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Updated by sabrina-higgs386 on Mar 09, 2016
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6 Times 'Redfern Now' showed us you should stand up for what you believe in.

Episode 4 of season one, ‘Stand Up’, proves it is important to stand up for what you believe in.

1

1.) Possible consequences

1.) Possible consequences

Joel is a young Indigenous boy who won a scholarship to attend a prestigious school called Clifton Grammar. On Joel’s third day he attended the assembly in which the whole school had to sing the national anthem. In this scene Joel (Aaron McGrath) is being told off for a second time for not singing. Since the English teacher Mr Parish couldn’t get through to him he asked an Indigenous teacher Mr Moore to talk to Joel. The indigenous teacher Mr Moore told Joel that he has never sung the anthem and that he just moves his mouth. The Australian National Anthem is a hard subject for Joel because he says, “It just doesn’t feel right”. A serious mood is set in this scene, the lighting is dark behind the Joel and the teachers and is light where they are standing. The camera is focused on Joel and the teachers.

2

With ones advice everything can change.

Joel’s dad Eddie (Marley Sharp) asks Joel what he is doing when you walks into his room and sees him on his computer. He told his dad that he was learning about Advance Australia Fair. He also mentioned that he has to stand up and sing it. Eddie said “But they only sing that thing at state of origin and what”. In this scene the camera is close up on Joel and Eddie (Marley Sharp) to show that they are having a conversation about the nation anthem. This conversation changed Joel’s perspective of the anthem.

3

Actions have consequences

In this scene the principal Mrs McCann (Gillian Jones) and the English teacher Mr Parish are walking around during the assembly to make sure everyone is singing. They both notice that Joel isn’t singing again. In this scene the camera is using a long shot so that you can see Mrs McCann and Mr Parish walking around and checking the students. The camera then goes into a close up of Joel at eye level to show that he isn’t singing the national anthem. The sound of Mrs McCann’s shoes on the floor, even though the students are signing and there is music in the background you can still hear her shoes. This technique is used to let the Joel know that what they say goes. I think that this scene shows that both Mr Parish and Mrs McCann have a large amount of power over the students and in some ways I think that they abuse Joel with this power because if it was any other student they wouldn’t threaten to take their education away from them just because of not singing the Anthem.

4

Bye Bye Joel

Joel and his parents are in Mrs McCann’s office with Mr Parish and Mr Moore. In this scene the school has had enough and have decided that it’s time to expel Joel. Joel’s mother Nic, and father Eddie, tries to plead with the school by coming up with ideas that Joel could do as an apology. When Mrs McCann says no Joel’s mum fights back, saying “But, but you can’t, expel my son for one song! You can’t, there has to be another way! Please don’t do this, this can’t be right”. In this scene the camera cuts between shots of different people’s faces that are sitting around the table quite quickly. The lighting is quite dark and there is a warm use of colour in the room. I think that this is used to make the Mrs McCann’s office feel warm and inviting because she’s a cold person inside and out. Nic (Ursula Yovich) is shocked and angry this lets the audience know that Joel is being done wrong by the school.

5

Never give up on what you believe in!

Joel is being escorted off of the school grounds by the principal. Joel and his parent’s think that what the school did was wrong and they want to capture Joel being escorted off the property so they get someone to take a photo for them and put it as an article in the newspaper. In this scene the camera is zoomed in on Joel (Aaron McGrath) as he is walking out of the school. The camera pans from Joel and Mrs McCann to Joel’s parents. Mrs McCann’s facial expressions show that she is clearly not happy about Joel trying to enter the school again.

6

Good things come to those who wait.

In this scene it shows that Joel has been told to come back to the school. It shows Joel standing at the door and the Mr Parish the English teacher turning to him and saying “Morning, Mornings Joel”, Joel replies with “Morning, Mornings Sir”. The whole class is shocked when they hear Joel’s name being said that they all turn at once to look at him. In the scene the lighting is dark in the classroom and bright behind Joel, which puts emphasis on the fact that Joel is back at school. The camera is in a long shot on Joel and Mr Parish and is close up on his classmates. The class’s facial expressions were key to show just how shocked they were by his return. Joel’s rights are restored when he is given the opportunity to learn again.