THR Homework

A couple wake up, go downstairs to breakfast. They do not realise they are being watched by terrorists….

What happens next?
… They go to work as normal and, but are being followed in the car by the terrorists. The terrorists come into their office building in disguise and pass through security. They stage an attack and keep everyone hostage. After a lot of tension, but one woman manages to silently call the police who come in time and save everyone.

I have used Todorov’s narrative theory of equilibrium-disruption-equilibrium, as my story has a beginning a middle and an end, with the resolution happy at the end.

My story ends happily and is resolved ready for the next episode to begin. It also provides the audience with a sense of calm if the episode ends happily, and it fills there expectations of TV; as a way of escapism. If you are to follow Todorov's narrative pattern, a happy ending seems like the natural resolution to a story.

The beginning of the spooks episode feels like the beginning because everything is calm and it begins at an equilibrium. Also it is morning, signifying the beginning (of the day) and they are doing very normal and everyday activities, like preparing breakfast and getting dressed. The disruption by the terrorist seems a standard way of beginning a narrative as it disrupts the normality of the beginning. Everything seems to be fine but them something happens to interrupt this; this provides time for the storyline to be resolves. The us of Lev-Strauss' binary oppositions (in this case Good vs Evil, Spies vs Terrorists) automatically makes the audience take sides, with the good, as we are lead to believe the terrorists are evil by what they are doing and saying. We are made to relate to Adam and Fiona by showing how normal they are .

Single Drama/film: Margaret
Todorov's narrative structure, equilibrium – disruption – equilibrium during the episode/film.

Two nighter: Trial & Retribution
These follow Todorovs narrative pattern however it is spread across two episodes, with the first episode often ending on a cliff hanger. This will keeps the audience engaged and intrigued, and make them want to watch the second episode.

Soap: Eastenders
Soaps don't have to follow a narrative pattern as they are on so frequently and never end. They don't necessarily have to come to a resolution strait away, it may take weeks or months. They don't really begin with disruption or equilibrium, they're just daily life. They do usually have binary opposites though, with good and bad, or in Eastenders case there are oppositions in class, wealth, and how people perceive them selves, as well as religion; the opposites you would find in life.

Serial: Bleak House
Serials are similar to soaps as they go on for a long time, and so sometimes the equilibrium is disrupted, but not resolved for a few weeks. Other times it will be resolved withing one episode. Often the series will end on a cliffhanger to make people want to want the end series and achieve resolution. The plot unfolds episode by episode, rather than having a different story for each one; a main story with sub-stories in a single episode. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire seasons or even the full run of the series, different to other TV Dramas which often rely on different stories for each episode.

Anthology Series: Skins
This uses Todorov’s narrative pattern of equilibrium, disruption, resolution within each episode. However there are ongoing sub-plots that unfold throughout the series, and are resolved in the final episode.Use of binary opposites isn't crucial but they are usually there

Long-Form Series Drama: Lost
The same as an anthology series but with greater concern to an underlying narrative running throughout the series, as well as different plots episode by episode. The binary opposites are introduced as the story lines unfold.

Long – Form Series Drama with Some Narrative Experimentation: 24
A narrative pattern that is really long and is spread over the entire series, and the disruption is resolved, with equilibrium restored at the end of the series. There are often small disruptions in single episodes that are either resolved in that one episode, or in the next. This narrative pattern makes them very gripping and action packed, keeping audiences thrilled and entertained. The binary opposites are introduced at the start of the narrative.

SOUND

Season 5 Episode 7

Summary- The chief announces he will award a solo surgery to one of the second year residents; they're all in a frenzy. Lexie and the other interns want to practice more procedures and so begin practicing them on corpses-and then themselves. Izzie comes face to face with the patient she stole a heart from for Denny, she can't take it and when Hahn find out about this threatens to bring it up to the ethics counsel but the chief refuses. This also puts a strain on her and Callie's relationship. Izzie begins to see (dead) Denny around the hospital and gets really freaked out. George is working with the latest technology to practise skill; a robot. Derek is annoyed Meredith spends so much time talking to Christina/Yang about her dead mother that he tries to get Sloan to sleep with Yang to distract her.

Good episode with brilliant developments for Izzie's storyline

Music is very important in Grey's anatomy and there is always at least 3 separate pieces of music in each episode that doesn't include the Grey's Anatomy motif. Grey's Anatomy has become known for creating hysteria about certain songs and new bands and has helped launched the career of The Fray who's song 'how to save a life' was featured on the trailer for season 2. Another song that became internationally recognised after it was played at the end of an episode was 'Chasing Car's by Snow Patrol. This just shows what a big influence television has on all aspects of our lives.

