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Learning Objective: Session 1

Learning Objective: Session 1. To be able to analyze a crime drama by identifying appropriate codes and conventions. Key Concepts Some of the things we will be studying. What are the codes and conventions?. Crime Drama Codes and Conventions. Crime Drama Codes and Conventions 2.

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Learning Objective: Session 1

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  1. Learning Objective: Session 1 To be able to analyze a crime drama by identifying appropriate codes and conventions

  2. Key ConceptsSome of the things we will be studying

  3. What are the codes and conventions?

  4. Crime Drama Codes and Conventions

  5. Crime Drama Codes and Conventions 2

  6. Learning Objective: Session 2 To be able to analyse the structure of crime drama by using appropriate theories.

  7. What are the key ingredients? • angry policeman • shocked suspect • interview room • the story of the police trying to find the criminal • the close-up camera shot of the policeman’s fist • serious music • dim lighting • the subject is law and order versus crime

  8. How are crime dramas structured? • Why do you think they structure episodes in this way?

  9. Watch the following tv trailer to and consider what information it is giving the audience: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/programme-trailer-for-crime-drama/11455.html What crime conventions scenes are shown? What does it suggest about the plot? TRAILER/ Preview Where is the location/crime scene? How are the characters represented? What is the crime?

  10. Toderov suggests that many narratives, regardless of their genre, could be broken into specific stages for analysis Equilibrium The setting is established, key character(s) are introduced and the storyline is set up. Disruption Oppositional character(s) appear and the story takes a particular direction Recognition of disruption The lives of the characters and events are interwoven. Tension builds throughout the section, which is often the longest. Attempt to repair disruption The highest point in the tension- climax of the film. Reinstatement of equilibrium Matters are sorted out, problems are solved and questions are answered.

  11. Todorov’s theory of structure

  12. Learning Objective: Session 3 To be able to analyse the codes and conventions of crime drama by using appropriate media language.

  13. What codes and conventions do DVD covers usually contain? • The title • A slogan • Images of main characters/action • Actors names • Age certificate • Special features • Billing Block • Production Logo • Running time and other technical information • DVD or Blu-Ray logo, plus any other product based logos • A blurb Annotate your handouts by labelling these features

  14. How does Sherlock incorporate the old vs new theme?

  15. Crime Drama DVDs • Have a closer look at each DVD cover. • What sort of images, text and colours are used to highlight the fact that the product is a crime drama? Annotate and label these features. • Who is the target audience of the product? How does the DVD cover appeal to its target audience?

  16. Learning Objective: Session 4 To be able to explore how crime drama appeals to an audience by using appropriate theory

  17. Why do we use media? Blumler and Katz’s theory suggests that media users play an active role in choosing and using the media. Media users choose a media source that best fulfils their needs. Uses and gratifications assume that the user has alternate choices to satisfy their need.

  18. Uses and Gratifications theory 4 categories • Diversion - escape from everyday problems and routine. • Personal Relationships - using the media for emotional and other interaction, e.g.) substituting soap operas for family life • Personal Identity - finding yourself reflected in texts, learning behaviour and values from texts • Surveillance - Information which could be useful for living e.g.) weather reports, financial news, holiday bargains

  19. Setting • Places are a key convention of any drama. We associate settings with crime dramas; New York City features in the title of NYPD Blue and CSI:NY and there are similar titles for Southland (an area of LA) and Boomtown (another area in LA). • It is not only cities, Heartbeat is set in the Yorkshire moors and the fictional Midsomer is based in Somerset for Midsomer Murders.

  20. Clues • The story scatters clues for the detectives and we follow. Some dramas don’t reveal the identity of the criminal until near the end, e.g. Inspector Morse or Waking the Dead. This is called a closed narrative. • In others we are shown the criminal at the beginning, e.g. Columbo and Law and Order: Criminal Intent. This is an open narrative.

