faye media coursework :)

Monday, 7 February 2022

Introduction to TV Drama: Blog Tasks :)

Read Factsheet #164 on Television Serial Drama and answer the following questions to show your comprehensive knowledge of the television drama genre:

1) What is serial television drama? Write your own definition.

A serial television drama is a very popular genre of TV that has a continuous plot that unfolds in episode by episode with multi-strand narratives and stereotypical characters that take place in recognisable settings

2) List five of the TV dramas discussed in the history of the genre on page 1 of the factsheet. How has the genre evolved over time?

Danger Man
The Sweeney
Minder
The A-Team
Hill Street Blues

Until the 1980s, most US television dramas followed a set narrative structure where there is a narrative resolution by the end of the episode- whether it's a cop show or an action caper, the template is the same and there is no reference to the previous episode as the show carries on. However, Hill Street Blues changed the shape of TV drama series and effectively transformed it into a serial as it showed their domestic lives as well as their professional lives and their crime stories ran over several episodes and a satisfactory resolution was not always given. From that point onward, more TV dramas adopted this serialised form of storytelling

3) List the sub-genres of TV drama featured in the factsheet. Come up with your own example of an existing TV dramas to fit each category.

Police Procedural (crime): The Fall
Medical: The Good Doctor
Period (costume): The Crown
Science-fiction/fantasy: The Walking Dead
Family: This Is Us
Teen: Pretty Little Liars

4) Why is setting so important for TV drama?

Setting is so important for TV dramas because their location reflects the sub-genre of the drama- serial dramas tend to focus on a story of the week which are generally based around a location instead of one or two main characters. This allows the drama to develop over a long period of time and the absence of making the show revolve around a main character allows new characters to join the show to prevent it from getting boring

5) How do TV dramas typically use character? What audience pleasures can be linked to character in TV drama? (Hint: Uses & Gratifications theory!)

Serial dramas often employ archetypal characters as well as using characters to reflect modern audiences. For example, there is now a greater presence of strong females as well as black and ethnic minority characters. There is also an increase in the amount of gay, lesbian, and transsexual characters that are being represented in television serials. Characters in serial dramas go on journeys that allow them to change and develop (but not too much so that their function in the narrative isn't affected) but these character journeys are called 'arcs' and often span over episodes or seasons

6) What is a multi-strand narrative? Give an example of a TV drama that features a multi-strand narrative.

A multi-strand narrative is when there are many narratives happening at the same time instead of one long storyline centred around one character and Grey's Anatomy is an example of a show with a multi-strand narrative because each character has a storyline that develops instead of one storyline surrounding the main character

7) What is a cold opening?

A narrative technique where the show jumps straight into the story at the beginning of the show before the title sequence or opening credits

8) How can Todorov's theory of equilibrium be applied to TV drama serials?

Stories typically follow Todorov’s narrative stages though often without the return to equilibrium at the end of each episode- most police procedurals tend to provide narrative resolution to fulfil the audience’s curiosity for answers

9) What is the typical form for TV dramas and how are the programmes typically distributed to an audience?

The length of the season and episodes vary according to the institution that produces and distributes the programme- they are reliant on funding from advertisements and this can impact the text in a number of ways. Excessive swearing and violence in TV dramas is rare because more conservative content attracts advertisers due to their adherence to mainstream ideologies

10) How have subscription channels (such as HBO) and streaming services (such as Netflix and Amazon Prime) changed the form and content of TV dramas?

Drama serials presented on subscription channels are not governed by the same considerations so their content allows for more adult and challenging content- shows on subscription channels tend to share content that many potential advertisers would not want to associate their products with. Cable channels and services often produce shorter runs and do not stick to rigid running times

11) Choose a TV drama and do your own analysis of it using the SETTING / CHARACTERS / NARRATIVE / FORM headings as featured on page 3 of the factsheet.

