Tuesday 7th January 2025
TV drama
L/O: to explore the content and format of the unit
do now
1). 2
2). 1 hour 30
3). genre- a category a film goes under
4).older British women and males - middle class
5). to inform , educate and entertain
component 2
1 hour 30 mins
60 marks
section A - TV crime and drama
section B - music videos
section A
question 1 - media language or representations
question 2 - media industries or audiences or media context
CRIME DRAMA
genre: a category a film / music piece can go under e.g action , romance
sub-genre : a category that is a subdivision of a larger genre e.g martial arts
hybrid genre: a combination that combines the conventions of two or more genres - sci-fi action , action adventure
-the responder -
narrative ;
he is a police officer
setting :
urban areas ,
characters :
male character , father - police officer - wants to do good in life
mise-en-scene :
use of props such as police cars , destroyed cars/ props
-happy valley-
narrative:
setting:
more rural areas , rundown areas
characters:
woman police officer - protagonist, sarcastic,
mise-en-scene:
police outfits,
-line of duty-
narrative:
starts of with a raiding mission to stop someone gone wrong
setting :
urban areas
characters:
male protagonist
mise-en-scene:
props of guns , walkie talkies , police outfits
key conventions in TV crime drama :
a fictionalised recreation of real life crime
a main protagonist who is rather a police of detective and intelligent and normal
iconography of police , guns , dark city streets
setting of police stations
suspense and mystery
low lighting used to create suspense/ tension
diegetic sound
narrative often starts with some crime that has been committed
usually an antagonist who is also intelligent and one step ahead
there are often clues throughout the series to keep us guessing
a lot of suspense throughout
a big continuous narrative that goes throughout the program / series
gritty realistic settings , dirty , dark etc
hand held camera work to make the audience look like they are there
the impact of these conventions is that it creates suspension and tension and enigmas ( questions) which keeps the audience guessing engaging them more within the series enforcing that they watch it more and stay up to date .
Friday 10th January 2025
TV Industry
do now
1). a combination of conventions between two genres
2). Luther, the Sweeney
3). dark lighting
4).iconography of police
5).tension and suspense
online streaming services and development in technology has changes the way we watch the TV and allow audiences to access more channels
some TV programmes today achieve the status of event television and gain massive audiences
digital technology has changed how we produce and circulate tv programmes as well as how we consume them
the wide variety means audiences are spread more thinly than in the past
audience loyalty to a particular channel has decreased in years
scheduling
watershed:the time of the day when television shows that may be unstable for children can be broadcasted
peak time: the time of the day when most people are watching TV
prime time: the time when the largest number of people are watching TV usually between 7-11 pm in UK usually Saturday night
public service broadcasting:
according to the OFCOM. " high-quality content made for as wide a range of audiences as possible, and for public benefit rather than purely commercial ends"
the BBC=PSB( funded by license fee)
ITV channel 4,5= commercial public broadcasters ( funded mainly though advertising) available to all who pay the license fee
OFCOM regulates TV including on demand and catch up services through the broadcasting code
BBC:
a public service broadcaster
funded by the license fee
paid by all uk households with a TV
the BBC mission is to act in the public interest , serving all audiences by providing impartial high-quality programs which inform educate and entertain
BBC has nine national TV channels regional tv programmes
BBC has worldwide broadcasts on the radio,TV and online
there is BBC America
TV audiences
before catch up services you could only watch the programme by the time it was broadcasted and have to miss the episode
therefor tv played an important part in peoples lives then it does now
now modern audiences today have more flexibility and families don't have to watch tv together as before.
