Hollyoaks – Case Study 5.1
The episode I chose to study was aired on Tuesday 01 March 2011. The focus of this episode is a young character called Seth who has been rushed to hospital after having a bad reaction to some illegal steroids from his friend Gaz. Seth’s sister Jason (originally Jasmine) is trying to get Gaz to come clean about selling them to him but Gaz is concerned about loosing his job and going to prison again. Elsewhere Ste and Rae have planned a night in to have a curry and watch some movies. The section of this episode I have chosen to study starts at 11 minutes 57 seconds and ends at 15 minutes 19 seconds.
Camera
A good majority of the camera shots are close ups. The shots quickly cut between each character and their head and shoulders fill up a majority of the frame. Some midshots are used but it’s not often and mostly the camera is static. When Seth’s parents and older brother are talking to him they use low angle shots to make them look intimidating, almost the view that Seth would get from his hospital bed. When Jason tries to talk a slightly higher angle shot is used to show that they are not really interested in his/her opinion and they’re often quite rude in the dialogue towards him/her. The angle only changes when s/he stands up and voices his/her opinion. We also see Gaz through open blinds, making a barrier between him and the hospital room, this could foreshadow his fate. When we change to the ‘lighter’ scene with Ste and Rae the camera isn’t as static. It gently moves to the two of them cooking and talking and then moves with Ste as he walks around the frame. The camera continues to follow the characters as they move with barely any quick cuts. This could show that this storyline is a bit more relaxed and ‘lighter’. Close ups are started to use when the characters sit down to eat and start to talk, this allows the viewer to feel more involved with the characters and read their facial expressions more. I feel that the placement and shots of the camera in this short clip help the viewer to interpret the storyline more so. E.g. a smoother shot may make the viewer feel the mood is more smooth and relaxed.
Editing
I have mentioned a fair bit of the editing process in the paragraph above. A lot of the clips are put together to make really quick cuts and give a sense of pace. In the crucial ‘bridge’ between the two storylines there are a lot of very quick cuts between different characters faces and their facial expressions which then bridge into a really smooth shot which stays the same and follows both characters as they move around the frame. This allows the viewer to make a clear relation to the two storylines not being interlinked and the differing pace helps establish this too.
Sound
During the clip of the first storyline pure dialogue is used and the faint noise of people talking in the background ca be heard lightly; I’m unable to tell whether this is diegetic or non-diegetic. However, in the second storyline clip we can hear faint music playing in the background behind their dialogue. I get the impression that the music is non-diegetic because the volume increases as the characters go to sit down in the other room, it also stops suddenly when Ste’s phone goes off. The rest of this clip is pure dialogue.
Mise en Scène
The locations of the two storylines are the most immediate change notable I believe. Seth’s story is taking part in a bright and busy hospital and his actions are public to his family and a lot of other people, in contrast Ste’s story is happening in a small flat where the lights are quite dim and it’s just him and one other character. Ste is in a comfortable home environment where as Seth is in an unusual environment for him. Costume isn’t incredibly different apart from Seth is wearing a hospital gown; this does make him stand out amongst other characters though. Ste and Rae are wearing fairly neutral, warm colours which make their storyline seem far more relaxed and the props and surroundings are true to that as well, there are no incredibly unusual things that stand out. In Seth’s hospital room there are a lot of whites though and the lighting is rather harsh, causing a lot of shadow. The two scenes contrast in terms of the quick cut static shots and smooth shots and also with tone and volume of dialogue.
Good work Hannah. I like how you comment on the contrast throughout your work, and that you noted down the date of screening and timings of your extract. Thank you.
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