P2: TV Drama
Homeland
Tuesday 29th November 2022
Long Form TV Drama
LO- To explore the content of the unit
Section B of Paper 2 is focused on long form TV drama and is worth 60% of the overall marks in this paper so worth more than the Media Representation and Language unit. We will need to apply many theories whilst comparing two TV dramas: one American and one European.
Long form TV drama is a television series are stories that unfold over around 10 episodes and allow both character and plot development.
It needs:
-Central characters whose motives develop with them
-A main storyline with interwoven subplots
-A combination of complex characters that are ambiguous or enigmatic, creating tension and questions for the audience
Game of Thrones
Central characters: White haired girl, middle aged man, very short haired woman, curly haired man
Main storyline: Protecting their realm/war against living and dead
Subplots: Battle, watch
Characters (enigmatic): Zombie ice man, young girl with bob seems vulnerable and innocent
The Walking Dead Season 1
Central Characters: Rick (The main character who we follow throughout the storyline, he is a brave man and strong/ independent), Shane (Rick's best friend who we don't see more of once Rick is shown to wake up alone in the hospital, he is quite eccentric and has strong beliefs which in the end leads to him turning against Rick in a few ways), Morgan and his son (the man and boy who save Rick from zombies when he is in the most danger who we see Rick speaking with further on in the trailer)
Main storyline: Zombie apocalypse, survivor trying to find other survivors
Subplots: Police officers chasing after and fighting a criminal which is the point where Rick gets shot, Rick looking for his wife and son, Rick escaping the hospital and meeting Morgan and the son who manage to help save him
Characters (enigmatic): Lori, Rick's wife, where is she? Carl, his son, where is he? Shane, Rick's best friend, what happened to him when Rick woke up and everybody was either gone, or a zombie now?
Homeland
Overview of the storyline of season 1:
The first season follows Carrie Mathison, a CIA operations officer who has come to believe that Nicholas Brody, a U.S. Marine Sergeant, who was held captive by al-Qaeda as a prisoner of war, was turned by the enemy and now poses a significant risk to national security.
Which TV network developed the show and which corporation are they subsidiary of?
The cable channel Showtime.
Which studio produced the series?
Fox 21 Television Studios
What award did the first season win?
The Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama & the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.
Episode 1 was released in October 2011. What key global events prior to this impacted its development?
911 terrorist attack in New York
What genre is it?
Political thriller, mystery, drama, psychological long form drama
Carrie
Grew up… in a suburb of Washington D.C. Carrie, a Princeton graduate, has always been dedicated and intense. She received her real education working as a field agent in Iraq for the C.I.A.
Living… on a thin line between sanity and madness. The only two things thing keeping Carrie grounded are her job and the pills she takes to control her bipolar disorder. Her condition, unfortunately, is often incompatible with her job. As she goes deeper into her investigations, it becomes difficult to distinguish her imagination from reality.
Profession… Case Officer at the Central Intelligence Agency. Carrie was relocated back to the United States after causing an international incident in Iraq. Carrie’s dedication to her job and to her country sometimes causes her to go overboard. “I missed something once before,” she tells her boss, Saul, referring to 9/11. “I won’t, I can’t let that happen again.”
Relationship Status… single, but Carrie doesn’t have time for a relationship. The only place where she finds the opportunity for romance is the workplace, which has gotten her into trouble in the past. She seems resigned to a life married to the C.I.A. “I’m gonna be alone my whole life, aren’t I?” she asks.
Challenge… convincing her superiors at the Agency about a lead she obtained in Iraq. She insists to her boss that an American prisoner of war has been turned, and suspects Nick Brody. But Carrie’s bipolar disorder makes her prone to seeing conspiracy and pattern where there is none. Convinced that she is the only one who knows the truth, she embarks on her own mission to investigate this controversial lead.
Personality… driven and intense. Carrie is willing to sacrifice anything for the sake of her professional and patriotic mission. Some of her colleagues would describe her as a loose cannon. She’s one of the C.I.A.’s best agents, but she’s also created severe problems for the agency.
Brody
Grew up… as an average American citizen in Virginia. After high school, Brody married his long-time girlfriend Jessica, and they had two children. They lived a quiet, normal life until 2003, when Brody joined the U.S. Marine Corps and was shipped off to Iraq.
Living… something resembling a normal life, again. Brody was found somewhere deep inside a terrorist base in Afghanistan, barely conscious, eight years after his deployment. He was rescued and returned home to suburban Virginia and is now trying to become the “regular” American that he once was. But life at home is difficult: “I’m more alone than I was in the bottom of that hole in Iraq.”
Profession… Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. Brody, along with his friend Mike, joined up before the war in Iraq. As the motto of the Marine Corps puts it, “Once a Marine, always a Marine.”
Relationship Status… married, with children. Even though Brody hasn’t seen his wife in eight years, or even met his young son, his family does its best to embrace him and welcome him home. Luckily, Brody’s friend Mike has been looking after his wife, Jessica. Though Brody can only wonder whether or not he’s been looking after her a bit too much.
Challenge… returning to normal life back home. This is made even more difficult by the amount of attention he’s been getting in the press and, oddly, by the C.I.A. An agent named Carrie Mathison seems to suspect something. Did all the time he spent as a captive of terrorists turn him into one?
Personality… stoic, reserved and, most of all, obedient. Brody is a true Marine. Being in terrorist custody for eight years has damaged him, but it’s unclear how he’s been changed and to what extent.
Saul
Grew up… feeling like an outsider, even in his own community. Saul was one of the only Jewish residents of Calliope, Ind., for which he faced discrimination. He spent his early life trying to fit in with his community. Now he’s doing all he can to stay under the radar.
Living… in the direct centre of a political and diplomatic hurricane. Saul resides in Washington D.C., but he spends most of his time trying to solve international quarrels at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
Profession… CIA officer. Saul knows the ins and outs of international politics like no one else at the agency. He’s been at the heart of conflicts in the Middle East since the beginning of his career. As a result, Saul is a reasonable realist who’s willing to sacrifice himself for his country.
Interests… none, aside from his job. Saul’s entire life revolves around the CIA. The job eats him up, even though he knows that it’s toxic for his personal life. “Everyone lies in this business,” he says. “I accept that.”
Relationship Status… precarious. Saul is married, but it seems that he’s only holding onto his wife by a thin thread.
Challenge… saving the United States and his marriage. Preventing terrorist attacks on U.S. soil is one thing but preventing “the love of my life walking out my door” may prove to be even tougher.
Personality… reserved, sober, and determined. The ever-patient Saul is willing to play the “long game” when it comes to diplomacy and spy craft. He is the most reasoned and grounded member of his elite CIA team. Without Saul, the agency might well implode.
Tuesday 6th December 2022
LO-To explore the narrative, theme and characters in Season 1, Episode 1, October 2011
Homeland Episode Notes
Main Narrative Quest/Conflict Set Up: how is the main narrative introduced and what sets up the initial conflict/problem that will drive the rest of the series?
Brody returns home and Carrie suspects that he is a sleeper agent who has been turned due to information she was given in Iraq 10 months before.
Enigma Codes=questions created that the audience will want to discover the answers to and will have to keep watching to find out:
Why did Brody kill Tom Walker?
Why is he lying about it?
Why was he focused on the White House at the end of the episode?
Why is he lying about meeting Abu-Nazir?
Why did he lie to Jess about meeting with Tom's Wife?
What is the attack?
Will Carrie find him out?
Will Carrie get sent to prison?
Individual Character Narratives: how are these set up/introduced and what are they:
Brody - Returning Hero or Terrorist - Family Man, Soldier, White, Male, Middle Class, Heterosexual.
Mike - Best friend of Brody/Love Interest of Jess, traditional representation, beer/football games, helped Jess around the house.
Jess - Brody's wife/Mike's love interest, mum, housewife, attractive, sexual object.
Carrie - Protagonist, CIA agent, female, strong career, disliked, confrontational,, driven and focused but lacks compassion. Hyper fixated on doing the right thing, mental health issues. Sexual role.
Saul - Her mentor, her confidant, reliable, sensible, in control, only one with faith in Carrie
David - Boss Deputy Director of the CIA, criticises Carrie a lot, had a relationship with her, Political in his moves.
Tuesday 13th December 2022
Todorov and Neale
Narratology: Todorov
Narrative=Story
Equilibrium- The introduction to the characters, Carrie working in the CIA with no threat of security, the East is in power seeing as they do not suspect anything in terms of terrorist attacks. We see that Carrie is an unstable character already and presented as not very reliable and also with much less power than the men hold.
Disruption- Brody being discovered initiates the suspicion of Carrie.
Recognition of disruption- Confides in Saul showing that his position is higher than the power of a woman.
Attempt to resolve- Carrie illegally sets up cameras in Brody's house which positions her as a sneaky, unstable, crazy, not trusted and not reliable character.
New equilibrium- No, as it is a TV series.
Usefulness
-Todorov's theory is simple to be applied, meaning that it is possible to identify the key elements which are equilibrium and disruption within long form television drama.
-Todorov's theory is useful in spreading out messages and values underlying a narrative which points to the significance of the transformation between the initial equilibrium and new equilibrium.
-In Homeland, Abu Nazir's plot and Brody's release disrupt the equilibrium, which is implied. The narrative drive is for Carrie to oppose the plot.
Limitations
-One of the limitations is that it was not designed to explain long form narratives, rather single narratives with resolutions, so doesn't explain complex narratives where climax and resolution are delayed or in some programmes that are designed to last many series, are never reached.
-Todorov's theory doesn't help to understand television's tendency towards segmentation rather than linearity, such as the multiple segmented storylines of many long form dramas.
-Todorov's theory doesn't help the audience understand the narrative strands that don't add to the narrative drive towards resolution but establishes characterisation, create cliff hangers or spiral out from the main linear narrative.
-In Homeland we are left with an enigma rather than resolution within Brody's plan.
Genre Theory: Neale
Genre theory is about what genres are, and about how and why they are created, change endure or decline.
Neale says genre is constructed through generic codes and conventions and shared through repetition of sharing of media products.
This shows us that genres are not a fixed thing but evolve and change with every addition to the generic corps that can often become hybrids along with other genres.
Generic codes and conventions are not just established in media products but in products that refer to these products such as critical writings or advertising and marketing material, what Neale referred to as 'the intertextual relay'.
Usefulness
-Genre theory was developed to explain film genre to begin with but can be applied to long form TV dramas since these are the most filmic forms of television output that require an intertextual relay of pre-publicity and reviews to generate the large audiences that are required.
-It draws attention to processes of difference within repetition and hybridity in long form TV dramas.
-The theory of the shared code can be applied to the long form television drama itself as a form despite the fact that these dramas range across various different genres.
-In Homeland, there is a female protagonist in a spy thriller with mental health issues.
-Many long form TV dramas have the resources to rely on high production values, stars, tone and exoticism rather than genre to market themselves which emphasises their individual difference rather than generic similarity.
-Thriller/espionage/drama- hybrid of genres, uses codes and conventions from all genres.
-As a genre becomes more popular over recent years, as a result of 9/11 the spies genre has re-emerged in popularity.
Homeland: Industry and Context
Industry Context
-TV Video on command systems allow streaming in real time or downloading episodes to a device.