binge watching - when u continuously watch a series/ show in one sitting. - you can escape and don't have to wait and are more involved in narrative
Tuesday 14th January 2025
the Sweeney
do now
1). usually solving a crime
2). Luther and The Sweeney
3).dark lighting
4).iconography of police
5). tension and suspense and enigma
the Sweeney - 1970's
produced by Euston films - film production of the Thames television ( group that held the ITV broadcast license in the London area)
the Sweeney was primarily filmed in west London which added to the realism
at the time the program used some new techniques which influenced the way some tv dramas have been produced
both main actors John Thaw and Dennis waterman became associated with police crime drama , showing the importance and influence of the Sweeney in development of genre
the show ran for three years and was broadcasted at 9pm on weekday evenings on ITV
the narrative was structured into three sections - around two add breaks
the Sweeney was seen as ground breaking and added new elements into the crime genre overall
the Sweeney includes elements of action and police procedural sub genre
the Sweeney was base on 'the flying squad' - metropolitan police involved in violent crimes and also involved in a big corruption case in which some of the officers where jailed for taking bribes
notes -
non diegetic music
creates suspense and makes the scene dramatic
diegetic sounds of crashes and running sounds
Mis en scene - police where wearing suits to emphasise power meanwhile the criminals are in like scruffy outfits
woman - girlfriends, wives , mothers - stereotypical representation of woman - patriarchy - woman are presented as weak and vulnerable in the Sweeney
main criminals - symbolised as intelligent , rich ,
action scenes- build up in music
there was no representation of other ethnicities other then white.
class structure- working class , upper class ,
Friday 17th January 2025
do now
1). west London
2). 9pm
3). the time where shows not suitable for children are on
4). more violence
5). Regan and carter
Luther 2010
produced by the BBC
written by Neil cross who has previously written shows like spooks
first series was aired on BBC one 9pm Tuesday 4th may 2010
also then available on I player
there have been 5 series and a Netflix movie
one of the many crimes that is names from the main protagonist , implying that the detective is strong and important .
there is a few sub-genres within this like mystery/ detective and physiological thriller.
Luther
- first introduction- made to look like Luther is the bad guy first through the use of the intense chase scenes.
includes gory scenes to add to the realism including lots of blood and dead people .
shows the process of being a detective once again creating a much more realistic ideal to the audience
use of camera movement makes it looks like the audience is moving along with them
use of city areas and basic offices
there is a use of pure silence in interrogation scenes to create tension and add to the suspense
however there is non diegetic sounds when Luther figures something out to add to a rise in suspense to the audience
- HOMEWORK-
how does scheduling impact TV crime drama and audiences
tv crime is scheduled within later on in the day usually past 9pm due to watershed , usually at that time children won't be watching so more mature content can be broadcasted to an older audience. this time is also usually peak Time within the day when there is a much larger audience so broadcasting it at this scheduled time makes it more popular. also when people most likely are binge watching tv and will be most likely to watch the crime TV drama. due to this scheduling tv crime drama tends to get high numbers of viewers and is quite popular.
1). an audiences response to crime drama might change overtime due to
2). the benefits of commercial broadcasting is that it promotes things to the audience and allows for breaks incase the audience has to do something , also commercial broadcasting makes a lot of profit and reaches for more advertisement
Tuesday 21st January 2025
do now-
1). john
2). BBC
3).9pm Tuesday
4).psychological thriller
5).start of with a high tension scene , movement shots , diegetic sound
props character functions
hero: leads the narrative , is usually looking for something
villain: has a conflict with the hero , trying to stop the hero
the donor: give the hero something , a clue weapon etc
the princess: usually a prize to the hero , if hero is female there can be a prize but it can be unusual
the helper: helps the hero complete their quest
the princess's father: authority figure often rewards the hero for completing their quest
the false hero: takes credit for the hero's actions and tries to marry the princess
the dispatcher: early role who sets the story/ quest in motion
Luther - hero ( he is solving the case )
villain ( alice)
princess( zoe)
Luther: Luther would fit into the role of the hero , he is the main protagonist and within the episode is solving the case which fits the description of the hero , he also drives the narrative and is looking for who committed the crime and how
alice: Alice would suit the description of the villain as she is in conflict with Luther and has committed the crime of killing her parents. she is mainly trying to stop Luther inn many ways like threatening his wife and himself which has qualities of the villain
Zoe: Zoe would be classified as the princess as she is like a reward for Luther and is threatened from the villain raging the hero more , she is Luther's reward
Friday 24th January 2025
genre and narrative
do now
1). 8
2).princess , helper , false hero
3). he can also be seen as a false hero sometimes - has obvious flaws and weaknesses
4). give the hero a clue or something helpful
5).Justin Ripley
theory : Steve Neale - genre - repetition and difference
genre is dominated by the repetition of codes and conventions - they have a 'system of expectations'(things the audience expect to be included)
genres change develop and vary over time
they borrow from and overlap with one another - this creates a hybrid .
the Sweeney
starts of with some sort of crime happening.
police , guns , car chases within the opening sequence.
