Media

How to analyze a TV drama

Tina Hartnell

Section AFor section one you watch a five minute clip of a TV drama. You will then write a textual analysis of it discussing how it represents the following…• Gender • Age• Ethnicity• Sexuality• Class and status• Physical ability/disability• Regional identityBy using the following areas…

Camera shots

• Establishing shot (extreme long shot) - Establishes where you want your viewer to be (location)

• Master shot - show the limit of action (If its in a room you will see that first)

• Over the shoulder shot - (shot, reverse shot) conversation your not supposed to notice how its done.

• Close ups - (usually follow the over the shoulder shot) more about the characters reaction less about the location. From the face up.

• Extreme close ups - highlight an action of big significance or an emotional reaction.

• Medium close up - from the chest up.

• Medium shot - from the waist up.

• Long shot - whole person. Medium long shot.

Camera Movement• Tracking shot – The camera follows the object as it

moves.

• Pan shot – A sweeping shot from either left to right or right to left.

• Tilt shot – A sweeping shot from top to bottom or bottom to top.

• Crane

• Steadicam

• Handheld

• Zoom

• Reverse zoom

Camera angle

• High angle

• Low angle

• Canted angle

Composition

• Framing

• Rule of thirds

• Depth of field – deep and shallow focus

• Focus pulls

Editing• Transition of image and sound – continuity

and non-continuity • Cutting: shot/reverse shot

• Eyeline match• Graphic match• Action match• Jump cut• Crosscutting• Parallel editing• Cut away; insert

• Other transitions, dissolve, fade in/out, wipe, superimposition, long take, short take, slow motion, ellipsis and expansion if time, post-production, visual effects.

Sound• Diegetic and non-diegetic sound

• Syncronous/asyncronous

• Sound effects• Sound motif• Sound bridge• Dialogue• Voice over• Mode of address/ direct address• Sound mixing• Sound perspective

• Sound track• Score• Incidental music• Themes and stings• Ambient sound