Witnesses

Created by: hoperosedavis
Created on: 09-06-19 14:40

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Witnesses
- Context
  - Cultural phenomenon - early 21st century = first time TV series not in English language = part of mainstream UK broadcasting
  - Dominated by crime genre = key form exploring social & cultural context
  - Series used theme & genre to explore - society's fear of/desire for violence, social isolation & changing gender roles
  - Debate - representation of violence against women = controversial & part of political context
- Narrative
  - Enigma
    - Who is leaving the bodies?
    - Sandra & Paul backstory?
  - Binary oppositions
    - Sandra & Paul - male authority vs female authority, good vs evil
  - Barthes
    - Action code
      - Placing of bodies -> implies chase to find culprit
    - Referential code
      - Playing on fear of crime - specifically murder
  - Why are crime dramas attractive?
    - Represent crimes not happening in real life
      - Need for true crime - diversion from mundane everyday life containing no crime
  - Todorov
    - Disruption - bodies found in house - disrupts equilibrium of narrative
    - Recognition - detectives recognise the disorder happened & need to repair
    - Repair - detectives attempt to repair disorder crime caused to narrative & equilibrium - solve enigma = who done it?
    - New equilibrium - solve the crime - equilibrium restored from disruption
      - Is there a new equilibrium?
        Series = crime continues - yet to be restored
  - Genre
    - Crime, psychological drama
    - TV mini - series = shorter, equilibrium often solved > series = seasons/different equilibriums
    - Whys is society drawn to crime genre?
      - 24/7 news cycle
      - Fascination with evil
      - Trying to solve mystery
      - Living in world = rapid social, political, economic & technological change
        True crime comforts - assure that long held ideas about how world works = still useful
    - Neale
      - Repetition
        Isolated setting
        
        Enigma
        
        Villain/killer
        
        Propp character types - detective etc
        
        Todorov - disruption at beginning
        
        Binary oppositions - life vs death
      - Difference
        Conflict between main characters
        
        Representation
        Woman = detective (not victim/sexualised)
        Reflect society
        
        Psychological drama
        Internal battle & struggle
        Relationships, personal lives
        Audience invested in personal life > just crime
- Industry
  - Walter Presents & Kudos Productions
    - Responsible for on demand - distributed Witnesses
    - Kudos - producing content for big channels (BBC, Channel 4)
  - PSB
    - BBC - diversity/appreciation of the arts
      - Different forms of dramas
  - Convergence & new technology
    - Distribution
      - Different networks - Channel 4, Netflix, France 2, La Une, BBC 4
      - Netflix - streaming platform (new tech - convergence)
      - Across different networks - show need & appeal internationally
  - Hesmondhalgh
    - Gain audiences through vertical integration
      - Distribution - BBC = British & France based companies, France 2
    - Uses codes & conventions from popular crime genre
    - Operate across number different cultural industries
      - France 2, Netflix, Channel 4, BBC
- Representation
  - Gender
    - Stereotypes
      - Women = maternal, mother, nurturing (Sandra & daughter)
      - Man = detective - dominance (Conflict between Paul & Sandra = result of challenging stereotypes)
    - Men
      - Paul - victimised by injury (walking stick) - show weakness
    - Women
      - Opening credits - Sandra by self - independence - take active role (opening door)
      - Sandra = detective - assuming male role & traits in being dominant & superior (position in the force)
  - Violence - desensitisation
    - Yes
      - Cultivation theory - more audiences see violence on screen = more normalised
      - Mean world syndrome - audience view crime drama as reflection of society & real world
      - Demand for true crime/high profile - audience become desensitised to visual presentation
    - No
      - Violence = exaggerated/dramatised for audience needs
        Uses & grats - diversion/escapism from everyday life
        Audience used to everyday crime = high profile/ true crime = change
      - Assume everyone take passive reading
        Reception theory - preferred - what extent producer mirror/reflect reality?
  - Van Zoonen
    - Female body = object of desire
      - Sandra shower scene
      - Body as tool of strength in occupation
    - Male body = spectacle
      - Paul's body used to show weakness of character - not conform to stereotypes
        Body used to show strength of character - resilience - show power
  - Bell Hooks
    - Patriarchy
      - Male dominated police force
        Witnesses =shows struggle by female characters to end sexist/patriarchal oppression in public sphere
        Still prevalent in private sphere - husband cheating
- Audience
  - How would an audience be able to access Witnesses?
    - Television - BBC, Channel 4, France 2
    - Streaming - Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu
  - Contemporary issues reflected in Witnesses
    - Adultery
    - Crime
    - Oppression of the patriarchy - women's struggle to be recognised within that society
      - Having to take on traditional male role (detective) to be recognised in society & treated equally = oppressive
  - Cultivation theory
    - Values represented in society = change views in society
      - Women's representation & role in the public sphere (taking on mans role = detective)
    - Can representation of ideologies & values impact attitudes of society?
      - Yes
        Become normalised in society
        
        Audiences take on preferred reading
      - No
        Becomes a stereotype
        
        Become desensitised - need for new representation
        
        Assumes audience = preferred/passive reading
        May not have impact on all audiences - take oppositional reading
  - Hall
    - Preferred
      - Appreciate Witnesses attempt at representing a powerful female figure within the public domain
        Balance between her public & private life - audience interested in both
    - Negociated
      - Appreciate representation in public sphere
        Private sphere = stereotyped by role as mother & oppression of adultery
    - Oppositional
      - May think Sandra = oppressed by Paul & husband - duty of care for daughter
How would an audience be able to access Witnesses?
- Television - BBC, Channel 4, France 2
- Streaming - Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu

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Witnesses

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