TV industry: Common - Representation

Learning objective:

To study Common, the BBCTV special with consideration given to representation of gender.
Are the representations stereotypical?

Key terms: 

Mediation - This is the way in which a media text is constructed in order to represent the producer of the text's version of reality. This is constructed through selection, organisation and focus.

Window on the world - This is the idea that media texts, particularly those that present aspects of reality, are showing the audience the real world as it happens.

Understanding the concept of representation is essential at A2 level. 
You must be able to go beyond a simplistic discussion of stereotypes or positive and negative representations.

To analyse the impact of representation in media texts you must be aware of the context and the purpose of representation within the text. There are some key questions you must be able to consider:

• How has the world represented in this media text been constructed?
• What ideas and values are being communicated in the text? In this case by McGovern and the BBC.
• Who is the target audience of the text? How may different audiences respond to the representations contained within the text? Who will accept and who will challenge? (Consider Stuart Hall here - Preferred, negotiated and oppositional readers).
• What messages are contained within the text? How might these messages impact upon the audience?  How might Common impact upon a teenage viewer?

Task 1: Watch Common and discuss the four questions above.

Studentshare>Media>Year 13 A2

Representation as a media concept

The producers of a media text encode ideas and messages within the text through representations. The aim of the producers of the text is to communicate their ideology to the audience. Audiences then decode the messages and respond to them in different ways depending on their own life experiences.

All media texts are constructed and all representations contained within texts have been constructed. This gives an illusion of reality which some audiences will accept as truth without challenging.

Representations are constructed through visual and technical codes, audio codes, language and mode of address.

The CONTEXT and purpose of the representation is important. The representation of young people in The Inbetweeners is constructed to make the audience laugh because it is a situation comedy.

Stereotypes are constructions that are made up of over exaggerated and easily recognisable character traits. They are used to convey information rapidly as audiences will have ideas and expectations of how certain stereotypical characters should behave. Not all representations are negative.

All media texts go through a process of mediation. They are not windows on the world. Through construction and selection the texts are interpreted for us and the representation of the issue, event or social group is presented in a particular way through this process.

Jimmy McGovern

Common is a rich text in terms of examples of representation. there are a range of representation areas for you to study and discuss.

There are positive and negative examples of older people and young adults. These have been constructed through the use of visual and technical codes and depending on how the audience decodes the messages within the text, there will be a range of responses.
As well as age, you should consider the representation of gender and class.

Task 2: 
Watch Common and write down how the characters Johnjo O'Shea, Coleen O'Shea (Johnjo's mother) and Margaret Ward (the mother of the murdered boy) have been represented both positively and negatively. Argue if these characters are stereotypical or not and explore any underlying ideologies.
Consider representation of age and gender as constructed through visual and technical codes. Remember to consider the context and the settings.
How have you arrived at these conclusions?    
Bullet points. Orange books.

TV industry Common - Narrative

Learning objective: 
To study Common, a 90 minute TV special with consideration given to narrative issues, structure, conventions and key codes.

Key terms: 

Plot situation: Elements that are part of the narrative and that an audience will expect to see in a particular text.

Privileged spectator position: Where the camera places the audience in a superior position within the narrative. The audience can then anticipate what will follow.

Manipulation of time: The narrative shapes the text through time  and are given snapshots of what happened in the past. Often indicated by a white or black screen or other transition.
Suspend belief: here an audience may be aware that where they are positioned by the camera is impossible but they do not challenge it as it enhances their involvement in the story.

Narrative Techniques in Audio Visual texts

Manipulation of time: The narrative can move the audience around within a given time frame. For example, crime dramas often employ non linear narratives starting with the discovery of the crime then moving back in time to show how it came about.

Three strand narrative: This is the most common form of narrative structure whereby three different storylines are introduced at the beginning and then these narratives interweave throughout the film.

Flexi narrative: This is a more complex narrative structure that is consequently more challenging for an audience. Here the narrative is made up of a a series of interweaving storylines involving complicated scenarios and plot situations. there will often be narrative twists and enigmas until the final exposition.

