What roles or jobs are there in TV drama?

Director- The person take overall responsibility for the creative, visual and sound aspects of a production.
Producer- oversees the entire production and brings together all the different elements and people.
Production manager- The person who manages the production budget and schedule.
Script editor- The script editor works between the writer and the producer to make sure the story crosses from paper to the small screen effectively.
Script continuity- To ensure each scene continues on from the previous one smoothly it is up to those working in script continuity to keep on top of the filming.
Researcher- Supporting the producer, you'll contribute ideas, contacts and sources, as well as interviewing possible contributors and writing briefings and reports.
Runner- Usually the first break in the TV industry, simply run around helping people with things like helping out with production, photocopying, any little things that need to be doing are done by the runner.
Make up artist- Although makeup artist may not seem like a huge deal in TV dramas, they can hold a huge role in making the drama as realistic as possible. Creating the right image for the character, and even make up to show injury's, illnesses (how the character is feeling).
Stylists- Stylists dress the characters in the correct clothing to show their characters personality, this gives the audience a good idea what the character is like before even speaking.
Prompt- If you forget your like the person is there to show you what you have to say.
Actors- Plays the roles of the characters.

Exam

Compare the way two TV dramas construct representation of gender.

All TV dramas have different characters shown to the audience in different ways, whether they are a humorous character or where just an evil manipulative character, the characters personality and how they are represented to the audience can vary very much in TV dramas to create the scene. The two TV dramas I will be looking at are Hustle and The killing. Both show large differences but again similarities to show the representation of the gender in the TV drama.

Camera shot play a key part of any type of TV to show the audience who is being watched and maybe why. In the TV drama Hustle the drama begins with a medium close up of the man Dexter, showing the glorious gold surrounding him in his large office. A stereotypical women ‘Blonde and blue eyes’ struts in but only to be able to hear her footsteps to but the camera is still on Dexter. This shows that the her as a stereotypical woman in heels, ready for business, but won’t show her as it leave the audience in suspense in who is making their way to the desk. A cut in extreme close up of the business card saying ‘Gold Hard Cash’ is shown for about 3 seconds, then the camera slowly makes its way up to the ‘sexy blonde’s’ face. The slow movement of the character represents the sexual attraction Dexter has towards women that come to his office as he pays a lot of interest towards her and delicately looks up the top half of her body and finally her face is revealed. Once the woman’s face is revealed the camera is automatically put back on Dexter, a medium close up with his wide eyes showing, as the camera hovers backwards and forwards/ zooming in and out. This represents almost a cartoon figure of a man finding an attractive lady very appealing. As If eyes are about to fall out. The camera then being put back on the women as she knows Dexter is attracted to her, she using her looks at her potential and raising her eye brows, the camera is on a medium close up. This is to show the audience how attractive she really is so they can understand the reaction of Dexter. He then goes into a fantasy dream where the camera shot is a point of view shot, this is as if Dexter is watching over her as she rolls around in the ruffled silky gold fabric. This shot represents the how men are supposedly higher up than women but is as the images of her are repeated next to each other with her smiling at the camera, it shows that the attractive women has taken Dexter’s gold and won her status over his. Her smiling represents she knows how easily she can get Dexter wrapped round her little finger. The scene ends in a medium close up shot of both characters separately, and then a mid-shot of the other women. This represents the power of the stereo typical beautiful women can use their looks to overcome other women’s status’ to get where they want in life. As the other woman chucks her pen down it shows she has no competition against her purely because she has no way of beating her.

However in the other TV drama I looked at similar/ or the same camera shots were used but in very different ways. In The Killing the camera view begins with a point of view shot, this is used almost the whole way through the clip. Unlike Hustle which point of view shot was used as a man fantasying over the women and the women taking charge knowing her looks are at her advantage to win her job. The Killing’s point of view shot is to set the eerie atmosphere, that someone or something is watching her; leading tension the whole way through the clip. The beginning of the clips begins with a mid-shot point of view as the women looks very confused in what exactly is going to happen. The camera slowly moves backwards as she walks. The slow movements of the camera represent the danger she is letting herself in for. The next shot is a wide shot this but the camera is angle on the floor looking up at her through the hanging meat. This represents that trouble is on its way, as something is looking through dead meat in a point of view shot, but her not looking over at the camera, therefore she is unable to see the person. This shows the advantage the other person has compared to the woman. Almost as if she should be crying out for help by this point. The angle being focused below her represents her being higher up and fierce in what is going to happen next. As the shot moves to a behind shoulder shot, of the trolley being shoved at her, this shows the strength of the other person has as she was almost knocked over it. But then again as she pushing the trolley aside and with even more strength, show the anger of her at this point. She behind shoulder shot is used whilst running as the camera shakes from side to side to create the effect to the audience that they are running behind, almost part of the chase. The clear shot of the man dressed in all black and showing that she cannot catch up with him shows that men are dominating and she is struggling as a woman. As they make their way into the club a point of view shot is done to show the panic of the search to find this man. But the extreme close up of other people’s faces in the club represent the loosing of the women. But as she continues and a mid-shot of the mysterious man dressed in black shows that she is catching up and winning her higher dependence over the man. As she continues to run a what looks like an abandoned part of the club and wide shot of the women down a corridor is shown. The shot emphasises the how long the corridor actually is and this represents the emphasis of the chance of her winning over the man. However the extreme close up cut in of the black door handle, as she find a door to go through, creates the tension of the scene. Creating the audience to think ‘has she finally found him’. The camera is on the handle for about 3-5 seconds, this creates tensions to what could be lurking behind the door. The shot represents how long she may have long to live, or how long she has until she has caught the hooded man. The shot with wide shot with both characters in show the man in standing higher up than the women. As he hits her round the head, the camera hasn’t moved, and she falls to the ground. The camera shot again doesn’t move. This shows that the man has won the chase, and he is more dominant than the women. It represents no matter what’s reinforced earlier on men will always have high ground/ be more dominant than women in society.

