Assignment

Megan Mc Clean

Assignment front sheet

Qualification

Unit number and title

Pearson BTEC Level 4 HNC Certificate in

Creative Media Production

Unit 34: Television Studio Production

Student name

Assessor name
Patsy Mullan

Date issued

Completion date

Submitted on

Tuesday 30th September 2014 Tuesday 4th November 2014

Assignment title

LO

Write an essay to explain and compare the genre conventions,

narrative techniques and technical characteristics of three TV
Studio Production

AC
Learning outcome

Understand types of
LO
studio based television
1
programme

1.1

In this assessment you will have

the opportunity to present
evidence that shows you are able
to: structure of
Analyse content and
examples of studio based
programmes

Task
no.
1,2,3
,

Evidence

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Megan Mc Clean

Learner declaration

I certify that the work submitted for this assignment is my own and research sources are fully
acknowledged.

Student Signature:
Date:

Assignment

Megan Mc Clean

TV Productions
By Megan Mc Clean
Throughout the history of television a number of new television
productions were formed, such as; sports entertainment, dramas,
comedies, chat shows, game shows, competition shows, sit-coms etc.
Forms of television such as the above have shaped the movement of
television. For this assignment I am going to explain and compare the
genre conventions, narrative techniques and technical characteristics of 3
TV studio productions.
A sit com is known as a situation comedy, to where the main characters
fall into different events that take part in humorous storylines centred on
a common environment, such as a family home or workplace [1]. Sitcoms
were originally written for radio but moved into television in the 1940s
and 1950s- such as I Love Lucy, The Abbott and Costello Show, and Your
Show of Shows, bringing us right up to new uprising stars of the genre
today such as New Girl, Friends, and The Mindy Project.
For my first TV production, I am going to dive into the American series New Girl.
New girl was first aired on Fox, 20th September 2011. The show was developed
by Elizabeth Meriwether under the title of, Chicks & Dicks. This series revolves
around an off-beat teacher named Jess (Zoe Deschonel), that moves into a quirky
L.A loft with 3 men- Nick (Jake Johnson), Schmidt (Max Greenfield) and Winston
(Lamone Mornc); also starring Cece (Hannah Simone) and Coach (Damon Wayans
Jr), both appearing regularly on the show.

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Megan Mc Clean

This show is a series that combines comedy and drama elements [2] with their
characters in their mid-thirties having to deal with real life problems such as
mature relationships or career choices. As an audience we can relate to these
issues as they are everyday issues that we face.
New girl employs a simple use of camera technique. The director uses a
technique called, single camera which involves a single camera that is,
employed on the set and each shot to make up a scene is taken independently
[3] - in some cases two cameras can be used to take an open/wide shot and a
close up of what is happening on screen. Some shots are cross-covered- i.e. are
filmed with a shooting camera on each person at the same time to allow for
better improvisation [4]- this improvisation moves the comical effect of New
Girl or other sitcoms to a distinctive humour of the real life people playing these
characters.
Jake Johnson (Nick Millar) talks of how they just do a ton of improve and so
many takes that our characters are ultimately defined by what they choose in
post-production [5]. This improvisation ultimately has a real life effect on these
lovable characters that we watch day to day.

As you can see

from the above
director has

images the
created

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Megan Mc Clean

intimacy with the audience, as he has set the camera to be from the waist up or
otherwise known as a Medium Shot (MS). This type of shot makes us become
more involved with the characters and what is happening in their lives as we
watch as a bystander.

From my findings I have found that the director cleverly uses Wide Shots of the
main characters around the dinner table. This is smartly used to give a sense of
community to the audience but also so they can see the reactions on the faces of
each character- making these fictional characters become our friends.
The lighting and cinematic colours of new girl can be seen as warm and invitingwelcoming us into this bright, humorous sitcom. The main hangout for the
gang is their home (the loft). In most cases of sitcoms there usually two or three
different places for the gang to mingle- for example in famous series Friends,
they have their apartments and a local cafe or in another famous series How I
Met Your Mother they also have a flat but this time instead of a caf, a bar. In the
case of New Girl the main characters seem to revolve around the loft; leaving the
Loft or should I say studio rarely. When the characters do leave the loft they
seem to gather in a bar that Nick (Jake Johnson) and Cece (Hannah Simone) work
in.

