tv crime drama revision guide: media language

Revision Guide

Year 10 and 11

Exam Format

• You will be given an exam brief on MAY 14TH 2012

• You will then be given clues and hints as to what you will need to do for the exam.

• On JUNE 14TH you will sit your exam

Exam Format

• You will be asked Four Questions:• 2 Theory Questions• 1 Question which requires you to outline your

own ideas for a TV Crime Drama• 1 practical question

Theory Questions

• These could be anything from the following list, all of which we will cover in lessons:– Women’s roles in TV Crime Drama– Growth in Popularity of TV Crime Drama– Representation of Police – Codes and Conventions– History of the Genre

Key Concepts

• The duration of this course will focus on the following Key Concepts of Media (All of which you’ve touched on in your coursework)– Media Language– Representation– Audience– Institution

Media Language: What does that Mean?

• Narrative• Character Types• Settings• Style (camera work and editing; music; lighting

and colour; dialogue)

RepresentationYou will be looking to answer the following questions:• Does television crime drama offer us a realistic

portrayal of the work and life of crime fighters and if so how?

• How are women portrayed and what kinds of roles do they have?

• How are minority groups represented?• Is crime drama guilty of demonising sections of our

society or are there social groups who do not have a presence in crime drama at all and are invisible?

AudienceYou will be looking to answer the following questions:• Who watches television crime drama?• Why do audiences enjoy Television Crime Drama?• What kinds of viewing pleasures and experiences

does it offer?• What is the effect of Television Crime Drama on

audiences?• Why do audiences despise one character but love

another?

InstitutionsIn this section we look at the following issues:• Cost of TV Crime Drama Production• How do channels maintains viewers?• With the popularity of DVD how do producers

ensure that their TV Crime Drama becomes popular?

You Do...

• Name the Four Key Concepts

• What will we be looking at for Media Language?

Media Language

What are the Main Ingredients?• Angry Policemen• Shocked Suspect• Interview Room• Police trying to find the criminal• Close up camera shots on reactions• Serious Music• Dim Lighting• Law and Order Vs Crime

Narrative Theory• Todorov’s Theory

Basics• Equilibrium

• Disruption

• Recognition

• Attempt to Repair

• Reinstatement

Propp’s Narrative• The Hero• Heroine/Princess (usually truth/justice in this case)• Villain• Donor or Mentor• Helper• Sidekick

Binary Opposition• Levi Strauss• Story needs opposites• Good vs Evil etc...

You Do...

• Looking at a TV Crime Drama apply the theories we have gone through here.

• Where are the points of Todorov’s Narrative?• Who fulfills Propp’s character roles?• What are the Binary Oppositions?

Narrative Construction

• Opening Teaser Clues• Quest Conflict• Set Pieces Dramatic Irony• Suspense Resolution• Cliffhangers Enigma

What is an Enigma?

• Leaving gaps in the story

• Audience ask questions of the story

• Sets up riddles in the story

Identify the Narrative

• Look at the sheets you have in front of you, they have the outline of one episode of a TV Crime Drama. Using the coloured pencils on your desk label the different elements of the Narrative construction.

You Do...

• Using the knowledge acquired in this section design your own TV Crime Drama outline.

• Using the checklist from earlier pinpoint what you think would make a good TV Crime Drama.

Title Sequences in TV Crime Drama

Year 10 and 11

What are they for?

• Set the Scene• Highlight the characters• Give Pace• Set expectations

What to look for?

• Content• Types of Shots• Edits• Lighting• Titles• Music• Sound Effects

Exampleshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmQIxN3NA4U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5cxPgThEhY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WseRJMQf1U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p_i_baiPvc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESicykvHUyk

You Do

• Now that you have looked at a few examples you have a sheet to complete to analyse one you thought was the most like your own ideas.

• Once you have analysed the opening I want you to begin designing your own.

Character Types

• There are at least 12 varieties of characters in TV Crime Drama. With this in Mind we need to take a look at the varieties.

