1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).
www: Very balanced, well argued response to Q3
EBI: A bit more specific detail about 'Chicken' or other films.
16/18 A
2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Write down the number of marks you achieved for the three questions: _/3; _/6; _/9. If you didn't achieve full marks in a question, write a bullet point on what you may have missed.
1) 3/3
2) 6/6
3) 7/9
> Chicken is a beautifully shot film featuring artistic cinematography. Such films should be
judged on artistic merit rather than profit margins.
3) For Question 2 on the promotion of Chicken, use the mark scheme to identify at least one strategy used to promote Chicken to an audience that you didn't mention in your answer and why it was used. The key lesson from this question was to make specific reference to the CSP in your answer.
Film festival circuit: exposes the film to people that it would appeal to (arthouse fans), building an audience. 4) Now look at Question 3. Using the mark scheme as a guide, write a paragraph arguing that it is NOT important for the British film industry to make social-realist films like Chicken and that it should concentrate on making bigger-budget movies funded by Hollywood studios. If your mark for this question was already top-level, revise David Hesmondhalgh's work on the cultural industries and try to build an aspect of his theory into your paragraph.
Hesmondhalgh describes the cultural industries as a "risky business", and so creating films that appeal to wider audiences will mean less risk and so higher profit. 5) Finally, cover the other side of the debate. Write a paragraph arguing that it IS important for the British film industry to make social-realist films like Chicken and that such films contribute strongly to the social and cultural influence of the industry. You may also consider how they should be funded here. Use the mark scheme to help you with this. Again, if your mark for question 3 was already top-level, use Hesmondhalgh's theory in your paragraph.
Hesmondhalgh's views commodification as creating problems for both the production and consumption of media products. It could be argued that there is danger in creating films exclusively for profit as it perpetuates the problem of certain companies getting underpaid, for example visual effects companies that get locked into an amount after bidding for jobs despite what happens in the actual production.
Brilliant cast
Modern Setting
Narrative will have you hooked
Doesn't represent everyone in London
2) In the Telegraph 'behind the scenes' article, what does the writer say about the London housing market?
It's continuing to increase. 3) What references can you find in these reviews and features to the idea Capital is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama? How does it capture modern-day London?
Capital is a snapshot of a property boom that no one can comprehend. “For better or worse the economy and therefore our lives – not only in London, although it’s exaggerated in London – is defined by property and our strange relationship to property,”
Trailer analysis Watch the trailer for Capital:
1) How does the drama use camerawork to capture London life?
The medium close ups of the many characters allow the viewer to connect with them and get a closer look into their diverse multitude of life styles in a short space of time. The camera also pans along when the characters are moving, as well as having hand-held movements in the chaotic or mysterious scenes. This encapsulates London life as quite busy and packed with individual stories. 2) How does the trailer use mise-en-scene to capture the family element of the drama?
The costume of the characters shows a diverse range of age, class and job whilst making the characters fit together in the familiar settings. 3) How does the trailer introduce narrative strands suggesting tension or enigma in the 40-second running time?
The suggestion of the post cards create enigma through how other characters refer to them as some sort of threat. They're a predominant focus of the trailer, connoting to the audience that this is a larger narrative arc that will be explored in the drama. There is also a bitter atmosphere between the husband and wife at times, suggesting tension. The policewoman is seen as joyous at the beginning of the trailer, however she's locked up by the end of it. This is also a narrative strand that creates enigma as the audience questions as to how and why she got locked up.
Watch the Episode 1 preview for Capital:
1) What does this preview clip suggest about the potential sub-genres for Capital?
Crime, Mystery 2) What elements of the clip might suggest this is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama?
It touches on issues such as Islamophobia and white privilege 3) Analyse the mise-en-scene in this clip. How does this provide realism and familiarity for audiences?
The familiar setting of the inside of a shop, including one character re-stocking, creates a sense that this is a lived in world.
4) What audience pleasures are provided by this scene?
The character archetypes in this scene may be characters the audience can relate to or sympathise with. 5) How is the audience positioned to respond to the different characters in this particular sequence?
The audience will empathise with the family due to the unsettling situation they're going through. Non-white audiences may also relate to the suggestion of white privilege and the struggles faced as a person of colour in London. Watch the Episode 2 preview for Capital:
1) How does this clip represent upper-middle-class family life?
They're presented as wealthy and privileged, as Roger is living in a massive house with a beautiful kitchen and can afford to hire a nanny. 2) What narrative strands are suggested in this sequence?
It's suggested that Roger hired somebody to help out around the house as his wife has left. 3) How is the audience positioned to respond to Roger Yount, the main character (banker and father to the two boys)?
The audience is positioned to dislike Roger due to him putting on a front for the nanny about caring a lot for his kids as he sings along with them. Representations: close-textual analysis Capital offers a range of fascinating representations - from London and asylum seekers to capitalism and inequality. You need to be able to confidently discuss these issues in the context of 2015 London - with reference to key scenes from episode 1. Representations include: London, family, gender, ethnicity, religion, immigration, asylum, inequality, wealth, capitalism, aging and more. 1) Write an analysis of the representations in each of the key scenes from episode 1 we studied in class: Scene 1: opening sequence 00:30 – 4.49
>Lighting creates enigma
>Sense of community w/ establishing ariel shot and introduction to characters.
