Scene by Scene analysis

Long Form TV Drama

Trouble with UK TV drama...
Failed to meet the challenge of US cable channels.
US dramas are more daring and take many more risks which grabs the viewers attention much more than plain, boring TV.

Changing platforms...
Content viewing via a TV still dominates in the UK.
3/4 of households in the UK have a PVR (personal video recorder).
Use of time shift is increasing.
Growth of SVOD (subscription video on demand) web based channels - Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV etc.
Netflix dominates with 24% of UK market and 5million subscribers - 10% growth from 2015-2016.

Audiences...
Rise of binge-watching started with DVD in the 1990s.
A move from 'water cooler' TV to 'shared universe' fandom.
US long form drama often uses easter eggs and mid season breaks to generate fan intensity and maintain media profile.

Why do audiences love LFTVD?
High quality drama.
Multiple episodes -  can spend A LOT of time with favourite characters.
Content can be dark and difficult but also innovative.
Attracts some of the best actors and writers.
Time shifting - can watch whenever you want.
Easily accessible.

'State of the nation' TV...
Long form shows challenged the simplistic storylines and stereotypical characters that dominate network TV.
HBO launched The Sopranos in 1999 which was a huge commercial and critical hit. Increasingly, these shows were about the crisis of US identity and hegemony.
Other shows followed including The Wire which won awards and turned US TV into a medium for various subject content and critique. 

Wonder Woman Comic-Con trailer - Summer work/intro

The Wonder Woman trailer contains various different sounds to represent what is happening at that moment. At the beginning during the build-up for the rest of the trailer, the music is relatively soothing and calm because nothing dramatic is happening at the time. When the majority of the  build-up is over, the music starts to become louder and more intense. The sound is synchronised with the cuts, for example, when one tense scene cuts to another one there is a distinct sound of a hard hit of a drum, to separate the dramatic scenes. After every drum hit, the scene changes to a more dramatic and exciting one and the hits get more intense and louder. At 1:03 the music stops completely to help people focus on what the characters are talking about, to add to the partial story line that they're uncovering. Also, at 1:51 the sounds of the machine guns hitting Wonder Woman's shield tied in with the music so that it sounded as though it was part of the music and so that it all combined with no harsh sound differences in only one scene. They use the sound to show the pace of the scene to allow the audience to witness how exiting the movie is as the scenes get faster and the music pace tempo gets faster with it.

The Big Six - Summer work/intro

A) What do we mean by the 'Big Six' in media?
The big six are the companies in American media who own the high majority of all the media in America.

B) The Big six are:

1. GE - they own Comcast, NBC, Universal Pictures and Focus Features. 
2. News-Corp - they own Fox, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post. 
3. Disney - they own ABC, ESPN, Pixar, Miramax and Marvel Studios. 
4. Viacom - they own MTV, NICK JR, BET, CMT and Paramount Pictures. 
5. Time Warner - they own CNN, HBO, TIME and Warner Bros.
6. CBS - they own Showtime, Smithsonian Channel, NFL, Jeopardy and 60 Minutes. 

C) Media Projects made by the 'Big Six'?

GE - UNIVERSAL PICTURES (Despicable Me 3)

Main Actors/Actresses: 

• Steve Carell - Gru/Dru (voice)
• Kristen Wiig - Lucy (voice)
• Trey Parker - Balthazar Bratt (voice)
• Miranda Cosgrove - Margo (voice)
• Dana Gaier - Edith (voice)
• Nev Scharrel - Agnes (voice)
• Pierre Coffin - Minions/Museum Director/Additional Voice (voice)
• Steve Coogan - Fritz/Silas Ramsbottom (voice)

Film's Budget:

• $80,000,000

What it got at Box Office:

• Opening weekend - $72,434,025 (2 July 2017)
• Gross - $251,774,330 (20 August 2017)

Release Date: 

• 30 June 2017 

NEWS-CORP - FOX (Kingsman: The Golden Circle)

Main Actors/Actresses:

• Colin Firth - Harry Hart/Galahad
• Taron Egerton - Eggsy/Galahad
• Mark Strong - Merlin 
• Halle Berry - Ginger Ale
• Elton John - fictionalised Elton John
• Channing Tatum - Tequila
• Jeff Bridges - Champagne "Champ"
• Edward Holcroft - Charlie Hesketh

Film's Budget:

• $104,000,000

What it got at Box Office:

• Opening Weekend - $39,000,000
• Gross - $39,000,000

Release Date:

• 20 September 2017

DISNEY - PIXAR (Finding Dory)

Main Actors/Actresses:

• Ellen DeGeneres - Dory (voice)
• Albert Brooks - Marlin (voice)
• Ed O'Neill - Hank (voice)
• Hayden Rolence - Nemo (voice)
• Sloane Murray - Young Dory (voice)
• Idris Elba - Fluke (voice)

Film's Budget:

• $200,000,000

What it got at Box Office:

• Opening Weekend - $135,060, 273
• Gross - $486, 295, 561

Release Date:

• 29 July 2016

VIACOM - PARAMOUNT PICTURES (Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted)

Main Actors/Actresses:

• Ben Stiller - Alex (voice)
• Chris Rock - Marty (voice)
• David Schwimmer - Melman (voice)
• Jada Pinkett Smith - Gloria (voice)
• Sacha Boren Cohen - Julien (voice)
• Cedric the Entertainer - Maurice (voice)

Film's Budget:

• $145,000,000

What it got at Box Office:

• Opening Weekend - $60,316,738
• Gross - $216,391,482

Release Date:

• 19 October 2012

TIME WARNER - WARNER BROS (Suicide Squad):

Main Actors/Actresses:

• Will Smith - Deadshot
• Margot Robbie - Harley Quinn
• Jared Leto - The Joker
• James McGowan - Panda Man

Film's Budget:

• $175,000,000

What it got at Box Office:

• Opening Weekend - $13,898,391
• Gross - $325,100,054

Release Date:

• 5 August 2016

CBS - 60 MINUTES:

Presenters:

• Steve Kroft
• Lara Logan
• Scott Pelley
• Lesley Stahl
• Bill Whitaker

60 minutes is a newsmagazine television programme on the CBS network. It is very popular because the programme employed a magazine like format using important investigative journalism procedures and techniques e.g. hidden cameras.

Media in today's society - Summer work/intro

In today's society, media is presented in some positive ways alongside some negative views. In the "This Girl Can" campaign, women are encouraged to embrace their bodies and are taught to love themselves regardless of their shape or size. This campaign is a positive side of the way that media is presented as it discriminates against nobody and encourages everyone to exercise but love who they are at the same time. The "Are you beach body ready?" advert is a negative side of media. It is negative because it is making girls and women feel as though they have to have a certain type of figure to feel happy and confident, e.g. at the beach in a bikini/swimming costume. Both of these campaigns are influencing young and older women how to feel about their bodies, one is just giving people positive thoughts and one is giving out negative ideas and absurd expectations.

Magazine Analysis - Summer work/intro