Stranger Things Homework- Social groups

How are different social groups represented in the sequence you have analysed? What role does the use of media language, signs and significance have in constructing and presenting these representations as real? 

In stranger things season one, episode one, there are many stereotypical social groups that appear throughout. The Duffer Brother s of who produced and directed stranger things wanted to revolve to series with a 1980's theme therefore the setting, costume, props etc. have intertextuality to some of the most well know TV dramas out there. In addition, the social groups representing have stereotyped objects such as wired telephone, bikes, old cars, old American looking houses etc. Due to stranger things multi strand, fragmented narrative we are introduced and become connected to certain characters in the series, this is due to us as an audience, being exposed to only positive or negative actions from the characters we are controlled to like and hate certain characters as a result. 

The first social group that is represented is the four/ five middle school boys, the present a strong friendship, humour, trust, honesty and a lot of competitiveness. Mike is introduced as the leader of the group of who arranged the dungeon and dragons board game for them all, also in the school the boys sit either side of him and he control conversation as well as having the most screen time out of them all in the first episode. The boys seem to listen and look up to his knowledge and intelligence for someone of his age. The boys are seen as a team as they have a lot of screen time together of which show their support and determination when finding their missing friend will. 

Another representation of high schools friendships and relationships is when we are introduced to Nancy and steve.

Stranger Things- Scene by scene representation

Stranger things

Stranger Things Class notes

Vocabulary:
Narrative Structure 
Message and values
Audience involvement 
Multiple narrative strands.


Narrative:
What is a Narrative?

1. The structure or chain of events in which a story line is told.
2. The narrative structure is carefully considered while writing the screenplay for a drama.
3. It is visually achieved through the editing of different shots together.

Why is narrative important?

The narrative structure chosen directly affects how the audience experiences the story. The way a story is told can provide certain messages and values about who we see and what is being said about a character. 

Narrative Structure:

linear narrative: clear beginning, middle and end. follow and chronological timeline, action a leads to action b which leads to action c etc. 

Fragmented narrative: non-linear and fragmented. no clear beginning, middle and end. similar to how your life works, lots of influences disturbing. The audience have to try harder, concentrate. 

What narrative structure does your chosen TV drama have?
Stranger things employs a fragmented narrative, because right from the beginning, we witness multiple parallel plot lines such as the laboratory, eleven and the boys. We also see non chronological narrative strand in the flashback to Joyce and wills conversation at castle Byers.The fragmented narrative creates enigmas or questions for the audience, who therefore have to work out the connections, ensuring greater audience engagement.

Narrative Types:
Restricted narrative: Experience a story through senses and thoughts of just one character. Always the Main Character. we only find out when the main character finds out.
Omnipresent narrative: a paranoiac, all seeing, view of the world of the story, not just one character view point.helps the audience see a broader background. used for telling stories in which the context, views and feelings of many characters are important.

Stranger Things is an omnipresent narrative provide multiple gratifications for the audience- we can empathise and identity with some characters, while gaining escapism and mystery from others.

Narrative endings: 
closed endings: TV drama traditionally feature one characters story or point of view in an episode, which comes to a resolution at the end of the episode.

Opening endings:

1. when an episode or season ends on a cliff hanger
2. a story telling technique 
3. in films open endings can be unsatisfying for audiences.
4. in long form TV drama open endings indicate there will be a continuation of the story or possibly a resolution in the next episode. 
5. open endings encourage the viewer to continue watching the serial.

TODOROV: EQUILIBRIUM THEORY 

Harmony at the beginning, something goes wrong, change for the better, restore equilibrium. 

equilibrium-disequilibrium-recognition-restore the disruption-new equilibrium

Strauss- Binary oppositions

strauss identified that we understand the world by the relationships that two opposite have together.

he believed that narratives are arranged around conflict of binary oppositions. 