Luther
starts of with a high action chase scene.
making us think Luther is the bad guy
adding elements from other genres
u.s.p - him being the first black detective
audience makes Luther redeemable to keep the audience on board
intro- elements of crime with police props
saw action
makes audience question his ethics / morals
editing has improved more to add realism
Luther shows developments compared to the Sweeney , there is more conventions from the thriller genre in Luther compared to the Sweeney - low lighting - non-diegetic noise , dramatic cross cutting
there is more reference to the horror genre in Luther
elements of police procedural but with an increased focus on psychology
the characters are far more complex and developed compared to The Sweeney , particularly female roles. real life developments in forensics are reflected in the show
filming and camera movements are more developed in Luther.
stock characters- typical characters you would find in particular genres; a convention of crime drama
luther is a maverick detective : brilliant detectives , can solve most crime and understand most clues others cant , however thry arent scared to break rules to catch the criminal also often damaged individuals who struggle in their personal life.
examples of Luther being a maverick detective:
in the investigation when he figure she's guilty because she doesn't yawn
analysing the evidence in the house
breaking into alice's house .
alice: the psychopathic killer - she pretends to be normal , capable of horrific crimes , enjoy playing mind games with the detective.
trys to play the victim
threatened zoe and Luther
mentally plays with Luther
alice- the femme fatal - a dangerous female character , uses her sexuality to exert power over male characters , a character more often seen in film noir
backstory : the pre title sequence summarises the previous case and explains why luther is in the ward at the start , also a continuing narrative arc throughout the series
inverted narrative , we know who the murderer is Luther knows that , we will assume luther will catch her but we dont know how , the duel between the two characters gives us the excitement
we know she did the crime but there isn't that normal sense of justice just personal satisfaction from Luther .
different narrative strands , neither the crime or his personal life are neatly resolved during the end of the first episode making us want to watch it more .
iconic signifiers , camera work and editing used to focus our attention on important clues.
homework-
no time to die-
1).
Tuesday 28th January 2025
Luther representation
do now :
1). codes and conventions
2). unique selling point
3).
4). typical characters you would expect in a movie
5). psychopathic killer , femme fatal,
representation: the way in which people , places , issues and events are portrayed in the media.
questions to think about representation:
is it a positive or negative representation
what evidence can i use to support my case
are there aspects which conform to traditional stereotypes in that area
John Luther:
aggressive - he shows stereotypical signs of aggression usually linked within men
he is also challenging going against rules but doing the right thing
constructed- he is shown to be intelligent and smart by figuring the case really quickly
and is shown to be aggressive through
how does his character subvert stereotypes - Luther is shown to be more emotional going against stereotypes of males he isn't also very mentally strong
he is an interesting representation of a black male in the twenty first century Britain
he is a successful senior police detective with a brilliant mind
he also uses questionable methods to get results
he is highly committed to his job - almost obsessive
highly regarded by his fellow officers
he reflects the contemporary notions of masculinity as he isn't completely control in his life and shows vulnerability
some stereotypical elements of masculinity shown through some physical force , lack of emotion with other men
complicated character who experiences anguish and passion and reacts with anger and violence but also pain and sadness
hegemonic masculinity - in western society the dominant form of masculinity was primarily seen as being - white , heterosexual , largely middle class males.
these ideals suggested a number of characteristics that men are encouraged to be or use.
these include violence and aggression , emotional restraint , courage , risk taking , competitiveness , success , athleticism.
in the opening scene - firstly represented as the bad guy chasing him , he is shown as aggressive and athletic when running and when interrogating he uses an aggressive tone
middle clip - aggression with physical force , doesn't show any pain , physical strength, risk taking
last clip ( aggression to Zoe) - he shows violence , aggression in his tone and physical force but challenges it because he shows his emotions openly
representation of women:
alice- a complex character , both antagonist and femme fatal , she has considerable power and agency as her actions drive the plot she displays many traits stereotypically associated with masculinity unemotional , highly intelligent , ruthless and violent
she subverts many female stereotypes.
