How is gender represented in Doctor Who?

Throughout the television industry, gender is stereotypically portrayed as women being inferior and vulnerable to the superior, dominant male sex. Yet, within this 'Doctor Who' clip, not all of the characters conform to the stereotypes that they are commonly associated with.

The first character within the scene that the audience first see's is the Master. The scene begins with a shallow focus on him and the others in the background, highlighting him as a character conveying to the audience that he is the main concern. The shallow focus also creates a close-up shot of the Master, connoting his stern expression, suggesting that he is possibly the villain. As the Master walks around as he is waiting, the camera does a low angle shot from the bottom of the balcony/stairs too convey that we, as the audience, are looking at him. This connotes that he the dominant, superior character and we are all lower down than him.

As the second main character, Martha, enters the room, the camera uses an action match shot to match with what Martha is looking at which gives the impression that the viewer is also looking at the surroundings from her perspective as well. As soon as she has reached the bottom of the stairs, another low angle shot is used from behind her to show the audience that she has no other choice but to have to look up to him, which reflects the suggestion that he is looking down on her. The fact that he is looking down on her, this conveys that she is inferior to him and he is scowling down on her because she is a woman and is seen as metaphorically smaller than him. This conveys the idea that by him being as man, he has more power over her- fitting the original stereotype idea. here with her. Due to the shot being done from behind her, this makes the audience feel as though we are there with her as well.

As Martha continues to walk towards the camera, the camera does a jump cut to the Doctor trapped in the cage using a mid shot and holds this shot for a longer period of time than normal.By doing so it allows the audience too fully see the Doctors emotion, surroundings and what he is trapped inside- making the audience feel sympathetic for him. This also gives the impression that the Master is the one who has done this too him, still connoting the fact that he is the villain and the one with all the power.

When Martha reaches the Master, a low angle shot is used again, showing her point-of-view and how she has too look up to him and how he looks down to her. This, again, shows the gender stereotype that he has a dominant power over her and how she is vulnerable to him. 
Once the Master has demanded what he wants from her, as she obeys to his command, a high angle shot is used from the Masters perspective to make the audience feel his power and see his point-of-view on her. This also allows a mid-shot on Martha, showing the audience her costume, surroundings and emotion- conveying how she is reacting to his actions on her.

The camera does a straight cut to a mid shot of the Master using a low angle shot to, again, show Martha's perspective on him and how we, as the audience, should also look up to him and it also makes us feel belittled as well. The camera switches to a close-up of Martha's face, fully conveying her emotion to how she feels in her current situation. The strong look of some what an emotionless expression conveys vulnerability, objectiveness, dehumanization due to her being ordered to her knees.

As the master is setting his final commands and plans, the camera uses an over the shoulder shot on the master showing the audience the ticking countdown clock. By using an over the shoulder shot, it makes us feel as though we are following and following him and we are seeing Dhis point of view- involving the viewer(s). Once the camera has focused in the over the shoulder shot position, it goes into a shallow focus; concentrating on the ticking countdown clock. This adds tension, suspense and suspicion to the audience by us realizing that there's now a race against time. 

Whenever the Master is speaking aloud, his eye-line is directed downwards - towards Martha- which connotes that he sees her as lower than him and he feels like he should look down and speak down too her because she is not as powerful as him. This is done by using a low angle shot to fully convey that he is speaking down to her. This gives the impression that he fits the stereotype of the male gender having a superior dominance over women and that all women should be subservient to them. 

Another close up shot is used on Martha, showing the audience a full incite on her emotions, making the audience feel empathy for her due to the way that she is just treated like an object.

Due to the master always looking down when he speaks, the camera always uses a jump cut on a high angle show his perspective of how he looks down on everyone else. This leaves Martha and the doctor being show looking up towards him- being subservient to his dominance.

The camera does a long shot from the back of the room to show the audience the full set and everything that is happening within the scene and also everyone within it as well. This gives the audience a full view of the scene, fully understanding what's happening.
Whilst the Master and Martha have a conflicted conversation, the camera jump cuts to each character, making the conversation appear fast paced and more realistic. When doing so, the camera uses a close-up on both of the characters, fully conveying their emotion and reactions to one another. As they speak to each other, the use of their eye-line is extremely significant in this scene due to it showing the way in which they look at each other. Martha is constantly having to look up to him, showing that she doesn't have a choice due to him being stood higher up than her too fully convey that he has to power and she is worthless to him. Meanwhile, the Master has too look down to Martha, connoting that he has no respect for her because he's a man and is seen as better than her. This all conforms to the stereotypes that we often carry towards men and women.
Throughout the ongoing conversation, the camera jump cuts to the electronic countdown clock on the wall too add tension and urgency to the scene, reminding the audience that its a race against time.

