Media Language - Dropout

Media language is the way in which the meaning of a piece of media text is conveyed to the audience. One of the ways which media language works is to convey meaning through signs and symbols. I will be applying media language to my short film from last year, Dropout. Steve Neale states that genres are instances of repetition and difference. Dropout is a teen film created as part of my AS Media studies coursework. This short film tells the story of the dilemmas faced by a teenage boy as he wakes up for school. 

The film begins with various time-lapses in quick succession. These establishing shots of the clouds moving through the sky signify the passing of time and in the case of Ryan, the teenage boy, this could be the daily, inevitable stress and dread that comes with school. The final time-lapse shows the outside of a house in the early hours of the morning as one room suddenly lights up. This signifies the start of a new day and a continuation to the cycle of teenage stress. The screen then cuts to black and after a few seconds of darkness four individual shots appear at the each corner of the screen. These shots show the progression of Ryan getting ready for school, symbolising that this is a routine that happens on a regular basis. This sense of routine gives this scene a feeling of normality, which would comply with the first point of Todorov's Equilibrium Theory which states that every movie starts with a state of equilibrium. Propp also has a theory which says that there are seven main character types; the hero, the villain, the donor, the helper, the princess, the false hero and the dispatcher. The normality and the relatability of Ryan may create the impression of Ryan being the hero character type to the audience as he is doing everything that he is supposed to be doing on a school morning. The screen then cuts to black before showing a title. This break in the movie could be said to symbolise the end of the process of Ryan getting ready for school. The next shot then shows Ryan, fully dressed and walking, presumably making his way to school. This shot of Ryan walking transitions into four separate shots connected using graphic matching to show him continuously walking across the screen with a changing background. This shows the next leg of the process he endures on a daily basis. As Ryan approaches a gap in the trees, he turns and enters. This would not have been expected by the audience and could be a way of symbolising the unpredictability of teenagers. Ryan drops his schoolbag onto the ground and opens it to reveal several items of clothing. This clothing includes a bomber jacket, Doc Marten boots and jeans, similar to that of a punk or skinhead. As this is happening, some heavy rock music begins. This reinforces the impression of rebelliousness that would be associated with both a teen and a punk. As Ryan gets changed from his school uniform into his regular clothes the equilibrium discussed by Todorov is broken. This further complies with Todorov's theory as a whole as he goes on to state in his theory that every movie starts with a state of equilibrium, which is then disrupted before being restored. This would be an instance of Ryan going against his normal, daily routine and disrupting the equilibrium of the movie. This may create suspense and tension amongst the audience as the movie has taken an unpredictable turn and they can no longer predict what is going to happen. The heavy rock music continues as Ryan is seen leaving the cover of the trees and walking in a residential area. Ryan is seen to be wearing a hat which could potentially be interpreted in one of two ways, either it is a fashion statement used by Ryan to set himself out against the rest or it is a method of disguising himself, creating the impression that he knows what he is doing is wrong and doesn't want anyone to see. Ryan then walks down an alley way and stops. The camera pans around Ryan's shoulders to reveal another individual resting on the bonnet of a car. This person is dressed similarly to Ryan and this would create a link between the two. The audience may begin to assume friendship or association between the two. The two boys get into the car which Rudi, Ryan's friend was sitting on and they drive away, leaving the audience only able to guess where they are going. The rebellious Ryan at the end of the movie is in stark contrast to the Ryan shown at the start. This complies with Strauss' theory of binary opposites. 

Overall, there are a number of signs and symbols used in our movie that could be interpreted in a number of ways. From the fast-moving clouds in the sky, to the rock music played throughout. Narrative theory also applies to various aspects of this movie. Ryan could be viewed as both a hero and a villain in line with Propp's seven main character types and with Strauss' binary opposition theory. This coupled with the individual interpretations of each viewer would create a divide in the audience as some would be on the side of Ryan and agree with what he is doing, probably be a teenage viewer that relates with Ryan's views on school, and some would be opposed to what Ryan is doing, probably an older viewer with kids of their own.