Zoe- a less conventional character for crime drama , she is indicative of the social context of the programme Luther , she is powerful and independent shown through her being a lawyer , she also is the one who ends the relationship with Luther suggesting her strength.however she is still shown as needing Luthers protection from alice and her story involves love and relationships.
rose : women in authority in a male dominated sector , shows strength by believing in Luther , a working mother
Friday 31st January 2025
Luther representation
do now
1). hegemonic masculinity
2). stoicism , courage , physical strength
3). the way in which things are presented in a piece of media
4). him being alone in scenes
5). him being a black , emotional detective.
explain how Luther is a representation of hegemonic masculinity:
in the programme Luther the eponymous hero is represented of hegemonic masculinity, initially , in the opening scene Luther is represented as aggressive and a risk taker this can be seen through the use of high action chase scenes between Luther and henry. We see Luther taking major risks chasing him through an abandoned building.We can also see this through Luthers aggressive tone when interrogating henry emphasising Luther to have characteristics of hegemonic masculinity as he was willingly letting henry hang there to figure out the crime once again highlighting his risk taking.
furthermore Luther at the climax in the episode we can see hegemonic masculinity through how Luther is stoicism when alice and him encounter one another. Luther is shown to not show any emotion when alice is threatening him making him seem cold and carless
how far are the characters in Luther typical of the genre?
HOMEWORK-
Luther conforms to the system of expectations of TV crime drama by using codes and conventions such as
Including vast stereotypes from different genres or characters . For example Luther being the main male character has been presented very uniquely as he is shown to have a vast range of hegemonic masculinity traits such as being aggressive and athletic which is shown throughout the episode.
Tuesday 4th February 2025
industry and audience
do now-
1) alice morgan
2). risk taking , aggressive , stoicism
3). stoicism
4). rose teller
5). story named after the main character
production:
produced by BBC
shown on BBC1 offers a range of programme types and genres and aims to appeal to a very wide audience
BBC1 remit: to create a high proportion of original programmes and to reflect the diversity of the UK
important features of BBC drama include: talk ability , topicality and relevance to audiences , britishness and reflecting the diversity of life in Britain
2016-17: aimed to exhibit some or all the following high quality , original , challenging , innovative and engaging and it should nurture UK talent .
distribution:
broadcasted in may 2010 (BBC1 9pm Tuesday)
also available on i player ( catch up)
it was recommissioned following the first series
in 2012 following the success of the first two series BBC America ( co owned by BBC studios and AMC) started co - producing
Luther broadcast on BBC America : broadcasts a mixture of US and UK programmes
BBC America is part of BBC studios ( commercial arm of the BBC not funded by the uk license fee)
crime drama brings in a large part of BBC studios revenue and Luther has been distributed to many parts of Europe , Asia , Africa
audience appeal :
marketing of the series was important in reaching a range of audiences
a trailer was released on the BBC on the 16th April 2010
a longer preview was shown at the end of April showing the scene where Luther and Ripley meet
additional footage and behind the scenes stuff was released on the website giving exclusive insights
website
it contains features of:
clips
meet the characters page
episodes that the audience can watch
programme appeals
genre: crime genre is a popular genre and it includes familiar conventions , along with interesting hybridisation and unconventional elements
star appeal : Idris Elba is well known and popular. he is an attractive and potentially aspirational persona , appealing to both male and female viewers
narrative: the Morgan murders and the ongoing Madsen case are engaging for the episode and series. a female killer is unusual
representation: the range of complex male and female characters appeals to different audiences- either to identify with or to be intrigued with.
audience response
first episode has mixture of reviews but majority positive
the complex features could generate negative and positive results
some people could admire Luthers crime solving skills but may dislike the way he does it and his violent responses
might respond positively to alice and find her intelligent but respond negatively to her femme fatal
some people might agree that the ending reflects reality but some people might be disappointed by the lack of closure.
the Sweeney
characters from the series one where appealing - audiences could relate to them in many ways
police officers were shown as flawed and human although they still caught the criminals
(negative representation?)
modern audiences might respond positively to the retro feeling but negatively for the lack of diversity
audience response:
it was extremely successful
led to Euston developing more TV dramas and two spin off films
re runs have been broadcasted several times over the years.
can be seen to have influenced other police TV dramas.
