C2 TV

 Tuesday 7th January 2025

DO NOW:

1. how many Media exams are there? 2
2. How long is each exam? 1 hour 30 mins
3. What does Genre mean? a type, of a media form that involves a particular set of characteristics
4. Who is the target audience for The Archers? stereotypically women over 40, famers, older, middle-class, white British women
5. What's The BBC's remit? to inform, educate & entertain

TV Drama 

L/O: To explore the content and format of the unit.

Component 2: ' understanding Media Forms and products'

Written examination: 1 hour 30 mins

60 marks

Section A: TV Crime Drama- 'Luther' and 'The Sweeney'

(Section : Music Videos)

Section A: 

Question 1: Media Language OR Representations

Question 2: Media industries or audiences or media contexts

Crime Drama

genre: a type, of a media form that involves a particular set of characteristics

Sub genre:  a genre of literature, music, film etc

Hybrid genre: a literature or film genre that blends themes from two or more different genre

The genre we're studying is Crime Drama. within crime drama there are also...

RESPONDER:

narrative:

setting:

office, therapy, city

characters:

police officer with depression?( Martin Freeman)

mise-en-scene and iconography:

low key lighting

Happy Valley

narrative:

police officer Catherine helping someone at the park who wants to set himself on fire

setting: 

park

characters:

police officers

mise-en-scene and iconography:

low key lighting, natural lighting

Line of duty

narrative:

police looking for someone with a bomb,  end up killing a man holding his child

setting:

apartments

characters:

mise-en-scene and iconography:

low key lighting, natural lighting

The typical codes and conventions of tv crime drama are:
low key lighting

family 

use of weapons

exposure of the criminal 

police/ investigators

narrative: The story begins with a crime that has been committed, usually with a victim 

protagonist: The main character is intelligent and determined to solve the crime 

Antagonist: The antagonist is also intelligent and crafty, and seems to be one step ahead of the protagonist

suspects: there are handheld suspects with motives and a reasonable opportunity to have committed and crime 

clues: there are clues and red herrings that help or hinder the investigation 

narrative arc: the story has a continuing arc that unfolds over multiple episodes 

settings: the story is often set in a city/urban areas

characters types: there are typical character types, such as villains, a hero, a helper, and a dispatcher

Representation: the representation of characters and themes can challenge pre-conceived ideas 

Media language: low key lighting, gritty, realistic settings, handheld camerawork, face-paced editing; diegetic sound.

Explain the impact of these conventions and how they can engage audiences in the programme

one impact of these conventions and how they can engage audiences in the programme is by...

Friday 10th January 2025

TV Industry

L/O: to explore the television industry & audiences

The television Industry

• Development in technology have allowed audiences access to many more digital channels and online streaming services
• This means audience can watch what they want, when they want, on whatever device they want
• Some TV programmes today achieve the status of event television and gain massive audiences.

• Digital technology has changed how we produce & circulate TV programmes, as well as how we consume them.
• The wide variety means audiences were spread more thinly than in the past.
• Audience loyalty to a particular channel has decreased 

watershed: the time when TV programmes which might be unsuitable for children can be broadcast (9pm)

peak time: the time of day when most people are watching television and when advertising costs the most.(6pm-10pm)

Prime time: the time at which a radio or Television audience is expected to be at its highest (Saturday night)

Public Service Broadcasting

• According to OFCOM, it is "high-quality content, made for as wide a range of audiences as possible, and for public benefit rather then purely commercial ends."
• The BBC= PSB (funded by licence fee)
• ITV, C4 & C5= commercial public broadcasters ( funded mainly through advertising), available to all who pay the licence fee.
• all catch up meet PSB requirements, but BBC has strictest
• OFCOM regulates TV, including on-demand & catch-up services, through the Broadcasting Code 

• A public service broadcaster founded in 1922 that is funded by the licence fee, paid by all UK households with a TV. The BBC/Gov earn £3.8 billion from the licence Fee.
• The BBC mission is to act in the public interest, serving all audiences by providing impartial, high- quality programs which inform, educate and entertain
• BBC has nine national tv channels, regional TV programmes, an internet...

binge-watching:

escapism 

more involved with the narrative 

Tuesday 14th January 2025

do now:

