How age is represented in the extract from Waterloo Road.
In this extract the older generation are shown to be more organised through their clothing, whereas the younger generation are shown to be untidy and chaotic. Immediately, in the first second of this clip a medium close up, low angle shot is shown of Mr Budgen walking steadily wearing brown shoes and grey slacks. Instantly, the costume choice hints towards the character being mature as he is smartly dressed. This clothing choice also hints towards the stereotype that the elderly are boring as the color choices of brown and grey are very bland and give the audience the impression of the elderly being insipid. The clip then shows two young boys, Finn and Josh both with their top buttons done up and their ties fashioned incorrectly. From this the audience will make the generalization that young people are unkempt in the way they dress themselves and are therefore immature. As well as this, the two boys are shown from a medium long shot which indicated that they are of less importance that their elder whose feet alone were shown at a close up angle. Furthermore, the young character of Kyle is similarly seen wearing his tie in the improper manner, as well as having his shirt buttons undone and wearing a non-uniform jacket. This further indicated towards the idea that young people are unable to act maturely and are sloppy with their appearance.
Secondly, this clips shows the older generation to have more authority, particularly over those who are younger than themselves. Evidence of this is when Mr Budgen clicks his finger and says "give it" in regards to the object the two boys are hiding. He says this with a stern look on his face which indicates the seriousness of his use of imperatives. The camera then pans down to show his hand held out and waiting to accept what the boys give him. The immediate pan down suggests that the elderly are so dominant that they receive someone to succumb to their demand immediately as Mr Budgen has only just said this when the camera pans down to his hand held out. and youth succumbing to order shows dominance. As well as this, in the first shot we see of Mr Budgen, a close up of his feet, diegetic sound of his slow footsteps can be heard which adds tension to the scene which therefore gives the impression that his is a dominating character with a lot of power. Additionally, when speaking to the young-adult teacher 'Miss Chaudry' he asks "You did take out insurance?" in a brash manner which indicates arrogance and confidence that he knows best. This is very stereotypical of the elderly, particularly males because they are seen to have more experience of the world because they have lived more years which leads to the idea that they are wiser. The fact that he says this towards a person working in the same profession as him suggests that his obvious older age gives him more influence, which suggests the importance of age regarding authoritative-ness rather than profession.
Whats more, the extract also shows age representing authority when the pupil Kyle Stack is talking to the 'Site Manager' and the older man says to him "go and finish that essay you're supposed to be doing", which Kyle responds to with a moan and the older man then says "no buts". The fact that he is telling him what to do indicates his superiority despite him only being the 'Site manager' thus suggesting to the audience that it is not the profession but his age which results in him having more dominion over Kyle. As well as this, when the imperatives are being used an over the shoulder, medium close up of him is shown as he speaks. This indicates that his words should be taken seriously and regarded as paramount, whereas Kyle's should not, as his face is not being shown. This shot belittles Kyle but magnifies the Site Manager's importance. On the other hand, the angel the shot is shown at is eye level which could have been chosen by editors as it makes the two characters appear to be the same height which therefore indicates a sense of understanding between the two people and age groups showing that the difference in age does not always have to be portrayed as something negative. Furthermore, the use of a high key natural light from a window behind the older man indicates that his authority is not carried out in a negative way, unlike Mr Budgen's, and instead done to enlighten Kyle and to try and encourage him in being a better person.