Characters

• TV crime dramas usually include certain character types:

• The hero cop
• Shocked suspect
• The antagonist
• The quirky detective
• Bad tempered but brilliant rookie
• Grumpy, world weary superior officers
• Forensic scientists
• Psychologists/helpers
• Lawyers
• Informants

Task 1: Watch the first 15 minutes of Common and identify any of these character types stating how you can recognise them through visual and technical codes.

This task will benefit you when you study Luther and Life on Mars.

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The character types in Common are, for the most part, played by actors that are not very well known.

Task 2: 

Discuss the effect that this has on the viewers expectations - 1 paragraph orange books. 
Consider:

How can knowledge of an actor's personal life impact on audience expectations?

What about actors that have previously performed well known roles, can the audience disassociate or will they be distracted?

Do well known actors have any predictable impact on reviews for new drama?

Celebrity and the Semiotics of Acting

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Setting and iconography

Crime dramas include typical settings in the repertoire of elements. 
Common is set in Southport but this is never mentioned. Southport is a generic Northern English town.

The setting of a crime drama is just as important as the characters. 

Connotations of class through regionality. Why is this? 

Consider the type of character that would live there.

Crime rates for the area.

The types of crime that are known to be committed in that area.

The setting also contributes to the style of the programme along with the characters, camera moves, editing and the audio.

Crime dramas are set in the inner City or rural environments.

For inner City settings the following conventions are usually used:

Shaky, hand held camera to give a documentary feel.

Fast editing to add drama.

Use of colloquial language or slang.

Urgent, contemporary music.

Low key lighting and grey colours to reflect inner City life. 

Task 3: 

Discuss why the construction of the setting of Common would give the audience certain expectations - 1 paragraph, orange books.

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Narrative Conventions in Audio Visual Texts

The techniques below are used to position audiences

Flashbacks: These are used to give the audience the backstory and can serve to develop the character motivation within the storyline. Audiences are given clues when time and space are being manipulated through for example, a change of clothing, iconography or the style of filming.

Point of view shot: this helps involve the audience in the narrative as they view the action from the point of view of a particular character.

Audience positioning: This is where the camera or audio codes place the audience in a particular position. This may be as the murderer stalking the victim, or it can be emotionally where the music can cause the audience to feel tense or sad.

Apparently impossible positions: This is another type of audience positioning whereby  the camera places the audience in an unusual position to view the action. For example viewing the operating table from the ceiling.

Audiences will suspend disbelief if their involvement in the narrative is enhanced.

Privileged spectator position: Here the audience is involved in the narrative as camera shows them what other characters can not see. This allows the audience to anticipate how the story will unfold.

Enigma code: These are evident in both audio-visual and print based texts. They are a way of restricting the narrative information given to 

Action code: Something a character does allows the audience to anticipate how the narrative will develop. For example, writing and delivering a letter which contains important information.

Voice over: Can be used in certain media texts to fill in gaps in the narrative or to give clues to what an audience may expect from the storyline, used in film trailers.

Dialogue. A converstation between two characters, for example, can be a rapid way of filling in background information and establishing character motive within the narrative.

Task 4: 

Watch Common and identify the mise en scene 

• Costume, 
• setting, 
• lighting, 
• acting, 
• props.

What do these elements tell us about the show?

What sort of places are the police stations and court rooms shown to be? How has this been done?

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Technical and audio codes

Common uses a combination of diegetic and non diegetic sound to position the audience.

Lighting is a very important convention for the genre.

Low key lighting has connotations of death, mystery, privacy.
High key lighting is used to make the on screen events clear to the audience.
It appears to make the criminals feel uncomfortable.

Task 5: 

Watch Common, identify the types of sound and lighting used and state how these technical codes have been used to position the audience..

TV Industry: Common - Genre

Learning objectives: 

To study Common - a 2014 TV special, with consideration given to generic issues, signifiers, conventions and iconography.

