own ships once they are aboard Colonial One it is
completely nullified by the sense of presidential authority that the ships set design gives off. This type of set
design works extremely well with the Presidents costume of a smart suit. This tells the viewers that she is part
of the government and therefore separate from the military. The fact that Adama and Cain appear to be
answering to her also tells us she holds the highest office of government and that she is someone to be
respected and who's orders are to be followed. This further adds a sense of realism to the scene as even though
it is a science fiction TV Program viewers can easily draw comparison to real world examples such as the office
of the US President. This real world similarity in my opinion makes everything seem more authentic and realistic
which in turn makes the characters and some of there situations and interpersonal relationships more
believable. This is crucial when creating a science fiction TV show as it doesn’t stretch the viewers suspension of
disbelief to braking point.
Classic military drab
colour and styled insignia
inspired by uniform
designs of real world
makes Adama and Cain
instantly recognisable as
being military.
Smartly dressed President shows she holds a high level of office and
thus commands authority and respect from both civilians and the
military leaders such as Adama and Cain.