The Hero Cop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_GVwHs-v_o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn6QNQGJxJo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL_QHpPVirQ

Heroine Cop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkomFWwg7k8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuJt7mF_Jzo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCy6mrGBFLk

Anti Hero

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6_qsTCBns8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ut8WUrncQ

Quirky Detectives

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tddaAfV4iM

Bad Tempered but Brilliant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUjMs1JrhJM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92AdDTtVpec

Rookie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs3NdRK94BI

Buddy Partners

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SS3b9coJ2M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hCrZVX2qPw

Grumpy, world weary superior officers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYeNuCTf_PE

Forensic Scientists

Psychologists/Helpers

FBI Agents

Lawyers

Informants

Eponymous Heroes

• These are heroes that the TV programmes are named after. It can be a singular person or a duo.

Ensemble Dramas

• This is where there are more than two detectives or characters that interact with each other and who are equally important to the storyline.

You Do...

• You will need to consider how your cast are going to be put together.

• What type of Protagonist will you have?• Will you have an Eponymous Hero or will you

have an Ensemble cast?• Make a decision

Settings

• What are your expectations for the settings for TV Crime Drama? Think about what you expect to see.

• These are conventions

Fictional Locations

You Do...

• The setting of a TV Drama is just as important as the characters. You will need to choose your own location.– You will need to think carefully and do your

research. – Think about crime rates, the types of crimes in

that location. – The types of characters who would live there.

Style

This is about the look and sound of the programme, the feel of it. The way the camera moves, scenes are staged and cut, the mood of the music and the dialogue. The setting can also play a part in the style.

Inner City

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7dKgKu02zQ

Inner City• Shaky hand held camera work: Gives a documentary

feel• Fast Editing• Slick dialogue; street slang• Urgent contemporary music• Grey colours and dark lighting to reflect the grim

city life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvEK-eKmWgI

Rural Settings

• Panning Shots to show the beauty of the landscape

• Slow editing• Rich colours and warm lighting• Polite dialogue of the middle class village

dwellers• Scored with orchestral music

Mise En Scene

• Costume• Setting• Lighting• Acting• Props• Analyse the following still to give an idea of what

they are trying to tell you about the programme

Additional Elements to Consider

• SFX

• Realism

• Authenticity: Where are the stories taken from?

You Do...

Based on the list you have on your desk divide the TV Crime Dramas up into Realistic and unrealistic.

What leads you to these decisions?

Themes

• GOOD v EVIL• RIGHT v WRONG• ORDER v DISORDER

When these lines are blurred it becomes known as Moral Ambiguity.

Into the Lives of the Officers

• There are additional themes which then arise from our involvement in the lives of the Police offers these are:

• FREEDOM v SOCIETY• INDIVIDUAL v INSTITUTION

• CAREER v FAMILY

Sub Genres• Police Procedural : The Bill; NYPD Blue; Southland• Police Detective: Inspector Morse; Lewis; Zen;

Touch of Frost• Private Detectives: The Rockford Files; Shoestring• Legal: Law and Order; Criminal Justice• Medical/Forensics: CSI; Silent Witness; Sherlock• Military: NCIS and JAG• Cosy Mysteries: Miss Marple; Rosemary and

Thyme; Midsomer Murders.

Hybrids• Thriller/Action Adventure: 24• Hospital/Medical: Diagnosis Murder• Horror: Dexter• Ghost: Medium• Costume Drama: Poirot• Documentary Style: Cops• Sci-Fi: Life On Mars; X-Files• Soap Opera: The Bill• Psychological: Wire in the Blood• Comedy: Thin Blue Line: The Detectives• Musical: Cop Rock

You Do...

• Identify the hybrid or Sub genre of your own TV Crime Drama.

• By this point you should be forming a strong idea of your own TV Crime Drama. You should have a strong outline which includes a basic plotline; Character types; settings; style and sub genres.