Key words: Genre. Plot. Joint enterprise. JENGbA

Introduction: 

Common is a 2014 BBC One 90-minute made-for-television drama, written by Jimmy McGovern, directed by David Blair and starring Michelle Fairley, Nico Mirallegro and Michael Gambon. It seeks to question some of the issues and challenges raised by England's common purpose legal doctrine.

Plot summary

Jimmy McGovern's drama stars Nico Mirallegro as guileless 17 year old Johnjo O'Shea, who goes from innocent bystander to accessory to premeditated murder after giving a few friends a lift.

Background:

The drama focuses on England's controversial joint enterprise doctrine. It is set in North West England, and was filmed in Southport (although the town is never mentioned).First shown on 6 July 2014, the drama examines the issues surrounding a case in which the defendants were charged with murder involving joint enterprise or common purpose. 
McGovern was inspired by the real life case of 16-year-old Jordan Cunliffe, sentenced under this law for a minimum term of 12 years for the murder of Garry Newlove, despite Cunliffe not actively taking part in the attack.

'Common' trailer:

'Common' writer Jimmy McGovern:

Panorama documentary:

Task 1: Familiarise with Joint Enterprise.

Watch the three clips above then look at reaction to Jimmy McGovern's Common. You can examine comments on the you tube clips and critical reception as introduced below.

Write a paragraph on the different points of view about Joint Enterprise as highlighted by the drama.

• Describe Joint Venture in a line or two.
• Consider arguments for and against the law. 
• 10 minutes - bullet points are fine. Orange books.

Useful links:

Joint Enterprise

Is Joint Enterprise a 'lazy' law?

Critical reception

The Daily Telegraph gave it 4/5 stars, calling it "profoundly engaging", with Nico Mirallegro, "giving a fine performance of coiled vulnerability". According to The Guardian, "When Jimmy McGovern gets off his soapbox this is a brutal and devastating drama", "bleak, powerful drama thick with political intent, which occasionally robs it of its quality", and "the knockout performance belongs to Susan Lynch, who plays the victim's mother".

The Daily Mirror noted that "Common was unrelentingly depressing. It's about real tragedy, where no character you invest in wins". And "McGovern's a genius wordsmith, an engaging social commentator who deftly avoids being throat-ramming with his message, but he also understands people – as sure as he can paint the most evil potential of mankind, he equally draws out the good."

The Daily Mail was more critical in its review, "the BBC spent licence fee money on commissioning a 90-minute drama railing against what lawyers describe as a 'powerful' and useful piece of legislation designed to stop criminals getting away with it by blaming each other." They also noted that the law had been used to good effect in the murder of Stephen Lawrence case as well as that of Malakai McKenzie.

GENRE

Common includes codes and conventions relating to TV crime drama such as angry policemen, shocked suspect, interview rooms, police trying to find the criminal, close up camera shots on reaction, serious music, low key lighting and generally, law and order versus crime.

The title sequence is typical of the crime/drama genre in that it sets the scene, highlights the characters, gives pace and sets up audience expectations.

Task 2:

Watch the first 15 minutes of Common, identify the following and how the narrative has been conveyed through the use of the following technical codes, who do we feel sympathy with? How is this achieved?

• Shot types
• Editing style
• Lighting
• Music
• Sound effects

Task: (Homework)

What are the genre conventions of Television Crime Drama?

• Explain, using these words:

• genre

• conventions

• plot

• character

• setting

IMDB 

BBC

TV industry Luther - Representation

Learning Objectives: To study Luther TV series with consideration given to issues of representation.

Representation of People
Straight, black, Sherlock.

Representation of Places

Waterloo Station

Representation of Events and issues

• Key words: People, Places, Events/issues

Camera Shots/Movements:

The clip begins with an establishing shot, the audience can familiarise themselves with where the scene is set. We see Alice and Luther in a built up urban location, viewers would expect crime to take place here

When the two are on the bridge there is a close up of Alice's bag suggesting this is an important reference. Soon after there are close ups of both of the characters the audience can gage the emotions the characters are showing and find out what the relationship between the two characters are. 

