The document discusses conventions of mise-en-scene in TV dramas, including setting, decor, costumes, makeup, expressions and camerawork. It provides examples for crime, medical, teen and historical genres. Crime dramas typically use public settings and decor from cafes to emphasize danger. Medical dramas jump between hospital and casualty locations with typical hospital equipment. Teen dramas focus on comfortable domestic settings. Historical dramas use impressive old buildings and costumes to signify the past. Camera techniques like close-ups, shots and angles are used to convey emotions or power dynamics between characters.

1. TV Drama Conventions

2. Mise en Scene

3. Setting
 Crime – Public location; a lot of cars; tall building as the goal of the situation. The tall building can be
seen as the final destination in a given situation, as well as giving the antagonists a sense of threat
with them being unseen. Public location is used as it involves innocent people, adding effect and
tension to the mood. This also emphasizes the fact that such as situation could take place anywhere.
 Medical – Various locations including: hospital, street, shopping center. This means that medical
dramas usually have a lot of locations included and jump from the location of a casualty to the
hospital. The convention is that first the background of the casualty will be shown and then the person
will be taken to hospital. Normal places that we recognize as normal, such as the shopping center, are
used to emphasize the fact of the casualty being an accident that could happen to anyone.
 Teen – The action is mainly performed in a house and later in a car or showing the sea from an
extreme long shot. These places are recognized as “comfortable”, where people feel “at home” and
“relaxed”. This emphasizes the idea of the theme being “lifestyle” and involves situations that could
happen to anyone. Rather than being life-threatening, these situations are based on emotional and
relationship issues or events, focusing on the emotional effect instead of the suspenseful effect. These
scenes are also considered “calming” and encourage the “slow-pace” attitude.
 Historical – The action takes place in an impressive building that resembles a castle. The decorations
and style is recognized as “old-fashioned” which gives us a clear message that the Drama is centered
in the Past.

4. Decor
 Crime – Guns, cars, tables from the nearby café. The guns and cars emphasize the
danger and add excitement to the mood so that the audience will expect action. The
tables and chairs from the café emphasize how ordinary the location is.
 Medical – The usual medical equipment, beds, white colour, wheelchairs and electrical
equipment, as well as various other items found in public. This also emphasizes that the
situation is normal and that it could happen whenever. It tells us that this is what typically
happens in a hospital. The white colour is simple, plain and the typical colour seen in
hospitals, making it believable and ordinary.
 Teen – The furniture inside the house is similar to what you would find in a normal family
house. The cars, houses‟ furniture and colours are relative to ordinary families, enabling
us to relate to the situation and the characters.
 Historical – The clip shows the inside of the house; the furniture is extraordinary and very
different from the ones we see everyday. This straight away informs us that there is
something unusual going on. Moreover, the furniture is old-fashioned yet impressive and
look expensive. This emits a graceful and serious mood, telling us it is something to with
monarchy and olden times.

5. Costume and Make up
 Crime – There are people who wear uniforms and those who wear ordinary clothes. The
agent wears formal black clothes to show that he is an important figure and for him to
look imposing and authoritative. The suspects also wear dark clothes to emphasize their
darkness of character and that they are evil. The ordinary people wear simple clothes to
show that they are normal. Everyone is made to look as real as possible.
 Medical – This also has people in uniforms and ordinary clothes alike. It highlights that a
casualty could happen whenever and wherever. The uniforms and makeup is made to
make the situation look realistic and relative to our lives, especially if someone was in a
hospital.
 Teen – This uses the usual fashion and style that teenagers are interested in so that we
could relate to the show. It uses the typical colours and fashion that we see
everyday, relating to everyday life just like to teenagers.
 Historical – This drama has an unusual and specific fashion and style. It is clear that it is
old-fashioned and relates to old times. Just like the props, the costumes look graceful
and impressive just as well. The characters have a serious atmosphere around
themselves.

