Download - Sitcom revision
This examination has two sections.
Section A: candidates – Action Adventure
unseen film clip
Section B: TV Comedy
40% of final marks
1 Hour 45 minutes
Sections A and B are worth equal marks
making the sitcom section of the exam worth
20% of your final mark.
AO1 Recall, select and communicate
Recall, select and communicate their
knowledge and understanding of media
products and the contexts in which they are
produced and consumed.
AO2 Analyse and respond
Analyse and respond to media texts/topics
using media key concepts and appropriate
terminology.
Audience enjoyment
Target audience
Comparison of the sitcoms
Consider a range of different points – at least
6!
Intro- who are the target audiences?
Types of humour
Characterisation
Narrative structures
Scheduling/institution
Opening credits
Conclusion
Linguistic: Innuendo/pun/sarcasm
Physical: farce/ physical humour
Situation comedy
Exaggeration / hyperbole
Stereotypes
Main characters – allows audience to bond
Cameo roles – celebrities as transient
characters
Supporting characters may appear
occasionally.
A celebrity playing a
transient character
encourages the audience
to watch.
A core of main characters
allows the audience to bond
and emotionally engage with
the characters.
Stereotyping of
characters allows for
humour and
encourages the
audience to identify
with characters.
The BBC tend to use famous actors/ Actress’ as their main
characters
Zoe Wanamaker and
Robert Lindsay in ‘My
Family’Dawn French in ‘The
Vicar of Dibley’
Joanna Lumley and Jennifer
Saunders in ‘Absolutely
Fabulous’
Main character – usually 4 – 6 main
characters
Supporting characters – in occasional
episodes such as Phoebe’s brother or Gunther
Transient characters – in one off episodes
Cameo – celebrities who have a one off part
in a show.
Use of well known actors to attract audience
(mainly BBC)
Arc plot
Episodic plot
Cliffhangers
Use of flashbacks
Narrative strands
Dramatic Irony – audience as omniscient (all
seeing)
Flashbacks give background to the storyline
Episodic plots allow ‘casual’ audience
members to watch occasionally.
Arc plots engage the audience and ‘hook’
their interest.
Cliff-hangers at the end of an episode or a
series again ‘hook’ the audience.
Prime Time?
After the watershed?
Channel?
British or American?
Types of character?
(friends/colleagues/family)
Repeats? Still being made?
How is the institution funded? Effect?
Theme tune (lyrics and tune)
Introduces characters to the audience (how?)
Sets the tone
Typography used
Introduces arc plots
Just run through the characters in the sit
com
Forget to compare the two
Forget to use media terms
Forget what you are being marked on!
Candidates should be prepared to analyse
and discuss the following:
• Mass and niche audiences
• How a text addresses its audiences
• The pleasures a text offers its audiences
Targeting audiences
• Placement between texts
• Scheduling (eg stripping schedules)
• Competition between institutions
• Repeating texts on related
channels/stations
• Releasing in different formats
• Offering texts on demand