"At the moment I live alone with my cat Pepples...never been married, never been kissed"
These
are some of the opening lines that we hear from Susan Boyle during
her pre-audition segment. The shows producers wishes to establish
that she doesn't work, lives alone with her cat and has never kissed
a man. This early segment is also accompanied by a music track that
whilst hard to describe I can only summarise as "bumbling"
- as if out of some slapstick comedy from the early 50's that sets
the tone immediately (when coupled with her introduction) that she is
a bit of a strange character. The oddball lady that lives at home
with her cat is of course a classic stereotype that I think they are
trying to lean into here. When she is introducing herself there is a
shot that is used here-
She
is seen to be standing awkwardly and smiling to herself in the
backstage area. An important shot that is used I think to distance
herself from anyone else. Nobody there is supporting her. And she is
stood awkwardly seemingly smiling at nothing in the room, with nobody
near her. The reality of course is that she may have been smiling to
someone across the room, and most contestants look nervous/awkward
before an audition as I learnt first-hand.
She
then proceeds to walk on stage doing a somewhat quirky walk- the
sound of audience members laughing and wolf-whistling (in a rude and
sarcastic gesture) can be heard throughout the entire audition before
she starts to sing. It's interesting to note that these sounds didn't
have to be included to a point because the shows producers can decide
the audio levels on certain things. It's inevitable in that live open
space that sound is going to be picked up from the audience but there
will be multiple audio recording devices in and around the
environment. As the judges start to ask her questions she is asked
where she comes from - to which she replies West Lothian. and seems
to stumble upon finding the term to describe it.
"It's
a collection of...it's a collection of...villages. Had to think
there"
This
was obviously selected and used because it fits perfectly in the
producers motive to make her come across as odd, and in this case
forgetful, and arguably stupid. Or at least they are trying to imply
that. The reality of course is this doesn't reflect her intelligence
at all. Many contestants will find themselves stumbling over basic
questions and forgetting things because it is such a high-pressured
environment. Stood up on a stage with TV judges , surrounded by
cameras, and stood in front of an audience of a couple thousand and
it's obvious that the situation can make anyone nervous. The editor
could of and probably has cut out such stumbles from other
contestant's audition footage but this was perfect for that they
needed.
This
segment features numerous judge-reaction shots.
When
she is asked how old she is- she replies for 47. The crowd is heard
reacting to it and the judges facial expressions are used throughout
the following segment as a reaction to the answers she is giving.
This is further reinforcing to the viewers of the show that by this
point the TV judges and the studio audience is very much against her
and has already judged her. By that sentiment- the producers of the
show naturally want the viewer to either side against her and judge
her based on what has been showed, or side with her in a way that the
viewer will want her to succeed against them. The following shot is
absolutely crucial and seems to have gained the most response from my
research on observing YouTube comments on the clip. When Susan is
asked what she wants to do she responds with "I am trying to be
a professional singer" to which immediately after there is a
very brief cut-away to a group of girls in the audience laughing- one
of which makes a very obvious eye-roll to Susan's suggestion.
This
was obviously selected to be used at that moment as an obvious
indication that the audience is against her and her dreams of
becoming a singer are somehow a very far-fetched notion and
unattainable in the viewers eyes. I find it interesting that there
was a camera pointing at these group of girls at that very time -
when cameras are going to be limited in how they can capture the
audience. I think there is arguably a reason behind why they are
young teenage girls as well- The majority of the viewers at home will
largely be young teenage girls- so therefore it is establishing a
group of figures in the audience, that the viewers at home can relate
to. It's also setting up perhaps the perfect contrast- young teenage
girls are the ones likely to be more concerned with image and looks
than anyone else, and it has to be said that these girls could be
defined as the typical "pretty" young girls that are
judging this 47-year old. The wider context could be read into of
course- that it represents but a slice of that argument of "image
vs personality" - because here we have the standard definition
of young and attractive- who are seen pre-judging the "ugly"
but themselves coming across as having a negative portrayal of their
personalities. The YouTube comments would seem to reflect that upon
viewing this very brief portion of clip - the girls become almost the
villains and are rather ironically pre-judged by the internet and tv
viewers alike for being horrible in their reaction.
"The
girl that rolled
her
eyes at Susan when Susan said she wanted to be a professional singer.
