Task 4: Compare & Contrast

Compare & contrast between:

Eastenders and Doctor Who

Doctor who:

Doctor who is an anti -realist TV  fantasy series. The locations used for the showing are the Tarrdis, different planets, Space, Earth. These locations and props make the TV sereis much more anti-realist and give a fantasy feel. The series use a non linear and non sequential narrative structure as this is because the events are shown in a non-chronological order, by using flash backs, or the same event from different point of views. within each episode the scenario or story changes, but the props always stay the same as the hero is always the doctor  and the helpers are Amy and Rory. but the villain, helper,dispactor, damsel-in-distress will always change within in different episodes.

Eastenders:

Eastenders is a realist TV soap that is based on realist situations in east end of London. The locations are a market, a grand pub, boxing club, club, garage, Indian takeaway, café and character house and also a local square. The location and props make the TV soap much more realistic and relatable as they occur in most areas within London which goes with a normal day to day life of real people. The characters have each got different identities and fictional life’s and families, each characters have human emotions such as happiness, sadness, hatred, love, stress, aggression, joy, betrayal, abuse and complex relationships. Which are relatable to viewers.  Each story has different issues that they try to cover i.e homosexuality, divorce, mental illnesses, rape, aids and many more. in each episode there  is more than one narrative, there consists over 4 narrative 2 main stories and 2 sub stories to go in-between the main stories so that there is always something new to watch.  

Compare and contrast between the two:

 The difference between the two programs are that, Doctor who is an anti-realist TV series which is a fantasy. Where as Eastenders is a realistic program which is based on real life situations and events. The Todorov theory is used within Eastenders as its set within a clam house.However Doctor Who uses the propp theory as there's always a hero, helper,villain and dispatcher. Doctor who only consists of 2 story lines a main story and a side sub story which carry on at once. where as Eastenders consists of 4 story lines with one main one and 3 sub's which would be all shown in one showing. Another difference is that Doctor who is a non -linear as it has no flow in sequence and it consists on flashbacks. Where as Eastenders is a linear program as it is structured within a sequence.

The similarities within both of the programs are that they both use a subjective and objective narratives as they both consist of scenes. Where the audience knows what is happening and knows how the characters are feeling at the time, but also the audience doesn't know what is happening before the character does. so that the audience and characters find out about the situation at the same time. 

Task 3: Genre

Genre:

Period fantasy drama/ Merlin: 
The Merlin series is a period fantasy drama which is aired on BBC 1. The drama is set in the time of King Arthur, which is a medieval period; the narrative is anti-realist. Merlin use costumes, sets, props, locations and lighting to capture the ambience of the medieval era. The costumes include long dresses, embroidered gowns for the wealthier characters and armour for the soldiers. The colours include dark greys, maroon, red, greens, browns and blues. The main characters tend are dressed in colours specific to the characters roles, e.g. Gaius the sourcer wears colours such as light blue shades as this is a colour of wisdom. Merlin stays within the medieval genre as they use locations such as castles, small villages, woods and lakes. theses locations are chosen as they fit in well with the genre as they are mostly associated with a medieval time.  Merlin also uses lighting to create an atmosphere, neutral colours are used such as light creams, light browns  for a more nice warm  scene and then  dark greys, blacks and hard on colours to create a more dramatic hard heading scenes. Merlin falls into a period drama, as the costumes the set and even the language are all set in a medieval era. 

Drama/Revenge:

Revenge is a drama series which is aired on E4. The drama is set in modern day in the rich Hampton's; the genre is a realist crime drama. Revenge use costumes,sets,props,locations, lighting to create a modern day rich mysterious lifestyle. The costumers wore by the cast are modern clothing but are also clothes worn most by more wealthier people such as suits,dresses,shirts ties, smart shoes,heels. the colours include more modern colours as reds,whites,blacks and dark blues this give a more of a 21st century feel. The main character Emily is always center of attention so would be in the more powerful colours such as red, this shows colour of passion and anger. Revenge uses modern sets and locations to stay within the theme; locations such as grand mansions, beach side houses, beach, bar/restaurant, city building offices, prison and  pool houses. Theses locations are chosen as they fit in well with the genre as they are mostly associated with a wealthy lifestyle. The lighting used in revenge is used to create different types of atmosphere such as warm interment scenes would use warm light whites, dime dusky browns and warm cream. However for a dramatic scene they would use dark greys, dusky dark brown and a powerful grey.  Revenge falls into a modern crime drama, as it has the the right locations and  costumes and lighting to make every aspect of the series a the right themed drama.



