Gossip Girl - Sound

Season 2, Episode 6; New Haven Can Wait (Aired: Weds 4th March @ 9pm, ITV2)

There is always a lot of sound used in Gossip Girl, be it diegetic or non-diegetic. Evey episode starts with the voice-over from "Gossip Girl" herself; introducing the episode and setting the scene. Her voice re-appears throughout the episode, usually just before an ad break, where she ties up what we have just seen with an insight into what might happen next; seeing as she is the omniscient character in the programme, she therefore knows what is going to happen. "Gossip Girl" always has the last words in every episode; a conclusion of the events, and again, an insight into the upcoming drama.

Here is a summary of the music/sound in this week's episode:

• The episode starts with 'The Wake Up Song' by The Submarines. This plays as it shows both
  Blair and Serena get up and get ready for the big day at Yale University. The upbeat track is lively and cheery - synchronous to the mood created by the characters' excitement of the new day.

• When Chuck and Nate are sitting on the grass outside Yale and Nate notices the attractive girl, a fast-paced, edgy track called 'White Diamonds' by Friendly Fires comes on - this suggests that something is going to happen between the two characters and, as we find out later on, it does!

• During the Dean's dinner event at Yale, The Section Quartet's rendition of Muse's Time Is Running Out is playing in the background; assuming that the quartet are actually present at the Dean's home. This version is aptly named, because of the increasing competition between Blair and Serena for a place at the university. The fact that it is a string version also suits the aristocratic atmosphere of the evening, adding a poignant and high-class feel to the event itself.

• In this episode Jenny is told she has to give up fashion and go back to school; obviously, she is distraught by the news. Throughout her scenes, a slow-paced, gentle piano piece is played - this reinforces the morose mood and allows the audience to sympathise with her.
  

• In almost every scene there is music playing in the background, under the dialogue - this gives us the constant feeling of movement and action as the plot unfolds. The music is mostly played by stringed instruments and is pizzicato, to create a plucky [no pun intended!], upbeat mood.
  

Narrative In TV Drama

A couple wake up and go downstairs to breakfast. They do not realise that they are being watched by terrorists. While at work, the woman (Fiona) and her colleague (Danny) are captured by the terrorists; who then contact her husband (Adam) demanding that the PM must withdraw the troops in Iraq if the hostages are to be released. A failed escape attempt by Danny and Fiona leads to Adam having to choose which one would be killed; however, after insulting one of the terrorists (in order to essentially choose for Adam) Danny is shot and killed. The team soon realise that the female terrorist with Adam is in fact a suicide bomber, planning to kill the PM and other Gov officials at the dinner event that he and Khatera are attending. Fortunately, Adam manages to play on her doubts and persuade her otherwise, obtaining the detonator and alerting everyone in the building. Fiona’s location is discovered and she is rescued just in time, before being burnt alive by the terrorist.

Narrative Convention:

Follows a classic 3-part narrative pattern, as described by Todorov, consisting of: An equilibrium, disruption and restoration of/creation of new equilibrium.

BEGINNING – The start shows a young couple; they are happy and clearly in love. They are waking up, going to work – a usual day in their life, nothing’s different. EQUILIBRIUM

MIDDLE – Officers are taken hostage; emphasis is on their release; we wait to see whether she will return to her husband and whether the terrorists’ demands will be given in to by the Government. DISRUPTION

END – The terrorists are caught and their plans are stopped, Fiona is rescued. There is a sense of a new EQUILIBRIUM, though Danny has been killed.

Most stories have happy endings to please the viewers. The sense of restoration of peace comforts the audience, and allows them to escape from the harsh realities of everyday life. Most stories are read/watched by the viewer for enjoyment and pleasure purposes; if the story were to have an unhappy ending, the viewer may find this less pleasing, if not a little upsetting. Through certain stories, we are able to suspend our belief long enough to empathise with the characters; we feel what they feel, therefore we want to experience a happy resolution with them too.

What starts as an ordinary, everyday morning, is suddenly threatened; this is a standard way of beginning a narrative because it establishes the equilibrium, so the viewer can see what the norm is and how the threat of disruption leads on to disorder and interference later on. Relationships between characters are established; in this case, we see the loving couple, happy together. We also see the two terrorists watching them form outside; this gives the viewer a sense of foresight in to what is likely to happen and we have to watch the rest of the programme to find out how/if equilibrium is restored at the end.

