Hollyoaks is a television soap that is broadcast every weekday on channel 4. It is aimed at a young audience from teenagers to people in their mid twenties. It is a very successful soap even though it is on a small budget and is filmed faster than most soaps. It targets it audience by using mostly young, attractive, identifiable characters and by using relevant and interesting storylines such as drug abuse and relationships. The Hollyoaks extract I am deconstructing is from a Hollyoaks later, an episode from 1.37 minutes to 4.36 minutes.
The extract begins with Irish music being played and long shot of a girl river dancing in the front room of a house, this is very stereotypical showing the audience that it is a typical Irish family. Everyone in the shot is wearing black as they have just been to a funeral and this is the wake. It then cuts to an eye level medium shot of three characters on a sofa talking. As the music and dancing continues through out this shot her legs are in the foreground. She is wearing heels and a short skirt which represents a typical female character in Hollyoaks. As they are girly and appealing to viewers however this female characters weight is highlighted when a character says “ who does that Flatly think he is saying she is too fat to river dance”, adding humour to the scene. She is also in the centre of the framing when she is river dancing and stands out as she has blonde hair where as the other characters all have darker hair colours showing she is a vibrant character.
Later when Kris enters the room and announces he is a cross dresser and bisexual, everyone in the room is in shock but the audience doesn’t know what has happened creating enigma as the music stops and a loud high note is played as the camera zooms in on his mothers face as she sees what is happening. This is done to show the shock and the unacceptance of his lifestyle choice. There are also other reaction shots for example a panning shot across the bands faces which then cuts to an eye level medium shot of his mother, brother and friend on the sofa looking in shock at the direction of the door. At this point the audience doesn’t know what the characters are looking at creating suspense. Which then cuts to Kris standing in the middle of the room dressed in white whilst everyone else is dressed in black, so that he stands out and this represents how he is different from others in the room. There are then more cutaway reaction shots where the editing becomes faster as this shows the drama of the situation to more effect as it shows the tension between characters. Such as the close up of the grandmother as we hear a cup breaking and we assume she faints and his mother who does not look happy. During this scene ambient sounds are playing in the background such as bird song and a clock ticking this intensifies the awkwardness between the characters.
There is then a sound bridge used to cut to another scene where the mood is similar so the sad music is used to link the two scenes. Where there is a medium close up of Mercedes staring straight into the camera, this then fades into a flashback , memory of the past for Mercedes. We know this because the colours are faded with a white tint and there is also a blurred effect used suggesting she cant quite remember what happened. This then fades back to reality as the colours are normal again as the sad music fades out and ambient sounds fade in, such as chatting in the background.
There are representations of gender and lifestyle choice through out the scene. As the younger women in the scene generally where modern clothes and skirts with heels creating a young and modern image. Compared to the mother who is wearing a high necked reserved costume creating an older representation. The lifestyle choice that Kris has chosen is shown to be shameful in this extract and not normal as there are gasps when he reveals this and his grandmother faints. This shows that mise en scene is the most influential on representations of gender and lifestyle. This is shown through what Kris is wearing such as the white dress which imitates a dress Kylie Minogue is famous for wearing which requires previous knowledge.
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
Monday, 3 November 2008
Analysis of Camerawork, Editing and Sound/Music in "Hollyoaks".
In this Hollyoaks clip it uses many medium shots and close ups of most of the McQueen family to show the emotions on the character’s faces as an important decision has to be made and they are all scared about what will happen.
A lot of the camera work that focuses on Nile uses shaky camera movement, this is because Nile is the one who is moving lot during the clip and the camera is following him. Also I think that the shaky camera reflects how unstable Nile is as he has his head in his hands showing that he is unbalanced. During this first part there are a lot of fast cuts as there are a lot of people in the scene and the audience needs to see their emotions. It also builds up tension as Mira still has to decide which two of her children she chooses to die.
A crabbing shot is used when Tony, Daran, Dom and Jack are running to get to the church. It moves from looking at the church notice board to them running down the path to the door. This shot is used to gain a sense of movement and urgency as they know what is happening inside the church. Shot reverse shot is used as we see them running towards the camera and then it cuts to the back of them getting to the door. This is to make it look like one run to the door, so the audience can get the best angles when it was actually done in more than one shot.
Two shots and medium close ups are used to show the characters and their emotions. There is still some use of the shaking camera movement which reflects the panic the characters are going through. The cuts between shots as it starts to get faster as the pace is building. When Jack breaks into the church there is an amplified sound of the crashing and the background music changes to a higher pitch and gets louder, which builds up the tension. There is then an extreme close up of the detonator in Nile’s hand. Which is making a beeping noise that gets faster as the cuts get faster adding to the tension just before the explosion.
