Unit 22: Single camera drama

Lesson 1- Single Drama
TV Drama formats:

• Drama engages and holds and audience
• Four main categories of tv drama 

single drama - Its quite rare now a days.  One-off story for television. Single dramas are often based on topical issues - subject matter that producers think is more appropriate to television that the cinema.

series-  This is a programme that is broadcast regularly, mostly once a week. The same characters and basic situation will be used to tell a different story in each episode.

serials- Format uses same characters and locations regularly, but each episode is not complete in itself and story lines will continue through to the next episode encouraging us to watch again next week so we can see what happens next.

soaps-  They have multiple characters who carry many storylines at once. No single story line will dominate and story lines can carry on for weeks or months and years before coming to a conclusion

Lesson 2 - Narrative

Linear - Follows a general order. Beginning, middle and end.
Non-Linear - Disjointed, multiple story lines at once.
Flash backs - Reminincing of the past. eg flashbacks to something that happened 10 years ago.
Realist - Real life
Anti-Realist - Bizarre, something thats not real.
Endings; open or closed - Open is a cliffhanger and closed id when the

Narrative Form - Structure through which movies tell stories.
Narratives appear throughout media and society - in novels, plays, comic books and tv shows. They are most common in fiction film, but appear in all basic types of films.

A narrative is an account of a string of events occurring in space and time. Narratives do not unfold randomly, but as an ordered series of events connected by the logic of cause and effect.

Rent
Angel dies
Opening song, seasons of love is catchy and memorable.
Angel and collins get together
The whole cast sings la vie bohemia
Collins and Angel express their love for each other in song ("I'll Cover You").

Narrative structure
Set up/exposition - meetings the characters, establishing the settings, setting the tone

Rising action - The central conflict is introduced and the tension between the protagonist and the antagonist begins to mount, many events will happen and the stakes get higher

Climax - The climax is the turning point, marks a change, for better or worse in the protagonists future

Falling action - Major action has happened. This is the aftermath. The sorting out of the major conflicts resolution

Resolution - The conflict is resolved

How the narrative unfolds
Typically begins with one situation
A series of changes occurs according to a pattern of cause and effect.
Finally a new situation arises - through characters choice and conflict - that restores equilibrium to the world of the story and brings about the end of the narrative
The new story equilibrium almost always results in character change.


Lesson 4: Character
 Narrative films generally focus on human characters and their struggles. Typically responsible for cause and effect in narrative.
Different types of characters:

• Flat: Minor characters who don't go through any substantial change throughout the story or have much substance to them.
• Round: More fully developed characters who may experience a change during the story.

Developing characters

 How do writers develop round, dynamic characters?

Through convos with other characters 

Through group associations

Through direct description of that characters 

Through reactions to conflict.

Character traits

Traits are attitudes, skills, habits, tastes, psychological drives and any other qualities that distinguish a characters
Traits in opening scenes are relevant to later scenes. this is related to cause and effect.

Goals and obstacles

Might include locating treasure, choosing a foster parent or looking for love.
Characters encounter obstacles in pursuing these goals. The collision of goals and obstacles create conflict and thus drama.

Choices

Create cause and effect through choices that lead to conflict

Name: Sydney
Age: 24
Nationality: Australian 
Height: 5ft 4
Weight: 9st
Hobbies: Singing
Hair colour: Blonde/
Eye colour: Blue

Relational conflict: This is conflict between characters over goals and how to achieve goals.
Inner conflict: This is conflict within a character. It could be concerned with their self esteem.

Unit 5: Working to a Brief in the creative media industries

Structure of briefs
Contractual brief

• Very descriptive
• Will have to sign it
• Like a contract
• Often used when large sums of money involved, or lack of trust between client and employee.
• You can face legal action if u break any of the conditions.
• Laid out very clearly and professionally, and written formally.

Negotiated brief

• This brief is almost entirely up to the employee
• can give you more leeway as you can alter almost all of the brief aspects, means you can use more of your creative vision
• used in situations where the client may not know exactly what they want so they leave it up to the employee to work out finer details.

Formal brief

• Document that outlines the specifications of a product or a service.
• Well set out and structured in a neat and orderly manner.
• Formal language is used, no slang or abbreviations.
• Should be thoroughly explained so employee knows exactly what they're doing.
• Clients logo may be put on it to look more professional. 

Informal Brief 

• Short piece of text or email that requests someone to do some work for them
• This doesn't have to be written and can just be a verbal agreement
• Most often seen when dealing with friends or when little money is involved.
• Informal language, includes slang. Known to have gramatical errors.

Commission Brief

• Client commissions a company to fulfil a brief.
• Commission is usually only given to a company who the client has established relationships with.
• You already know who you would like to do the work for you.
• Save time on looking for potential employees and just go straight away to company of your choice

Competitions Brief

• Brief that is open to the public
• Allows a wide range of people with a spectrum of talents to create a product based on the brief for free
• Only winners will get the prize or monetary reward.
• Less money is spent on a product and u have wealth of different ideas to choose from.

Tender Brief

• Requires a client to post a brief that is open to outside companies.
• Companies will come and pitch to the clients for the work.
• Best will be selected and given their chance to work for the client; developing their ideas and creating their product.

Co-operative Brief

• Where two or more companies are contracted to work on the same assignment .
• This is done for multi-skilling, one company may not have the expertise to complete all the assignments by themselves.
• Tight deadlines is another reason, if the deadlines too short then two companies will be able to finish the work faster than one.

Reading a Brief:

• You myst pay attention to what kind of brief it is. Key things you need to pay attention to are;
• Final dates-When are the deadlines?How can you meet them?
• Timescale-How long do you have? is it plausable?
• What is required? what are u being asked to do? Is there any special requirements?

Negotiating the brief:

• When you receive one it better to read through carefully and check if there anythings thats not possible or want to change.

Tips: 

Creating a Charcater 

Reveal Character through actions - Reveal character through story arc - Specific moments, actions and lines of dialogue tell us a lot. 

Avoid Cliche: Avoid cliche characters we've seen hundreds of times before.  Stay true to your own unique observations about people, and employ action, dialogue, and story elements to give spark of life to your screenplay characters.