Peter Barnett

AS Media Assessment 2: MAP 1

In this assessment I have been looking at the drama ‘Mad Men’ and specifically how camera and mise en scene is used to portray the strengths of the two genders.

In the opening scene it shows Draper at a table in a bar as the waiter approaches, he asks him if he has a light for his cigarette. The camera then switches to a medium close up and shows the waiter lighting the cigarette for Draper, the fact that the waiter is lighting it for him shows the dominance that Draper has over the waiter. The waiter is black in ethnicity which links to the time and the racial issues that where a problem back then.

Shortly after, the next camera shot is a pan shot which is from Drapers Point of View. During the pan we see lots of men and a few women smoking at the bar which shows that men liked smoking in those days despite the health warnings whereas women where more aware of the harmful effects.

The next scene shows Draper in an apartment owned by Midge; a medium close up over the shoulder shot shows the dominance that Midge (who is the woman) has over Draper. This is strange as in those days’ men where always thought of as being the dominant and this shot shows the opposite of that.

There is a bird’s eye view shot that emphasises that the city is a large and busy place. It also could be a metaphor for them men working in the building showing power once again.

A Deep focus is used in the lift scene to show all the characters. The characters in the lift include 3 men and a woman, by what they say we can tell that the men are being rude towards the women. The deep focus allows us to see the men’s almost child like faces filled with humour and the disturbed and slightly angry look on the woman’s face.

There is a tracking shot showing the men leaving the lift and walking into the office where a woman interrupts and asks if the man inside is expecting them, they ignore the woman this shows how little power the women have over the men. In the office a businessman is on the phone to his wife. Three of his co-workers enter the room and are eager to show him what the have planned for his stag do. He tries to end the call quicker by complimenting his wife and tries to make it seem like his stag do is nothing for her to worry about. His co-workers show him a leaflet for a strip club, which the camera focuses in on with a shallow focus (close up) to make sure that the audience is looking at the main part of the scene. This then lets the audience know that he is not an innocent man that first impressions would make you think.

A track shot is used in the office scene, it follows two women walking through the building, and it shows the whole office floor and all the women that are working there. We can see that the women do not have there own personal office space instead they only have their own table in the middle of the open space. The

Peter Barnett

men on the other hand have their own private office rooms that no one can see into, showing how important men where thought to be at the time.

Another scene shows a over the shoulder low angle on the two women talking, this shows the dominance and power that Joan has over the new worker. Also in this scene there is a birds eye view POV shot od the new worker looking down on the typewriter which could be to show us that the woman wasn’t used to the equipment and that it is a bit alien to her.

The final scene shows Draper in his office and a close up of him opening a drawer full of clean shirts which shows us that he often has to quickly change his shirt when he gets to work because of what he has been up to the night before.