The Grey's Anatomy motif is a sang called 'Cosy in a Rocket' by Psapp. It was the theme tune to the opening credits for the first two seasons but has now become permanent and repeated at least 3 times an episode. The motif is used in different ways. For instances when someone finds out something interesting the motif plays a couple of seconds then. Also when a character realises something the motif plays with an added 'ping' to show the quick thinking and realisation. Another key sound thing for Grey's is that there is a narrator at the beginning and end of every episode. Usually this is Meredith, but there have been the odd episode where it's someone else such as Miranda Bailey. Music in Grey's often reflects the mood, either of the characters individually or as a whole, or sometimes of the patients.

1.) The Opening- Non-Diegetic music with a funky beat plays to start. Meredith's voice over says "the one thing you can count on in life is death". This establishes the theme for this episode, establishes the tone of what's to come (it is repeated often throughout the episode such as when yang says "you smell like death"). You would think this apparent as they are surgeons working with sick patients. This is peculiar because the music then seems contrapuntal as it is uplifting and almost jazzy. The song continues while Meredith says more things about death such as "Surgeons cheat death" and "give death the finger". The music is perhaps symbolic of how Meredith is keeping Derek up by talking on the phone to Christina; the music is disruptive and unnecessarily upbeat. The music could also be relating to the fact that surgeons have to make light of death because they are around it so much. The music stops immediately a completely non-related scene starts to show this more clearly, to separate the last scene and this one.

2.) Scene with Lexie - This is an example in which the sound used in the editing process to create an effect rather than a mood. Lexie walks down the corridor and the more she walks the more we can hear whispering which gradually gets louder and we can hear there are more than two people talking. The whispering is at it's loudest as she passes a door, and then there is a motivated cut to her looking through the door, and then a cutaway to what is behind the door; interns doing IVs on themselves for practise. The use of the whispering and walking down the corridor created suspense and tension: the audience wanted to know what is going on and what Lexie might find. The motivated cut shows us that she has found what is happening, but as the audience we still don't know what is actually behind the door, we can just see Lexie's face which isn't giving away that much other than she is shocked. Then the cutaway to the interns, we can here them talking quietly and can assume fairly accurately that it was them who were whispering.


3.) Sloan and Yang - The quick scene begins with the Grey's motif, but as Sloan flirts with Christina more and more the pace becomes quicker with a funky beat to it. This reminds me of a chase, like the chase for Sloan to bed Christina cause he doesn't want to lose face to Derek. The music is very passionate representing sex. However the music end with an abrupt 'boom boom' just before the scene ends which indicates it isn't going to happen between Yang and Sloan.


4.) Tense moments- A very tense moment between the chief and Dr. Hahn, the music needed to reflect this. The music and the dialogue were parallel; she was shouting and the music was an intense drone that got louder and louder as Erica (Hahn) got louder and angrier. Once she had left the room it faded down. This shows that Hahn was creating a problem that was unnecessary, as everything else was calm. The room was quiet before and after she left which shows the chief has dealt with the situation and cannot be changed. Another moment in which they used music during a tense moment was during a surgery when there are complications and things going really wrong they play a piece of music that sound like a heartbeat. In this clip they played the music when the guy wasn't breathing and everyone was frantic and demanding orders. The music got louder and louder until the guy started breathing again when it completely stopped but fitted in time with his own heart beat. The music helped to create a panicked effect and the quick cuts between doctors helped to emphasise this.

5. ) End - The narration comes back with Small snippets in between to calmly end the episode. Meredith says some more 'meaningful' phrases such as "we're born, we live, we die". The short scenes in between don't have dialogue, instead have a soundtrack over the top to calm down and wrap up the episode leaving it feeling fairly resolved. but the final shot of Izzie and Meredith saying "Only one thing can we be sure of...it ain't over 'til it's over" At this point Izzie is sitting with Denny and this indicates further development to this particular storyline.

COSTUME

Season 5, episode 6
Summary: Owen Hunt has been made the new head of trauma at Seattle Grace and has already caused a stir by making the interns and residents practice trauma precedures on life pigs, which offended Izzie. Derek and Meredith were going through her mums old stuff and came across an 'anatomy Jane' doll which enabled Meredith to come up with a solution to cure an inoperable tumour on a 10 year old girl. Alex and Izzie decide to not see other people

The costume for the majority of the characters are scrubs (as they are in a hospital). However these uniforms vary between people
In the episode today you can see that the attendings (Sloane, Derek, Hunt and Erica) all wear Navy blue scrubs with a white doctors coat. The residents and interns wear pale blue scrubs, with most of them wearing a doctors coat. This shows the hierarchy of the doctors and enables you to determine who is who, or what status they are if a new character is introduced. The Chief wears trousers and a smart shirt showing he is at the top of the hierarchy and doesn't need to wear scrubs all the time as he isn't involved with as many surgeries as the rest of them. In this episode however he is involved with a surgery and changed into navy blue scrubs. In the operatic room him, and Dr. Hahn have coloured/patterned scrub caps,rather than the standard blue ones-'lucky scrub cap'. This indicates that they have been working as surgeons longer and are more experienced than the other surgeons present. Hahn has colourful large polka dot scrub cap, which shows she is fun (when she wants to be). She never does a surgery without it and so make you believe she is superstitious. The Chief has a patterned dark blue scrub cap which is faded indicating he is the oldest and most experienced surgeon.

