Stranger Things Narrative and Genre
1. What are the formal codes and conventions of Long-Form TV Drama?
-episodes
-plot twists
-few main characters
-cliff hangers
2. How similar or different are the formal conventions used in Stranger Things?
Stranger Things follows the codes and conventions even in the first episode as we are introduced to the main characters and we are left at the end of the episode on a cliff hanger as the boys meet '11' in the forest.
3. How does this help to develop the genre and the way in which audiences respond (positively or negatively) to long form TV dramas? The genres of the set texts for example, Stranger Things as a Science Fiction/Horror hybrid genre drama or Deutschland 83 as a Spy Thriller genre drama.
4. What codes and conventions are used to help audiences recognise their genre?
Different genres have different codes and conventions, this helps people recognise what genre of movie they are watching, this can sometimes be spotted on front covers of films as the colours used and the setting can show what the film will be like, for example, if a front cover is mainly using dark colours like black and grey and it shows an old house or abandoned building or anything which could lead to something bad happening its most likely a horror.
5. How may these two set products contribute to changes or developments within the genre in their current form?
6. What similarities and/or differences are there between the genres in Stranger Things? How do these help to popularise the form?
The two main genres in Stranger Things are; horror and sci-fi. The reason its a horror is because of the thing that's going around taking people like Will Byers it gives a sense of the horror genre as before it takes Will you can see the outline of it coming towards him through fog in the dark, this is typical convention of the horror genre. The creature taking people is also what makes it sci-fi as at the very start of the first episode you can see it escape from a science lab not before taking a scientist, also one of the characters 'eleven' has what seems to be mind controlling powers as we see her in the diner stop a fan by just looking at it. Although horror and sci-fi are very different genres they manage to mix the two together well as.
Narrative:
1. How is the episode, and the way the events unfold within it, structured?
It seems like theres a couple different storylines to follow and there are a lot of different characters to follow and worry about, for example, the episode starts with a 'creature' getting released from a science lab after killing a man, then straight after we are introduced to the group of boys (main characters) so it gives the sense that the boys and this creature are bound to meet later on, then a few minutes later one of the boys gets taken by the creature, this sets off the storyline for the group of boys going out to find their friend against all odds. Another story line is one of the boys sister and her relationship with Steve, and the other storyline is to do with the girl 'eleven' who is more of a mysterious character as we don't know much about her other than she escaped from the science lab and she has some sort of mind control.
2. How does the episode begin and finish?
The episode begins with a man, who seems to be a scientist in his lab running away from something which we don't get to see at the start, he ends up running into an elevator until there is no sound and we are left in a tense silence, the scene ends with the creature getting into the elevator from above so we are left wondering what happened to him, whether he was taken or killed we are not sure. The episode ends with the groups of boys who are looking for will (who was earlier taken by the creature) in a forest, the clip ends after the boys find 'eleven' who stumbled across them in the forest after getting chased away by the people from the science lab.
3. What are the story beats* between the beginning and end of the episode?
*Story beats are the points of action upon which you hang your basic story. When you connect the actual individual action points, they build up to story, like a puzzle. These are the story moments that are the X happens, and then Y happens… and then Z happens… and on.
4. How is the pace set by the narrative structure and the events as they unfold? Does this support or challenge the narrative conventions of the genre?
5. Are there multiple story-lines and how are these set up within the narrative structure? What are the benefits of multiple story-lines?
Multiple story lines allows people to get to know the characters and gain emotion when things happen to them, for example, we in Stranger Things we get the storyline of the boys and a storyline of Nancy and Steve, this shows us different sides/ views to what is happening to the characters and in the town.
6. How can these help to develop the media form of Long Form TV Drama?
7. How can these additional story-lines attract an audience?
Having so many different storylines means that different people are attracted to watch, if people don't like watching box sets about couples and relationships they watch something else, however in Stranger Things there are different storylines such as following the group of boys trying to find their friend while defeating the creature, while this is happening one of the boys sisters (Nancy) is starting a relationship with a boy named Steve so people get different people to follow.
8. How effective is this structure in the way in which it communicates multiple meanings? Refer to examples from Stranger Things.
