Regional identity is constructed consistently throughout the extract to present and

reinforce the stereotypical binary opposite between those who live in the
city (intelligent, wealthy and impatient) and those who live in the
countryside (calm, quiet and slightly poor). This positions the audience to find
these stereotypes humorous, rather than offensive and challenging traditional
representations, in the vast binary difference between the character Doc Martin and
all of the local characters.
In the first scene, the establishing shot is of an outdated doctor's surgery, lacking
many of the modern items one would expect to see, this cultural
code immediately positions the audience to regard the countryside as 'behind' in
terms of technology and other advancements - this is a common stereotype of the
countryside. This use of a wide angle allows the audience to see the contrast
between the suit wearing Doc Martin (who represents the 'city') and the two boiler
suit wearing tradesmen (who represent the countryside). Doc Martin is positioned
higher in the frame, which could connote power and authority, whilst one of the
two workers appear lazy; he is seated, overweight and eating. The room appears
uncared for, it is lit using natural soft key lighting and through the use of mise-enscene we can see that there are boxes piled up.
A long angle shot is used in this opening scene of the extract and is held for a short
while to position the audience to regard the countryside as slow; this suggests that
a small amount of work gets completed as workmen are featured in this lengthy
shot. However, after the water starts spraying, the editing of the shots becomes
much faster paced and each one is much shorter. This is done to position the
audience to feel that a sense of urgency has arisen and that the mood of the scene
has changed due to a negative occurrence. However, the only character that reacts
accordingly to this occurrence is Doc Martin; this positions the audience to believe
that people from the city are assertive and understand the urgency of situations,
unlike the characters in this scene that are from the 'countryside'.

This first scene contains only a small amount of diegetic and non-diegetic sound. It
starts out with a small piece of 'fun' non-diegetic music that positions the audience
to feel as though the countryside is a happy and delightful place. However, this
music stops when the character Doc Martin enters the room; this positions the
audience to believe that this character is there to overpower the happiness with
seriousness, therefore implying that the city is monotonous and boring. When the
sense of urgency begins to be created, diegetic sound can be heard when a
telephone starts ringing; this positions the audience to feel stress as the sound is
unpleasant and demanding. To help build the urgency of this scene, a stray dog
enters the room, bringing the diegetic sound of barking. This barking sound
positions the audience to feel more stress and to build negative tension. The
characters that are from the 'countryside' in this scene fail to feel the stress that the
telephone and the barking create; this positions the audience to think that people
from the 'countryside' are submissive and slow.
Finally, this scene ends with a high angle shot of the dog barking with sinister nondiegetic music. This music suggests that the character Doc Martin is about to do
something violent and shocking to the dog; this positions the audience to believe
that people from the city are aggressive and possibly dangerous.
The second scene in the extract opens with two lengthy long angle shots that
track the character Doc Martin as he walks through the town with the dog to the
police station. The use of these protracted shots position the audience to think
that the 'countryside' is boring and slow as they suggest that it takes a long time to
travel from one place to the other. Through the use of mise en scene in these two
shots, we can see that there are no cars on the roads; this backs up the point that the
'countryside' is slow. Also, the use of mise en scene allows us to see that the locals
in the town are walking slowly, however, the character Doc Martin is walking
much faster and with more urgency; this positions the audience to understand the
binary difference between people of different regions as Doc Martin is from the
city. Fun and upbeat non-diegetic music is used throughout these two shots because
the mise en scene used to show the character Doc Martin walking the dog is
comical and abnormal; it is presented in this way to position the audience to see
the binary difference in seriousness between people from the city and those from
the 'countryside'.
After the character Doc Martin enters the police station, a tilt camera
movement presents how mise en scene is used to show the police officer
hoovering. This character's action is used to present how he is doing nothing of
importance despite his job, suggesting that crimes rarely occur in this town. This
positions the audience to believe that people from the 'countryside' are respectful
and abide by the law. Once the tilt movement is complete, a medium shot shows
how mise en scene is used to present the police officer, highlighting his gormless
facial features; this positions the audience to believe that the authority and 'law' in

the 'countryside' is weak and under-enforced as the police are presented to be

unintelligent and incoherent. Throughout the shot-reverse-shot conversation
between Doc Martin and the police officer, the 180-degree rule is used as Doc
Martin retains his position in the left of the frame and the police officer stays on
the right; this is used to position the audience to understand that the two characters
are equally important due to their jobs and their roles in society. At the end of the
short police station scene, the dog creates a melancholy diegetic sound after Doc
Martin leaves; this suggests that there will be some sort of relationship between the
two characters in the future.
After the police station scene, a 61 second oner presents how mise en scene is
used to show Doc Martin meeting and talking to an unknown female character; the
use of a oner positions the audience to believe that the 'countryside' is slow and
eventless. This oner opens with a long angle shot that presents the female character
standing by her car while Doc Martin approaches her. This long shot then
transitions into a medium angle shot then into a medium close-up shot that presents
how mise en scene is used to show how Doc Martin is much closer to the camera
than the female character; this positions the audience to believe that he is more
powerful, therefore suggesting that people from the city are more influential and
overpowering. This medium close-up then transitions into a medium angle shot of
the two characters evenly divided in the frame as they walk and talk. This medium
shot is retained throughout the remainder of the oner, this represents how nothing
changes or occurs in the 'countryside', therefore positioning the audience to believe
that it is accustomed and jejune.

