Hollyoaks

Episode: Thursday 3rd March
Extract: Brendan and Doug are discussing a coke deal, which involves Rae. Doug is unsure about including Rae but Brendan tells him he owes him to do this, so Doug has to agree. The scene then cuts to Mercedes talking to Lynsey about an article on women behaving like 'ladies'.


Camera
The camera pans in slowly towards the two characters as their discussion gets more intense. The camera angle then switches to an over the shoulder shot of Brendan close to Doug they talk, showing power of the character ,the intensity of their conversation, and the desperation of Brendan. During several over the shoulder shots between the two characters, it is made clear by the camera angle which is charge, as the camera points down slightly to look at Doug, an up when looking at Brendan. The camera then switches to mid shots as we realise that Doug has lost this debate, and Brendan gives him the bad of drugs. The camera then goes into an over the shoulder shot as Brendan reassures Doug. In contrast, the next scene has mostly over the shoulder shots, but at a further distance from the characters, as they are having a more light hearted chat. There are several closer ovs shots, but they still establish distance between Mercedes and Lynsey, showing that maybe they know each other less then Brendan and Doug, and in a less serious and business way.


Editing
The extract opens with a fade trasion between an establishing shot of the bar to Brendan and Doug in the office. Apart from that, the scenes use just quick cuts between characters talking and change of shots, even between the two scenes.


Sound
There is no non-diegetic sound throughout this whole sequence, to focus the audience's attention purely on the characters' dialogue. There is faint background of people talking in both scenes, in the office in the bar and the street.


Mise-en-scene
The location between both scenes is very contrasting, with Brendan and Doug talking in a quite office with no-one else present, showing secrecy, while the two girls having a conversation in the busy town centre. The costumes between the characters also differ, in scenes and between scenes. Brendan is wearing all black, suggesting he is a bad or shady character and a suit suggesting he is a business man, although the collar is undone at the top, hinting that now he is doing other kinds of business, rather than professional. Doug is wearing lighter colours, showing he is more innocent and a better person. Mercedes and Lynsey are both wearing coats and scarves, suggesting weather. The lighting also differs dramatically, with the office scene very dark, only seeming to be illuminated by one lamp, and the street scene obviously in natural daylight. The first scene suggests through lighting that this may be a dodgey deal, that the characters have something to hide.