In the opening scene of this clip we are introduced to a calm, everyday atmosphere. We can see a white, male worker from the hotel going about his everyday business he is wearing a suit and looks presentable, this suggests to me, as a viewer, that he works with people who are customers and so therefore is not an illegal immigrant. A tracking shot is used to follow this character and focus on his movements and reactions. The steadicam filming then combines both the tracking shot and an over the shoulder shot. We, as an audience, are still focusing on the white male character when we see that two police officers come enter the same shot, as the policemen enter a firm base-like (non-diegetic) music begins to play to influence empathy being felt for the workers at the hotel. The director uses an over the shoulder shot to introduce the police officers, this shocks the audience because it is not something we were expecting from the shot.
When the young male character sees the policemen he is slightly nervous but tries to remain as calm as possible so he does not arouse suspicion. The audience already know that there are immigrants working in the hotel and so the director wanted the character to act this way in order to win over the audience. The male worker greets the police officers with 'Alright?' (diegetic dialogue) which is said to in a nervous tone of voice in order to involve the audience and create tension as well as dramatic irony- the audience will know why he is nervous.
When the young male character sees the policemen he is slightly nervous but tries to remain as calm as possible so he does not arouse suspicion. The audience already know that there are immigrants working in the hotel and so the director wanted the character to act this way in order to win over the audience. The male worker greets the police officers with 'Alright?' (diegetic dialogue) which is said to in a nervous tone of voice in order to involve the audience and create tension as well as dramatic irony- the audience will know why he is nervous.
The camera cuts from the white male character to the two police officers during a sound bridge of the policemen talking and the camera is positioned so that it is looking up at the policemen, this is so they are viewed as invading, disruptive and controlling. This scene is slow and based upon minimalistic dialogue so that the action takes place through rhythmical circumstances, the director does this to allow the audience to be enthralled within the tension. The audience understands that the hotel will be searched and that the action coming up will occur due to this. The scene then cross cuts to the front desk of the hotel, the music is still playing which suggests that this scene will link to scene prior. We at given an establishing of the hotel's reception and then camera zooms to another significant character: the receptionist.
As the camera zooms and focuses on the receptionist we can see that she is an attractive blonde, typical receptionist. By casting an actress to play this particular looking woman as the receptionist it could be implied to be an attempted avoidance of immediate suspicion with in the program as to whether of not there are immigrants working at the hotel. Because the receptionist is the first person other characters would see when they entered the building the employers need to make sure she does not arouse suspicion. She is busy doing her normal jobs when the camera cuts to the police walking through the door. We can still hear the music to suggest a threatening atmosphere. Whilst the receptionist speaks to the police the camera work is very smooth, this suggests she is controlled and maintaining the situation. The police man is portrayed through a forwards facing tracking shot and he also expresses little emotion, he is seen as unfeeling and merciless through his facial expressions and actions. This representation of the police contrast to the normal everyday protagonist view we usually hold for them, instead our understanding of the police in this drama is that they are antagonists who are cruel, hateful and insensitive.
We move to the back corridors of the hotel which are lit with minimalistic lights to suggest a working atmosphere which contrasts to the luxurious setting of the front desk. this communicates that the working class at the back of the hotel is not the part that should be on show, it should be hidden. This is because many of the workers at the hotel are immigrants and so they do not wish to be unveiled. We are tracking the previous white male and a new young dark gentleman through these back corridors. They are filmed using hand held camera to show that the situation is panicked and rushed. these two characters eventually reach an office belonging to a main character, Jackie. All the while the music has picked up in pace ever so slightly and this allows the audience to become more engrossed in what is happening.
We then track Jackie who enters the kitchen and other various work places with hand held camera filming. She speaks to her workers with minimalistic knowledge of the language of her employees. the pace of the music speeds up as she then rushes her illegal workers into a confined cupboard. When Jackie locks the door the tense music stops suddenly and she can hear synchronous sounds of the people inside the cupboard, they are sighing and speaking with an alarmed tone of voice. Jackie is then composed into the frame as she counts all of the people within the confined space. The confined space is used to suggest that the immigrants have very little escape and are treated like working animals who are hidden away from society.
