Single Camera Drama

Task one:

What are single and multi-camera techniques.

A single camera format is when all the shots on a TV or film set are filmed by one camera. One of the advantages of usi

ng a single camera format is that it gives the director more control over each shot as there are less cameras to oversee. However, using a single camera format is often a lot more time consuming than using the multiple camera format as the action must be repeated several timesif the director wants shots from more than one angle or vantage point. Although, a single camera format is more convenient when used in amateur productions as it is likely they won't have access to limitless amounts of professional equipment and resources. Another advantage of using this format is that your footage is less likely to be negatively influenced when filming with or by reflective surfaces, i.e you are less likely to include unwanted objects in the footage such as other cameras etc. Some examples of productions that use the single camera set up are My Name is Earl, Peep Show etc. Using a single camera format in programmes like these help the audience to feel more involved with the program as it is presented more personally by only using one camera.

A multiple camera format is when more than one camera -usually as many as five- is used to film the same action at the same time. An advantage of using the multiple camera format is that it saves time as it cuts down on the amount of filming that needs to be done to capture the action from different angles/perspectives, this could lead to another advantage which is that by saving time the multiple camera technique becomes more economically viable. Multiple camera formats can also be used to capture the audience's reaction in live TV shows. Some examples of TV programs/films that use the multiple camera format are Coronation Street, Britain's got Talent and X-Men 2. The multiple camera set-up is commonly used in action films to enable the director to gain footage of stunts from several angles at once without having to repeat the stunt therefore saving time which is important when making films as they are normally subject to a very tight deadline.

Task two:

Write a short paragraph explaining the differences between a series, a serial and a single drama.

A series is any long running TV or Radio program which is presented in a episodic nature. However, a series can also be a serial. We can find out if a program is serial by looking for signs of Todorov's theory. If the full cycle of Todorov's theory is not present (Equilibrium, disruption, resolution) we can usually be sure that the program is a serial as story lines develop throughout the course of the program rather than being fully created and then revealed in each episode. A single drama is a one off and the story reigns its full cycle throughout the time that the single drama is aired, much like a film.

Ugly Betty is both a series and a serial as it is presented in an episodic nature and the story line develops throughout the series. For example, in series one of Ugly Betty we see a masked figure talking to Wilhemina. The interactions become more frequent and more information is revealed in each episode until the mysterious character reveals themself to be Alexis Meade. The Simpson's is a series. It is not a serial as there is an equilibrium, a disruption and a resolution in each episode. Eg, The Simpson's are living their normal happy life. Homer causes a meltdown at the nuclear power plant. He then rectifies his mistake and saves Springfield. There will then be a completely different storyline in the next episode. Gunrush was a single drama aired on ITV. Todorov's theory was present which meant that the storyline was both created and revealed in one program. The family lived a very ordinary life in London until their daughter was murdered. Her father then takes the law into his own hands due to his lack of faith in the police force and he eventually finds the culprit, who is then sent to prison. Collision was a combination of a single drama and a serial. This is because although it was presented in a number of episiodes in which the story line was revealed in a fragmentary nature, its production was limited to five episodes and it will not be produced again. Collision begins with a multi-strand narrative in which it follows the normal every day lives of each character and then the crash is shown. In each episode we find out more about each individual character and how the crash occurred until all is revealed.

Task three:

Pick two productions of your choice and explain the narrative techniques used within them.

The film: Howl's Moving Castle is an example of a production which uses an anti-realist narrative which is typical of the anime genre. Propp's theory is also evident in the film which reflects the fantasy element although some common conventions of Propp's theory are perhaps deliberately defied, the most obvious of which is that the damsel in distress (for part of the film) is actually a powerful wizard instead the usual helpless young woman. The narrative is unrestricted in parts such as we know that the spell the main character has upon her is breaking whereas the character herself is unaware. The other characters can see what is happening but it is never actually mentioned until the end of the film which suggests that we are to draw our own conclusion. The film follows an objective narrative as we only see the external behaviours of the characters which enhances the unrestricted narrative and supports my point that the viewer is encouraged to draw their own conclusions of what is going on. Todorov's theory is presented in the usual manner perhaps to anchor the connotations of anime being traditional and "the usual" in its native country much like how an equilibrium, a disruption and a resolution are seen as the "usual" pattern in a storyline. The story is presented in a linear fashion and has a closed ending due to the resolution aspect of Todorov's theory. Anime films typically have closed endings as they are fantasy and they are often aimed at younger audiences who like to see a "happy ending" much like a fairytale.

Bend it like Beckham follows a realist narrative as the film is true to real life in most aspects. There isn't really much evidence of Propp's theory in the film as the outlook on each character changes frequently throughout the film. Todorov's theory is used in the film to add more of a structure to the narrative. The story is presented using a linear narrative. One of the patterns of narrative that is shown is the theme of a journey as the protagonist has to face a choice between her family/culture and her dreams. There is also evidence of a goal that she is striving towards. We see the film from a restricted viewpoint as we learn things about the plot at the same time as the characters. The film's ending is open as we see the main characters leave to begin a new life in America which suggested that there could be a sequal, although now we know that, that was not the intention.