Both characters are framed at eye level but to one side. Alice is framed to the right, without much 'breathing space'. This makes the viewer feel uneasy. This type of unconventional shot is used throughout the sequence.

Alice's apartment is like a studio where astronomy takes place, we see a telescope and some charts. There is not much evidence of family values in the way of photographs or children's drawings.

Outside we can see the geographical marker of St Paul's cathedral.

Alice shows Luther an image of a black hole, perhaps suggesting she is a deep thinker. 

Throughout this scene there are multiple over the shoulder shots to give the audience a unique perspective, they are in the room and listening to the conversation. 

Representation Of Gender

Task 1: Explore the clip and discuss to what extent the representations of gender are stereotypical.

In order to respond to this question thoroughly you should consider the following:

Describe typical stereotypes of men and women in TV crime drama.

What is the difference between stereotypes and representations?

Are Luther and Alice stereotypical?

Are there any underlying ideologies to consider?

Refer to ethnicity, nationality, typical and stereotypical roles.

How are technical and visual codes used to construct the representations?

Theory to apply: Laura Mulvey (Male gaze). Gauntlett (read this, Media, gender and identity).

TV industry Luther - Narrative

Learning Objectives: To study Luther, TV series with consideration given to narrative issues structure, conventions, key codes.

• Key words: Structure, Conventions, Key codes, Binary opposition.

In television crime drama, as with other media texts, there are two types of narrative structures, linear and non-linear (or circular). With linear narrative, the audience is introduced to the hero/heroine and the world in which he/she lives. Then that world is disrupted. Linear narrative was an idea considered by the theorist Todorov; he decided that the narrative progressed through certain chronological stages then finished back at a new equilibrium having learned a lesson. This is how a message can be encoded by the producer.

During the narrative, the characters undergo a transformation as a result of what happens and the equilibrium at the end may be very different from how it was at the beginning. Sometimes the ending produces a closed narrative, but in other examples the main strands are left unresolved resulting in an open narrative. 

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Key narrative in TV terminology: List these terms.

It is important that you recognise the narrative codes that are used within TV Crime drama. 
Here are some key terms that you need to be familiar with:

Flashbacks. These are used to give the audience additional information. They may also involve the audience with a character by seeing some of their past, this helps to understand the narrative. They are also a way to manipulate time and space within the narrative. For example, Life on Mars where most of the narrative takes place in the past.

Apparently impossible positions. Where the camera gives the audience a view of the action from an unusual position., for example in the air or behind a wall. Audiences tend to accept this view if the narrative itself is believable as this makes them feel more involved. In crime dramas you may be watching the crime from above. This will clearly add tension to the scene.

Privileged spectator position. Here the audience are shown parts of the narrative that other characters cannot see. For example, a close up shot showing the audience a character taking a knife out of their pocket. The audience can then anticipate the action that will follow later in the narrative.

Point of view shots. These allow the audience to see the action from different perspectives. The camera may position the audience as the eyes of the murderer or the victim or between the two in order to build tension.

Enigma codes. These are used in both audio visual and print based texts. In television crime drama the camera may only show some of the narrative, leaving the audience with unanswered questions. This is part of the appeal of crime drama, as the audience take pleasure from working out the clues and solving the crime along with the detectives.

Action codes. These are shorthand for moving the narrative along quickly. The packing of a suitcase means a journey, the placing of a gun in a bag suggests action will follow later.

 A jump cut is a cut in film editing in which two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly. This type of edit gives the effect of jumping forwards in time. It is a manipulation of temporal space using the duration of a single shot, and fracturing the duration to move the audience ahead. This kind of cut abruptly communicates the passing of time as opposed to the more seamless dissolve heavily used in films.