>Issues regarding aging; presented as lonely. Flashbacks use high key lighting and brighter colours to communicate that the past was better. The flashback has no dialogue and 1960's music but life of old woman is communicated visually.
Scene 2: work in the City 6.28 – 8.10
>London presented as busy and not very fun. The souless and miserable underground is an unappealing journey to work.
> Sort of stereotypical in that regard
> Quick cuts = fast pace
> Workplace is huge, exaggerated high angle shots create sense of wealth and high profile
Scene 3: “Which of those isn’t absolutely essential?” 14.00 – 15.35
> Woman is subjected to male gaze > Typical gender roles; Man is breadwinner and wife spends it. > He sort of felt entitled to sex due to the bonus he predicts himself to earn > "You'd be surprised how little a million pounds covers these days" = issues of wealth Scene 4: asylum 18.03 – 19.42 AND 31.10 – 32.40
> Immigration, inequality
> Harassed by man who lets her work; misogyny and sexual exploitation
> Shows the corrupt side of London
Scene 5: “What use is 30 grand?” 36.40 – 39.00 Scene 6: life at the corner shop 40.10 – 42.55 You can choose which aspects to focus on for each scene: e.g. London, family, gender, ethnicity, religion, immigration, asylum, inequality, wealth, aging etc. 2) How does Capital use stereotypes? Do the characters and issues represented in Capital reinforce or subvert the stereotypes we typically see in the media?
The white middle class husband and wife are definitely complete stereotypes. They have it way too good. Industries and production context Capital was produced by independent production company Kudos for the BBC. Look at the Kudos website and also read the Kudos Wikipedia page. 1) Who is the parent company for Kudos?
Endemol Shine Group 2) What was the breakthrough show for Kudos in 2002?
Spooks 3) Watch the showreel on the Kudos website. What other TV dramas have Kudos produced? What awards have they won?
Broadchurch
Gunpowder
Tin Star
Troy
Humans
2013 Peabody Award for Broadchurch
2009 Broadcast Magazine Supplement, The Indies – peer poll Televisual Bulldog Award – Best Indie
2008 Televisual Bulldog Award – Best Indie
2007 Broadcast Magazine Supplement, The Indies – peer poll Broadcast Awards – Best Independent Production Company 4) What audience pleasures does the showreel suggest Kudos productions offer?
Gripping story lines and attachment to the cast and story.
Marketing and promotion Read the BBC Press Pack for Capital. 1) How does the programme information on page 3 make Capital sound interesting to audiences?
The mention of enigma and mystery is immediately interesting to an audience. 2) Why does the programme information mention the other shows that the director and producer have worked on?
In order to showcase that the director and producer are capable and critically acclaimed creators and so their new series won't disappoint. 3) Who commissioned Capital for BBC?
Charlotte Moore and Ben Stephenson
4) Read the interview with Toby Jones. What does he say about the character of Roger?
He’s become used to a certain way of
life and has a self-imposed pressure to live that way. He's used to spending money on expensive things and it's normal to him. He isn't an evil banker, he just has
no way of expressing that or even understanding it himself. 5) Read the interview with Adeel Akhtar (page 10). What does he suggest Capital says about the fictional Pepys Road and the sense of community (or lack of it) in London?
He says it’s an example of what is happening on a lot of roads in London and Britain. It looks at the idea of a community, and what it means to belong to the community from whatever
background you’re from.
6) Read the interview with Shabana Azmi (page 12). What does she say about Asian representations in Britain?
We are absorbing cultures and trying to understand them, and so there's an awareness of the mix of culture.
7) Read the interview with Peter Bowker (who adapted Capital - page 14). What are his favourite scenes in the drama and why?
Christmas morning where Roger has been abandoned and left to look after his two children and Kamals’ chaotic family meals as they're handled comedically yet gloriously. 8) Read the interview with Derek Wax, the Executive Producer for Kudos (page 16). Why did he produce Capital and what does it say about the way we live now?
Derek Wax produced Capital as it represents Britain in it's current state. He loved the book's sense of the big, expensive panorama of life as well as the small detail of human behaviour.
DVD packaging Look at the DVD packaging for Capital. There are many marketing techniques employed here. 1) How does the packaging use other critically acclaimed TV dramas to promote Capital?
It says "From the makers of Humans and Broadchurch" at the top. By using critically acclaimed dramas on the packaging, they can draw in the audiences of those shows. 2) What does the use of design and images suggest to the audience about the drama?
The arrangement of the different character portraits are boxed together like windows on a building, hinting at the expensive house prices of London being a central theme of the drama.
There is also a vast array of characters of different walks of life from diverse backgrounds united through the black silhouette, clearly meant to represent the capital city of London. 3) How are review quotes used on the cover and what do they suggest to the audience about sub-genre, narrative and audience pleasures?
The reviews can suggest mystery and display the series as a compelling drama that will hook you as an audience. 4) What representation of London does the DVD packaging offer?
