Working title
Narrow-temple
Genre
Crime
Duration
2 minutes 30 seconds - 3 minutes
Plot outline
Two female detectives sit in on a bench in a park - they are both happy as they have just caught the murderer for a series of crimes. We see that there is a potential romance going on between the two women and that the solving of the case may allow them to get closer. Olivia, the main detective gets a phone call; another officer informs her that they have just found a new piece of evidence revealing that the person who they thought was the killer was, in fact, an accomplice. The real killer was none other than Jodie: the detective who is sitting with her (dun dun duuuun). Olivia's expression changes - Jodie realises what is going on. Olivia asks Jodie to come with her, but Jodie breaks into a sprint and Olivia pursues her.
The pursuit takes them to a quiet urban area, and Olivia manages to corner Jodie. Jodie grabs a random passer-by, David, and holds a knife to their throat, threatening to kill him. Olivia manages to persuade her otherwise and Jodie releases him before slitting her own throat.
Characters
Olivia - the protagonist, a detective (and a bloody good one)
Jodie - another detective, turns out to be the killer
David - a random passer-by
Visual elements
High key lighting for exterior, more low-key lighting for interior (i.e. the person on the phone)
Audio elements
Non-diegetic music; happy at the start, then dramatic, then tense, then tragic at the end
Themes
Work vs personal life, LGBTQ+, good vs bad, what is morally right
Requirements and resources
3 actors (2 female and 1 male), a rubber knife, a park location and an urban location, an office location, a camera, an audio recorder and microphone, a tripod, possibly a dolly, stock music, a throat-slitting effect
Audience
18-35 year old millennials, ABC1, liberal-minded, cross-gender appeal
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Broadchurch season 1 review
After watching the first episode of Broadchurch for textual analysis of crime TV shows, I was intrigues by the series and went to buy the box set in order to have a more in-depth look at the show. The first season of Broadchurch absolutely amazed me; the cast, the writing, the direction and just about everything else about the season is an incredible feat for modern television and makes for one of the best TV series which I have seen.
The series follows Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) and Alec Hardy (David Tennant) who are detectives investigating the murder of Danny Latimer, and 11 year old boy, in the once-peaceful coastal town of Broadchurch. The series is only 8 episodes long, but has a slow, deliberate pace. Unlike many crime dramas, it is not filled with chases, fights and plot twists, but instead focuses on the community of Broadchurch and the secrets which lie beneath the surface. While other shows may try to maximise potential for drama and shock, Broadchurch opts instead for a sense of realism which builds audience sympathy for the characters. The show is gripping from the offset and never failed to interest me or make me wonder what was going to happen next.
By far one of the best aspects of Broadchurch is the cast. Everyone is phenomenal and there are so many stand-out performances that it seems unfair just to name a few. Jodie Whittaker and David Tennant are both amazing; both have so much charisma, their performances feel completely natural and they have amazing chemistry together. The supporting cast is also amazing, particularly David Bradley, who plays a newsagent with a dark past, and Jodie Whittaker and Andrew Buchan who play Beth and Mark Latimer, the bereaved parents of Danny.
Broadchurch is, often, a very dark and gloomy show with lots of tears, however what keeps it from being depressing and hard to watch is its sense of hope and moments of light humour. Without these, the show would become a slog to watch, but with them it keeps the audience gripped to the story and always wanting more.
In terms of my coursework, the piece which I produce will probably be relatively similar to Broadchurch in terms of style, however I will make sure not to copy it completely. Mine will probably be a more generic, trashy crime drama with some kind of action/chase and a generic plot. I will have to try and cram a lot of different clichés and types of scenes into the 2-3 minutes which I create in order to show as many different skills and areas of knowledge as I can
By far one of the best aspects of Broadchurch is the cast. Everyone is phenomenal and there are so many stand-out performances that it seems unfair just to name a few. Jodie Whittaker and David Tennant are both amazing; both have so much charisma, their performances feel completely natural and they have amazing chemistry together. The supporting cast is also amazing, particularly David Bradley, who plays a newsagent with a dark past, and Jodie Whittaker and Andrew Buchan who play Beth and Mark Latimer, the bereaved parents of Danny.
Broadchurch is, often, a very dark and gloomy show with lots of tears, however what keeps it from being depressing and hard to watch is its sense of hope and moments of light humour. Without these, the show would become a slog to watch, but with them it keeps the audience gripped to the story and always wanting more.