-Showtime, the cable TV-based television provider offers both VOD streaming and free content.
-Homeland is an example of how successful cable TV shows have been distributed and how the internet provides a wider and global reach to online audiences.
Historical Context
-September 11th 2001 was the date of the attack on the Twin Towers in New York. The attacks targeted Twin Towers, Pentagon and the white house, which were famously the main symbols of political power. The lives lost, and the physical damage to the city made the West realise that they were not 'untouchable' and this had devastating effects.
-There were many impacts from 9/11 such as: the impact on individual lives, conflicts in the Middle East, Internal and international security legislation, declaration by America of a 'war on terror', feeling of fear caused by unforeseen attack and religious/cultural dimensions such as racism, religious intolerance and fear of outsiders.
Barthes: Signs
-Men wearing traditional, cultural dresses and hats
-Old cars
-Steady camera moving around everywhere showing chaos either in the situation or location
-Run down prison, looking really brutal with an area where people can be hung, barbed wire, military guards with guns
-Middle East=violent, brutal and barbaric, completely different culture
-Guard is smoking outside and talking to a random man on the street when he isn't supposed to be
Levi Strauss: Opposite
-Cut to America, an upper class society, wearing suits, woman wearing a dress meaning to look attractive, a sophisticated culture in contrast
-Cut back to tacky shops, tacky and old cars, only men in the Middle East
-Men all turn to look to her, showing the difference in gender, she is the only woman seen and the Middle East appear negatively since they are placing women in a place of so little power
Gilroy- White superiority
-The Middle East will accept bribery because they are less fortunate than the Americans
-The white American's have nice clothes while the Middle East people have old, dirty looking clothes
Tuesday 10th January 2023
LO-To explore the narrative and characterisation in set products
Characters: Carrie
Carrie Mathison
Representations
Determined- pays money to go into the prison, close up on the money paid to get in to the prison. Demanding- shouting over the phone at her boss, editing.
Powerful- resisting the guard in the prison.
Fearless- dragged away by the guards she is still clinging on to retrieve the answers.
Dedicated- persuading the prisoner to give her information, has a persuasive nature with even someone who has killed many people.
Reckless- going in to the prison, going against her boss.
Manipulative- talking to the prisoner, bargaining using the prisoners family to threaten him.
Post 9/11 fear
-Mise en scene sets up the post 9/11 fear in the opening via the over the shoulder shot from the prisoner with the noose and gallows being set up for the hanging of the prisoner- barbaric savage nature of the culture and positions the East against the civilised West, editing further enforces this when they go from a run down Bagdad to the Glitzy Washington.
-Shaky camera in Bagdad but in Washington steady and clear.
The representations of Carrie and the Middle East within the opening scene are presented as unstable and reckless. Carrie is a determined character which is shown when she is paying a large amount of money to go into the prison, where there is a close up of the money being paid. We can see that she doesn't let anything get in the way of what she wants to achieve. The mise en scene has set up a post 9/11 fear in this opening sequence from the over the shoulder shot from the prisoner with the noose and gallows being set up for the hanging of the prisoner.
Compare and contrast the techniques used to represent Carrie Mathison in Episode 1 of Homeland?
The representations of Carrie within the opening scene are presented as a reckless yet determined character. Carrie is a determined character which is shown when she is paying a large amount of money to go into the prison, where there is a close up of the money being paid. The representations in this section of the episode establish that she is not afraid of facing the consequences of her actions if it something she is this passionate about achieving. This is, however, a reckless decision that she has made despite her bravery since she is directly disobeying her boss's orders by entering the prison, putting herself and her position at risk. Van Zoonen's theory can be challenged here since she states that the media portray images of stereotypical women, however Carrie opposes these stereotypical femininity roles by voicing her opinions and having such a determined and strong nature. Even though Carrie is strong and has a masculine role within the series of leadership, she has several flaws that make her unstable as a leader and strong woman, thus showing the power of patriarchy reinforcing subtly the inferiority of women to men in positions of power. Van Zoonen's theory shows us at this point that not all female characters are stereotypically feminine or 'weak' in long form TV dramas. This can be reflected by the cultural context of the Bagdad area in which she is challenging, since we can see that there are no women to be seen throughout the streets in the Middle-East other than her, emphasising her power despite the judgement and the eyes that would follow her as she walked along the streets. Within this time, the Middle-East was practically controlled by men, so the contrast between the reality of women not walking the streets and Carrie entering the area within this time in such a determined manner is a big shock.
Another representation of Carrie that we are introduced to is the fact that she is a dedicated woman. This is exemplified at the beginning of the episode where she manages to persuade the prisoner to give her the information she was after despite
(Did not finish second paragraph)
Tuesday 17th January 2023
Brody Analysis
Antagonist- Person who is apposed or hostile towards someone or something, the villain.
Antihero- Main character in a story who lacks conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage and morality.
-Which mise en scene choices have been made to make him look like a prisoner of war?
-Soldiers discovering him
-Being found amongst rubble
-Explosions
-Body camera, grainy footage, black and white to show severity
-Overgrown hair, unkept, face looks malnourished=neglected without basic hygiene, looks dirty, made to look like a victim at this point
-David=well groomed, respected, suit. Editing between them both emphasises the severity of the war
Brody Analysis
1) Prisoner of war victim- audience sympathetic with him
2) Arrived home
How Vice president is represented
Being sick in the toilet, movement is unsteady, David and the president comes across as tactical, not caring about his experiences but care that he is a hero
The soldier on the phone seems empathetic about how much Brody has been through
How reunion is represented
Family look apprehensive, Brody looks guilty and unsure what to do, doesn't know how to act, while the wife runs over first and hugs him like traditional female, followed by the daughter who seems loving and caring. Son introduced to him with reverse shot of their first meeting, the lack of emotion and love, linking to impact of war.
Son seemed scared to meet him seeing as he couldn't remember his father
Brody looks overwhelmed not liking the cameras and massive crowds, distanced
Death of him mother, he doesn't react, showing us that his reaction to war has been desensitised
Brief fake smile shows his lack of emotion and how uncomfortable he feels in this situation, showing impact of war but also showing what sort of a character he will be
Brody Sickness
Steadicam footage reveals the unstable emotional state he is in. Close up on face, camera flash, PTSD, emotional in reunion speech, face is back to cultural norm- clean shaven, no marks on his skin, damage is hidden from war but is later revealed.
How is Brody represented as a hero in S1 E1?
The representations created of Brody within this scene are that he is an uncomfortable and uncertain character at this point. This is seen when he walks into the room and sees his family, reuniting with them however shows no excited emotions whatsoever. This scene uses mise en scene of a stripped back room which highlights the severity and importance of this reunion but also emphasises the awkwardness that we can clearly feel between the family. Jess, his wife, breaks this awkwardness by running up to him but as the camera switches between her thrilled face and his emotionless face shows us the impact that this war has had on a soldier. As we think of this it makes the audience think that Brody must have either truly been traumatised and neglected throughout his time or that he is scheming something and truly doesn't feel much as he is reuniting with his family. Here we can see that Van Zoonen's theory can be applied since the stereotypical role of Jess as a wife and mother while the men are shown as protectors. Brody is, however, presented as a male hero who has suffered physically in the hands of terrorists, reinforcing the traditional role of the male military hero. Within this scene we can see the contextual impact of the 9/11 events and the following war on the military and their families due to the result of the War on Terror that is still making a huge impact on society to this day.
Tuesday 24th January 2023
LO-To explore the narrative and characterisation in set products
Representation theory:
Gauntlett and identity
Gauntlett- Theories of identity
The media have a complex relationship with identities. There are many diverse and contradictory messages that individuals can use to think through their identity and how to express themselves.
Gauntlett and Homeland
Homeland shows diverse and contradictory representations that the audience can use to think through their identity as they have the time and resources to develop implied representations through Carrie and Brody.
The show offers local representations that resonate with international audiences like the Middle East and US. This increases the diversity to reach an international audience, and Homeland was successful in several international locations as a series.
Hall
Hall- Theories of representation
Through stereotyping and ideology, those in power try to fix the meaning of a representation to a preferred reading that suggest there is only one true meaning.
Meaning is created by a representation but it is what is present and also absent and different that create the representation.
Stereotypes and how they are constructed should be pulled apart and deconstructed to identify what they tell us about ideology.
Hall and Homeland
Homeland attempts to create dominant meaning through the use of ideology of West vs East to support the preferred reading of those in power (which is the US).
Carrie's representation is created through a lack of elements in her characterisation, closeness, compassion and success outside of her job.
Nicholas Brody- War Hero?
As previously mentioned Brody fits the traditional role of a hero.
Carrie rejects the view of Brody and whilst the audience is see him as a heroic character in episode 1 they do see enough of his behaviour to join Carrie in being suspicious.
So the audience have to reject the reassurance a conventional hero can provide. As an audience, we are positioned. We are shown certain viewpoints and given enough information to see him from a specific perspective.
Sergeant Brody's Islamic 'turn' is represented as a precursor to becoming a terrorist. While Islam May provide Brody with therapeutic Comfort he is a Stockholm syndrome convert coerced into his Islamic faith and its Associated terrorist politics.
Homeland exploits the viewers initial surprise associated with seeing a white US Marine worshiping Allah in his garage by anticipating and refuting the stereotypical assumption that Brody's faith is evidence that he is a terrorist. In the end we learn that he is in fact a terrorist.
Tuesday 31st January 2023
LO- To explore the representation and theory in set products
Representation of mental illness
-Carrie's mental illness- her bipolar makes her amazing at investigating, she obsesses over details so much that she gets to the heart of the matter every time she knows before everyone else does.
-This was a growing Trend in dramas- using mental health as a link to investigate brilliance ( like BBC's Sherlock and CBS's Elementary).
-Carrie's illness manifests itself in obsessive attention to detail, inappropriate sexual relationships and frequent hysterical outbursts.
-Mise-en-scene- extremely wide open eyes, quivering lips, screwed up face and raking her hand through her hair to express her frustration with her inability to fully protect the US Homeland.
-Carrie represents a familiar construction of a professional woman whose personal trauma underpins her role as a true seeker and law enforcer.
-The audience understand relatively early that Carrie is right to be suspicious of Brody, but the show withholds diegetic recognition; indeed her interest in pursuit of Brody, which merges personal obsession and professional responsibility, begins to undermine her status as a trustworthy protagonist.
-Initially, the show uses Carries illness to question her reliability to her family, her profession and even to herself. The combination of being certain and then being proven wrong is what drives carry to seek electroshock therapy, as the closing sequence of season 1 ends, but the audience know she is not wrong.
Postmodernism
-Irony
-Parody Or homage
-Bricolage
-Intertextual references
-Fragmented narrative
-Self-reflexivity
-Common themes-what if?
-Loss of reality
-Lack of verisimilitude
Baudrillard- Postmodernism
-Postmodernism is the idea that Society has moved beyond modernism- either modernism in art and culture (early 20th century) or modernism in the sense of a belief in progress, which dates back much further.
-Baudrillard argued that as modern societies were organised around production of goods, postmodernism society is organised around simulation- the play of images and signs.
-Previously important social distinctions suffer 'implosion' as differences of gender, class, politics and culture dissolve in a world of simulation in which individuals construct their identities.
