Theories of reprisentaition

Hall

Cultural theorist Stuart Hall describes representationas the process by which meaning is produced and exchanged between members of a culture through the use of language, signs and images which stand for or represent things (Hall, 1997). 

Stuart Hall’s Encoding / Decoding Theory suggests that audience derive their own meaning from media texts. These meanings can be dominant, negotiated or oppositional. 

The Encoding / Decoding Theory is a theory of communication which suggests audiences actively read media texts and don’t just accept them passively. They interpret the media text according to their own cultural background and experiences. In his Encoding / Decoding theory, Hall suggested that media texts are read in three main ways. A dominant or preferred reading of the text is the way that its creators want an audience to understand and respond to it. An oppositional reading of the text is when an audience completely rejects the message. A negotiated reading is when the audience interprets the text in their own unique way, which might not be the way its producer intended.

Media representation of women in the killing

https://www.thinglink.com/scene/991675400784445441

Narrative codes appropriate to the killing

Narrative codes appropriate to the killing

Neale's theory is genre is instances of repetition and differences. This is shown in the killing as it follows the conventions of other film noir movies. Except there is no narration and the main detective is female.
However 'The Killing's' main differences shares some repetitions to what is normally expected with the enigma being followed by a detective but the main detective is a female in Sarah Linden, who are normally presented to be sexualised , which 'The Killing' only shows briefly through the use of Rosie Larsen however through this is combated through the normal presentation of Sarah Linden (the props used to describe what Rosie Larsen may have been doing when she died). Along with this there is no narration/voiceover within 'The Killing'.


Todorov's theory is followed in the Killing through the different stages followed.
Equilibrium: The main detective has a simple life and is moving country.

Disruption of equilibrium: A child goes missing.

Recognition of disruption: The detective doesn't move she stays to focus on the case.

Attempt to repair damage: They go on an investigation.


Strauss theory is binary opposites drive the narrative forward. We can see this in the killing as its a detective trying to catch a criminal.The use of men and women help drive the narrative forward as they both provide counter arguments which lead to an overall outcome on what they should do next (every man comes with a woman and every woman comes with a man - evident in the two main detectives, the main politician and his assistant and the parents of Rosie).

Knights  theory is the thrill equals the prolonging of the inevitable, as shown in the Killing as we have no information on who killed her or how. The thrill is the concept of enigma which is evident through "the Killing' in the politicians and the murder itself. The thrill of who will win the election along with the who is really behind the murder, why they killed her, how they killed and whether they will catch the man they are chasing

Police procedural (police crime drama)

Police procedural (police crime drama)

Sub Genre of detective fiction that attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes

Depict investigations into several unrelated crimes in a single story.

In police procedurals, the perpetrator's identity is often known to the audience from the outset

Police procedurals depict a number of police-related topics such as forensics, autopsies, the gathering of evidence, the use of search warrants, and interrogation.


The police procedural, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of detective fiction that attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. Although traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several unrelated crimes in a single story. Traditional mysteries usually adhere to the convention of having the criminal's identity concealed until the climax whereas in police procedurals, the perpetrator's identity is often known to the audience from the outset.

Todorov Equilibrium

Todorov's Equilibrium Theory. Todorov's theory is that in a film or story, the power is in a state of equilibrium (balance.) He believes that as the story progresses the state of equilibrium can change, giving one person more power or authority over another throughout the plot, keeping the audience entertained.

Glossery

Disequilibrium: The period of instability and insecurity in a films narrative.

Enigma: The question or mystery that is posed in a films narrative.

Equilibrium: A state of piece and calm.

Framing: Selection of elements such as character, setting and iconography.

Genre: Films with the same elements are grouped together.

Iconography: the objects within  film that evoke certain meanings.

Intertextuality: Referring to another text through one text

 Mis en scene: Everything you can see colours, lighting, facial expressions, props, make up, costume.

Narrative: Described description of non fiction and fiction events.

Glossary of Terms for TV DRAMA ANALYSIS

CAMERA SHOTS
Aerial Shot – A camera shot taken from an overhead position. Often used as an establishing shot.
Close Up – A head and shoulders shot often used to show expressions/emotions of a character. Also can be a shot of an object, filmed from close to the object or zoomed in to it, that reveals detail.
Extreme Close Up – A shot where a part of a face or body of a character fills the whole frame/dominates the frame. Also can be a shot of an object where only a small part of it dominates the frame.
Establishing Shot – A shot that establishes a scene, often giving their viewer information about where the scene is set. Can be a close up shot (of a sign etc) but is often a wide/long shot and usually appears at the beginning of a scene.
Medium Shot – The framing of a subject from waist up.
Two Shot – A shot of two characters, possible engaging in conversation. Usually to signify/establish some sort of relationship.
Point-Of-View Shot (POV) – Shows a view from the subject’s perspective. This shot is usually edited so that the viewer is aware who’s point of view it is.
Over the Shoulder Shot – looking from behind a character’s shoulder, at a subject. The character facing the subject usually occupies 1/3 of the frame but it depends on what meaning the director wants to create (for example, if the subject is an inferior character, the character facing them may take up more of the frame to emphasise this)
Overhead Shot – A type of camera shot in which the camera is positioned above the character, action or object being filmed.
Reaction Shot – A shot that shows the reaction of a character either to another character or an event within the sequence.

