To gain a good mark you must make judgements and reach conclusions about how far the extract constructs the police’s point of view. It is not enough to simply label the techniques being used in the clip.
Responses may analyse the extract in terms of media language:
- how choice of elements of media language influences meaning, including to create narratives, to portray aspects of reality, to construct points of view, and to represent the world in ways that convey messages and values.
And/or
Responses may analyse the extract in terms of representation:
- the choices media producers make about how to represent particular events, social groups and ideas
- the different functions and uses of stereotypes
- the ways aspects of reality may be represented differently depending on the purposes of the producers.
Task: Read the student's full-mark answer and consider why it is so successful. Once you have done this, re-write your own answer as a DIRT activity in your books.
In the opening sequence, the audience is immediately positioned alongside the police in the clip. As the ariel shot of Brighton tracks across the pier and beach, setting the location, the sound bridge is of the police radio linking the audience directly to the experience of the officers working in the city.
It is important that the producers establish a link between the police characters and the audience to make the programme successful. The audience need to invest in the characters success to want to watch the television crime drama series. The police are shown in close up more than the stereotypical drunken stag party characters and the director uses over the shoulder shots to show the officer responding to the disturbances on the nudist beach. The audience know they are walking behind the police officer as if they are part of the force or experiencing things from his point of view.
The narrative mostly follows the world of the police throughout the initial opening sequence clearly positioning the audience with the police's point of view. The director uses cross-cutting editing to link the police officers on the beat with what is happening back at the station. It is ironic that the sound of the chief constable's speech using dialogue about the valued position of the police in the local community. The nudist man who called the police for help responds to the officer in a critical way showing this lack of respect for what he tried to do. We do not however sympathise with the nudist man as he appears ridiculous speaking in an aggressive style to the officer when he is naked and lacking in basic kindness by not checking he is unhurt. He is portrayed as a stereotypical middle-aged man who is complaining but not willing to support the police himself.
When the officer is punched by the stag party leader, the sound of the contact is emphasised using special effects in post editing. this focuses us on the challenges he faces. Editing is also used adding slow motion footage to emphasise the danger of potential violence in challenging a large group of men on his own. There is also a close up insert shot of the policeman's hat on the sand. These shots help use to sympathise with the officer and question the public's opinion of the role of law enforcement in the UK in contrast with the representation of the reality of such a challenging occupation.
To gain full marks you need to meet this criteria:
Level 3 (7–10 marks)
An excellent analysis of media language and/or representation.
AO2(1a) A sophisticated, perceptive and accurate analysis of relevant aspects of the extract supported by two or more examples
AO2(1b) Clear judgements and conclusions are reached and are fully supported by the analysis.
Excellent responses in the top mark band will typically explore how point of view is created using two or more well-chosen examples described accurately using Media Studies terminology.
Clear judgements may be evident throughout the analysis or in a conclusion.
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