Something else that is important in TV dramas is mise en scene. This includes the characters, what they wear, what makeup etc. In the hustle Dexter the man is shown as a typical cockney business man. His fake cockney accent represents he has tried hard to get where he is today. Maybe suggesting when he was younger he was not a typical ‘ladies’ man’ and wasn’t accepted by the people he knew. So now he is a ‘try hard’ putting on a strong cockney accent to fit his business character, which he thinks would be more appealing for women. He wears a purple Shirt with gold tie, with quite a few gold accessories on him e.g. earring, ring, watch.  This represents his wealth, however the clashing in colours of purple and gold represent the clashing of his cheap looking (covered in cheap looking gold jewellery e.g. watch, ring, earring.) to what his business actually is, he earns a lot of money but what he wear clashes being he looks cheap (identity and business clashes). He is also bald which doesn’t seem very appealing to women at all; this could show the ageing of himself. With a grey/black beard on his chin. His shows he’s not as young as he makes out by going after younger women. He has no respect for women really, as he hasn’t even spoke to the attractive women Emma. Yet he pays a lot of interest for her. However with the other women in office he doesn’t even look at her when he asks for a cup of tea. Is demanding and rude.  

 

Ciara Singleton, Unfinished.               

How are social groups represented in a music video?

How are social groups represented in a music video? 

In the media social groups can be represented in many different ways, through text, images, the clothes they wear, their behaviour. But in music video's all of this can be seen at once, the few minutes that they are being filmed. The music industry is very big, therefore there are various of different types of styles of music to suit the particular/certain audience the band, singer etc want to attract. So, social groups are formed in music videos. This could be shown through class, race or gender. 

One social group which we as a audience see alot of in music videos are, Rappers. The men are represented as rich 'pimps' covered in head to toe gold and diamonds. They are represented as irresistible to women although they have little respect for the women. They show that they are irresistible by the showing the wealthy side to their lifestyle, filming their music videos in big mansions, with glass and crystal expensive furniture, and girls prancing round it nothing more than just their underwear. They are stereotypically usually known for being black gangster rappers. And if they are not in their huge million dollar houses, they are simply in the streets of rough rural areas of America; from where the majority have originated from. This represents the violent and criminal sides of the rappers, showing the audience that they are tough. They are represented as gang cultures when the music videos are set out on the streets. Usually wearing extremely baggy clothing, (jeans low down, trainers, and t-shirt and hoodie with chains). What they wear really show the audience what they are representing, as they are not from a rich high achieving background the majority of the time but have worked their way up to the top but still stay loyal and represent their home towns by filming their music videos there. 

Women can be represented very differently depending on who is in the video with them. If women aren't actually artists and are simply just models in the background, they are represented as a piece of meat for the male side of the audience to drool over. As they prance around in their underwear, they are being represented as sex objects and in a very derogatory manor. This is for people to be attracted and listen to the song and could end up really liking the video. Not only is it what the women do in the music videos but its is also the lyrics of the music video, they have raunchy lyrics and the women are they support what the music is saying as they use their body and face to attract men. e.g. in the video Strip by Chris Brown, he sings about girls in a sexual way but the women are represented as backing up what he is saying and represented as an easy target.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SUC8vTEYYg

However in some other music videos women are shown as very independent inspirational women, who are role models for teenagers, and women in today's society. Showing the complete opposite to what the other women in the other video's such as rap video's as i was just previously talking about. Some music videos can be very inspirational and show people what is right. In these music videos women are represented as a modern day women, independent and capable to do everything herself, working hard to get what she want and what she deserves. Helping others around them. E.g. Beyonce Knowles new single I was here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i41qWJ6QjPI
The video begins with a title showing how Beyonce wants to inspire people around her, and then as she walk onto the huge stay whilst millions of fans scream for her apperence, the light hight lights her curvaceous body,  this represents her as a real women who is showing how women should be, the light shining on her creates the idea that she is the perfect role model. She stand up right and strong to show her dignity. The music video is not just on her but on others who are suffering around the world, this really emphasises the fact that she represents kindness and selfless. She also sings with a strong powerful voice to show the power of the lyrics that affects the rest of the world. The camera flashes on the audience from time to time to show that she has infatuated the audience. 