In terms of my coursework, the piece which I produce will probably be relatively similar to Broadchurch in terms of style, however I will make sure not to copy it completely. Mine will probably be a more generic, trashy crime drama with some kind of action/chase and a generic plot. I will have to try and cram a lot of different clichés and types of scenes into the 2-3 minutes which I create in order to show as many different skills and areas of knowledge as I can
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Thursday, July 5, 2018
Evaluating past coursework projects
I decided to evaluate some past coursework projects in order to get more ideas for mine and to pick out weak areas so that I can hopefully improve them in my project. All of the projects which I looked at are from the crime genre (so are relevant to my project) as this was specified in the past brief. The coursework projects which I have evaluated were, however, based on a different brief which involved making the opening to a crime drama, so I will have to think about how the ideas could tie into my project whilst also sticking to the brief. Most of them include both a 'previously' section and an opening title sequence, neither of which are a requirement in my coursework and neither of which I plan to include in my coursework.
http://online.clickview.co.uk/libraries/categories/f6b652a2-0389-0ead-4cf4-07fa4c61bd14/2011?sort=productionyear
Wake up call
Good points: some good mise-en-scene (particularly makeup and some of the lighting).
Bad points: very confusing, makes very little sense, too fast-paced, poor choices of music, camerawork is quite bland.
Deception
Good points: decent camerawork, good mise-en-scene, good title sequence
Bad points: doesn't feel like a 'previously' segment in a crime drama - should have quick cross cutting and a fast pace instead of showing whole scenes.
Top secret
Good points: has lots of crime clichés, feels vaguely like a previously section in a crime drama.
Bad points: poor title sequence, reused shots, bland camerawork, acting is (too) over the top, could have used mise en scene better.
Actus Reus
Good points: good first half in terms of camerawork, mise-en-scene and editing.
Bad points: very bizarre title sequence, tries to use visual effects but they are very poor, poor choice of music (why is it always dubstep???), hard to follow.
Cold blood
Good points: decent camerawork, editing and sound, good title sequence.
Bad points: could make more use of mise-en-scene and crime clichés.
Hidden meanings
Good points: decent editing, camerawork and sound, good 'previously' section, good title sequence, makes use of crime clichés well, good use of locations.
Bad points: scene transitions are very sudden.
Games of murder
Good points: lighting is good (in comparison to other projects), title sequence is interesting (although too slow-paced).
Bad points: very odd choices of music (why rage against the machine?), camerawork is a bit too flashy, poorly edited conversations, doesn't make much use of mise-en-scene or crime stereotypes.
Detective Roberts
Convict
Summary: overall I have to say I was a little underwhelmed by the coursework projects. Although lots of them had clearly put effort into mise-en-scene, camerawork, etc., none of them felt at all like an actual crime drama. A lot of this, I would say, is due to the production values, performances and over-use of clichés. Too many of the films used Hills Road as a location without making it look like a different place. None of the films seemed to use any kind of artificial lighting (although obviously not everyone has access to this) in order to improve the image, which led to a lot of the interior scenes, in particular, looking very noisy and ugly. A lot of the conversations also felt awkward which is due to a mixture of the script, performance and editing. The acting in all of them was very bad; it's hard to blame them for this as the exam board doesn't seem to care much about acting and not everyone has access to great actors, however I will definitely try to find friends who do drama or are good at acting to star in my project. The sound recording was also poor in a lot of the projects as I imagine a lot of people didn't pay much attention to it and just used auto settings with the on-camera mic. For my project, I will definitely find a person to use as a dedicated sound recordist and will get them to use a boom mic with an external audio recorder.
Side note: why do they all use the same font?
Extra side note: how amazing is it to see a time when there wasn't a Co-Op opposite Hills Road?
http://online.clickview.co.uk/libraries/categories/f6b652a2-0389-0ead-4cf4-07fa4c61bd14/2011?sort=productionyear
Wake up call
Good points: some good mise-en-scene (particularly makeup and some of the lighting).
Bad points: very confusing, makes very little sense, too fast-paced, poor choices of music, camerawork is quite bland.
Deception
Good points: decent camerawork, good mise-en-scene, good title sequence
Bad points: doesn't feel like a 'previously' segment in a crime drama - should have quick cross cutting and a fast pace instead of showing whole scenes.
Top secret
Good points: has lots of crime clichés, feels vaguely like a previously section in a crime drama.
Bad points: poor title sequence, reused shots, bland camerawork, acting is (too) over the top, could have used mise en scene better.
Actus Reus
Good points: good first half in terms of camerawork, mise-en-scene and editing.
Bad points: very bizarre title sequence, tries to use visual effects but they are very poor, poor choice of music (why is it always dubstep???), hard to follow.
Cold blood
Good points: decent camerawork, editing and sound, good title sequence.
Bad points: could make more use of mise-en-scene and crime clichés.
Hidden meanings
Good points: decent editing, camerawork and sound, good 'previously' section, good title sequence, makes use of crime clichés well, good use of locations.
Bad points: scene transitions are very sudden.
Games of murder
Good points: lighting is good (in comparison to other projects), title sequence is interesting (although too slow-paced).