-The new world of 'hyperreality'- media simulations, for example, Disneyland and amusement parks, moles and consumer fantasy lands- is more real than the real, and controls how we think and behave.
Baudrillard and Homeland
Baudrillard can be applied to any cultural product including long form TV dramas. Homeland has minimal intertextuality. It establishes real world ground narrative in real world events like 9/11, local politics, mental health etc.
In scene 31 to 35 minutes Brody interviews hyperreality of CIA interviews and torture/ war on terror.
Audience Theory: Hall
Encoding/decoding model
Media produces in code with a preferred meaning. Each audience can decode in one of three ways:
1) Dominant reading- accepts the preferred meaning and ideological meaning.
2) Negotiated reading- some of the decoded messages accepted but the audience disagrees with parts of it and so changes it to fit their experience and values.
3) Oppositional reading- both the preferred meaning and any ideological assumptions encoded in the product are rejected.
Hall and Homeland
-Draws attention to the possible audience readings of Homeland and the messages it portrays. Shows the power of the audience in questioning Carrie and her representation of mental illness, also highlights which perspective those in power perceived representations of mental illness, race and gender.
- It also acknowledges the power of the media and creating any dominant messages within television messages and values. The conflict in East vs West, gender inequalities and links to weakness through Carrie and her mental health issues.
Tuesday 7th February 2023
LO- To reflect on and improve analysis
Audience theory
Bandura- Media and effects
-Bandura believes that the media can have a direct influence on the values and behaviour of audience members. The media can also have an indirect influence through social networks.
-He argues that audiences may imitate behaviours they see represented in the media.
-He says LFTD's draw attention to the need to investigate the direct effects on individuals. They support the arguments of those who think television should be regulated to avoid public harm.
-However, the complex representations common to LFTVD's are less likely to cause a direct effect on audiences. Prioritising the effects of the media on the audience may mean that the effects of the audience on the media are underestimated.
Bandura and Homeland
-In 4.23 minutes to 8.20 minutes of Homeland, the representations of patriarchal society that are reproduced through the male characters in the CIA can reinforce patriarchal ideals in the mind of the audience.
-The behaviour that is imitated in the Patriarchal Society is that the man who is in charge humiliates Carrie when she is late and he responds dismissively and doesn't praise her for remembering other people who were in Brody's situation.
-Saul doesn't believe Carrie or support her and she is left pleading.
Gender
Dominant reading- Female is capable of brilliance.
Negotiated reading- She was always capable and intelligent but never listened to.
Oppositional reading- Carrie was always capable but rejected because she is a female so seems less reliable than men.
Curran and Seaton: Power and media industries
Media ownership is the most important influence on the media, with a small number of major conglomerates (a company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises) continuing to dominate the media industry despite the emergence of the internet.
1) Patterns in ownership and control are important in how the media functions.
2) Media industries are capitalist and aim to increase concentration of ownership; leads to narrowing of opinions represented, affecting plurality.
3) Owners pursue profit at the expense of quality or creativity.
Curran and Seaton: Homeland
-The issue of ownership and control, the working practices of creator and the risk and profitability vs critical appeal in TV drama depending who is funding the production.
-There is an international dominance of American Streaming services like Netflix, in distributing many LFTVD's. This can limit the representations that are created through the ownership and control of the productions. Homeland is a Showtime production, sold to Channel 4 and then Netflix.
Hesmondhalgh: Cultural Industries
Cultural industries follow a capitalist pattern of increasing concentration and integration so production is owned and controlled by a few conglomerates.
Risk is seen in terms of loss of money. Risk is high because the production costs are high. Industries therefore rely on stars, genres, franchises, repeatable narratives and so on to sell formats to audiences.
Hesmondhalgh and Homeland
-Draws attention to the ownership and control purposes, such as American commercial- Homeland, compared to the European Public service ethos.
-In Homeland, the risk and profitability is seen in the high budgets that then minimise the risk via formatting and the star system and co-production deals for the smaller European broadcasters.
-In Homeland, we see famous actors alongside genre of crime/conspiracy that is successful in America. We do not see this in The Killing as there is not a high budget. However, in prioritising the effects of ownership and control on the content of television this theory may not aid in understanding how ideologies, audience choice or media language conventions may determine media content.
Consumers are individuals who seek private benefits from the media and require regulation to protect them. Citizens are social, seek public or social benefits from the media and require regulation to promote public interest.
Media regulation serves a variety of purposes and must balance a range of consumer needs. Regulation is needed to make sure the media promotes public interests. Traditional forms of media regulation are being challenged by the online and globalised media culture resulting from technological developments such as the internet.
Livingstone and Lunt: Homeland
-LFTVD's produced by European public service broadcasters may be regulated in the interest of citizens like The Killing but not Homeland.
-LFTVD;s produced by American cable and streaming services are lightly regulated to avoid harm as they treat their audiences as consumers. Homeland focused on making money and the audience to consume the ideologies presented in their representations.
-Shows the challenges of globalised TV industries on traditional regulation. In theUK, you can put in a formal complaint to OFCOM who will pursue, however this only applies to a national market or British TV drama, not international streaming services like Homeland.
The Killing
Tuesday 21st February 2023
LO- To explore the narrative, theme and characters in set episode
Research Task
Who created the series?
Søren Sveistrup
Which two studios produced the series?
DR and ZDF Enterprises
What award did the series win?
BAFTA Award and an International Emmy.
Episode 1 was released in 2007. What Danish channel was it shown on and how was this channel similar to the BBC?
DR1
It was shown in the UK on BBC Four. How many views did the first episode have in Denmark and then in the UK on BBC Four?
Denmark:1,550,000
UK:472,000
What did Netflix do with the series in 2014?
Made an American drama adaptation of it.
Overview narrative of season one
Main narrative quest/conflict set up:
Girl-Nanna Birk Larsen-goes missing and they find her dead body-murder-who killed her and how did they do it?
Enigma codes:
Will the parents' relationship break?
Who murdered Nanna?
Will the politician win the election?
Individual character narratives:
Oliver- Nanna's ex boyfriend
Sarah Lund- main character, she is in charge, boss, leaving her job and country, moving to Sweden with her partner. Prioritises her job over her partner and son.
Troels Hartman- Politician, has a leak in his campaign, someone is spying on him and giving information to the other side, having a relationship with his secretary who is suggested to be slightly dodgy when he visited his dead wife at the graveyard. Corrupt politics as a theme.
Pernille/Thies- Parents explore their lives, working class lives, aspiring for better lives, respectable and hardworking.
Tuesday 28th February
LO-To explore the production, social and political context of set products
The Killing: Industry and Context
Nordic Noir
-Nordic Noir is an umbrella term to describe Scandinavian crime fiction, a genre that has become very popular.
-It is a hybrid police drama with elements of family drama and melodrama. This mix was intended to attract male and female audiences.
-The term defines the stylistic and narrative elements that the genre employed.
-The Killing has a visual style that relies on open, forlorn spaces where it is often cloudy or raining, and interior shots with muted lighting and monochrome colour design, creating a distinctive look.
Nordic Noir in The Killing
-Rain in opening outdoor scene which reflects the dark reality
-Dark, natural lighting
-Dark music
-Unsteady camera
-Low key muted lighting- internal investigation in building
-Sound of water dripping in an indoor location
-Establishing shot- bleak grey skies
-Use of torches
-Not using light to make it look beautiful, they mute the light to make it look eerie and dark adding to the sinister genre.
-Grass looks brown rather than green, not pretty
-Dark trees and open space makes it bleak
Multiculturalism
-Racism from Vagn, a white working class man seeming immature and uneducated, whilst Theis seems well educated and not a racist. Vagn is a dodgy character and has questionable morals. This shows us that racism is an issue in Denmark.
-Stereotypical mini-market
Class
-House seemed big but it was falling apart a little bit. They had a lack of funds for home maintenance.
Family
-Pernille phones Theis to come home and he does immediately showing he prioritises his family over his work unlike Sarah Lund.
-Lighting is warmer as the couple is laughing and joking giving the feeling of a warm family home. They are a happy family and have a good relationship at this point.
-Music highlights the good family relationships
-Zoom close up of family pictures to emphasise the love and focus on family and children in a working class family unit.
Sound
-Fast paced build up, dark music-heavy drumbeaat
-Mixture between her breathing, mud squelching and dramatic music, giving a sense of realism
Editing
-Editing between the scene of action and the opening titles
-We can see the colour of red on her chest which is clearly blood
Camera
-Focuses on a torch and the girl's face and her running in the dark woods
-See her feet running in a dark environment
-Can only see shadows of things
-Unsteady camera
Mise en scene
-Darkness, she isn't wearing much, her hair is unruly
-Open spaces with no one there to save her
-Running through the trees and through the marsh
-Hides between the trees from the lights
Genre Theory and Neale
Genre theory is about what genres are, and how and why they are created, change endure or decline.Neale argues that genre is a process by which generic codes and conventions are shared by producers and audiences through repetition in media products.
This means that genes are not fixed, but constantly evolve with each new addition to the generic corpus, often playing with genre codes and conventions or becoming hybrids with other genres.
Genre Theory in The Killing
-Hybridity- The Killing is a crime drama, thriller with elements of social realism.
-Audience expectations are that of twisting and enigmatic narratives that have been developed- this is evidenced in The Killing with the 3 narrative strands.
-Many LFTVD's have high production values, star system rather than genre to market themselves but The Killing does not.
-Genres aren't fixed, but evolve. The Killing interweaves 3 generically different narrative strands and then combines into fourth: 'Whodunnit'.
Context
-The Killing is set in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.
-Copenhagen is the cultural and political centre of the country and the series is the product of the Danish public broadcasting network DR.
-Danish society is renowned for being a rational and civilised society. The murder of Nanna Birk -Larsen is framed as a shocking anomaly to this. Whereas in Homeland's American society, crime such as this is not rare at all.
-Sarah, as a middle class single mother does not pay much attention to her son, she does not even remember the name of his hockey team and then later on uses her mother to take care of him when she is far too busy. She also stays behind, prioritising her work situation over her child's future and opportunities.
Tuesday 7th March 2023
LO-To explore the narrative and characterisation in set products
What does this shot tell us about Sarah Lund?
-She is a serious as her expression shows her expression.
-She is a dedicated character, very work obsessed as she is holding the map and observing the area, clearly taking it very seriously.
-The dark lighting reflects her serious nature.
-Costume is simple which shows realism and has lots of layers on showing that she is quite a practical person.
-Her being in the outdoors shows the nordic noir which shows us that she is an active woman on the scene who isn't put off by the location or weather.
-Has her map in a plastic wallet so that it doesn't get wet, she is practical and sensible, making the right decisions and thinking about them carefully.
How is Lund represented in the first scene?
Normal Mother- Close up of her face when she was looking lovingly towards her sleeping son. Over the shoulder shot of the looking into the bedroom.
Partner to fiancee- Long shot of the embrace, showing that she does have a partner and establishes that it is not her dad or brother. Mise en scene in the costume choice to reveal a shot of her underwear, to show us that she is relaxed in the home, and also showing the sexual but comfortable relationship between them. Could also show us that even a strong woman like her does have a slight vulnerability which we may or may not discover.
