Communications Question

Post ID: 2981795

Overview

😃 First essay( 2,000 and 2,500 words)

You will conduct a close analysis of an episode from our shared ‘core text’ (True Detective, season 2). An assignment sheet, including all details is attached under here and and under Rubrics. Feel free to read through examples from the How to Watch Television book not covered in class. Remember to develop a clear argument about how the episode and/or particular scenes work, and what about it is interesting or remarkable, i.e., why should the reader care about this episode and/or series?

Conduct a close analysis of an episode from our shared ‘core text’, True Detective, season 2. In order to perform successfully your analysis, please discuss in your mid-term paper the characteristics of the series and/or the episode of your choice outlined below. Note that you are NOT required to do external research in order to answer the guiding questions for your analysis. I expect that your writing will be rooted in personal engagement and observations while viewing the series as well as in the required readings on the syllabus. You can choose as your reference style APA, Chicago and MLA. Remember to stay consistent with one citation style throughout the paper. The word limit for your essay analysis is between 2,000 and 2,500 words. Remember to develop a clear argument about how the episode and/or particular scenes work, and what about it is interesting or remarkable, i.e. why should the reader care about this episode and/or series?

a) What type of television show is True Detective? How does it conform to and, simultaneously, expand the definition of a crime series? Is this a show, which explores universal topics of social significance (cultural forum) or an ideologically driven entertainment (hegemony)?
b) What are the physical characteristics of the episode you’ve chosen to analyze: music, narration, colour, action, sound effects, etc.
c) Note how camera angles, lighting, music, narration, and/or editing contribute to creating an atmosphere in this show. What is the mood or tone of the film and how do the producers use the above to create that mood?
d) How does True Detective as a text, and your episode in particular, signify the changes occurring in the construction of TV narratives in the post network era? Do you find these changes appealing to you as a viewer/consumer of TV texts?
e) How is gender constructed—are the male & female characters doing stereotypically gendered things? Are they doing atypical gendered things? Is there any character that breaks with the traditional gender roles? Use specific examples from the episode you are analysing to illustrate your point.
f) To what extent is the television show realistic? Do the characters have real emotions — and a full range of emotions? Is this show a RealFeel show? Do the characters ever do “real” things like go to the bathroom or get dirty? Use specific examples from the episode you’re analyzing to illustrate your point.
g) What techniques of othering (if any) are employed in the television show? Are the characters doing things or finding themselves in situations that are stereotypical to their profession/race/class? Are the characters doing things or put in situations that are presumed not typical to their profession/race/class? Use specific examples from the episode you’re analyzing (or the show in general) to illustrate your point.
h) How do you think the television show producers wanted the audience to respond?
i) Does True Detective appeal to the viewer’s reason or emotion? How does it make you feel?
j) Discuss at least TWO things that True Detective tells you about life in the West or the contemporary condition of man.
k) Discuss True Detective both as a work of art and a commercial product.
l) Imagine yourselves in a situation where you can ask the television producers a question that was left unanswered by the show. What would that question be?

Assessment Criteria

Clear and insightful thesis that remains present throughout your paper and directly relates to your analysis to the questions asked in the outline above:
Clear references to the course material studied so far in class: the essays in Jason Mittel’s How to Watch Television, Amanda Lotz’s writing, the lecture and discussion topics:
Introduction and comment of different approaches to TV analysis. Which is your theoretical background of preference (cultural forum, hegemony, (magical) realism, aesthetics, etc.):
Conclusion, which goes beyond the simple re-cap of your thesis statement: when concluding your essay, ask yourself the question how is the object of my analysis contributing to the larger discussions about television and society? :
In terms of style, I will be looking for a few things: consideration of paragraph structure is clearly evident. Little to no grammatical errors. Sentence structure shows a variety of styles for paragraph flow: long, medium, short, active and passive. Relative use of tense (past or present). Quotes and paraphrased content is properly introduced and referenced in a consistent citation style (MLA, APA, Chicago):

😀 Second Essay (1500 -2000 words)

you will research and present a critical discussion of one major approach to studying television. Put this in the form of An Presentation Essay. I have (arbitrarily) identified nine approaches for you to research and discuss:Technology, Auteur Theory, Production Studies, Audience Studies, Feminist and Gender Perspectives, Critical Race Theory, Screen Theory, the Frankfurt School, and the Birmingham School. You

should expect to consult a few external sources to help develop a snapshot of the historical context, key

thinkers, contributions, and debates of your given approach. You should also offer a brief discussion

of how you might analyze our central course text (True Detective, season 2) using the tools of your

approach. The goal is for you to guide the class toward an understanding of the importance of your approach and the way it relates to the course.

1. Research: you should aim to look at the very least one article (journal, book chapter or popular sources) that explains your theory.

2. Examples – you should provide at least three different examples (from television or cinema) that illustrate the theoretical approach that has been discussed. I encourage you to mention not just names of films or TV shows but to point to specific scenes and sequences that talk portray the theoretical approach.

3. While preparing the research part: look at the historical context, key thinkers and debates that exist within the field. You don’t need to be comprehensive, but you should show understanding of how the theory works and what its limitations are or might be.

4. Speculate about or apply directly your chosen theoretical approach to True Detective. You can look at single episodes, particular scenes, particular characters, or the series as a whole.

5. Organize your presentation in a coherent manner. You need to convince the audience that your case is solid and your story is worth listening to.

6. Your presentation should be (to the best of your ability) visually appealing – use images, scenes, examples that animate the discourse.

7. Speaking duties and research duties should be spread equally among the presenters.

8. The presentation raises questions and invites the class to contribute on the Graffiti wall comments and questions.