Work through the following tasks to build a detailed case study for Capital. This will give you plenty of background information to use in an exam question. Remember, for this CSP the question could be on any of the key concepts: language, industries, audiences or representations.
Reviews and features
Read the following interviews, reviews and features on Capital:
Guardian review by Sam Wollaston
Telegraph review by Ben Lawrence
London Evening Standard: five things you need to know about Capital
Behind the scenes filming Capital from the Daily Telegraph
1) What positive points do the reviews pick out about Capital?
1. the cast is brilliant
2. its far more gripping than a drama about the property market sounds
3.it will ring true for alot of Londoners
2) What criticisms are made - either of the TV drama or the original novel?
There was an overly schematic tangle of under-developed storylines populated by underwritten characters.
Some may have been frustrated by the plot which meandered like the Thames, with only the sinister postcards that were delivered to the residents (which read “We want what you have”) giving a connection to the disparate lives.
3) How does the TV drama change the time period and location for the story in comparison to the original novel?
The novel was set in 2007-8 around the time of the financial crisis. However, the TV drama is set in 2015 and is located in Balham, rather than Clapham.
4) In the Telegraph 'behind the scenes' article, what does the writer say about the London housing market?
Average London house price hits £500,000 as capital's house market shows no sign of loosing stream.
5) What references can you find in these reviews and features to the idea Capital is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama? How does it capture modern-day London?
Capital refers to a 'state-of-the-nation' drama as it is designed to capture the issues facing the country at the time it is written and produced. Capital offers a microcosmic metaphor for London at large. It also gives an overview of the center of London where it is most developed with enormous, modern buildings.
Textual analysis
Watch the trailer for Capital:
1) How does the drama use camerawork to capture London life?
Capital uses camerawork very effectively at the beginning of the trailer. The video starts of with a closeup shot of the streets name, quickly giving the audience an insight of what the show is gonna be mainly focusing on. At 0:02, the video uses a birds eye view shot to amaze the audience of the beauty of London and briefly show where this TV show will be set. Later on the show, there are many big/close ups of letters that are sent through the mail all with a different meaning and narrative concept behind it. These letters cause disruption among families which is captured through a over-the-shoulder shot.
2) What does the camera movement when characters are initially introduced suggest about the drama and its London setting? Pick out one or two shots in particular.
At the beginning when all the characters were being introduced, mainly a pan shot was taken place to capture the movements of the characters , reinforced by fast paced transitions between the characters. The shifts between the clips, only focused on the main characters and therefore the background and atmosphere was quite quiet in London.
3) How does the trailer use mise-en-scene to capture the family element of the drama?
The main character, who is always in crisis, named Roger, wears a suit or something formal when hes at work or at a family motive. This suggests that the man is the provider in the family as his clothes connotes power, confidence. The props used such as the the supermarket owned by the Muslims suggests that they are in a financial crisis due to low income compared to Roger's job.
4) Bastille's 'These Streets' is used as the soundtrack for the trailer. What does this communicate to the audience and why is it effective?
The Soundtrack 'These Streets' could be said to be parallel sound since it syncs with the video really well. The fast upbeat music keeps up with the fast paced editing between each character and the tension created in the video. The beat speeds up when there is suspense; this is effective as it brings realism and acts as an advocate for the tension being built up for the audience.
5) How does the trailer introduce narrative strands suggesting tension or enigma in the 40-second running time?
The character Roger seemed happy in the first 20 seconds of the video and then suddenly seemed worried and frightened. The change in attitude creates enigma codes about the situation the characters are going through. Also the letters sent in the mail also generates enigma codes which also builds tension for the characters as well as the audience.
Watch the Episode 1 preview for Capital:
1) What does this preview clip suggest about the potential sub-genres for Capital?
The preview clip suggests that the potential sub-genres for Capital could be crime as we see a police officer being introduced and is investigating these letters which normally occurs in a crime drama series.
2) What elements of the clip might suggest this is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama?
In this clip it refers to immigration and racism, which could suggest the ongoing issues in society. This is shown through the islamophobia used by the police officer, which reflects back to the issues in today society as it has been ongoing for the last couple years.
3) Analyse the mise-en-scene in this clip. How does this provide realism and familiarity for audiences?
The undercover cop is wearing a very formal suit which connotes authority. The audience are easily familiarized by the British white character. However, You see Muslims working while joining into the conversation. This suggests labor at a young age which reflects to the audience how harsh reality is towards foreigners than British white people.
