Dr Who extract analysis

In this extract there are a number of different camera angles used to show exactly what we should be paying attention to. From the very start there is an over the shoulder shot which shows us that we should be listening to what the Doctor has to say, as he is the one with all the answers. In this case the impression is given off that the man is more interlectual as he is more stoic incomparison to Rose who is clearly emotional. Shortly after there is an extreme close up on Rose to show the audience that she is weak. We can come to this conclusion as she is crying which shows us that nothing else was important enough to be shown in the shot. Looking at this from the same point of view it makes the Doctor look strong even though he is not in the initial shot. Something which makes Rose look humane is when a mid close up of the Doctor is used, as he is transparent. This shows us that the way Rose is acting is normal and that the Doctor is abnormal. Also there is a two shot used which allows us to compare the representations of gender more easily.

When looking at the Doctor and Rose at the same time in a two shot, we can see Rose is looking up to him, showing us that she admires him for his behaviour and profession. This shows us that women are more domestic than men. When the Doctor attempts to be professional and offer some support and encoragment he deflects his attention to the other people present. In this case we see an establishing shot which shows us that he dominates their relationship. This could also be seen as the Doctor is trying to protect Rose from what has upset her by distracting her. There is a long shot of the Doctor from which we learn that he is superior to Rose, as his body language is confident, relaxed and practicle. It shows us that his attitute is positive.

From this the audience can see that men and women can have a conversation not only on a civil level, but as friends.Mise en sceneThe Doctor is in the Tardis with dark colours surrounding him, it’s shell- like representing how men are more closed off and keep their emotions in check more than women, compared to Rose who is on a beach which is a very open setting which can also be seen as representation of emotion, how women are open with their emotions compared to men, who, stereo-typically are quite reserved. In the Tardis it’s all artificial lighting inside, creating an almost alien look with the strange combination of colours, in contrast to the beach where it has natural lighting. This conveys the point of opposites: dark vs. light, yin and yang. Also there is contrast of the character with their surroundings, for example Rose stands on abeach that is timeless and yet she is so young compared to the earth whereas TheDoctor is in a very futuristic looking time machine and yet he himself is old but never ages. The shot-reverse-shot towards the end of the clip where they areboth on the beach represents neutrality and that despite the fact that they aredifferent, they still share that connection. However while they both stand on abeach, they have a different background to one another. The Doctor has a cliff representing earth, while Rose has the ocean representing water- the two things that make up our planet, working together. The Doctor is in a suit, smart or professional looking, representing men in that way, that they are powerful comparedto Rose who is in a black leather jacket and pink gloves, seeming more casual maybe representing the stereotypical idea that men are professional and they go out to work and ‘bring home the bacon’ while women can dress casually because they have domestic roles that do not require them to dress smartly. Also the pink glovescan be seen as a typical girly colour. The only prop used in this clip is the sonic screwdriver by The Doctor, suggesting the theory that men like gadgets andelectronics and they are all-knowing when it comes to that, also the light the screwdriver makes when it is activated is blue which is almost always associated with boys.

Within this extract there is non-diegetic sound in the form of a constant slow pace of music, which creates a calm setting. This sigfifys that men aren’t always ruthless and can behave in a passive way which proves the stereotype wrong. From this the audiencee can see that men and women can have a conversation not only on a civil level, but as friends. Whilst there is non-deegetic sound there is also diegetic sound present as the actors are speaking. This is important as it shows us that people can get their emotions across without kicking and screaming even though he isn’t actually there. The audience is lead to believe that there relationship was important to them both as through conversation it’s obvious there’s a mutual respect.

The main source of editing is shot-reverse-shot from the doctor to rose, and soon and so forth, it’s representing how close they are and that the conversation isjust between the two of them. The Doctor is then the one who breaks this closeness by looking at rose’s family instead of her, creating an eye line match. The fact that it was him who looked away instead of her can be seen in different ways,for example either the stereotypical view of men that they are in control- thedoctor is in control in this conversation- or it can be seen that he is in factweak and can’t hold the gaze with her and has to look away. The eye line match brings rose and the audience back to reality, by seeing the family we realise thatit’s not just the two of them and that feeling like the rest of the world doesn’t affect them is now shattered by seeing these three other people.