LFTVD

VOCAB:

VOD = Viewing on demand

SVOD = Streaming 

Easter eggs = cross references so super-fans notice

DVR = Digital video recording 

Binge-watch = to watch multiple episodes of (a television programme) in rapid succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming

State of the nation = whats going on at the moment of release that could have an effect on how the programme is received

Cultural Zeitgeist =  Zeitgeist is defined as the spirit of a generation or a period of time. An example of zeitgeist is the free love and progressive thinking of the 1960s, this time period can resonate with the current day for a programme to sell e.g. Stranger Things is set in the 80s which people of today enjoy viewing

Constructed realism = the way in which it's media product uses the technical elements and what we see/media language to make the audience feel a certain way

Dominant ideology = a system or structure of beliefs/values/ideas about the way in which we should live, behave and think in any given society 

LFTVD:

Each episode lasts from 45 minutes to an hour.
American Network broadcasters must satisfy their advertisers and hold a market share- this is the equivalent of Freeview
American Cable TV, HBO was the first US national subscription cable TV channel in 1970s - can take more risks. This is the equivalent of Sky or Virgin.

Trouble with UK TV drama - failed to meet the challenge of US cable channels to move to long-form, with their risk-taking content and style.

ABC1 audience means higher paid advertising

Subscription VOD (Viewing on demand)

-Content viewing via a TV still dominates in UK
-Growth of SVOD (streaming) web based channels such as Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and Now TV is considerable.

Audiences
-Rise of binge watching started with DVD in late 90s/early c21
-US long form drama often uses EASTER EGGS and mid season breaks to generate fan intensity and maintain media profile

Easter eggs - cross refernces so super fans notice

Why do audiences love LFTVD?

• High quality drama
• Multiple episodes/hours/years
• Content can be dark/difficult but innovative
• Now attracts some of the best/innovative writers/actors
• Time shifting (record and watch another time-control when you watch DVR)
• Easily accessible
• Keeps people invested
• Creativity 
• Characters change in ways that are surprising
• It allows to shows to play with theme and character development in unique ways

Subscription - Sky, Virgin
Streaming - Netflix, Amazon Prime

LFTVD can be any genre from crime to romance to comedy and mystery, narratives can be on any subject and themes can be hard-hitting like racism and grief but can also be inclusive of love and family.

Production values: $3-4million per episode

Top 3 ways of watching TV

Terrestrial: First 5 channels (more regulation, follow a PSB)
Cable: Sky, Virgin
Streaming: Netflix, Amazon Prime

Exam: Paper 2

30 marks - 45 minutes
10 marks - 15 minutes

TV drama needs:

• Location (various)
• Stock characters
• Multiple narratives
• 1 hour episodes
• Cliff hangers
• High production value 
• Has a number of episodes to help create narrative

Poster Analysis

Representation

Absent Fathers:

This is an important theme as it is represented by several characters. Firstly, from the first scene of Joyce and Jonathan when they realise that Will is missing, you can see straight away that there is no father figure in the house. This is important when it comes to searching for Will, as when Hopper queries if Will could be with his dad, Joyce is confident that he won’t be there as he has no part in Wills life, as Jonathan is the father figure for Will. The other main way this is shown is through eleven. Although she knows her father (‘papa’), he is not acting as a proper father figure towards him. He is keeping her locked up like an experiment, even though she persists to call him papa. Finally, Mikes dad shows absenteeism even though he is present in his day to day life. He shows lack of care and consideration to his children.

Family Life and Relationships:

Relationships is a very important aspect in Stranger Things. Not only romantically, but also friend relationships. Without the friendship shown in the series, they would not be able to discover what has happened to Will. Friendship is used to show that sticking together can be used as a strength in order to save Will. Family life is also a very prominent theme within the first episode. Families are created within the series, not only by blood but with strong friendship bonds. Family life is highlighted when eleven is abandoned and has no family to look after her. She is taken in by Mike and he and the boys become a family to her as she has no one else.

