JCM 100 Final Exam

polysemy

the many meanings existing in the overall flow of television programming and individual programs; provides something for everyone

interruption and sequence

the disruptions in flow, such as changes in programs, commercial breaks, in-program disruptions, and real-life distractions

segmentation

the flow of television is separated into small parcels that often have no logical connection, such as commercials, news segments, and game show rounds; encourages viewer attention

flow in network television

a never-ending stream of narrative, information, and advertising

classical paradigm/Hollywood classicism

a mode of filmmaking used since the 1930s including conventional modes of editing, writing, shooting, and music

7 components of narrative structure

-single protagonist: 1-2 protagonists

-exposition: info on the personalities of the characters and the space they inhabit

-motivation: the character’s desire that serves as the story’s catalyst

-narrative enigma: the central question (explicitly or implicitly asked) that the story revolves around

-cause-effect chain: events in the story cause each other

-climax

-resolution/denouement: enigmas are solved and the conflict declines

narrative structure’s use in TV series

-multiple protagonists

-each episode needs only a brief exposition for new settings and characters since much has already been established

-the motivation/catalyst may shift between characters on each episode

-each episode has its own enigma, but there are overarching enigmas that run throughout the series

-the cause-effect chain exists, but it is segmented into acts with mini-climaxes by the commercial breaks

-the episode’s enigma has a climax, but the overall enigmas aren’t resolved

-the overall problems aren’t solved, and new ones may be started to hint at the plot of the next episode

narrative structure’s use in TV serial

-serials have the highest number of protagonists

-the background is set up at the beginning of the serial, and redundancy throughout episodes helps reinforce plot lines for new viewers

-the original catalyst is introduced at the beginning, with new motivations only being introduced occassionally

-multiple enigmas are active at once

-like series TV, the cause-effect chain is segmented into acts with mini climaxes

-climaxes are resolved but lead to new enigmas instead of narrative resolution

-there is rarely a resolution, and episodes end in media res

narrative discontinuity/segmenting the narrative

due to commercial breaks, series and serials must separate the narrative into acts with their own mini climaxes

character signs and topology

-viewer foreknowledge: advertising and other media that create a narrative image of the program and its characters before it begins; emphasized by the credits

-character name: often signifies something about the character

-appearance: the face, the body, and costuming

-objective correlative: an object or animal associated w/ a character that conveys something about them; includes home and workplace sets

-dialogue: direct (what they say) and indirect (how they say it)

-lighting/videography/cinematography: deviations from the norm can signify something about the character

-actions: what the character does

performance signs and topology

-vocal performance: volume, pitch, timbre, and rhythm

-facial performance: the way facial appearance is used

-gestural performance: the different types of gestures used

-corporeal performance: the stance and bearing of an actor’s body

naturalists

actors struggle to create performances that audiences will accept as believable characters; they are human beings, not actors trying to look like someone they are not

repertory vs. method performance

-repertory: selecting gestures and dialects to construct a performance; actors don’t become emotional while performing but convey emotions through gestures

-method: the actor becomes the character using emotional memory, sensory memory, and improvisation

anti-naturalists

actors reject the notion of a believable character by separating themselves from the role and pointing to the mechanics of the performance

Vaudeville vs. Brechtian performance

-Vaudeville: reminds the audience that they are watching a performance by addressing the audience

-Brechtian: there is distance between the actor and spectator and the character; the actor presents the character to the viewer without pretending to be the charactere

single-camera production

uses one camera to record fragments of a scene that must be assembled later; allows for more specialized shots and a more detailed pre-production process

multi-camera production

uses several cameras to capture performances as they occur, often editing on site and using a live studio audience; includes game shows and news

hybrid production

uses both modes of production, ex. using multi cam for a stunt that can’t be repeated and using single cam for recording lines after the live audience has left

digital endemic media

industries that exist only in digital form

ex. Netflix

legacy media

industries that existed before digital distribution

ex. CBS

internet-distributed television

enables viewer selection from a library instead of a set schedule of programming

viewers’ relationship to content

schedule organization of television

-broadcast: because only one signal could be sent at a time, a schedule was required; the networks creating those schedules were gatekeepers of television

-internet: a schedule is not needed, but portals decide how libraries are organized and presented

broadcast television as a mass medium

broadcast tv was able to transmit a signal that carried a show to anyone with a receiving device that was within range

ad-supported services and content creation

advertiser-supported television services, such as broadcast and cable networks that air commercials, are foremost concerned with creating programming that will attract audiences that can be sold to advertisers; they develop programs with the aim of finding content that will gather the most advertiser-desired viewers

subscriber-funded portals vs. YouTube

subscriber portals rely on subscriptions for revenue and must create and generate content to gather subscribers; YouTube relies on ads for revenue and doesn’t create its own content, making it more like social media