Deconstruction of Hollyoaks: Camerwork, Editing And Sound.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=PFGs-KgunVw

This excerpt of popular TV drama 'Hollyoaks' begins with a series of shot-reverse shots, depicting close-ups of each face to demonstrate the terror each character feels. Whilst the editing at this point is fairly slow, a sense of momentum is still built by the way in which the frames are arranged. A dramatic background score adds to the already tense atmosphere of the opening clip. The audience is then presented with a number of two-shots to emphasize the unity of the characters involved; where as 'Niall' the villain of the drama is shot alone, perhaps indicating the independence of his actions. With little ambience in this scene, only the whimpering of endangered characters can be heard to emphasize the isolation of the situation.

The audience is next presented with a cut away shot of 'Tony' and 'Dom' running, as they approach the abandoned building. The contrast in ambience is clear; as sounds of birds and trees rustling reflect the on looking characters. The speed of editing is gradually increased at this point to create a building of tension. An over the shoulder shot of 'Niall' gives the audience a sense of involvement as the villain looks directly into the camera lens. To further emphasize the tension and pace of the scene, the orchestral background score is made louder as the action takes place.

As the characters of 'Jack' and 'Darren' burst into the building, an amplified sound of smashing glass is produced to emphasize the impact of the characters rescue attempt. A passage of frantic editing preludes the close up of a flashing detonator to increase the intensity of the action, the sound of shouting and screaming drown out any ambient noise at this moment. A match on action shot follows as the audience sees the immediate effect of the explosion; the explosion is shot a number of times from different angles to demonstrate different perspectives of all characters involved.