Van Zoonen
Ideas that women are objectified through the media. Gender is what we do rather than who we are and changes meaning depending on cultural and historical contexts.
Van Zoonen in The Killing
The only scene where Sarah is objectified is in the first scene where the long shot in her underwear is shown. She was the one who answered the phone which suggests that she is a mother but she is taking on her work while her partner is making her a coffee showing the equality in the relationship.
Butler
Butler says that gender is created in how we perform our gender roles. There is no essential gender identity behind these roles, it is created in the performance. Performativity is not a singular act but a repetition and a ritual that becomes naturalised within the body.
Any feminism concerned only with masculinity and femininity excludes other forms of gender and sexuality. This creates 'gender trouble' for those that do not fit the heterosexual norms.
Butler in The Killing
Sarah Lund has created her own life and her naturalised ritual is her loyalty to her work, with how dedicated and involved in the cases she is. She is not the stereotypical woman presented within the media.
Sarah Lund Representations
Respected- Mise en scene of the party, even the men respect her as shown in the card she was given by them.
Leader- Dialogue, questions.
Focused- Overhead shot of the crime scene.
Brave- Only uses a torch as her lighting, there is a close up on the evidence which she faces with no hesitation.
Fearless- Close up of her hand touching the blood, and a close up of her face which is not fazed by the crime.
Strong- She follows the evidence alone, the non-diegetic sound=tension.
Fun/laid back- Mise en scene in the party showing she has a relaxed and fun side, the close up of the sign on the doll that was left there and then her face.
Both Sarah and Carrie are working in a male dominated world but Carrie is not well respected in the society unlike Sarah.
Compare and contrast the way that Sarah Lund is first represented to the audience to the way Carrie Mathison is first represented to the audience in Homeland and The Killing?
Within the first episode of The Killing, Sarah Lund is first represented to the audience as a fearless, independent woman. In the scene where she is inspecting the 'crime scene', she follows the evidence all alone, without any fear of what she could be about to discover. The non-diegetic sound adds further tension which emphasises her fearless nature. There is a close up of her hand touching the blood, followed by a close up of her face which we see is unfazed by the crime. Additionally, in Homeland, Carrie Mathison is presented to be a woman with a fearless nature too, as she determinedly manages to enter the prison to obtain the information that she was after. She may come across on the reckless side, however we can see that she has no fear as to the consequences she may have to face due to her actions which we can see in the part where she pays the prison guard to enter the prison. Within the two sequences, both Carrie and Sarah challenge van Zoonen's theory of a stereotypical woman, since they are both extremely independent and face things alone rather than with the help of a man.
Another representation of Sarah Lund is that she is a respected character by her colleagues and even her boss, shown by the mise en scene of the party that is being thrown to celebrate her and her achievements with the company. The camera shots focus on her face and we experience the happiness she feels when she is with them and at work, being treated fairly. Despite the work place being heavily dominated by males, she still receives equal treatment and respect from those around her. Butler can be applied here because she has created her own meaning to gender and become a respected, important figure. Carrie, on the other hand is not respected, which is exemplified in the beginning when her thoughts are not being considered by the men that she confides in. Even her friend, Saul does not take her thoughts about Brody seriously, which highlights her place in the patriarchal society she is working in. The representations created here are that America's society is still highly patriarchal whereas Danish society has developed much more in terms of equality. Additionally, Danish society is renowned for being a civilised society. The murder of Nanna Birk Larsen is framed as a shocking anomaly to this. Whereas in Homeland's American society, crime such as this is not rare at all, showing the contrast in these different societies within the similar time frame in which they were set, 2011 and 2012.
Tuesday 14th March 2023
LO-To explore the narrative and characterisation in set products
-Casual clothes- laid back character, she is confident in herself and her ability and status
-Dressed in lots of layers- practical and sensible, job focused more than caring about her style. Cares about the practicality of doing something.
-Holding a map- serious about her work
-Has her map in a plastic wallet so that it doesn't get wet- practical, making the right decisions and thinking about them carefully
-Minimal makeup
-Hair is just pulled back into a bun-minimal effort with no styling
Carrie
-Wears a smart uniform- cares what others think about her, she feels the need to prove herself as professional. Uniform is very low cut, different to Sarah, not practical.
-Has a name tag on implying she is part of a large organisation, more professional
-Carrying a cross-body bag-practical
-Minimal makeup but has eyeliner and lipstick
-Hair dyed, blow dried, gender roles created through performance
Denmark & Sweden
Historical Context
-In 1521, Sweden left the union leaving Denmark-Norway, which existed until 1814 when Norway become an independent nation. Sweden-Finland existed from 1100s to 1809 when Finland became a part of Russia until 1917.
-Kalmar War, (1611–13), the war between Denmark and Sweden for control of the northern Norwegian coast and hinterland, which resulted in Sweden's acceptance of Denmark-Norway's sovereignty over the area.
-Sweden and Denmark have fought each other for centuries and hold the record for most wars fought between them. It all adds up to around 30 wars since the 15th century.
-Today, you might notice that there is a bit of banter between Danes and Swedes, but that's just part of the unique Nordic humour. In general, Swedish and Danish people have huge respect for one another.
-Props- viking hat, long blonde hair- stereotypical viking image.
-'In the hands of the enemy'- refers to the police force, historical war rivalry
-'If decomposed herring and light beer are your thing, you are entitled to them'- friendly rivalry/competition
-Given skis as a gift, skiing- cultural focus for Sweden
-Flag colour differences reflects the differences in culture despite the similar style between the two. Shows that they are similar however have many differences within their representations, however friendly rivalry unlike in the USA vs the East
Social Context
Treated in the workplace
Carrie
Not respected
-When she comes in late for work and her boss singles her out in front of everyone else. Context- Shows that women are viewed as inferior in the USA. The fact that she is actually late, this makes her seen as inferior. David still decides to humiliate her to undermine her which is seen as acceptable behaviour towards a woman if they are not performing their role. He could have pulled her aside at the end and spoke to her privately about it.
-When Saul who is supposedly her friend doesn't listen to what she has to say. Context- Women are viewed as below men in the USA. Despite the fact that Saul is her friend, he doesn't listen to what Carrie has to say, since she is just another woman in his patriarchal view, he doesn't take her concerns seriously or act on them when she is requesting for some help.
Sarah
Respected
-Asserts her position to continue the search in another direction. Context- Gender should be equal which are the views within Denmark.
-Her boss and colleagues are throwing her a party. She is one person, and a woman too, so the fact that they joke around with her and treat her like an equal, shows that things are better within their society. They even say how much of an asset she was when working for the company. Context- Danish society accepts people despite their gender, if they are good at what they do and successful in their work, then they deserve the same treatment and even her boss respects Sarah which is shown in this scene.
-Forebrydelsen questions many traditional female characteristics with its lead Sarah Lund. Society had changed and there is no longer the demand or desire for depictions of domesticated women.
-There is more desire for career driven women who struggle with the traditional demands expected of them. Characters, like Lund, become more layered and complex and they resist any attempts to shoe-box their roles.
-Forebrydelsen challenges traditional gender roles by depicting the parenting skills of a woman driven by her professional codes. Sarah Lund is motivated by a juxtaposition of male and female traits.
Van Zoonen- Feminist theory
Gender roles change based on performance.
Historical and cultural context influences gender.
In media representations, females are 'objectified'.
Sarah is respected which reflects the cultural context about gender.
Sarah is not objectified but Carrie is.
Gauntlett- Identity
Different messages about identity in the media- the media is more varied than it was in the past.
Different messages about identity in the media- the media is more varied than it was in the past.
We pick to form our identities.
Sarah is career focused, she picks and choosing between her career and her family life.
Tuesday 21st March 2023
LO-To explore the social issues represented, specifically gender
Van Zoonen- Feminist theory saying females are objectified in media. Stereotypes are based on performance of gender roles. Culture and time impact the performance.
Gauntlett- Identity and the meanings created about identity through the media. We pick to form our identities. Today, identity is much less fixed than it was, such as gender and sexuality.
Representations of gender in The Killing:
Sarah Lund
-Not sexualised, wearing no makeup and not dressing for the male gaze, dresses practically.
-Created her own life, hardworking and strong and is dedicated and involved in the case.
-She is not the stereotypical woman presented within the media, prioritises work over family.
-Separated from family-divorced.
-Middle class (educated in the field of work).
Theis
-Working class father, focus on the family.
-Tries fixing the pipes in his house.
-Calm, collected and reasonable, tells off Van but in a non-confrontational manner.
Pernille
-Mother, cares for her children, opposes Sarah as her family is priority to her, stereotypical woman.
-Secretarial role in the family business, has an important job-managerial and responsible but family comes first.
-Stable family.
-Working class.
Sarah's boss
-Respects his employee Sarah and has fun.
Meyer
-Smokes when he is not supposed to- stereotypical, middle class but comes across as working class, not represented as a professional.
-Looks unorganised and has all his boxes filled with a gun poster, basketball net etc.
-Eats a lot.
Troels Hartmann
-Corrupt.
-Upper class, well dressed and in charge.
-Older and well respected, people do things for him, he seems to be quite hubristic.
-New youthful mindset is what we need to make progress.
Hall-Stereotypes are used by those in power to try to fix representations to one preferred reading. We need to pull apart stereotypes and find out what the different meanings are and what they tell us about ideology.
Public service- Has to reflect the values of society and educate the public. Nothing is just one-dimensional, we can be many things. They are showing what society should aim to be.
What social issues does The Killing reflect in relation to its lead protagonist?
-Career driven woman.
-Split families- lack of priority of family.
-Gender equality, she is not better than the men but she is equal.
What social issues does Homeland reflect in relation to its lead protagonist?
-Strong hardworking female.
-Lack of family.
-Not listened to by the men in the workplace- lack of gender equality in the USA.
-She has to have flaws and need to not be trusted to make the show successful.
-Could be argued that she shouldn't be trusted since she is unreliable.
-Females including her are sexualised.
-She struggles with her mental health, it has a negative effect on her. She hides it from the CIA because she knows they wouldn't accept her then. In 2011 mental health was seen as something that should be hidden, whereas today there is support to help people to do their jobs.
How are the lead protagonists in Homeland and The Killing used to reflect societal issues?
In both Homeland and The Killing, there are a range of societal issues represented through the two lead protagonists. In Homeland, for example, Carrie has been presented as a strong, hardworking female who is, however, not acknowledged by the men in the workplace. The producers of the show have created her character to have certain flaws to make us feel like she can't be trusted, to reflect the social issues within society such as the inferiority of women in 2011. In the scene where Carrie arrives to the meeting late, her boss David undermines and humiliates her in front of everyone. It could be argued that if a man were late, he would have not reacted in this way. Hall could be applied here, since the stereotypes of the USA's lack of gender equality is being represented, in the treatment of a hard-working and reliable woman in the work place. Hall states that stereotypes are used by people in power to fix representations, much like the men like Saul and David in the place that Carrie is employed, not paying notice to her. Carrie represents through her situation in the workplace, that the gender equality situation within America, being a character that shows us how the females living in America in 2011 had fewer rights and were treated more dismissively. America is lower in the official rankings of gender equality than Denmark who in 2018, was first for equality, which has been highlighted in theses two different series through Carrie and Sarah's different rights.