Bad points: very odd choices of music (why rage against the machine?), camerawork is a bit too flashy, poorly edited conversations, doesn't make much use of mise-en-scene or crime stereotypes.
Detective Roberts
Good points: Decent camerawork, makes good use of different locations, editing is ok
Bad points: Poor sound recording, shaky camerawork, hard to follow/badly structured, could have made better use of mise-en-scene and genre clichés.
Convict
Good points: good use of camerawork (not too flashy but still makes use of different angles and lengths), good sound and mise-en-scene, well-paced, makes good use of locations, music is well-incorporated, good visual storytelling (there is no dialogue).
Bad points: could have used more genre clichés, title sequence could have been better.
Summary: overall I have to say I was a little underwhelmed by the coursework projects. Although lots of them had clearly put effort into mise-en-scene, camerawork, etc., none of them felt at all like an actual crime drama. A lot of this, I would say, is due to the production values, performances and over-use of clichés. Too many of the films used Hills Road as a location without making it look like a different place. None of the films seemed to use any kind of artificial lighting (although obviously not everyone has access to this) in order to improve the image, which led to a lot of the interior scenes, in particular, looking very noisy and ugly. A lot of the conversations also felt awkward which is due to a mixture of the script, performance and editing. The acting in all of them was very bad; it's hard to blame them for this as the exam board doesn't seem to care much about acting and not everyone has access to great actors, however I will definitely try to find friends who do drama or are good at acting to star in my project. The sound recording was also poor in a lot of the projects as I imagine a lot of people didn't pay much attention to it and just used auto settings with the on-camera mic. For my project, I will definitely find a person to use as a dedicated sound recordist and will get them to use a boom mic with an external audio recorder.
Side note: why do they all use the same font?
Extra side note: how amazing is it to see a time when there wasn't a Co-Op opposite Hills Road?
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Genre and initial ideas
For my coursework, I have chosen to make a sequence from a crime TV show for ITV. I have chosen this as I feel that it is do-able with a shoestring budget and can be tailored to fit the coursework brief. Also, ITV have made several highly popular high-quality crime dramas in recent years such as Broadchurch and Marcella in addition to classics like Prime Suspect and The Professionals. I also, personally, enjoy crime dramas, which I think is important as it means I have motivation and an understanding of the genre.
Ideas for filming locations
(The idea for this list revolves around the idea of reverse budgeting, i.e. working out the resources you have available and building a story around it).
As for specific ideas, I haven't got very far yet. I have made some lists of ideas for characters and concepts in order to get me started.
Ideas for unique selling points
- The protagonist is a teenager - maybe a rookie officer?
- Some kind of hybrid - possibly horror/thriller?
- The protagonist has some kind of physical/mental disability e.g. mute, blind, etc.
- We never find out who the killer is.
- Set in a rural area.
(The idea for this list revolves around the idea of reverse budgeting, i.e. working out the resources you have available and building a story around it).
- The guided busway: fairly quiet, interesting urban location, could make for a good chase scene.
- Hills road (especially classrooms/offices)- could involve an interrogation with a teacher or something along those lines. Or could be made to look like a police HQ.
- My house - endless possibilities, practical (not too far from Hills).
- Cherry Hinton chalk pits - very nice-looking and cinematic location, quiet. Does look very rural, however, which goes against genre conventions.
Ideas for moments in the story
- A chase (cross cutting between the chase itself and a police HQ).
- The moment when the killer is revealed.
- The opening - could be the first killing, a police officer arriving at a crime scene, a person going about their day-to-day life (or a mixture of these).
- A fight scene - would probably have to be a fist fight as it would be a bit dodgy to carry around knives or fake guns if it was in a public place (although could do it on private property). It would be very ambitious to pull off as it's very difficult to choreograph fist fights and make them look realistic (I've tried before).
Ideas for characters
Sunday, July 1, 2018
Relevant theorists
David Hesmondhalgh
Hesmondhalgh's theory of 'The Cultural Industries' states that large media corporations and conglomerates minimize risk in order to maximize profits through the use of tried-and-tested formulae and horizontal and vertical integration. This applies to my coursework as a commercial broadcaster like ITV would generally follow these rules by maximising its audience (as it specifies in its remit) and would generally adopt more generic, tried and tested formulas (with slight tweaks) in favour of more original and risky concepts (which PSBs like the BBC aim to create).
Steve Neale
Neale's theory of repetition and difference states that media texts appeal to audiences by repeating tried-and-tested formulas, however with elements of variation to avoid boring the audience. If I end up creating a TV show which falls into a specific genre (probably crime) then I will be following this theory by including enough genre cliches which audiences would be familiar with, but also adding in variations (which could also be a unique selling point). In a show like The Bridge, for example, many crime conventions are followed such as the use of an urban location, low-key lighting and plot twists. However, it adds variation to the genre through its multi-cultural nature, being set in both Sweden and Denmark, in addition to the character of Saga, a socially awkward detective who is likely on the autism spectrum.
