TV Drama

Teen Drama

Representations
Macro – level
Micro - level
 Objectives:
Objectives
• To revise key terms:
– Representation
– Stereotype
– Realism
– Target audience response
• To deconstruct screen shots (at micro-level) to
read the representations created (at macro-level).
• To create a pitch for a new teen character to be
introduced in a TV Drama, making choices at
micro-level to create a non-stereotypical
representation (if it is possible…) – collaborative
task
 Camera Shots, Angle,
Movement and Composition

• Shots: establishing shot, master shot, close-up, mid-

shot, long shot, wide shot, two-shot, aerial shot, point of
view shot, over the shoulder shot, and variations of
these.

• Angle: high angle, low angle, canted angle.

• Movement: pan, tilt, track, dolly, crane, steadicam, hand-

held, zoom, reverse zoom.

• Composition: framing, rule of thirds, depth of field – deep

and shallow focus, focus pulls.
 Editing

• Includes transition of image and sound –

continuity and non-continuity systems.

• Cutting: shot/reverse shot, eyeline match,

graphic match, action match, jump cut,
crosscutting, parallel editing, cutaway; insert.

• Other transitions, dissolve, fade-in, fade-out,

wipe, superimposition, long take, short take,
slow motion, ellipsis and expansion of time,
post-production, visual effects.
 Sound

• Diegetic and non-diegetic sound;

synchronous/asynchronous sound; sound
effects; sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue,
voiceover, mode of address/direct address,
sound mixing, sound perspective.

• Soundtrack: score, incidental music, themes and

stings, ambient sound.
 Mise-en-Scène

• Production design: location, studio, set

design, costume and make-up, properties.

• Lighting; colour design.

 Skins extract
• Watch opening of Episode 1 season 3;
a brand new cast = new characters introduced

• Discuss initial impressions of characters and how

they are created.

• Study the stills below and look for elements at

micro-level which build these representations.
Collaborative task – groups of 3
• Prepare a pitch for introducing a new teen
character to a TV drama targeted at 15 - 25s
(first 30 – 50 seconds)
• Try avoiding obvious stereotypes that displeased
you last time.
• Outcome: 1 or 2 speakers from the group to
present pitch, offering:
– An overview of the character and intended
impressions on the target audience;
– A shot list describing micro-level elements and
explaining / justifying choices
USE YOUR MATS!
 Peer-assessment
• Has the group created a convincing
representation of a teenager? Evaluate.

• What elements at micro-level are most

convincing in creating that representation?

• What problems or shortcomings can you

identify with the way the character is
represented? How might the target
audience respond?
In your pair, discuss this shot from Skins using as many of the following terms:
representation (or represented) labels stereotype realism
target audience response binary oppositions (extra challenge)