Editing in TV Dramas

Editing determines how shots are joined. We can consider the transitions and relations from shot to shot, from scene to scene and throughout the film as a whole. while a clean break from one shot to another is described as a 'cut', we can be far more specific about the kind of cuts and other transitions that join shots together.

Axis Match: The angle of the camera in realation to the object remains the same from shot to shot.

Cross-cut: Editing that alternates shots of two areas of action occuring in two different places, usually simultaneously, and which are often related.

Direction Match: The direction of a person or object is consistent across the cut.

Dissolve: Shot A gradually disappears and Shot B gradually appears in its place with a momentary superimposition of the two.

Duration and Pacing: The duration and rhythm of shots and scenes.

Eye-line match: A cut in which two characters in different shots appear to look at each other because of the direction of their glances.

Fade-in: A gradual lightening of the image from black to light.

Fade-out: A gradual darkening of the image to black.

Graphic match: Any juxtaposition of graphically similar images.

Iris-in: Image gradually revealed from blackness through expanding circle of light.

Iris-out: Reverse of Iris-in.

Jump cut: A break or jump in time, cause by removing a section of a shot and then splicing together what remains of it, on-screen the result is often jerky.

Movement match: An action begun in one shot is continued or completed in the next shot.

Parallel cut: Editing that aternates shots of two or more areas of action occurring in two different places, usually simultaneously, tha often run together later in the narrative.

Straight cut: Two shots joined together with no obvious continuity device.

Wipe: One image is gradually replaced by another at a boundary that moves across the frame. this boundary is often a straight line, which moves vertically across the screen (but may also take other directions and shapes).

For editing we looked at a period drama called Rome. Period Dramas use similar conventions to Literary adapted dramas:

• Based on a famous historical event or literary fiction.
• High profile cast.
• historical figures as recognisable characters and character types, e.g. Dashing Hero, Beautiful Heroine, Cruel Villain, Helpless Victim, etc.
• Big Budget for expensive locations, cast and post-productive effects.
• An easily recognizable period and authenticity.
• Largely historically accurate - through foregrounding spectacle.
• Entertaining subject matter often involving romance and/or conflict.
• Comfortable historical 'distance' from the drama of the past.
• Pro-filmic camerawork, editing and use of sound.
• Formal or achaic speech for authenticity.

Rome did not follow some of these conventions which i think they should because it changed the effect on the audience.
Firstly the speech was modern use swear words which took away the authenticity and style of the period and in my opinion the camerawork was not professional, framing was confusing, the continuity rule was broken which interrupted the flow of the drama and the 180 degree rule was broken, also the eye-line match did not correspond to where each character was meant to be looking at.
All these mistakes confuse the audiences and make it difficult to understand the situation and what is going on.

Mise-En-Scene in TV Dramas

Mise-En-Scene refers to everything that is staged before the camera.

Acting and figure movement:

• Characteristics
• Gestures, Expressions and Body language
• Choreography within the shot, scene and frame

Colour and Tone:

• Film Stocks, Developing processes, Tinting
• Intensity and texture of colour and contrast.
• Tone sharp, grainy, modulated.
• Natural/Artificial colours
• Black & White/Sepia/Negative - effects e.t.c

Costumes and Make Up:

• Cultural, Economic, Political Connotations of clothing and make up

Lighting:

• Harsch, Hard, Soft, Diffused, Tinted
• Naturalistic/Artificial lighting
• Creates a mood/atmosphere
  

High-key lighting:

• Bright illumination
• Few or no shadows
• Minimum contrast

Low-key lighting:

• Dim, dark lighting effect

Setting:

• Location
  
• Period and Place
• Landscapes and architecture

Three-point lighting:

• A common set up using three directions of light on a scene: from behind the subjects (backlighting).
• From one bright source (key light).
• From a dimmer source opposite the key light (fill light).

For Mise-en-scene we looked at a literary adaptation of Bleak House by Charles Dickens.

The Conventions of Literary Adaptations:

• High profile cast
• Basic character type, hero, villain e.t.c
• Big Budget for expensive location and cast
• Authenticity, recognizable period
• Largely historical accurate
• Entertaining plot
• Professional film - complicated camerawork
• Formal authentic dialogue

These conventions are followed in many dramas I have seen and will be followed in the future it gives a realistic feel and genuine atmosphere.

Camerawork in TV Dramas

The position and movement of the camera are critical in determining not only what we see, but how we see it.

For Camerawork we looked at the Drama conventions in Hospital Dramas.
We mainly looked at Holby City and Casualty, throughout the conventions below are mostly followed but with adjustments to seperate each drama from its 'rival'.

Characters - STEREOTYPES, Good, Bad, Lesbian/Gay, Black, Emotional, Comedian, Strict older experienced surgeon, Junior cocky, Helpful, Sleeparound.

Narratives - Public Health and the treatment of illness, workplace incidents relationships between doctors or patients

Camerawork - Basic, open framing, busy atmosphere, mostly Mid Shots and Close Ups.

Mise-en-scene - Authentic hospital setting, costumes and props e.g. surgical equipment, 'blues' (clothing that surgeons wear in theatre) e.t.c, lighting, colour design.