Claude Levi-Strauss
Levi-Strauss' theory of binary oppositions states that media texts use so-called 'binary opposites' in order to create meaning and accentuate difference. In a TV context, specifically crime TV, this could mean a pair of detectives with opposing personalities/methods (*cough cough* Broadchurch), good vs evil, or work vs personal. Furthermore, from a technical point of view, it could involve combining moments of silence with louder moments or contrasting shaky camera-work with stable camera-work.
Vladmir Propp
Propp's narrative theory states that there are a set of eight character types which are used in stories (originating from fairytales): the hero, the helper, the villain, the donor, the princess, the princess' father, the dispatcher and the false hero. In a modern context, multiple characters may fall into one or more of these characters, however it still can be applied to many texts. In order for my coursework to meet genre conventions, I may want to think about how I may include different character types in my scene and how I may want to add variety.
Tzetvan Todorov
Todorov's theory of narratology states that stories are comprised of five stages: equilibrium, disruption, recognition of disruption, attempt to repair and new equilibrium. This theory can, to some degree, be applied to almost all stories, and the exam board almost forces us to follow it. We are told that the sequence which we create must either be a key turning point (moving from one stage to the next), a point of significant conflict (either part of the disruption or attempt to repair) or a resolution (the new equilibrium).
Stuart Hall
Hall's reception theory states that producers encode media texts with codes in order to convey meaning. He says that there are three responses which an audience may have to a given text: the preferred reading, the negotiated reading, or the oppositional reading. This applies to both the TV show aspect and the lifestyle magazine aspect of the coursework. In the TV show sequence I create, I will be attempting to convey a set of values or morals to the viewer through the use of micro and macro elements. In the article, part of the purpose (from the TV channel's perspective) is promotion for the show, so the preferred reading in this instance would be for the reader to want to watch the show.
Hesmondhalgh's theory of 'The Cultural Industries' states that large media corporations and conglomerates minimize risk in order to maximize profits through the use of tried-and-tested formulae and horizontal and vertical integration. This applies to my coursework as a commercial broadcaster like ITV would generally follow these rules by maximising its audience (as it specifies in its remit) and would generally adopt more generic, tried and tested formulas (with slight tweaks) in favour of more original and risky concepts (which PSBs like the BBC aim to create).
Steve Neale
Neale's theory of repetition and difference states that media texts appeal to audiences by repeating tried-and-tested formulas, however with elements of variation to avoid boring the audience. If I end up creating a TV show which falls into a specific genre (probably crime) then I will be following this theory by including enough genre cliches which audiences would be familiar with, but also adding in variations (which could also be a unique selling point). In a show like The Bridge, for example, many crime conventions are followed such as the use of an urban location, low-key lighting and plot twists. However, it adds variation to the genre through its multi-cultural nature, being set in both Sweden and Denmark, in addition to the character of Saga, a socially awkward detective who is likely on the autism spectrum.
Claude Levi-Strauss
Levi-Strauss' theory of binary oppositions states that media texts use so-called 'binary opposites' in order to create meaning and accentuate difference. In a TV context, specifically crime TV, this could mean a pair of detectives with opposing personalities/methods (*cough cough* Broadchurch), good vs evil, or work vs personal. Furthermore, from a technical point of view, it could involve combining moments of silence with louder moments or contrasting shaky camera-work with stable camera-work.
Vladmir Propp
Propp's narrative theory states that there are a set of eight character types which are used in stories (originating from fairytales): the hero, the helper, the villain, the donor, the princess, the princess' father, the dispatcher and the false hero. In a modern context, multiple characters may fall into one or more of these characters, however it still can be applied to many texts. In order for my coursework to meet genre conventions, I may want to think about how I may include different character types in my scene and how I may want to add variety.
Tzetvan Todorov
Todorov's theory of narratology states that stories are comprised of five stages: equilibrium, disruption, recognition of disruption, attempt to repair and new equilibrium. This theory can, to some degree, be applied to almost all stories, and the exam board almost forces us to follow it. We are told that the sequence which we create must either be a key turning point (moving from one stage to the next), a point of significant conflict (either part of the disruption or attempt to repair) or a resolution (the new equilibrium).
Stuart Hall
Hall's reception theory states that producers encode media texts with codes in order to convey meaning. He says that there are three responses which an audience may have to a given text: the preferred reading, the negotiated reading, or the oppositional reading. This applies to both the TV show aspect and the lifestyle magazine aspect of the coursework. In the TV show sequence I create, I will be attempting to convey a set of values or morals to the viewer through the use of micro and macro elements. In the article, part of the purpose (from the TV channel's perspective) is promotion for the show, so the preferred reading in this instance would be for the reader to want to watch the show.
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