Throughout this scene of Doctor Who, non-diagetic sound is used to show to the audience that it is currently happening to convey a more realistic feel too it. Dialogue is used throughout to fully convey the situation, and so that the audience can understand how the characters are all feeling, thinking and reacting. The way in which the Master speaks to Martha shows a forceful, strong and demanding tone showing that he has a sense of ownership and power over her and can order her with what she can and cant do. This conforms to the stereotype of males being dominant to women. When the Master is controlling Martha at the beginning of the scene, she does not speak. This shows that she does not have a choice in the matter and is just doing as he says- fitting the gender stereotype that women are subservient to men.
The other uses of non-diagetic sound that is useful throughout this scene are the sounds of walking, running and items dropping on the floor (such as the teleport device). This also adds a sense of realism to the scene as well.

Diagetic sound is used throughout the scene with the use of music. Different types of music is added in the clip to add different moods and atmospheres to that particular moment. The music used at the beginning of the scene when Martha is taken into the room adds a tense, eerie atmosphere to the moment. There is a continuous music in the scene too show that the tension and suspense never ends, yet, when Martha begins to confront the Master, the pitch of the music changes. This could connote that its a change/jolt in what would stereotypically happen because women aren't supposed to be the hero's- its normally the men.

Witihin this clip, the mise-en-scene plays a huge part in conveying fully to the audience what is happening wihtin the scene.
At the start of the scene, once the camera has done a low angle shot to show the Master's high status from the top of the balcony, we also see a blonde woman in a tight red dress. Throughout the scene, she does not seem to play any sort of role, other than too stand there and look pretty. This conforms to the gender steroetype of blonde women being seen as more attractive and desirebale to men. By her not actually playing a role in this scene, this can suggest that she is there to be the Masters male gaze. Her tight red satin dress and curled blonde her connotes a sexual preferrence to her, making her stand out as a sexual object. When she actually speaks by betraying the Master by contributing to saving the Doctor, this could suggest that she is also saving herself from him- freeing herself  from his ownership of her as his gaze.

When Martha is first brought into the room, she is escorted by 2 male guards, both dressed in the same etire as her, but holding large guns. This conveys that they have a large amount of power over her and have kept her as their prisoner. This could connote the fact that men are seen as the gender that holds the most power umong the women, so by them having guns and escorting her, shows that she is seen as vulnerable. This could also be suggested that Martha is a microcosm of women and how we are vulnerable.
Throughout the scene, the master is wearing a black suit with a white shiryt and black tie, showing his traditional formality of what a villan would wear. By him being dressed in a smart buissness suit could suggest that by his choice of costume, he is also being empowered by his clothing because it makes him appear more in control as well. Also, by him wearing a smart suit portrays the gender stereotype that men are all buissness men and wear suits all the time to assert their hierachy.

The costume that Martha wears conveys that she is quite masculine by wearing a sort of army outfit- an all black, all in one outfit with compartments for weapons and tools. This does not fit the stereotype of women being dressed up all of the time and appearing as flirtatious to the male gaze.

The doctor is clearly shown trapped within a metal cage and is in a more darkened light compared to the Master and his 'assistant' conveying that the Doctor, due to his appearance and encagement, is darkened because he is seen as nothing and not as important as him. Beacause of the bright white lighting on the Master and the blonde woman, this makes him stand out more as a power figure yet also, the lighting makes the blonde woman stand out more because of the light reflecting off her red dress- making the audience also 'gaze' at her and notice her just as much.

The lighting is continuous throughout the scene to show that the atmosphere is on going throughout. The bright white, simple lighting, on the top of where the master and his assistants are stood makes them stand out more to those down below and highlights them. There are also small blue lights running up his stairs leading to him; drawing the attention up to him. 

Editing is used throughout this clip to make the scenes flow and appear more enticing for the audience.
When Martha is recalling her memeory to tell the audienece and the Master about what she had done, a flashback scene is used. The audienece knows that it is a flashback due to the colour pallet of the shot being dulled to a darker tone to show that it is not currently happening. Whenever she recalls another flashback, the screen flashes white to convey that she is thinking again, showing that audience her memories and making us think along side her. Also, when she is speaking during her flashback, her voice is editted to sound echoed. This also helps the audienece to recognise that its a past memory.

Finally, computor generated effects (CGI) are used when the Doctor is transforming back into his origianal self. By using visual effects, it makes the audience believe in the fantasy, sci-fi  elements wihtin the drama.

Throughout this Doctor Who clip, gemger is presented rather stereotypically to begin with, by Martha appearing subservient, inferior and vulnerable to the stereotypically dominent, superior master. The blonde woman is there as a sexual object, drawing the audiences attention to her apperance whenever she is in the shot too keep them intreiged- conveying the idea of the male gaze. Yet, as the drama progresses, the stereotypes subside, by Martha sticking up for herself and helping to be the protaganist in saving the Doctor, and the male, who is suppossed to have the most power, ends up getting defeated.