Homework - Complete a textual analysis of the following clip to discuss how class is represented.

Class is shown in this clip through the use of camera shots, sound, Mise-en-scene and editing. The location and clothing that the characters wear also plays a big part in there class and status.

Class is related to money, job, where you live and social status. Stereotypically high class people live in big houses in posh areas, they have good, high paid jobs and are friends with other people like this.

My initial thoughts of this clip are that these people are supposed to be low class and living of of very little money. Family appears to be low on the fathers priorities although this appears to be a very big family. The prospect of family seems to mean a lot to the children. In the clip the main point of discussion for the characters is that they may be given a house in a will, the house house turn out to be a caravan.

Firstly I will look at how camera shots and angle can be used to represent class. As the man walks down the stairs the camera angle is very unsteady. Firstly this could be linked to the conversation happening in this point in the clip as they are talking about how the man was drunk and drugged up the night before and the unsteady camera represents his mind at this time. This camera shot could also be because the clip is about these poor people and the lack of steady filming with a tripod or equipment could be representing the low budget.
The next shot is an establishing shot from the fathers point of view. This shot shows the man's large family all cramped round a small table and also shows the messy low quality cramped house in which they are living.
The camera pans through all of the children's/teenagers faces showing there reaction to what there father is saying.
At 1 minute 3 seconds the camera cuts to the father doing the same thing a few times emphasising that at this point he doesn't seem to be of a sane mind.
The use of a medium long shot at 2 minutes 13 seconds shows the whole family, there clothes and there relaxed posture suggesting low class as people who are high class like to hold themselves quite upright. Also high class people would believe it inappropriate to be out side in their night clothes.
The height of the characters in the medium long shot shows who has authority in the family or at least suggests who is supposed to have the authority. All of the children at some point can bee seen looking up to the father implying that they look up to him but the disappointed look on their face tells the audience that he has perhaps let them down.
At 2 minutes 15 second When the man in the suit approaches them he is taller than everyone else. This and the fact he is wearing a suit implies that he is of a higher class than this family.

Next I will look at how the Mise-en-scene in the clip can also be shown to represent class. First of all the teenage sons have very short 'slap head' hair cuts which is quite stereotypical of people of a lower class. The clothes of the boys are also quite stereotypical, they are very informal and relaxed suggesting no jobs or urgency to be anywhere. Hoodies are often thought to be worn by low class people who are in gangs and cause trouble.
The house is very small and cramped and the walls are not painted. Their appears to be no order, rubbish everywhere and the family appears to be lacking a mother figure. The lack of care for the house and welfare of the family suggests that they are of a low class. There is beer cans and vodka all around the place with children present, beer is not usually a drink recognisably drunk by high class people such as wine and champagne would traditionally be.
The family is very big a typical convention of a low class family and there is a young girl probably of teenage years has a child.
The fathers appearance is quite rough and unwashed. He has long greasy looking hair and an unshaven appearance, this is not usually a typical look for high class business type people suggesting that these people are of a low class.
The teenagers are not wearing particularly fashionable clothing  as they may not be able to afford it or other things may be of more priority to this family.
The family don't talk very posh and use quite a lot of swear words when conversing with each other, this suggests low respect for each other and stereotypically suggests low class.
There house appears to be quite close to other houses which is not typical of high class people as they usually live in houses with a lot of space around them and are more private.

The editing in the clip can also be made to represent class. All of the eye line matches are made so that the children are looking up to the father showing how he has authority. His eye line does not often specifically look at anyone suggesting that he is avoiding eye contact suggesting that he has let them down. At  1 minute 3 seconds the camera makes strait cuts to the father as he has sort of a mad moment. This editing is emphasising his actions and adds to the feeling of insanity we get from him at this point.

Finally sound in the clip is made to represent class. Non-diegetic and a-synchronous sound in the clip includes the mood music and the faint sound of screaming, shouting and possibly the sound of sirens at 18 seconds. This is suggesting that they live in a close area so that you can hear people living around you and the area that they live in has trouble with the law, which is common with low class and money areas. The background music has comical tones suggesting that this family are an object of humour. This music is often played when the characters are laughing at or with their father.
Dietetic sounds and synchronous in the clip include things such as talking, the baby making noises, footsteps as the boy stands up. This is all emphasising what is going on in the clip for example as the boy stands up you can hear rustling which is emphasising that he is moving through rubbish and that the house is cramped.

Overall from watching the clip several times I would make the assumption that this family is of low class and struggles to live on what they do have. The children/teenagers all seem to look up to their father but give the impression that they are let down by him a lot. The aim of the writers of this clip was to give the impression of the lower class family but not to necessarily to create sympathy or empathy for them, but to show the audience the funny side of lower class living.

Stereotypes shown in the clip...

Low class:

Undereducated - in the clip the characters could fall under the stereotype of under educated as they do not use fancy language and there is no mention of education.

Lazy - the characters in this clip could be lazy as they don't actually do anything physically challenging in the clip and the house is a mess suggesting that the do not clean showing laziness.

Small housing (possibly council houses) - although there is no mention of the house being a council house it appears to be small with the number of occupants. 

Strong family bonds - in the clip family does appear to be important to the characters as they are talking about how they stayed because they want their father.

There appears to be no signs of the characters in the clip being hard working, exploited or manual labourers which are all stereotypes of the working class.

Middle class:

There is no signs that the family are church goers, own small businesses, careful with money or are well dressed which are stereotypes of the middle class. However they could be seen as a traditional family as they are all sitting round a table together. 

High class: 

There are no signs of the family being High paid, Snobby, Posh, Playing polo, Watching opera and ballet, having private education, dressing very smart, or having expensive possessions such as jewellery. However they can be seen as having two homes as the caravan could be classed as a home.

High status:

The father in the clip appears to have a higher status than the children as he had the power to lock them out. However they do speak down to there father lowering his status.