Setting: This show takes place in a modern day hospital that has developed over the seasons
Characters: There is a diverse cast of doctors or patients in this show where many characters die and there are many new characters introduced (especially recently, they have added minorities and gay characters) but the main character is seen as an independent woman and there are also lots of other strong and independent women on the show
Narrative: This show makes use of a multi-strand narrative as each character has a storyline that develops throughout the show- they also use a cold opening by going straight into the story without the use of a title sequence or commercial break
Form: Each episode is around 42 minutes and there are 22 episodes in each season on average and there are 18 seasons (with more to come). They are shown by the network ABC so this means that there is little bad language so it seems attractive to the network to air but it is also shown on Disney+ in the UK and Netflix in the US

12) How might the TV drama genre evolve in future?

TV drama fills the void between high and low budget films- Hollywood concentrates on superheroes, special effect and other action films so many actors are made to play morally ambiguous characters with complex and challenging narratives and this trend is likely to continue

Tuesday, 1 February 2022

Film Industry: Blinded By The Light Index :)

My Film Industry Index

1) British Film Industry factsheets #132 & #100

2) Blinded By The Light case study research

3) Regulation - BBFC research and tasks

'Blinded By The Light' Case Study: Blog Tasks :)

Funding and industry contexts

1) What was the budget for Blinded By The Light and which companies contributed to the production budget?

The budget was $15 million and Levantine Films and Ingenious Media helped contribute the development of the film
Levantine Films had major success with Hidden Figures
The Ingenious Group is an investment company

2) Research the Bend It Networks website. What other films and projects has the company been involved with?

Beecham House: a period drama television series set in 1795 Delhi before the British rule
Viceroy's House: a British-Indian historical drama set during the partition of India
Bend It Like Beckham The Musical: a British musical bringing a unique cultural fusion
Desi Rascals: a reality television series following the lives of multi-generational British Asian cast living in a community in London
It's a Wonderful Afterlife: a fun comedy about an Indian mother taking her obsession with marriage into frighteningly funny territory
Angus Thongs & Perfect Snogging: a coming of age tale of a teen whose mind drifts into thoughts of growing up
Mistress of Spices: a story of a woman who is sent to a Spice Bazaar in San Francisco
Bride and Prejudice: a tale full of colour, music, and dance in which a woman is eager to find suitable husbands for her four unmarried daughters
Bend It Like Beckham: a comedy about bending the rules to reach your dreams and the film follows two 18-year-olds with their hearts set on a future in professional soccer

3) Research Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema on the Warners website here. Summarise the history of New Line Cinema in a short paragraph.

New Line Cinema is a company that was founded in 1967 and has a successful history of producing films that resonate with mainstream and niche audiences around the world. One of their most successful films include "Lord Of The Rings" (which generated almost $3 billion at the global box office). They are also widely known for their work with horror films such as "Annabelle", "Annabelle: Creation", "Annabelle Comes Home", "The Conjuring", "The Conjuring 2", and "The Nun" and the collectively made $1.8 billion. They also released "IT" which was a global sensation and made over $700 million at the worldwide box office and then the sequel which followed in 2019 made $1 billion. They are also credited for bringing back R-rated comedies as well as crowd-pleasing comedies. This huge success allowed them to become a unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment in 2008

4) Read this Variety interview with director Gurinder Chadha explaining how the project came about - including budget details. How did she manage to get the film made?

Bruce Springsteen gave her permission to use his songs in the movie for a generous price that the article called a 'sweetheart deal'. She stated that the movie wouldn't have happened without Bruce's cooperation and generosity due to the $15 million budget

5) What attracted Gurinder Chadha to the project?

She was attracted to the project because she said she's a huge fan of Springsteen as well as being considered an outsider in her childhood. She also believed it shared resemblance with 'Bend It Like Beckham' which is her hit film so she believed in the success of this project

Production and distribution

Read this Deadline feature on the distribution deal for Blinded By The Light and answer the following questions:

1) Which company won the distribution rights after the all-night auction and for how much?

Newline and Warner Bros won the distribution rights to Blinded By The Light for $15 million after an all-night auction

2) Which other companies were rumoured to be bidding for the distribution rights?

Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate, and others

3) According to the article, what was the 'allure' of Blinded By The Light?