Sci-fi/ Doctor Who:

Doctor Who is a  Sci-fi drama series, which is aired on BBC Three. Doctor who is an anti -realist TV  fantasy series. Doctor who used costumes, locations, lighting are used to create a fantasy atmosphere. The costumes used within Doctor who are between normal and abnormal. As the normal people who wear suits, jackets, trousers and then there's anti realist characters such as the darleks which are robots which would be in costumes that are alien like an  unrealistic creature like. The main character the Doctor would be in a suit with a bow tie as this is his signature touch on his identity. The locations used within Doctor who are the Tarrdis, different planets, space, earth. These locations are used to create a much more anti-realist and fantasy feel. Doctor who uses various lighting to create different moods and scenes such as a fiery dramatic scene would consist with powerful colours such as deep reds, oranges, greys and a powerful light blue light. for a more warm scene there would be more of an light warm neutral colours to create a different atmosphere.  
Doctor Who falls into a sci-fi as it is an anti-realist fantasy drama which have traces of supernatural beings within the series.



Comedy/How i met your mother :

How i met your mother is a comedy sitcom series which is aired on E4. The sitcom is set in a main Manhattan area of New York. How i met your mother use various costumes, sets,locations and lighting to create a funny sitcom. the costumes used are layed back casual clothing such as, jeans, shirts,blazers, suits. each character has a different look to their identities for example Barney, always wears a suit as his is apart of his identity. How i met your mother use different sets and locations for example an apartments, living room, bedrooms, a bar sitting area, out side the apartment block.These locations give a sense of a main Manhattan theme. all locations are within studios and there would be an 180 rule. where any of the cameras could not cross over, there's also an audience that watches while filming. the different lighting used with how i met your mother for different scenes such as, a happy cheerful atmosphere would use light gold colours and mellow yellows. However for a sad dramatic scene there would be more dark blues, greys and black.  

Task 2: Multiple Camera Set up/ Camera Production

    Define the single camera format and the multiple camera formats?

A single camera format is a mode of production; it’s mostly used in filmmaking and video production. This is where they only use one camera for a whole film, series, single drama and cereals. Each of the various shots and angles taken with a single camera are taken using the same camera, which is moved and reset to get each shot or new angle. Single cameras take each shot to make up a scene but all shots and filming are out of sequence. They do this so that they can film multiple shots of conversations with actors which usually shot about 7 times for each scene, then after filming to be edited into a sequence and to become more fluent and in time. A single camera is most commonly used for comedy and drama genres as it is more realistic, it’s also fairly cheaper to use only one camera.

An alternative production method is the multiple-camera, which uses two or more cameras running simultaneously, and the film scene is run through from start to finish, usually with minimal interruption. This is used in live events, reality shows, live sporting events and talk shows. . The aim for a multiple camera is to get all shots of the same action from different angles. Then the shots which are required are selected by the director and put together during with a video mixer which is the main editing process. It’s a director’s choice which shot to be used and how many times.  After the editing process the shots would be broadcasted through cable or airwaves. Even if the broadcast is not live it will appear to be. All filming with a multiple camera is taken in one take and is more expensive as it will be using more than one camera simultaneously.

     What are the advantages of the single camera format?

An advantage for a single camera is it’s valuably cheap to use. Also the speed, at which a single camera can be positioned and set up, since the amount of time you take to set up the camera is minimal.  There’s also the advantage of being flexible and to be able to adjust the shots and filming, as single camera allows you to stop and move around to different angles to get the right shots. Another huge advantage of a single camera production is the cost, compared to a multi-camera shoot. As its low-budget productions as you can only pay actors to be there for a day and do all your shots with that actor in a day.  An example of great single camera formats are series like Doctor Who, films like Taken, serials like Top Boy and also single drama’s like My Murder.

    What are the advantages of the multiple camera formats?

An advantage for a multiple camera is it’s able to get all shots and put them together quicker. As the editing process for multiple cameras are quicker and more cameras are run simultaneously. They are more conventional to use for big events to give live showings or make shows seem like they are live. Multiple camera formats are a great way to get live showings to the audience faster so that they can enjoy them and include them on what is happening and feel like the audience are actually there. Examples of these would be the Queen’s jubilee, the Olympics and also concerts like Glastonbury.    

    What are some examples of the two formats in actions?

An example for a single camera in action are series, serials, single drama’ and also films. Such as 2 broke girls, which are a series and they use a single camera and use various camera angles and shots. an example of a mulipule camera are the olympics and the queens jublie which are shown live.

     When and why might they be used?

A single camera is used when filming movies and tv series, single dramas, serials.

Task 1: Single Camera Formats

Series:

A series drama includes episodic drama series with a continuing plot line, which are TV dramas where the plot line carries on and the characters stay the same. Each episode normally has a self-contained story or storylines, which reach a conclusion within that episode. An optional extra seen more recently is the inclusion of some element of continuing story development across the series and going through the episodes; but traditionally an episode for a series would leave the main characters in a cliff hanger at the end of that episode. Normally ideas and scripts for episodes of series come from many different writers, a series drama can be a way for a new writer to break into television. an example of this is Big bang theory as its a comedy, which is a single camera series as so is How i met your mother. further examples are Law and order which is a crime series with realism. However there's also Waterloo road  which is a realism dram series about school life and also Doctor who which is a fantasy series.

