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.
• 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 And how they link to…
– Mise-en-scene
– Editing

– Representation

• Failure to discuss any of these areas will reduce

your mark!
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 Examples…

• Teen dramas • Skins, Hollyoaks.

• Soap operas • Eastenders, Corrie,
• Period dramas Emmerdale.
• Hospital dramas • Rome, Bleak House, Life
• on Mars.
Crime dramas
• 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
• 20th 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…
• 20th 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 - http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/
• Internet Movie Database - http://www.imdb.com/
• British Film Council - http://www.britfilms.com/
• Marketing and distribution of film -
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/distribution/distribution1.html
• Warp Film - http://warp.net/films
• Working Title - http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/
• Avatar website - http://www.avatar-movie.co.uk/
 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.