Summer Project

TV DRAMA TRAILER ANALYSIS : Family Drama

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life [2016] : Narrative and genre

This trailer uses dialogue to solidify the family genre, throughout the trailer we learn about how the three generations interact and this reinforces the heavy theme of family throughout the show. Another notable aspect of this trailer, and the family genre as a whole, is the soft muted colour palette. By using neutral tones, this allows the drama aspect to be captured but also has connotations of maturity and age, which will appeal to the older target audience that the show has. Gilmore Girls already had an established audience, therefore the intertextual references to older seasons and the original show, creates a nostalgic aspect to the show. This will allow audiences who have watched the show before to gain gratification from noticing them, however newer audiences will mainly watch the show for diversion and personal identity through seeing a diverse range of women presented on screen, able to validate pre-existing connotations of femininity through their gestures and also experiences. The key conventions of the genre present in the trailer are the different stereotypes enforced and subverted by the protagonists, the different generations, the colour palette and the overall narrative touching on domestic issues and relationships.

Marvel's Inhumans [2019] : Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is vital within this show, as it is based off of comics and has a cult following which calls for the importance of authenticity. Costume, in particular, captures the individual characters personas and status within the narrative hierarchy within the trailer, with the regal dresses and long wig on Isla Fisher's character alluding to a high status and the monochromatic colours of the two brothers, perhaps hinting towards their feud and moral complexity. The setting is also significant, with the show beginning on an alternative earth and our own. The use of two settings amplifies the contrast of characters and places the main characters in either dominant or vulnerable positions, which sets the tone for the show itself. This is important for asserting the dominant narrative as well as the subplots within. The lighting, and props, also help make the fantastical setting seem more realistic with gadgets and sci-fi apt lighting, the genre is clear and still the audience feels they can relate to the fictional characters and their surroundings.

Euphoria [2019]: Camerawork

This trailer uses close up shots and cinematic framing to display the arthouse genre within the teen context. The close up shots, lit by a range of neon colours, allow audiences to infer the drama genre without using cliches or conventions to do so. The use of wide shots and close shots in juxtaposition also allow the narratives to be communicated, without a lot of the actual story or show being revealed. I think this is a key aspect of modern day trailers, the use of action codes throughout trailers as well as explicit narration and dialogue. The use of editing as well as the use of camerawork is also vital, we see the characters worlds 'turn upside down' through the transitions, which also mirror the stereotypical connotations of drug misuse. This trailer is not pre-watershed friendly, however the camera work and use of extreme close ups and zooms can be used to communicate the teen sub genre- particularly one with contemporary subtext within my own trailer.

Game of Thrones: Editing

Game of thrones is a great example of how slow editing builds suspense within a fantasy setting. The use of straight cuts allow the montage aspect, a convention of trailers, to be amplified and creates tension between the narratives and sets the tone for the cast. The use of CGI is also vital to the success of the show, the fonts used between the excerpts from the show in the trailer are also consistent with the Game of Thrones brand. The text on screen also alludes to the fact that it is based off of books, which appeals to an already existing audience. The final shot of the iron throne, a wide shot, hints at its importance but also the backlighting and silhouetted outline of the throne implies that the characters are 'in the shadows' of what the throne actually brings. This trailer is particularly interesting, since as someone watching it in 2019, after the end of the final season, I understand that many of the cast members featured within this trailer actually died within the first seasons, this is however not alluded to through the editing or dialogue, which adds to the shock factor of the show. The final shot also includes the throne revealing its wings to be a bird- a raven, a hint to a subplot within the show, or perhaps another bird of prey. This is used to amplify the fantasy aspects of the genre and ends the trailer on a tense, foreboding note.

The Fosters [2013] : Sound

This trailer uses narration and dialogue in order to state the narratives within the show, through persuasive and memorable narration, we learn important details such as the release date and key aspects of the narrative. The dialogue also encapsulates the key characteristics of a drama, with solemn delivery and an abundance of cliffhangers, the dialogue is one of the most apparent things in the trailer. The use of a voiceover, that essentially reads the text on screen, also makes this trailer extremely accessible to those who are blind or visually impaired, as they can get a good feel for the show and it's reviews at the same level of detail as those without a disability. This is something that is not always the case with trailers, with many relying on visual shots and cinematography to sell the show, whilst sacrificing the accessibility for disabled viewers. The voice over is extremely conventional for ABC dramas in particular, and therefore appeals to audiences of ABC dramas, as well as those interested in the topics mentioned within the trailer itself. The diagetic sound focuses on key issues, whilst the non diagetic sound runs parallel and fits the atmosphere created through the dialogue, a clear convention of many trailers.

Humans [2015]: Trailer conventions, graphics, text-on-screen etc.

Humans uses trailer conventions, or rather a lack thereof to modernise the series. The editing is extremely apt for channel 4s remit of breaking boundaries and providing cutting edge content that offers a new perspective or alternative representations compared to it's competitors. The upbeat soundtrack, underlying the heavy dialogue adds to the contemporary feel of the trailer, whilst the reliance on dialogue steers away from usual trailer conventions such as text on screen, which could be an accessibility issue, however it amplifies its modern narrative and dystopian contexts. The use of coloured lighting, particularly red lights adds to the futuristic element but also hints at danger and places those characters in a state of vulnerability to the audiences.

PLANNING: Research and TV pitch

Research - Character fact files, and a series overview.
TV Pitch
Statement of Intent

Key Points of Series:

The protagonist has to overcome adolescence with an atypical set of terms and conditions. I am using clever characterisation and a black mirror inspired techniques to communicate an underlying social message within my series. The protagonist has to overcome their own personal battles whilst simultaneously battling with the knock on impacts of an unforgiving society, the use of colours and intricately picked props and costumes with specific connotations will help me achieve the brief and put a contemporary twist on a family drama.