Homework essay

What meanings are created in the sequence you have studied and what do they tell us about narrative, character development and genre?

Long form TV drama is defined as a number of episodes that help create a narrative and tell a story to an audience. Some typical conventions of this are stock characters, various locations and multiple narratives. One main convention being highlighted in the six-minute clip, we have studied, of a cliff-hanger. This is a technique used by producers to dramatically end an episode to entice audience members to carry on watching. At 45.50 we are introduced to the three boys (Dustin, Lucas and mike) searching for Will in a dark, mysterious woods with the diegetic sound of rain pelting on to them, with the only main source of light being shown through their flashlights. The search is heightened when the non-diegetic sci-fi instrumental is played on top of the rain. The build-up of this helps add tension and mystery to the scene which eventually concludes the episode with the boys finding eleven. To accompany this end of episode cliff hanger, the use of slowly panning inwards, jump cut shots between eleven and the boys is used. This allows us as an audience to see their full facial expressions as to what they are feeling right now i.e. scared, confused, bewildered etc. Once again building the tension and leaving the audience questioning what will happen next. It also demonstrates the multi stranded narrative used as all the series of events throughout the first episode are happening simultaneously to then help link the characters at the end of the episode.

Characters are a main LFTVD convention that is vital for shows such as stranger things to succeed. This is because viewers want to be able to engage and relate with the characters to overall create an emotional bond which will help them stay loyal to the show and fan-base. A character that is short-lived in the first episode is Benny. At first we question whether or not to like him due to his angry, dirty exterior which is then contrasted when he cares for eleven and wants to help her when she seeks shelter at his diner. Their friendship is cut short however as at 39.54 a long shot is used of Connie the social worker shooting benny. This type of shot is used because it gives us elevens point of view so we can experience with her what she has just witnessed. We are provided with a quick close up shot of elevens frightened and shocked face before she makes a quick run to escape. Whilst this is all happening the once low diegetic radio background music of the song ‘White Rabbit’ by Jefferson volume is increased as soon as benny is shot. The use of the now non-diegetic contrapuntal song adds a fast pace and the genre of action to the scene as we watch eleven run away. We as an audience are already left questioning as to why benny was shot and as to who this Connie really is. Its storylines like this in LFTVD which really entice the audience to continue watching so they can piece together who is who and why this happening, to then ensure there is greater audience engagement with the show.

Genres is an element used in LFTVD to attract a wide, demographic audience. The more genres a TV series has the more likely it is that it will gain more viewers. Stranger things adopts genres such as romance, thriller, sci-fi, action etc. all in which help attract a larger audience segment. The genre of sci-fi is used in a scene where Joyce and Jonathan are reminiscing about Will. Mise en scene is used in the byers home to help show the 80’s intertextuality such as the dull coloured clothes Joyce and Jonathan wear which accompanies the dark and muted tones from the interior of the house. This helps reflect their mood of sadness and despair as they have lost someone who is extremely important to them and who they dearly love. Their mother son moment is interrupted when the diegetic sound of a phone ringing is played. The use of a bright yellow 80’s style phone helps signify the importance of it because it stands out against these dark, dull colours. We witness as an audience the perhaps first potential contact with Will since he has been missing. The diegetic sound of the mysterious unknown creature is played through the phone which we first heard at the beginning of the episode when the scientist was captured. Whilst the audience make this connection we also begin to understand that this unknown thing has high significance to the storyline of wills disappearance. SFX is used as an electric shock through the phone which hurts Joyce. This suggests that this supernatural force has great power and doesn’t want communication between Joyce and will to happen showing the sci-fi genre to the audience.