Task four:

The commentary I have written is about the second clip: The Ganzfield Procedure. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDKAUQ0aN3U&feature=player_embedded) The red title is juxta positioned against the black background. The titles make a "buzzing" sound and their brightness alters much like neon signs. The video then uses editing to smoothly cut to the next clip which resembles the "white noise" which we sometimes see when we try to change channels on the TV. The things we have seen so far suggest that the video is going to be futuristic/ modern which could connote that the video will fall under the sci-fi genre. We begin with an establishing shot as the non-diegetic sound of the narrator's voice tells us what is happening. We see over the shoulder shots of the "two randomly selected patients" as the researcher speaks to them, this sound is diegetic. The camera shows us a close up of Mary's face as the narrative shifts to make her the focus. The lighting used on this close up is red, which could symbolise that the "journey" that Mary is about to go on involves love, danger, anger, etc. This then fades out to an clip of red dashed lines moving across the screen, they resemble the lines on a road which again ties in with the theme of journey. The narrative shifts and shows us flashbacks of Mary's past which have been edited to look like a film strip and the colours have been over saturated which suggests that this video follows an anti-realist narrative. The flashbacks change very quickly, which could be symbolic of the memories running through her mind. A non-diegetic music bed begins. (Florence and the Machine) Random colours and patterns which are completely unrelated to any previous clips superimpose and fade in and out of the screen. The video then jump-cuts back to the image of Mary sat in the room with the red lighting and the music bed fades, however the narrator continues to speak which connotes that what the narrator is saying is of immense importance. tbc

Task five:

What are some of the differences in technology available to modern audiences and why has it become more difficult to reach a broad target audience?

There are many differences between technology today and the technology that was available in the past. We now have many more channels on our television due to companies like "Sky" and "Virgin media" which means we have more choice and that channel's like the BBC get a smaller viewing audience than they used to when there were only five channels. Advertisers have to do more research to decide which channels they want to advertise on due to the fact that the audience is no longer "under one roof". However, it is easier for them to reach the people they may be interested in the product eg. a company advertising lawnmowers would advertise on a gardening channel. The internet is also an important development in the world of technology as television and film can now be viewed all over the world due to illegal streaming sites, sites such as youtube and sites like 4OD/BBC iplayer. This also makes it more convenient for the viewer as they don't have to watch the program at the time that it is aired. Due to space time compression we can even watch programs that are never shown in this country.

Task six:

Give examples of the types of media that each social class may consume.

Examples of jobs each social class may have:

A: Consultant, Dentists, Lawyer etc

B: Doctor, Senior civil servants, Police officials

C1: Nurse, Shop manager, Administrator

C2: Plumber, Brick layer, Chef

D: Refuse collector, Dinner lady, Asda workers

E: Unemployed.

Examples of the media each social class may consume:

A: Question time, The Times, The South Bank Show

B: QI, University challenge, The Independent

C1: 8 out of Ten Cats, Mock the Week, Daily Mail

C2: Ugly Betty, Scrubs, Friends

D: The Sun, Coronation Street, Big Brother

E: Trisha, The Star, X-Factor.

Task seven:

Write a report detailing the equipment you will be using to aid the creation of your production and how you are going to use it.

I shall be using Panasonic DVX-100-B camera, or a small handheld camera to film my single camera drama. I shall record my footage using a DV tape which will then be uploaded to iMovie HD so that I can edit my clips and add effects such as black and white or flash. I will have to use a tripod to film the scenes where a steady hand is required. However, I may not use a tripod in some scenes to add a specific effect (eg. Point of view shot, running after another character). I may also use some artificial lighting. I could choose from two lighting rigs. One which replicates daytime light and one which replicates the type of light we see at nighttime. I will be using sites such as Keepvid.com to obtain the soundtrack to my single camera drama. We may also need to use Audacity to amplify the sound of the voiceovers we will record on the Edirol R-09 voice recorder. We may also have to use Garageband to convert our voiceover to Mp3 after editing in Audacity.

Task eight:

Write a treatment for your single camera drama.

My single camera drama will be a short advertisement/ trailer for a horror film. Contrasting with the usual codes and conventions of a horror film trailer, we will not be showing the title of the film at the beginning of the trailer, this will create an enigma as the audience will not be given a clue as to what the film is about. I will be using a black and white effect on all the clips throughout the film. The black and white effect shall connote an eery atmosphere, typical of the horror genre. Additionally, I will raise the contrast on selected clips to really bring out the darkness in the shots, juxta-positioning the darkness against the few spots of light space. Our trailer will be based around the old school building, thus taking advantage of the building's unusual architecture to enhance the horror conventions in our narrative. We will be using a flashing effect to quicken the pace towards the end of the trailer, in order to mimic the heartbeat of a person as they become more frightened. However, the flashes will be of a blank black screen in order to signify darkness. The film will be begin with an establishing shot of the building, panning from left to right, enabling all surroundings to be included in the shot. We will be using a non-diagetic music bed throughout the trailer, we shall be choosing a track that fits with the atmosphere and pace of the clips in order to really influence the reactions of the audience. We will be using point of view shots and a handheld camera to symbolise a chase towards the end of the film which will then fade to a dark screen creating a sense of foreboading and an enigma. A diagetic scream will then be heard anchoring the film as "frightening", the title of the film and the date it will be released will then fade onto the screen in a classic font juxta-positioned against the black background.

Task nine:

Create a storyboard illustrating some of the camera shots you will be using in your production.

Task ten:

Create a production schedule.

Task eleven:

Fill in a risk assessment for your group's single camera drama.

My finished production: