Analysis of Television Drama
Analysis of Television Drama
In television drama technical codes and conventions are used by the director to structure the specific text. Such codes are well applied in the serial television drama Alias. A modern, government conspiracy styled show that follows the adventures of Sydney Briston, a young girl who works as a double agent for the American government. In Alias, audio, visual and technical effects are used along with dialogue to shape the plot, themes and genre of the text. Director, J.J.Abrams, has used these conventions and technical codes to make Alias the visually stimulating and mentally intriguing drama that it is.
If sound is said to be the symphony of the emotions then truly music plays a key part in this universal orchestra. Music has the ability to alter our mood, change our point of view and compel us to think, act, and respond a certain way. In Alias music is used to tell the story and strengthen the already deep mood of this drama. At certain times the music dives to slow synthesised violin suspense, at other times it can lift the intense political mood to show hope and love in a romantic dulcet tune. Then, contrary to the mood of before, change to a hard hitting crescendo that leads into a cacophonous piece of music raising the action to optimum level. Music is alive and well in television today and simply, our warped TV minds cannot do with out it. As we watch Alias star Jennifer Garner (Sydney), run from the mental institute we listen to cinematic music at its purest. Violins capture a heartbeat as we hold or breath to see what will happen next. We are then prey to this subconscious susceptibility again when Sydney’s roommate Terri watches her boyfriend Shaun; sing live, a love song to her. We are turned around from the ‘evil’ conspiracy her friend Sydney lives amongst by a lighter melody that lulls us into an entirely different mood. All thanks to the technical wizardry of dramatic music.
Along side this indispensable factor of music comes the emotionally charged fury of dramatic dialogue. Televised drama cannot exist with out it and nor would it want to. In a unique way the director, J.J Abrams, uses dialogue to portray four main things; Dispense vast quantities of information that form the story line, continuously refer to past events that lure us into...