Life in East Germany in the 80s

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Stranger Things Essay

What meanings are creates in the sequence you have studied and what do they tell us about the narrative, character development and genre?

Long form TV drama’s (LFTVD) use a variety of different devices of media language in order to create meanings for their narrative, character development and genre. One of the most important conventions of LFTVD is that they are produced over many episodes and series which allows the audience to begin to form a relationship with the characters and as a result of this emotional attachment have a need to continue to watch the show. In addition to this, LFTVD uses a numerous multiple narrative strand which helps to keep audiences invested as they have to focus on many different storylines that eventually come together over the course of the series. Furthermore, streaming services that take on these LFTVD such as Stranger Things, allow directors to me more niche and specific with their content and as a result they are able to provide shows that have more specific genre’s such as: sci-fi, family drama and coming of age.

In the sequence that we have studied we see that multiple narrative strands are presented to us throughout the sequence and they appear to all intertwine into a cliff hanger at the conclusion of the first episode. We see an example of this where there are multiple scenes happening simultaneously such as: the diner scene with Benny and Eleven, Joyce and Jonathon preparing ‘missing’ leaflets, and the boys planning the search for Will. This is important because it shows how all the different narrative strands have relevance to each other and that the audience will have to follow the rest of the series in order to understand how the narrative links together. Subsequently, this creates the mystery narrative because it is unusual for the secret service, young children and the supernatural all to be linked within one show which is attractive for the audience. In particular the narrative strand of the off the mysterious supernatural creature in the scene where we see them preparing posters for the search for Will. For example, the extreme close-up and panning shot of the yellow phone falling after it has been electrocuted coupled with the on-screen diegetic sound of a mysterious creature breathing down the phone helps to create meaning for the audience. It does so as it signifies the first contact between Will and his mother as well as confirming the audience’s suspicions that the supernatural was the reason for Will’s disappearance. In addition to this the yellow phone juxtaposes the brown design of the set and costumes which shows the audience how important that the phone will be in episodes of the LFTVD to come.

We are also shown many different developments in the characters we are introduced to during this short sequence which helps the audience to associate themselves with the characters. Firstly, we are introduced to a few relationships that will be significant over the course of the LFTVD, the use of the jump-cut of Nancy and Steve helps us to see the proximity between the two. As the pair move closer together in the warm lighting (with the contrapuntal music of Africa by Toto) the jump-cuts are made quicker and we are made aware of their intimacy and sexual intentions that they may possess, all of which is happening at the same time as others are trying to find Will which creates a negative representation of the two characters early on. Also, the use of the diegetic dialogue spoken by Benny: “you don’t sound the same as you did on the phone” shortly before Connie shoots Benny shows us how the secret service and government officials are at the centre of mystery for all the characters in the show. In addition to this, the low angle of the group of government officials entering the diner shows how they exert their power over the civilians and makes us, as members of the audience, fear them and what they are capable of.

Another important meaning that is created within this sequence is the identification of genre that is created through the use of media language. In this sequence, there are large amounts of non-diegetic instrumental music used throughout that increases in volume at certain points such as when Connie shoots Benny or when the boys are beginning the search for Will and come across Eleven for the first time. In particular the scenes in which Eleven is involved the music seems to be most prominent which seems to further suggest that she is the supernatural being that relates to the sci-fi genre in which the show orientates itself. Furthermore, the special effects that are used when the phone gets electrocuted during the first contact between Joyce and Will shows the lightning and electricity that will become very important, the use of special effects helps us to understand the fictional, supernatural and scientific genre of the show. In addition to this we are shown how mysterious this LFTVD is when the gun shot goes off in the diner and the camera quickly zooms from a long-shot to a close up of Eleven, where we see the panic and worry in her facial expressions. This helps us to understand that Eleven is a focal point for mystery and supernatural themes within the show and helps the audience to focus on how her character will develop to help us understand this meaning.

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