A diverse and powerful city that many people would be grateful to live in.
1) What is serial television drama? Write your own definition.
A television drama series that has a set amount of episodes and a complete narrative resolution at the end of serialisation, so excluding one-off dramas.
2) List five of the TV dramas discussed in the history of the genre on page 1 of the factsheet. How has the genre evolved over time?
Most of these early studio dramas were filmed almost live in TV studios, with actors coming from theatre companies and performed after a week of rehearsals. Doctor Who started to implement more film sequences. Independent television drama companies were the first to record their dramas exclusively on film, which, while more expensive, were better quality and could be sold to foreign markets such as America: ABC’s The Avengers (1961-1969) Danger Man (1962-1968)
Most US TV dramas, until the early 1980s, used the story of the week formula, delivering narrative resolution at the end of the episode: Starsky and Hutch (1975-1979) The A-Team (1983-1987)
Stephen Bochco’s US police drama Hill Street Blues (1981-1987) changed the formula, focusing on an ensemble cast of characters, not just a single protagonist.
3) List the sub-genres of TV drama featured in the factsheet. Come up with your own example of an existing TV dramas to fit each category.
Police Procedural (crime): Luther
Medical: Casualty
Period (costume): Belle (2013)
Science-fiction/fantasy: Game of Thones
Family: Six Feet Under, (2001)
Teen: Skins
4) Why is setting so important for TV drama?
Having a central setting allows the story to focus on a communal location instead of one or two leading characters, meaning that you can replace characters without the show becoming convoluted or stale.
5) How do TV dramas typically use character? What audience pleasures can be linked to character in TV drama? (Hint: Uses & Gratifications theory!)
There are a large cast of characters in TV dramas and they usually function as archetypes; for example in the crime drama subgenre producers often deploy a maverick cop character. Minority characters are also starting to have a more frequent presence in order to reflect modern audiences. We can apply Blumler and Katz's uses and gratification's theory here, as it suggests audiences will seek out media that reflect their personal identity.
Characters go through arcs that develop their character in order to show growth and keep their character interesting. Blumler and Katz's uses and gratification's theory also suggests that audiences seek out personal relationships in media to find emotional interaction with characters. Having characters grow as the narrative develops, the audience will sympathise and relate to the character more.
6) What is a multi-strand narrative? Give an example of a TV drama that features a multi-strand narrative.
A multi-strand narrative is where a series has multiple smaller narratives that intertwine, showing multiple character's own storylines. An example of this is The Wire.
7) What is a cold opening?
A teaser at the beginning of a series that generates enigma or intrigue to hook an audience, usually before the title sequence or break.
8) How can Todorov's theory of equilibrium be applied to TV drama serials?
There is a narrative conflict that creates disequilibrium that aims to be resolved and restore equilibrium at the end of the episode or series.
9) What is the typical form for TV dramas and how are the programmes typically distributed to an audience?
In the UK, many serial dramas fill one-hour or a ‘commercial hour’ (about 50 minutes) and are presented on subscription cable channels.
10) How have subscription channels (such as HBO) and streaming services (such as Netflix and Amazon Prime) changed the form and content of TV dramas?
As audiences consume content in different ways, serial dramas become more diverse and targeted toward niche groups. Online programme makers are starting to create more shorter form content, so the 60 minute time slot seems is also beginning to diminish.
11) Choose a TV drama and do your own analysis of it using the SETTING / CHARACTERS / NARRATIVE / FORM headings as featured on page 3 of the factsheet.
SKINS (2007)
SETTING: A High school in Bristol CHARACTERS: Focuses on the lives of a cast of 16/17 year olds. The main character is Tony Stonem, and other characters with a large focus are Sid, Michelle and Cassie. NARRATIVE: Each episode usually focuses on one of the main cast's own conflicts, but the narrative is continuous and serialised as the character's arcs normally continue into other episodes. FORM: Channel 4, 45 minutes
12) How might the TV drama genre evolve in future?
The fact sheet states that there is pressure on the BBC to create more distinctive shows from what commercial channels have to offer, and so it's speculated that the BBC will be forced to produce shorter dramas and less crime shows. I believe that TV drama's will become shorter in length due to the online programmers using shorter forms to tell their stories. I also believe that different sub-genres will be explored to a greater extent in order to keep the genre from being stale to audiences. A/A* extension task: TV Drama v Film
Building on question 12 above, read this fascinating extended article comparing TV drama to film. It will also help to bridge the gap between our work on the film industry and our new topic of TV drama. Where do you stand on the debate? Is TV drama the key medium of storytelling or will cinema always be king?
In my opinion, the biggest difference between TV drama and films are the length of the two and, by extension, how much you can convey in your story. Films are contained stories that (usually) go through the stages of equilibrium and disequilibrium in a couple of hours, whereas TV dramas can draw out their narrative arcs and force the audience for wait until the end of a season, or even the end of a series, in order for a resolution.
The elitist mentality that cinema is above TV is silly to me, as it all comes down to your own individual preference for how you want to experience a story. The article talks about how cinema has a unique experience similar to a music composition due to the time limits of film, which I agree with, however audiences may simply prefer a grander story that spans longer.