1. what is a crime drama narrative based around? = 

2. Luther and The Sweeney

3. crime drama convention:

4. crime drama convention:

5. what is it essential that crime dramas create? = 

The Sweeney

L/O: To explore the context of the set text

broadcasted in the 70s

produced by Euston- film production division of Thames Television

Thames Television held the ITV broadcast licence for the London area in the 70s and 80s

Euston films produced a range of TV dramas in the 70s and 80s

The Sweeney was filmed on location in parts of West London, which added to the realism and intensity of the programme 

The programme used new techniques that have influenced the way TV Dramas have since been produced (location filming, reduced rehearsal time, quick post-production)

series was written by Ian Kennedy Martin both

Historical context:
The Sweeney was seen as ground breaking in the 1970s as it introduced many new elements to the police/crime genre

Earlier Crime drama included far less violence and provided a reassurance that society was safe, and law and order was being upheld 

The Sweeney includes elements of the police Procedural sub-genre, but also codes from the action genre to create more dynamic and exciting experience. There is a focus on complex, violent & organised crime.

The Sweeney was based on the real "flying squad", a divison of the metropolitan police that dealt with serious and violent crime. They achieved many successes but were also involved in a corruption case in the 70s wg

The Sweeney

• bold lighting
• close up camera's 
• she was represented as weak (victim)
• rolls Royce zoom in (showing wealth) 
• posh accents
• formal criminals
• music ( faster, building up tension)
• dynamic
• fight scene ( new element) 
• no diversity ( ethnicity)
• mainly male 
• clear class in social

Friday 17th January 2025

do now:
1. where were The Sweeney location-based scenes filmed: west London

2. what time was The Sweeney broadcast?: 9pm 

3. Watershed: 9pm: the time after which adult content can be shown

4. one thing that made the series groundbreaking: camerawork, location filming, use of music, focus on violent crime, dodgy coppers

Luther

L/O: To explore the content of the set text

• Produced by the BBC
• Written by Neil cross, who had previously written shows like spooks
• First series was aired on BBC One at 9pm on Tuesday 4th May 2010
• It was then also available on I-player 
• There have been 5 series and a Netflix film to date
• it is one of many crime dramas that takes its title from the main protagonist, implying that the main detective will be strong, independent and central.

Notes:

mixed ethnicities

mixed genders (both female and male)

sad dog death

Friday 31st January 2025

do now:

1.  Hegemonic masculinity is the dominant form of masculinity 

2. violence and aggression, courage, toughness are examples of character traits from number 1

3. Representation: how the media represents the world to us

4. The camera often frames Luther surrounded by a lot of empty space 

Explain how Luther is a representation of hegemonic masculinity

In the programme Luther, the eponymous hero is a representation of hegemonic masculinity.

Initially, in the opening scene Luther is represented as risk-taking and tough This can be seen through the use of 

Furthermore, at the climax of the episode Luther is represented as achievement and success. Here, the use of 

 However, Luther is also Represented as a man with courage this can be seen when Luther knows that Alice killed her parents and the dog, but has no evidence, he perseveres and figures out that the gun was in with the dogs ashes 

Alice Morgan

• A complex character who is both antagonist (unusual for a female) & femme fatale
• She has considerable power and agency as her actions drive the plot.
• She displays many traits stereotypically associated with masculinity: unemotional, highly intelligent, ruthless & violent 
• She subverts many female stereotypes 

Zoe Luther: An unconventional character

• Zoe is less conventional character for crime drama
• she is indicative of the social context of the programme Luther
• however, her representation is quite complex
• she is powerful and independent, as shown through her representation as a lawyer. she is also the one who ends her relationship with Luther. These could be seen as positive aspects of her representation
• whats more as a mixed race woman, she is from a social group less likely to be represented positively on prime-time television
• However, she is still shown needing Luther's protection from Alice and despite...

Rose Teller: A modern woman?

• Rose is a woman in authority in a male dominated sector
• she shows strength of character by believing in Luther when others doubt him
• she works hard and follows the rules
• they mention her family- a working mother
  

How far are the characters in Luther typical of the genre? 

some of the characters are typical of the genre and some of them are not 

Tuesday 4th February 2025

Do now:

1. which female character is NOT a conventional female? Alice or Zoe

2. Give three examples of character traits from HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY= violence and aggression, physical strength, courage 

3. which trait does Luther often NOT show? Emotional restraint 

4. which female character has many traits more often associated with men? Alice

5. what does EPONYMOUS mean? used to describe someone who has given their name... 