In contrast, throughout The Killing, gender equality has been represented through Sarah Lund and the respect she has gained from her boss and coworkers. Unlike Carrie, Sarah has sacrificed her family and personal life to gain the respect of the people she works with, without the sexualisation that Carrie relies upon. Sarah takes her job seriously and turns up dressed practically, shown in the mise en scene of her lack of makeup and her practical costume, which juxtaposes Carrie as she shows up late and dressed in a more revealing outfit. This contrast between the two societies in the similar time frame highlights the patriarchy of the USA compared with the accepting nature of Danish society. In the scene where Sarah has her party thrown to celebrate her dedication, Butler's theory on gender performativity can be applied since Sarah Lund is motivated by a juxtaposition of male and female traits since society had changed by then and there was no longer the demand or desire for depictions of domesticated women. Butler states that gender is created by the way characters perform their roles and in The Killing, Sarah Lund has created her own life, working for it completely by herself, highlighting her strong and independent nature as a woman. Gender performativity is complex within The Killing, with the contrast of the slightly more stereotypical character of Pernille in comparison to Sarah Lund, and many more complex character strands.
In Homeland, the societal issues of mental health has also been portrayed through Carrie with her disorder. She struggles with her mental health, and it has a negative effect on her work. She has decided to keep it hidden from the CIA because she knows they wouldn't accept her then. In 2011 mental health was seen as something that should be hidden, whereas today there is support to help people to do their jobs. The camerawork focuses on a close up of the pills she has to take before work, highlighting that there is something more to her and giving us a reason to understand why she may be lightly less reliable than Sarah.
Tuesday 28th March 2023
LO-To analyse a variety of scenes using accurate terminology
Scene 1: Sarah meets Jan Meyer
How is Sarah Lund first represented at the start of the scene? What is she doing? How is she acting?
-Hectic as she's packing
-Upbeat after having a nice surprise
-Professional when Meyer enters but they chat about her move
-Over the shoulder shot of her son, we then get the same shot edited to Meyer's poster with a gun- they have opposite gender roles, Sarah focus on family which is stereotypical of women, whilst the gun poster is stereotypically male and violent
When we meet Jan-how is he represented? How
-In his basket he has a toy police car, kids basketball net, his nature comes across as childish by the props that have been chosen
-Cigarettes vs gun
-Takes out radio and turns on his radio- diegetic sound- he possibly has a lack of respect for Sarah
-Meyer's character shows that male roles can be different, that you won't come across just one type of male in Denmark
Levi Strauss-Structuralism
-Structuralism is the study of the hidden rules that govern a structure.
-He thought that the human mind could be investigated by studying the fundamental structure underlying myths and fables from around the world and developed the idea of binary oppositions.
-Writers analyse media products using the idea of binary oppositions but see the overall system as an 'ideology' rather than 'human consciousness'.
The Killing Application
-Selfishness vs duty; violence vs nurturing; racism vs inclusivity.
-Violence vs love- In the first scene between Meyer and Sarah, an opposition is shown of the close up over the shoulder shot of Sarah's photo of her son vs the poster Meyer replaces it with of guns.
-Professionalism vs rationalism.
Diegetic sound-dialogue
-At the start they speak about Sarah moving to Sweden and he was undermining her, winding her up. She shuts him down on his career talk by directing the conversation back to the investigation.
-At the end, Meyer wants to contact Theis and ask him about it, but her professionalism remains through her dialogue and then agrees to investigate after Meyer's teasing.
-Sarah is in control and respectful and asks questions politely, unlike Meyer who asks them aggressively. She is stood there, calmly asking questions and controlling the scene.
Barthes-Semiology
Semiology is the study of signs. Signs consist of a signifier (like a word, an image, a sound, etc.) and its meaning- the signified.
-In The Killing, the non-diegetic sound professionally highlights the thought process and focus on professionalism.
How are they represented as a family?
-Loving
-Perfect
-Friendly
-Fun (dishwasher exploded but they laugh about it)
-Close up of Theis/Pernille at the end of the scene as they are close to each others faces
How are economic issues represented in the scene?
-Economically tight, can't afford new or repairs, having to use duct tape
How does Theis fit gender stereotypes?
-Masculine
-Tries to fix everything
How is their home represented?
-Close up of the framed photo of the family reinforces the importance of family as a positive
-Children's drawings on the fridge-love
Comparisons to Homeland
No children's drawings around on the walls or fridges-lack of care and love and family
Bell Hooks-Intersectionality
Pernille- female, working class, house wife, dependent on Theis, working for Theis
Sarah and Carrie- independent, not their own boss but work for men but are middle class, not a house wife, career driven, despite being middle class they are less happy
Tuesday 25th April 2023
LO-To analyse a variety of scenes using accurate terminology
Todorov
Equilibrium- Introducing the characters and learning about their lives, Sarah's about to move, committed to a relationship, respected at work.
Disruption- Nana being missing, turning into realisation of a murder.
Recognition of disruption- When Sarah is visiting the Birk Larsens and asks about the daughter, when they realise it wasn't a prostitute but it was a teenager. Family discover that Nana is dead as the body is found.
Attempt to solve- Sarah and Meyer trying to discover who the killer is and they start a large search which Sarah is in control of. She changes her plans to leave for her relationship.
New equilibrium- None in the first episode.
Homeland
Equilibrium- Introduction of Carrie and CIA operating as usual, she is going to work.
Disruption- Brody discovered alive after all these years and returning home.
Recognition of disruption- Carrie speaks to Saul about her suspicions of Brody, that he could be a terrorist.
Attempt to solve- She puts surveillance equipment in Brody's home illegally. She has recognised the message that Brody was sending using his gestures on the TV.
New equilibrium- None in the first episode.
Scene 6- 35.24-36.26 (Birk Larsens begin to panic)
How is the tension built up in the scene?
Dialogue and close camera work showing the tension of Pernille and Theis and their worry through the shot. The lack of focus reflects the feeling and the disarray.
How is sound used?
As the couple are holding each other to start with, the music is slow and romantic. Music builds up as there is potential danger of Theis getting involved.
How are facial expressions used to convey meaning?
Close up shots focus on their facial expressions. Their faces reflect their serious worry.
How are gender stereotypes represented in the scene?
Pernielle and Theis reinforce gender stereotypes. The husband is going out to find Nana while the mother stays at home-stereotypical man taking control. Theis is volatile, a protective father, going to rescue his daughter. Theis tells Pernille to remain at home.
Van Zoonen- Performances of gender are not who we are but what we do, Pernille and Theis perform their stereotypical gender roles in the scene where Theis is fixing the dishwasher.
Scene 7- 36.27-37.51 (Sarah and her son car scene)
Why was this scene shot in a car? Why not set this scene in a family home?
It shows the uncomfortable relationship between them, that the only time when they really see each other is when she is driving. She doesn't have time for him at home, it is tense and reflects the busy life that they both lead. Sarah is driving- she is in control of the situation. She is in control in most scenes showing her role as a character.
What does the car represent?
The car represents that they are constantly on the go.
How does the dialogue represent the relationship between mother and son?
Highlights that she is not a very good mother and that she prioritises work over her son, she doesn't even remember the name of his hockey team KSF. This shows that she has most likely never been to watch him play- lack of time and interest in her son.
How does the scene reflect societal issues in Denmark and in general?
There is a bigger focus on raising money than a family. Working women in Denmark have a dual burden of work and family.
Can you make any comparisons to Homeland?
Carrie and Sarah are both obsessed with their career and everything revolves around their work.
Gauntlett- Her identity is being explored
Bell Hooks- She is the main character and a female.
Barthes- Semiology and signs, the car is a sign for something else.
Neale- genres are merging, police procedural and melodrama
Scene 8- 37.52-39.45 (Investigation and search continues)
How is Sarah represented in this scene?
Sarah has been represented as in control and as a leader.
There are tensions between her and Jan-what does this represent? Power struggle?
She doesn't listen to what he is saying, she comes across like she feels like she is better than him. They are not able to get along possibly because of the fact he is replacing her.
Her expertise is highlighted-how? Shot types? Mise en scene? Dialogue?
Close up on her face shows her instincts and thoughts. Establishing shot of the amount of police at the start shows the amount of dominance she has and that she is directing many police.
Her instincts are correct-how is this shown?
The change in music. She seems so sure of herself but she has been wrong before, showing arrogance but also power.
Bell Hooks-strong female lead, determined and powerful.
Scene 9- 45.58-48.19 (Sarah's instinct)
What shots are used to represent her instinct as a detective?
Sweeping mid shot to close up shot. Extreme close up of her eye following the direction she has suspicions about and the people on bikes heading that way.
How is sound used to represent her instinct as a detective?
Music is mysterious as the camera focuses on her face, music slowly builds up to suggest that she is right and her instinct is. As the car is pulled out of the river, the sound builds up further.
How does the way she directs others on the team reflect Danish society and their stance around gender equality?
She doesn't listen and is completely sure that she is correct, then we see she has ordered someone with a machine to come and pull the car out.
Barthes- Close up and following of her eyes= sign of instinct being correct.
Scene 10- 49.17-52.20 (Discovery of body)
How is the tension built up? How is mise en scene used to build tension?
Non diegetic music builds up to create tension and also emotion. The leg falling out out of the car makes us realise instantly. Low key lighting, at night.
How does the director position the audience? What do they allow us to see?
Emotional perspective of each of the characters, Pernille falling apart, Theis holding back.
How is cross cutting used to provoke an emotional response from the audience?
Makes mystery from cutting and editing between Theis, Pernille and the body.
Todorov- Returning to the recognition of disruption as we then attempt to solve the mystery. Stereotypical response from Pernille, screaming and crying and from Theis, angry, shouting.
Tuesday 9th March 2023
LO-To analyse key areas of the set products
Viewpoints- A person's opinion or point of view.
Ideologies- Ideas that are not facts, something that is stereotypically thought about something.
Troells
Equilibrium- politician running a campaign, widower.
Disruption- mole in the party.
Recognition- Mayor's actions, reporting on him.
Resolution/new equilibrium- not reached.
Sarah Lund is a detective in the police department who is moving away to Sweden where her boyfriend lives. She discovers that someone has gone missing and finds an item belonging to Theis Birk Larsen so she then decides to visit their family and ask some questions. This is how they are introduced to one another. The Birk Larsens are a stereotypical family, who eventually become aware, because of Sarah, that their daughter has been murdered, and have to fight through their emotions as the police department work alongside them. In the meantime, Troells is running for mayor. His narrative focuses on the gameplay and political issues in Denmark, with the mystery of a mole in their midst. Eventually, he becomes intertwined with Sarah and her police investigation as she discovers that the car Nana's body has been discovered in is one of Troell's cars. The Birk Larsens then become aware of this through the news reports.
Todorov studies the narrative, and the structure of a narrative and how it can be broken down into sections and how exactly they fit together.
Individualism
The way Sarah brushes off Meyer whenever he presents Sarah with an idea to do with the investigation shows individualism in the killing, we also see that she comes up with her own ideas/solutions to solve the investigation. We see this specifically in the scene where Sarah and Meyer are standing in the middle of a field, we are given a close up shot of Sarah with Meyer looking over her shoulder and almost feeding her ideas on how to go about his investigation but she ignores him and walks off the screen. We later see that this is the right thing to do and that she was right to do her own thing which therefore shows individualism in The Killing.
