TV Drama Still - Reflections on Practical

My TV Drama Still 

Our brief was to create a series of still images based on a specific genre of TV Drama. We began our thought process by ruling out any genres that would leave the brief unfulfilled due to unrealistic and unavailable props, locations, time and characters; all of which are crucial for allowing the audience to accurately identify the genre. This immediately ruled out genres such as sci-fi, docu-dramas and international dramas. This process led us to choose the genre of crime and we began location scouting and planning our stills. We created a basic storyboard to show the composition of our still images and the actors within it, which is shown below.

My chosen still was a landscape mid-shot. It features two characters; one pressed forcefully against a wall with a negative facial expression. He is holding a gun and is wearing dark clothing with golden and bulky jewellery to help play to typical stereotypes of criminals on screen. The second character looks more dominant and in control of the situation as he is holding the gun against the wall, rendering it useless, and holding the first characters head against the wall also - constricting movement and asserting dominance. All of these typical conventions help the audience to identify the genre of the TV Drama Still. 

I wanted my still image to allow the audience to decode the genre and convey key themes of the genre and wider narrative. The still is a mid-shot, allowing the audience to see all the information acting as genre signifiers, yet not showing everything in the setting to convey a sense of enigma. The mid-shot also allows the audience to see the facial expressions of both characters, letting the audience feel a part of the action and included within the action. The gun, dark clothing, bling, urban setting and position in frame and against the wall allow the audience to decipher the semic codes. The clear conflict between the two characters and power struggle within the still, help to spike the audience's interest and help to communicate clear themes typical of the genre. 

This still successfully conveys the key themes and aspects of the genre. It interests the audience by using characters, composition and mise-en-scene to portray a feeling of conflict and struggle - typical of the chosen genre. If I were to repeat this activity, I would put the camera closer to the characters - creating a medium close-up composition. This would increase emphasis on both characters facial expressions and would create a greater sense of enigma and mystery; which are both key conventions of the crime genre. It would also make the still seem more intimate - increasing the audience's empathy towards the situation and the characters in the wider narrative. 

Our group storyboard used for planning and
shooting our stills.