TV crime drama extract 1: Narrative and genre
How is the narrative and the crime drama genre communicated to the audience?
Crime Drama referenced: Mr Inbetween (Season 2 Episode 9 'Ray Kills the Pedophiles)
-Its very clear a kidnapping has taken place at the store, even though we don't see it we know it's happened as there's a shift in tone right after Ray's daughter's friend has been kidnapped and when we see it happen from the CCTV back up. This serves as the beginning. We then follow Ray and his daughter as he visits his friends who also are involved with things like cybercrime, and it's through this where he's able to find out who the kidnapper is. This serves as the Middle. Ray travels on his own to the location as stated by the address, he then breaks into the house where discovers that multiple people have been lured to the basement - children to adults. He the manages to free the kidnapped and locks the aggressors in that same basement. It then cuts to a scene of him murdering the aggressors, however the door closes right before we get to see physical contact, only being able to know what happened via diegetic sound. this serves as the climax AND the ending to this arc specifically.
TV crime drama extract 2: Mise-en-scene
What do you notice about the use of mise-en-scene to create meanings for the audience? Think CLAMPS.
Crime Drama referenced: The Bill (The show as a whole)
The show showcases a variety of different gear and uniforms. Most of the characters wear black police uniforms called PC's, whereas all the DC's wear casual clothes, Men not in those two categories are in suits, shirts and ties and women in neither categories don dresses while some wear shirts and blazers. The lighting is always above standard and meet expectations as most of the crime drama is set indoors and the show utilises high-key lighting as a means to perfectly capture facial expressions and the relevant surroundings and the DCI's of the show have a body language with connotations to seriousness alongside facial expressions to match. You can see both main and background characters, with the main characters being the centre of attention, the plot revolving around them. The show is grounded in reality and the makeup and costumes execute that real feeling perfectly, and it also allows audiences to build strong personal relations with the cast and characters. The police officers are walking action codes, brandishing walkie talkies, batons, pepper spray, handcuffs and the gear stereotypical policemen carry on them. Other conventional props used in the show consist of: police ID badges, police car, pocket note pads, things are easily recognisable to the viewer and allow them to grow comfortable to the show.
TV crime drama extract 3: Camerawork
Here you are looking for particular camera shots and movement. E.g. Are close-ups used to show the reaction of key characters to the audience? How are establishing shots used?
Crime Drama referenced: Breaking Bad (Season 4 Episode 11 'Crawl Space')
Walter White and his wife Skyler get into a heated argument, due to the outrageous decision she makes - using Walter's backup money for emergencies to pay off IRS debts her boss had. Using the 180 degree rule, the camera pans back and forth between him and Skyler as tensions rise, to the point where Skyler starts to breakdown. The scene reaches it's climax as Walter demands to know where the money is, followed by a rising birds eye view-shot of Walter in the crawl space. The rising birds eye view-shot rises out of the crawl space until all you can see through the square frame of the opening is Walter from the waist up. This is done to show the audience just how isolated Walter is from his family and how isolated he feel's due to his incoming entrapment and pent up paranoia. The camera angle given for Skyler is commonly used for villains or for betrayal, setting the stage for the audience to have a negative response to her character, which was a success. This further shows the PHYSICAL isolation Walter now suffers, due to his own family being directly involved in his business and personal life - which the line between them has now become blurry.
TV crime drama extract 4: Editing
Analyse pace, transitions, number of shots and juxtaposition e.g. eyeline matches. How is editing used to create meanings for the audience?
Crime Drama referenced: Witness Number 3 (The show as a whole)
"Witness Number 3" begins with a zoom-in transition as a means to create suspense. Followed by and array of disjointed-edit jump cuts all filmed from the same shot or action. A fade in/out is utilised in the beginning before the episode actually begins to seamlessly transition between intro to episode and J-cuts are used for the same effect as the fades - a seamless transition. Cross cutting is perfectly used between characters during conversations, followed with jump cuts which begin by showing the outside of a protagonist-owned hair shop while slowly zooming in and then jumping to the protagonist herself inside the shop with a smooth transition. Cutting on action is used which began with two boys boxing to one of the boys taking his inhaler. There are some invisible-cuts which give off the impression that it's a single take. Cutaways are used to show the protag's witness statement sheet being handed into the police. There is also another scene of cross cutting between 2 characters while they have a conversation which gives off a suspicious vibe.
TV crime drama extract 5: Sound
Analyse both diegetic and non-diegetic sound in the extract - music, dialogue, voiceover, SFX, background or foley sound.
Crime Drama referenced: The Punisher (Season 1 Episode 6 'Dream Sequence')
Now for this scene, The Punish is experiencing a nightmare while being help captive. The dream sequence depicts his family being happy together, celebrating something, eating altogether at the dinner table. The dialogue and the sounds heard(laughing, glasses touching together - foley)has connotations to having a fantastical time. The Punisher then has a toast raised for him by one of his family members, and just as that happens the sound starts to become deafened as loud, pounding knocks on the front door can be heard. The Punisher is obviously confused as he starts to have external dialogue with himself -"What's going on?" As the deafening continues an orchestra begins to faintly play as the foley sounds are raised higher. Tensions are raised when soldiers break in and enter the building, and this sets The Punish into a frenzy, trying to escape form the zip ties constraining his arms and legs while screaming no/wait continuously. The sound then goes completely quiet, before coming back again as the sound of gun fire erupts as he's forced to see his family die. All whiles this happening, the orchestra intensifies.