Consumerism
Theis goes home to help with the dishwasher and is insistent on using duct tape and family friends to fix it rather than Pernielle's viewpoint that they should get it fixed properly by a plumber. We later find out through an establishing shot of a grand house followed by dialogue that Theis saves money in order to buy big house that he does not need. The grandness of the house supports the consumerist ideology.
Also, Troels Hartmann's Campaign Officer likes his new shoes and within dialogue describes at length the individual features of the shoes.
Patriarchy
The idea of patriarchy is seen in the killing in the scene with a close up on the campaign posters for the mayoral candidates, we can see that the candidates are all men including the current mayor. This creates an ideology that men rule over society reinforcing patriarchal values.
Ethnocentrism
Vagn-Vagn makes a racist comment to a man from Pakistan, treating him as inferior.
Police Department- The Danish police department jokingly refer to Sweden as below them, they joke about their inferiority and how much of a downgrade it is going to be for Sarah to move there during her leaving party scene. They make fun of the Swedish culture such as with the skis and the helmets. They say to her: 'If decomposed herring and light beer are your thing, then you're welcome to it.' As they use the two insults, it shows their discrimination.
Gilroy draws attention to the continuing role of colonial ideology, of the superiority of white Western Culture-across a range of representations.
1- She doesn't use her sexuality to get what she wants because she has confidence in her intuition and ability.
She doesn't dress herself up or flirt or wear lots of makeup for the men in her company. She doesn't care how she is physically presented as long as she is professional and work oriented. she works for her position rather than using her sexuality.
2- Her female sexuality is not focused on.
She is always wearing practical clothes, not showing skin like when they are out in the fields investigating and she is wearing thick layers and has all the correct equipment.
3- She is presented to us as a maternal figure.
When she realised that the Birk Larsen's daughter was the girl who was missing. Camerawork focuses on her eyes close up, showing her realisation and empathy. The non-diegetic sound shows how she is feeling at the realisation, how she has pieced it together and the fear and dread she feels for this family and their potential loss.
4- As Lund becomes involved in a murder investigation, her professional life takes precedence.
When she decides not to catch the flight to Sweden and when she is on the phone to him, she completely dismisses him and suddenly hangs up without any explanation as she is distracted fully by work. In the car scene where Sarah is driving with her son, the editing between Mother and son highlights the distance between the two and how despite being family, the lack of knowledge she has about anything to do with him shows that she takes very little care in anything other than her work.
Tuesday 16th May 2023
Stereotypes
Victim- female, young, vulnerable, victim of sexual abuse, kidnapping and murder- Nana
Politicians- Serious, manipulative and corrupt, middle aged, game-playing, male dominated- Troells
Police- More male police officers, stereotype of males being dominant in the police force, Sarah is the only female. Meyer- immature. Positive- they are focused and dedicated and successful in their search for Nana.
Swedish nationality- Rivalry through joking around, stereotypes of Sweden- skiing and vikings etc.
Family unit- Birk Larsens- stereotypical family, man going out and woman staying at home, man fixing things, Anti-stereotype- Sarah's family relationship contrasts, lack of emotion
Racism- Vagn racist towards man from Pakistan, represented as normality, Theis is not shocked by vagn's behaviour, showing racism is expected. Racism is shown as unintelligent since Theis practically calls Vagn stupid.
Audience theory- Bandura
The media can influence people both directly and indirectly through a variety of platforms such as social media leading to people becoming influenced even without exposure to media.
Bandura applies to stereotypes in The Killing by presenting Nana as a vulnerable woman, which is expected within the media, such as when women are walking alone, they are at more risk, this stereotype is shown. This was true since Nana was out and then suddenly she was missing, presented as too weak to take care of herself.
Realism- How things in the media relate to real life
Events- Politics in Denmark- corruption. Nana running away. Pernille gets her sister to look after the kids. Student debate at school. Cut funding for schools= social issues.
Characters- Theis and his responsibility of the family, hardworking and working to bring the money in, its hard which is shown in the realism of him trying to provide but struggles too. Jan- realistic as he complains, he has lots of flaws.
Ideology- Consumerism- dishwasher and needing a bigger house.
Narrative- Sarah moving away and the interruptions it has with her son's life. Troells has a secret relationship with his secretary because under the view of the public eye, it would be scrutinised since his wife has only just passed away. He has to keep the relationship hidden which add to the lies and secrets within politics showing us that the public really have no idea what goes on truthfully.
Baudrillard- postmodernism
Postmodernism- Postmodern subverts expectations, which can be in the form of blending genres or messing with the narrative nature of a film.
Addressing the audience, fragmented narrative, intertextuality.
Irony- when the exact opposite of what you think will happen, happens.
Verisimilitude- a realistic story with details similar or true to real life.
The Killing has verisimilitude but isn't postmodernism.
Baudrillard said in the media there would be a sense of reality. Baudrillard says that as we evolve, we have heightened realities but they still link.
Simulacra- artificial copies/not reality
Simulacra becomes hard to tell apart from reality which is hyperreality.
Baudrillard applies to The Killing through hyperreality. Stereotypes are heightened by representations of Danish society, it isn't realistic that in only 24 hours, they would have discovered so much. There is a combination of reality with shots on location and shots in a studio which add to the sense of hyperrealism.
Tuesday 6th June 2023
Exam Practice 1
Jenkins: Fandom
Participatory culture
Idea that development of new media allows audience to be active and creative participants rather than simply passive consumers.
Audience members become textual poachers taking aspects from media texts to create their own content.
Convergence culture
Media is shared, adapted and consumed constantly on a range of different platforms.
Spreadable media
Content that is adapted by audience members for their own purpose and shared with others.
Shirky: End of an audience
Technological developments have changed the relationship between media producers and audiences.
In the past, media producers created content for audiences, now content can be created by audiences.
Prosumers have different motivations to professional media producers.
This creates cognitive surplus, where potentially large numbers of people give their time and expertise to create something (like Wikipedia).
Audiences can no longer be seen as a single mass of people. Audiences engage differently with media products across different platforms, with some audience members now creating or adapting media products themselves.
Question 3: Synoptic
How far=judgement must be made.
Context influence needs to be explored, all of them: historical, political, economic, social, cultural.
Analysis of the texts and theory applied.
Refer to all the theoretical framework, media language, audience, representation, industry.
Social groups- men and women, races, ages
Intro-
Throughout The Killing and Homeland, some groups are presented differently and some are the same. From looking at The Killing, which was produced by DR on low budget as a public service broadcast, it covers many different social aspects. It has received great success when being broadcasted with the BBC. Through studying Homeland, which was a high budget show, with on location film including famous stars and highly successful, I have discovered that the social groups have been presented differently. This is because of the difference in money spent and the difference in the nationalities and cultures.
In Homeland, women are presented as less successful than men. This is a reflection of the US and their gender inequality. Carrie is presented as a determined woman- much like Sarah- however the difference in Carrie is that she has a lack of power in the workplace and she receives no respect from even Saul her friend when they are sat outside the building and she confides in him about her suspicions of Brody. Van Zoonen can be applied to this scene, since women are represented as below men within the typical American patriarchal society, without being able to voice her opinions and taken seriously.
However, in The Killing, Sarah has been presented as a strong, powerful and respected woman who is successful in her career. Unlike Carrie in Homeland, Sarah has a good relationship with her boss, who is a man, which can be seen in the scene where her colleagues and boss are celebrating her time spent with them. Denmark's societal values are contrastingly about gender equality and this is represented through Sarah's respect. We can see this through the scene where Sarah is taking authority of the search as they are searching for the missing girl in the forest. Butler's theory of gender performativity can be applied in this scene as we realise that Sarah has created her own life and reputation and her loyalty and dedication to her work has elevated her status, with her gender with how dedicated and involved in the cases she is. She is not the stereotypical woman presented within the media, but much like the equality in Denmark, she is an example of the inclusivity and positive situation in their society.
Tuesday 13th June 2023
Question 4 - Media Theory Representation
-10 marks, 17 minutes to plan and write.
-Evaluate an academic theory in relation to The Killing and Homeland.
-You do not need to know each theory in major detail, just to explain how useful it is to understand The Killing and Homeland.
Paragraph 1- Define the theory, briefly explain key aspects of the theory.
Paragraph 2- First reason why it is relevant to the text
Paragraph 3- Second reason why it is relevant to the text.
Paragraph 4- Third reason why it is relevant to the text.
Paragraph 5- State any possible limitations of the theory- interrogate weaknesses of the theory.
Paragraph 6- Briefly conclude- evaluate the overall usefulness of the theory.
Todorov 5 steps: Equilibrium, disruption, recognition of disruption, attempt to solve, new equilibrium.
Equilibrium- Carrie at work and being slightly rogue, Sarah is leaving Denmark.
Disruption- Brody's return, Nana going missing.
Recognition of disruption- Carrie recognises his link to terrorism when he is sending signals over the news, Unable to locate Nana, then finding her body.
Attempt to resolve- Carrie sets up surveillance in Brody's house Find out that there is a girl murdered rather than missing.
New equilibrium- None.
Gauntlett- Theories of identity
Gauntlett states that the media have a complex relationship with identities. There are many diverse and contradictory messages that individuals can use to think through their identity and how to express themselves.
Homeland shows diverse representations that the audience can use to think through their identity as they have the time and resources to develop implied representations through Carrie and Brody. The show also offers local representations that resonate with international audiences like the Middle East and US. This increases the diversity to reach an international audience. In scene 46 to 51 minutes Carrie realises the truth, showing her as a contradictory character that can be respected for her Insight. Carrie is actually an anti stereotype in terms of a woman, drinking and avoiding relationships.
In The Killing, Sarah is career focused and she picks and chooses between her career and her family life. She is however presented to us as a maternal figure when she realised that the Birk Larsen's daughter was the girl who was missing. This contradicts her relationship with her own son as she is shown to know very little about him as they are driving in the car. Sarah is also the lead investigator and is more successful in the case than men.
A usefulness of this theory is that it can be applied to long form TV dramas with their many diverse representations.
A limitation of this theory is that there is an assumption of audiences being powerful, so underestimate the power of media conglomerates to shape the media and what is being represented.
Tuesday 4th July 2023
DIRT
Question 3
-Context
-Conventions, viewpoints and ideologies
-Theorists
-LIAR
Homeland Conventions
Conventions: Spy Thriller-CIA is a well known company-spy visiting another country with secrecy.
Secrecy in Brody's narrative, lies in his interrogation, shown through the media language editing of flashbacks. Suspicion due to 9/11, they were unaware about the hidden enemy. Links to fear in society of the enemy within, stemming from the Cold War ideas of the 1960s.
Ideologies: Fear of terrorism and the need to fight it. Carrie's desperation to save the USA and protect it from Brody. Hidden threat. Bagdad scene close up shots of Carrie to show her desperation of the need to protect the country from terrorism. Link to social context- fears in society. Link to historical context-9/11, political context-wars on the political agenda-can be seen to influence sense.
Neale- reproducing genre, the fear created through the spy thriller.