man v women 

good v bad

Stranger Things Episode 1 – Scene by Scene

Scene Name	Screengrab	What happens	Key features and terms - DISTINCT and camera, editing, mise en scene, sound, themes	Meaning - why, how?
Opening Scene – Hawkins Laboratory		●        Scientist running down corridor ●        Gets into the lift to escape ●        Scientist snatched by unknown thing	●        Flashing lights ●        Centre shot of a closed metal door ●        Slow paced music at the beginning with the same speed to getting a close up of the door ●        Comes into contact with Hawkins fast pace. Loud, many noises and distractions	●        To build tension, curiosity ●        Danger and a sense of seclusion ●        Tension build once again, increases the suspense
Boys playing Dungeons and Dragons		●        Mike is the DM and introduces the Demogorgon ●        The boys try to ‘fight it’ by rolling a dice to attack with a fireball	●        Emphasis on the game characters, louder noises when anything hits the table ●        Theme song starts to play showing a relation of this scene	●        Showing their friendship bond ●        Loud music to engage significant parts of the game.
Mike talks with his mother		●        Game took ten hours ●        Disinterest of the mother ●        Ignored by the father	●        Low angle shot to show power ●        Off the shoulder angle to clearly see who’s talk. ●        1980 fashion, middle class potentially working. ●        Theme song still playing in the background	●        To show mikes relationship with his parents.
Boys find the dice		●        Boys find the dice – Will is ‘got’ by the Demogorgon ●        Encouraged to lie	●        Dark lighting ●        Boy moving quickly to get out	●        Creates a spooky atmosphere
Dustin goes to Nancy		●        Nancy is on the phone to Barb ●        Dustin attempts to offer pizza ●        Nancy slams the door	●        Another over the shoulder camera shot to show their conversation between each other. ●        Theme song still playing throughout	●        Nancy is uninterested, and considered as rude. Concludes an audience opinion of her.
Cycling home		●        Flickering porch lights ●        Will says “the Demogorgon, it got me” ●        Will cycles off alone and falls from his bike – he is pursued	●        long camera shot of the boys riding in the distance coming closer to the camera. ●        Music of theme song gets louder ●        When following byer on his bike the music cuts and plays spooky music, majestic sounds	●        To focus our eye on bryer and what’s going on around him
Byers’s home		●        Chased through the house ●        Silhouette of the Demogorgon at the window ●        Telephone not working ●        Will pursued to the shed where he is taken by the unseen monster	●        Close ups of bryer ●        Rattling music ●        Mix with fast and slow edit and camera movement ●        A lot of zooming in and out to gain focus on a subject	●        To express emotion felt. Increasing the viewers interest
Opening Credits		●        Red font ●        Minor key increasing tempo music	●        Fading editing ●        Zoom in on a letter at the end ●        Black background, emergence	●        Red representing danger, angry possibly blood ●        White representing emptiness, blank space with no information.
Hopper’s Home		●        Hopper waking up and getting ready ●        Cigarettes, alcohol and prescription drugs	●        Tv weather in the background, ●        Messy room, unorganised negative representation of hopper ●        Hopper outside smoking, peaceful surroundings	●        Shown this to make an opinion on if he’s good policeman, unreliable.
Byer’s Home		●        Joyce Byers also getting ready ●        Jonathan Byers cooking breakfast ●        Joyce Byers ringing Mike's mum	●        Long length camera shots, showing the surroundings we saw when will went missing. ●        Close up camera shots with wills mum on the phone re-creating when will was on the phone asking for help. Before he got taken.	●        Suspension as we know he’s milling whereas the character knows less, feeling synthetic and engrossed wanted to find out exactly where he has disappeared to, just like the parents.
Middle School		●        Boys confronted by bullies ●        Will noticed to be missing	●        Wide angle shot ●        Characters walking towards the camera. ●        Over the shoulder camera shot ●        Slow editing ●        No theme songs or noises in the background
High School		●        Nancy and Barb talking dating ●        Nancy and Steve talking about tests and studying ●        Nancy and Steve in the bathroom
Police Station		●        Local police offices – Powell and Callaghan ●        Hopper interacts with his colleagues
Joyce and Hopper		●        Talking about Will’s absence ●        Hopper’s local knowledge ●        Joyce’s concern for her son
Hawkins Lab		●        Dr Brenner’s first appearance ●        Changing into Haz-Mat suits and arming themselves ●        Upside Down portal
Benny’s Diner		●        11 arrives at Benny’s diner and steals food ●        Is caught by Benny
Middle School		●        Teacher introducing the AV Club ●        Boys talking to the teacher ●        Interviewed by Hopper
Castle Byers		●        Flashback to Joyce and Will talking ●        Back to present and he isn’t here
Benny’s Diner		●        Discussion with Eleven and her lack of speech ●        Benny phones ‘social services’ ●        Eleven reveals her powers ●
woods		●        Searching for Will Byers in the woods ●        Discovery of Will’s bike
Hawkins Lab		●        People listening on local telephone conversations ●        Implication that they are listening to Benny
Byer’s House		●        Joyce Byers ringing ex-husband ●        Hopper brings Will's bike to the Byers household ●        Hopper checks the shed
Mike’s House		●        Mike’s house at the dinner table ●        Different family relationships
Woods		●        Night search for Will Byers ●        Hopper’s daughter discovered
Boys Houses		●        Discussion on walkie-talkies ●        Plans to find Will ●        Setting off on bikes
Nancy’s Room		●        Steve sneaking into Nancy’s room ●        Study cards ●        Kissing
Benny’s Diner		●        Female ‘social worker’ arrives ●        Benny is shot ●        Eleven is pursued and escapes ●        Attacks the two government officials
Woods		●        Boys looking for Will
Nancy’s Room		●        Moved from studying to kissing ●        Nancy argues with Steve ●        Nancy throws Steve out
Byer’s Home		●        Joyce and Jonathan Byers reminiscing ●        Will Byers? On the telephone
Woods		●        Boys discover Eleven