Working Title Films

1. When looking at the typical conventions associated within your films, when new ideas arrive through new talent, do you embrace them or stick to your traditional values, and why?
   “Working Title 2
   How did WT2 come about?
When I was at Working Title we set up a New Writers Scheme to develop new talent. Normally we do not accept unsolicited material (scripts that do not come from an agent or producer) but for the scheme we had to relax a bit and open the doors. The problem was that at Working Title, smaller films would inevitably get less attention than the bigger budget projects so we decided to set up WT2 to give proper attention to those smaller films. Quite a few of the writers we were developing on the Scheme we are now working with us at WT2 while others have set up their projects with other companies, which is great.”
   http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/michaelwalford/entry/working_title_history/
2. what forms of audiences are you now aiming for with your films, are they still the traditional target groups, or are you expanding your audience range, and why?

Midsomer Murders

How does ‘Midsomer murders’ represent Englishness?

One way in which this television show represents Englishness is through sound. One of the ways in which this is done is by the opening scenes of an episode featuring lots of digetic sound – mainly birds and other wildlife, as well as natural soft sounds. This creates an idyllic setting which is also very natural, emphasising the peacefulness associated with traditional English stereotypes. Another way in which sound represents the traditional Englishness within this TV programme is through non-digetic sound. The opening soundtrack to most of the episodes is in a happy them, bordering on jolly – this once again conforms to the traditional stereotype of a typical Englishman being just this. Another way that the traditional Englishness has been represented within an extract in which we studied was the featured music from a classical song released in the first part of the 1990’s. What this then did was portray that Midsomers’ village to be featured either during this period, or that most of the inhabitants were, and hence show the type of music they would have listened to, and still do.  Dialogue also features here, with most of the accents of the characters being ‘proper English’ or posh – portraying the Englishness in the village.

Another way in which Midsomer Murders presents Englishness is through the use of the camera. There are lots of establishing shots, most of which pan over the village – this presents Englishness because in the shots there are always views of buildings that are associated with the English – for instance there are views of churches, horse carriages, WW2 aircraft hangars, country roads and old fashioned English houses. Long panning shots also show these features to effect during the show. There are many tilt shots used also, typified in one extract in which it shows a picnic with traditional English basket. Medium shots are also featured a fair amount, most often being used when viewers are looking at a characters body language – this shots show clearly the characters body language (this often being appropriate and robust – connotation with the English).

Editing has also been used, but with not as greater affects as the other two. The main ways in which editing has been used is by most of the edits being slow in transition. This helps to present the people in this village as calm, slow, but considered – much to the connotations of the stereotypical English person.

Mise en scene plays a huge impact for the presentation of Englishness in Midsomer Murders. Scenes in which Englishness is heavily featured in midsomers’ includes; shots of country roads, picnic baskets, land rovers, post offices, ‘best kept village’ scene, classic old cars and WW2 hangars. Characters costumes are often very English in appearance, with man wearing suits and women wearing dresses. The lighting is also important – there is no artificial light used, this helps to portray the naturalness of the characters. This also ties in with the make-up, with there being minimal to no make-up on characters. Both these features once again conform to the stereotype image of the natural English person. Acting styles also feature heavily within the extracts, with the acting being conservative and considered, as would the behaviour have been of an Englishman in this time, compared to the more rebellious, free-roaming nature of character sin more modern setting dramas.

Hollyoaks - Case Study 5.1

Season 18 – Episode 43:

Setting: a character is in hospital, and is frequently switching between the reality of recovering in the hospital, and the fiction of a romance with the nurse caring him.

Camera: in the fictional moment the character is never seen, and the shot is always in a fixed position looking up towards the nurse. However, in the following reality moments there are shots of both the patient and the nurse, all in a fixed position. The angles are also pivotal here as they show the patient in a low angle, making him look vulnerable, especially compared to the nurse in a high angle view.

Editing: the shots between camera shots are easily visible between the two moments, with there being no changes of shot in the first, fictional moment, but by there being lots of different shots in the reality moment. This helps convey the sense of the characters fractured life in reality, while what they want is a steady life, shown in the reality moment. Another important aspect that has been shown with editing is in the fictional shot where the picture appears in a rose tinted image, associated with lust and happiness as well as romance, whereas the reality shot is dull and bland, associated with boredom and sadness.

Sound: in the fictional scene, there is only non-digetic sound, which helps enforce the fake moment, but also creates a sense of romance, ensuring the light hearted sense of the moment. Whereas when the scene switches to reality there is only digetic sound, which with the effects of hospital equipment, helps ensure the realism of being in a hospital, and hence a thought-provoking state is induced.  

Mise en scene: in the fictional moment, the body language of the characters are of a positive sense, unlike the reality shots were the body language is downcast. The clothing worn in the fictional scene are that of a provocative nature, and hence convey the light hearted sense of the scene, however the clothes in the reality scene are more serious with there being patient gowns and nurses uniforms. In the first moments of the scene, there is also no hospital equipment, unlike the reality scene, this also conveys the two extremities of the script.