Summer Project: coursework planning:

Summer project tasks

1) Research: TV crime drama extract analysis 

How To Get Away With Murder: Narrative and genre

In terms of the tv crime drama genre it is mainly viewed by the older generation however because the show involves a narrative of law students it gained a lot of attraction from college/law  students across the world, which skyrocketed the viewer age. show starts off with an introduction to a criminal law course, throughout the seasons the audience is able to identify the irony between the law class and what they have to go through in order to actually get away with murder. The narrative is then communicated to the audience through varies flashbacks at the start of each season and working its way through to the very last episode of the said season to showcase the whole event in one piece rather than in fragments. By doing so audience are left into a cliffhanger each episode causing them to binge watch the show as the crime drama genre has always been some what a game the audience can play with the characters themselves to unfold the mystery as they go along. 

Narcos: Mise-en-scene

When it comes to storytelling, great lighting can play a subtle yet powerful role. You can control how your audience takes in the story with directional lighting, pinpointing critical people or objects that help establish plot points. The opening scene for Narcos, the audience can identify the time setting is at midnight, which you also tell through the lack of sunlight. In creating this illusion the lighting has been used in various different ways such as through the monitors being used in the vans, streetlights, neon sing lights from the restaurant.By doing so, it creates a more natural feel as if the audience is part of the group itself. In terms of the setting, visuals across the screen and name dropping can be used to recognise the setting in this case its Bogota, Columbia. Setting is also measured by the props and the construction of the set to make it look like a location straight out of Bogota. 

You: Camerawork

You is meticulously known for its point of view camera shots from its main protagonist Joe. The camera has been positioned to give an insight on how Joe views others since the show is from his perspective. In season 1, episode 6 between 39:00 - 40:00 the camera points up above as soon as we are about to see who receives the gun, and as soon as that happens a gun shot is heard. This particular scene shows the analytic side of how camera shots meanings can infer. The anticipation builds as the camera hold sits the positioning pointing ti the air, allowing the tension to build and for the audience to react.Close up shots reinforce he anticipation making it clear that the viewer is a character within the show allowing them to experience the events with Joe himself such as a perspective shot.


Breaking Bad: Editing

Video editing helps in getting rid of the flawed or unwanted parts of the footage. As we already know that a lot of footage is shot while making videos. It is important to go through the completely shot footage and select the best footage which can be used for creating the final video.

 In terms of editing in Breaking Bad in season 4 episode 13 jumps cute are crucial in terms of what the scene is producing, in this episode one of the most powerful deaths occurred and to execute it the editing had to be on point, from the way they are seated to every movement they make. As the character presses the bell, you can see the camera zooming onto the hand movement as it cuts straight to the villains perplexed emotion. In order to match up the scenes, timing is crucially important for editing, to create a seamless transition into the explosion and the character walking out which then pans from the side to the front of the character creating the perfect eyeliner match between the audience and the view behind the character.

Prison Break: Sound

Sound can assist in the creation of tension, mood and changes in rhythm in a performance. Sound can be used to create a setting and develop character. Music and sound effects can be used to create mood and atmosphere, build tension, strengthen an emotion or empathise the action onstage. Season 3, episode 5  -1:08 to 2:32- in Prison Break, sound plays a crucial part in building tension. Non diegetic sound is presented as Michael the character is attempting to figure something out at the suspense of not getting caught. When using sound in a scene like so, pitch matters a lot because that helps guide the audience what the level of anticipation they should be at. As the pitch increases so does the tension and by only us hearing the music it's almost as if we are matching the emotion of the character to our own. The fact that no dialogue is being said further implicates the tension, making the audience move to the edge of their seat.

The Boys: Make-up and Props

Make-up artists that work in television and film help communicate the personality of all characters to the viewer. They use make-up as a way to improve, enhance, or alter the appearance of the actors/actresses. Props are crucial in the story-telling, they complement and motivate the character, helping the actor feel more 'the part' and setting the scene. Throughout the whole show various use of make up and props have been revealed as a pivotal figure to embody realism.When wanting to create a realistic level drama, make-up allows that to happen when done perfectly. In the very first episode of The Boys in the duration 5: 41 - 6:37 you can see how the effects of fake blood and body parts are presented within the part, the consistency of the blood also helps in terms of the realism aspect, the blood splattering all over Hughie makes the audience feel his pain and digust. The juxtaposition of his fleeting moments with his girlfriend and him holding her hands completely detached off of her body shows how make up and props communicates emotion from the character to the viewer.

2) Planning: TV crime drama concept

Your new TV drama

Crime drama title:  The Killer Beside Me

Tagline: They say to keep your enemies close, but how close could they possibly be?

Streaming platform:  Netflix

Logline:  In a world of shared secrets and unbreakable bonds, a determined young woman and her loyal best-friend set out on a quest to unmask her bf's killer, forcing her into a painful journey to reveal the truth leading to unexpected and dark revelations.