  21. Set pieces • We are often shown scenes that we recognise from other dramas, these are set pieces. For example we may see a couple of detectives at a crime scene, looking at a body, Or an autopsy or asking witnesses questions. • We may only follow a key detective, we see their viewpoint. A drama like Boomtown plays with the same scene through different people’s viewpoints to discover the truth.

  22. Conflict • Whatever happens along the way there is always conflict. A theorist called Claude Levi-Strauss looked at how stories involve conflict between opposite forces, e.g. good v evil; cop v criminal. These are called binary oppositions. The opposites fight each other for dominance and audiences want to see them resolved. It might not just be between police and criminal, it could be between police officers, the lawyers or their family members.

  23. Suspense • Sometimes we see what the detective sees and other times they know the answer before the viewer does. Inspector Morse and Columbo often crack the case in their minds and we have to wait to find out what they know. • The steps along the way to solving the crime create suspense. Questions are usually raised in your mind.

  24. Dramatic irony & cliffhangers • If you are shown something the detective hasn’t seen, a suspect hiding a murder weapon or a seemingly innocent witness up to no good. When you know something the heroes don’t know, this is called dramatic irony. This is often combined with cliffhangers, when something dramatic happens and the viewer is left wondering.

  25. Resolution • When all the questions are answered and the quest comes to its natural conclusion: the resolution. Successful crime dramas may delay and delay the resolution and we want to see the crime solved so we can relax. Until next time…

  26. How do you know this is a crime drama?

  27. How does the mise en scene of your screen shot support the ‘crime drama’ genre? How does it promote the uses and gratifications theory? • Settings & Props • Costume, Hair & Make Up • Facial Expressions & Body Language • Lighting & Colour • Positioning of characters/objects within the frame

  28. Getting your gradeHow does the packaging of crime drama DVDs highlight the codes and conventions of that genre?

  29. Typical Question (approx 22 mins)Analyse how Crime drama is represented in the screen shots and DVDs covers. Analyse the covers of Bones and Sherlock and the screen shot of CSI:NY. What do the covers tell you about the program? You should focus on how each uses the codes and conventions of DVD packaging to communicate the generic codes and conventions of crime dramaand to attract the interest of an audience. This must be analytical and use appropriate media language

  30. Learning Objective: Session 5:To be able to analyse the structure of a crime drama by analysing opening and closing sequences.

  31. Dexter – Crime/ Horror

  32. Dexter – Crime/ Horror

  33. The X Files – supernatural/ crime

  34. Blood Ties – Horror/ crime

  35. Blood Ties – Horror/ Crime

  36. Torchwood – supernatural/ crime

  37. Angel – Fantasy/ Horror The Wire – Crime

  38. The Wire – Crime

  39. The Wire – Detective

  40. A Touch of Frost – Detective

  41. A Touch of Frost – Detective

  42. Re genesis – Detective/medical

  43. Re genesis – Crime/medical

  44. Murphy's Law – Crime/ Mystery

  45. Roland Barthes • 2 main ways of hooking audience: • Enigma codes – where puzzles/riddles are set up at the start of the narrative. The hero – usually the forces of law and order – work hard to solve the mystery and we go along with them on the journey or quest. • Action codes – generated by actions in the story e.g. person pulls a gun. Who will they shoot? Where do we see these codes in crime drama?

  46. Study the two opening scenes and list/mind map how they hook our attention and what conventions of crime drama they use • A Touch of Frost series 1 episode 3 (‘Conclusions’) • MidsomerMuders series 13, disc 1 episode 2 (‘The Sword of Geillaume) Which opening do you think is the most effective? Why?

  47. Opening Teaser • We may see someone attacked, but we don’t see the perpetrator. Maybe there is a random passer-by who finds a corpse and screams in a close-up at the camera. • Every crime drama does it differently, but the primary function is to draw you in and make you want to watch. This is usually done in combination with the enigma, the mystery.

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