The universal appeal of the coming-of-age music produced by Bruce Springsteen that tell honest stories about difficult upbringing, ambition, and the desire for freedom

4) What does the article suggest about the significance of Bruce Springsteen's role in the production and promotion of the film?

The article suggests that his role in the production and promotion was highly significant in the success of this movie because he allowed them to use his music in the movie as well as supporting the movie once it was out in order to produce a positive response from audiences

5) UK distribution was secured by eOne Entertainment. Visit the eOne About Us page on their website - what do they claim to offer under the heading 'Passion meets possibility?'

They claim to offer 'world class content' through vertical integration- allows them to 'share bold stories with audiences around the world'

Promotion and reception

1) What does the trailer suggest regarding genre and the potential audience pleasures of Blinded By The Light?

The trailer successfully reveals the genre of the film by showing the struggles that the protagonist goes through when it comes to culture clashes between him and his father. His father has a traditional view on what boys in his family should do whereas Javid (the protagonist) wants his own freedom to do what he wants without his father's influence. We can also see the characters at a school in the trailer which confirms that this movie is a coming-of-age movie and the use of Springsteen's music also appeals to an older audience which may be familiar with his music

2) What did film posters for Blinded By The Light feature and where did they appear?

They feature positive reviews on the posters as well as the protagonist of the movie listening to music (which we can assume is Springsteen) as well as Gurinder Chadha's name (the film director) and Bruce Springsteen's name
The posters were put on display on social media and the London and Luton premieres

3) What TV shows and websites did interviews with writer, director and stars of Blinded By The Light? Give as many examples as you can.

The writer (Sarfraz Manzoor) and the actor who played Javid (Viveik Kalra) did an interview for The BBC One Show
They also did interviews with HeyUGuys, Channel 4 News, Lorraine, and CBS Mornings
Gurinder Chadher did an interview for Bend It Networks and BBC London News

4) Why are interviews with newspapers, TV shows and websites a good way to promote a new film release?

Because they are free ways to promote something to a large audience that can be shown to an audience that is already watching TV and they may consider watching if it interests them

5) How does the Blinded By The Light Twitter account create and maintain interest in the film?

They share clips from the film and retweet posts and ratings about the film as well as making references to the movie and the music from the movie. Another clever way of promoting this movie is by interacting with their followers by asking questions about the film

6) How does the Blinded By The Light Facebook page use images and video content to promote the film?

They use it to advertise Blu-Ray and the digital version of this film as well as sharing clips and images from the film. They also post songs from the movie in order to remind their followers of the soundtrack

7) Why do you think the Blinded By The Light Facebook page contains posts supporting the Black Lives Matter movement?

The issues in the movie reflect themes of racism towards Pakistanis so by showing support of the Black Lives Matter movement, they are emphasising the message behind the movie that discrimination should not be tolerated

8) Select three posts from the Blinded By The Light Instagram page and explain how they promote the film.

Post 1: a clip of the movie was posted with a Certified Rotten Tomatoes review on the front that says "A refreshing coming of age film that will reignite the dreamer in you" and at the end of the video, they promote the DVD for the film- by posting this positive review, people are encouraged to watch this movie. Also, the clip they used showed the happy moments in the film in order to portray it in a positive light and encourage more people to watch

Post 2: a screenshot from the movie where the three main teenagers in the movie are dancing and smiling with a Certified Rotten Tomatoes review that says "a rollercoaster of emotion"- the positive emotions and facial expressions in the screenshot reflect the happy moments in the movie that could encourage an audience to watch because they want to experience the happy moments in the film and gain context on where this screenshot came from

Post 3: a picture of the film director (Gurinder Chadha) with a celebrity (Jameela Jamil) from the premiere of the movie was posted and perhaps this could promote the movie because Jameela's followers could see this post and because they look up to her, they are likely to watch a movie that she enjoyed so this could raise viewings of the film. Also, the fact that there are celebrities watching this film emphasises how important the message behind this film is which could also encourage more people to watch

9) Go to the Bend It Networks YouTube channel. How does Gurinder Chadha introduce the channel? What other content is on the Bend It Networks YouTube channel?

