MEDIA LITERACY
When a person is able to look at a television drama and
understand the narrative and make a critical response,
its
media literacy.
• Deconstructing a television drama has 3 stages:
 Analyze the micro elements of the text
 Conclude from the micro elements a range of macro
representation
 Consider how different people might respond differently to
these representation
TECHNICAL AND
SYMBOLIC ELEMENTS
CAMERA SHOTS
ESTABLISHING SHOTS, MASTER SHOT, CLOSE-UP, MID-SHOT,
LONG-SHOT, WIDE SHOT, AERIAL SHOT, POV SHOT,
OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT.
CAMERA ANGLES
HIGH ANGLE, LOW ANGLE, CANTED ANGLE
CAMERA MOVEMENT
PAN, TILT, DOLLY, CRANE, STEADICAM,
HAND-HELD ZOOM, REVERSE ZOOM
SUB-GENRES OR
DRAMATIC TYPES
TEEN DRAMAS
DEPEND ENTIRELY ON THE
TARGET AUDIENCE
EMPATHIZING WITH A RANGE
OF AUTHENTIC CHARACTERS
AND AGE-SPECIFIC
SITUATIONS AND ANXIETIES
SOAP OPERAS
CONVEY A SENSE OF REAL
TIME AND DEPEND ENTIRELY
ON US ACCEPTING THEM AS
‘SOCIAL REALIST”
COSTUME DRAMAS
OFTEN LINKED TO CLASSIC
NOVELS OR PLAYS AND OFFER
A SET OF PLEASURES THAT
ARE VERY DIFFERENT TO
DRAMAS SET IN OUR OWN
WORLD CONTEXT AND TIMES.
MEDICAL or HOSPITAL
DRAMAS
INTERPLAY OUR VICARIOUS
PLEASURE AT WITNESSING
TRAUMA AND SUFFERING ON THE
PART OF PATIENTS AND
RELATIVES WITH A SET OF STAFF
NARRATIVES THAT DEPLOY SOAP
OPERA CONVENTIONS.
POLICE or
CRIME DRAMAS
WORK IN THE SAME WAY AS
MEDICAL/ HOSPITAL DRAMAS BUT
WE CAN SUBSTITUTE THE HEALTH
CONTEXT TO REPRESENTATION
OF CRIMINALS AND VICTIMS
DOCU- DRAMAS
ATTEMPTS TO DRAMATIZE
SIGNIFICANT REAL EVENTS
DISTINCTIVE
CONVENTIONS
DISTINCTIVE CONVENTIONS
THE CONSTANT ILLUSION OF TIME
PRECISE CONTINUITY
TEASE DEVICES AND CLIFF HANGERS
COMBINATION OF ACTION
DOMINANCE OF TWO-SHOTS OVER-THE-SHOULDER SHOTS
OF CONVENTIONS
COVERAGE OF CURRENT ISSUES
DISTINCTIVE CONVENTIONS
THE CONSTANT ILLUSION OF TIME
PRECISE CONTINUITY
TEASE DEVICES AND CLIFF HANGERS
COMBINATION OF ACTION
DOMINANCE OF TWO-SHOTS OVER-THE-SHOULDER SHOTS
OF CONVENTIONS
COVERAGE OF CURRENT ISSUES
DISTINCTIVE CONVENTIONS
THE CONSTANT ILLUSION OF TIME
PRECISE CONTINUITY
TEASE DEVICES AND CLIFF HANGERS
COMBINATION OF ACTION
DOMINANCE OF TWO-SHOTS OVER-THE-SHOULDER SHOTS
OF CONVENTIONS
COVERAGE OF CURRENT ISSUES
DISTINCTIVE CONVENTIONS
THE CONSTANT ILLUSION OF TIME
PRECISE CONTINUITY
TEASE DEVICES AND CLIFF HANGERS
COMBINATION OF ACTION
DOMINANCE OF TWO-SHOTS OVER-THE-SHOULDER SHOTS
OF CONVENTIONS
COVERAGE OF CURRENT ISSUES
DISTINCTIVE CONVENTIONS
THE CONSTANT ILLUSION OF TIME
PRECISE CONTINUITY
TEASE DEVICES AND CLIFF HANGERS
COMBINATION OF ACTION
DOMINANCE OF TWO-SHOTS OVER-THE-SHOULDER
SHOTS OF CONVENTIONS
COVERAGE OF CURRENT ISSUES
DISTINCTIVE CONVENTIONS
THE CONSTANT ILLUSION OF TIME
PRECISE CONTINUITY
TEASE DEVICES AND CLIFF HANGERS
COMBINATION OF ACTION
DOMINANCE OF TWO-SHOTS OVER-THE-SHOULDER
SHOTS OF CONVENTIONS
COVERAGE OF CURRENT ISSUES