In the first scene Meredith and Derek are sorting through boxes of her mothers things.
We can see it is early morning:

• they are drinking coffee
• very bright outside
• each episode starts at the beginning of the day
• the next shot is of Izzie in bed
• From this we can determine that the clothse they are wearing are not the clothes they intend to be in all day

Meredith - Wearing an old college t-shirt, shows she is doing menial work and doesn't want to get any nice/new clothes ruined. 'Dartmouth' on her top shows she is intelligent as this is a top university in the US. The grey signifies the dullness of the occasion, as well as the sadness: shes's finally moving on from her mothers death. 'Dartmouth' is also in the past and so it's like she looking back to happier times-this is shown when she is looking through the boxes at old chilhood possesions. The trousers she has on are black and plain which denotates death and sadness.

Derek - Wearing scruffy jeans and a navy blue t-shirt. These are casual and very different to his normal look. His hair is scruffy and he is unshaven-another indication it is early morning.

In another scene a group of doctors are in the room of a young patient who has an inoperable tumour.

Patient- A Young girl aged 10. Wearing a hospital gown. She has had to have chemotherapy and has lost her hair, which is made even more apparent by the face she is wearing a head scarf. However her headscarf is purple and floral which shows she is still a child and she is girly. This creates more of a charcter for her rather than just another patient. Her makeup made her look really pale to show she was ill and rundown.

Her Parents- Her mum is wearing a purple top with a red cardigan and nice jewellery which shows she still has her standards. However her makeup reflected she was tired and she had scruffy hair as she was really at her wits end after being turned down by many different hospitals. The dad was wearing a brown striped shirt, but had really big bags under his eyes which again shows how tired he is. This reflects the sturggle for their daughters survival and shows that they have probably been waiting hours to see if she will be transferred. I think the way they have protrayed the parents was really good because it seemed so accurate. THey weren't completely breaking down but little subtlties showed how rundown they were.

Grey's Anatomy Characters

In order to understand my blog, you'll need to know the main characters of Grey's Anatomy. As it is set in a hospital there are many of different people and doctors ranging from attending-intern. The main bulk of the characters started off the show as interns and are now in there second year of residency.

Characters:

Dr. Merideth Grey-Ellen Pompeo

• Appox 30 years old
• The main character of the show. We first saw Merideth in season 1 as a scatty intern who accidently slept with the new attending, Derek, on the first day.
• Her mother, Ellis Grey, was a fantastic surgeon when Meredith was younger but then began suffering from Alheimer's disease.
• She's not very good at relationships, no matter how hard Derek has tried over the 5 seasons, she is very reluctant to let him in.
• Her best friend is Christina
• She lives in her mothers old house with her fellow residents
• Her father left her when shewas very young and has another family, including Lexie Grey who also works at the hospital
• She also becomes very good friends with George O'Malley, who during season 2 appears to be in love with her and, after large quaantities of alcohol, sleep together. However they decide to put it behind them and just stay friends
• When her mother dies she has a bit of a breakdown and nearly dies. It is uncertain whether she tries to commit suicide, or whether it was an accident. Different people have different ideas.
• After 4 years of being uncertain, meredith decides to let Derek in and be commited to him. She shows her affection by building a house out of candles to show where each of the rooms would be.
• She narrates/voice overs the show on most occcaisions
• Resident

Dr. Christina Yang- Sandra Oh

• 30 approx
• Very determined and hard working
• Set on being a heart surgeon
• Very competitive when it comesa to getting the best surguries-she wont let anybody stand in her way.
• Almost married to top cardio surgeon Dr. Burke, he left her at the alter, and never came back to the show. She was devastated, but seems to have got over it now
• Best friends with Meredith since season 1
• In season 5 she seems to have a crush on new trauma doctor, Dr. Hunt.
• Resident

Dr. George O'Mally- T.R. Knight

• Late 20s
• Had a crush on Meredith in the first and second seasons
• Gets married and then divorced from Dr. Torres
• He fails his residency exam the first time round and is made to go right back to the beginning with the interns, however he convinces the chief to let him re-take the test and he passes.
• He falls for Izzie whilst married to Dr. Torres and tell her that he loves her, he then leaves Callie (Tores) for Izzie but they're friendship was too strong and the relationship was too weird for both George and Izzie. They decide to just be friends
• Currently lives with Lexie Grey, who has a crush on George
• Resident

