An Analysis of Age in Waterloo Road

Micro features are very important in the creation of a scene in TV drama and are used for many different reasons, especially when it comes to conveying a representational issue.   Sound can be used to demonstrate how a character feelsin a scene.   Mise-en-scene can be used to demonstrate a character’s identity.  Lighting can also give us an idea of how the character feels without the use of dialogue.   The use of different camera angles and movements can demonstrate to the audience the character’s motivation.   The director of the clip has presented age through the use of all of these features.

The establishing shot we have in the clip is a close up of someone's feet.   We can assume they are a man's due to their size and the design of the shoe, as they are more masculine than feminine.   Also, they are not black leather shoes, which is the typical uniform of school boys, so we can assume that the man is a teacher.   We see his shoes behind a number of chair legs.   He seems to be walking extremely slowly, which creates drama.   The movement is similar to that of something stalking it's prey.   Due to the fact we then cut to a mid-close up of two older school boys, we can assume that the man is "stalking" them.   The two boys are talking, and seem to have done something wrong as they discuss hiding a video camera.   We can tell that the video camera is important, since there is a cutaway of the camera on it's own in a close-up; we can see the camera is broken.   We cut back to a view of the man's shoes going towards the school boys (again in a stalking manner) and they jump apart as he coughs.   There is a quick montage of inserts as we watch the boys jump around and put things in pockets from a variety of angles and shot types.   This makes the boys seem suspicious- we know that they have done something anyway, but in this way we see them seem even more guilty as they try to hide it.   Although we could assume that we are meant to be feeling pity for the teacher, the way the teacher reacts to the boys suggests other ways.   The earlier prey-like walking is now also added to by the tone that the teacher takes as he towers over the boys, slightly taller than both.   The teacher is also particularly patronising in the way he slightly moves his head down to talk to one of the boys, as if he has to physically lower himself to be able to talk to the boy.   This is a strong representation of age in the clip; it represents the older generation as being overly critical of the younger one.   The teacher seems to be out to get them, which is unfair as that would mean he is being biased towards other students, which is not what teachers are supposed to.   He belittles the boys in the movements he makes, and due to the variety of mid-long shots and mid-shots we can see all these movements in close detail.   He is using his age against the boys, as he knows that others are much more likely to believe him than the two younger boys as he is the stereotypical "responsible adult" due to his position as teacher.   He makes one of the boys so embarrassed that he has to cover his face, which does not show a particularly kind type of teacher.

When the female teacher (Mrs Choudhry) comes over, we see the concept of age come in when she merely accepts that the teacher has already got a story out of the boys; she does not truly allow them to explain why.   However, the boys do not try to defend themselves either, which also shows a problem with age.   It could be seen that the boys find it easier to take the punishment despite what happened; teenage boys are stereotypically characterised as lazy. However, we could also see their lack of defence as a sign that the teacher, or teachers in general, will never believe them no matter what they say as since they are older they know best.   However, we also see age in the way that the male teacher belittles Mrs Choudhry like a child, asking that she "does have insurance?"; since he is an older male, he feels he has the right to speak this way to her as he is more important.   This further demonstrates this teacher as being a horrible man; due to his age, it could be seen as him being stereotypically bitter.   She even comments on the injustices later, complaining about the way the man spoke to her, demonstrating the injustices of people exerting their age over you, as well as their gender.

However, later on in the clip we see a difference in the way that age is represented.   A boy asks the site manager if he can help to fix one of the windows in the science block.   However, the man does not belittle the boy, but speaks to him as an equal.   This is represented through the eyeline shots we can see as the two speak; the over-the-shoulder shots demonstrate that they are speaking to each other with no chastisement.   This clip represents age as something that doesn't need to affect all relationships, as people can be mature whatever age, despite the fact that the boy stereotypically "slumps" off- his shoulders seem to hang forward in a caveman-like fashion and he seems heavy in his footsteps.

Further on, we see the similarities in age groups and how although people are older not a lot has changed.    An older man walks in to the sound of non-diegetic rap music.   This is typically music that younger people listen to.   Due to his age, and the fact two girls call him sir, we can assume he is a teacher.   The cameraman tilts the camera up so we can see the entirety of the man's outfit.   He is dressed in stereotypical clothes of teenagers, including the trousers pulled down so that you can see the male's underwear.   With the use of the sound and mise-en-scene combined, the teacher seems almost pathetic.   This is aided by the use of the girls laughter, that is heard first off-shot, as if they walked on laughing at him.   We can see his face after they left, and he's obviously embarrassed.   This highlights that even adults can be made to feel ridiculous, just as Mrs Choudhry was made to feel earlier for not having taken out insurance.   It also highlights that it doesn't matter the age of the people making fun of you or making you feel foolish just as it doesn't matter the age that you are when you get horrible comments- either way you are not made to feel happy.   This is further emphasised with the close-up reaction shot of Mrs Choudhry when she sees the teachers clothes, with a disgusted look on her face.   "You look ridiculous", she says, which further demonstrates the idea that younger people as well as people your own age can make you feel bad.   The whole scene is almost immature, as by the way the man ran after, it is reminiscent of a school playground, where a boy fancies a girl and will do anything to impress her.   This highlights that not a lot changes when you grow up.

The Waterloo Road clip's main comments on age are that it can be used as a weapon as well as not used at all, as well as the fact that despite all stereotypes not a lot changes when you grow up.   We see an older man belittle children as well as another teacher who just so happens to be a woman which highlights how it can be used to hurt people.   We see the relationship of the site manager and the student who wants to help him- he talks as if the boy is his equal, which shows that age doesn't have to matter at all.   Finally, we see the male teacher trying to impress the woman we assume that he likes by dressing younger than himself.   He is then humiliated.   This demonstrates that you shouldn't have to change your age for someone to like you, and also that at any age people can make you feel bad.