Discuss The Ways In Which The Extract Constructs The Representations Of Age

At the beginning of the extract we are introduced to two doctors (probable in their thirties) that seem to both have a very high status in the hospital which is shown from the fact a mid shot is used to show that they are both walking as equals and that they both carry themselves very confidently. There status is also highlighted by the medical jargon that they use, the white coats they wear and the equipment they carry such as clip boards and stethoscopes which shows that they are experienced professionals which is common for people their age.

In the next scene we are introduced to a boy (about 12 years old) who is evidently ill which is shown from the tube in his nose, the use of makeup also makes him appear weak, however the camera movement leads the audience to believe that he is on the same level as the doctor entering the room. This is shown from the fact that the camera pans and tilts lower as the doctor approaches the bed. Our belief that the boy is strong and independent is also highlighted by the way in which he talks, for example we find out that he self diagnosed himself and is aware that his illness is "fatal" which implies that he is independent which is very atypical for a boy of his age as they are usually seen as vulnerable and dependent on being protected by their parents, however this is the opposite with this boy as he has not told his mum about his condition to protect her, so it appears that the tables have turned. Overall the child is seen as intelligent and brave. The boy in the next scene juxtaposes the first boy as he is presented as weak by being distressed by an injury that is fairly minor compared to the illness of the first boy. The way this boy talks also suggests immaturity which is also highlighted by the fact that there is a-synchronised diegetic sound in the background of babies crying, people talking etc which also  shows that the environment is hectic, this representation of the child is more of a typical representation of a child.

Later on in the scene the audience is introduced to an old lady who is presented as a burden in a busy waiting room as well as being slightly mentally ill which is evident from the fact that she states that she is only in the waiting room because of the "air." The characters weakness is also highlighted by the fact that a high angle shot is established which shown the doctors dominance over her. This representation of the old woman is a fairly typical representation of old people as they are usually seen as incapable of doing things that younger people do they are also usually seen as inferior to young people.

In the next scene the audience is introduced to another doctor who is slightly older then the other staff in the hospital and seems to be in charge of everybody else in the room as he gives orders and insults another member of staff for making a mistake. The slight low angle shot used to show this character also emphasises his power. This is contrasted by the introduction of two new characters in the next scene who are younger then a lot of the other members of staff, they also seem to have more time on their hands the other members of staff as they are able to talk about thing that are unrelate to their jobs e.g. a holiday one of the two characters also is wearing less formal clothing compared to the older characters, this suggests that their role with the hospital may not be as demanding as the the older characters however they do still seem to be busy as they are constantly moving and doing something.     

Tv Drama Analysis (Gender Representation)

From the beginning of this extract we can clearly see that the two characters have a close relationship, this is mainly shown from the use of a mid shot of the women leaning on the man which is directly followed by the a closeup shot of the women hold the mans hand which has a wedding ring on it which tells us that they are married and that their relationship is therefore a romantic one. However, though the characters have a close relationship, they seem to be emotionally distant in a way, this is emphasised by the awkward silence in their dialogue, the only sound we (the audience) is able to hear is the diagetic sound of cars driving in the background.

The female character also seems to in control in the situation which is evident from the fact that the male character is unaware of where the cab is taking them yet she is e.g.; "Were are we going?" This is slightly atypical as usually a male character is in control. The enigma of where the characters are going is answered through the cut to a shot of the outside of a hospital.

The female character is presented as independent and strong through her dialogue as she states that she doesn't need the male character to go into the hospital with her, this shows that she is strong and doesn't rely on the support of a man in order to handle possible by news, it also shows that she is protective of the man which is also atypical of a female character, however this could also be seen as a maternal characteristic which is stereotypical of female characters. Also the fact that the man offered to escort the women into the hospital is a stereotypical masculine thing to offer and suggest that he sees the woman as a typical female character who needs his support.

The women's departure is followed by a short montage of both characters that seem to be within the space of about an hour as it is clear that there is no difference in how the characters look and what they wear, there is also no difference between how bright it is outside. During the montage we the women in a room with a consultant through a high angle crane shot shows the distance between them and implies them there they have no sort of personal relationship. The crane shot is then cut to a mid shot of the females response to what she is being told, Her expression is unreadable and ambiguous however she looks emotional as her face is wet with tears which is very stereotypically feminine.The montage also contains an extreme close up shot of the man playing with his wedding ring which suggests that he is thinking about his wife, this is then cut to a close up shot of his expression as he looks down at the ring, and we can see that he is smiling which implies that he loves his with and is happy to be with her. The vocally led montage music then fades away as the male character looks up and there is a cut to show what he is looking at (the woman). Eventually we see the female characters reaction shot after she sees that her husband has seen her, her expression changes from teary and emotional to happy which shows  her husbands effect on her.

When the women gets hit by a car, the audience is not shown her actually being hit but we are led to believe that she is from the a-synchronised sound of the bus breaks whilst we only see her husbands reaction, all the diagetic sound then stops as we see a point of view shot from the husbands perspective whilst he shakily approaches his wife. The use of of this shot emphasises how the husband is feeling which is hectic, scared and worried, this is further highlighted by the fast paced heartbeat sound in the background.