Self-Assessment

I found picking out techniques moderately easy, but I found linking the techniques back to the question a challenge. The mise-en-scene was simple to pick out, however editing and camera movement was quite difficult. Linking them back to the question was my biggest problem and concern. Overall, I think my response was ok but to improve I need to make more define links between pinpointing the techniques and linking the back to the question.

Preparation: Representation of Gender

Our next focus area will be the representation of gender. This is an interesting and demanding area and, to fully engage with representations of gender, you need to be aware of gender stereotypes.

Gender stereotypes are simplistic generalizations about the gender attributes, differences, and roles of individuals and/or groups. 

Stereotypes can be positive or negative, but they rarely communicate accurate information about others. When people automatically apply gender assumptions to others regardless of evidence to the contrary, they are perpetuating gender stereotyping. Many people recognize the dangers of gender stereotyping, yet continue to make these types of generalisations. We see gender stereotypes regularly being reinforced in television drama.

Traditionally, the female stereotypic role is to marry and have children. She is also to put her family's welfare before her own; be loving, compassionate, caring, nurturing, and sympathetic; and find time to be sexy and feel beautiful. 

The male stereotypic role is to be the financial provider. He is also to be assertive, competitive, independent, courageous, and career‐focused; hold his emotions in check; and always initiate sex. 

These sorts of stereotypes can prove harmful; they can stifle individual expression and creativity, as well as hinder personal and professional growth. 

The weight of scientific evidence demonstrates that children learn gender stereotypes from adults. As with gender roles, socializing agents—parents, teachers, peers, religious leaders, and the media—pass along gender stereotypes from one generation to the next.

Preparation: Representation of Age - Waterloo Road

In preparation for the upcoming exam, we looked and analysed a clip from the BBC Drama Waterloo Road. In the clip, it showcases a variety of age ranges, spanning from teenagers to middle aged. We paid particular attention to the maths teacher who first appears in the clip at 3:58 and remains for the duration and from it were able to deduce a lot about the middle aged maths teacher's personality. 

For example, from the clip it is evident that he is having a mid life crisis as he is desperate to look younger than his years and to regain his youth by wearing younger clothes. He wears his jeans slouched with trainers and a graffiti-ed t-shirt. He was coerced into the attire by the young adult girl on the stairs who claims to know a lot about fashion which shows that he is easily manipulated and is perhaps quite weak. He is also clueless about what is currently popular as he says, "Are they meant to be like this?" He is unaware and oblivious to how the younger generation are dressing. In addition, he is also very sensitive to criticism as when two teenage girls mock him, he becomes defensive and offended, despite the girl on the stairs reassurance. He is very concerned with what other people think of him and is desperate to seek approval.

Genres

Examples of television programme genres

Comedy

New Girl is an American Sitcom airing on FOX. Season 1 starts with Jessica Day, a girly awkward teacher who moves into a loft with three men. The show is currently in its third season.

Drama

Homeland is an American political drama. The series stars Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, a Central Intelligence Agency officer with bipolar disorder, and Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody, a United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper. Mathison has come to believe that Brody, who was held captive by al-Qaeda as a prisoner of war, was "turned" by the enemy and now threatens the United States. The show is currently in its third season.

Sub-genre

 Desperate Housewives is a comedy-mystery-drama series, revolving around a group of housewives living on Wisteria Line. They face difficulties in their personal lives such as divorce and family issues whilst also attempting to uncover their neighbour's secrets. The cast includes Eva Longoria and Teri Hatcher. The show ran for 8 seasons until its cancellation in 2012.

One off

'I Am Britney Jean' was a one-off documentary. the documentary revolved around the pop singer's upcoming Las Vegas residency. 

Series

Sherlock is a British television crime drama that presents a contemporary adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson. 

Serial

Emmerdale, known as Emmerdale Farm until 1989, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Emmerdale Farm was first broadcast on 16 October 1972. The programme, which is currently the UK's second oldest television soap opera, has been transmitted in every ITV region throughout its existence.

The series was originally transmitted during daytime afternoons until 1978, when it was moved to an early evening timeslot in most regions (London and Anglia followed in the mid-1980s). Until December 1988, Emmerdale took seasonal breaks, but since then it has been broadcast year-round.



The Exam

May 15th (ish)
2 hours = (100 marks)
2 sections (A+B)
Section A= TV Drama
1 compulsory question (50 marks)

1) Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representations of X using the following:

• Camera shots, angles, movement and composition
• Editing
• Sound
• Mise en scene

Possible substitutions for X:

• Gender
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Sexuality
• Class and Status
• Physical ability/disability
• Regional identity

Genre in Television Programming

What is 'genre'?
'Kind' or 'class'.

You need to have an awareness of genre. We rely on genre to categorise and identify things. Codes and conventions are linked to genre. Genres can create stereotypes e.g. doctors are males and wear stethoscopes around their necks. Genres make us expect certain things.

Genres:
-comedy
-drama

Examples of sub-genres:
-crime drama
-fantasy drama
-medical drama
-comedy drama

one-off
series (episodes)
serial (never come off air)