The conventions used in Homeland reflect the country of the production since it is a spy thriller based around the well-known American company: the CIA. Carrie is a typical spy, visiting another country, typical to the conventions of secrecy in spy series. There is secrecy within Brody's narrative with his lying throughout his interrogation which is shown through the editing between flashbacks. Carrie, being a member of the CIA has suspicions which could be linked to the recent events of 9/11 where they too were unaware of the hidden enemy. Barthes theory of signs could be applied to this since the editing of flashbacks are signs that Brody is indeed not who he says he is. This further links to the fears within society of the enemy unknown within, stemming from Cold War theories in the 1960s.
The Killing-Police Procedural- on DR public service broadcasting
Conventions: Police procedural investigating, interviewing, crime scenes, following the investigation. Context- series nature of police expected in public service broadcasting TV.
Question 4- Gauntlett
Carrie and Sarah create contradictory representations since Sarah has a successful career and is respected while Carrie has no respect from the men in her workplace. Carrie, despite having mental health issues is still highly successful but lacks the power and status that Sarah holds.
Homeland gender
-Even though Carrie is strong and has a masculine role within the series of leadership, she has several flaws that make her unstable as a leader and strong woman, thus showing the power of patriarchy reinforcing subtly the inferiority of women to men in positions of power.
-Homeland attempts to create dominant meaning through the use of ideology of West vs East to support the preferred reading of those in power (which is the US).
-Carrie's representation is created through a lack of elements in her characterisation, closeness, compassion and success outside of her job.
-Carrie is a woman, core female character portrayed with mental illness, shown in the way she switches focus like in the bar when she was flirty to all of a sudden really serious, and shown in the drugs she took before heading off to work
-Women shown as objectified while men are in control of every situation, in American office, very few women working there. The wife felt like she had to dress up a lot for her husband and wore lots of makeup.
Homeland Patriotism
-The cut to America, an upper class society, wearing suits, woman wearing a dress meaning to look attractive, a sophisticated culture in contrast reinforces the beliefs of America in contrast to other countries, they believe in their superiority as a country.
-The concept of patriarchy may be applied to the ownership and control of television, the recruitment and ethos of television professionals and the representation of gender.
-Despite Carrie having strong aspects to her character, her flaws make her unstable as a leader and strong woman, thus showing the power of patriarchy reinforcing subtly the inferiority of women to men in positions of power.
-Carrie embodies oppositional gaze that refuses to conform to the expectations of women and provides a character to identify with that challenges the patriarchal ideologies.
Homeland Ethnicity
-The Middle East will accept bribery because they are less fortunate than the Americans.
-The white American's have nice clothes while the Middle East people have old, dirty looking clothes.
-Middle East appear negatively since they are placing women in a place of so little power.
-In America, an upper class society, wearing suits, woman wearing a dress meaning to look attractive, a sophisticated culture in contrast.
-In Middle East tacky shops, tacky and old cars, only men in the Middle East.
-Homeland attempts to create dominant meaning through the use of ideology of West vs East to support the preferred reading of those in power (which is the US).
-Sergeant Brody's Islamic 'turn' is represented as a precursor to becoming a terrorist. While Islam May provide Brody with therapeutic Comfort he is a Stockholm syndrome convert coerced into his Islamic faith and its Associated terrorist politics.
-Homeland exploits the viewers initial surprise associated with seeing a white US Marine worshiping Allah in his garage by anticipating and refuting the stereotypical assumption that Brody's faith is evidence that he is a terrorist. In the end we learn that he is in fact a terrorist.
Homeland Mental Illness
-Steadicam footage reveals the unstable emotional state he is in. Close up on face, camera flash, PTSD, emotional in reunion speech, face is back to cultural norm- clean shaven, no marks on his skin, damage is hidden from war but is later revealed.
-Carrie's mental illness- her bipolar makes her amazing at investigating, she obsesses over details so much that she gets to the heart of the matter every time she knows before everyone else does.
-This was a growing Trend in dramas- using mental health as a link to investigate brilliance ( like BBC's Sherlock and CBS's Elementary).
-Carrie's illness manifests itself in obsessive attention to detail, inappropriate sexual relationships and frequent hysterical outbursts.
-Mise-en-scene- extremely wide open eyes, quivering lips, screwed up face and raking her hand through her hair to express her frustration with her inability to fully protect the US Homeland.
-Carrie represents a familiar construction of a professional woman whose personal trauma underpins her role as a true seeker and law enforcer.
-The audience understand relatively early that Carrie is right to be suspicious of Brody, but the show withholds diegetic recognition; indeed her interest in pursuit of Brody, which merges personal obsession and professional responsibility, begins to undermine her status as a trustworthy protagonist.
-Initially, the show uses Carries illness to question her reliability to her family, her profession and even to herself. The combination of being certain and then being proven wrong is what drives carry to seek electroshock therapy, as the closing sequence of season 1 ends, but the audience know she is not wrong.
What are the key representations present in Homeland?
The representations of Carrie within the opening scene portray her as a determined, however slightly careless character. Carrie's determined nature is presented when she is sneakily paying the prison guard for access to the prison, with a close up shot of the dealing. The representations in this section of the episode establish Carrie as a woman who isn't afraid of facing the consequences of her actions if it something she feels she has to achieve. This is, however, a reckless decision that she has made despite her bravery since she is directly disobeying her boss's orders by entering the prison, putting herself and her position at risk. Van Zoonen's theory shows us at this point that not all female characters are stereotypically feminine or 'weak' in long form TV dramas, and can be challenged here since she states that the media portray images of stereotypical women, however Carrie opposes these stereotypical femininity roles by voicing her opinions and having such a determined and strong nature. Even though Carrie is strong and has a masculine role within the series of leadership, she has several flaws that make her unstable as a leader and strong woman, thus showing the power of patriarchy reinforcing subtly the inferiority of women to men in positions of power. This is shown through the cultural context of the Bagdad area, since we can see that there are no women to be seen throughout the streets in the Middle-East other than her, emphasising her power despite the judgement and the eyes that would follow her as she walked along the streets. Within this time, the Middle-East was practically controlled by men, so the contrast between the reality of women not walking the streets and Carrie entering the area within this time in such a determined manner is a big shock.
Mental illness is also consistently shown in Homeland, mostly through Carrie, but also through Brody and his flashbacks. Carrie's mental illness is bipolar, which makes her amazing at investigating since she obsesses over details so much that she gets to the heart of the matter every time she knows before everyone else does.
-This was a growing Trend in dramas- using mental health as a link to investigate brilliance
Key Scenes in The Killing Episode 1
35.24-36.26 - Birk Larsens begin to panic
36.27-37.51 - Sarah and her son car scene
37.52-39.45 - Investigation and search continues
45.58-48.19 - Sarah has an instinct about where Nana 's body is
49.17-52.20 - Discovery of body
Sarah Lund is a detective in the police department who is moving away to Sweden where her boyfriend lives. She discovers that someone has gone missing and finds an item belonging to Theis Birk Larsen so she then decides to visit their family and ask some questions. This is how they are introduced to one another. The Birk Larsens are a stereotypical family, who eventually become aware, because of Sarah, that their daughter has been murdered, and have to fight through their emotions as the police department work alongside them. In the meantime, Troells is running for mayor. His narrative focuses on the gameplay and political issues in Denmark, with the mystery of a mole in their midst. Eventually, he becomes intertwined with Sarah and her police investigation as she discovers that the car Nana's body has been discovered in is one of Troell's cars. The Birk Larsens then become aware of this through the news reports.
Gender in The Killing
-Sarah Lund has created her own life and her naturalised ritual is her loyalty to her work, with how dedicated and involved in the cases she is. She is not the stereotypical woman presented within the -media.
-Her boss and colleagues are throwing her a party. She is one person, and a woman too, so the fact that they joke around with her and treat her like an equal, shows that things are better within their society. They even say how much of an asset she was when working for the company. Context- Danish society accepts people despite their gender, if they are good at what they do and successful in their work, then they deserve the same treatment and even her boss respects Sarah which is shown in this scene.
-Forebrydelsen challenges traditional gender roles by depicting the parenting skills of a woman driven by her professional codes. Sarah Lund is motivated by a juxtaposition of male and female traits.
-Pernille is a Mother, cares for her children, opposes Sarah as her family is priority to her, stereotypical woman and has a secretarial role in the family business, has an important job-managerial and responsible but family comes first.
-Meyer smokes when he is not supposed to- stereotypical, middle class but comes across as working class, not represented as a professional.
Patriotism and Nationalism in The Killing
-Sweden and Denmark have fought each other for centuries and hold the record for most wars fought between them. It all adds up to around 30 wars since the 15th century.
-Today, you might notice that there is a bit of banter between Danes and Swedes, but that's just part of the unique Nordic humour. In general, Swedish and Danish people have huge respect for one another.
-The props that show this in the episode are a viking hat, long blonde hair- stereotypical viking image.
-'In the hands of the enemy'- refers to the police force, historical war rivalry.
-There is a bigger focus on raising money than a family. Working women in Denmark have a dual burden of work and family.
Ethnicity in The Killing
-Racism from Vagn, a white working class man seeming immature and uneducated, whilst Theis seems well educated and not a racist. Vagn is a dodgy character and has questionable morals. This shows us that racism is an issue in Denmark.
-Danish society is renowned for being a rational and civilised society. The murder of Nanna Birk -Larsen is framed as a shocking anomaly to this. Whereas in Homeland's American society, crime such as this is not rare at all.
-Racism vs inclusivity.
Age in The Killing
-Sarah is a Mother, she dismisses her son and prioritises her work over him, could this be due to his age?
-Main characters are mostly middle aged characters- Sarah, Theis, Pernille
-Lack of elderly people
-Troells however is older and well respected, people do things for him, he seems to be quite hubristic.
-Lack of children other than her son
Class in the Killing
-Pernille and Theis' house seemed big but it was falling apart a little bit. They had a lack of funds for home maintenance. They are working class.-
-Sarah is middle class (educated in the field of work). She has created her own life, hardworking and strong and is dedicated and involved in the case.
-Meyer smokes when he is not supposed to- stereotypical, middle class but comes across as working class, not represented as a professional.
-Troells is upper class since he is in charge and we see that through how well-dressed he is.
The Killing Context
Historical
-In 1521, Sweden left the union leaving Denmark-Norway, which existed until 1814 when Norway become an independent nation. Sweden-Finland existed from 1100s to 1809 when Finland became a part of Russia until 1917.
-Kalmar War, (1611–13), the war between Denmark and Sweden for control of the northern Norwegian coast and hinterland, which resulted in Sweden's acceptance of Denmark-Norway's sovereignty over the area.
-Sweden and Denmark have fought each other for centuries and hold the record for most wars fought between them. It all adds up to around 30 wars since the 15th century.
-Today, you might notice that there is a bit of banter between Danes and Swedes, but that's just part of the unique Nordic humour. In general, Swedish and Danish people have huge respect for one another.
-Global recession of 2008 via Theis and Pernille.
Economic
-Complex characters reflect the economic pressure for quality programming.
-DR1 low budget, didn't include particularly famous actors and shot in one location
-PSB reflects the values of the country
Political
-Cynical of Spin driven politics, family vs politics, two worlds.
-Immigration as an issue that is increasing.
Social
-Denmark has always been seen as internationally progressive in terms of gender equality.