The audience are automatically being encouraged to take sides in this fight of ‘good’ vs. ‘evil’ (Levi-Strauss’ binary oppositions). The viewer sees Adam and Fiona together; they see how in love they are and instantly recognise them as the ‘good guys’. The fact that they are also Mi5 agents, fighting crime and evil, reinforces the likeability factor of these characters which adds to the empathy the audience have for them – they are innocent civilians, who do not deserve what is about to happen to them. When we see the terrorists in the car, spying on Adam and Fiona, we assume that they are the ‘bad guys’. We see them as outsiders (because they are foreign and are speaking in a different language), creating a subconscious barrier between them and the audience; we find it easier to relate to the loving couple rather than the terrorists. It is not until the characters’ stories are revealed that we might actually change our perception on who we initially thought was ‘good’ or ‘bad’.

Gossip Girl - Location

Season 2, Episode 4; The Ex Files (Aired: Weds 18th Feb @ 9pm, ITV2)

In this episode there are a wide variety of locations, all of which help add meaning to the plot and provide us with an aesthetically pleasing background for the dramatic action that takes place.

The action takes place in the Upper-East side of Manhattan (the wealthy area) and Brooklyn (the poorer area). We can tell where we are in the programme because there are always est. shots of the area before characters are shown. For example, when in the Upper-East side, we are shown shots of:

• Large boats on the river
• Tall skyscrapers
• Trimmed bushes and trees with fences around them
• Clean streets
• Very few cars, little traffic

When in Brooklyn we see:

• The Brooklyn bridge
• Busy high streets
• Lots of cars and traffic
  

The most notable differences in location are when the scenes switch from the Upper-East side of Manhattan (where the rich kids Serena, Blair, Chuck etc live), to Brooklyn (where Dan and Jenny live).

UPPER-EAST SIDE - Serena's house:

• The inside of an apartment (possibly the penthouse suite - right at the top)
• Glass windows overlooking the city (could be metaphorical for the wealthy people looking down on the not so wealthy)
• Mahogany furnishings, marble flooring

Similar to the interior of Blair's house:

• Marble, chequered floor tiles
• Ornate furnishings (possibly made out of ivory)
• White and cream is the common colour scheme - signifies wealth
  
• Floral wallpaper
  
• Contemporary art on the walls
• Not much character to the house - simple furnishings
  

This shows the viewer that these characters are very wealthy, as the live in exquisitely-furnished houses, compared to the other characters. This could also connote the level of importance that the character has in the plot. E.g. Serena is the main character, so she oversees everyone else.

This is completely different to the interior of Dan's apartment in BROOKLYN:

• Brick walls; chunks of plaster missing from pillars
• Mismatched pieces of furniture - one leather armchair, another dark brown fabric chair
• Windows with different coloured panes of glass in them
• One yellow wall in the kitchen - gives a more homely feel
• Very cluttered - lots of character

This gives the viewer the picture that Dan and his family have less money than Serena's/Blair's family. They live in completely opposite areas of New York; yet they all go to the same school - which suggests that they do actually have a bit of money, just not as much as the others in the programme.

The distinction between rich and poor is highlighted further by parallel cross cuts between when both Serena and Dan wake up; we can clearly notice the difference in their bedrooms:

• Serena's bedroom has cream walls and is very large. There is a large art deco headboard and very lavish furnishings (marble dressers and large bedside lamps)
• Whereas Dan's room has dark grey walls and is tiny in comparison. He has wooden blinds and lots of pictures on the walls. It is a typical 'boy' room - very messy

Until now, I hadn't really noticed the deliberate techniques used to make the viewer see the clear variations in lifestyles of the rich and poor in Gossip Girl. Whenever a scene takes place in a wealthy area, the next scene jumps to a poorer part of NY, to define the contrast. This causes the audience to make a subconscious judgement in their heads - we see the rich people as rich and the poor people as poor (and therefore less important) because that is how the director wants us to see the characters.

Gossip Girl

The TV Drama I will be following is Gossip Girl: an American television show inspired by the novel series of the same name. The series revolves around the lives of a group of rich teenagers growing up in New York City's Upper East Side who attend elite academic institutions while dealing with love, sex, drugs, jealousy, and other 'teenage' issues.