Another type of sterotype is rock bands. Rock bands are represented as a living life to the full and not caring about anything but 'sex, drugs and rock and roll'. The music video usually consists of just simply the band, lights, and the stage with a excited enthusiastic crowd. The grungy rough, covered in tattoo's appearence, represents the rebelious lifestyle they live. They are represented as just to have fun and live life drinking and parting. They are not represented as the most wanted lifestyle for parents wanting the children to live, however all teenages want to living life like there's no tomorrow. The stomping around, heading banging, and the violent strums to the guitar and bangs on the drums, represents the aggressiveness and anger being let out through their music. The lighting on the stage with just no scenery but the instuments and wires running across the stay for techinical reason represent the simpleness of their music, using only music to entertain their audience. E.g. Reckless by You me at six. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmrmencS8GM&feature=relmfu

Audience Theories

Over the course of the past century or so, media analysts have developed several effects models, ie theoretical explanations of how humans ingest the information transmitted by the media texts and how this might influence (or not) their behaviour. 

1. The Hypodermic Needle Model
   This was the first attempt of audience theories and was suggested from around the 1920's. Attempting to explain how mass audience might react to mass media. It suggests the audience passively recieve the information transmitted via a media text, with any attempt on their part to process or challenge the data. This theory was developed in an age where the mass media was fairly new- radio and cinema were less than two decades old. Governments had just discovered the power of advertising to communicate a message, and produced propaganda to try and sway people to their way of thinking.
   
   Basically, the hypodermic needle model suggests that the information from a text passes into mass consciouness of the audience unmediated, ie the experience, intelligence and opinion of an individual are not relevant to the reception of the text. The theory suggests that as an audience are passive and heterogeneous ( a diverse in character or context). This is still quoted during moral panics by parent, politicians and pressure groups and is used to explain why certain groups in society should not be exposed to certain media texts, because they will watch certain things (e.g. sexual or violent behaviour) and will act it out themselves.
   It is almost like a needle (media) is being pushed and the poisonous contagious substance (what we see, read etc in media) into our head so we copy and repeat this in today's society.
   
   
2. Two-step Flow
   Paul Lazarsfeld, Benard Berelson, and Hazel Gaudet analysed the voters decision making processes during 1940's presidential election campaign and published their results in a paper called The People's Choice. Their findings suggested that the information does not flow directly from the text into the audiences minds but is filtered through 'opinion leaders' who then communicate it to their less active associates, over whom they influence. This diminished the power of the media in the eyes of the researchers, and caused them to conclude the social factors were also important in the way in which audiences interpreted texts, this is also known as limited effects paradigm.
3. Uses & Gratification
   Explained earlier on in blog.
4. Reception Theory
   In the 1980's and 1990's a lot of work was done on the way individuals received and interpreted text, and how their individual circumstances (gender, class, age, ethnicity) affected their reading.
   Encoding- Putting meaning into something
   Decoding- Working out the meaning of something.
   This work was based on Stuart Hall's encoding/ decoding model of the relationship between text audience- the text is encoded by the producer and decoded by the audience, and there may be major differences between two different readings of the same code. However, by using recognised codes and conventions, and bt drawing upon audience expectations relating to aspects such as genre and use of the star, the producers can position the audience and thus crate a certain amount of agreement on what the code means, This is known as preferred reading.

Conventions of a TV drama

What set of rules, codes and formulae does TV drama follow?

• Scripted, fictional narrative.
• Central characters.
• Often continuous story lines.
• Often familiar settings.
• Key themes.
• Verisimilitude (relatable, realistic settings, characters and story lines).
• Could be a one-off/ special, mini series, serial.
• Serials can be progressive story lines, continuing from week to week and developing across a series, or can be self contained each episode, despite featuring the same characters and settings.
• Distinctive style of directing/ shooting.

Shot Types

Extreme Wide Shot (EWS):
The view is so far from the subject that he isn't visible. Often used as an establishing shot. 

Very Wide Shot (VWS):
The subject is visible (barely), but the emphasis is still on placing him in his environment.

Wide Shot (WS):
The subject takes up the full frame, or at least as much as comfortably possible.
AKA: long shot, full shot.

Mid Shot (MS):
Shows some part of the subject in more detail while still giving an impression of the whole subject.

Medium Close Up (MCU):Half way between a MS and a CU. 

Close Up (CU):
A certain feature or part of the subject takes up the whole frame.

Extreme Close Up (ECU):
The ECU gets right in and shows extreme detail.

Cut-In:
Shows some (other part of the subject in detail).

Cutaway (CA):
A shot of something other than the subject.

Two-shot:
A shot of two people, framed similarly to mid shot.