Mothers:

Wills mum is one of the most important characters as she is a huge part of the main story-line. The theme of mothers is shown almost entirely the way through between Will and his mother when he goes missing and she goes through anything to get him back. Joyce is presented at the beginning as a careless mother, however as the episode progresses you see that she cares deeply for her children. The theme of mothers is important as they are often represented as being weak and soft. In Stranger Things, especially the first episode, you see a counter-type of this immediately from Wills mother. As a single, working class mother she shows that she is strong willed and focused on finding her son, she doesn’t come across as weak, and she shows this through her actions when searching for him. 

Government:

In the first episode of Stranger Things, the government is a main theme. This is shown straight away as the first character to be shown is from the Governments lab. The government have control over everybody, and this is shown when the lady from the government shoots Benny when looking for eleven.

Teenagers:

In Stranger Things, teenagers play a big role in the story. Firstly, there are the main group of boys; Will, Mike, Lucas and Dustin. These are the boys who continue the story and are the main basis of it. Also, Jonathan, Barb, Nancy and Steve are a slightly older group of teenagers, who have their own story line within the story. The role of teenagers is important in the show as they show the difference between them and their parents. The teenagers being able to solve problems, show to the viewers that they are able to do the same thing as adults. There are examples of the teenagers acting as adults, for example Jonathan has stepped up and acts as the man of the house as their dad doesn’t live with them, so Jonathan is in charge of looking after Will, and also has to work in order for them to be able to afford their house etc.

Police:

Police is a key theme. One of the main characters, Hopper, is the police sheriff. Hopper begins as a stereotypical police man, however as his concern grows for Will, he turns into a counter-type of a policeman going above and beyond for his job. Police are important in this as they usually work for the government, where as they work against the government as they are the bad people. Without the police Will would not have been able to be found.

Narrative

Narrative is a structure/ chain of events in which a story is told. They are carefully considered when writing the screenplay and visually achieved through the editing of different shots. The narrative structure chosen directly affects how the audience experiences the story The story can provide certain messages and values It affects the audience's involvement and enjoyment LFTVD = complex, multiple narrative strands

 Narrative Structure

 Linear narrative- clear beginning, middle and end, chronological, A->B->C

 Fragmented narrative- non-linear, disjointed, no clear beginning, middle and end, C->B->A, shows parallel stories, closely replicate the way that human mind works and the audience has to try harder

 E.g. Stranger Things employs a fragmented narrative because right from the start we witness multiple parallel plot lines such as the laboratory, Eleven and the boys. We also see a non-chronological narrative strand in the flashback to Joyce and Will's conversation in Castle Byers. The fragmented narrative creates enigmas or questions for the audience, who have to work to figure out the connection, therefore ensuring greater audience engagement

Narrative Types 

Restricted narrative - we experience the story through the senses and thoughts of just one character- the protagonist, narrative cannot tell the audience things the main character does not know

Omnipresent - a panoramic, all seeing, view of the world of the story, not just one characters point of view, helps audience see a broader background, there is a number of contexts

E.g. The omnipresent narrative provides multiple gratifications for the audience, we can emphasize and identify with some characters, while gaining escapism and mystery from others

Narrative Endings 

Closed endings - one character's story which comes to a resolution at the end of the episode. Following ep. has a new story

Open endings - ends on a cliff hangers, story-telling technique, can be unsatisfying, encourages viewer to continue watching the serial

Theory

Todorov- Equilibrium theory 

1. Exposition -> 2. Introduction of conflict -> 3. Climax -> Resolution 

Strauss- Binary Opposites 

We understand the world by the relationship that two opposites have together. Narratives are arranged around the conflict of binary opposites e.g. hot and cold, old and young 

Stranger Things Distribution

Distribution:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-1c6Ikuopbl7ItwvhWcHWAQfXHM3uzCAurdBLl_Wb08/edit?usp=sharing

Stranger Things Production

Production:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1hPOdOLhCoMXUMpyvVQj5BqzCWgECtAtC1casZ3Nv6iQ/edit?usp=sharing

Stranger Things Circulation

Circulation:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1RDBwl4DcrSHPSEI3e_-kY4B-Kym7_Sv9t76ceN5_rHo/edit?usp=sharing

Stranger Things Ownership

Ownership:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1WcOZORCu8fFKySiAlzXFDJ8EZIe26SJyc9ijsDJm8p4/edit?usp=sharing

Stranger Things

stranger things comparison

scene by scene

stranger things scene by scene representation

Paper 2: Section B 

Long form TV drama - Is a number of episodes which help create a narrative and tell a story to an audience. Usually 45 minutes to an hour, enough time to develop and have a narrative spin out.

US network broadcasters must satisfy their adverisers and hold market share which is controlled by federal regulaton. This is in contrast to US cable TV e.g. showtime, HBO etc. they dont rely on advertising as much therefore can take more risks with content and form.

The trouble with UK TV drama is that channels like BBC and ITV rely on genre-based, formula drama e.g. Heritage and crime drama. Whereas Sky co-opted success of LFTVD with Sky atlantic and could broadcast shows such as games of thrones. Commissioning remains tightly controlled.

Audiences 

• Rise of binge-watching started with DVD 
• Move from 'water-cooler' TV to 'shared universe' fandom
• Easter eggs, long running jokes, obsessive fans realise this 

Why do audiences love LFTVD?

• high quality drama
• multiple episodes, hours, years
• content can be dark and difficult but innovative 
• now attracts some of the best and innovative writers and actors 
• time shifting, easy accessible
• keeps people invested 
• lots of creativity 
• characters change surprising but natural 
• not just a couple networks, loads of networks competing 

Forms and conventions 

• genre - e.g. thriller, mystery, supernatural, period drama etc.
• themes - e.g. relationships, coming of age, violence, manipulation etc.
• Narratives 
• characters - drcages/personality/role in narrative
• Production values - (camera, editing, sound) can range for $4.5 million dollars per episode to $45 million a series 
• Viewing methods/platforms - e.g. Netflix, YouTube, Now TV, iTunes store, Google play etc.

Vocab 

Easter eggs - is a secret message, joke or reference cleverly hidden in a scene i.e. Scar from the lion king features in the disney film Hercules 

Timeshifiting - In broadcasting, time shifting is the recording of programming to a storage medium to be viewed or listened to after the live broadcasting.

VOD - video on demand, is an interactive TV technology that allows subscribers to view programming in real time or download programs and view them later.

PVR - personal video recorder, TV-recording device that stores the programmes you have recorded onto a large internal hard disk drive

streaming - listening to music or watching video in 'real time', instead of downloading a file to your computer and watching it later.

terrestrial TV -  originally the method by which the significant majority of viewers in the UK received television

poster analysis for ST

Setting - Outback, garden, nighttime, shed, prison, wired off, out of bounds
Genre - Sci-fi, action, fantasy, super-natural, thriller, crime
Themes - power, anger, violence, relationships/friendships, fear, mystery, facing adversity, otherworldiness, serious, youth
Narrative - person in the middle the story perhaps surrounds around, battling against something (two sides) from serious facial expression and hand position. Group of three boys being chased by unknown figure, or hunting something down, possible powers, red and blue sides representing police lights.
Characters - Protagonist in the middle, well lit, circle of people revolve around them, more exposed and clothing different compared to others
Monster, sheriff, young characters, varied facial expressions (anger, sad, worried, shocked, defensive)
Intertextuality - E.T., 80's genre, ghostbusters, Star wars force awakens poster, goonies (bikes and young characters), fight of the navigator (young people beyond control), close encounters of the third kind (sci-fi)
Historical period - 80's, clothing, hairstyles, bikes (choppers), walkie talkies

ST character social representations

Stranger Things Character

Teenagers: Pre-teen VS old teens, not stereotypical semiotics i.e. the nerd, popular, dumb etc. Some don’t act as normal teenagers i.e. Jonathan acting as a father figure for his family.

Family life & relationships: covers a variety i.e. close bond between Joyce, jonathan and will compared to Mike’s parents relationship which is distant. Difference between class and wealth in the families. Four boys friendship, almost like brothers, argue but count on each other. Nancy and Steve have stereotypical relationship at first, popular boy goes for quiet, nerdy girl e.g. to all the boys i’ve loved before and high school musical.

Mothers: Mikes mum karen is the head of the house, runs the family, cooks and cleans, is the person her children come to to ask about things. Whereas will’s mum Joyce is scatty, all over the place, relies on her children to keep the house in order however both mums keep the family close-knitted and together.

Absent fathers: Will and jonathan have a father yet he does not live with them demonstrates how jonathan has to step up as the father figure in the house for will and joyce i.e. making breakfast in the morning. on the other hand mike's dad seems careless and boring “listen to your mother” almost like he is absent as he doesn’t contribute much to the family.

Police: Very laid back, don’t take will missing at first seriously, stereotypical police - eat doughnuts and play games.

Government: classic 80’s films, always unknown as to what they are doing and trying to achieve, seen as the enemy and bad people to associate with.  

Character	Information
Joyce Byers	Major or Minor Character? a MAJOR character, the first episode revolves around her missing son in which she is desperate to find. Stereotype? I wanted view joyce as a stereotypical mother, who usually do the cooking, cleaning and looking after the children. She relies on both of her sons so she can go make a living for them. Characteristics? scatty angry strong bond with her sons messy tom-boy Contribution to Narrative? Joyce Byers is the mother to Will byers, the boy that goes missing, for a large part of the first episode we watch her frantically search for her son which shows she would do anything for her boys.
Jim Hopper	Major or Minor Character? a MAJOR character, after will is taken after he falls off his bike, Hopper is in the scene that follows. Stereotype? Jim Hopper can be viewed as a stereotypical sheriff, eating doughnuts, smoking and playing card games and overall not caring about the problems in hawkins. Characteristics? lazy grumpy careless smart leader Contribution to Narrative? Hopper is the second person joyce comes to for help, we watch him try to unravel the truth as to what exactly happen to will being a large contributor to the narrative.
Mike Wheeler	Major or Minor Character? a MAJOR character, wills best friend and looks after eleven. Stereotype? suburban area,stereotypical nerd, gets bullied by popular kids, an outsider but is independent and leader to his group of four. In which being president of the AV club and managing the D&D game along with always being positioned in the middle and slightly in front of the other boys. Characteristics? Intelligent curious caring sensible leader Contribution to Narrative? Mike contributes largely to the narrative, with it mainly being in his house and focused a lot on his family, along with eleven, the supernatural character living in his basement, mike is also the first person out of the boys to admit he is worried about Will. Takes charge
Dustin Henderson	Major or Minor Character? a MAJOR character, part of the four boys Stereotype? stereotypical nerd but somewhat stands up to bullies when they try to tease him about his condition which he then educates them on, argues back. Characteristics? funny goofy cute clever quick-witted naive optimistic Contribution to Narrative? Apart of wills friendship group, adds the humour back to the dark series, light-hearted and a likeable character, wants to help look for will as well.
Lucas Sinclair	Major or Minor Character? a MAJOR character, part of four boys Stereotype? stereotypical nerd, enjoys the AV club and playing dungeons and dragons but we still see individuality. Could be seen as one of the more stronger, braver ones, says swear words and argues a lot with dustin. Characteristics? pessimistic devious strong - minded argumentative cheeky mischievous Contribution to Narrative? Cares about the missing of will, mirrors what the audience is questioning by asking himself, quite against the belief that there is supernatural and something unusual is going on.
Will Byers	Major or Minor Character? a MAJOR character, what main storyline line revolves around Stereotype? ‘not like other kids’, but still stereotypical nerd but he does not have the typical american household. Characteristics? vulnerable sensitive insightful honest ‘i rolled a 7’ loyal protective innocent brave clever Contribution to Narrative? The whole plot of the first episode and series revolves around finding will and what took him. He is the second person to encounter this supernatural force and is a character audience care and are fond over due to his sweet innocent nature that he didn't deserve to be taken.