It then cuts to a long shot of the explosion followed by a series of fast cuts showing characters and objects in medium and close up shots falling during the explosion. There is then a long shot looking at the church from the outside, where the window shatters with an amplified sound of breaking glass. It then cuts to Tony and Dom as glass falls on them, it cuts back to the window and then to the door bursts open.
After the explosion there is a continuous shot of the broken window with pigeons flying through it to show the still and silence after the explosion and to contrast it as there had just been a lot of fast cuts. This then fades to inside the church where there is debris everywhere. It then reverse zooms out so the audience can see more of what has happened. It then reverse zooms into smoke which then fades into the closing credits.
Through out this clip certain sounds have been amplified such as heavy breathing to show how scared they are or running footsteps to help create a sense of urgency. As the build up to the explosion begins back ground music is played which gets louder just before the explosion to emphasis what is happening. Also at the end of the clip when it zooms out of the debris music is being played which reflects the sadness and the silence after the explosion which music keeps playing through the credits to keep the audience thinking about what they just watched instead of the usual Hollyoaks credits.
A lot of the camera work that focuses on Nile uses shaky camera movement, this is because Nile is the one who is moving lot during the clip and the camera is following him. Also I think that the shaky camera reflects how unstable Nile is as he has his head in his hands showing that he is unbalanced. During this first part there are a lot of fast cuts as there are a lot of people in the scene and the audience needs to see their emotions. It also builds up tension as Mira still has to decide which two of her children she chooses to die.
A crabbing shot is used when Tony, Daran, Dom and Jack are running to get to the church. It moves from looking at the church notice board to them running down the path to the door. This shot is used to gain a sense of movement and urgency as they know what is happening inside the church. Shot reverse shot is used as we see them running towards the camera and then it cuts to the back of them getting to the door. This is to make it look like one run to the door, so the audience can get the best angles when it was actually done in more than one shot.
Two shots and medium close ups are used to show the characters and their emotions. There is still some use of the shaking camera movement which reflects the panic the characters are going through. The cuts between shots as it starts to get faster as the pace is building. When Jack breaks into the church there is an amplified sound of the crashing and the background music changes to a higher pitch and gets louder, which builds up the tension. There is then an extreme close up of the detonator in Nile’s hand. Which is making a beeping noise that gets faster as the cuts get faster adding to the tension just before the explosion.
It then cuts to a long shot of the explosion followed by a series of fast cuts showing characters and objects in medium and close up shots falling during the explosion. There is then a long shot looking at the church from the outside, where the window shatters with an amplified sound of breaking glass. It then cuts to Tony and Dom as glass falls on them, it cuts back to the window and then to the door bursts open.
After the explosion there is a continuous shot of the broken window with pigeons flying through it to show the still and silence after the explosion and to contrast it as there had just been a lot of fast cuts. This then fades to inside the church where there is debris everywhere. It then reverse zooms out so the audience can see more of what has happened. It then reverse zooms into smoke which then fades into the closing credits.
Through out this clip certain sounds have been amplified such as heavy breathing to show how scared they are or running footsteps to help create a sense of urgency. As the build up to the explosion begins back ground music is played which gets louder just before the explosion to emphasis what is happening. Also at the end of the clip when it zooms out of the debris music is being played which reflects the sadness and the silence after the explosion which music keeps playing through the credits to keep the audience thinking about what they just watched instead of the usual Hollyoaks credits.
Sunday, 19 October 2008
How sound and music techniques are used in the 'Hollyoaks' clip
There are many ambient background sounds used in Hollyoaks, for example bird song, which supports the setting of a forest and helps create the natural sounds that you would here if u were in a forest to make it seem realistic.
Sounds have also been amplified in the scene for example the sound of rustling leaves when Max is running which is amplified so the audience can hear exactly what it is like for Max and it also reinforces the natural sounds of the setting. Another amplified sound which can be heard at the beginning of the scene is Max breathing heavily which reinforces the urgency and panic the character is feeling. The sound in the water of the splash when Max jumps into the water and the bubbles under the water have also been amplified, so the audience hears from the characters point of view under the water.
A few notes of non diegetic music is played when Max shouts for Tom. Using dramatic sounding music helps the audience to feel what the character is feeling about the situation.
The sounds of Tom hitting the window have been muffled so that the audience hears them from the characters outside point of view, as this is where the cameras are and the audience is also looking into the car.
