Example Crime Dramas

-CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
-Dalziel and Pascoe
-Law and Order
-Lewis
-Morse
-Frost
-Waking the dead
-Cold Case
-Wire in the Blood
-Taggart

Crime Drama Themes

Crime dramas often use the same pattern of themes. For example Dunne (2006) suggests these five key binaries:

1: Crime <=> Police
2: Criminals <=> Justice system
3: Lawyers <=> Courts
4: Social workers <=> Police
5: Victims <=> Public

The way the the stories are told is much like in medical and hosipital dramas. The main detectives or characters who appear in every episode have their own story lines, while each episode is different due to the range of criminals.
The themes also normally based on themes relevant in todays life and can often border on current affairs. Crime dramas often also carry a moral that normally becomes clear at the end.
Crime dramas are also very careful not to promote crime, but to make sure that it is portrayed by the aduience as being morally wrong.

Crime Drama Characters

Typical Characters

Characters in crime dramas have alot in common with characters in other TV Dramas . For example they are normally created around a stereotype that makes the audience able to identify with them. Here are some examples:

Dalziel and Pascoe -


Dalziel is blunt-talking, politically incorrect, and can be very insensitive. He's from the old school of policing, in complete contrast to his younger side-kick, the fast-track university educated Pascoe.
"Dalziel is a perfect pig. He's vulgar, loud and rude," says actor Warren Clarke. "But he is in fact also a great humanitarian and he gets very good results.
Dalziel has been forced to confront the health problems caused by years of unhealthy living, including heavy drinking. He's also trying to come to terms with the death of his sister.

Waking the Dead

Peter Boyd - Possessing overwhelming self-belief, he is firm in his convictions but lets go gracefully when proved wrong. Boyd has a degree in History from Manchester University and upon graduating in 1971, joined the police force. He's not bent, but isn't above bending the rules when it suits him - only ever in the pursuit of justice. He takes special pleasure in taking down those in authority, often at the expense of his standing in the eyes of his superiors. He loves ruffling feathers.

Discuss the ways in which the extract creates representations of gender and lifestyle.

Firstly as an audience we must acknowledge the themes that the scene is trying to put across and what these themes represent when concerning the characters gender and lifestyle.

The scene begins with dancing in what appears to be a living room. The use of a low angle shot shows three people sitting on a sofa. A deep focus shot is used as the woman dances in the foreground. The mise en scene reveals all of the characters in the frame wearing formal black clothes. This mimes a sense of death and ultimately connotes that the scene is set at a wake or an event related to a funeral. Malachy is shown in a two shot drinking a beer. The beer could represent Malachy’s lifestyle as if he likes to indulge in alcohol when he’s depressed or sad. Cheryl’s lifestyle however seems more positive as she is dancing. Also she is shown to be wearing something red and a very short skirt which could support her gender as a female trying to be glamorous. The deep focus shot showing her out of focus legs moving constantly across the screen may also suggest her lifestyle as being the centre of attention, which supports the idea that she’s a strong confident character. This point is also supported by her being in the centre of the crowd and master shot.

Diegetic sound is used as the music is played and a crabbing shot is used to show characters playing the instruments. The environment and characters are shown as being Irish. This is displayed through the use of Irish music and accents. There is a contrast between the jolly Irish music and dancing with the sense of death. However the scene is shown to be a celebration. The sound is also used for foreshadowing. This is shown with the entrance of Kris. Just before he enters there are quick close up cuts to show some of the shocked and ashamed faces of the characters in the room. More importantly, the music slowly changes from a high pitch to low pitch and then comes to an abrupt end. This suggests something negative has happened. Once silent, Kris is displayed in the frame. This shows Kris’ lifestyle is represented negatively within the drama and that even his presence is frowned upon.

The use of the master and crowd shot shows Kris centered in the frame. This shot is also an over the shoulder shot and could also be interpreted as a point of view shot. This helps the audience engage with the scene and finally supports the verisimilitude within the diegesis. The mise en scene shows the contrast between his white clothing and the dark clothing of all of the characters around him. The use of woman’s clothes and make-up show that he’s a cross dresser. This represents that Kris is unhappy with his gender and shows he wants to be seen and recognized as the opposite sex. When the grandmother faints, it supports the fact that his lifestyle is rejected by the characters around him. The editing also shows that the characters are against him. The use of the 180 degree rule presents Kris on the left of the frame and anybody else who talks to him on the right. This shows there is a conflict between him and everybody else.

Mercedes is shown daydreaming within the next part of the scene. This is made obvious to the audience through editing, with her thoughts fading into focus in the frame yet still blurry as if a fantasy, or possible memory. Malachy is shown with her in an intimate way, which enforces the idea that she wants a different lifestyle that somehow includes him. But a cross dissolve brings the audience back to Mercedes’ reflection. The use of a mirror could also give the impression that these are her reflections and thoughts, but also her reflection in the mirror.

