Camerwork In Heroes

How is camerawork used in 'Heroes'?

The excerpt begins with a focus pull shot of 'Ermmm' waking up in a fuzzy daze; this is expressed by the use of the camera switching focus from foreground to back. As the character stumbles and turns the camera imitates the movements giving the audience a sense of shared dizziness and delusion. The next shot is a camera tilting up and down as the character attempts to regain vision, the camera then slowly zooms into a painting of a girl. Once the artwork has filled the frame the shot fades into the actual character, this clever camerawork links the two scenes together with a stylish transition.

After a short dialogue between two characters; a long range shot is presented, establishing the setting and the fact that they are the only two characters involved in the scene. The first shot of the car is a close up of the cheerleaders hand on the gear stick, this initially establishes that the character is in control of both the car and the situation. The several shots presented in this scene are edited together with speed and fury, this demonstrates the speed of the car and the frantic mindset the cheerleader possesses. The next frame shows a two-shot of both the characters profiles with the cheerleader in the foreground, this further emphasizes her control and power of the scene.

Further references to speed are indicated in the following shots, as several close ups of the gear stick, speed gage and spinning wheel to establish the theme of the scene. The final frame of the scene features the intensity rising as the car plunges into a brick wall, a series of short sharp camera cuts are shown during the action to display the danger, the camerawork switches from a profile shot of the characters to a frame of the back of the car, imitating the jaunting movement of whiplash.

Hollyoaks Deconstruction

The soap opera 'Hollyoaks' uses a number of techniques such as camerawork, editing and mise en scene to create the desired product for the target audience. 'Hollyoaks' uses a series of two-shot camera angles to present dialouge between a number of characters, this effective technique clearly displays both the actors whilst still giving the nessessary emphasis to the characters reactions.

The editing in 'Hollyoaks' is frantic and sharp, this effective technique gives momentum and pace to a scene which may lack stimulating content. Using this technique means an episode can contain a number of different narratives in quick sucsession.

The TV drama also uses current and popular music in a number of scenes, this gives the program a sense of modern time. During the frames taking place in a public place a soundtrack of ambience is used to create an atmosphere of realism. Although this background noise is in place, the main characters in the foreground of the scene can always be heard over the talking of passers by.

'Hollyoaks' mainly uses high key lighting to present an image of excitement and youth, this choice of mise en scene aids the targetting of the audience. Although in some scenes, a use of low key lighting is used to present a more negative potrail of the characters, this technique is used in scenes where difficult issues such as depression are being expressed.

Camerwork In Shameless

How is camerawork used in this excerpt of 'Shameless'?

In the short excerpt of 'Shameless' camerawork is used to create and display a number of emotions and events. The viewer is first presented with a deep set focus shot of 'Marty' in the foreground with a blurred image of 'Fiona' and 'Steve' behind, This choice of shot indicates that the emphasis of the scene is on 'Marty' and that he will be the main character for the following events. The camera then cuts to a medium two shot frame of 'Fiona' and 'Steve' in dialogue, the choice of the camerawork is to show the intensity of the conversation. The importance of the next frame is clear, as we see a high angle shot of 'Marty' sat alone in an empty living room. The low key lighting in the shot indicates the isolation and depression of the character.

The audience is then presented with a tracking shot of the car approaching the house, the following of the car by the camera indicates the significance of the characters inside. A brief establishing shot is then shown to reiterate the location of the events. The next scene features a static shot of 'Marty' running towards the door and out to the street, the use of the static camera gives the audience a greater sense of speed, as the character flashes passed the lens. As the camera tracks back to view 'Marty' walking towards the car, the frame tilts downwards to reveal the lighter in the characters hand, this signifies the importance of the object and how it will affect the scene.

A series of two shots follow the proceedings as 'Marty' threatens the other two characters, although the camera is frantically jumping from shot to shot the lighter is always in full view, often in the centre of the frame. This attention to detail emphasizes the danger and threat the object poses. We are then presented with a number of master shots, in which all the characters and surroundings can be seen, this shot type is important to establishing the location, characters and action.

Genre

Genre is a french word for 'Type'. 'Genre' is a critical tool that helps us study media texts by dividing them into categories based on common elements.

Generic Characteristics

The aim of genre is to classify media texts based on shared characteristics. These characteristics known as 'Generic elements' are the ingredients that make up a particular genre.

TV Drama Sub-Genre

A 'sub-genre' is where genres are subdivided into even more specific categories. TV drama sub-genre include:

Teen Dramas: Skins
Soap Operas: Eastenders
Costume Dramas: Tudors
Medical Dramas: Holby City
Crime Dramas: Midsummer Murders
Docu-dramas: Hamburg Cell

Media Concepts

Media Language

• Lighting, framing, props, mise en scene, editing
• Sound and music
• Read Media Language

Form And Style

• Structure
• Current music

Convention

• Series of signs
• Everything carries a meaning
• Assume all signs are agreed upon
• Sometimes open to interpretation
• Support and justify the reasons

Representation

• How people want to be seen using people, background and themes
• How to represent something
• Reality and creative reality

Audiences

• For mass media to work an audience is needed
• A niche market is an audience targeted for a gap in the market
• What came first, audience or product

Introduction

This blog will be used to explain TV drama and its micro techniques, I shall explore the conventions of the genre and how a number of techniques including camerawork, mise en scene and ambience achieve the final product.