Then when Max goes under the water calm music is played which does match Max’s slow motions under the water but when it cuts to people on the side of the lake the same music is still playing and then the music becomes asynchronous and doesn’t seem to fit what is happening in the scene as the pace of the scene changes. When the words start in the music it has a slow pace and a sad feel to it which does match Max under the water and Tom hitting the car window almost in slow motion. The music also plays over the credits which normally doesn’t happen this is to keep the slow pace and make it seem more emotional for the audience watching.
Sounds have also been amplified in the scene for example the sound of rustling leaves when Max is running which is amplified so the audience can hear exactly what it is like for Max and it also reinforces the natural sounds of the setting. Another amplified sound which can be heard at the beginning of the scene is Max breathing heavily which reinforces the urgency and panic the character is feeling. The sound in the water of the splash when Max jumps into the water and the bubbles under the water have also been amplified, so the audience hears from the characters point of view under the water.
A few notes of non diegetic music is played when Max shouts for Tom. Using dramatic sounding music helps the audience to feel what the character is feeling about the situation.
The sounds of Tom hitting the window have been muffled so that the audience hears them from the characters outside point of view, as this is where the cameras are and the audience is also looking into the car.
Then when Max goes under the water calm music is played which does match Max’s slow motions under the water but when it cuts to people on the side of the lake the same music is still playing and then the music becomes asynchronous and doesn’t seem to fit what is happening in the scene as the pace of the scene changes. When the words start in the music it has a slow pace and a sad feel to it which does match Max under the water and Tom hitting the car window almost in slow motion. The music also plays over the credits which normally doesn’t happen this is to keep the slow pace and make it seem more emotional for the audience watching.
Thursday, 9 October 2008
Thursday, 2 October 2008
How is camerawork used in extracts from 'Heroes'?
In the casino scene in Heroes it starts with a tilt up and tracking forward shot. This establishes setting as well as characters. It tilts up from a roulette table, establishing the setting as a casino and tracks forward to show the audience where the characters are.
A medium, two shot is used to show the two characters in conversation, when they are talking together. However this changes when the characters differ in opinions and close ups are used of each individual character to show this divide.
An extreme close up of a casino chip keeps the story moving forward as the audience can see what the characters are doing.
It then cuts to a low angle shot of the female dealer at the casino. This gives her a sense of authority and the audience gets a sense of what it is like from the characters point of view. A jump cut to a close up of the face focuses the audience, so they can see the detail and the concentration.
A deep focus shot of them gambling shifts and pulls focus to the roulette table in the foreground allowing the audience to see all of the setting. When the special effect of stopping time is used in the casino, panning, tracking and tilts are used to follow the character which means that the audience can see more of the special effect, it also exaggerates the movement through the stillness. Time is then started again and the two characters are still in disagreement. As one character is happy he won the money, whilst the other knows it was not luck and so are still in separate shots. However when they are in agreement again they are in the two shot again. This shows that the shots which are sued in this part of the scene are used to help show their feelings.
The cheerleader scene starts with the camera tracking a man who has just woken up showing his confusion through the movement of the camera and canted camera angles, with blurred edges. This shows the distortion and confusion the character is feeling.
It then cuts to the cheerleader who is walking and being tracked by the camera as she is an important character.
The car scene uses two shots, looking into the car to see both characters as they are having a conversation. Extreme close ups of the gear stick changing gear show the audience that the car is increasing speed.
A profile shot is used looking through the car window. It shows one face in focus and the other who is not talking not in focus to make sure the audience is looking at the right thing.
The scene ends with a close up of the man in the cars face just before the crash to make sure the audience sees his reaction. Then there is a shot of the car crashing into a wall from a high angle shot looking down on the car like the audience are watching them distanced from the action it also allows the audience to see the surrounding areas which are deserted.
A medium, two shot is used to show the two characters in conversation, when they are talking together. However this changes when the characters differ in opinions and close ups are used of each individual character to show this divide.
An extreme close up of a casino chip keeps the story moving forward as the audience can see what the characters are doing.
It then cuts to a low angle shot of the female dealer at the casino. This gives her a sense of authority and the audience gets a sense of what it is like from the characters point of view. A jump cut to a close up of the face focuses the audience, so they can see the detail and the concentration.
A deep focus shot of them gambling shifts and pulls focus to the roulette table in the foreground allowing the audience to see all of the setting. When the special effect of stopping time is used in the casino, panning, tracking and tilts are used to follow the character which means that the audience can see more of the special effect, it also exaggerates the movement through the stillness. Time is then started again and the two characters are still in disagreement. As one character is happy he won the money, whilst the other knows it was not luck and so are still in separate shots. However when they are in agreement again they are in the two shot again. This shows that the shots which are sued in this part of the scene are used to help show their feelings.
The cheerleader scene starts with the camera tracking a man who has just woken up showing his confusion through the movement of the camera and canted camera angles, with blurred edges. This shows the distortion and confusion the character is feeling.
It then cuts to the cheerleader who is walking and being tracked by the camera as she is an important character.
The car scene uses two shots, looking into the car to see both characters as they are having a conversation. Extreme close ups of the gear stick changing gear show the audience that the car is increasing speed.
A profile shot is used looking through the car window. It shows one face in focus and the other who is not talking not in focus to make sure the audience is looking at the right thing.
The scene ends with a close up of the man in the cars face just before the crash to make sure the audience sees his reaction. Then there is a shot of the car crashing into a wall from a high angle shot looking down on the car like the audience are watching them distanced from the action it also allows the audience to see the surrounding areas which are deserted.
How is camerawork used in this extract of 'shameless'
Shameless uses many types of camera angles and shots to create certain effects that focus the audience on the important characters and storylines in the programme. For example, in the opening shot there is a deep focus shot with Marty in the foreground and two people talking in the background. All the characters are in focus but Marty is at the front of the shot, showing that he is an important character. Where as at the back two people are talking separate from Marty showing the secretive, important conversation they are having. This is then followed by a medium, close up shot of this conversation that shows the intensity.
It then cuts to a high angle, long shot looking down on Marty in his bedroom on his own. This shows his isolation and almost looks like a CCTV angle, as we are watching him, it also shows his isolation and emotions as he is in a dark room on his own. Which tells the audience that he is upset and thinking about something. This then jumps to a close up of Marty which shows the emotion on his face, to let the audience see what he is feeling.
It then jumps to a close up of a tracking shot which is following a car, keeping it in the centre of the shot, this lets the audience know that the people in that car are important to the storyline, when the audience does not know who is in the car yet.
The audiences focus is then taken back to Marty who walks straight passed the camera, to shows the speed and urgency of where he is going. It then cuts to another shot of Marty walking along a street the camera, then tilts down to his hand to focus the audience on what he is carrying, which is petrol. This is followed by a low angle shot under the car showing Marty approach. This is a danger shot and also tells the audience that they are not on Marty’s side as the camera is on the other side to him. The shots then start to jump from medium shot to close ups, which shows the instability of Marty and tension that is mounting in this situation.
An over the shoulder shot is also used looking over Marty’s shoulder showing the lighter in his hand which adds to the danger as the audience knows what could happen if he drops it. Two shots are used to show the conversation between people who are there and a master shot is used to show the growing number of people that have come to see what is going on. This is followed by a close up of the lighter being taken off him and then a close up of the dropped cigarette, which shows the narrative developing and focuses the audience on the threat.
Finally, there is a shot of the car in flames, as the owner of the car looks over at it on fire the camera pans across with him showing how distressed and angry he is about the situation.
It then cuts to a high angle, long shot looking down on Marty in his bedroom on his own. This shows his isolation and almost looks like a CCTV angle, as we are watching him, it also shows his isolation and emotions as he is in a dark room on his own. Which tells the audience that he is upset and thinking about something. This then jumps to a close up of Marty which shows the emotion on his face, to let the audience see what he is feeling.
It then jumps to a close up of a tracking shot which is following a car, keeping it in the centre of the shot, this lets the audience know that the people in that car are important to the storyline, when the audience does not know who is in the car yet.
The audiences focus is then taken back to Marty who walks straight passed the camera, to shows the speed and urgency of where he is going. It then cuts to another shot of Marty walking along a street the camera, then tilts down to his hand to focus the audience on what he is carrying, which is petrol. This is followed by a low angle shot under the car showing Marty approach. This is a danger shot and also tells the audience that they are not on Marty’s side as the camera is on the other side to him. The shots then start to jump from medium shot to close ups, which shows the instability of Marty and tension that is mounting in this situation.
An over the shoulder shot is also used looking over Marty’s shoulder showing the lighter in his hand which adds to the danger as the audience knows what could happen if he drops it. Two shots are used to show the conversation between people who are there and a master shot is used to show the growing number of people that have come to see what is going on. This is followed by a close up of the lighter being taken off him and then a close up of the dropped cigarette, which shows the narrative developing and focuses the audience on the threat.
Finally, there is a shot of the car in flames, as the owner of the car looks over at it on fire the camera pans across with him showing how distressed and angry he is about the situation.
Sunday, 21 September 2008
deconstruction of Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a TV drama/ soap aimed at older teenagers and people in their twenties. It follows the lives of people in Hollyoaks showing certain families and the dramas in their lives. Most of the people in the soap are the same age as the target audience so people can relate to the characters and things that could be happening in the characters lives.