-2007 (date of the 1st series) they were ranked 8th in the world for this.
-2011, US was ranked 17th.
-Reflects socially contested gender relations.
-Patriarchal power as police and politicians are male, contrasted to the female lead who is driven and represented positively in contrast to the males.
-Denmark as multicultural, Vagn's racism is a flaw and contrasted to Theis.
-Social anxieties about the protection of children.
Cultural
-Danish representations with rivalry with Sweden. This is the global narrative of the crime.
-Critique of celeb culture as Troels is fake for his campaign.
-High expectations of LFTVD shown in complex representations-Lund, Theis.
Homeland Context
Historical
-September 11th 2001 was the date of the attack on the Twin Towers in New York. The attacks targeted Twin Towers, Pentagon and the white house, which were famously the main symbols of political power. The lives lost, and the physical damage to the city made the West realise that they were not 'untouchable' and this had devastating effects.
-There were many impacts from 9/11 such as: the impact on individual lives, conflicts in the Middle East, Internal and international security legislation, declaration by America of a 'war on terror', feeling of fear caused by unforeseen attack and religious/cultural dimensions such as racism, religious intolerance and fear of outsiders.
Economic
-Complex characters with famous actors reflect the economic pressure of quality programming.
-Complex characters with famous actors reflect the economic pressure of quality programming.
-Big budget cable show and can shoot in multiple locations such as Morocco.
Political
-Cynical of federal politics of the CIA and the Whitehouse need to a win.
Social
-Reflects socially contested gender and racial ethnic relations.
-Social norms: Jess trying to be the good wife and Brody trying to be the hero.
-Patriarchal power as the CIA management are male- Carrie female.
-Enemy is an Arab, but black man as a lead- ambiguous.
-Social anxieties are reflected in fear of a terrorist attack.
Cultural
-Influence of American cultural reaction of terrorism, patriotism, militarization, search for a hero.
-Critique of celeb culture as Brody becomes a fake hero.
-High expectations of LFTVD shown in complex representations- Carrie as a questionable heroine.
Monday 29th April 2024
Homeland
Narrative and sub plots
-Brody- Terrorist, possible attack, Carrie fighting to prevent the attack and reveal Brody as a terrorist.
-Jess and Mike affair. Not normally domestic affairs in spy genre- more melodrama. Subplots allow us to have hybridity of genres and is a convention of TV drama. Complexity of characters is expected by audiences.
-Carrie's mental health- Has bipolar, has to take pills everyday, affects her at work.
-Dana and Chris (kids)- rebellious narrative, stereotype, Dana is caught with a boy smoking something.
-Jess and Brody- Relationship breakdown- Brody isolates himself from her and his PTSD makes him hurt her. Relationship based on lies and secrets. Another element of melodrama.
Todorov:
Equilibrium- Working at CIA no threat to security- power with the East as US don't suspect. Carrie- is unstable, not a trustworthy character.
Disruption- Brody's release/discovery initiates the suspicion in Carrie. Positions Carrie as superior as she is the only one who suspects and is aware of the threat.
Recognition of disruption- Confides in Saul- positions men as higher in power than women.
Attempt to resolve- Spies illegally on him- positions her as unstable, crazy, not trusted, not reliable.
New equilibrium- No as it is a TV series.
The Killing
Thriller- genre created through mise en scene.
Lighting- Dark lighting, at night.
Camerawork- Close up of her bloody face, clearly physically injured, female vulnerability. Shaky camera footage to intensify the tension.
Sound- Diegetic sound of her breathing as she runs. Intense music.
Style- Traditional thriller genre. DR1 can't afford to take the risk like Homeland can. (Hesmondhalgh minimising risk by following genre conventions.)
Todorov:
Equilibrium- Introducing who Sarah is, someone with a family who's moving and her job.
Disruption- A girl has gone missing.
Recognition of disruption- Realising who the girl is.
Attempt to resolve- Investigation to finding the body, and Theis and Pernille discover it's Nana.
New equilibrium- No as it is a TV series.
Sarah is treated as an equal in the work place unlike Carrie, reflecting Denmark and USA's differing gender equality levels.
Tuesday 30th April 2024
Exam Practice
Question 3- 30 marks 50-55 minutes, 6 paragraphs
-Context
-Theory
-Judgement
-LIAR
Intro
Context of production + consumption
H- Hesmondhalgh C+S context expect America to have a higher budget due to expectations
TK- Hesmondhalgh context
P1
Conventions incorporated in H and TK
Neale/genre Todorov
Context
P2
Viewpoints + Ideologies in H
Western superiority-Gilroy
TK-Gender Equality- Butler
Context- 911 affecting Western views on East
Conclusion
Go back to intro
Want to put Brody on a pedestal and sacrificing his health, positioning politics as selfish
Through the mayor, we see that Denmark is also politically corrupt.
How far do long form TV dramas incorporate the dominant conventions, viewpoints and ideologies the countries in which they are produced?
Long form TV dramas such as Homeland and The Killing incorporate dominant conventions, viewpoints and ideologies into their series which have been heavily influenced by the countries in which they are produced in varying ways. Homeland was produced by the cable channel Showtime, with high budget shown by their on location footage and their use of well-known celebrities. This high budget allowed the producers to film not only in local areas, but in numerous ones in not only America but in the Middle East too. In The Killing however, they had a lower budget due to being filmed for DR1
In Homeland, one of the viewpoints presented to us is the idea of Western superiority. In the opening scene, the camerawork when in Baghdad is unstable and juxtaposes with the stable filming when editing between Baghdad and the US. Through this editing, we can see the differing
Tuesday 7th May 2024
LO-To revise key representations of the set texts
Carrie:
-Mentally ill
-Untrustworthy
-Suspicious
-Determined
-Independent
-Unreliable
Brody:
-Fake
-Dull
-Messed up
-Also mentally ill
-Quiet
-Abusive
-Deceptive
-Untrustworthy
Codes and conventions- typical elements of the genre
Reflect- attitudes/beliefs of audience
In both Homeland and The Killing we are presented with both contrasting and similar conventions that
reflect their values, attitudes and beliefs of the audience that consume them.
P1- Context of production and consumption
P2- Codes+conventions of HL-reflects contexts
P3- Codes and conventions of TK-reflects contexts
P4- Judgement/conclusion-reasons for differences
Codes and conventions:
Homeland
Spy thriller- Carrie breaks C+C because she is a female and has unreliable traits. Other than Carrie there are only men in charge showing the patriarchal ruling of America. She has mental illness and she spies when she shouldn't. It does follow the codes and conventions of production since it is a big budget production, it is shot on location and has fast paced action.
Carrie being female breaks but also supports C+C- Van Zoonen and Butler
Hero of the West-Gilroy
USA as capitalist- Curran and Seaton and Hesmondhalgh
America-men in charge- gender inequality- Carrie disrespected and belittled in front of her colleagues by boss- a man.
The Killing
Thriller/police procedural
Sarah-breaking codes and conventions-female, has respect
Police procedural-one city location (Copenhagen) follows codes and conventions-fits with DR1 and PSB having a budget
Denmark- Equality, one of the best countries for it at the time-8th
Race-racist remark criticised and told off by Theis- being relevant character -lack of representations
Sweden vs Denmark- expected rivalry turned into a joke- Denmark shown as best
Class- Theis and Pernille's home
Victim-young female victim- code and convention of a thriller
Hesmondhalgh- reduce risk-small budget, location is in one place
C+S- creativity isn't compromised for profit- PSB DR1
Gender-Van Zoonen and Butler
Gilroy- Race- superiority of white Western culture via Denmark being so positively presented
Social Context
Homeland
-Gender inequality-ranked low 52nd in terms of gender equality in the time it was set. Carrie is disregarded at work and not reliable and has mental health issues.
-Class division in West vs East
-Young people are uncontrollable- the daughter (Dana) taking drugs
-Reinforcing heterosexual norms with all of diverse sexualities
The Killing
-Gender equality-ranked high 8th in terms of gender equality through Sarah being a lead but we still have patriarchal rules because a man is the boss. Also in politics there is a male. And Theis is running the family business.
-Lack of different ethnicities
-Difference between classes like Pernille and Theis- dishwasher scene not able to afford to fix it and Troels
-Nana and her friends also are presented as rebellious through partying and deceiving parents
-Reinforcing heterosexual norms with all of diverse sexualities
-Van Zoonen
-Butler
-Bell Hooks
-Hall-in homeland absence of females other than Carrie and the wife, and lack of ethnicities in Killing
Cultural Context
What people believe about their culture.
Homeland
-Negativity surrounding 911 and Eastern culture-In shots of Baghdad, people were all wearing their traditional clothes however appeared in a more rough state than America.
-Hanging and the death sentence in Baghdad is part of their culture according to Homeland.
-Influence of American cultural reaction of terrorism, patriotism, militarisation, search for a hero.
-Critique of celeb culture as Brody becomes a fake hero.
-High expectations of LFTVD shown in complex representations- Carrie as a questionable heroine.
The Killing
-The rivalry between Sweden and Denmark. This is the global narrative of the crime.
-Critique of celeb culture as Troels is fake for his campaign.
-High expectations of LFTVD shown in complex representations-Lund, Theis.
Historical Context
Homeland
-9/11
-Fear of terrorism
-Fear of espionage
The Killing
-Sweden and Denmark war
-Financial Crisis
Economic Context
Homeland
-Complex characters with famous actors reflect the economic pressure of quality programming.
-Big budget cable show and can shoot in multiple locations such as Morocco
The Killing
-DR1 low budget, didn't include particularly famous actors and shot in one location
-PSB reflects the values of the country
Political Context
Homeland
-Cynical of federal politics of the CIA
The Killing
-Troels represents the corruption of politics in Denmark-bribery, dark and sneaky with their private conversations
Q3
1-Gender equality-social beliefs- in H-Butler
2-Gender equality-social beliefs- in TK
3-Political contexts reflected in H-cynical of federal politics of CIA
4-Political contexts reflected in TK-Corruption of Denmark and Troels
10/1- Great analysis and you bring context in very well. T: 4. Link this to theory (who applies here), you mention Van Zoonen, who states that gender is in performance not who we are, here we can see that gender is changed in the performance of Carrie's character, try to explore this idea a little further.
ReplyDelete16/1- Great analysis, T: finish your theory and complete a context comment.
ReplyDelete31/1- Go onto my blog, screen shot the image of the theory table and upload to your blog please. This will show what you are missing and what you need to complete by the 20th Feb.
ReplyDelete28/2- Excellent notes across the unit so far, ensure that you have caught up the lessons you missed previously.
ReplyDelete7/3- excellent start to your comparison here, great work. T: try to explain the theory that you link in a little more, you could also link this to context of the country of production.
ReplyDelete21/3- Great analysis of the values and use of examples from the text. T2: Try to explore the theory further and then go into more detail on how this can be applied, particularly with Hall- try to link to the representations of Carrie, what stereotypes are we shown and what does this reveal about the ideologies of USA?
ReplyDelete25/4: Great analysis notes from today's lesson.
ReplyDelete16/5- Excellent notes from the lesson discussions and understanding of theory.
ReplyDelete6/6- Good opening introduction. T: 6. complete the analysis paragraphs.
ReplyDelete