Summer Project 2018


Watch the following Science Fiction TV drama clips and write an NCIS analysis of each one:

1) Doctor Who: Amy Pond meets Amelia Pond


The story is communicated to the audience through the dialogue and actions of the characters on the screen. For example, the exchange of "left a message in my head like an answerphone" shows the audience that this is clearly a science-fiction show, and leaves an enigma for the audience, as they will want to find out what the message is for and why it's in her head in the first place. A threat (the Dalek) appears towards the end of the excerpt, so audiences might become curious as to the outcome of the following scenes. At the beginning of the clip, the young girl can be seen walking through a closed and quiet museum, which shows us the equilibrium of the scene. The box is then opened and a threat, the Dalek, is awoken, this gives us our disequilibrium. The scene then ends on this disequilibrium, leaving the audience with the mystery of what happens next, inviting them to watch more. The characters in this extract are relatable to the audience since there is a young teenage character, which younger audiences can relate to. There is a woman who could be relatable for the older viewers. In this particular clip, the Hero of the scene could be considered the man who appears towards the end of the extract, since he saves the two girls from the villain, the Dalek. The girls could both be considered the heroines since they are rescued by the Doctor. They could also be seen as the sidekick, as they escape with the Hero. The scene has a robot character, which is a familiar character found in the science-fiction genre.
Additionally, the lighting in the excerpt is mainly of blue and white hues, which are features associated with science-fiction. The central detail of the scene is the large black box in the centre of the room, and it appears other-worldly through the clockwork-like engraving and bright green hue that it shines in, emphasising the fact that this cinematic world is based in one of science-fiction. The entire extract is set in a museum, which is associated with science and intelligence, clearly communicating to the audience that it is a science-fiction show. The audience may get the gratifications of Entertainment, and Social Interaction, since the scene has a clear narrative with an enigma, entertaining the audience as well as encouraging them to want to learn whether the characters will survive or not.

2) Humans Series 2 Trailer



The clip communicates the story to its audience through the actions and dialogue of its characters. For example, the people with green iris' are dehumanised and referred to as objects instead of people, clearly showing the audience that these characters are not human, emphasising the show's genre of science-fiction. The scene begins in equilibrium, with John in the shop, waiting to purchase a "Synthetic". Then we are led into a disequilibrium when a montage of these Synthetics is shown, with the "acting up" and straying from their original tasks. The clip then ends on a false equilibrium, with one of the Synthetics saying a line that could seem ominous. The characters in this show are made to be relatable to the audience since they are put into normal, mundane situations that are only different due to the "Synthetics", for example in a care-home, which many audience members will have family or relatives in. This excerpt leaves a lot of ambiguity as to the character types of each character. The humans could be seen as the father figure since they are the ones who purchase and keep the "Synthetics", the could also be seen as the Heroines since the "Synthetics" are usually there to help them or look after them. The humans could also be interpreted as the villains since the could be seen as oppressing the "Synthetics". The "Synthetics" could also be seen as multiple character types; they could be seen as Hero's since they have to help the humans. They could be interpreted as Donors since they look after and provide for the humans; the "Synthetics" could be seen as Villains to the humans since they're seen as stealing their jobs and dangerous when they malfunction. Some of the "Synthetics" subvert stereotypes of AI since they display human emotions. The cast of the TV Show is also very diverse with many actors of a range of ethnicity. The show has both powerful women and men, subverting the stereotype that women are weak.
The "Synthetics" have unnaturally green eyes, which shows the audience that they are not normal humans. The "Synthetics" don't blink, which emphasises the fact that they're "robots". Also, the show takes place in a range of locations, some of which include very futuristic and dystopian settings, which emphasises the science-fiction genre the show is based in.

3) Stranger Things: Goodbye Mike



The clip communicates the story to its audience through the actions of the characters on the screen. By having the characters act in such a desperate way when the monsters arrive, the audience is made to understand the dangers they face. Additionally, the characters use a "Wrist Rocket" to attack a monster that is seemingly unaffected by the weapon, to only have it suddenly fly across the classroom due to a girl's actions emphasises both how powerful Eleven is and, how weak the boys are in comparison. The beginning of the scene is in an Equilibrium, but this is swiftly made into Disequilibrium when the monster appears. After Eleven disintegrates the beast, the excerpt returns to a New Equilibrium, only without Eleven or the creature. The main character, Eleven is a powerful girl, which allows a female audience to relate to the character.
Additionally, all of the characters in this show are considered "geeks", which could make more "nerdy" audiences relate to their characters. As well as this, the entire show is based in the 1980s which could allow older audiences to connect to the characters. In this excerpt, Eleven could be considered the Hero, since she saves the boys from the Demogorgon. The boys could be regarded as both the Heroines and Sidekicks since they try to protect the hero character and then they need protecting. The Demogorgon is the villain since it poses a threat to the protagonists. Eleven subverts stereotypes since she is female, but she is also the most capable character, showing us that women can do anything that a man can do. Also, she is very young, subverting the stereotype that children are weak.
The flickering lighting that is prominent throughout the excerpt enforces the genre of the show since harsh white lighting is a common characteristic of the Science-Fiction genre and the flickering lights are a staple of the horror genre. The Demogorgon emphasises a Science-FIction genre since it looks otherworldly and unnatural. Eleven has blood coming from her nose and ears, and blood is a characteristic of the horror genre, emphasising the Sci-Fi Horror genre of the show. Finally, the entire scene is set in a science classroom, which clearly highlights the Science-FIction genre of the show. By setting the excerpt in a 1980s science classroom, the audience is given a sense of nostalgia because a majority of the consumers will have studied in classes like that. The audience may get the gratifications of Entertainment, Personal Identity and Social Interaction.


Written By Aishwarya Odedra















































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