I will be researching into what goes into an opening and therefore get ideas into what can go into my own,
identifying their codes and conventions, differences and similarities and their restrictions. This was the first opening
that I have found that represents a children's TV drama. What I liked about this title sequence is the use of shapes
that over lap and are also used as windows to show the actors names.
Also, having the different shapes and objects flying around shows that the program will be of a younger generation,
for example a football and skateboard are shown to symbolise that the program is targeted at a younger audience.
Saved by the bell was released in 1989 in the USA, aimed at a young teenage audience, from about 13 years old to
about 16 years old. This era of time is shown through the conventions that are used in this opening,
for example the bright colours', the 80's were all about being bright and bold, and for the younger generation it was
all about having scruffy big hair and wearing baggy colourful clothing, which again is shown when seeing the
characters in this introduction. So if I were to make my title sequence of a certain era, I would have to research
upon that era and use stereotypical symbolic objects etc. to represent that it is set in that particular time.
This title sequence uses bubbly, happy music, therefore creating a fun, energetic vibe, the editing also fits in with this
throughout the whole extract, therefore targeting their specific younger children audience. Mid-shots of the actors are
used and all of them are shown individually, centralising each of them to show their significance and this will engage the
audience straight away and let them relate to a certain or numerous amount of characters. The extract uses clips from
past episodes to introduce each character, therefore again reinforcing the engagement of the audience. Each character
has a different personality, the men in this particular extract are more out there, funny, active, while the women characters
are more conserved, representing the social stereotypes, that women are more mature whilst men are more immature.
The use of flying objects of footballs, skateboards, surf shorts, convertable cars, guitars, shows what at the time the
program is set, a typical teenager liked, as if it were set in a more modern time, the objects shown would most probably
be things like televisions, computers, mobile phones as we live in a technological age. Also, the sunglasses graphic
stays centralised on screen as it then establishes setting, of it being in a school, which then shows that each character
has a role, for example male characters in a school will probably include a nerd, bully, or class clown, whilst females
will probably take the roles of shy girl. bossy girl or the straight A student, and maybe if the program is aimed at a teenage
audience, like 'Saved by the Bell' will have the pretty popular girl everyone wants to be like or be with. If I chose to
use graphics and drawings in my own piece, representing my own characters for my piece, I would have to use the
more modern objects that I have listed. On the screen, this would make my title sequence more interesting and
make it more recognisable that it is aimed at children and maybe more appealing to watch from the audiences perspective.
Book reference of research : - Teaching TV Drama by Jeremy Points.
I found from using this book that there are certain conventions used that will keep an audience watching,
for example 'Doctor Who' will use for it's mise en scene CGI effects as it is a drama that is based on time travel,
therefore based in a futuristic time where he can travel through any galaxy. which means the audience
will expect aliens and other odd creations of a different world as this is what will attract the audience to watch it.
Keeping the main character, the doctor, engaging also is important, there will be an expected costume for him
to wear as this will match his personality, scruffy clothing, red converses, messy hair. An expectancy of a
narrative of good versus evil is also common in TV dramas, this has been used in children's TV dramas,
but are normally of a much milder problem than on a normal TV drama. Also a love interest or story are used in
TV dramas, again I have seen this been used in children's TV drama, but is an innocent narrative usually used
where the character is liking the person from afar. Representations of females and males are normally stereotypical,
women being the inferior sex whilst the males dominate, in a children's TV drama a stereotype for a girl can be varied
as different roles can be given because of the environment they are in, for example if the children's TV drama was
based in a school, there would be a nerdy girl, a bossy girl, a shy girl. This is the same with males, there would be
a nerdy boy, a stupid boy, the class bully is normally played by a butch young boy, and the class clown. I would
have to include stereotypes into my own piece depending on the environment I decide to base my title sequence on
and if I decide on including real kids into my title sequence.
