Transcript Tech Aspects Intro

Learning Objective:
To begin to understand some of codes
and conventions of TV Drama
Task 1
• Task: watch the opening sequence from ‘Jekyll’
and note down as many of the technical aspects
that you can see and hear.
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The 4 main technical aspects are:
Cinematography (how the camera is used)
Sound
Editing
Mise-en-scene (e.g. costumes, props, lighting…)
• Feedback.
The ‘Purpose of filmmaking’
• Virtually every decision in the moving image
making process is made with the audience in
mind.
• Filmmaking is done in departments…can you
name some?
• Cinematography
• Design
• Post production – editing etc.
• Sound
• Pre- production – scriptwriting, casting etc.
Production departments.
• Each department works in collaboration
with one person…who?
• …the director.
• Task: How many TV production jobs can
you name?
Audience Meaning
• All of these individuals jobs within various
departments collaborating with the director come
together to make a TV programme that an
audience will hopefully understand.
• Obviously some shows are more obvious than
others depending on their audience e.g. shows
aimed at children. TV will use various ‘codes
and conventions’ to send the message to an
audience.
• One of these codes is the technical codes
Nothing is done by accident…
• As Media students we have to deduce
what we think was implied by a particular
shot, angle, choice of music, sound effect,
costume design or editing decision.
TV drama stills
• TASK 2
• Annotate the TV drama still shots.
• What technical aspects are shown and
what meaning is created from the shot?
TV Drama- Brainstorm Titles
TV Drama
TV Drama & Genre conventions
• How would you define TV Drama?
• TV drama is a fictionalised account of a narrative
in the medium of television. TV drama can be
spit into several sub-genres.
• What does genre conventions mean?
• A set of rules that the genre uses repeatedly.
• A well used formula.
Task : What are the genre
conventions of TV Drama?
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Characters
Stories/Narratives
Familiar settings
Dialogue
Key themes
Particular cinematography style
Music
• Task: watch clip and identify genre conventions.
Make notes on worksheet in handbook
TV Drama Sub- Genres
• What are the sub-genres of TV Drama:
• Soap Operas or Continuing Dramas: ‘Eastenders’,
‘Coronation Street’…
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Crime and Police Dramas: ‘The Bill’, ‘The Wire’, ‘CSI..
Medical/Emergency Dramas: ‘ER’, ‘Casualty’….
Sci-Fi/ Fantasy Dramas: ‘Dr Who’, ‘Heroes’…
Literary adaptations: Pride and Prejudice’, Oliver Twist
Contemporary melodramas: ‘Skins’, ‘Waterloo Road’
Comedy Dramas: ‘Shameless’, ‘Desperate Housewives’
TV Drama and Narrative
• Continuing Series: a series where the narrative or plot
doesn’t end. The official title for Soap Operas.
• Series: The main plot or narrative continues and is
resolved at the end of the season. Key characters and
plotlines are carried over to the next season. (Lost, 24)
• Serials: Are similar to series but each episode is a self
contained narrative.( Shameless, Spooks, Hustle)
• One Offs: self explanatory, drama where the narrative
begins and ends in one often feature length episode. A
variation on this is the two part drama.
TV pitch
• Task : In your groups come up with an idea for a TV drama
series.
• Use the genre conventions that you’ve discussed and
consider the following:
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The plot(s)
The setting(s)
The characters
The actors/stars
The technical aspects
• You can draw storyboard if you wish to aid your pitch.