9. How does the chosen narrative structure help reinforce the genre conventions (science-fiction/horror) of the product?
-episodes
-plot twists
-few main characters
-cliff hangers
2. How similar or different are the formal conventions used in Stranger Things?
Stranger Things follows the codes and conventions even in the first episode as we are introduced to the main characters and we are left at the end of the episode on a cliff hanger as the boys meet '11' in the forest.
3. How does this help to develop the genre and the way in which audiences respond (positively or negatively) to long form TV dramas? The genres of the set texts for example, Stranger Things as a Science Fiction/Horror hybrid genre drama or Deutschland 83 as a Spy Thriller genre drama.
4. What codes and conventions are used to help audiences recognise their genre?
Different genres have different codes and conventions, this helps people recognise what genre of movie they are watching, this can sometimes be spotted on front covers of films as the colours used and the setting can show what the film will be like, for example, if a front cover is mainly using dark colours like black and grey and it shows an old house or abandoned building or anything which could lead to something bad happening its most likely a horror.
5. How may these two set products contribute to changes or developments within the genre in their current form?
6. What similarities and/or differences are there between the genres in Stranger Things? How do these help to popularise the form?
The two main genres in Stranger Things are; horror and sci-fi. The reason its a horror is because of the thing that's going around taking people like Will Byers it gives a sense of the horror genre as before it takes Will you can see the outline of it coming towards him through fog in the dark, this is typical convention of the horror genre. The creature taking people is also what makes it sci-fi as at the very start of the first episode you can see it escape from a science lab not before taking a scientist, also one of the characters 'eleven' has what seems to be mind controlling powers as we see her in the diner stop a fan by just looking at it. Although horror and sci-fi are very different genres they manage to mix the two together well as.
Narrative:
1. How is the episode, and the way the events unfold within it, structured?
It seems like theres a couple different storylines to follow and there are a lot of different characters to follow and worry about, for example, the episode starts with a 'creature' getting released from a science lab after killing a man, then straight after we are introduced to the group of boys (main characters) so it gives the sense that the boys and this creature are bound to meet later on, then a few minutes later one of the boys gets taken by the creature, this sets off the storyline for the group of boys going out to find their friend against all odds. Another story line is one of the boys sister and her relationship with Steve, and the other storyline is to do with the girl 'eleven' who is more of a mysterious character as we don't know much about her other than she escaped from the science lab and she has some sort of mind control.
2. How does the episode begin and finish?
The episode begins with a man, who seems to be a scientist in his lab running away from something which we don't get to see at the start, he ends up running into an elevator until there is no sound and we are left in a tense silence, the scene ends with the creature getting into the elevator from above so we are left wondering what happened to him, whether he was taken or killed we are not sure. The episode ends with the groups of boys who are looking for will (who was earlier taken by the creature) in a forest, the clip ends after the boys find 'eleven' who stumbled across them in the forest after getting chased away by the people from the science lab.
3. What are the story beats* between the beginning and end of the episode?
*Story beats are the points of action upon which you hang your basic story. When you connect the actual individual action points, they build up to story, like a puzzle. These are the story moments that are the X happens, and then Y happens… and then Z happens… and on.
4. How is the pace set by the narrative structure and the events as they unfold? Does this support or challenge the narrative conventions of the genre?
5. Are there multiple story-lines and how are these set up within the narrative structure? What are the benefits of multiple story-lines?
Multiple story lines allows people to get to know the characters and gain emotion when things happen to them, for example, we in Stranger Things we get the storyline of the boys and a storyline of Nancy and Steve, this shows us different sides/ views to what is happening to the characters and in the town.
6. How can these help to develop the media form of Long Form TV Drama?
7. How can these additional story-lines attract an audience?
Having so many different storylines means that different people are attracted to watch, if people don't like watching box sets about couples and relationships they watch something else, however in Stranger Things there are different storylines such as following the group of boys trying to find their friend while defeating the creature, while this is happening one of the boys sisters (Nancy) is starting a relationship with a boy named Steve so people get different people to follow.
8. How effective is this structure in the way in which it communicates multiple meanings? Refer to examples from Stranger Things.
9. How does the chosen narrative structure help reinforce the genre conventions (science-fiction/horror) of the product?
Ensure that this is completed please Luke, also try and apply the narrative terms that we have learnt it class: equilibrium, resolution, disruption etc.
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