Starter Put the following UK police job titles in rank order starting from the lowest to the highest: Police Constable Sergeant Inspector Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Chief Inspector Superintendant Chief Superintendant Deputy Chief Constable Chief Constable

The correct order: Police Constable Sergeant Inspector Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Chief Inspector Superintendant Chief Superintendant Deputy Chief Constable Chief Constable

Unit 1: Investigating the Media External Assessment 2012 TV Crime Drama Lesson 3 Key Concept Focus: Media Language Learning Objectives To be able to identify the Media Language conventions of TV Crime Dramas

Today we will cover… Character Iconography Setting Narrative

Media Language: Character Vladimir Propp (Russian theorist) Theory of characters We will use this theory when looking at TV crime dramas to see how closely it can be applied In pairs, match the following character types to their definitions

Write these character types into your book and then stick the definitions next to them Princess Dispatcher Hero Donor Villain

Types of Hero There are a wide variety of different types of hero character to be found in crime drama Can you think of at least one example from a TV crime drama for each of the hero types on the sheet? The more examples you can think of the better! We will add to this sheet over the coming weeks

Eponymous Hero The central figure of the detective is so crucial in some crime dramas, that the show is named after them: we call this the eponymous hero Can you think of any examples?

Ensemble Drama Other crime dramas have a wider focus, with many characters shown as equally important and we like to watch them interact with each other: these are called ensemble dramas Can you think of any examples?

Media Language: Iconography Iconography refers to the props, costumes and mise-en-scene that enable us to identify the genre of a media text. Crime drama has a wide range of iconography In your books, write down as many examples of crime drama iconography as you can

Media Language: Iconography

Media Language: Iconography

Media Language: Iconography

Media Language: Iconography

Media Language: Iconography

Media Language: Iconography

Media Language: Iconography

Media Language: Setting Crime dramas will use common settings/locations where the action takes place How many conventional settings can you think of? Make a list of these in your books

Media Language: Setting Police stations Cells Interview rooms Urban, inner-city areas Alleyways Forensic labs Abandoned warehouses Hospitals

Media Homework Due: Monday 20 th February Create an iconography and settings collage for TV Crime Drama Bring a printed copy of this to the next lesson so that it can be stuck in your book Make sure you have given it a clear title!

Media Language: Narrative Crime dramas tell us a different story in every episode. We are taken on a journey and elements combine to involve the viewer

Think of it like a jigsaw puzzle. Here are some of the pieces… Opening teaser Quest Enigma codes Clues Conflict Suspense Cliffhangers Dramatic irony Set pieces Resolution

Opening Teaser We may see someone attacked, but we dont see the perpetrator. Maybe there is a random passer-by who finds a corpse and screams in a close-up at the camera. Every crime drama does it differently, but the primary function is to draw you in and make you want to watch. This is usually done in combination with the enigma, the mystery.

Enigma Roland Barthes described how stories use different codes to control the way information is given to the audience. One of these is the enigma code which sets up a riddle for the viewer to solve. The hero – usually the forces of law and order – work hard to solve the mystery and we go along with them on the journey or quest.

Clues The story scatters clues for the detectives and we follow. Some dramas dont reveal the identity of the criminal until near the end, e.g. Inspector Morse or Waking the Dead. This is called a closed narrative. In others we are shown the criminal at the beginning, e.g. Columbo and Law and Order: Criminal Intent. This is an open narrative.

Set pieces We are often shown scenes that we recognise from other dramas, these are set pieces. For example we may see a couple of detectives at a crime scene, looking at a body, Or an autopsy or asking witnesses questions. We may only follow a key detective, we see their viewpoint. A drama like Boomtown plays with the same scene through different peoples viewpoints to discover the truth.

Conflict Whatever happens along the way there is always conflict. A theorist called Claude Levi-Strauss looked at how stories involve conflict between opposite forces, e.g. good v evil; cop v criminal. These are called binary oppositions. The opposites fight each other for dominance and audiences want to see them resolved. It might not just be between police and criminal, it could be between police officers, the lawyers or their family members.

Suspense Sometimes we see what the detective sees and other times they know the answer before the viewer does. Inspector Morse and Columbo often crack the case in their minds and we have to wait to find out what they know. The steps along the way to solving the crime create suspense. Questions are usually raised in your mind.

Dramatic irony & cliffhangers If you are shown something the detective hasnt seen, a suspect hiding a murder weapon or a seemingly innocent witness up to no good. When you know something the heroes dont know, this is called dramatic irony. This is often combined with cliffhangers, when something dramatic happens and the viewer is left wondering.

Resolution When all the questions are answered and the quest comes to its natural conclusion: the resolution. Successful crime dramas may delay and delay the resolution and we want to see the crime solved so we can relax. Until next time…

Todorov This pattern of narrative where the story is resolved has also been described by the theorist Todorov. He reduced stories to a simple formula: Equilibrium Disruption Restored equilibrium or Order/Chaos/Restored order

Media Language: Narrative Equilibrium – the calm beginning of a story, often featuring life going on relatively normally Disruption – something happens to break the equilibrium, typically a crime of some kind Restoration – the police attempt to solve the crime

Media Language: Narrative Restored order – the suspect is arrested, the kidnap victim is found etc New equilibrium – the story ends with a new calm, not necessarily a happy ending

Media Language: Narrative If the drama is not a long series but a shorter two or three part series the structure might stretch across those episodes rather than concluding within one episode

Media Language: Narrative Story arcs As well as the narrative within each episode there may also be a longer narrative being followed across the whole series, or even several series. This is called a story arc

Media Language: Style Style 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, the dialogue The style of the programme will be directly linked to its target audience

Draw the following table and make a list of the differences in style (think about camera work, dialogue, editing, music, lighting etc.) City / Urban TV Crime DramaRural TV Crime Drama

Draw the following table and make a list of the differences in style (think about camera work, dialogue, editing, music, lighting etc.) City / Urban TV Crime DramaRural TV Crime Drama Shaky hand-held camera work Fast editing Slick dialogue (perhaps using street jargon) Urgent, contemporary music Grey colours and dark lighting to reflect the grim city life Panning shots to show the beauty of the landscape and pretty rural locations Slow editing Rich colours and warm lighting Polite dialogue of the middle- class village dwellers Scored with orchestral music

Midsomer Murders

The Wire

Media Language: Style Realism is an important part of the genres theme of truth Storylines can be based on real cases and characters on real people The main character in Silent Witness was based on a real forensic pathologist known to the shows creator

Media Language: Style In The Wire, the dialogue is so close to the real street language of Baltimore, viewers sometimes need subtitles to catch words, or even consult the internet to understand what everyone is going on about

Media Language: Style The idea of real police work is also shown to comic effect in a scene where Mayor Carcetti is observing the police department at work.

And finally… The key words from todays lesson: Eponymous hero Ensemble drama Iconography Story arc Add these to your glossary, with suitable definitions