Coursework: Summer Project 2019
Your summer project contains compulsory and optional elements; everybody will be researching TV drama trailers, investigating their chosen drama genre, creating a TV drama concept, writing a first draft Statement of Intent and presenting this to class as an Ignite presentation in September. However, if you wish to also plan and film your production over the summer while you have time and actors available we would fully support you in this approach.
Summer project tasks
Complete the following tasks on a blogpost on your coursework blog called 'Summer Project: coursework planning':
1) Research: TV drama trailer analysis
You need to write detailed 250-word close-textual analyses of six TV drama trailers in your chosen genre. For each trailer, focus on a different aspect of media language, and embed each one on your blog:
TV drama trailer 1: Narrative and genre
How is narrative and genre communicated quickly and clearly to the audience?
The TV drama, Luther, Communicates a very action packed narrative consisting of many iconographies and action codes. These codes would engage the audience in the TV drama and allow them to create questions also known as enigma codes. The genre is clearly recognizable, alot of the audience would easily know that its a crime, action genre. The crime is exhibited through the police officer as he is shown as a rebel due to his actions to being right in the eyes of others. The police officer fights crime on his own and therefore is seen as the main character of the TV drama. Audience will create personal relationships with the character as he goes through some emotional breakdowns and pictures him self as a protagonist to the audience. Audience may feel sympathetic towards Lucifer due to his life never being perfect as there are always obstacles that he has to overcome in this TV show. From a crime genre, you expect it to be very tense and to generate alot of suspense. This TV drama trailer delivers that perfectly as the audience are always gripped to their seat due to it surprising the audience with alot of iconographies.
TV drama trailer 2: Mise-en-scene
What do you notice about the use of mise-en-scene to create meanings for the audience? Think CLAMPS.
Money heist uses alot of mise-en-scene since each seen scene is planned according to the heist therefore, including different costumes for each step that they are going to take, Each person has a unique role therefore, their movements will be different to the others. One costume that is commonly used the red costume connoting danger and fear. The mask to cover their identity complements the red colour as they both connote evil and foreshadowing an incredibly horrible and vivid moment in the TV show. In the TV show, mostly low key lighting is used to create a very intermediating look for the characters. The people that are kept hostage, high key lighting is used to create a vulnerable look and to make them seem terrified by these terrorists. During the show, a lot of medium/long shots are used to since a lot of the terrorist are very occupied in grabbing money, keeping the hostages safe and feeding them to stay alive. Some characters in the group are emotionally affected by the job and therefore, close ups are used to capture their emotions and seeing them realise what they are doing is wrong. The Netflix TV drama is mostly set in a factory where their is a safe which has a lot of money.
TV drama trailer 3: Camerawork
Here you are looking for particular camera shots and movement. E.g. Are close-ups used to introduce key characters to the audience? How are establishing shots used?
At the start of the trailer, it shows a high point of view shot of the cars drifting around. This builds excitement for the audience at the very start of the trailer. Due to this opening, it engages the audience to continue watching and expect more scenes like this in the trailer. There is a medium/long-shot of the man shouting as well as including the deserted area that he is in. This creates many emotions and exhibits to the audience that there is not only action that is delivered but as well as emotions and really upsetting scenes. Later on, An over the shoulder shot is taken as the man drops his daughter of to school. The camerawork in that scene is used very efficiently as it creates a meaningful emotion which is regret and guilt that will be foreshadowed across the whole TV drama show. Having a variety of different shots creates a different meaning which can be interpreted in different ways. This show uses that perfectly as it all fits to the story line really well. Binary opposition is displayed through the use of camerawork as each scene portrays sorrowful emotions for example tears compared to the beginning of the trailer, it shows jealousy and blood.
TV drama trailer 4: Editing
Analyse pace, transitions, number of shots and juxtaposition e.g. eyeline matches. Does the pace speed up towards the end of the trailer?
The trailer starts of really slow portraying a sign of relief as the main character has just left prison. The trailer is still really relaxed however, it does have some simple editing techniques such as match on action when the main character leaves the premises through the door. The trailer starts to pick up when he starts getting into his old habit which are committing crimes in the city for money. There is an 180 degrees shot of the man and woman sitting on the table. The woman is surprised how people act towards the main character as if hes some villain. During half way through the trailer, fast pace editing is used to enhance the juxtaposition of the man committing crimes whilst having scenes in between sitting with his parents, discussing how he has changed compared to the past. A jump cut is used at 1:52, as it changes cut to a closer look at what the guy was viewing. When there is an action code being displayed, The editing becomes faster to create tension for the audience. Many jump cuts to different locations are demonstrated towards the end of the trailer speeding up the pace of the trailer. The trailer finishes at a long/ medium shot of the man looking down at something unusual.
TV drama trailer 5: Sound
Analyse both diegetic and non-diegetic sound - music, dialogue, voiceover, SFX, background or foley sound etc.
The introduction of the trailer with the name of the show has non-diegetic sound as it uses a loud base to grab the audiences attention. As soon as it cuts to the first scene, a very subtle music track is played over the shots. This really brings out only one emotional which is love with a mixture regret of loosing that loved one. The sound track fits perfectly in the background as it creates synergy with the shots shown on screen. Since its a trailer, alot of dialogue is used to really portray the narrative that is being presented through the shots, also known as diegetic sound. There are some background sound which is then recovered when it moves to the right scene of the character that is speaking. The music track is played throughout the whole trailer and then finishes when the outro is played which is the same as it was in the beginning. When someone raises their voice, background sound is muted such as people speaking in the background or the outside noise. This is used for the audience to only focus on the dialogue and not the surrounding as it is supposed to be a memorable dialogue in the trailer.
TV drama trailer 6: Trailer conventions, graphics, text-on-screen etc.
Here you need to explore trailer conventions - what does this trailer have that you've spotted in all the trailers you have analysed so far? Look for things like text on screen, graphics, title, release date, social media links and more.
The institution logo which is Netflix is not presented at the start which usually does in every Netflix show. The production logo is introduced after familiarising the audience of the setting that the TV show is situated in. English subtitles are used since its a foreign TV show. This is compulsory for all foreign language TV shows as it educates the audience of other rich drama that is made in contrast to our western cultural shows. The show cuts to black displaying a small quote saying " Based on case files from the Delhi police". The audience will understand this is based on non fictional acts that have occurred in Delhi. The caption also works as a surveillance for the audience. The TV show doesn't specify when the actual date is issued for this TV drama show but it includes in one of the text that it will be issued in 2019. At the end of the trailer, The name of the TV show is revealed to the audience along beside the institution logo 'Netflix'.
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