Industry & audience

L/O: To explore industry & audience response in the two set texts

Luther: production

produced by BBC 

shows on BBC1; corporation's primary channel, it offers a range of programme types and genres and aims to appeal to a very wide audience 

BBC1 remit: to create a high proportion of original programmes and to reflect the diversity of the uk.

2016-2017, BBC1 aimed to ' exhibit some or all of the following: high- quality, original, challenging, innovative & engaging, and it should nurture UK talent'.

Important features of BBC Drama include:

• talk-ability
• topicality & relevance to audiences
• Britishness & reflecting the diversity of life in Britain

reflects diversity of the uk, a range of ethnicity 

challenging: challenging stereotypes

nurturing UK talent (British actors)

engaging 

LUTHER: DISTRIBUTION & SCHEDULING

• series one was broadcast in May 2010 (BBC 1, 9pm, Tuesdays)
• also available on i-player (catch-up)
• it was re-commissioned following the first series (5 series)
• in 2012, following the success of first two series, BBC America (co-owned by BBC studios & AMC) started co- producing 
• Luther broadcast on BBC America: broadcasts a mixture of US & UK programmes
• BBC America is part of BBC studios (commercial arm of the BBC, not funded by the Uk licence fee)
• Crime drama brings in large part of BBC studio's revenue and Luther has been distributed to many parts of Europe, Africa & Asia
• It is also available on Prime video and as a DVD box set.

main actor is well known globally

britishness

LUTHER: AUDIENCE APPEAL

• the marketing of series one was important in reaching a range of audiences
• A trailer was released on 16th April 2010 on BBC's youtube channel.
• A longer preview was shown at the end of April showing the scene where Luther & Ripley meet.
• Additional footage and behind- the- scenes footage for each episode were released on the website ( like with DVD extras) giving ' exclusive' insights.
• An "inside look' video was produced for BBC America when launched in the US

Episodes- the audience can watch the Episodes as many times as they want

meet the characters- learns about the character and the actors who play them 

graphic novel- they depict the scenes from series 2 and series 3 of Luther

interviews

behind the scenes 

social media 

PROGRAMME APPEALS

Genre: Crime drama is popular and it includes familiar conventions, along with interesting hybridisation and unconventional elements (example: main character is morally grey)

Star appeal: Idris Elba is Well-known and popular. He is an attractive and potentially aspirational persona, appealing to both male and female viewers.

Narrative: The Morgan murders and the ongoing Madsen case are engaging for the episode and the series. A female killer is unusual and appealing to those who prefer thought- provoking drama. 

Representation: the range of complex male and female characters appeals to different audiences- either to identify with or to be intrigued by ( example:

How could an audience react?

• First episode received mixed reviews, but many positive responses the complex features could generate both positive & negative responses :
• Might respond positively to Alice and find her intelligence & resourcefulness appealing, but respond negatively to the femme fatale conventions 
• Might agree that the ending reflects reality (not all criminals convicted) but he disappointed by the lack of closure.

The Sweeney:

How would a modern audience react?

characters from series one were appealing - audiences could relate to many of them

police officers were shown as flawed and human, although they still caught the criminals ( could be seen as a negative representation of the police)

Modern audiences respond positively to the 'retro'...

The Sweeney was extremely successful ( up to 19 million per episode)

led to Euston developing many. more tv drama and two spin off films

dvd box set (rated 15) of all episode released in 2004 ( offered nostalgia for older audiences  brand new younger audience) 

Friday 7th February 2025

 Do now:

1. Two things that BBC 1 needed to show in their programming: original, high quality, challenging, innovative & engaging and it should nurture UK talent 

2. what channel was Luther broadcast to the US on? BBC America 

3. how did they market Luther? Trailer, previews, behind- the- scene footage, interviews

4. Two of the four programme appeals: Genre, star appeal, narrative, representations

5. what might modern audiences respond negatively to in The Sweeney? Violence. patriarchal attitudes and misrepresentation of women.