4) What audience pleasures are provided by this scene?
The preview clip exhibits visceral pleasure to the audience as the impression given from the police officer lacks confidence towards the letters in his hands. This creates tension for the audience due to the unfamiliarity in the cops face when looking at the letters. Another audience pleasure that is shown is vicarious pleasure as we feel sympathetic towards the family receiving these obscured letters.
5) How is the audience positioned to respond to the different characters in this particular sequence?
The audience is positioned to respond in a sympathetic way towards the Muslim family as they are going through a crisis even though they are low on financial income compared to the Roger family. The audience cant put much faith in the police officer as he looked completely lost in words when he read the letters for the first time as well.
Watch the Episode 2 preview for Capital:
1) How does this clip represent upper-middle-class family life?
The upper-middle class are able to hire workers to look after their kids. This is rarely seen in middle class family's but however seen as normal in the upper. We see a glimpse of the enormous garden they have and the bright white colours in the living room indicates richness and a luxurious lifestyle.
2) What narrative strands are suggested in this sequence?
The narrative strands suggested in this sequence are difficulties in the relationship between the husband and wife. As noticed on the previous episode, the wife was furious about the way the husband was acting. We also see the husband flirting with the nanny with the question " do you have a boyfriend "
3) How is the audience positioned to respond to Roger Yount, the main character (banker and father to the two boys)?
The audience should be disappointed in the the main character Roger Yount due to his selfish behaviour of flirting with another lady even though he has a wife with two kids. However, we do see Roger interacting with his kids and leaving work aside for a day by singing along with them.
Representations: close-textual analysis
Capital offers a range of fascinating representations - from London and Islam to the issues of asylum seekers and inequality. You need to be able to confidently discuss these issues in the context of 2015 London - with reference to key scenes from episode 1. Representations include: London, family, gender, ethnicity, religion, immigration, asylum, inequality, wealth, aging and more.
1) Write an analysis of the representations in each of the key scenes from episode 1 we studied in class:
Scene 1: opening sequence 00:30 – 4.49
low key lighting of the London, birds eye view of a specific location in London - one neighborhood
Family is not fixated- fast pace cuts, females are weak and fragile- men doing all the work
White British think they are superior than others, close up of Pakistanis
House pricing increasing - showing a rapid economic change
Scene 2: work in the City 6.28 – 8.10
Busy underground stations, police sirens on the street of london,fetishes the buildings- birds eye view shot.
Rogers wife spending husbands money, top floor workers filled with men- male dominated- sexist
British white working in the city- profesional jobs
High paid jobs in the city , old lady is aging at the hospital, women are invisible
Scene 3: “Which of those isn’t absolutely essential?” 14.00 – 15.35
Point of view shot of the houses, enigma codes in the beginning, music is very tense
husband in bed still doing work, wife has power of her body, the relationship isn't strong
Stereotypes of German being reinforced
The rich have holiday and weekend houses
Scene 4: asylum 18.03 – 19.42 AND 31.10 – 32.40
Birds eye view of the houses, random noises coming from the houses whilst outside
Black female fearing to be deported, male sexual exploitation of female, black woman as an immagration lawyer- shows power
Black female showing contribution to the city,white high ranking officer, black people are involved in dodgy business.
black female has a letter from the asylum about immigration, positive representation of an immigrant
Scene 5: “What use is 30 grand?” 36.40 – 39.00
Establishing shot, up-beat music
the female is flirtatious when husband is going work for a bonus
british male working in the city in a modernized office
the rich doesn't understand 30,000 is alot for poor people, time lapse showing how long he has worked for only to get 30,000
Scene 6: life at the corner shop 40.10 – 42.55
diversity represented in london
Wife going outside for food to cook instead of the husband
Pakistanis are shown to be helpful, Pakistani men are expected to have a medical degree, Asian family own a corner shop.
Older generation have more authority over the younger generation, diversity is reinforced since the upper class and the lower class live on the same road. You can choose which aspects to focus on for each scene: e.g. London, family, gender, ethnicity, religion, immigration, asylum, inequality, wealth, aging etc.
2) How does Capital use stereotypes? Do the characters and issues represented in Capital reinforce or subvert the stereotypes we typically see in the media?
Capital reinforces Muslim stereotypes as they are expected to get a medical degree and go university hopefully. However there are some aspects where Capital subverts Muslim stereotypes as they are not all seen as terrorist in fact none of them. Instead they are viewed as genuinely caring and down to earth.
