G322 TV Drama and Representation and Audience and Institutions: UK Film The Key Points

TV Drama and Representation Section A of the exam. 30 minutes to watch clip (4 times) and make notes. 45 minutes to write your response. Don’t bother with introductions or conclusions: these won’t gain you any marks. Consider using note-making time to ‘plan’ your answer.

Question 1 – Television drama how to answer Whatever you do you should always read the question and underline or circle its key words. Then make your plan for your answer. Remember to use key words from the question to keep your essay’s argument relevant. Make notes and make a plan of how you are going to tackle the essay but put a line through your notes once you have finished so examiner knows these are your notes. In your opening paragraph do not bother with an introduction get straight on with the question. You may want to start to answer the question in the opening paragraph and then move onto your key technical areas you must discuss: Camera Shot, Angle and Composition, Mise en scène,Sound and editing (see specs for further help) Although you may address each technical area one by one for a higher level mark make sure that you link technical features in creating representations. For instance in a conflict situation, conflict will be created through mise en scène (the stately home), through the use of shot reverse shot in (editing) and through extreme close ups an through sound, both diegetic and non diegetic. Ensure that all the technical elements are covered and that a discussion of the key concept takes place, not all technical elements will be covered in the same detail. It is important that candidates move from description of key technical areas to analysis of how representations are constructed. This will enable candidates to achieve higher marks for their responses. The mark scheme enables credit to be awarded to students at three different levels Explanation, Analysis and Argument (20 Marks), Use of Examples (20 Marks) and Use of Terminology (10 Marks).

TV Drama and Representation You must comment on… –Camera –Sound –Mise-en-scene –Editing –Representation Failure to discuss any of these areas will reduce your mark! And how they link to…

Camera – shots, angle, movement and composition Shots: establishing shot, master shot, close-up, mid-shot, long shot, wide shot, two-shot, aerial shot, point of view shot, over the shoulder shot, and variations of these. Angle: high angle, low angle, canted angle. Movement: pan, tilt, track, dolly, crane, steadicam, hand-held, zoom, reverse zoom. Composition: framing.

Sound Diegetic and non-diegetic sound; synchronous/asynchronous sound; sound effects; sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue, voiceover, mode of address/direct address, sound mixing. Soundtrack: score, incidental music, themes and stings, ambient sound.

Mise-en-scene Production design: location, studio, set design, costume and make-up, properties. Lighting; colour design.

Editing Cutting: shot/reverse shot, eyeline match, graphic match, action match, jump cut. Other transitions, dissolve, fade-in, fade- out, wipe, superimposition, long take, short take, slow motion, post-production, visual effects.

Representation “representations of individuals, groups, events or places…” Gender Age Ethnicity Sexuality Class and Status Physical ability/disability Regional identity

Keywords… All the terminology mentioned on the previous slides are keywords. Other you could mention include… –Realism – do the different techniques used work to make the piece realistic? –Verisimilitude – the construction of a believable world. –Stereotypes – how we expect people and places to be.

What could you be shown? Type of drama Teen dramas Soap operas Period dramas Hospital dramas Crime dramas Examples… Skins, Hollyoaks. Eastenders, Corrie, Emmerdale. Rome, Bleak House, Life on Mars. Casualty, Holby City. The Bill, Prime Suspect, Life on Mars, Cracker, Morse, Frost. Realism? What are they used to represent?

The Mark Scheme Level 4 Explanation/analysis/argument (16-20 marks) Shows excellent understanding of the task Excellent knowledge and understanding of the technical aspects used in the extract Excellent discussion of the extract’s representations, clearly linked to textual analysis Clearly relevant to set question Use of examples (16-20 marks) Offers frequent textual analysis from the extract – award marks to reflect the range and appropriateness of examples Offers a full range of examples from each technical area Offers examples which are clearly relevant to the set question Use of terminology (8-10 marks) Use of terminology is relevant and accurate

UK Film Section B. 45 minutes to respond to 1 question. Question will ask you to discuss the processes of production, distribution and exhibition in British Film Your answer should make reference to specific examples from the case studies we have studied.