The music suddenly starts again when the camera zooms into Jackie's face using a focus pull. This suggests to the audience that something is wrong. the scene cross cuts to Arahim when he is hovering a corridor. this scene is accompanied by the ambient synchronous sound of the hover. when location of Abrahim is revealed the scene returns to the immigrants in the cupboard. our focus is drawn to a woman in the centre who looks to be finding it hard to breath. Suddenly she falls and the music speeds up to a quick, tense pace. Our focus is then drawn to a new character who is dark of colour and has an African accent an thus he follows the expected stereo of an immigrant. our understanding of this unintelligent illegal worker is breached when he begins to care for the woman who has collapsed. He looks after her and then reveals that he was doctor before he left home. Our expectations of how immigrants are is turned by this clip because we realise that all of them had individual and meaningful lives before they entered the country.
We return back to Abrahim and a cliché, expected focus pull is used when the police spot him this relieves the audiences tensions because we realise that it is inevitable that someone was going to get captured. A panicked, unplanned hand held camera is used to suggest how manic Abrahim's arrests is.
Throughout the clip many perceptions of ethnicity are shown and many stereotypes are challenged by the characters appearance and actions. Some characters do, however, reinforce representation of stereotypical views.
As the camera zooms and focuses on the receptionist we can see that she is an attractive blonde, typical receptionist. By casting an actress to play this particular looking woman as the receptionist it could be implied to be an attempted avoidance of immediate suspicion with in the program as to whether of not there are immigrants working at the hotel. Because the receptionist is the first person other characters would see when they entered the building the employers need to make sure she does not arouse suspicion. She is busy doing her normal jobs when the camera cuts to the police walking through the door. We can still hear the music to suggest a threatening atmosphere. Whilst the receptionist speaks to the police the camera work is very smooth, this suggests she is controlled and maintaining the situation. The police man is portrayed through a forwards facing tracking shot and he also expresses little emotion, he is seen as unfeeling and merciless through his facial expressions and actions. This representation of the police contrast to the normal everyday protagonist view we usually hold for them, instead our understanding of the police in this drama is that they are antagonists who are cruel, hateful and insensitive.
We move to the back corridors of the hotel which are lit with minimalistic lights to suggest a working atmosphere which contrasts to the luxurious setting of the front desk. this communicates that the working class at the back of the hotel is not the part that should be on show, it should be hidden. This is because many of the workers at the hotel are immigrants and so they do not wish to be unveiled. We are tracking the previous white male and a new young dark gentleman through these back corridors. They are filmed using hand held camera to show that the situation is panicked and rushed. these two characters eventually reach an office belonging to a main character, Jackie. All the while the music has picked up in pace ever so slightly and this allows the audience to become more engrossed in what is happening.
We then track Jackie who enters the kitchen and other various work places with hand held camera filming. She speaks to her workers with minimalistic knowledge of the language of her employees. the pace of the music speeds up as she then rushes her illegal workers into a confined cupboard. When Jackie locks the door the tense music stops suddenly and she can hear synchronous sounds of the people inside the cupboard, they are sighing and speaking with an alarmed tone of voice. Jackie is then composed into the frame as she counts all of the people within the confined space. The confined space is used to suggest that the immigrants have very little escape and are treated like working animals who are hidden away from society.
The music suddenly starts again when the camera zooms into Jackie's face using a focus pull. This suggests to the audience that something is wrong. the scene cross cuts to Arahim when he is hovering a corridor. this scene is accompanied by the ambient synchronous sound of the hover. when location of Abrahim is revealed the scene returns to the immigrants in the cupboard. our focus is drawn to a woman in the centre who looks to be finding it hard to breath. Suddenly she falls and the music speeds up to a quick, tense pace. Our focus is then drawn to a new character who is dark of colour and has an African accent an thus he follows the expected stereo of an immigrant. our understanding of this unintelligent illegal worker is breached when he begins to care for the woman who has collapsed. He looks after her and then reveals that he was doctor before he left home. Our expectations of how immigrants are is turned by this clip because we realise that all of them had individual and meaningful lives before they entered the country.
We return back to Abrahim and a cliché, expected focus pull is used when the police spot him this relieves the audiences tensions because we realise that it is inevitable that someone was going to get captured. A panicked, unplanned hand held camera is used to suggest how manic Abrahim's arrests is.
Throughout the clip many perceptions of ethnicity are shown and many stereotypes are challenged by the characters appearance and actions. Some characters do, however, reinforce representation of stereotypical views.
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