In Primeval a wide shot is used to show the blonde woman who is driving a digger truck. This is our first view of the swapping of gender identity. Constructive work that requires the use of diggers is usually associated with strong men, but the fact the she is driving the truck indicates that she had a strong gender identity that is more masculine.
A high angle shot is used as the man running from the sabre-tooth tiger comes closer runnign to the tree which makes him look very vulnerable. Shot reverse-shot is used when the chase between the sabre-tooth tiger and the man begins as he is climbing up the ladder and the tiger climbs on the tree. This increases the intensity of the chase scene.
A close up is used when he is in the tree to show the emotion on his face. He is fearful of the dangerous animal. There are many angles of him as he slides down the rope holding onto the tie to show the disorientation he feels.
An establishing shot shows that the scene has changed to the man digging with his hands in the hole. This ‘dirty work’ is more typical of a male character; it is almost a metaphor for him regaining his masculinity after being a damsel in distress type character being chased by a big scary monster.
Shot reverse shot is used again later in the extract when the farmer character is being pressured by the feminine lady when they are having a conversation. As the conversation gets more intense the shots become closer together.
In terms of editing, the chase scene is quite fast paced, which is an important device in creating an overall intensity for the scene and the escalating threat of the tiger.
Sharp cuts are used when the tiger is fighting the digger. This is to disorientate the viewer and create an effect of tension for the audience. The sabre-tooth tiger is the most obvious aspect of editing, as they do not exist in the modern day.
Another interesting use of editing in this extract is the slow motion part in the barn when the feminine lady is thrown onto the hay, this is an anxious moment for the character and it is effective to use slow motion to exaggerate everything happening in that one moment. She is very weak and vulnerable at this point, which is typical of a damsel in distress character in her situation which is more expected of females. By this point the Drama has portrayed both a female and male character as defenceless.
When the hand is discovered sharp soundtrack is used, to make it more shocking, this is non-diegetic sound. The soundtrack when the tiger is approaching uses bells. This is significant because it is like the chiming of a clock, which indicates the danger is getting closer; their time is running out, making them both vulnerable.
Sound effects used in the extract include the roaring of the tiger, the sound of the tie moving along the rope at speed and gun shots. Ambient sound is also used when the group has come together and they are figuring out the story and that the feminine lady has gone to the barn. This is also important for establishing a diegesis, and to make their location near the forest more credible.
A sound bridge is used to carry suspense to the next frame, and when the camera cuts to the subsequent shot, a crashing percussion sound is the climax of the soundtrack.
In the forest, natural light is used to enforce to outdoors atmosphere. In the barn scene some natural light is used, and there is low key lighting as it is quite dark. This lowers the tone of the scene and reinforces the lady’s vulnerability when she is thrown on the hay. She wears a dress which makes her seem more feminine, and once she is saved she seems more concerned about her coat than the fact that she could have been killed.
In contrast, the blonde woman wears black leather effect clothes which make her look more masculine, however her bright blonde hair makes her look feminine, her overall costume makes her look confident.
The farm man wore clothes typical of a farmer, dull clothes, which would be used to work in. The man who was being chased wore casual clothes, the sort of thing that a man would wear that he doesn’t mind getting dirty, but the neutral colours create conflict about his gender identity, because at one point he was vulnerable, and at another he was being masculine.