Other successful TV dramas that are similar to yours: You, How to get away with Murder and Breaking Bad.

Narrative arc: Nabia's bf is murdered and she and her best friend Ayesha team up to uncover the truth but it turns out the killer all along is Ayesha.

Main protagonist: Nabia Ali

Other characters, their narrative role and their audience appeal: Ayesha Mohammed, Ryan Smith.

Target audience for your TV crime drama: 15- 40 years old

Male and Female audience

Middle class

Strugglers, Explorers, Succeeders, Resigned

 

Your extract

When would your extract appear in the drama: Cliffhanger scene at end of season finale

Setting: Printing House Lane and The Chimes, Uxbridge

What will happen in your extract: Samantha's bf is murdered and she and her best friend Eliza team up to uncover the truth but it turns out the killer all along is Eliza; 

• plotwist, 
• flashback,
• sound will pay a large role, 
• props.

3) Statement of Intent

The Killer Beside Me entails about a determined young woman and her loyal best-friend set out on a quest to unmask her bf's killer, forcing her into a painful journey to reveal the truth leading to unexpected and dark revelations. It will appear as a cliffhanger scene at end of season finale on Netflix. This can be accessed on various platforms such as Tv's, tablets and even phones which is a great way to binge watch Tv crime dramas as done before.

For my three minute extract I plan to film at scenic atmospheres one which holds a special bond between my characters such as the Printing House Lane and The Chimes; crime drama series always capture intense scenes at eerie locations. For lighting, I want to use natural lighting such as the weather to portray a sudden dark change to showcase a convention of pathetic fallacy.In terms of clear communication of narrative codes in particular of Vladimir Propp's character theory, there will be the hero who will be the central protagonist of my extract, a princess which the story is began from and finally the false hero aka the killer. Roland Barthes is another key theorist in who's work I am able to use, enigma codes to create the same level of tension shown in Tv crime dramas in my own work. A crime drama is easily identifiable through its visual iconography and narrative structure such as them always having some sort of murder happening to which suspects are rounded and interrogated. Therefore since my story involves the murder feature, it would only make sense to use 'threatening' props such as a gun -highlights the violence portrayed in a crime drama genre. This will shown towards the end in which it will always play a crucial part into who was shot as the camera shot will not reveal so. When watching a tv crime drama series I mainly enjoy cliffhangers as they build the most anticipation onto what ever will happen next and since I too fit into the target audience I know the viewers will be exceptionally pleased by the use of one in my own extract. For sound, I will be composing a non diegetic soundtrack since I don't see it fit to be diegetic as a well known tv crime drama would not have one. I feel the more fitting the soundtrack is the more emotion the audience will perceive.

For my Tv listings magazine, it will include a minimalistic colour scheme in which only the actors stand out with a mini detailed description of show. In further information for the front page my main protagonist will appear mainly covering one half of the front cover with the title( TV guide) up above, it will include the selling line, a cover price, and some cover lines, again make it short but concise as the main attempt is to sell the show and not bore the reader.In the inside of the magazine, images of the actors in their costumes at the main locations will be taken showing them in their element, which will summarise the main idea of what the magazine is truly about. Upto 400+ words will be written in the feature in which a cast member will discuss the ideas and the behind the scenes of the show and 7 original images will be taken by me of the actors and locations.

My Tv crime drama challenges varies theorist regarding representations in the media, for example Liesbet van Zoonen argues that woman are typically restricted to secondary roles which is not the case in my extract as my main protagonist is a female and so is the villain with only including a 'princess' in whose character is only visible through memory flashbacks.Another theorist in which I challenge through my crime drama is David Gauntlett's idea of masculinity  in crisis as I have placed a male character to be the person who needs justice when normally in any other tv crime drama series such as you happens to be the other way around. My tv listings magazine feature will talk about the misinterpretation of black identity as Alvarado speaks on black stereotypes within the media.As it challenge his ideas and in fact refer to hoe having a diverse cast has helped shape the media into being more 'woke'.

In terms of media audiences, many successful tv crime dramas such as Breaking Bad and How to get away with murder have a target audience of ages 15- 40 years old which mainly involves both a middle class male and female audiences. In detail this would include strugglers - who seek escape within shows, explorers - who seek discovery meaning they invest into the show trying to solve the said crime as well and succeeders - who seek control meaning each time they watch the same show over and over they will have the same ending every time. Through Blumler and Katz uses and gratifications theory, audiences pleasures such as diversion and personal relationships are evident in my tv crime drama. Diversion is more attached to the strugglers and explorers audience since its an escape from their routine/problems allowing them to place themselves in the show to try and find out who the real killer is with. Personal relationships is more linked to the succeeders audience since it helps them see the meaning behind the friendship showcased in my tv crime drama. 

4) Ignite presentation

My Ignite Presentation