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Critical Approaches

Constructive Analysis.

Key Terms

  • Appointment TV- watching TV when it's 'live' on the channel, as opposed to catch-up TV.
  • Visual Grammar- What you see on screen- communicating without words
  • Mise En Scene- Setting, design, lighting, costume, and staging and how they help us interpret what's on screen
  • Genre- How it is categorised
  • Cinematography- shots (i.e. mid shot, close up) and camera movement
  • Editing- How meaning and context are visually constructed
  • Sound- Aesthetic use of voice, music and audio effects
  • Documentary- Critical issues of representation, authenticity and 'cinema truth'
  • Read and Write Gold- Will read back work to you so you can ensure your work makes sense
  • Matchware Mindview- Mindmapping software

Critical Approaches

There are 3 main kinds of critical approaches that can be taken, and these can be broken down into more specific themes, as colour-coded (duplicates are multicoloured).
  • Aesthetic
Aesthetic refers to the style of a show; affects the audiences perception of the story and can give an insight into the continual themes of the show throughout the series/episode.

These images are a possible example of the aesthetic of BBC's Sherlock. From the first image you can see how texts that Holmes and Watson send appear on-screen so that the audience can see what the text says without having to show a shot of Watson's phone. This technique is used throughout the whole series and gives a sense of modernity to the show, which is contrary to the original stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle. The second image of a Sherlock mood board shows how the text uses cool tones and low saturation to give a certain mood to the shots.

  • Political

  • Psychoanalytic
Psychoanalytic theory in television refers to human behaviour and how it affects the viewer as they watch.
There is a difference from when a viewer watches a film to when they watch television, for example. When the viewer watches a film, they are required to pay more attention and especially in a cinema, they must sit quietly and pay attention for the whole film. However, when it comes to watching television, it's much more relaxed; the viewer is generally at home, and doesn't have to pay attention for the whole time. They can leave the room and come back and still have an understanding for what has happened.
Human beliefs can also affect how viewers portray a production. For example, 'The Uncanny' refers to unusual or unsettling productions (made so by different techniques such as editing and camera angles) This will affect the viewer by making them feel uneasy.
These break down into:
  • Classicism
This refers to the classic style of production; editing and camera angles are invisible to the viewer in the sense that they are only paying attention to the story and character rather than any effects used. This is the most popular form of production and makes it easier to watch as there isn't too much for the viewer to pay attention to.
  • Expressionism
Expressionism is a style of film-making contrary to classicism in the sense that it uses unusual angles and unnatural lighting to create an unsettling, nightmarish sense to the production. A popular example of this would be The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
  • Auteurism
noun, plural auteurs 
 [oh-turz; French oh-tœr] 1.a filmmaker whose individual style and complete control over all elements of production gives a film its personal and unique stamp. (1)
  • Modernism and post-modernism

  • Genre
This refers to different styles of production that will give different emotions to the viewer. For example, horror will give the viewer fear. Comedy will make the viewer laugh.
  • Surrealism
This is the aim to be unlike reality. The production may be confusing, or for more of an artistic purpose rather than to tell a clear story. Editing and camera will not follow typical techniques.
  • Realism
Realism is the aim to be as real as possible with the production, as a view of life as it is rather than being experimental or melodramatic.
  • Alienation
Alienation of the audience is making the audience feel separated from the production. This is contrary to the goals of classic production, using surrealism to make them feel confused. This could also be achieved accidentally, which is a negative as the audience won't understand the production.
  • Ideology
Ideology can be defined as beliefs or attitudes of society that are specific to particular groups of people or places. This can affect media by having content in the production based around these ideas and ideals (i.e. religion) or directing content at particular societies.
  • Semiotics
A study of symbolism and/or signs. This could refer to subtle messages that can be seen in the background of the production that may affect the viewer's judgement of the story. 'Easter eggs' are a form of semiotics in gaming most commonly but can also be found in films and television, usually as 'nods' to other productions.
  • Feminism
Feminism on screen is a controversial topic as it has been debated and used since television began. It comes to attention when there's a princess that needs a man to help her or too much female nudity (a common complaint made about Blade Runner 2049). There are also films trying to combat this stereotype of women, depicting them as strong, independent and with jobs that are generally played by male roles (i.e. a detective, a police officer, or a woman that doesn't have to have a husband).
  • Gender/race
Depictions of gender and race in television are often challenged and stereotyped. They can affect the viewer by causing shock if the production is offensive but can also be supportive of cutting out stereotypes by not using stereotypes and depicting people as people, regardless of their gender and/or race.
  • Gaze Theory
This is when the audience is put into the perspective of a heterosexual man. It focuses on female anatomy or sexualising female characters.
  • The Other

  • The Uncanny
The strange; unfamiliar grounds of a production that makes the viewer feel unsettled because they have no idea what to expect. popular in horror, it's something that makes the viewer feel as though something isn't quite right.

Bibliography


  1.  auteurism. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved October 16, 2017 from Dictionary.com website http://www.dictionary.com/browse/auteurism


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