Representation Of Age: Assessment Point

This extract constructs representations of differing age groups.At the very beginning of the extract a representation of middle-age is constructed through the character of the strict teacher.

 This representation is that of middle-age as possessing authority and power, with the character having control over other characters who are both teenaged and young adult.A sense of enigma is created on this character's first appearance as we see a tracking shot of feet walking through tables from a low level. The absence of non-diegetic sound allows us to focus clearly on the noise of the character's footsteps. A cut to two teenage boys clearly shows them as behaving in a suspicious manner before we cut back to the feet steadily approaching. This juxtaposition constructs meaning for the audience as it becomes clear that the boys are keen to hide from the approaching adult, suggesting that he has authority over them. 

A series of quick cuts adds pace to the scene before we see the middle aged teacher's face for the first time in close-up. The use of a close-up allows us to see an expression that has connotations of enjoyment as he passes judgement over the boys. He puts the boys under pressure by asking where they were as everyone else was 'suffering the screening'. This dialogue, an aspect of diegetic sound, helps to further construct his character as being a somewhat disillusioned and cynical representation of middle age. The composition of the shot where he questions the boys gives him power as he is anchored in the center of the shot with the boys either side of him.His character is developed through his use of sarcasm in the delivery of lines of dialogue such as when he finishes the first boy's sentence by saying 'holding his hair..' The actor's tone of voice, an element of mise en scene, is patronizing and this character is developing into a very negative representation of his age group. 

His use of non-verbal commands, such as the clicking of fingers, and commands using the imperative tense, 'Give it!', ensure that the audience are aware of his authority, a fact supported through the character's costume with his suit, shirt and tie having connotations of power. Further interactions between the character and a young adult teacher reinforce his representation as middle aged authority.

A different representation of middle age can be seen at the end of the extract through the character of the maths teacher. the maths teacher is the complete opposite to the older teacher simply because he cares what the others think about him and seems to have no control over the students to the point of taking ideas of them. you get the feeling that he is different to the other teacher from the long shot of him  dressed as a teenager which then makes it clear that it wasn't his ideas when he asked a girl student "are they meant to be like that".

 Non-diegetic sound was used when the maths teacher was first seen in his teenage costume which was like a music that teenagers listen to which gives us the impression that he is not a strict teacher towards the students and might sometimes act like them which then means they can behave anyhow they want towards him because of the way mise-en-scene is used and this was shown-ed when two female students started to laugh at him and making fun of the way he dressed because there fear from him is insignificant.

The maths teacher is a teacher that fancies a female teacher and he tends to look cool in front of her so she can feel the same way and this is what leaded him to taking advise from a student to impress the female teacher and it was showed that he really wants to be with her from the tracking shot of him following the teacher but turns out to be him making a fool of himself in-front of her when she told him that he looks ridiculous, it wasn't just the maths teacher that thinks he looks ridiculous when the janitor come to the scene saying "you cannot go to classroom dress like that", the maths teacher then get the idea that he is making a fool of himself.