Each episode is narrated by the unseen character, known only as "Gossip Girl" (voiced by Kristen Bell). Most of the main characters are private high school students, primarily consisting of:

Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley), Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford), Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick), Jenny Humphrey (Taylor Momsen) and Vanessa Abrams (Jessica Szohr). Their family members and other recurring characters play supporting roles in the series.

The current season of Gossip Girl (Season 2) is now being shown every Wednesday at 9:00, on ITV2

...watch this space for all the latest gossip...''you know you love me, xoxo, Gossip Girl!''

Hovis Advert - Representation of Time

Hovis Advert - Representation of Time

1. In the bread shop:
-The boy is wearing a flat cap, brown jacket, very dull colours. Baker is wearing a big white hat and white apron, the other customer is wearing a suit, long tail-coat [he appears to be of a higher class than the little boy. All typically Victorian costumes
- Baker's shop - wooden shelves with loaves of bread in the background - we are not in a modern day bakery.
- Bread on shelves
- Elegant piano piece, fits in with the time period
- The baker says 'here you go lad' - Northern accent
- Sound of bell on the door as the gentleman walks in - not typical of modern day bakeries again.
- Tracks the boy as he leaves the shot - we are supposed to focus on him
- One continuous shot of him as he leaves the shop

2. Cart
-The boy is still wearing the same clothes - signifies that we are still in the same time period.
-Location changes to a narrow street, cobbled paving on the road.
Horse & cart suggest that we are in the olden days [very old mode of transport]
-Titanic poster - shows the audience that we have moved on in time a little [early 1900s]
-The music remains the same - the same mood is kept from the scene at the baker's
-We can hear the general jeering and shouting of a crowd, which acts as a sound bridge for the next shot. Makes it more real, places the viewer in the action.

3. Women's March
-The women are wearing long dresses and big hats. The man is wearing a suit and top hat - definitely old-fashioned clothing
-Large street-lots of protesters
-Houses look quite big - wealthy area of Britain
-Banners and placards allow the audience to see that it is the women's Suffrage movement
-Sounds of protests and shouting - adds to the realism
-The music is still the same piano piece
-CU of women, LS of entire movement & quick pan on the boy - main focus is still on him

4. Soldiers
-The soldiers are wearing typical WW1 uniforms, young males, makes us realise the terrifying truth about the war and the deaths of thousands of innocent young men
-Soldiers are carrying rifles - emphasises the period of the war
-People on the streets are waving at the soldiers as they march on - very British feel, very patriotic.
-The salute reinforces the feeling of 'British-ness' and pride
-Girls with ribbons on their hats - again very typical dress codes for that time
-Violins are now introduced in to the music - creates a sad, solemn mood as we watch them literally 'march to their deaths'

5. Street with car
- We start to clearly notice that we are moving through time at this point
-Very first use of a car in the scene - times are changing [early 40s]
-Houses seem to suggest another wealthy part of Britain
-The people are wearing more fashionable clothes - suits [typical of the 'gangster era' popular in the 40s
-Camera tracks and pans as the boy runs - making us feel as though we are moving with him [through time as well as on the street]
-We hear a dog barking and see it chasing him
-The music comes to a halt for the next scene

6. War
-LS to show houses that have been bombed - the boy comes through the wreckage - again, a movement through time. We are now in to the mid-late 40s, WW2
-The music slows down completely - single, sombre piano chords - serious moment in history, paying respect to those who were killed
-People are seen leaving their houses, carrying cases and valuables - strengthens the feelings of tragedy and loss
- Churchill's famous 'We will fight them on the beaches..' speech is heard - cuts to a radio indoors to show where it is coming from [sound bridging to create seamless narrative]
-This speech was chosen to represent Britain's most glorious hour in history - very uplifting speech, makes you feel extremely proud to be British.
-Planes flying overhead - fighter jets serving in the war
- CUs on the radio, homeless families, a lot less focus on the boy - this scene is a lot more serious than the previous ones.

