Upperclass
Above are 4 collages of the different social groups represented in the clips given, this is to evidence that I can divide people into different classes and show the mes en scene, camera and editing used for each class.
Whilst watching these videos I have noticed that upper class people are shown to have more of a powerful status and more dominance over the other classes, this is shown through their costume, location and camera angles used. The costumes that upperclass characters are wearing are very posh and look expensive. The women usually have long dresses on, mostly old fashioned or vintage looking whilst the men are seen in business wear, such as suits to show authority and to give an impression that they work in high class high paying jobs. The props used would also show this as the men would be carrying a briefcase or paperwork and the women a lace umbrella which to show delicacy. Stereotypically the upperclass would live in a big house in the country side portraying how much money they have. Another location they could be shown in is an office as this is associated with their work and the jobs that they do. Regarding appearance, every person within the upperclass society is seen to be very 'perfect' with not a hair out of place and groomed to perfection. The sounds used in scenes with these people would be soft and the soundtrack could be something like jazz, the voices would also play a big part in showing that they're upperclass as they would be posh and well spoken showing that they are well educated. The editing would be slow pace and the camera smooth rested on a tripod and always from to show their life and to almost make people envy them as they would have prominence on screen as they are the dominant stereotype.
The middle class is the stereotype between upper class and working class so they need to be shown this way, next to the upper class they would be looked down upon so high angles would be used but to the other two stereotypes low angles would be used as they are looking up to the middle class society. The costumes worn would vary, they would still look smart but have a cheaper look to the outfit as a whole, it could be made from a cheaper fabric and not be as furnished as the upperclass society but they would be dressed alot nicer than working class or underclass. The middle class would be seen in locations such as big houses but also seen working daily as they need to be shown as 'normal' or working class too. The editing for this stereotype would also be slow pace and there would be family shots where all of them have the same prominence but it would be edited with cuts to show the two sides of the family. As this is the inbetween stereotype it has been more difficult to define as whats going on in each scene determines how they are portrayed.
The working class stereotype that are low paid and hard working they are shown in a family unit, they are not educated as well and are often seen as incompetent and stupid. The camera angle used would be a high angle looking down on these people and the edit a fast pace to show everyday working life. The sounds used would be a common accent using limited vocabulary, there would also be Foley sounds such as hammers and saws, chains rattling and the noises of construction sites and hard labour working areas. The costume would be a work uniform usually a hard hat and hivis vest showing that they working for a living, Shots would be composed so that there are family shots in a small house where the parents would have more prominence and be dominant over the children as they are less educated than them.
Underclass are considered the scum or society and would have high angles used on them the whole time to show that everyone is looking down on them. They would be dressed in dirty old clothes usually tracksuits making them look 'chavy' and are usually seen claiming benefits as they do not bother working. They would be living in a small house or flat with quite a few children they also are poorly educated and speak alot of slang there could be soft gently music to make you feel sorry for these people but they are most likely seen as vulgar and the villain, this creates conflict which is key in TV drama. They would have the least prominence on screen with fast pace editing and quick uneasy camera pace to convey their daily lives.
This is my essay plan for my mock exam
Mock Exam
After watching the clip the first stereotype I identified is underclass. When Merlin comes into the shot he looks as though he is up to no good he is sneaking around a room that is clearly not his and places a bottle on the desk to which he then discovers objects such as a voodoo doll and a book of some sort which all looks very expensive. One of the first things that becomes clear that Merlin fits into this stereotype is the clothes that he is wearing; they are old, outdated and look almost like rags or old cloth, making him look rough and poor, fitting into the underclass stereotype. Whilst Merlin is snooping around the room he is shocked when a lady comes in, she is wearing a beautiful purple dress; the complete opposite of Merlin, this contrast of these two outfits really show how different and poor Merlin looks in comparison to this lady. As the lady is approaching the room there is eary music playing that seems to get more intense the closer she gets, which gives the impression that he is scared of her making her dominant the dominant one. Once in the room she asks Merlin what he is doing there to which he stammers and stutters a reply implying that he is nervous and vunerable, which is another quality of the underclass society. Once he leaves the room he goes out into the market where the pace picks up and an establishing shot is composed where Merlin walks through the market and Arthur is in the background, this give the audience the impression that something is goign to happen. Arthur then begins to shout things at Merlin leading the scene into shot reverse shot which is used to show conflict in the conversation. As the fight continues Merlin ends up in the dirt of a the market floor and low angles are used to again show that Merlin is submissive and looked down upon.
Another stereotype that is shown is upperclass, this is shown mostly in two characters within the clip. The first is the lady that catches Merlin in her room, although she is only in the clip for a short amount of time there was many aspects that made her seem as though she fit into this stereotype. Firstly I noticed her costume, she was well groomed and wore a purple dress that looks very expensive. Her accent is also very posh and well eductaed, she seems very forward and wasnt afraid to question Merlin about his where abouts even though she is a woman and so is supposed to be submissive and the one that is looked down upon yet in this case she is the dominant one. Also the eary music that is played in the background of this particular scene becomes more intense and gives the impression that she is to be feared and is dominant over Merlin. Whilst Merlin is in the room the scene cuts away from him to the lady and back again which makes the clip seem jumpy adding to the impression of dominance to the scene, whilst in the room the lady has prominace and is the one leading the shot.
Arthur is also upperclass. He has a well educated voice and talks down to Merlin, he is seen wearing body armour and looking royal, with people working for him, which shows expense that is considered a quality of upperclass society. He is also carrying weapeons which could be considered fallic objects, as Merlin isnt carrying anything Arthur throws him one of his weapeons which could imply that he is showing off. I noticed that shot reverse shot is used again here in conversation and then again in confict along with longshots to show the full body language and then close ups to show the expression on their faces. Another way in which Arthur is seen as superior to Merlin is the way that the camera is looking down on him in the dirt and cuts away to Arthur standing over him, he has more prominance and screen time to show this superiority. Lastly the soundtrack over this scene is fast pace and upbeat creating suspence and tention during the fight. As Arthur is shown as dominant and superior he fits into the upperclass stereotype.
Another stereotype that I identifed in this clip was working class. The working class are portrayed in the given clip as servants or market workers, they have the jobs that no one else wants. They are dressed poorly in old clothes and most are wearing headscarves, they don't seem to care about their appearance as although they look clean nothing really stands out to say they try with how they look. They are surrounded by market stools and things to sell, mostly every day essentials such as fruit veg and cleaning items. The floor around the market is dry and muddy, everything around them is surrounded by dirt and dust, so they do not have a good work environment. During this scene you hear people talking and the hustle of working life, these are all foley sounds add in afterwards, but as the confrontation happens between Arthur and Merlin happens the background sounds seem to stop showing that they are important and they should have everybody's attention. There is no real camera techniques focusing on the working class of people as they are not the main focus of the clip and are in the background, the camera pans across the market and shows them as a unit.
Overall I think after watching the Merlin clip it is clear that upper class have all the power, as although at one point Merlin was winning the fight Arthur still comes out on top as Merlin was easily distracted, the contrast of the costume between the classes also makes it clear that the upper class are the superior stereotype. I think that the stereotype of underclass is challenged throughout this although Merlin is submissive he gets very sarcastic and rude towards Arthur who is upper class and meant to be looked up to.
