Tuesday, 28 April 2009

Exam Tips.

Ideas and tips; things to include in essay writing for TV drama.

  • Don't need to write out the question.
  • No need to add an introduction to start off the essay- go straight into it.
  • Get stuck straight in, using the micro language straight from the start.
  • Cover all of the micro features.
  • State that micro features such as mise-en-scene, sound, camera work cobine to contruct characters. Nothing in TV drama is left to chance. Set designs, costumes, hair, make-up all combine to tell the audience something about the character. It is your job to state what that something is.
  • Dont forget MIGRAIN. The key concepts are all still relevant.
  • You must state that the Micro features combine to give a representation of gender, class, age... etc
  • You must then argue whether the representations in the extract are fair and accurate or sterotypical, offensive, unfair.
  • Use more advanced terminology and vocabulary.
  • Use general paragraphs to sum up the entire peice, relating to other types of TV drama in a subtle way (i.e channel four trend?), generally discuss TV drama and how the programme has overall been edited.
  • Conventional/ Unconventional? Relate to representation.

Include all of these points in order to achieve an A Grade.

Exam- Mock; Shameless.

Exam Feedback.

Micro Features.
1. Mise-en-scene.
2. Camera shots.
3. Sound
Diagetic- Natural sound.
Non-Diagetic- Added sound.
4. Editing- Fast paced, jump cuts.

Class/Gender- Characters are a construction/representation.
Are representations fair and accurate?

Note taking.
Organise notes, make detailed points. Bullet points/spider diagrams.