How to answer section B Whatever you do you should always read the question and underline or circle its key words. Then make your plan for your answer. Remember to use key words from the question to keep your essay’s argument relevant. You also need to use key concepts such as Audience, Production, Distribution, Exhibition and Exchange. Remember to use and apply concepts such as Technological Convergence, Synergies, Media Convergence (for media ownership) etc. Rather than just plough through the expected format of production, distribution/marketing/exhibition issues with key terms tagged on, why not begin with the audience’s reception of the film. Its the most important part of the process and what happens there can decide the genres and casting, etc. of future films which institutions may then “greenlight”. Given how much of the audience first finds out about a film on the Internet and then discusses it on various websites, is a good way to discuss technological convergence early on. After all, YouTube, Face-Book, Blogsites, Amazon UK message boards on films, etc have put people onto films that they would otherwise never have found. Moreover, like a detective you can go over the ISSUES as to why a particular film was a success or not for its institution(s) by beginning with the audience’s reactions to the film (both critics and ordinary people) and then by raking over the production, marketing and exhibition issues associated with the film and its institution. You will be better placed to decide why a film succeeded or failed to make money and please its audiences. After all, in the regular pattern of film-making and the decisions taken at each stage, errors can take place which could be rectified in future. Another possible angle is to begin with the importance of technological convergence and begin with its ever widening role in enjoying, making and marketing films. As mentioned at the beginning you need to address the question’s key words and not just spill down everything you know about your case study. Relevance is everything.

The Case Studies Your answer can should contained detailed examples. You can refer to: Working Title FilmFour 20 th Century Fox The UK Film Council (leading to Screen Yorkshire) The BBFC Warp Films You should refer to one main case study and use other examples to back yourself up.

Production / Distribution / Exhibition The question requires you to discuss these three areas… Production – Processes and decisions that take place when making a film. Distribution – Advertising, merchandising and delivering the film to the market Exhibition – The different ways in which the audience can ‘consume’ the film. You should also make reference to…

Synergy In media economics, synergy is the promotion and sale of a product (and all its versions) throughout the various subsidiaries of a media conglomerate, e.g. films, soundtracks or video games. Walt Disney pioneered synergistic marketing techniques in the 1930s by granting dozens of firms the right to use his Mickey Mouse character in products and ads, and continued to market Disney media through licensing arrangements.

Synergy in Film… 20 th Century Fox, produces, distributes and markets films Owned by News Corporation.. Which is Owned by Rupert Murdoch… Who owns: Sky, News International, Harper Collins, MySpace… What does all this mean????

Proliferation (through technology) Downloading – itunes, ipod, apple TV Digital Piracy – DVD’s, filesharing Social Networking Sites – marketing and buzz Accessibility – everywhere??? Control – industry/audiences

“The importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences” What does convergence mean and why is it important? When two or more technologies come together to create a new technology. Audiences: Everything in one product. Institutions: Audiences tied to one product.

Technology – The Digital Age

UK vs Hollywood Hollywood dominates. Different cultural values and appeals. Successful partnerships… FilmFour relies on joint partnerships with other companies to make films: Slumdog Millionaire = Celador Films, Pathe Pictures Trainspotting = Polygram, Figment Films Four Weddings = Polygram, Working Title FilmFour relies on American studios to distribute their films to an international audience: Slumdog Millionaire = Fox Searchlight Trainspotting= Miramax Films Four Weddings = Gramercy Pictures

Your Experiences How do you consume films?

Us challenging them… Remember that YOU are a key part of the film industry. YOUR behaviour influences what they (the institutions) do. Be prepared to comment on the power of the audience!

The Question Discuss the issues raised by an institution’s need to target specific audiences within a media industry which you have studied. Or maybe… What issues / decisions do institutions face when releasing their products? How do audiences influence institutional decisions?

Key words to use Key Terms – Understand and be able to apply these terms in your exam: Keep checking all of the Media department’s teacher blogs for additional information relevant to your research. Above the line marketing Below the line marketing Vertical Integration Synergy marketing convergence Merchandising Viral marketing Budget (Low, mid range, big) Research cost of a variety of films Four quadrant movies (Age – young and old Gender – make and female) Conglomerate Subsidiary DSN – Digital Screen Network HD – High definition Blu ray i-pods Digital Distribution 35mm reels Independent cinema Mainstream cinema Piracy ‘Orange Wednesdays’ Niche audience CGI

The Mark Scheme Level 4 Explanation/analysis/argument (16-20 marks) Shows excellent understanding of the task Excellent knowledge and understanding of institutional/audience practices – factual knowledge is relevant and accurate A clear and developed argument, substantiated by detailed reference to case study material Clearly relevant to set question Use of examples (16-20 marks) Offers frequent evidence from case study material – award marks to reflect the range and appropriateness of examples Offers a full range of examples from case study and own experience Offers examples which are clearly relevant to the set question Use of terminology (8-10 marks) Use of terminology is relevant and accurate

Revising The power points The internet Case studies And these… Useful Websites UK Film Council - Internet Movie Database - British Film Council - Marketing and distribution of film Warp Film - Working Title - Avatar website -

Example Now look at high level example papers for both section A and B and notice how they answer the questions for both representation and also for institutions and how to use your case studies.