Texts 5 Common - Narrative

Learning objective:
To study Common, a 90 minute TV special with consideration given to narrative issues, structure, Conventions and key codes.

Key terms: 

Plot situation: Elements that are part of the narrative and that an audience will expect to see in a particular text.

Privileged spectator position: Where the camera places the audience in a superior position within the narrative. The audience can then anticipate what will follow.

Manipulation of time: The narrative shapes the text through time  and are given snapshots of what happened in the past. Often indicated by a white or black screen or other transition.
Suspend belief: here an audience may be aware that where they are positioned by the camera is impossible but they do not challenge it as it enhances their involvement in the story.

Narrative Techniques in Audio Visual texts

Manipulation of time: The narrative can move the audience around within a given time frame. For example, crime dramas often employ non linear narratives starting with the discovery of the crime then moving back in time to show how it came about.

Three strand narrative: This is the most common form of narrative structure whereby three different storylines are introduced at the beginning and then these narratives interweave throughout the film.

Flexi narrative: This is a more complex narrative structure that is consequently more challenging for an audience. Here the narrative is made up of a a series of interweaving storylines involving complicated scenarios and plot situations. there will often be narrative twists and enigmas until the final exposition.

Characters

• TV crime dramas usually include certain character types:

• The hero cop
• Shocked suspect
• The antagonist
• The quirky detective
• Bad tempered but brilliant rookie
• Grumpy, world weary superior officers
• Forensic scientists
• Psychologists/helpers
• Lawyers
• Informants

Task 3: Watch Common and identify any of these character types stating how you can recognise them through visual and technical codes.

This task will benefit you when you study Luther and Life on Mars.

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The character types in Common are, for the most part, played by actors that are not very well known.

Task 4: 

Discuss the effect that this has on the viewers expectations - 1 paragraph orange books. 
Consider:

How can knowledge of an actor's personal life impact on audience expectations?

What about actors that have previously performed well known roles, can the audience disassociate or will they be distracted?

Do well known actors have any predictable impact on reviews for new drama?

Celebrity and the Semiotics of Acting

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Setting and iconography

Crime dramas include typical settings in the repertoire of elements. 
Common is set in Southport but this is never mentioned. Southport is a generic Northern English town.

The setting of a crime drama is just as important as the characters. 

Connotations of class through regionality. Why is this? 

Consider the type of character that would live there.

Crime rates for the area.

The types of crime that are known to be committed in that area.

The setting also contributes to the style of the programme along with the characters, camera moves, editing and the audio.

Crime dramas are set in the inner City or rural environments.

For inner City settings the following conventions are usually used:

Shaky, hand held camera to give a documentary feel.

Fast editing to add drama.

Use of colloquial language or slang.

Urgent, contemporary music.

Low key lighting and grey colours to reflect inner City life. 

Task 4: 

Discuss why the construction of the setting of Common would give the audience certain expectations - 1 paragraph, orange books.

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Narrative Conventions in Audio Visual Texts

Flashbacks: These are used to give the audience the backstory and can serve to develop the character motivation within the storyline. Audiences are given clues when time and space are being manipulated through for example, a change of clothing, iconography or the style of filming.

Point of view shot: this helps involve the audience in the narrative as they view the action from the point of view of a particular character.

Audience positioning: This is where the camera or audio codes place the audience in a particular position. This may be as the murderer stalking the victim, or it can be emotionally where the music can cause the audience to feel tense or sad.

Apparently impossible positions: This is another type of audience positioning whereby  the camera places the audience in an unusual position to view the action. For example viewing the operating table from the ceiling.

Audiences will suspend disbelief if their involvement in the narrative is enhanced.

Privileged spectator position: Here the audience is involved in the narrative as camera shows them what other characters can not see. This allows the audience to anticipate how the story will unfold.

Enigma code: These are evident in both audio-visual and print based texts. They are a way of restricting the narrative information given to 

Action code: Something a character does allows the audience to anticipate how the narrative will develop. For example, writing and delivering a letter which contains important information.

Voice over: Can be used in certain media texts to fill in gaps in the narrative or to give clues to what an audience may expect from the storyline, used in film trailers.

Dialogue. A converstation between two characters, for example, can be a rapid way of filling in background information and establishing character motive within the narrative.

Task 5: 

Watch Common and identify the mise en scene 

• Costume, 
• setting, 
• lighting, 
• acting, 
• props.

What do these elements tell us about the show?

What sort of places are the police stations and court rooms shown to be? How has this been done?

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Technical and audio codes

Common uses a combination of diegetic and non diegetic sound to position the audience.

Lighting is a very important convention for the genre.

Low key lighting has connotations of death, mystery, privacy.
High key lighting is used to make the on screen events clear to the audience.
It appears to make the criminals feel uncomfortable.

Task 6: 

Watch Common, identify the types of sound and lighting used and state how these technical codes have been used to position the audience..