Crossing the line. Scenes are usually blocked for the sake of continuity and keeping the audience focused. This involves the 180 degree rule. When this rule is broken it is usually to make the audience feel uncomfortable or disoriented.

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Task 1: 
Watch the clips of Luther and identify how technical codes help to involve an audience in this crime drama.

Characters in Luther

The BBC’s new crime drama Luther is the first major drama series to have its eponymous hero played by a black actor. DCI John Luther, played by British actor Idris Elba, is familiar from his role as ‘Stringer’ Bell the drug lord with business acumen in The Wire. He was also in the US version of Extras. A dark psychological crime drama star.

In this psychological crime drama the strong man maverick detective John Luther is brought back into the serious crime unit because he is intuitively capable of solving difficult crimes, and his female boss (Saskia Reeves with a terrible London accent) believes in him although he is known as a loose canon. Luther has paid a heavy price for his dedication and has recently suffered a mental breakdown.

On his return to duty, Luther struggles to balance the psychological demands of his work at the same time as trying to save his marriage to his wife, Zoe. Luther is not able to stop himself from being consumed by the darkness of the crimes he deals with and this has pushed his wife away. He wants to get back with his wife, but she is having and on/ off relationship with Mark (Paul McGann).  With Luther, the job always comes first and his dedication makes him both obsessed and obsessive sometimes leading to violent outbursts.

Luther’s first job is to investigate the horrific murder of a family leaving one survivor, the mysterious Alice, wonderfully portrayed by Ruth Wilson.

She was a child prodigy and is an exceptionally clever astrophysicist.  She is attracted to him through the darker more spontaneous sides of both their personalities.

Also in the mix is Luther’s apparent friend DCI Ian Reed an Iago-like figurewho in the last episode turns out to be a self interested, conceited and very dangerous man consumed by envy.

Narrative Conventions in Audio Visual Texts 

Bfi media-conference-2013-tv-drama-stories-audiences from aealey

TV Industry: Luther - Genre

Learning Objective: To study Luther, TV series with consideration given to generic issues, signifiers, conventions, iconography

Key words: signifies, iconography, palette 

Mean world syndrome
a term coined by George Gerbner to describe a phenomenon whereby violence-related content of mass media makes viewers believe that the world is more dangerous than it actually is. Mean world syndrome is one of the main conclusions of cultivation theory.

An antihero or antiheroine is a main character in a story who lacks conventional heroicqualities such as idealism, courage, and morality.

Sleuth: someone whose job is to discover information about crimes andfind out who is responsible for them.

Anxieties (Richard Sparks) 

Luther:
Crime drama series starring Idris Elba as Luther, a near-genius murder detective whose brilliant mind can't always save him from the dangerous violence of his passions.

Luther is a British crime drama series starring Idris Elba as the eponymous character DCI John Luther. Written by Neil Cross, the first series, comprising six one-hour long episodes, premiered on 4 May 2010 and concluded on 8 June 2010. 

Wikipedia introduction to the series.

Conventions of TV Crime drama:

Television crime drama is a sub-genre of the television drama genre and usually focuses on the committing and solving of a crime. Television crime dramas are the fictional recreation of real-life stories. The best television crime dramas engage the audience because we believe in the characters and the worlds they create, even if those worlds and characters are seemingly unbelievable. The defining features of the genre are CHARACTERS, SETTING and NARRATIVE. 

Task 1:
Opening Sequences and Titles
View the opening sequence for BBC TV's Luther, a crime genre programme, answering the following Q's taken from a WJEC handout:

* What information about the programme does the sequence give the audience?
* How do the graphics signify information about the programme that will follow?
* How have music and audio codes been used to reflect the pace and style of the programme that will follow?
* Which characters are introduced? What expectations will the audience have of them from this sequence?
* How have the narrative or specific plot situations been introduced?
* What clues are given about the sub-genre? 

