Television AestheticsCOMS 169: TV Criticism
Today’s Agenda
Housekeeping:www.thetvdoctor.blogspot.com
Have you chosen your text?
Mise-en-scene (elements prepared before recording)
Videography (elements used during recording)
Sound, Style, and Editing (elements used after recording)
Most of my examples tonight will contain multiple aesthetic elements. How many can you identify?
“Put in the scene”
A film term borrowed from theater
Mise-en-scene: Set Design
Studio vs. Location
No ceilings
Character entrance and exit
Mise-en-scene: Costuming
Mise-en-scene – Lighting(pay attention to how you feel)
Direction
Intensity
Color
Source
Mise-en-scene – Actor movement
Blocking
Shallow space Typical…lateral movement
Deep spaceOne actor near the camera, one far away
Some film people get
offended when you call it
“cinematography”
Both terms are technically correct!
Videography – Focus
Soft focus (glamour shots)
Deep focus (all planes are in focus)Closer to what the human eye experiences
Rack or push-and-pull focus
Videography – Framing
XLS (establishing shot)
LS (actor’s entire body)
MCU (actor’s chest up)
CU (shoulders to top of head)
XCU (anything closer than CU)
Videography – Framing
Zoom!The LENS moves but the camera does not
Traditional zooms feel outdated
Videography – Camera height and direction
Low angle (camera looks up)
High angle (camera looks down)
Canted angles
Panning
Tilting
Videography – Camera movement
Truck
Dolly
Crane
Hand-held“Documentary” style
Viewer is aware of the camera’s presence
Steadicam
Post-production
Sound, style, and editing
Point of view
CutFade, Wipe, Dissolve…but usually Cut
How long it takes versus how long it feels
ContinuityViolating our expectations makes us tense or suspicious, or we find it humorous
Sorry…more ER…a quick one
ContinuityPillows Pillows Pillows Pillows Pillows Pillows Pillows Pillows Pillows Pillows Pillows Pillows
Pillows Pillows Pillows
Sound, style, and editing
Speech
Music
Sound effectsFoley artist
Diegetic sound (characters can hear it)
Non-diegetic sound
Listen…
What do you see/hear?