1. How is disability represented in After Thomas?<br />The mise en scene shows that the mother and child are from middle class family of average wealth, we know this because of the clothes that they are wearing. The young boy is wearing a coat and scarf, as well as the mother is, suggesting that it is autumn or winter for a cold time in the year, this could be to show a meaning of a cold, dark time instead of a sunny, happy time like summer. They are represented as a normal family to create the sense of realism to the audience, this is so they can connect with the family values and understand the situation more. This also ties in with an edited cut that comes on saying ‘this is a true story’, the screen is white to connote the meaning of purity, truth and to believe the story, the text is centred black in the middle for people to be able to read clearly and see the contrast between the black and white. <br />The sound used in the background of the opening sequence is mysterious, loud music; you can hear screams coming from the young boy and also sounds of the traffic which suggests major danger is ahead of them. The sound is manipulated and magnified to made it seem louder and more scary for us audience to try and see from the woman’s point of view. This relates into the sound communicating with the mothers emotions as the sound is quite dangerous and scary which reflects on how the mother is feeling at that time. During the end of the traffic scene the sound brings an effect of it being sucked up as it slowly fades away as the boy is brought to safety. <br />A close up camera shot is used on the mother when she is trying to lift her son from the ground, this shot is used so you can see the distress in her face as she is trying everything she can to move her son. When the camera is brought this close to her face you can see scratches on her face which suggest that her son has done this in these shots or at another time whilst in the states that he seems to get himself into. Long shots are used when the mother and son are standing to cross the road from coming out of the shoe shop, this is to see them both standing there whilst the mother is trying to do her motherly duties by teaching her son to cross like any other mother would, this represents her as trying her hardest to still be a good normal mother. Whilst in the shoe shop an over the shoulder shot is used when the assistant is on the floor trying to put the son’s shoes on when he is acting aggressively trying anything to get out of the situation. This shot appears from over the assistants shoulder onto the mother and son so we can try and see this situation from her perspective, this makes the shop assistant be represented as a determined woman who does her job to the hardest no matter how hard the situation is and won’t give up and she doesn’t say anything about it. Unlike the woman and her daughter who are standing at the till waiting to be served, these are shown in a mid-shot so you can see the top of their body and their facial expressions easily, the woman tells her daughter not to look at the screaming boy and blames it on bad behaviour. This shows that the mother is being judgemental, snobby and looking down on the mother and son blaming it on bad parenting.<br />The camera pan’s when the mother and son begin to walk across the road; this is to follow their movement as if the audience are there following them. Before they cross a red bus rushes past them which could be a connotation for danger as red is usually symbolised as this. Also the speed of the bus makes it seem like things are going too fast and when the actual danger comes this is sped up into fast, action editing to grab the audience’s attention and make it seem more dramatic. Mainly the colours are dull as it’s a cold drowned out day, but whilst the action is going on in the road, bright lights appear from cars and vans driving towards them, this is to make the audience feel scared as the lights getting brighter means they’re getting closer and danger is creeping up.<br />