LO1 Task 3 DEFINE the conventions of each genre e.g. period; drama; crime; soap opera; comedy, then clear give examples.

3: DEFINE the conventions of each genre e.g. period; drama; crime; soap opera; comedy, then clear give examples.

(Give up to 3 examples; do they challenge or conform to the conventions of the genre?)

GENRE

Crime

Genre in a crime drama is about a crime that is about to happen or a crime that is going to happen. A crime drama may revolve around the actual criminal and their activities.  For example a criminal may be planning a murder or they may show flashbacks of  a murder that they attempted before. Depending on the crime drama the story line will be different. 

My Murder is a crime drama, in this drama the clothing that has been use is very casual and is the present day style. The casual clothes however have its own style in this drama it goes from baggy loose clothes to leather jackets. This all shows it’s the present day and it also shows it’s just a normal day. The language used in this drama is all slang all informal the words used are not the normal English words you would use with your family or friends. It’s knows as slang and most “gangsters” would like to use this way of communicating with their friends and family. The locations in this particular drama are more seen as scary tower flats with wires around the hall ways to get to the rooms of the flat; there is alley ways with all graffiti over them and also rooms of the flats being used as a rapping area and smoking but it is known as a hang out. There is also a school and a chip shop used at some points and also a house as well as a park. For the props there are hats, knives, phones and also microphones used when rapping. There are bikes and the usual chairs and tables used.

Comedy

Genre in a comedy drama is based on the emotional and relational development of realistic characters. On some comedy dramas the plots can be based on real life issues. Comedy and dram are both combined having humorous and sometimes serious content.

Citizen Khan is a comedy, in this drama the clothing for the father and mother is very traditional for the two young girls they are dressed up modern and casual. The language used in this drama is mixed with formal and informal language depending on what the situation is. This programme shows a story of what an Asian family at home is like and how the communicate has an effect on them. The locations used in this drama is mainly at the mosque or at the house, these are the two most used locations in the whole programme. The props in this drama is the father’s briefcase, table and chairs, the head scarf, the book and the sponge and water bucket and the daughters phone.

Period drama

Genre in a period drama is set on how they use the lightings, sound and how they act. For example they wouldn't use bright lighting they would use candles, they wouldn't have bling watches or rings they would keep it rich and classy. No loud car noises, horse and carriages may be in use. The difference between rich and poor will be shown clearly. 

Downton Abbey is a period drama; the clothes used for the characters are very classy it makes them look very rich and important. The clothes also show it’s from a very long time ago for example the way the Victorians use to dress up with long gowns and the fancy hats and the men hairs are combed to the side. The props used are very fancy for example the glasses, chairs, mirrors and door look very expensive there are cars used. The location of Downton Abbey is a grand castle it makes it looks very stylish and rich. A typical story line of the grandma wanting to get her granddaughter married so finding her a suitable fiance.

Fantasy

Genre in a fantasy drama is commonly using magic and supernatural powers. Some fantasy drams may take the plot and theme to another imaginary world for example in Merlin they have times where they have imaginary worlds are visited or being discussed about. 

Merlin is a fantasy drama where you see all the old fashion clothes from Roman times or maybe mid-evil times. The style being used is showing that the things that is going to happen in this program will be to do with things from long time ago, the things people use to think existed. Merlin has a lot of rage of shots in the dram it goes from conversation close up shots to a full shot to show the entire setting even to mid-shots. The props used in Merlin show that it is not in the 21st century. the pops used are like magical objects for example a stick that provides magical powers, they have little bags around them and there costumes are very tacky. The story line to this drama is a mix up has a new story in most episodes. 

Soap Opera

Waterloo road is a situation drama. in this drama it has everything up to date all the costumes are the outfits you will see in a normal day to day school. In this drama the situations are just the same as you would get in a real life school. The props used in this drama is the normal chairs, tables and etc. The story line to this dram also has a new story it finishes the story on the next episodes but ends with a new story to carry on in the next episodes. It usually ends with a big cleft hanger.

LO1 Task 2 DISCUSS the Single Camera and Multi Camera Formats

2: DISCUSS the Single Camera and Multi Camera Formats
(Define the single camera format and the multiple-camera format. List the advantages of the single camera and the multiple-camera formats. Give some examples of the two formats in action. Explain when and why might they be used)

Define the single camera format?

Single camera formats setup is a method of film making and video production. A production where one camera functions at a time and the shots are done in a very careful order. On the television, the main use is creating prime-time dramas, soaps and other procedures of single camera production. When using a single camera there is always one used throughout the whole movie and then is edited. An example of single camera format is Waterloo road and Easterners. 