Industries and production context
Capital was produced by independent production company Kudos for the BBC. Look at the Kudos website and also read the Kudos Wikipedia page.
1) Who is the parent company for Kudos?
The parent company for Kudos is 21st Century Fox. Apollo Global Management and Endemol Shine Group are also parent companies.
2) What was the breakthrough show for Kudos in 2002?
Spooks - debuted on BBC One, 13th May 2002.
3) Watch the showreel on the Kudos website. What other TV dramas have Kudos produced? What awards have they won?
Kudos have won awards such as Peabody Award for Broadchurch ,Television Bulldog Award - Best Indie and Broadcast Magazine Supplement. They have produced TV dramas such as: Broadchurch, Flowers, Grantchester, River, Humans and The Tunnel. These programmes have made them receive these awards.
4) What audience pleasures does the showreel suggest Kudos productions offer?
The showreel gives an insight of what TV shows can be viewed on Kudos production. Showreel exhibits alot of personal relationship where the audience builds an emotional connection with one of the character. Also some TV shows on showreel create visceral pleasure, a sense of suspense that occurs during the season.
Marketing and promotion
Read the BBC Press Pack for Capital.
1) How does the programme information on page 3 make Capital sound interesting to audiences?
Capital's analysis on the post codes deepens which evokes changes in the audiences focus on learning more about this vivid and unforgettable ensemble of characters. Interweaving stories reveal lives filled with love and loss, fear and greed, fortune and envy and most recognisable of all, family and home. All these factors emphasise the social realism in depicts towards the modern reality.
2) Why does the programme information mention the other shows that the director and producer have worked on?
The director promotes his other shows to give an insight of what sub genres would be included in Capital. The audience that have watched the previous shows, will be more engaged in watching the next upcoming TV drama which is Capital. This shows familiarity between two TV shows.
3) Who commissioned Capital for BBC?
Kudos commissioned Capital for BBC One.
4) Read the interview with Toby Jones. What does he say about the character of Roger?
According to Toby Jones, Roger isn't and evil banker. instead he is presented as a slightly complacent banker. he’s a very well educated, functioning human being on one level, who has obeyed the rules and earned a lot of money.
5) Read the interview with Adeel Akhtar (page 10). What does he suggest Capital says about the fictional Pepys Road and the sense of community (or lack of it) in London?
The crossroad is slowly evolving culturally, economically and socially. Pepys Road is a manifestation of this. The idea of a community is that it consists of everyone from different backgrounds however in capital some characters feel like that they don't belong in this community for example Ahmed’s brother Usman.
6) Read the interview with Shabana Azmi (page 12). What does she say about Asian representations in Britain?
If you look at the subject of Capital, we are absorbing cultures, and understanding them, or at least trying to understand them within their own paradigms.
7) Read the interview with Peter Bowker (who adapted Capital - page 14). What are his favourite scenes in the drama and why?
Christmas morning where Roger has been abandoned and left to look after his two children is one that Euros (Director) has done brilliantly. I also love the Kamals’chaotic family meals. They are quintessentially archetypal family scenes that everybody lives through, but played with great comedic panache.
8) Read the interview with Derek Wax, the Executive Producer for Kudos (page 16). Why did he produce Capital and what does it say about the way we live now?
The novel really spoke to me as it has a sweeping Dickensian ambition to it, all life in one street. I loved the sense of this big, expansive panorama of life as well as the small details of human behaviour. The whole of London seen through the microcosm of one street. And the characters are so complex, real and believable.
The obsession with property, the fact that London house prices have risen extraordinarily, has only intensified the sense of a society of haves and have-nots.
DVD packaging
Look at the DVD packaging for Capital. There are many marketing techniques employed here.
1) How does the packaging use other critically acclaimed TV dramas to promote Capital?
The packaging uses other critically acclaimed Tv dramas to familiarize the audience that capital will be based on the same concept or same sub-genres.
2) What does the use of design and images suggest to the audience about the drama?
The design has a very modern look therefore, the audience would believe that this tv drama is based in a modern society and may include wealthy people. Also the different characters from different ethnicity shows this TV drama has diversity.
3) How are review quotes used on the cover and what do they suggest to the audience about sub-genre, narrative and audience pleasures?
The review quotes suggest that the narrative is intense and would immediately grip the audience into it. The quotes suggests that the sub genres are mystery and crime since you expect the unexpected.
4) What representation of London does the DVD packaging offer?
I believe it represents the diversity of London, due the different ethnic groups on show in the front cover.
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