Hollyoaks uses alot of over the shoulder shots when two people are in conversation so that you can see each side of the conversation and the emotions on their faces. It also uses alot of close ups and medium shots to get a range of shots showing how the scene is developing. The transitions are usually cuts especially in a conversation but if there is a fight scene then the speed of the cuts increases to show the fast pace of the fight. The dialogue in the scenes are usually informal chat as the target audience would relate to this more. When in outside setting background noise is played to make it seem more realistic even when there is no one else in the shot. Point of view shots are also used in this extract and show the audience what is happening through the characters eyes. Like in this extract when the hands are taken away from the eyes to see the picnic, this put the audience in the position of the character. Also a high angle shot is used to look down on the characters showing where they are in the setting and it provides a range of camera angles.
Hollyoaks uses alot of over the shoulder shots when two people are in conversation so that you can see each side of the conversation and the emotions on their faces. It also uses alot of close ups and medium shots to get a range of shots showing how the scene is developing. The transitions are usually cuts especially in a conversation but if there is a fight scene then the speed of the cuts increases to show the fast pace of the fight. The dialogue in the scenes are usually informal chat as the target audience would relate to this more. When in outside setting background noise is played to make it seem more realistic even when there is no one else in the shot. Point of view shots are also used in this extract and show the audience what is happening through the characters eyes. Like in this extract when the hands are taken away from the eyes to see the picnic, this put the audience in the position of the character. Also a high angle shot is used to look down on the characters showing where they are in the setting and it provides a range of camera angles.
Media concepts
When deconstructing a TV drama there are certain things that you should look for.
Such as:
Media language- This includes the lighting, framing, editing, sound, music and mise en scene.
Form and style - all types of media have structure thought the form and style of the piece, this can be created by the editing of shots and the music used which can determine the mood of the scene.
Conventions - This is like the ingredients for the structure. For example the difference between a horror film and a chick flick. The horror film you would expect the jumpy moments and the screams where as a chick flick you would expect softer music and a romantic elemant to it.
Signifcation - This is the meaning behind what you are seeing in the mise en scene, such as the colour red could represent love, blood or danger. This means there can be many interpretations as the signs are not agreed.
Audience - The audience is needed for the media to work as everything in the media is aimed at a certain type of audience. Male or female, teenagers or adults.They target a certain type of audience to make sure that they're targeted audience watches it.
Such as:
Media language- This includes the lighting, framing, editing, sound, music and mise en scene.
Form and style - all types of media have structure thought the form and style of the piece, this can be created by the editing of shots and the music used which can determine the mood of the scene.
Conventions - This is like the ingredients for the structure. For example the difference between a horror film and a chick flick. The horror film you would expect the jumpy moments and the screams where as a chick flick you would expect softer music and a romantic elemant to it.
Signifcation - This is the meaning behind what you are seeing in the mise en scene, such as the colour red could represent love, blood or danger. This means there can be many interpretations as the signs are not agreed.
Audience - The audience is needed for the media to work as everything in the media is aimed at a certain type of audience. Male or female, teenagers or adults.They target a certain type of audience to make sure that they're targeted audience watches it.
What is a TV Drama ?
Television dramas can be defined as programmes which follows a certain style, such as following the same characters through out the show, so the audience can relate to them and feel they know them. They are usually in familiar backdrops such as hospitals and streets to make it seem realistic even thought it is usually filmed in sets, this is called versimilitude. The stories told in the programee are also very important as a storyline can run through a whole season of a programme or only for one episode. TV dramas can be put into different categories depending on the type of characteristics used on that programme.
Some of these catergories include:
- skins, shamless and inbetweeners.
As they all have a similar teenage audience, about young people in Britain.
-24, lost and heros
This has a different audience with a wider range of people, they are all also american dramas, shown like short movies, with losts of different stories in each edipode.
-Eastenders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks.
These are all British soaps following the lives of people in different settings around Britain.
Some of these catergories include:
- skins, shamless and inbetweeners.
As they all have a similar teenage audience, about young people in Britain.
-24, lost and heros
This has a different audience with a wider range of people, they are all also american dramas, shown like short movies, with losts of different stories in each edipode.
-Eastenders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks.
These are all British soaps following the lives of people in different settings around Britain.
Monday, 15 September 2008
introduction
This blog is about TV dramas and how the representations in these drama creates an image in the media, even if these ideas are not reality. We will be looking at TV dramas such as Hollyoaks, Eastenders, Emmerdale as well as other types of TV drama sush as Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty. I will be studying the conventions of these dramas, the framing, lighting, editing as well as the sound, music and mise en scene to show how the representations are created.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)