Typical Representation of Different Social Groups

Upper Class

In social society, Upper Class is the group of people that are represented as being on top of the social hierarchy. They have the jobs that require the greatest levels of skill and grant the highest rewards, and are generally the most respected. However, as much respect as they receive, they are mostly disliked by the middle and working classes because of their general attitudes which seem too greedy and seem to show little respect to those less fortunate. Because of this their class is mostly exiled from society, though this is mostly their decision.

Middle Class

Those in the Middle Class are considered to be in the middle of the social hierarchy. They have jobs which are more highly recognised than those of the working class but do not earn close to as much as someone in the Upper Class. For example, a supervisor to an IT firm would be considered a Middle Class job as it comes with a generally large salary and some level of respect. As a social group they are considered to be fortunate enough to have moderately expensive possessions in their home and on them while they travel, and would be expected to live in a relatively nice area.

Working Class

The class which a person belongs to is determined not only by the way in which they behave but also the skill requirements for their job. A working class individual is one which pursues a career in a low skill requirement job e.g. Bus Driver, Shop Assistant etc. Their earnings are also considerably lower than the other classes. They are represented to take less care of themselves and generally behave in a less classy way. For example, if a person is dressed in dirty clothing and they have poor table manners, the viewer would immediately assume they are lower class.

Analysing Skins

1)     1) In the opening scene we first see a character lying on a bed. Judging by the bed covers, we immediately assume he is a very sexually active teenager. It is also revealed to us that he takes care of himself and likes to look good. During his workout, music is played that would be stereotypical for teenagers to listen to. The stereotypical perception continues as we see a girl, Tony’s sister, walking home in a lot of makeup, smeared lipstick and revealing clothing. When we are introduced to the father, we immediately assume it is a middle class family, judging by his continuous need to swear. We see that Tony is not in a lower class family as his seemingly expensive stereo system is shown, as well as his high-end phone which lower class families may not have the purchasing power to buy. We are introduced to his friends via him talking to them on the phone, they too seem to follow the sexual lifestyle, especially as one of the friends he talks to is in bed with company. His friends to a decent amount of swearing as well, showing they are middle class families as well. The location is shown to us via following Tony’s journey to a destination where he invites his girlfriend and best friend, to plan to lose his friend’s virginity. The area seems middle classed also, and the fact that he uses public transportation adds to this effect.

2)      2) Skins shows realism in the way the characters communicate, and their relationships towards each other. However, the lifestyle they seem to lead, completely concentrating on their sex life, shows a lack of realism and is there purely for entertainment purposes. Realism is also shown throughout the episode in various sections, such as when Anwar’s mobile phone goes off in the mosque. This would be frowned upon in real life, as it is by his uncle. The storyline also shows some realism, such as when Sid is sent to buy drugs – something teenagers may be associated with. The quality of a dramatic sequence can depend on various things, ranging from sound to character interaction to editing techniques. Skins appears to get all of these right. Sound is used not only to set the mood via music, but also to build on the personality of the characters. For example, when Tony is singing at first we assume it’s non diegetic when in fact it is. Editing also plays a big part in the quality of skins. For example, when Tony is talking on the phone to multiple friends, the transitioning between the cuts seem smooth and practical which adds to the entertainment value.

TV Drama

Single Drama

My Zinc bed

My Zinc Bed is a 2008 TV Drama directed by Anthony Page and based on the stage play of the same name by David Hare. It was commissioned by the BBC and produced in association with HBO Films.

The one-off drama follows recovering alcoholic Paul Peplow who is sent to interview wealthy businessman Victor Quinn. Victor's obsession with addiction soon makes sense when Paul meets Victor's beautiful wife Elsa (Uma Thurman) – who reveals that she herself is a recovering alcoholic.

Drama Triology

The Beiderbecke Affair

The Beiderbecke Affair is a television series produced in the UK by ITV during 1985, written by Alan Plater, who wrote other dramas aswell such as Get Lost! The plot is initially unclear, moving from one seemingly unrelated event to another, all of which are eventually shown to be interconnected. However, the clever interplay between the characters is the main interest here. It is a character-led drama following the lives of the leading characters, and how they interact, rather than following the classic story structure.  

Drama Series

EastEnders

EastEnders is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985. It currently ranks as one of the most watched shows in the UK. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End of London. The series primarily centres around the residents of Albert Square, a Victorian square of terraced houses, and its neighbouring streets

Gregory Crewdson Image Review

The image is set in a forest at night, creating a hostile environment and making the person seem in danger. He appears to be digging up a number of boxes, searching for something - possibly treasure. He also seems to be wearing an unbuttoned shirt which suggests that he's been working vigorously. It is unclear why the boxes were buried in the forest and how this man is involved in the process.
Another perspective of the image could that he is trying to bury all of these boxes. This suggests that he's trying to get rid of his past so he can start fresh which leads the viewer to believe this man has done something that needs to be hidden from the rest of the world.

• Boxes Scattered accross the picture
• Trees are concealing most of the car
• Background appears to be foggy
• He seems to have been there for a while judging by the amount of dirt he dug up

In this image it appears that a family is having a dinner. Only the mother and possibly the son is there, which makes the viewed wonder where the father may be. However, the picture could be from the father's perspective. Even so, there are 4 chairs out meaning one person must be missing. The mood of the people eating seems rather cold as if they had an argument. The man is wearing clothes that would suggest he's been working, whereas the mother is wearing a cardigan. The house has an unusual layout where there are no doors and the kitchen's enterance is parallel with the dining room's enterance, allowing the viewer to see the whole scene.

• Two empty chairs
• There appears to be too much food for 2 people
• The image makes it seem as if there would be silence in the room
• The woman seems to be looking at the camera, suggesting the person is a family member.