Discuss the way in which the extract constructs the representation of gender using the following ways; • Camera shots, angles, movements and composition • Editing • Sound • Mise En Scene

In the opening of the extract there are contrasting representations of gender, we see an establishing shot of a JCB, as the camera gradually moves towards the machinery we see that it is a woman who is in control of such an angular, bulky piece of equipment this immediately would be seen as atypical representation of gender. We would normally associate a JCB with a builder or a man. While the female protagonist is controlling the machinery the male is on the floor, this could connote that at this point in the extract the woman is seen to be stronger and in control. In the background there is a tense diegetic soundtrack, this could be foreshadowing what’s to come or to create suspense. We see a man in in a pink top and scarf putting down a piece of meat. Him wearing pink could connote that he is a bit feminine this is because we automatically associate pink with women and his actions reinforce that assumption. The fact that the male on the ground is the first one to speak could convey that he is an important asset to the extract and what is follow.

As the roar of the sabre tooth is heard the male portrays a scared, tense look and decides to jump in the hole for protection, when doing this the camera is looking down on him, this connotes that he is feeling weak and vulnerable. When the sabre tooth comes running towards him trying to attack him from above the hole the camera is looking up at this vicious animal presenting a dominate character also we get it from the tigers point of view making the man look small and defenceless . The use of a shot reverse shot highlights the opposition between the male protagonist and the sabre tooth.  At this point the woman is still in the JCB and when she senses that her colleague is in danger decides to distract the tiger away from him. This conveys that they do not live up to their stereotypes as the man is shown as the weaker character and that woman is seen to be stronger. The diegetic dialogue has changed since the tiger made an appearance into the scene highlighting how tense the protagonist is when trying to fend the tiger away. However the roles are reversed and the male shows his masculinity by distracting the sabre tooth once more, this is contradicted though when he is seen running away and climbing up higher to get away from the tiger. When on the ground we get a bird’s eye view of his reaction when seeing the ladder. Two jump cuts accentuate Cutter’s preparation to slide down the zip wire; this could be seen as speedy and decisive. The shot reverse shot when the man is travelling down the zip wire shows his facial expressions as he is keeping a vigilante eye open for the tiger’s whereabouts and his next move.  As he is travelling the camera is following him down, this is called panning.  In spite of this when he lands he doesn’t land in a manly way; he almost falls to the ground and curls up in a ball. Once again the woman is portrayed through a long shot running into save her colleague. Not only this but the woman is always shown through long shots which connotes that she is aloof and distant, whereas the man is always shown through close ups. This allows the audience to connect to the man but they cannot connect as well as they can with the man. This reinforces the idea of the male protagonist not being a typical man as following from section one. Not only are men and woman portrayed through gender but the use of a cat is atypical because cats are associated with femininity, however this cat is shown to be the strongest, most overpowering character is this section.

As we move on further through the extract it seems as though the female protagonist is not as important as she was earlier on, as the extract continues with more traditional ideas of gender. The female is marginalized because it appears to have a male dominance; this is reinforced when she is positioned on the edge of our screens, whereas the men are positioned in the centre.  Another important factor in this scene is that the men get a lot more screen time which connotes that they have higher importance, this contradicts with previous parts of the extract, unlike Abby, the female protagonist who appears to get next to nothing. Abby dresses very masculine with her short, cropped hair and wears a leather jacket this is connoting that for a woman to appear strong they need to lose their femininity.

In the last section, the female promotes a more traditional stereotype.  Although at the start the woman and the man appear to be equal as they are at the same eye level, this is portrayed through an over the shoulder shot. However this is juxtaposed when the male gets out a gun and points it towards the female leaving her stunned and helpless. The diegetic dialogue appears to have sped up quite a bit this highlights the woman’s vulnerability and conveys that he is dominant at this point. This is reinforced when he grabs her and pulls her to the ground leaving her looking up at him; the slow motion is used to show the detail of the motions going on around in the scene and create tension.  The use of shot reverse shot when our protagonists appear into the scene highlights how close the woman was to being in serious danger. Abby is again appearing masculine by having a gun and pointing it towards the antagonist, although the man behind her in the pink picks up a shovel, this connotes femininity. In the final shot, Abby saves the day; however the last shot is on Cutter signifying that the audience notices the male perception of the situation, not the female’s point of view.