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Megan Mc Clean

In the living space- known as the loft- with its wideopen windows and set lamps give an earthy/
vintage tone of colour that helps to light the scene
naturally. As an audience we then become comforted by the earthy colours and
soft tones - making us comfortable in the home of these quirky characters; an
escape of our own realities and lives.

Throughout the series the bar where Nick works is a meeting point for the main
characters to meet new people and make new relationships but also build their
own. The lighting and tones of the bar involve seductive reds and earthy brown
tones as the bar is dimly lit at times to set a mood of seductions. With its open
light heartedness, the bar also is a place where people are welcome bringing the
audience into the stories of the characters involved.
The editing of this show is seen as a seamless smooth piece, with no cross cuts
and jolty jumps- this gives the story a seamless effect of velvet as the audience
can move along with the characters and the stories that are being told.
Overall this sit-com is a perfect example of clichs that follow with the sitcom
genre; with its characters dwelling on real life situations- that we can relate to

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Megan Mc Clean

in our everyday lives- and the use of lighting, camera set up, props, set and
where the gang of seemingly happy friends hang out. This sit com is perfect for
people holding onto youthfulness as these characters lives are moving forward,
[but] they're still trying to hang on to some kind of crazy youth" [6] as the
director does not "want them ever to seem pathetic [7] - this in a way helps
people watching the series laugh at the comedy as they are in a way laughing at
themselves.

A panel game show involves the participation of celebrities that may compete
with each other and are led by one main host or in some cases two. In the past
panel shows were stuck to the traditional quiz show format in which celebrities
tried to get the right answers and win, the primary goal of modern panel shows is
to entertain the audience with comedy [8] - whereas today panel shows are
structured in a way that the comedians can tear the questions apart and make a
laugh from them.
For my second TV Production i am going to look at the Panel game show, 8 out of
10 cats.
8 out of 10 cats is a panel show based on opinion polling- this is based on
statistics and opinion polls and draws on polls produced by a variety of
organisations and new polls commissioned for the programme, carried out by
company Harris Poll [9]. The name of the show thrives from a poll that claimed
that "8 out of 10 cats prefer Whiskas [10].

8 out of 10 cats employ the camera technique that is multicamera. For this
technique there are multiple cameras that are set up to simultaneously record

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Megan Mc Clean

or broadcast a scene [11]. This is a big contrast to single camera set up that is
used in sitcoms.

In these images we see medium close ups (MCU) of three men from 8 out of 10
cats. The two men at the top are regular presenters and hosts on the show,
whereas the bottom picture is of a reoccurring guest. The director carefully
selected this form of centred framing and shot to invite the viewer into the
comedy of these comedians and to see the reactions on their faces. This shot is
also used to make eye contact with the viewer, as if the comedians are looking at
right us, talking to us.

In

these wide
shots- we are behind the audience. The director has carefully chosen to place the

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Megan Mc Clean

camera in such a way that us viewers get to become involved in the episode and
sit in the audience view. This gives a sense that the cheers and laughter are real
and not edited in.

Throughout panel shows, cinematographers use 3 point lighting with large LED
lights making the show seem flashy, bright and contemporary. For a typical Panel
game show, comedians usually sit in a panel at either side with the host in main
focus. The set is built up so that the audience can see the comedians and guests
at all times- this is to keep the panel in focus shot but also for the audience to
know who is talking and who is reacting to comments or jokes that are being
made throughout.

The

director
uses lighting tactically to almost mock the easy LED format of TV news shows.
The lighting of 8 out of 10 cats is soothing with the use of blues, purples and
greens alongside bright colours that flow through the background. The director
also uses 3 point lighting- casting no shadows- which gives the audience a sense
of fun and excitement as the lack of darkness is in the picture so that we are safe
to enjoy these comedians.
Like many other panel shows in the past, 8 out of 10 cats uses a simple set. The
panel are placed across a wide stage facing the audience, opposite to their
competitors. With the host in the middle, shows us as a viewing audience that we

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Megan Mc Clean

can view these characters almost on a timeline or strip; therefore watching their
reactions and hearing what they have to say to each line of comedy or question
asked.
The Editing of this show is seen to be moderately fast paced at times due to the
cameras having to cut between multiple comedians; with the improvisation of
the show the camera operators have to be on the ball, giving the piece a sense
of pace and movement.