Through the use of mise en scene in this oner, we can see that the woman has a
car; this positions the audience to suggest that she is not from the 'countryside' as
essentially none of the local characters are seen with cars, therefore proving that
the stereotypes representing the binary difference between people from the city and
those from the 'countryside' are existent as they are recognised by the
audience. Also, through the use of diegetic dialogue we can here that the woman's
accent sounds upper-class and posh; this backs up the point that the woman may
not be from the 'countryside' and positions the audience to believe that people from
the city are ostentatious and wealthy.

Mise en scene is also used in this oner to present the setting of the TV drama as
hills and cliffs can be seen in the background; this positions the audience to
understand that the characters are in the 'countryside', most likely beside the
sea. Non-diegetic sound is also used to present the setting of the TV drama as
seagulls and waves can be heard; this positions the audience to know that the
characters are definitely beside the sea. When the setting of this TV drama is
known by audience, they are able to understand the stereotypes that present a
binary difference between these characters and people from the city and they can
begin to associate them with the 'countryside'.
Through the use of mise en scene, local people can be seen doing nothing in the
background of this oner; this positions the audience to believe that there is no
serious work to be done in the 'countryside' and that people who live there are lazy
and lethargic. Finally, through the use of mise en scene we can see that the
character Doc Martin is wearing a watch but the female character is not; this
positions the audience to suggest that people from the 'countryside' are slow and
have no need to rush, therefore presenting a binary opposite as this slowness is not
seen in those from the city, instead they are seen to be busy and productive.
After the oner, a long angle establishing shot is used to present the character Doc
Martin as he walks past a school. Through the use of mise en scene, Doc Martin
appears to be occupying a small amount of the frame in this shot; this positions the
audience to suggest that Doc Martin is no longer the most powerful character as he
is in an environment that is different to the rest of the 'countryside' area in the way
that it is similar to the city as the school represents intelligence and productivity.
After this establishing shot, a medium angle shot presents Doc Martin glancing
into the school. Through the use of mise on scene in this shot, Doc Martin is
clearly presented to have noticed something as his facial features show that he is
confused. This medium angle shot is followed by a point-of-view medium angle
shot that presents a female character that Doc Martin is seeing in the school. This
character then turns and looks at Doc Martin and, through the use of mise en scene,
we can see that she is wearing an eyepatch and that her facial features are
presenting her to be scowling; this positions the audience to believe that the two
characters have some sort of negative past relation yet a comical aspect is still
retained. This point-of-view medium angle shot is then followed by a close-up
shot of Doc Martin as he stares at the woman, then a point-of-view close-up of the
woman turning away from Doc Martin. This short pattern of shots uses mise en
scene to present how Doc Martin and the female character have unsuccessfully met
before; also, the use of this mise en scene positions the audience to suggest that the
female character has negative feelings towards Doc Martin.

Through the use of mise en scene in this pattern of shots, we can see that both
characters are positioned on the right side of the frame; this positions the audience
to suggest that, although there is negative atmosphere between them, they may one
day have a positive relationship. This coincides with the binary difference in
regional identity between people from the city and those from the 'countryside' as
these two groups are shown to be getting along.
During this short school scene, non-diegetic sound is used to set the mood and
atmosphere between the two characters shown. This non-diegetic sound starts with
a bridge between the establishing long shot and the previous oner shot when fun,
light-hearted music is used; this positions the audience to see that Doc Martin
provides a comedic aspect as the binary difference between people from the city
and those from the 'countryside' makes it seem as though he does nor fit in in this
environment. When Doc Martin notices the female character inside the school, this
fun non-diegetic music decreases in tempo; this is done to position the audience to
feel a sense of tension and curiosity about who the female character is and how
their relationship will evolve.
The tension built up by the non-diegetic sound is instantaneously lost when an
older female character uses diegetic dialogue by shouting 'Martin' to Doc Martin.
By breaking the tension and suspense, the TV drama is returned to its original fun
and light-hearted mood that contains constant aspects that represent the binary
difference in regional identity between people from the city and those from the
'countryside'; these stereotypical aspects were not present during the short school
scene. Through the use of mise en scene in this short oner, we can see that the
older character is wearing ragged 'farmer' style clothing, we can see that the
woman has crops (suggesting that she is a farmer) and we can see the houses and
buildings in the background that are commonly found in a 'countryside' area; this
use of mise en scene positions the audience to understand the 'countryside' setting
of the TV drama and how it is binarily different to a city environment. Also,
this short oner opens with a long shot of Doc Martin walking over to help the
older woman which then transitions smoothly into a medium shot of them sorting
vegetables; the use of these lengthened eventless shots positions the audience to
understand how the 'countryside' is slow and monotonous.
Finally, the use of diegetic dialogue allows us to hear the older character being
presented as wise when she assumed that Doc Martin had previously had an
'unsuccessful' meeting with the woman as she stated that he was 'skulking'; this
coincides with the stereotypical binary difference between the regional identities of
people from the 'countryside' and those from the city as the latter are most
commonly seen as the intelligent ones.

After reflecting on the many stereotypes that are dependent on regional identity
displayed throughout this extract from the television drama Doc Martin, it can be
concluded that production companies of television programs and the media use
mise en scene, sound, editing techniques and camera angles to position their
audiences to see a binary difference between characters and settings in the city and
in the 'countryside'.
Reflection and target

Reflection - I could have included more technical terms and detail about the
editing techniques used throughout the extract.
Target - To analyse the use of cuts and other editing techniques in more
detail.