Serials:

A serial is a short drama with coupple episodes, such as Top boy which ran for at least 4 episodes. It has one central story, with many sub-plots, which continue and develop across the up coming episodes. The episodes are normally storyline by the show’s creators, and the individual episodes are written by a team of writes, which are guided by the creator of the serial. Serials are a series of television programs and radio programs that rely on a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential way, in a series the television format stays the same, and we know what to expect but at the same time we are left with revelations that make us want to watch the next episode. An example of this is  Being Human which is a British serial as which is Citizen Khan which only had a limited episodes to. 

Single:

A single drama is a television series, which can come in a variety of lengths, and is designed to be watched in a single sitting, as it has a whole story in on episode and doesnt need a number of episodes. They can usually be based on real life events, topical issues and can be somtimes controversial. It may be broadcast as part of series of single play. An example of this 'My Murder' as this is a realist documentary/factual drama, which the duration of the drama was for filled within one episode.

Research Movies

The film we have chosen to research is the new action film The Avengers. we will be using secondary research methods and qualitative and quantitative research. we will be using qualitative research to do questionnaires to get a better idea of peoples opinions on the film. we will also are going to ask them simple questions like asking them if they have viewed the film, what they think of the film  and how they would rate it.then we will be using quantitative research to collect the ratings and how many people like the film and how successful the film has become.

The Avengers was released on the 26h of april 2012 in the UK, the film reached to £4,100,000 gross in its opening weekend in the UK. The film reached to 1.4 billion in its first and second week worldwide making it the 3rd highest grossing film in all time. The estimated budget for the film was $220,000,000.
The film was rated at  5 stars at 4.8%,

sites used for this information:
www.imdb.com
www.filmonic.com 
www.odeon.co.uk

Research Methods

Primary research is used when an individual has conducted the research themselves. many ways of independent research are done by collecting questionnaires given to the public, interviews the researcher has done with the public. research done this way will be accurate as that the data collected will be specific to the research. 


One of the main research types used are questionnaires within primary research. questionnaires are effective for getting some of the information you need, as it is accurate because the people doing the questionnaire will express there're personal views and opinions on the specified topic given.  


 Another example of a main research type used are interviews. researchers use interviews to go in depth of there're  research as they interact with the interviewee they will receive the opinions and views of the interviewee, this research is accurate. interviews are highly effective.  


An advantage of primary research that information collected from questionnaire, are classes as evidence is accurate. researchers should be careful in how they ask a questions to get a in depth personal opinion, so that the person asked wont be plagiarising from anyone and also that the questions are not plagiarised.


Another advantage of primary research  within interviewing is that the researcher will be interacting with the interviewee to collect and find out more. the information from an interview is accurate. 


An disadvantage of primary research can be that it can very expensive to conduct your own research and time consuming.  




Secondary research is used when an individual has conducted the research by using public library  for books and  the internet to use search engines and the newspapers for articles to collect information on a specified topic. All theses types of research are classed as secondary hand research.  


A main resource for research is newspapers, by using newspapers the information is not only factual but accurate and is a way to find out more about a specific topic. you can use newspaper articles as evidence.


Another secondary research type are books. books are accurate and contain reliable information and also there are books about every specific topics. A good way to find a specific topic is to go to a local library also the individual can use the books as evidence. 




An another research type is the internet, search engines like Google, MSN, Yahoo, Bling are good to find websites for a particular topic the research is researching. most websites are  accurate and reliable but some websites for example Wikipedia can be not as reliable as it is open to the world to edit and change to false information, however Wikipedia have a good system as they go over everything changed and check accute if the information is accurate and true. a researcher can use websites with information as evidence.


 An advantage of secondary research  easily found and researched online through the internet and search engines make it more easier for a researcher for example Google. another advantage for secondary research the information is found easily and quickly less time consuming through newspapers, internet, books. 


An disadvantage for secondary research is that some information given on the internet can be false due to false accurate blogs, websites, articles. also another disadvantage is through newspapers if there is a newspaper tabloid publishing this information can be unreliable,  misleading and false. 




Qualitative research is how detailed the research information is, for example if  the information is  primary or secondary research. an example of this is an interview, the researcher will be interacting and conducting the interview asking as much questions to get the most detailed information out of the interviewee as evidence. 


 An advantage of qualitative research is thats the researcher makes sure that they go in depth with there questions and use accurate research techniques to collect a detailed information from the candidates. 


An disadvantage of the qualitative research is that it is very time consuming when researching the specific topics. 




Quantitative research depends on the amount of research in the detail on the specific topic. an example of this method of research is an questionnaire, this method depends on the numeric value than the detailed value.   


An advantage of quantitative research it can get a various range of information at once, it is also good for when a researcher is researching a large quantity value. 


An disadvantage of quantitative research is that the research  collected might not have enough detail to have a final result for the topic that the candidate has researched.




Methods of resarch incldue:

Manual reasearch/Primary resarch:

Primary research is viewed as more time consuming and exhausting to do. The other method of research is internet based, when the finder surfs the internet to look for existing documents, this is known as secondary research.