She should die -.-"
[Youtube,
2012]
There
are many many strong opinions through comments on any given Susan
Boyle clip related to this moment. I honestly believe that part of it
is almost out of guilt that we ourselves would not like to believe we
are so pre-judgemental in society, when as it shows so far that the
clip is constructed in a way that hopes we have that reaction. The
reality is- it's a small clip of a girl rolling her eyes which
judging by the audio from the crowd was by far not the worst reaction
Susan got. It's important to note that editing can always make things
seem a certain way when that clip may have in fact not been from that
audition at all- but from another one. The girl's reaction may not
have even been at that particular point in time, or even related to
that situation. The reaction that the girl seems to be getting is
absolutely on par with, and an absolutely brilliant companion piece
to the pre-judging of Susan Boyle. The viewers now on Susan's side-
deems and judges the girl who rolls her eyes as a villain-like figure
whose actions are seen as a reflection of a judgemental society in
itself.
Before
Susan begins to sing and the backing track kicks in- we are shown a
short and quick montage of the judges reactions and some of the
audience as a way to raise the suspense even further that the room
are expecting the singing to be dreadful and have already assumed it
would be. The pay-off then occurs- She begins to sing and the room
almost immediately begins to clap and cheer. Another quick montage is
then seen in the exact same fashion yet this time revealing the
excitement and utter surprise that Susan has come out with this
singing voice.
Reaction
shots- judge Amanda Holden is seen dropping her jaw in sudden
surprise.
It's
at this point that the shots used is clearly trying to convey the
sudden shift in opinion. Whereas previously members of the
audience were seen to be against her- here they are cheering wildly,
clapping and there is an atmosphere of the room changing from hostile
to supportive. An important shot that is used here is a sweeping shot
showing the audience members eventually all rising and clapping, the
standing ovations is naturally a fairly powerful image in which to
convey this audience support.
At
one point during the performance it cuts to a low-angle shot that is
positioned directly behind Susan as he is singing to the audience.
This
is quite a powerful shot- the figure of Boyle, the now performer-
against the backdrop of the studio audience who are now in standing
ovation. The low-angle perspective and wide angle could symbolise the
fact that Susan has now won over the audience and judges and is in a
sense "owning" the theatre now with her performance and
stage presence. This shot really sets her up as a "superstar"
image with just seeing her figure and the way she is standing on the
stage- This shot very much reminds me of the traditional shots that
you would see of some (now) "old-fashioned" female singers
of the past, like Vera Lynn.
Another
very important show is seen towards the end of Susan's performance,
where Simon Cowell is seen with a massive grin on his face. What this
does is it establishes that Cowell- who is known for being the
"nasty" judge with harsh opinions and a miserable outlook -
is now completely surprised and clearly happy at Boyle's performance.
This shows that Susan has overcome one of the greatest obstacles that
she had to face in her challenge and dream to be successful at this
stage. This could potentially have an impact on the viewing audience
as well- knowing that she has achieved this and seeing Cowell smiling
for what has to be one of the few rare occasions he is seen doing so.
Simon
Cowell, the "nasty" judge raises a smile.
At
the very end of the performance we see Susan getting the verdict from
the judges and the reaction from the crowd cheering- and a shot of
one woman visibly crying with joy. Throughout this segment a slow
instrumental of "I dreamed a dream" plays, a contrast to
the otherwise bumbling music that introduced Boyle. The music builds
up and hits a crescendo when she receives the verdict and reacts with
joy, an effect which is hard as a viewer not be prone to some
emotional reaction knowing the reaction she previously got, and her
now triumph over the challenges and hostile reactions.
The
actual song she sang should be noted- "I Dreamed a Dream"
which is not only a hard song to sing, naturally, but an absolutely
perfect song choice that symbolises Susan's story and the story of
anyone who wishes to dream and try and achieve something. Part of the
emotional resonance and reaction from the audience is in large part
due to the song and what it stands for in the wider context of anyone
who wishes to overcome challenges and reach their goals, but also the
immediate situation of Susan having to go against the judgement and
hostile reactions from the studio audience and the judges. The song
carries the emotional strings that tugs at the audience and makes an
impact along with the previous setup and establishment of her having
to overcome great odds. This clip in my opinion would not be anywhere
near as successful if it were not for this song choice.
In
conclusion what I think is that the editors and producers at BGT
should have a pat on the back and a pay rise, because for me It's a
case of it's not so much an incredible story as much as a finely
edited piece of television, that with the aid of social networking
and the internet in general- propelled it above average heights and
become nearly a social revolution and movement in itself. If I were
to be cynical, I would say that the actual devices used and the
construction of it is actually painfully obvious to me , and it's not
exactly subtle. As a piece of entertainment - I think it's brilliant
and the potential for making such an emotional connection to a TV
audience is really impressive. Brilliant singers that are
undiscovered and in their late 40's who don't have model-like looks
are to be found everywhere , but the message behind this one through
the power of a short piece of video is astounding and powerful.
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