Sound - Machinery, conversations in background, diegetic. sound motifs, sound bridges, ambient sounds.

Music - Non-diegetic and diegetic, iconic theme music at begining and end, atmospheric music, emphasizing emotion and events.

In all hospital dramas you can understand that nurses are unappreciated and under payed, also in every episode there is a life threatening situation in a patients life which creates drama and keeps the audience engaged.

Camerawork Shot Examples

Two Shot:

Tracking Shot:

Point Of View Shot (POV):

Long Shot:

Spectator Shot:

Medium Shot:

Low Angle:

High Angle:

Establishing Shot:

Close Up:

Camerawork Shot Examples

Close Up -

This Close Up shot of the sniper in Saving Private Ryan shows the intensity and his facial expressions, this helps to understand the intense concentration of what he is about to do.

Medium Shot -

This medium shot of 'Bob Lee Swagger' from the film Shooter show body language from the waist up. it shows how he is relaxed and calm

Long Shot -

This long shot of the man to the right of the frame about to be kidnapped show him full body in relationship to his surroundings.

High Angle & Low Angle -

These shots from the tv series Scrub is a great example of a high and low angle shot show the man taking in a high angle shot and the women from a low angle. this suggests that this women is superior to this man despite their height and that the man is inferior to the women.

Point Of View -

In a point of View shot the camera shows the scene from a character's perspective.

In this film Shooter it shows the soldiers view in the the scope of the sniper rifle.

Spectator Shot -

This shot from Behind Enemy Lines Starring Gene Hackman and Owen Wilson we can see the tanks and infantry closing in on them. the spectator shot allows the audience to see the bigger picture and the surroundings.

Tracking Shot -

This tracking shot from Fast & Furious final drag race follows the two cars at a constant speed switching angles.

Two Shot -

This two shot of John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction show them together normally in a conversation but in this case about to shoot someone.

Establishing Shot -

Sets up or establishes the setting of the scene.

It is usually used at the beginning of a movie or scene.

In the film Vertical Limit this establishing shot shows that it is set in a canyon.

Analysis of Emma compared to Holby City

Emma and Holby City both fall into the category of TV Drama but Emma is a period drama and Holby City is a Medical Drama.

The two genres have many differences e.g costumes, props, set designs, the period and mainly budgets. All these affect the outcome. Camerawork, mise-en-scene e.g lighting, composition, setting, colour and tone vary with the type of drama.

The scene from Holby City that i looked at is a short scene which starts of with an establishing shot to identify the setting, a graveyard in this case. the non-diegetic music is soft and quiet to reflect the atmosphere and the situation while the shot is taken on a crane and arc down to a mid close up of the people. as the scene unfolds the camera tracks with the child-size light blue coffin, then it dollies in the a middle female who by her facial expressions could be a close relative or friend of the deceased.

Then the scene cuts to a close up of a man attempting to write a card regarding the tragedy this is understood by the close up of the card which reads "please know that sincere thoughts of sympathy are with you". the close up flicks from the card to his face. A birds-eye view then brings us back to the burial scene. meanwhile the music continues as characters are dissolved to indicate that time has passed and the blonde women still remains.

Throughout the first two minutes there has been no speech. even without the speech you are able to understand that this women is closely related to the dead child.

We then go back to the man with the card. from his costume and from his office we are given the idea that he is an important person, maybe a doctor or consultant.

His hostility towards the card and that he doesn't know what to write gesture that he has some sort of relationship with the dead child or the women.

In Holby City a lot of close ups are used because many important and vital moments occur, the closed framing adds and an aspect of non realism as you have a perfect shot in all situations this varies to other medical drama such as Casualty which uses open framing to make the audience feel that they are in the situation.

The man is called to an emergency where a conventional narrative is reinforced a life threatening situation is happening. when the nurse calls this man match on action is used to create urgency. we are then taken back to the graveyard and a two shot is used to focus on the dialogue between to people with a great depth of field to show who they are talking about, the grieving woman. shot reverse shot is used to emphasize that a conversation is happening.

The scene I looked at from Emma Ep.4 starts with a shallow focus shot reverse shot of a dialogue between two women discussing what seems to be about a relationship. throughout the dialogue flashbacks of her memories are shown. the colour and tone of Emma is completely different to Holby City. They use duller tones and the colour are not as rich. the close ups use help show intensity in the discussion. Dull and dim lighting help emphasize the period and authenticity of the drama.

While the women talk a wide shot is used to show a man ease dropping on them. the one women realises they are being watched. in this simple scene there were no complicated camera techniques but that doesn't mean they are not used in other scenes.

Holby City uses much more simpler camerawork in comparison the Emma. One reason is that they have different budgets, period dramas conventionally are filmed on professional film giving the picture a more film like feel. they have a high profile cast to reanact the classic novels which attract bigger audiences. compared to medical dramas period dramas are historically accurate and have more extravagant settings making mise-en-scene an important part.

Holby City Series 12 - The Professionals:

Emma Ep.4 from the scene i looked at: