In an episode of 'Silent Witness' entitled "Terror", ethnicity is represented in different ways through camera shots, mise en scene, sounds and editing. I will be discussing the way in which this is done, and what the episode connotes in relation to ethnicity.
Camera Shots
One of the first camera shots we see is a close up of a woman pouring water and washing her hands and face. This signifies a religious aspect to her ethnicity, as we could see it as a representation of a religious cleansing ritual, which is a custom in Islam. There is also a mid-shot of the woman laying out a prayer mat, while wearing a headscarf - this confirms our idea that she is a Muslim woman. It is symbolic of submission and worship, allowing the audience to further understand the woman's ethnicity.
A long shot reveals to us a milkman stopping to deliver milk; traditionally an aspect of British culture, which gives us a sense of location. There is a mid-shot of a locker room, in which an all-white SWAT team are preparing for a break in. This shot connotes unity and equality among the force, whereas we only see one person from a Muslim background - representing isolation within that community.
Sounds
A lot of diegetic sound is used in this clip. For example, the sound of the water being poured conveys nature and peacefulness as a part of Islam, and emphasises her ethnicity, representing it as a key aspect of the episode. In the scene of the SWAT team's locker room, a man is heard cackling in a manic way as he walks out of shot. This sound stands out to us, and foreshadows danger later on, possibly a conflict between the two ethnicities that have been presented to us. We also hear the woman praying, further into the clip. This sound gives the clip a sombre tone, suggesting discipline being part of her ethnic background. As shots of the SWAT team preparing and receiving orders is being shown to us, the sound of the woman praying can be heard clearly, which shows a clear contrast between the tension within the SWAT team and the calmness that the Muslim woman is experiencing.
Mise En Scene
The woman's costume is a blue headscarf and dress. The colour is associated with depth and stability, and symbolises faith and wisdom. It has a calming effect on the viewers.
The SWAT team are dressed in a navy and black, as well as wearing gas masks, giving the impression that they are robotic; it creates a 'new race', as their faces are all covered, so we cannot actually see what their ethnicity's are. The gas masks support the idea of some kind of warfare between ethnicity's.
There is another contrast between the mise en scene of two different shots. The mid-shot of the SWAT locker room is lit with fluorescent white lighting, which is harsh, and again connotes tension and stress within the force. This contrasts with the warm, golden lighting in the Muslim woman's room that symbolises nature and serenity.
Editing
The edits in this clip are important in the representation of ethnicity. Firstly, the jump cuts from shots of the Muslim woman to shots of the SWAT team are juxtaposed in order to highlight the difference in culture. For example, shots of the woman praying cutting to a shot of the team assembling their weapons show a calm and aggressive nature, respectively. The jump cut to the SWAT team outside in the rain break the continuity of the shots of the Muslim woman in her room, emphasises the opposing moods established by each ethnicity - it also leads us to believe that the woman is some sort of threat, and therefore the SWAT team are after her. The shot of the woman clearly shows us her face, identifying her to the viewers, whereas the shots of the SWAT team have them wearing masks, which conceals their identities and therefore creates a bridge between them and the viewers, making it harder for the viewers to connect with them; the opposite is happening with the viewers' reaction to the Muslim woman.
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