LO1 Task 3 Genre

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3: DEFINE the conventions of each genre e.g. period; crime; soap opera; comedy, then give clear examples.

(Give up to 3 examples; do they challenge or conform to the conventions of the genre?)

Period Drama: REALIST NARRATIVE

A period or costume drama is set in a particular historical period of time. The costumes, props and locations will be accurate to the era that the narrative is set in. If a show was set in the Victorian era, then we would not see any technology (digital watches, computers, televisions or cars). The costumes would include long dresses, the props would include pocket watches and the transport would be a carriage. The dialogue would use the words and the way they used to speak back then.

Examples: Downton Abbey (ITV1), The Tudors (BBC), That 70’s Show (Fox)

SOAPS: REALIST NARRATIVE

A soap opera is sometimes called a ‘soap’, it is an ongoing serial that does not end. The endings are always ‘open’ with stories spanning several episodes. They are normally broadcast for half an hour on weekdays, some soaps are broadcasted five times a week. The narratives can range from real life topical issues or about complex relationships between family and friends. Soaps have lots of narratives, which run at different rates, some storylines start to develop and others come to a head. Most Soaps follow the lives of a group of characters who live or work in a particular place, or focus on a large extended family. The storylines follow the day-to-day activities and personal relationships of these characters.

Example: Eastenders (BBC), Coronation Street (ITV), Hollyoaks (Channel 4)

Science Fiction: ANTI REALIST NARRATIVE

This genre is set in the future and involves science and technology, space, parallel universes, time travel, aliens and paranormal abilities, such as physic powers or mind control. The characters may be aliens, cyborgs, mutants, humanoid robots or robots. The props may include ray guns or teleportation machines and other not-yet invented technology. Sci fi is set in the future, sometimes on earth or a fictional planet. The narratives may have realistic storyline (relationships) but the main story will be an anti realistic narrative. It may include flashbacks, dream sequences or a non-linear storyline. Sci fi is very imaginative.

Examples: V (Sci fi channel), Doctor Who (BBC), Deep Space Nine – part of Star Trek (Sci fi Channel)

Crime: REALIST NARRATIVE

This genre will involve a crime which is either being planned, has been committed or is about to be committed. The characters will include a villain (commits crime), a hero who solves the crime (normally a police detective or a forensic scientist), there may be a victim (someone who gets murdered, attacked, mugged) or it could be a crime against property. It normally has a car chase, action, guns and violence, however British crime programmes are more about detective work. The settings/ locations can be urban (city) or rural (the countryside).

The typical plot centers around a crime, the story usually follows those who solve the crime and the crime is usually solved, by the end of the programme. The narrative will be restricted because they want the audience to know as much as the hero and the ending will be closed. This follows the Todorov theory of: Equilibrium – everything is normal at the start; Disruption – something happens: a crime, a mystery; Recognition – people see something has happened and react to it; Reparation - attempt to repair – people try to put things right, solve the crime, catch the criminal; Resolution - everything is solved, worked out, fixed, and there is a new equilibrium

Sub genres include: Detective Fiction (whodunit), Legal Thriller, Courtroom Drama and Hard Boiled fiction.

Examples: CSI (Bravo) Inspector Morse (ITV) Midsomer Murders (ITV), Miss Marple (ITV), The Wire

 Comedy: REALIST NARRATIVE

A comedy is made to make the audience laugh. The narrative will involve a funny situation, jokes and funny characters. The narrative is unrestricted so that the audience know when things are going wrong. The main characters will have weird, funny character traits or may act in a bizarre way. The endings are always happy and are closed.

Examples: The Big Bang Theory (Channel 4), Citizen Khan (BBC1), Inbetweeners (E4)

LO1 Task 2 - Single camera and multi camera

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2: DISCUSS the Single Camera and Multi Camera Formats
(Define the single camera format and the multiple-camera format. List the advantages of the single camera and the multiple-camera formats. Give some examples of the two formats in action. Explain when and why might they be used)

Single camera is when only one camera is used to film all the shots in one scene. Nearly all TV programmes are filmed using single cameras, especially comedy, sit-coms, documentaries. Feature films are always filmed using single camera. Single camera techniques include filming out of sequence, which means that they will film all the scenes needed in one location or using the same actors, at the same time, even though the scenes may be at the beginning or end of the narrative. A single camera set up is where a scene is filmed out of sequence, with one camera; where shots 1,3,5 and 7 would be shot pointing towards one actor in a conversation, the director will then have shots 2,4,6 and 8 filmed. The sequence is then edited in the edit room to flow in the right order. Scrubs (American sitcom) uses single camera techniques. The advantages of this would be that all the actors may not have to be in on the same day.

Single camera filming lets the director be more creative because the camera can be moved around, different shot sizes and angles can be easily changed, as well as filming out of sequence. Within a single camera format, different shots are used to maximise the advantages of a single camera recording. The Master Shot is a wide shot of a scene that establishes the major elements, the action and dialogue are taped from the master shot before the closer shots are done, this is to give the director a view of the whole shot and decide where and what shots he wants to use on the closer shots. Directors of single-camera shows also feel that by filming a single-camera programme appears more real and has a greater impact on the audience making it more relatable. Another advantage of a single camera format is that it’s cheap, as only one camera is used. Single camera formats are also more convenient as not all crew need to be there as it is shot. It also means that other scenes in different locations can be done simultaneously, providing the same actor is not needed. Awkward shots can be shot easier in a single camera set up as the cameraman can move with the camera and be in between actors. Single camera formats also enable special effects and lookalike doubles to be added with fewer complications than in a multi camera set up. Single camera set ups also allow fast paced editing or a more natural look.