Overall compared to the sit com, panel shows are used for plain entertainment
for the audience to laugh at and join in with the simple sets; whereas for the
sitcom, audiences can become emotionally attached to characters on their
journey of maturing. The panel game show is used well to express comedy and
take the hand out of current situations or controversies of our society. Like sitcoms, panel game shows can be used as a way for comical entertainment.
A comedy-drama is a hybrid of both comedy and drama also known as
dramedy- which is a sub-genre in contemporary form of tragicomedy,
especially in television, that combines elements of comedy and drama [12]. This
form has become popular as it relates to people and their lives, sometimes
telling a true story.
For my third and final television production, i am going to look at Orange is the
New Black- a comedy-drama created by Jenji Kohan- first released on Netflix on
July 11, 2013. The series involves a young woman named Piper Chapman (Taylor
Schilling), a bisexual woman living in New York; who is sentenced ten years prior
a crime of drug smuggling with ex girlfriend Alex Vause (Laura Prepon). The
series follows multiple events of a woman that has to deal with her outside

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Megan Mc Clean

relationship with her male fianc and her old romance with her ex lover and
crime partner. This is set in a fictional prison in Litchfield, New York, which is a
real town in upstate New York, but it does not have a Federal Penitentiary [13].
The show is an adaptation [14] of a woman named Piper Kerman- the writer of
the show and book orange is the new black- that has faced each storyline in real
life. With this being told it holds a great standard for audiences to relate to a
woman that struggles inside prison; as it is a great adaptation with many new
storylines and characters [15]. This means that both men and women can relate
to the different stories and characters of the show.
Like the sitcom New Girl, comedy-dramas employ the same camera technique
known as single camera mode of production. To recap on this type of camera
technique- , employed on the set and each shot to make up a scene is taken
independently [16] - in some cases two cameras can be used to take an
open/wide shot and a close up of what is happening on screen. Some shots are
cross-covered- i.e. are filmed with a shooting camera on each person at the
same time to allow for better improvisation [17]- like the sit com these shots are
cinematic, whereas the panel game show is very straight forward with no artistic
endeavour.

Assignment

Megan Mc Clean

As
you can see from these three images the director artistically uses close up shots
of each character to make the audience feel that they are up close and personal
with each individual, moving with their story lines and personal ups and downs.
In a way this captivates the audience, reeling us into the loop of the storyline as
Jenji (director) discussed in an interview, humour is a survival technique-if you
done a straight drama about a prison it would just be oppressive- no one would
want to be there [18].

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Megan Mc Clean

In these over the shoulder shots the director has carefully selected these for a
creative purpose that we as audience will feel like bystanders in the storyline,
watching the ongoing action and dialogue. This creates for a more dramatic
effect in the way the camera is framed and position that our focus is on the
characters that are speaking- that their lines may have some effect on whats to
come in the show.
The cinematography and mis en scene of this comedy drama changes between
multiple sets and situations. The cinematographer of the show- Cernjul- talks of
how decided to shoot the prison life hand held and as close to natural, existing
lighting as possible[19] then upon this they built up sets of the prison to
accommodate this approach, with natural sources of light [20]. For the outside
of life of the prison, where Pipers life of flashbacks and normal life occurred the
cinematographer and director went for a more a more controlled look, more lit
and designed [21] with the use of a a studio mode but the lighting was more
romantic and colourful, a sharp contrast to her current existence [22] referring
to the romantic flashbacks of Parkers past life before prison.

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Megan Mc Clean

As you can see from these images that the

lighting of the prison is natural lights, with
the prison itself has a look of dull washed out
colours, making the audience see that the characters are stripped back of luxury
and set to basics. The prison is also set in a dull natural lighting to make the
main characters stand out, that they are individual people dressed the same but
have different backgrounds. This creates a personal effect with the audiencemaking us feel sympathy.