6. Figure Expression and
Movement
 Crime – The protagonist‟s posture and attitude is
focused, concentrated and firm. He approaches the situation
seriously, just like the antagonist. However, the antagonist
approaches it calmer because at first he has control over the
situation, so he acts more confident and superior, which is a typical
convention regarding bad characters.
 Medical – The characters in this genre show more emotions; being
worried, afraid and surprised. The doctors are moving fast to
emphasize the fact that something dangerous happened. The
other emotions mentioned before are used o emphasize the fact
that these are normal people and typical situations.
 Teen – All of the characters show loving and friendly expressions
to each other, suggesting that they share a bond with each other.

7. Camerawork

8. Close-up
 Denotation: This shot introduces a character from a short distance.
 Connotation: This introduces the character and makes the face
expressions and emotions clear for the audience. It conveys emotions
and tells the audience what the characters feel in regards to the
particular situation.
Extreme Close-up
 Denotation: This shot shows a timer from a very close distance.
 Connotation: This puts emphasis on the object or person that it is
regarding, informing the audience it is of importance. This can create
a mysterious, exciting or dramatic mood. It can put emphasis on a
dangerous object which is about to explode, as in the image, creating
excitement. Or it can be used on a teardrop, creating a dramatic
effect.

9. Medium Shot
 Denotation: The investigator is talking to parents of the suspect.
 Connotation: The medium shot is a mixture between scenery, face
expression and body language. From this distance the emotions are
clear and we know where the action takes place clearly. It is a mixture
of both and is often used in conversations as both the character‟s
body language and face expressions convey emotions.
Long Shot
 Denotation: Police chasing someone in the middle of the night.
 Connotation: The long shot introduces the scenery and puts
emphasis on the action rather than emotions of the characters.
This also makes the audience feel as if they are there, following
the action.

10. Extreme Long Shot
 Denotation: The shot looks at a castle looking structure.
 Connotation: This shot introduces the scenery and shows where
the action takes place. It doesn‟t convey any emotions, just
informs us where it takes place.
Reverse Shot
 Denotation: Conversation between several characters.
 Connotation: This puts focus on the character in subject and gives
extra information on what is the character feeling by showing his
emotions. The backs of someone‟s head tells us he or she is
listening.

11. High Angle
 Denotation: Camera looking down
on something or someone.
 Connotation: This makes the
character look smaller, therefore
vulnerable, weak or afraid. Eye Line
 Denotation: Camera
looking straight into
Low Angle someone or
something‟s eyes.
 Denotation: Camera looking up  Connotation: This
at someone or something. makes both characters
seem equal and makes
 Connotation: This makes the
the situation look
character look
normal.
superior, imposing, arrogant or
confident.

12. Example from 24 Function of the editing
Editing Device interrogation scene devise
Cutting /Cross Cutting This is used to move the scene from the It shows relation and focuses on the
interrogation room to a different room. same narrative as the other scene. It
gives the audience more information on
what is going on regarding the same
particular scene.
Shot Reverse-Shot This is used when both characters This gives clear focus on who is talking
engage in a conversation. and shows expression of the characters
involved in talking.
Match on Action This is used to show two different This makes the audience feel as if they
perspective in the interrogation, without are there alongside the action. The more
using the shot reverse-shot. match an actions shots there are the
more fast-paced the sequence becomes.
Eyeline Match This is used to show what the main This makes an object the centre of
character is looking at when he enters attention. This way the audience will
the room. In this case it was a camera. know it is of importance and emphasizes
what exactly he is looking at, creating
speculation of „why‟.
Pace This is used throughout the clip. The pace is slow; it creates a calm
mood. It also creates expectation as the
scene suggests that something will
happen. It speeds up towards the end as
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKkBzbd the action also speeds up.
iqV0

13. Characters

14. Character Types (Propp)

15. Oppositions (Levi Strauss)

16. Narrative

17. Audience Positioning

18. Todorov