CAMERA ANGLES

Camera Angle – The position of the camera in relation to the subject of a shot. The camera might be at a high angle, a low angle or at eye level with what is being filmed.
High Angle – A camera angle that looks down upon a subject or object. Often used to make the subject or object appear small or vulnerable.
Low Angle – A camera angle that looks up at a subject or object. Often used to make the subject/object appear powerful/dominant.
Canted framing (or oblique) – camera angle that makes what is shot appear to be skewed or tilted.

CAMERA MOVEMENT
Pan – Where the camera pivots horizontally, either from right to left or left to right to reveal a set or setting. This can be used to give the viewer a panoramic view. Sometimes used to establish a scene.
Track - a shot where the camera follows a subject/object. The tracking shot can include smooth movements forward, backward, along the side of the subject, or on a curve but cannot include complex movement around a subject. ‘Track’ refers to rails in which a wheeled platform (which has the camera on it) sits on in order to carry out smooth movement.
Crane – A crane shot is sometimes used to signify the end of a scene/ programme /film. The effect is achieved by the camera being put onto a crane that can move upward.
Steadicam - A steadicam is a stabilising mount for a camera which mechanically isolates the operator's movement from the camera, allowing a very smooth shot even when the operator is moving quickly over an uneven surface. Informally, the word may also be used to refer to the combination of the mount and camera.
Tilt - where a camera scans a set or setting vertically (otherwise similar to a pan).
Zoom – Using a zoom lens to appear to be moving closer to (zoom in) or further away from (zoom out) a subject/object when in fact the camera may not move (so, strictly not camera movement). Can be used for dramatic effect.

Sound

Diegetic Sound – Sound that can be heard by the characters within a scene- part of the imaginary world.
Non-diegetic Sound – Sound that the characters cannot hear and is not part of the imaginary world of the story. This includes a musical soundtrack or a voiceover (however this excludes a narration by a character within the story – referred to as an internal monologue and is diegetic).
Score – The musical component of a programme’s soundtrack usually composed specifically for the scene.
Sound Effects – Sounds that are added to a film during the post-production stage.

Editing

Editing – The stage in the film-making process in which sound and images are organised into an overall narrative.
Continuity Editing – The most common type of editing, which aims to create a sense of reality and time moving forward. Also nick named invisible editing referring to how the technique does not draw attention to the editing process.
Jump Cut – An abrupt, disorientating transitional device in the middle of a continues shot in which the action is noticeably advanced in time and/or cut between two similar shots, usually done to create discontinuity for artistic effect.
Credits – The information at the beginning and end of a film, which gives details of cast and crew etc.
Cross Cutting – The editing technique of alternating, interweaving, or interspersing one narrative action (scene, sequence or event) with another – usually in different locations or places, thus combining the two: this editing technique usually suggests Parallel action (that takes place simultaneously). Often used to dramatically build tension and/or suspense in chase scenes or to compare two different scenes. Also known as inter-cutting or parallel editing
Cutaways – A brief shot that momentarily interrupts continuous action by briefly inserting another related action. Object, or person (sometimes not part of the principle scene or main action), followed by a cutback to the original shot.
Freeze Frame – The effect of seemingly stopping a film in order to focus in on one event or element.
Eye-line Match – A type of edit which cuts from one character to what that character has been looking at.
Flashback – A scene or moment in a film in which the audience is shown an event that happened earlier in the film’s narrative.
Graphic Match – An edit effect in which two different objects of the same shape are dissolved from one into the other.
Juxtaposition – The placement of two (often opposed) images on either side of an edit to create an effect.
Linear Narrative – A style of storytelling in which events happen chronologically.
Montage Editing – The juxtaposition of seemingly unconnected images in order to create meaning.
Parallel Editing – A type of editing in which events in two locations are cut together, in order to imply a connection between the two sets of events.
Visual Effects - Visual effects are usually used to alter previously-filmed elements by adding, removing or enhancing objects within the scene.
Match on Action - A shot that emphasises continuity of space and time by matching the action of the preceding shot with the continuation of the action. (For example a shot of a door opening after a shot of a close up of a character’s hand turning a door handle)

Mise en Scene

Mise en scene – a French term, which literally means ‘put into the frame’. When analysing a sequence the term refers to everything you see in the frame:

Props, e.g. - in a police drama this could mean a gun or a badge, also can mean iconography.

Costume - the colour and style of the actor/subject can have important connotations and denotations about their character, role within narrative, etc.

Lighting - the harshness or softness of light has differing effects on representing the mood of a scene.

Colour - if you've studied psychology then you'll understand what each colour signifies.  The colours used in popular brandings are significant in determining their identity. For example, 'the golden arches' but also says a lot about a person or company's ideology.

Makeup - we're not just talking about a bit of slap here, this can refer to masks, prosthetics and special effects.

Strauss

Strauss theory: Binary opposition drives a narrative forward.


The Killing: episode 1 

Sara a detectives is meant to move to Sweden but when she finds out the daughter of a local family is missing she attempts to investigate. Later finding the teenage girl dead in the boot of a car.

• The genre of the Killing would be film noir due to the dark colours and use of detective. It fits into the theme of crime and murder. 

• From the start we see binary opposites ( the policewomen: good and the criminal: bad) this drives the main essence of the plot and how the detective wants to catch the criminal.

• As well as the opposites of outside and inside, it drives the plot as when the detectives are outside you as an audience know they are looking for information.

• The opposite of men and women: It goes against a conventional crime drama whereby the man is the main detective in this case its the woman who is in charge.