TV industry Life on Mars Representation

• Learning objective: To study Life on Mars with consideration given to representation
• Key words: People, Places, Events/issues

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Synopsis of Life on Mars Episode 4 Series 2

When the body of a young woman is found in wasteland, DCI Gene Hunt fears a serial killer he thought he'd sent down in the late '60s may still be at large. For Sam, the victim, a Beauvoir beauty rep like his own Aunt Heather, triggers vivid recollections of his childhood.

Utilising his knowledge of modern surveillance techniques, Sam is led to middle class suburbia where a local car dealer, Roger Twilling, is throwing private parties employing the poorly paid make-up girls to help out when the lights go down and the wife-swapping begins.

Sam and Annie go undercover as a young swinging couple to infiltrate the world of vol-au-vents, Blue Nun and lava lamps. Never one to miss out on the fun, Gene Hunt storms in uninvited with a female 'friend' posing as his other half.

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Task 1: Watch the episode of Life on Mars

List representations of the police within L o M. Be specific about the shots.

Crime has always been a popular TV drama narrative because:

The good vs evil binary opposite is easily recognisable and dramatic

The disruption (crime) and restoration of equilibrium  (capture and punishment) offers reassurance that the police and the government will keep our society safe

Dominant (hegemonic) ideologies are upheld - crime and lawlessness do not pay, the law prevails

Typical settings for TV Crime Drama

• Often in the city (seen as a dangerous place)

• But sometimes in the countryside…consider the murder rate in Midsomer

• Within this, individual locations often include police stations, law courts, science labs, police cars, detectives’ houses, alleyways, nightclubs, victims’ houses….

Mise-en-scene

• Mise-en-scene refers to what can be seen in a camera shot. Look at this image: 

• What are the characters’ positions (facing the camera? Standing aggressively? Sitting shyly?) What does this tell us about what kind of person they are?

• What are the characters’ facial expressions? (Glaring at the camera? Smiling? Laughing? Winking?) What does this tell us about what kind of person they are?

• What props (things) are there in the shot? (A coffee mug? A new car? A gun? A pencil?) What does this tell us about the person?

• What costume does the character have? ( A suit? Jeans? A flowery dress?) What does this tell us about the person?

• Where is the location or setting? (in a front room? In prison? In an office?) What does this tell us about the person?

• Is the lighting bright or dim? Full-on or from the side? What mood does this give to the image?

Mise en scene analysis

• Describe what you can see in each image:

• Characters posture, position, facial expression

• Costumes

• Location

• Props

• Lighting

• Camera shot type and angle

Typical characters

• Crime dramas usually include three types of character:

The ones who solve the crimes (detectives, private eyes, police officers, forensic scientists).
The ones who commit the crimes (criminals, murderers, thieves).
The victims (the ones who get murdered, attacked, robbed, beaten up, mugged, stolen from, burgled).

Crime and the police

Dominant British ideology says that the law is good and criminals should be punished but Detective Gene Hunt (Phillip Glenister) challenges this through his heavy handed approach. 
In the seventies this approach was accepted as was the sexism and racism that was prevalent at the time. Hunt's dialogue is often politically incorrect. A well known line from LoM is 'What next? Dwarfs?'

The clash between the different historical eras transforms into an abrupt collision between Sam and Gene's outlook on life and their profession, as well as those of the other police officers at the station, with special attention paid to the relationship with the women in the series, in particular, with that of WPC Annie Cartwright - Liz White.

In this respect, Life on Mars engages skilfully in subplots depicting relationships between characters that strengthen and and provide depth to the narrative.
Examples include the romantic relationship between Sam and Annie as well as the confrontations between Sam and the other officers.

Some dominant ideologies about the police:

• Good
• Authoritative
• Powerful
• Male
• Moral
• Upholders of the law

Equally, dominant ideologies about crime and criminals are:

• Bad
• Marginalised groups (the unemployed)
• Must be punished
• Social decay

However, gradual changes in society, coupled with certain events (Hillsborough) have led to a gradual erosion of respect for authority and different perceptions of the police have emerged...

• Incompetent
• Corrupt
• Racist
• Female