Media Key Terms

TV Drama A story that is presented in a dramatic way and explores a range of genres from soap opera to science fiction to costume drama Representation To represent something is to describe, or depict it, to call it up in the mid by description or portrayal. To represent also means to symbolise, stand for, substitute for an example being the cross symbolise suffering and the crucifixion on Christ. Mediation Mediation is when they take something that is real a person or an event and they change its form to produce whatever text we end up with. Stereotype A stereo type is a thought that may be adopted about a specific type of individual or certain ways of doing things but that belief may not accurately reflect reality. Stereotypes are negative (usually) representations of people that rely on preconceived ideas about the group that person is perceived as belonging to. It is assumed that an individual shares personal characteristics with other members of that group e.g. blondes are all stupid, accountants are all boring. Although using stereotypes saves a lot of explanation within a text, it can be a very lazy method of characterisation. Stereotypes may be considered dangerous, as they encourage audiences to think large groups of people are all the same, and often have the same negative characteristics. Hegemonic Norm Domination, influence, or authority over another, especially by one political group over a society or by one nation over others (e.g.: internationally among nationstates, and regionally over social classes, between languages or even culture Ideology Ideas that reflect the social needs and aspirations of an individual, group, class, or culture This is a complex concept - in its basic form it is a set of ideas or beliefs which are held to be acceptable by the creators of a media text. For example, a text might be described as having a feminist ideology, meaning it promotes the idea that women are the equal of men and should not be discriminated against on the grounds of gender. Semiotics This is the study of signs and sign processes, indication, designation, likeness, analogy, metaphor, symbolism, signification, and communication. It is also closely related to linguistics. Connotations An idea or meaning suggested by or associates with a word or object. Way in which meaning is created. Connote = meaning by association, the deeper meaning (e.g. red connotes anger, passion, love, danger) Signifies Indicates or symbolizes a hidden meaning. Signifier

The form of which a sign is presented for example an object of significance may signify something therefore it is a signifier. Types of Signifiers & Examples: Iconic, a physical representation of the object for example volume sign Indexical, something that relates to the signified by association for example an indexical signifier for fire would be smoke. Symbolic, relationship between the signifier and signified as a matter of agreement. Binary Opposites This is a pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning. The contrast between two mutually exclusive concepts or things that creates conflict and drives a narrative e.g. good/evil, day/night, male/female, presence/absence, old/young Mode of address This is the way in which media texts talk to an audience. Anchoring US television and radio (especially newscasts) the main presenter and coordinator of a live broadcast Conventions This is generally the excepted ways of completing something. There are general conventions in any medium such as the use of interviewee quotes in a printed article, but conventions are also genre specific. The widely recognised way of doing something - this has to do with content, style and form e.g. the conventions of music video, they are the same length as the song (somewhere around 4 minutes, say), they present the band, who look as though they are singing, they have lots of fast edits Conventions of television drama Usually runs week in, week out, all year round. It has a continuous story lines often dealing with domestic themes or personal or family relationships. They often have a well known theme tune which is played at the beginning and may have been changed a little over the years. There is a limit to the number of characters on at one time which allows the audience to focus on a small number of characters. We often see both good and bad characters in the show. The plots are also often open ended which means that they featured or interlinked on the next episode. It is often made so that the audience can relate to the setting of the television show by using common settings. The themes that are used in TV dramas are often ones that are exaggerated, but realistic enough so that we can relate to them. We also see themes of relationships and violence as they are two things that the audience are likely to experience or witness and conflict within drams provides excitement and allows the audience to sympathise with a particular character / characters. Camera work that is always seen in continuing editing is conventional and always seen in TV dramas.

Types of groups in TV Drama

Age

Race

Gender

Issues that surround the representation of different types of groups in TV Drama Representational issues for the ages of 13 to 19 being the teenage years include issues such as; rude, rebellious, naive, dependent, and vulnerable. As well as teenagers there can also be issues regarding the older age such as; weak, vulnerable, dependent and boring. There can also be positives for both for example, the old can be wise with authority and teenagers or children can been seen as innocent and active or sociable. Issues that surround race and ethnicity can be for instance that young black, hooded boys can be seen as trouble or criminals, yet the older generation are seen as patriarchal and religious, this is within the British and American TV dramas having both extremes. Asian communities can often be linked with religion, and most commonly have a career within the catering industry. These communities are often large, Women are generally represented in a narrow range of social roles in tv drama, whilst men are shown performing a full range of social and occupational roles. The representations of women emphasise womens domestic, sexual, consumer and marital activities to the exclusion of all else. TV dramas generally ignore the fact that a majority of British women go out to work. Men, on the other hand, are seldom presented nude or defined by their marital or family status. Working women are often portrayed as unfulfilled, unattractive, possibly unstable and unable to sustain relationships. It is often implied that working mothers, rather than working fathers, are guilty of the emotional neglect of their children. In need of pity and charity Barnes claims that this stereotype has grown in popularity in recent years because of television appeals such as Children in Need. As victims - when people with disabilities are featured in television drama, they are three times more likely

Class Disability

Regional Identity

than able-bodied characters to be killed off. As villains people with disabilities are often portrayed as criminals or monsters, e.g. villains in James Bond films often have a physical impairment. As super-cripples Barnes notes that people with disabilities are often portrayed as having special powers or as overcoming their impairment and poverty. In Hollywood films, the impaired male body is often visually represented as a perfect physical specimen in a wheelchair. Ross notes that disability issues have to be sensational, unexpected or heroic in order to be interpreted by journalists as newsworthy and reported on. As a burden television documentaries and news features often focus on carers rather than the people with disabilities. City Expensive, materialistic, busy, posh Country calm, laid back, naturists, posh

Representation of Gender Wire in the blood In the extract of wire in the blood, the woman is conveyed to us as an audience as a busy working woman. She always seems to be very stressed because of work and how she doesnt have time to do anything else because all her time is taken up by work. We also see that because she is too busy with work, she doesnt have enough time to look after her child and she has to try and find someone to look after him. Furthermore we see throughout the clip how stressed the mother of the boy is by the way she moves around the house and also her body language. She conveys herself to always be very rushed for time and implies to us that she doesnt have enough time to do anything. We see this when she is on the phone trying to find someone to babysit she is moving around and putting her hands through her hair which is a connotation of being stressed and worried about time. The woman in the extract gives us the impression that she has a higher status than the man because of her job and how much work she has to do. However we see that the man is not busy with work and this could be seen as very stereotypical because men are often seen as the ones who work more and do longer working hours than women. When we see him looking after the child he conveys to us how he is finding it hard to make food which is also very stereotypical. From the clip it makes it makes it seem like the men and women have swapped roles and the man is doing most of the things what a woman, for example doing the cooking and looking after the child. does and the woman is doing the things what a man does for example working all the time and having to find someone to look after the child due to work,

whereas normally we would see it the other way round. At the end of the clip when the boy is sitting with the male, we see that the boy is telling him about how his mum is always home late from work and how she is always tired which implies that it is not only the woman herself who thinks she is working too much but the younger boy even realises that she is working all the time and does not have enough time to do anything else which seems very stereotypical as it is seem as more males that are usually in this situation and not able to come home till late due to work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjwJVYx__k&list=PLAC15C50BB77517 7D&index=1