THEORY

Audience

Uses and Gratifications Theory

• Explain how we 'use' the media and what 'gratifications' (pleasures) we receive.

Hypodermic Needle Theory

• Early theory that suggests we are injected with ideas that we believe to be true

Narrative

• Todorov - 3 parts to a narrative (equilibrium, disruption, resolution)
• Propp - character types (hero, villain, princess, donor, helper etc)
• Levi-Straus - binary opposited (narratives feature conflicts between opposing forces. GOOD vs EVIL etc.
• Barthes - Narratives involve enigmas - questions/puzzles to be solved by the audience.

Enigmas in Kidnap and Ransom

1. Who is the man at the start?
2. What's in the wrapping?
3. Why is he throwing it in the lake?
4. Why is it set in a foreign country?
5. Why are they being held hostage?
6. Who is the man?
7. Where are they going?
8. What is their relationship?
9. Who's ringing?
10. Why does he have 3 phones?
11. What's in the bag he kicked in?
12. Who is the blonde girl with a cap on?
13. Why is she hiding her passport?
14. Why did she drop the keys on the floor for Trevor to pick up?

Enigmas in Crime Dramas

Roland BARTHES is a theorist who looked into narratives (storylines). One conclusion he came to was that all narratives have ENIGMAS. These are puzzles/questions which have to be solved. Typically these are questions that are raised which the audience are encouraged to think about.

Exam tips

14th May-  Pre release material

14th June-  Exam

Take into the exam;

                             coloured pencils

                             fine liners

                             ruler

• We need to have depth knowledge of 3 crime dramas
• We need to have independent  knowlegde of shows you have watched  outside of school
• 2 examples of theories:
  • uses and gratifications- Information, entertainment, personal identity and personal relationships
  • propp- hero, princess, villan etc
  • Todorov- all naratives follow 3 parts
    • equalibrium, disruption, resolution
  • Barthes
  • Levi-strous- Binary opposites
    • good vs bad      -   police vs criminal     -      truth vs lies
• Detailed knowledge of characters
• Good understanding of settings
• Set peices and iconography
  • police cirens
  • walkie talky
  • bullet proof jackets
  • crime scene etc
• Jargon - words associated with crime dramas
  • MO- modus operandus (the way in which they like to work)
    • eg for a killer they could stab someone 5 times
• Write in role!
• Expectyed to pitch something
  • eg. what are you about to read is my fantastic new idea for a crime drama. Once you read this i am sure you will not be able to wait to see the piolet episode.
• Rationale- why would your crime drama be successful?

Kidnap and Ransom - Series 2, Episode 3

This week I watched Kidnap and Ransom series 2, episode 3.

Contacting King after the kidnap of her daughter Sally, Shaffer reveals that Willard is now after the work of her husband Philip, who has created an anti-obesity drug that would be very lucrative on the black market. Philip however refuses to give up the formula in exchange for the daughter; King attempts to meet with Willard and trade a bogus formula for Sally but Willard has suspected his ruse and King only finds Sally's finger in a garbage can at the meeting site.

Meanwhile, Beddoes realizes that it was Shaffer's boss Wickham that told Willard about the existence of Philip's work during his original phone call and alerts the authorities.
Philip Shaffer is now convinced to give up the actual formula, and King meets Willard in a tense face-to-face, but secures Sally's release in exchange for the formula. After the exchange, King follows Willard a short distance and shoots the man in the hand but allows him to live; Willard is whisked away by his henchmen while King returns Sally to her family and then returns to his office. On the phone with his wife, we see King's daughter in the background of their family home; his wife informs him that the daughter is visiting for dinner, which "is a start."

TV Magazine

Settings

Crime Drama's are set in a great range of settings and they each have their own reasons to why they are set there.

Luther is set in London which is a big city. It is set in a rough area of London and there is a good variety of alley ways which highlights how Luther was able in Episode 3 to punch a suspect down without people seeing. The part of London where Luther is set is also meant to be a bit of a gruesome place which adds on to why the show seems to sometimes be scary and not very pleasant to watch due to the environment it is set at.

CSI - CSI is set in an area which is seen as sexy and glamorous and this has been enhanced throughout the show by the up to date technology and 'pretty' characters. Having a beautiful setting you can come up with the idea that CSI is a Sombre show to watch.