She introduces it as a place where her and her audiences can connect to one another- the home of where everyone can come together for the best of what is going on in the world. The channel also posts content about cooking, comedy, drama, fashion, hair, beauty, and health

10) Look at the box office figures for Blinded By The Light from The Numbers website. How much did it make at the box office and why do you think it was largely unsuccessful?

Even though the budget was only $15 million, the movie only ended up making $18 million at the worldwide box office and this could be because of the fact that it didn't aim for one specific target audience so the large range in audiences made it hard to attract one specific audience- this is because the coming-of-age part could attract teenagers but the Bruce Springsteen aspects could attract an older audience and it doesn't attract one particular audience

Film Regulation and the BBFC: Blog Tasks :)

1) Research the BBFC in more detail: what is the institution responsible for? How is it funded? What link does it have to government? This history of the BBFC page may help.

They focus on providing families with what movies are suitable and which movies aren't- they research and aim to reflect the views of people across the country. With regards to funding, the BBFC is an independent, non-governmental body funded through charged fees which means that film distributors have always paid a fee to have their works rated and the BBFC is a not for profit organisation. Due to the fact that the BBFC is independent, it is also non-governmental so they do not have a link to the government

2) Read this BBFC guide to how films are rated. Summarise the process in 50 words.

Compliance Officers watch a combination of films, DVDs, and online content every day and note details of the general theme- plot, characters, outlines of individual scenes, timings of key moments, types of shots and camera angles, bad language, drug references, sex and violence, etc. and summarise details of issues and an argument to support the age recommendation

3) Read this BBFC section on landmark decisions. Why did The Dark Knight generate a large amount of media coverage regarding its certificate? Do you agree with the 12A certificate The Dark Knight was awarded?

It generated a large amount of media coverage because there were many complaints from the public regarding the fact that they believed that the violence was too strong to be a 12A. I agree with this rating though because the 12A states that an adult must be accompanying the child so if the adult believes it is acceptable for the child to see the movie then it isn't the BBFC's fault but instead is the adult's fault for approving their child to see this movie

4) What are the guidelines for a 12A certificate - Blinded By The Light's cinema certificate (it was rated 12 for its home video release)?

If a media product is given a 12A certificate, the themes are suitable for young teenagers and there must be an infrequent use of strong language and racism. There must also be no nudity but suggestion towards sex is acceptable as long as there is nothing unsuitable for young teenagers. There must also be no dwelling on blood or injuries or drugs or imitable techniques (such as suicide or self-harming). There must be no approval of language or behaviour that would offend a large group of people

5) The BBFC website offers an explanation of every classification it makes and detailed case studies on selected titles. Look at the rating for Blinded By The Light and explain why it was given a 12A certificate for cinema release.

Blinded By The Light was given a 12A certificate because there is discrimination shown that resulted in bloody injuries as well as racist references (being called 'Pakis' and being spat on) but racism is not condoned in the film. There was also infrequent moderate bad language as well as milder terms and this mild language means that it can be a 12A because the language is not too extreme

Monday, 17 January 2022

The British Film Industry: Blog Tasks :)

Factsheet #132: British Film

1) Write a one-sentence definition of what makes a film British.

A film can be considered British if the people making the film are British, it is funded within Britain, the cast is British and if the subject matter is about Britain or British culture

2) What is the difference between a Hollywood production context and production context of a British film?

The Hollywood production context means that most films made by Hollywood studios have high budgets and a heavy reliance on celebrities both in the cast and crew and spectacle driven stories. However, the British film production context does not have as many clearly defined characteristics but they can be large budget, high concept films

3) When did the James Bond franchise start?

In the 1960s

4) In terms of film censorship and graphic content, what began to change in British film in the 1970s and 1980s?

In the 1970s, the British film industry was dominated by the subject of censorship and that continued into the video 'nasties' banning of the 1980s. The 1980s also saw a dramatic decline in American investment in British film that did not increase again until the 1990s

5) What groups are often represented in British film? Give examples of films these groups feature in.

