Representation. Stereotypes and countertypes in TV drama.

Definitions:

Stereotype: a widely held and oversimplified image or idea about a type of person or group of people. Usually created by selecting the negative characteristics of that person/group of people.

Countertype: a widely held and oversimplified positive image or idea about a type of person or group of people.  e.g. all religious people are kind.

Task:

To fully understand the seven areas of representation, you need to know the stereotypes and countertypes of the given area.  For example, we worked on the idea of the stereotypical villainous female with the character of Alice in the Luther clip.

To broaden your understanding of the stereotypes and countertypes in the seven areas of representation, do the following:

Make a presentation on the stereotypes and countertypes within your given area of representation.

Use the information from the stereotypes booklet, which can be found by clicking here.

Present in a format of your choice.

Illustrate with images and clips from British or American TV dramas.

It's your job to teach the class about the stereotypes and countertypes of your given area of representation.  Your presentation should be detailed and informative.  You are teaching.

The groups:

1. GENDER: Grace, Dom C, Ross F.
2. AGE: Lewis T, Taylor, Jordan W.
3. ETHNICITY: Tom C, Ethan, Jacob G.
4. SEXUALITY: Leah, Georgina, Nathan.
5. DISABILITY/ABILITY: Frazer, Ellie, Ryan B.  
6. REGIONAL IDENTITY: Hannah Franks, Louisa Hill, Harry. 
7. CLASS AND STATUS: Angel, Niamh, James T. 
8. AGE: Rob, Rayan, Aviv.

Examples

Media Studies

Sound

Find definitions and clips (use tube chop to edit them) for the following sound terms:

•diegetic sound

•non-diegetic sound

•synchronous sound

•asynchronous sound

•sound effects

•sound motif

•sound bridge

•dialogue

•voiceover

•direct address

•sound perspective

Post these terms on your blog, accompanied by their definitions and an example of each.

Below is an example of a sound bridge (listen carefully at the end of the clip for the sound of the alarm clock).

Below is an excellent example of direct address (breaking the 'fourth wall') from the start of the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.




Then, here is a good example of a voice over; courtesy of Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City:



Lots of sound effects needed for this scene from The Dark Knight Rises:




An example of a sound motif.  If you listen, at around 30 seconds in to this clip from Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation, you will hear the Mission Impossible theme tune. (a motif = a dominant or recurring theme/sound).




This well known scene from Saving Private Ryan is a great example of sound effects and sound perspective.  The best way to experience the sound in this clip is by not looking at the action: just listen.  Listen to how 'far away' some of the sounds seem and how 'close' they seem.  There is always the dull thump of bullets and shells from afar, amongst the 'closer' hits and near misses.

Representation of Gender

Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of gender using the following:

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

 The Grammar of Film will help as well as your moving image glossary.

Try to refer to the following:

Camera shots:

establishing shot

close up

mid shot

two shot

Camera angles:

wide angle

high angle

low angle

Camera movement

pan

tilt

Composition

framing

Editing

shot/ reverse shot

long take

short take

Sound

diegetic sound-ambient sound/background noise

non diegetic sound-soundtrack/music

Mise en scene

costume

make up

setting/ location

set/ props

lighting


The information in this sheet about gender should help you.  If you haven't printed this out already, you need to do so.  Bring it with you for every Media lesson from now on.

REPRESENTATIONS – COMMON STEREOTYPES

Narrative Codes.

Roland Barthes describes narrative as a series of codes that are read and interpreted by the audience:

1. Action Code
2. Enigma Code
3. Semic Code
4. Symbolic Code
5. Referential Code

Barthes' Codes:

Action Code: (proairetic code)something the audience knows and doesn't need explaining e.g. someone being wheeled out on a stretcher tells us they are going to hospital

Enigma Code: (hermeneutic code)something hidden from the audience (creates intrigue)

Semic Code:something that the audience recognize through connotations

Symbolic Code: Something that symbolizes a more abstract concept e.g. a darker than usual room of a murder scene could symbolize the depth of darkness and depravity

Cultural Code: (referential code)Something that is read with understanding due to cultural awareness (e.g. youth culture use certain words that are understood by that culture)

Barthes 5 narrative codes from sarahlambe

Applying these ideas:

You have actually already applied these ideas, without knowing it.  You do it any time you watch a film/TV drama.  What narrative codes were we reading when we analysed the mise-en-scene in this shot, last week?

The shot below is taken when the featured character has just realised that her husband is having an affair with another woman.  

What do you notice about the mise-en-scene/lighting of the shot?  What narrative code(s) might we be reading here, and what are the effects?

Editing

Editing is one of the four areas of textual analysis.

You already have some examples of editing terminology below.  If you haven't already, you need to print this off and keep it in your folder.  You need to bring it with you to every Media lesson from now on.

Moving Image Glossary from MissCTurner

Below are examples of some common editing techniques that you need to know and be able to identify:

Continuity - the viewer should not notice the cuts.  Shots should flow together naturally.  Hence the action should seem continuous.





Montages.  There are TWO TYPES of montage.

The Hollywood Montage sequence is a short sequence in a film/TV drama where narrative information is presented in a condensed way.




The Soviet Montage is a highly political montage that seeks to create a new meaning from seemingly unconnected shots.  This was used a lot during the 1920's.




Transitions - A ‘transition’ is the term for how an editor moves from one ‘shot’ to another. The use of an inappropriate transition can destroy the mood or pace of a scene.

As we watch the following transitions write down what you think the effect on the audience is.

Cross Cutting/parallel editing - Editing that alternates shots of two or more lines of action occurring in different places, usually simultaneously.

A Dissolve - A transition between two shots during which the first image gradually disappears while the second image gradually appears.

A wipe - one image is replaced by another, with a distinct edge that forms a shape.




A fade - a transition usually used at the end of a scene to signify to the audience the end of the action.  It usually fades to black.  The end of this clip is a good example:




Jump cuts - two shots of the same subject are taken from different camera positions that vary only slightly.




Fast-paced editing - when scenes are edited together using lots of shots put together quickly.

More editing terms:

The oner or 'long take' -  an uninterrupted film shot which lasts much longer than the conventional editing pace of the film.drama itself.  These shots usually last several minutes.  These long takes are usually accomplished by using a steadicam shot or dolly shot.






Shot reverse shot - one character is often shown looking at something/someone and then that person is shown looking back.

Mise-en-Scene

1. Watch this clip without sound, and embed it in your blog.
2. Make notes on the following areas of mise-en-scene and post them to your blog:

• setting/ location
• colours
• props/ objects
• hairstyle
• costume (clothes)
• make-up
• posture/ gesture
• position in frame
• choice of actor
• performance
• lighting

How does each element help to construct the representation of the characters?