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Megan Mc Clean

The director and cinematographer have used colours and lighting artistically to
differentiate between different types of sets and scenes. For the flashbacks of
each character it seems that there is a use of seductive reds and bright fairy
lights that create subtle tones of happiness and easiness- a time for the
characters that was their happiest moments. We as audience can relate to this in
a way that our lives have their moments of high points and then low points of
dull washed colours that seem so grey at times.
Like the sitcom the characters are in groups or gangs, creating different places
for the characters to hangout. In the case of this show there is only one place
for all the characters to be and thats in the prison, but outside of this we see
made up sets of where the characters lives were based before this time. This can
move from bars to bedrooms and then to the New York City life.
The editing of this comedy drama has its elements of cross cutting- fast paced
editing to a slow seamless pace. These types of editing are both used in the
sitcom and panel game show, with its cross cut comedy elements and then slow
moving edits to slow down the comedy for just a moment before hyping it up
again.

Overall I believe that Orange is the New Black is the perfect comparison to a
sitcom and a panel game show as it holds perfect personal elements like the
sitcom but unlike the panel game show. The artistic endeavours shown in this
piece moves the audience so greatly that we become involved with the show
emotionally and can relate our lives with each individual character. As Piper
Kerman comments that this show could have been a faithful documentarydrama but it would not have been as interesting as what Jenji and her team have
produced [23]. Although the director did not set out to make Oz [24], she

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Megan Mc Clean

surely has captured a new world that we can dive into and get lost in the
comedic moments and go through our dramatic moments. [25].

Throughout this assignment i have learnt that there is a big difference between
each of these types of shows. The sitcom is a comedy that has a friendship group
making the audience feel that they apart of the memories that are begin created
within the group. I found that the audience reaction to the panel game show has
a very impersonal approach and is just set out for pure entertainment for us to
laugh at. The camera and artistic movements of the techniques used throughout
these pieces have different variations and ways of telling a story or presenting
their comedy. The sitcom has more ups that downs but has a resolution at the
end of each episode. The panel game show has complete ups of comedy that the
audience can laugh at and enjoy but not getting to know the comedians on a
personal level; whereas the comedy-drama has ups and downs of real life
situations that the audience can relate to the characters. I believe that the
comedy-drama has a better approach at the TV programme genre with its use of
sets and designs and focus shots- the sitcom adapts some of this and the panel
game show is just set in a simple way for the characters to follow the comedy.
Overall i have learned a lot about each show, expanding my ideas of how each
show moves and why they use different techniques and forms.

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Megan Mc Clean

Bibliography
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

http://www.comedy.co.uk/features/articles/british_sitcom/
En.wkipedia.org/wiki/New_Girl
En.m.wkipedia.org/wiki/single-camera
new girlsjake Johnson is a big tease.salon.com
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/new-girl-behind-scenes-zooey-deschanel-335880

Malone, Noreen (May 10, 2013). "Not That Kind of Girl Liz Meriwether is the anti-Lena
Dunham".newrepublic.com. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
7. Malone, Noreen (May 10, 2013). "Not That Kind of Girl Liz Meriwether is the anti-Lena
Dunham".newrepublic.com. Retrieved August 23, 2013.

8. Armstrong, Stephen (23 November 2008). "A very British tradition". The Guardian (London).
9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8_Out_of_10_Cats
10.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8_Out_of_10_Cats
11.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple-camera_setup
12. "Baum, Bakhtin, and Broadway: A Centennial Look at the Carnival of Oz". The Lion and the
Unicorn 25 (1): 128149. doi:10.1353/uni.2001.0002.

13. "Is the 'Orange is New Black' Prison Real? Yes, and it is Located Near Utica". WIBX 950 AM.
January 6, 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-23.

14.www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCiliDcpvNI
15.www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCiliDcpvNI
16.En.m.wkipedia.org/wiki/single-camera
17.New girls Jake Johnson is a big tease.salon.com
18.www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOEMisVTR8
19.http://www.shootonline.com/news/primetime-talent-behind-tv-screendirectors-cinematographers

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Megan Mc Clean

20.http://www.shootonline.com/news/primetime-talent-behind-tv-screendirectors-cinematographers
21.http://www.shootonline.com/news/primetime-talent-behind-tv-screendirectors-cinematographers
22.http://www.shootonline.com/news/primetime-talent-behind-tv-screendirectors-cinematographers