The Sweeney 

• Re-runs have been broadcast several times over the years. Nov 2017, ITV 4 broadcast all episodes of the drama on the ITV Hub for catch-up 
• Available on prime

Life on Mars (2006)

Context 

L/O: To explore the context and its impact in the two set texts

• One of the biggest changes in how we watch television has been the introduction of streaming
• When The Sweeney was on television, there was no way to pause or re-watch television- you had to be there when it was on
• Programmes would be shown once a week, at the same time
• Because of the long gap in between episodes, they contained closed narratives, where all elements of the story were wrapped up by the end of the episode
• This meant audiences did not have to remember week to week what had happened, and if they missed an episode they could still watch the next week and the programme would make sense.

• Modern services, such as BBC i-player, where Luther is shown, allow audiences to watch on demand 
• This has changed how we watch television, with viewers now able to binge- watch whole series at a time.

• Smart phones, laptops and tablets have further enabled this, as we no longer need to be at home, in the living room, to watch television
• This has led to far more open narratives in crime dramas, where parts of the story will unfold over several episodes 
• This allows for far more complex storytelling and character development
• Contemporary audiences can also be relied upon to have a greater knowledge...

Historical context:1970s

• Less gender equality- reflected in the structure of the police force- one woman police officer that is shown as a "babysitter"?
• Britain was becoming more racially diverse and multicultural, but racial discrimination was high and minority ethnic groups were under-represented- There was no diversity in The Sweeney 
• The Sweeney was based on the real 'Flying squad' which had been involved in a highly Publicised corruption scandal - the detectives threatened him with frame showing they weren't all innocent
• 1970s was a period of upheaval: strikes, shortages and economic problems - set in London, high crime rates at the time

Contemporary context:

• 1980s: 90 female detective constables to 1400 male
• 2017: 30 percent of all police officers in England & Wales are female

Representation of Genders

The Sweeney reflects 1970s values in relation to gender, especially gender roles in the workplace- the Flying squad is male- dominated, patriarchal and characterised by a stereotypically macho. culture of drinking, violence etc.

This reflects gender roles within society at the time, particularly within the police force where women in the UK police force had a different rank structure to men.

Luther reflects some degree of gender equality in contemporary society in the Representations of strong, powerful females ( Luther's boss is female, his wife Zoe is a successful lawyer, Alice...

The Sweeney represents British society as a completely white culture- There is no ethnic diversity at all. 

Explain how crime dramas reflect the time in which they are made?

comparing the differences in Britain between 1970s and now is in the 1970s there was less enhanced technology in the police department and in general like we do today meaning is was harder to find criminal in the 70s. 

In the 1970s there was less gender equality then we do today for example in The Sweeney they had one female police officer but now they had a multi- gender

Tuesday 11th February 2025

Do now:

1. 4 areas of media language are Camerawork, sound, Editing, MES

2. camerawork covers which three things?= shot type, shot angle, movement

3. what is diegetic sound? = the sound you would hear if you were in the 'world' of the text

4. what is cross-cutting? = flipping forward and back in different scenes when the editing cuts between two scenes happening simultaneously

5. what is framing? = How a shot is composed; decision about where to place a subject in a shot 

Extract Analysis

LO: To revise Audio-visual codes and how they create meaning

1. 

2. mid shot, low angle

3. extreme close up

4. canted angle or Dutch tilt 

Extract analysis

in the exam, component 2, section A, you will need to answer questions based on an extract from Luther

Question 1 (stepped) will ask you to analyse EITHER Media Language or Representations in an extract

Part A will be a simple analysis question

part B will ask you to analyse and make a judgement 

Question 2 will be on TV audiences, industry or contexts

Technical codes: Camera shots, angles & movements, editing 

Audio codes: diegetic v non- diegetic sound, dialogue, music, sound effects

Visual codes: mise-en-scene, framing & composition, lighting

cinematography is a language

what is being communicated with this shot?

what has been included?

has anything deliberately been left out?

what are we (the audience) being asked to focus on? 

• cross-cutting - showing an intense seen between the protagonist and Antagonist and the police find the girl 
• high angle to show the detective has more power and more dominant than the Antagonist
• dark lighting to show the tension and something bad is gonna happen