Overall I think that gender and lifestyle are represented by the use of camerawork, sound and music, mise en scene and editing. However the use of stereotypes, foreshadowing and representations help to portray and enforce the ideas concerning gender and lifestyle.

Hollyoaks Essay clip - TV Drama

Sound&Music Test

How is Camerawork, editing and sound used in this clip of Heroes?

How is Camerawork, editing and sound used in this clip of Heroes?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/heroes/season1/episodes/

(Episode 1: Genesis - Bottom of the page)

After watching the clip four times, I found that it was neatly split into three settings. Camerawork, editing and sound are very different within each setting. These functions are also different to represent characters and events.

To start the clip there is a use of a sting. This is also repeated at the end of the clip. It is used to introduce the programme and to create atmosphere. The sting is synchronous with the image of the image of the solar eclipse. After this, editing is used create a white flash into the next scene. Sound is used to support the editing as a sound effect is used during the fade.

Camerawork is used within this scene to show characters and give the audience a representation of them. The first shot is of Mohinder Suresh. A tracking shot is used to follow him as he moves across the frame. The music is very quiet as what he is saying is more important. The shot is slightly low angle to give the impression that he is an important person, but also done to give the audience the perspective of the students sitting in front of him. It makes the audience feel like they are one of his students which helps them to engage with the drama. The camera then shows a medium close of one of the students listening to him, to show her thoughtful expression. An eyeline match is used to introduce the character who enters the room. As the two characters engage in a dialogue, the 180 degree rule is used. This is used as the character has news that Mohinder’s father is dead. This is supported by the camerawork as there is a use of a long shot, showing both characters far apart within the frame. A close up shot of Mohinder’s face is used to show his expression of disbelief and shock. This is the last shot before another white fade, which is once again supported by a sound effect.

After the fade, a tracking shot is used to track a taxi down an alleyway. This shot is also a high angle shot which could imply somebody high up is tracking the car as if from another person’s perspective. A mobile phone is tracked as it falls and hits the ground. This is to show the speed of it falling. When the phone hits the ground, a close up is used to show it smash. This is supported by the sound as the smash is amplified. A low angel shot is used to slowly track up the side of the building revealing a character on the roof. The perspective then changes to the character on the roof and a high angel shot shows the character on the ground looking up. The camera switches between low and high angle shots as they shout to each other. Sound supports this as when looking from the top of the building, the wind is amplified to give the impression of how high up he is. A low angle long shot shows both characters, one in the foreground low down and the character on the roof in the distance. This is to emphasize the distance between them.

There camera then focuses on just peter on the roof. The use of low angel medium close up shots shows his importance. The camera cuts to a different angle over four times just to create the atmosphere. The only sound used is eerie music relating back to the sting at the start of the clip and the amplified sound of the wind blowing past him. As he starts to fall, the music becomes louder, and a shot reverse shot is used to show the character on the ground flinch as he falls towards him. Peter is shown jumping in slow motion for dramatic effect. The music is synchronous as it matches the slow motion and the pace of the editing. Just as he falls, the music changes from a higher pitch into a lower pitch, which is used to represent the event of him falling. As he falls another white fade is used as a transition into the next scene.

The next scene is filmed completely in the perspective of another camera. The camera is unstable, which helps enforce the verisimilitude of the scene. However camerawork is still apparent. Even through the view of the camera, there is still a zoom as Claire runs up the steps. Non-diegetic sound is used as the sound of birds can be heard. This is to give the impression of the setting being in a wide open, suburban location away from the city. This also gives the impression of this scene being unrelated to the others. When running over to Claire, the camera is shaking franticly. This helps represent the characters panic as he runs. Also the characters footsteps and breathing are amplified to enforce the idea of him running. Other amplified sounds include when she hits the ground and also when snapping her shoulder back into place. This is to support the idea that she is seriously hurt, although doesn’t appear to be acknowledging the pain. Finally the scene finishes by another fade being supported by the music becoming louder, then finishing with the same effect as the eclipse at the beginning of the clip.

Firstly camerawork, editing and sound are used in this clip in several ways. For example sound is mainly used to support the editing, such as the transitions into the next scene. However the sound is also used to portray the settings, such as the sound of the birds, or the wind when peter is on the roof. Secondly, editing is used to link the camerawork such as the shot reverse shot as Peter jumps from the rooftop. Finally the camerawork is used to show events such as the long shot of Claire falling from the bridge. These three functions appear to complement each other and work well together to create this clip of Heroes.