7. Street Party
-The music picks up again - this time a lot more upbeat and jolly - suggesting that we are over that period of death and tragedy. The boy's smile emphasises this feeling.
The large street with terraced houses help the viewer understand that we have moved on in time [developed housing]
-The boy wearing the pirate costume suggests to us that this is more of a light-hearted period of time of celebration [after the sad times during the war]
-British flags all over the street, lemonade, crown - joyous occasion - the Queen's coronation. We know we are in to the 50s.
-Sounds of laughter and general chatter - we are in a time of happiness

8. Girls/Football Players
-Electric guitars pick up the music - very important signifier of time - we know it is the sixties because of the birth of Rock n Roll in the 60s.
-The boy is now wearing a jacket and sweater, the girls are wearing mini skirts, red boots, hair styles - TYPICAL SIXTIES FASHION [think Twiggy!]
Men shout 'CHAMPIONS!' from inside the car - we relate this to England winning the World Cup - therefore we know we are in 1966
-Use of British flags are very important in this scene - Hovis are trying to appeal to the whole of Britain, not just England [it's a 'Best of British' sort of thing going on!]
-Shots from inside the car and CU of his feet - different angles of his journey - we are still moving through time

9. Street with Asians and TV shop
-We know it is the 70s because of the Asian couple shown on the street - before the 1973 Race Discrimination Act, this would not have been seen
-He is now wearing a striped jumper with a very seventies-type collared shirt
-Televisions in the window show advances in digital technology - a progression through time
-The guitars are still playing in the background

10. Coal not Dole strike/protest
-The music stops so we can hear the protesting and the man say 'hey lad, isn't it past your bedtime?' - the accent is definitely Northern - WE ARE UP NORTH!!
- He is wearing a blue t-shirt with a jacket - different style of clothing - more suited to the 80s fashion
-From the placards and rioters we can gather that this is the miner's strike in the eighties
-Large street - police on one side, protesters on the other - he walks through them to show that Britain can be united [through the wonder of Hovis, perhaps..?]
-Police uniforms, SWAT shields - this was a serious matter, yet they all laugh at him to show that there is still a lighter side to this

11. Fireworks
-We don't always associate the Millennium with fireworks, however we know we are going through time [we just passed the 80s and skipped the 90s] therefore we must be in the 2000s
-The music is very upbeat and lively again - more instruments are used, 'pop' music, again symbolises the change in time
- The camera tracks the boy as he runs, looking at the tremendous display throughout

12. Home
-Very homely, family kitchen - suggesting that Hovis is a good, homely product for all the family
-The music stops - signifies the end of his journey through time
-His deep voice could suggest that he has grown [not physically, but mentally..?] as he has passed through time
-Modern clothes and house lets us know we are in the modern day.

SOUND
-Mixture of diegetic & non-diegetic sound throughout sequence - to emphasise certain points and convey realism
-The music starts of as just a single instrument, but throughout time this changes-more instruments are brought in as we move forward in to modernity
-The music also plays a key part in constructing the mood of the sequence - e.g. during the wars, the music is very slow [silent at times] and poignant - reinforcing the sad and serious atmosphere of the scenes
-The music acts as a clear signifier towards the end of the boy's journey - it stops when he gets home; suggesting his travels are over

NARRATIVE/STORY DEVELOPMENT
-The narrative is told through the signifiers of costume, location, music and props - we know which period of time is being represented through the clues in the character's dress codes, the setting and general mise-en-scene
-The only scene that is not clearly depicted is the Millennium - however, by then the audience are aware of the journey through time therefore after seeing the miner's strike they look for clues that represent either the 90s or 2000s. In this case, the 90s is skipped - the viewer sees the fireworks and automatically thinks of the Millennium as the next big event in history

What Is TV Drama?

TV Dramas are usually a series of fiction-based episodes, which contain these similar conventions:

• The story is split in to episodes, which unlike soaps, have and end to them; the narrative isn't endless. Unlike sitcoms [where equilibrium is restored at the end of each episode] the disruption usually takes two or three episodes to resolve. There is a twist or surprise at the end of each episode [in some cases] and the end of the series typically ends in resolution

• The episodes revolve around the same main characters, whose lives develop and are challenged as the series progresses. The locations are also the same, often very similar to the locations we see every day [houses, hospitals etc]

• Can be divided in to sub genres e.g. crime, family, costume, hospital etc.