Friday 7th February 2025
context
do now
1).high quality , original , engaging
2).BBC america
3).websites , trailers , previews , youtube channels
4). narrative and star appeal and genre
5). the lack of diversity.
changing viewing conditions :
one if the biggest changed in how we watch tv has been the introduction of streaming
when the Sweeney was on television there was no way to pause or re watch it - you had to be there when it was on.
programmes where shown on the same time once a week.
because of the long gaps between episodes they contained closed narratives - elements of the story wrapped up at the end.
this meant audiences didn't have to remember week to week what had happened if they missed an episode it wouldn't matter as there would be a new narrative each week
contemporary viewing conditions:
modern services such as BBC i player , where Luther is shown, allow audiences to watch on demand.
this has now changed the way we watch television , with viewers now able to binge-watch whole series at a time
digital technology means we can be anywhere to watch these programmes now.
all of this means we have open narratives now in crime drama.
parts of the story will unfold at different times and episodes now.
crime genres today tend to be more complex now with more complex character development compared to the 70's
contemporary audiences
have a greater knowledge and understanding
historical context:
1970's- The Sweeney
less gender equality - reflected in the structure of the police force ( example - entire show only one female police officer who isn't highly ranked)
Britain at the time was becoming more racially diverse then it had been but racial discrimination was very high at the time and minority ethnic groups where underrepresented in the media ( there was no ethnic people shown only white males and females)
The Sweeney was based on the real 'flying squad' which has been involved in a corruption scandal
(they tried to frame a guy)
1970's was a period of strikes shortages and economic scandals (. there was a lot of crime in the show)
contemporary context:
1980's: 90 female detective constables and up to 1400 male
2017: 30% of all police officers in England and wales where female
racial equality - Luther is the first black detective and the whole cast is diverse
London is represented as a cosmopolitan financial city
representation of gender :
The Sweeney -
it reflects 1970's values in relation to gender ,woman are underrepresented - women in the police force had a different ranking and couldn't have much authority.
however Luther shows woman to have a lot of authority and power and are shown to have some independence. but also show that they need some male attention and safety and are shown to be emotional
explain how crime dramas reflect the time in which they are made?
crime dramas are effected through the time in which they are made and have clear reflections of it.For example in the 1970's crime drama The Sweeney it is clearly reflected through the narrative where each episode is presented in a closed narrative due to the time and technology of when it was made. Each episode was presented to have the narrative finish by the end of the episode as it had to be shown once a week at the same time meaning people wouldn't have missed a lot of they weren't there
11/02/24
extract analysis
do now-
1). sound , camera work , M.E.S , editing
2).shot types , angles , movement
3). sounds that the characters can hear
4).cutting. between two clips happening simultaneously - cross cutting
5). framing : how a shot is composed , decisions made about where to place a subject into a frame
extract analysis - component two section A you will need to answer questions based on an extract from Luther
question one will ask you to analyse either media language or representation in an extract
part a - simple analysis question
part b - analyse and make a judgement
technical codes : camera shots , angles , movements , editing
audio codes : diegetic vs non-diegetic sound , dialogue , music and sound effects
visual codes :mise-en-scene , framing and composition lighting
questions to ask or think about when analysing :
what is being communicated?
what has been included?
has anything been deliberately ?
what are we ( the audience) being asked to focus ?
there was birds eye view looking down at henry making him look inferior
cross cutting : between the house and Luther chasing henry to emphasise the tension and drastic
extreme close up / shot reverse : to create tension and suspense
14/02/25
extract analysis : media language
do now -
1).camera work , sound , editing , MES
2).movement
3).sounds only the audience can hear
4).having the camera at the persons eye line usually to show expression
5). camera shot is at an angle
they used a lot of shot reverse shot when in the interrogation
Luther is more relaxed and calm but alice seems to be colder and more blunt
in the middle of the station the scenes are more quicker with non diegetic sound
Good notes so far.
ReplyDeleteHomework: a good start but unfinished. please complete