2) TV crime drama concept
Our coursework brief requires us to create our own TV drama extract and TV listings magazine for an original crime drama. Plan the following for your video production:
New TV drama
Crime drama title: Diamonds Are 4Ever (EDITED: Diamond is Unbreakable)
Tagline: We all come from the same Gemstone. It just depends on what side of the knife you received.
Streaming platform (note brief – streaming service, 12+ audience): Netflix, HBO Max.
Logline – one sentence that sums up the whole TV drama series and hooks people in (25 words or fewer): One gem. Two sides. What one will you end up in, corruption or the latter?
Other successful TV dramas that are similar to yours: Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Top Boy.
Narrative arc – what happens in the overall series: Main Character(detective) is on the hunt tracking down this drug cartel, which is apart of an even bigger crime organisation. His mission is to take down the several cartels that make up this empire with his team and ultimately take down "The OVERseer", the owner of the organisation/empire called "The MXES."
Main protagonist – their motivation, conflicts etc.: Family was erased from existence due to failing to pay up money they owed to The MXES. He was spared as he was only 8, but after that he lived a life moving from house to house, and being in and out of foster care. The struggle he endured and his family is the reason he keeps going and the reason he wants to take down The OVERseer and The MXES.
Other characters, their narrative role and their audience appeal: Sunca (Stain) Luca, MC's right hand man (also a detective). He serves as comedic relief but he'll also gets serious when he needs to. Female secretary (love interest). Serves as a relief mechanism, will relieve tension in the show when it gets too overwhelming. Audience will most likely get attached more to Sunca than the MC, as that's typically what happens in Crime Dramas - best example, Jesse Pinkman being favoured over Walter White. Audiences will end up getting to attached to the female MC too late - best example, Jane in Breaking Bad.
Target audience for your TV crime drama (note brief – 12+, older youth and adult viewers): 13+, unisex, any social class, psychographic groups etc.
My extract
When would your extract appear in the drama (e.g. season 1 opening scene, cliffhanger scene at end of season finale etc.): Season 2, ending scene in the finale. Won't be much of a cliffhanger, more like an unsuccessful attempt at capturing The OVERseer.
Setting (note brief – at least two locations): Around my area (Grand Union Village), The bridge connecting GUV to the school
What will happen in your extract (note brief – identifiable narrative features, crime genre codes and conventions etc.): MC will chase the Main Antagonist through streets and alleyways, unfortunately ending in an unsuccessful capture as the MC loses sight of the Main Antagonist. Obviously we'll be able to see the chase and it'll cut back from the two different perspectives and be filmed from different angles and spots and whatnot. The MC and antagonist will be dressed in conventional clothing (MC - Black overcoat, black turtleneck; MA - thug clothing??), the odd shots of graffiti will be recorded too along with fast cuts between characters mid action. The binary opposites of good and evil are at play here as well. It's going to be fun.
3) Statement of Intent
Write the first draft for your genuine 500-word Statement of Intent. This will be submitted to the exam board alongside your media products and is worth 10 marks of the overall 60 marks available.
The name of my TV Crime Drama is called "Diamonds Are 4Ever" and would be released onto streaming services Netflix and HBO Max. The plan is to have the extract be the last three minutes of Season 2's finale, where the Main Character "Faraan Kurii" chases "The OVERseer" (the Main Villain) Through an alleyway into a bustling estate where he unfortunately loses sight of him and is struggling on what to do while he stands in the middle of a park he's found himself at. I'd say, the narrative follows a troubled detective on his journey to track and kill the cartel and the man responsible for his family's demise with the help of his crew, however some of them may not be who he thinks they are. I'd say i have more than two recording locations set in stone which include: the bridge connecting form my estate and my school and areas from my estate which fit the theme of the crime drama. Genre codes will generally be quite easy to successfully utilise as conventions for a crime drama typically involve some form of rural setting and the binary opposites between suits and ties to baggy clothing and dirt. Sound will generally not be a problem as there are many tracks and foley sounds that can be placed in the extract to give a different emotions, feelings or even context. I'm investing in drones to use an array of shots simply not possible with a tripod (i.e birdseye-view) and it's this camera work that would peak the interests of streaming services (i.e Netflix and HBO Max). For original photography, my plan is to show two sides of the coin, "The OVERseer" shrouded in darkness, while "Faraan" is in the light and looking determined. The clothing and binary oppositions will consist of baggy, dirty clothing juxtaposed with the formal wear a stereotypical detective dons. The stereotypes created for the genre will be HEAVILY reinforced via the miseducating-en-scene used, the camera work and the action codes used. For the crime drama, I feel like the agae would be 13+, as I feel it would be a show that teens n’ older would prefer to watch rather than kids - it is a Crime Drama after all. and I also feel like this is a show that all classes can watch, and regardless of class, they can feel inspired to make a change in some way. I feel the same for the psychographics side as I did for the demographics side, regardless of whatever the lifestyles, ambitions or interests amongst the audience, they should still have the chance to feel the same regardless. Although I’ve decided to go for a more action-packed scene rather than one more rooted in meaning, I still believe I can get a message I’m content with across, as that is what audience theory is concerned with. I hope the meaning I create through this extract can help evoke some sort of change within the audience, and possibly have effects to how we think socially as well. I'd like to think that streaming services (i.e Netflix and HBO Max) would pick up my crime drama as it would help put me on the map. The audiences would continue to talk about my show as It would gain wide popularity in a genre that's consistently fresh and always open to new releases. It would be the first time many genre conventions are broken and explored further (i.e corruption) AND the narrative would include conventions relevant to the audience, thus evoking a long conversation that could very well lead to a shift in the positive direction for our society.
4) IGNITE Presentation
Comments
Post a Comment