Dr. Izzie Stephens- Katherine Heigl

• Late 20s
• Lives with Meredith and Alex and Derek
• Izzie is kind and compassionate, often to the extent of getting too emotionally involved, and frequently goes out of her way to help her patients, disregarding rules and protocol if she needs to.
• This happens with Denny, whom she falls for and he propses to her. Unfortunately he dies. She finds out he was a millionaire and has left all his fortunne to him in the form of a cheque for 9 million dollars
• Unsure of what to do with the money the cheque remains on the fridge for several months until she decides to open a free clinic next to the hospital
• She is currently starting a relationship with Alex.
• Resident

Dr. Alex Karev- Justin Chambers

• Lates 20s
• Alex is an eager and competitive intern
• Alex can also be self-absorbed and overconfident; he also only wants to work on cases that he feels are interesting
• Ladies man and sleeps around a lot
• Doesn't mind hurtin peoples feelings and always tells people what he thinks
• After a massive accident at sea he begins treating 'Jane Doe' who has amnesia and no way of knowing who she is. Alex names her Ava and they fall in love
• Unfortunately she becomes very unstable, which can happen to patients with amnesia who have intenship plastic surgery and she has to be admitted to a psychiatric ward.
• He is in a relationship with Izzie Stephens at the moment
• Resident

Dr. Lexie Grey - Chyler Leigh

• mid 20s
• Started as an intern in season 4
• Merideth's half sister by her fathers second marriage
• She has difficulties getting MEredith to bond with her but eventually at the end of season 4 they become friends.
• She sleeps with Alex and want a relationship, but he does not
• She has a crush on george and wants him to notice her.
• Intern

Dr. Derek Shepard - Partick Dempsey

• Neauro surgeon
• Had an affair with Meredith in the first season
• previously married to Addison-they are divorced
• Dating Meredith currently- he wants a committed relationship with herbut she is very relucted
• Former enemy Mark Sloane has now become his friend and his advisor for his women trouble
• He was in the running to become cheif of surgery until richard decided to stay in charge
• He's known as 'McDreamy' to the other younger doctors as he is very handsome with lovely hair
• Attending

Dr. Mark Sloane - Eric Dane

• Used to be best friend with Derek, until he slept with Dereks wife Addison (what he didn't know was that Derek was also having an affair)
• Same age as Derek - the went to school together
• 100% ladies man; alway sleeping with the interns/nurses in the on-call room
• In series 4 he made friends with Derek and they are now really close
• Him and Callie are also friends but 'with benefits'
• He's a plastic surgeon (Head of plastics) also an ENT doctor.
• Attending

Dr. Miranda Bailey - Chandra Wilson

• In charge of all the residents
• Very bossy but with a kind motherly heart
• She's given a lot of responsibility by the Cheif, who thinks she can be a great general surgeon
• She has a son who was born during an episode which involved a bomb scare
• She's very close to George, and named her baby after him after he helped to deliver her baby.
• Dr. Bailey is known for being a compassionate doctor; Bailey stayed by Cristina during her pregnancy scare and her initial recovery and also held Izzie's hand when Izzie was giving bone marrow for her daughter. She cares about her patients and is a committed surgeon.

Dr. Callie Torres

• An orthopedic surgeon
• Daughter of a very wealthy family
• When we first saw her however she was living in the basement of the hospital.
• Used to date and eventually married George O'Malley
• He cheated on her with Izzie, and so she divorced him seeking comfort from Mark
• She now lives with Christina and is embarking in a lesbian relationship with Erica.
• At the end of series 3 she bcame cheif resident, but during her marriage breakdown she couldn't handle it and handed resposibility over to Bailey.
• Resident

Dr. Erica Hahn

• Head of Cardiotherasic surgery at Seattle Grace
• She is a workaholic and she's very professional
• Used to be the rival of Preston burke, and used to work at Mercy West Hospital
• Invovled now with Callie Torres and seems to really like her, but Callie doesn't take it as seriously
• "a kick ass female surgeon"
• She doesn't seem to like Yang very much, and was not keen on teaching her.
• She is leaving the show mid way season 5
• Attending

To be continued... (as there are so many)
As new characters are added i will add them onto the list..

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What's to come...

Over the next few weeks I'm going to be looking at episodes of Grey's Anotomy and how they use each of these things for a certain purpose:

• Representation
• Sound/Music
• Camera Work - movement/ shot types
• Costume
• Lighting
• Body Language
• Location
• Hair and Make-up
• Degree of Realism
• Narrative