Waterloo Road:

Eastenders:

Define the multiple camera formats?

Multiple cameras are when more than one camera is being used in making a film or recording of a football match. Every day we watch multiple camera productions without realizing it, the news for example is a multi-camera use. While recording a football match the cameras have to be linked together so all the shots can be formed to one so as it is being recorded the camera mans have to take up all the footage they have and then form it to one peace. An example for multiple camera formats could be a football match, the news or even at weddings.

The advantage of single camera formats?

One of the advantages of single-camera either it’s a film or video the dramatic production is that scenes don't have to be shot in sequence it is also cheaper to film but expensive to edit and easy to get the right shot with in a few takes. There’s also the advantage of being flexible and able to adjust the shots and filming and another verities of advantage of a single camera production is the cost, compared to a multi-camera shoot. The single camera can just get the characters when needed and get them to shoot all their lines in one go and then they would choose the best to keep for the finishing touch. The final sequence of scenes is arranged during editing. The actors also will not have to come in more than a day or two to get all there lines shot. Examples of single camera formats are series like Doctor Who, Top Boy and also My Murder.

The advantage of multiple camera formats? 


One of the great advantages of multiple camera formats is you wouldn’t need to keep moving the lights and sounds to the next location like you would for single camera. It doesn’t take long at all because there is more than one camera shooting a production.  A lot more scenes are covered within a short amount of times whereas single cameras will take much longer. You would be able to capture various angles and shots within 1 day.  The editing process for multiple cameras are much quicker, multiple cameras are more useful for big events or even live shows. Examples of multiple camera formats would be like Olympics and Queens’s Jubilee.

LO1 Task 1 Understand the features of single camera production

1: DEFINE and EXPLAIN the differences between series, serials and single dramas, with examples.
(Give up to 5 examples; how many episodes/ seasons/ audience figures?)

Series:

A season is shown once a year. The series will have the same title and the same group of central characters. The narrative story line changes in each episode but the character’s personalities stay the same. Every episode normally has a self-contained story line, which follows the Todorov theory; the calm at the beginning of the episode is broken by a 'situation', which is always resolved by the end of the episode. Sometimes an episode may leave the narrative in a 'cliff hanger'. This is typical of the 'Soap Opera' genre, which is a unique format because it is a continuous drama with no end.

In most series, ideas and the scripts for the episodes may come from a group of writers. A good example of a popular series is 'Waterloo Road'. It is a British drama series first broadcasted in the United Kingdom on BBC One in 2006. This show became very popular over the years; season one aired just 8 episodes, this increased to 12 in season two and by season three, the show was airing 20 episodes. This has further increased to the present 30 episodes. The present audience figures are over 3.54 million, in some episodes audience figures have reached 6.04.

Others examples include: X-Factor, Merlin, Doctor Who and Causality.

X Factor's - appeal is that it includes members of the public. The singing competition helps a 'nobody' become a pop star celebrity. This helps the audience relate to the contestants and the interactive nature (public vote) allows the public to have a say; this is a very powerful marketing tool.

Seasons: 9

Episodes: 30 per season

Audience figures: up to 9.96 million

Merlin - is a fantasy period drama which has a prime time slot on BBC 1 on a Saturday night and has proved popular with the public.

Seasons: 5

Episodes: 13 per season

Audience figures: up to 7.13 million

Doctor Who - series first began in 1963 and ran for 26 seasons. It was made popular again in 1996 and is a firm family favorite.

Seasons: 26 - 7

Episodes: 13 - 42 per season

Audience figures: 4.19 - 11.22 million

Casualty - is based in a modern hospital and deals with real life issues in the NHS. The popularity is due to the viewer's in the health care sector and the drama of life and death situations.

Seasons: 27

Episodes: 10 - 49 per season

Audience figures: up to 8.86 million

Serials:

A serial is normally an adaptation of a book or real event. Many books have been serialized, Charles Dickens, Emily Bronte and Jane Austen are very popular. The realist narratives are usually linear and can be an interpretation of the actual story. There are many different versions of the stories, which have been produced over the years. The serials normally last between 1 – 3 episodes. The first and second episodes are normally left with a cliffhanger, this makes sure that the viewers look forward to watching the following episodes.

Example: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.
Recently, this Period Drama was aired in 3 parts on the BBC in 2011, starring Ray Winstone. Period dramas are very popular with families so it was broadcast over the Christmas period over 3 days (27-29 December). The book was adapted by Sarah Phelps and the production won many TV 
awards.