The youth is often represented (e.g. 'A Clockwork Orange' (1971) and 'Attack the Block' (2011)). In 'A Clockwork Orange', the youth is presented as violent and anti-establishment but on the other hand, 'Attack the Block' attempted to portray a more realistic view of young people

6) What does the Factsheet suggest might be the audience appeal of British film?

Class, social realism, education, British culture and the actors

Factsheet #100: British film industry

1) What is the 'cultural test' to see if a film counts as British?

Must score at least 16 out of 31 to classify as British

2) Complete the task on the Factsheet - choose three of the films listed and research them to work out what they score on the cultural test: The Sweeney (2012), Attack The Block, The King's Speech, We Need To Talk About Kevin and Skyfall.

Attack the Block (2011)

Set in the UK= 4 points

Lead characters British citizens/residents= 4 points

Based on British subject matter/underlying material= 4 points

Original dialogue is mainly recorded in the English language= 4 points

Film represents/reflects diverse British culture, heritage or creativity= 4 points

British studio and/or location shooting, visual effects or special effects= 2 points

British director= 1 point

British lead actor= 1 point

Majority of cast are British= 1 point

Majority of crew are British= 1 point

26/31

The Sweeney (2012)

Set in the UK= 4 points

Lead characters British citizens/residents= 4 points

Based on British subject matter/underlying material= 4 points

Original dialogue is mainly recorded in the English language= 4 points

British studio and/or location shooting, visual effects or special effects= 2 points

British director= 1 point

British lead actor= 1 point

Majority of cast are British= 1 point

Majority of crew are British= 1 point

22/31

The King's Speech (2012)

Set in the UK= 4 points

Lead characters British citizens/residents= 4 points

Based on British subject matter/underlying material= 4 points

Original dialogue is mainly recorded in the English language= 4 points

British studio and/or location shooting, visual effects or special effects= 2 points

British director= 1 point

Majority of cast are British= 1 point

Majority of crew are British= 1 point

21/31

3) What is the main problem for the British film industry?

It has been production-led rather than distribution-led so filmmakers must sacrifice the distribution rights of their film to a distribution company which means that the filmmakers lose a lot of revenue

4) What are three of the strengths of the British film industry?

The outstanding creative skills of practitioners displayed by intellectual property by the likes of J.K Rowling's Harry Potter books
The outstanding facilities such as British studios, camera companies and digital post-production houses
The films produced are in English --> which is the most widely spoken language worldwide which makes it accessible to audiences globally

5) What are the two options for the future of the British film industry?

1. Filmmakers choosing to rely upon co-productions with American companies- but this could mean that regional accents, dialects, cultural and political references could be lost essentially removing the things that make a film British

2. Attempting to make low budget films targeted at a niche, British audience- though production costs will have to be lower which means that profits will also be lower but the filmmakers will be able to retain what it is that makes British films so distinctive without compromise

6) In your opinion, which of these two options would best safeguard the future of the British film industry?

In my opinion, the second option will better safeguard the future of the British film industry because they are low-budget and still keep the essence of British film (which is lost with the first option). Despite the decrease in profit, the standard and quality of British film is maintained which may even draw in a larger audience because it is what the audience desires

Thursday, 13 January 2022

Blog Feedback and Learner Response :)

WWW: Seeing as you only joined us at half-term, this is a fantastic Media blog already. Well done! Your final piece of editing analysis is another excellent piece of writing and the first paragraph focuses on the meanings created by the editing impressively. It’s great to see you using other aspects of film language too.

EBI: In terms of your tracker, it’s just the final index you are missing. If you’re not sure how to create this just let me know and I can send you a how-to video that demonstrates this. Other than this, the main message is keep up the good work! You are writing in depth and detail already – perhaps all I could suggest is beware of repetition and only pick out the aspects to analyse that really contain significant detail or meaning for the audience.

LR: Based on your practical experience in Media so far, what type of coursework project would you hope to produce in Year 13? E.g. film trailer, TV extract, music video etc. Explain your answer and how the Film & TV Language unit has developed your skills towards this.

I think I would most like to produce a music video because I listen to a range of music so the process of producing a video to match the music that you hear could be a unique experience that allows us to express our creativity with no limits.