Eleven	Major or Minor Character? a MAJOR character Stereotype? no stereotype, represents E.T. being an unusual, peculiar character, has power i.e. stops fan. Not typical young suburban girl with long curly hair and pretty dresses. Characteristics? quiet shy hungry solitary curious hesitant smart Contribution to Narrative? aside from will going missing, the character adds another sub-plot to the episode as to who and where she came from and what exactly is she. it adds more mystery for the audience and is another character audiences can love and bond with. continuously exciting to see what the audience will learn about her next
Jonathan Byers	Major or Minor Character? a MAJOR character Stereotype? classic outsider, bullied by popular students, angsty student with a camera but father figure for his brother Characteristics? responsible sensitive caring protective quirky quiet shy Contribution to Narrative? Older brother of Will and supports his mother throughout. In this first episode jonathan is viewed as a vital character to wills life and who he loves dearly. Subplot love triangle with nancy and steve, provides romance theme to show.
Nancy Wheeler	Major or Minor Character? a MAJOR character Stereotype? stereotypical suburban high school teenager, good grades and teacher pets but breaks away from this stereotype with popular boy steve and when she disobey her parents. Characteristics? intelligent shy giggly hard working studious argumentative Contribution to Narrative? provides a romance plot to the story, a teenage girl that the teenage audience can relate to, is mike's older sister part of the american dream household when in fact it's not
Steve Harrington	Major or Minor Character? a MINOR character Stereotype? stereotypical popular jock, fluffy big hair,   Characteristics? slimey rebellious romantic cheeky Contribution to Narrative? Is nancy's love interest which causes her to go against her mother's wishes.
Barbara Holland	Major or Minor Character? a MINOR character Stereotype? classic nerd, enjoys studying but tries to fit in by following nancy Characteristics? studious sweet innocent Contribution to Narrative? is Nancy's best friend, she tries to keep her grounded instead of doing the wrong thing with steve.
Benny Hammond	Major or Minor Character? a MINOR character Stereotype? a butch cook yet friendly at the same time to his locals and eventually eleven Characteristics? kind hearted strong quick to judge nice caring Contribution to Narrative? is the first person to find eleven and we watch him try to figure out as much about her as we do, he asks the questions the audience want to hear.
Mr Clarke	Major or Minor Character? a MINOR character Stereotype? studious teacher, emjoys educating his students Characteristics? intelligent likeable supportive friendly resourceful caring Contribution to Narrative? Helps the three boys, even though unaware, he wants to help and teach them as the caring teacher that he is
	Major or Minor Character? a MINOR character Stereotype? classic stereotypical evil leader of the government Characteristics? manipulative calculative ruthless ambitious Contribution to Narrative? controller or otherwise ‘papa’ to elven, he’s the person the audience hate, the villian DR MARTIN BRENNER
Connie Frazier (Social Worker)	Major or Minor Character? a MINOR character Stereotype? typical evil assistance Characteristics? sweet at first emotionless mean loyal Contribution to Narrative? person to kill benny, villain sidekick, fakes identity
The Scientists	Major or Minor Character? a MINOR characters Stereotype? more creepy and unkown figures compared to the typical scientist Characteristics? brave creepy intriguing Contribution to Narrative? First people to go explore what took the scientist at the beginning
Ted Wheeler	Major or Minor Character? a MINOR character Stereotype? not the powerful father stereotype but allows his wife to take control of the kids and household Characteristics? laid-back oblivious critical trusting Contribution to Narrative? creates the sub-plot for mikes family life, not a true nuclear family
Karen Wheeler	Major or Minor Character? a MINOR character Stereotype? typical housewife, looks after children and household but is more strong and makes most of the decisions compared to husband Characteristics? overbearing protective suspiciosus dubious Contribution to Narrative? tries to protect her children, is the one keeping control