Multi-camera formats are used for: programmes such as the News, Talk shows such as Jeremy Kyle, Football games and concerts, this is because talk shows and the News that are not live are made to appear live. The Multi camera format also enables, for the live events such as the sport events, the whole game to be recorded. Live football games would be impossible to film with one camera; one camera would not be able to follow the action. It also allows all angles to be covered as with a single camera format. The techniques allows the director a choice of which angle to use and when, during editing.

A 'multi-camera setup’: involves many cameras that are connected to a video mixer, then mixed to a single tape and broadcasted through cable or the airwaves. Many cameras will shoot the scene simultaneously and the director has a choice of which shot to use whether they are broadcasting live or filming. Multi-camera set-ups are facilitated to record chronologically according to the script, where as it will be more time consuming to do this with a single-camera format, so scenes, which use the same actors and sets, are filmed together. This set up has advantages, where the lighting in a single camera setup can prove difficult due to the white balance needing to be continuous the lighting; in a multi camera format the lighting would not be as difficult. It is also less time consuming as every angle is shot, the director will rarely have to re-shoot any scenes; this also means the director has a choice of shots so can pick the one they believe is most successful. In a single camera set up, the director may have to record the same scene numerous times to get the best shots. The multi-camera technique can be less expensive, as fewer hours are required from the crew. As the scenes are shot in sequence, it is easier to edit.  

LO 1 Task 1 The difference between series, serial and single drama

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Task

1: DEFINE and EXPLAIN the differences between series, serials and single dramas, with examples.
(Give up to 5 examples; how many episodes/ seasons/ audience figures?)

The difference between series, serial and single drama

Series
A series is made up of sequential episodes, which make up a season. A season runs once a year and contains anything between 6-30 episodes (depending on it’s popularity). A series will have central characters, a genre and a few different narratives, which will either run throughout the episodes or conclude within one episode. Throughout the series, there may even be a story/ narrative that continues into the next series. Episodes are broadcast once a week, have the same introduction – titles and theme tune, and use the main characters in each episode. The narratives are normally linear but may use flashbacks and are normally realist (except Doctor Who which is anti realist).

Period Drama: Downton Abbey

This popular period drama is set in Edwardian times in Yorkshire. The fictional location is a country manor house and shows the lives of an aristocratic family and their servants. It stars Maggie Smith and Hugh Bonneville, who are very famous English actors. The series has won many TV awards and is the most watched TV series on ITV.
Made in the UK - 2010 – 2013

Channel: ITV1

Seasons: 3

Episodes per season: 7 (Season 1) 8 (season 2) 8 (season 3)

Top audience rating: over 12 million

 

Hospital drama: Casualty

This is weekly show is the longest running emergency medical drama on British TV. It’s based in a hospital and focuses on the lives of the staff and patients. Families like this drama because of the action and the emotional scenes.
Made in the UK – 1986 - 2012

Channel: BBC1

Seasons: 27

Episodes per season: 10-49

Top audience rating: over 12million

 

 

Sit-com: Citizen Khan

This comedy programme has just been commissioned for a second series.  It is a family based situation comedy set in Sparkhill, Birmingham. There are some funny characters with good character traits like the loud mouth dad and the long-suffering wife.

Made in the UK - 2012

Channel: BBC1

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 6

Top audience rating: over 3 million

 

Sci-fi: Doctor Who

The BBC have been making this series since 1963, earlier episodes are in black and white, amazingly they are still making them in this present time. They have even made a TV film. They are still being made because people really like the central character (The Doctor) and it’s one of the only SciFi drama on television. The TV reviews of the show have been really good so the audience figures in the new run have increased.

Made in the UK - 1963 – 1989 + 2005 - 2012

Channel: BBC1

Seasons: 26 + 8

Episodes per season: 20 – 42 + 13 - 15

Top audience rating: over 10 million

 

Comedy: Shameless
Shameless is set on a Manchester council estate and shows the lives of poor, dysfunctional working class people. The main character, Frank is a wasted man who is very intelligent but an alcoholic. It has won Best British Drama in 2005 at the British Academy Television Awards.

Made in the UK – 2004 - 2013

Channel: ITV1

Seasons: 11

Episodes per season: 7 – 22

Top audience rating: over 3 million

 

Serial 

A serial is when a book or real event has been turned into a TV programme. They are normally only a few episodes (between 1 – 3) and are only broadcasted on TV once. Serials reflect real life, narratives can be fictional or real and they use the same characters and locations. The episodes are have ‘open’ endings, storylines do not conclude in one episode, which means that they have cliff hangers, and encourage the viewer to watch the next episode.

The books of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and Emily Bronte have all been serialized. There have been many versions of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations. These period dramas are very popular with families and are normally shown at Christmas time when all the family are at home, on their Christmas holiday. The books of the author Lynda La Plante have also been serialized into a series (Prime Suspect).

Real event can also be serialized. Jimmy McGovern wrote a story based on the Hillsborough Stadium disaster in Sheffield and Neil Biswas wrote and directed a story about youths involved in the Bradford riots.

Single Drama 

A single drama is a ‘one off’ story for television or a TV film. The stories are often based on real life or topical issues. Single dramas are quite rare now, as you don’t see them much on television anymore. They are normally broadcast on one day.

Recent examples 2012 Bafta awards:

Holy Flying Circus (BBC), 90 minute comedy film

Page Eight (BBC), 100 minute political drama film

Stolen (BBC1), 1 hour, 30 minute thriller drama about child trafficking

My Murder (BBC), 1 hour  crime drama about a real honey trap killing