|
Com 340 Television
Criticism
Study Guide for
Exam 1 |
This study guide is not intended
to be all-inclusive, but rather it should give you the general direction in
which to prepare for the exam.
Updated: 03/13/2003
- Be able to discuss the role of the critic in
society. What are the two primary roles?
- What is the difference between high culture and
low culture? How and why did those difference originate?
- What are some of the arguments against
elitism?
- What is the significance of the "formula" in
American series television?
- What is the structure of a critical piece?
- What does the critic focus upon when examining a
work?
- What variables are used in this process?
- Common sense approach
- Deconstructive approach
- Objectives of Criticism
- Qualities of critical arguments
- Characteristics of poor arguments
- Why critics are necessary and useful in modern
culture?
- What are the responsibilities of critics?
- Important characteristics in programs
- What is composite criticism and what four
perspectives does it include? Be able to define and identify each of
them.
- Types of television criticism
- Formal
- Neoclassical
- Structuralism and Semiotic
- Hermeneutics
- Cultural studies
- Genre Criticism
- Auteur Criticism
- Historical Criticism
- Mythic Criticism
- Sociological Criticism
- Ideological Criticism
- Psychological Criticism
- Ethnomethodological Criticism
- Reader-response Criticism
- Gender Ideology Criticism
- Discourse Analysis
- Narrative Analysis
- Scale
- Pace
- Basic reality
- Co-expression
- "In commercial television, entertainment tends to
drive out....."
- Audience expectations (what are they and
why?)
- Obvious content
- Latent content
- Characterize television in the last four decades
regarding the latent content about the role of the hero in our society.
- What are the three elements of drama?
- What is the role of conflict in character
development?
- Universal problems
- Pace and character development
- Dossier
- Back life
- Present life
- Professional life
- Personal life
- Private life
- Compelling characteristic (be able to identify
some...)
- Minor characters
- Elements of the plot (be able to draw a dramatic
curve and identify all the parts )
- Suspense (define)
- Character Foils
- Subplots
- Willing suspension of disbelief
- Creating structure...
- Quick set up
- Twists
- Runner
- Powerful Act ends (be able to give examples from
in-class viewing)
- Button
- Teaser
- Tag
- Structure of half-hour sitcom
- Structure of hour dramatic episode
- Pointing an Arrow
- Turning Point
- Structure of Dramadies
- Structure of two-hour tv movie
- Dramatic values
- Motivated actions
- Shock dramatics
- Structural unity
- Suspense (define)
- Suspense: how to create
- Telegraphing
- Pay-off
- Fight against time
- Chase (elements of)
- Dialogue
- "The art of less"
- emphasis
- rhythm
- text
- sub-text
- Four tools of scripting
- dialogue
- narrative
- locales
- scene
- Melodrama (define)
- Restrictions in television (define and explain
all)
- time
- characters
- locales
- money
- According to David Gerrold, what four elements
are necessary for episodic television? Why?
- In STAR TREK, those four elements are
met because of what three elements of the format?
- How is television melodrama different than other
forms of melodrama?
- Drama = 'heightened life' (explain)
- Contrivance vs. Convention
- What makes TV melodrama work? (And why?)
- acting
- plot structure
- emotion
- backstory
- nature of TV = small scale
- more intimate
- problem - artificiality (how do you
compensate?)
- Newcomb discusses melodrama and says that it
works on TV because of three devices: (Explain how each works and why)
- intimacy
- continuity
- history
- Contemporary historical concerns
- "The mythical frame dissolves and the history we
see is our own."
- Chris Voegler wrote that characters go on a
journey in a good script. What are the elements of that journey?
- Role of villains
- Role of familiar locale
- According to Gerrold, the best stories are about
_________.
- Dramatic need
- Artificial need (cite examples of both)
- How does a format turn into a formula and
illustrate with Star Trek
- Be sure you have completed The Making of Star
Trek and are able to answer basic questions about the development of the
program and who the key people were. Some points of focus (but not all..)
are..
- What was the format and why?
- What was the "believability factor" and why was
it important
- What challenges were faced in the premise of
the series?
- What financial constraints ?
- What content issues?
- How did the characters change and why?
- How did the series get on the air and why was
it removed? (Programming issues here)
- What are the steps in getting a series on the
air?
Possible Essays for EXAM 1
The essays on your exam will be drawn
from those listed below. One essay will be required, and 2 to three additional
essays will be provided as optional essays. You MUST write on the required exam,
but you may determine the point value you wish to attempt (within a specified
range) and the balance of the essay points on the exam may be attempted on the
optional essays. The essay portion of the exam is usually 40 to 50 points of 100
total points for the exam. It is NOT a good idea to try to determine which of
the essays listed below will be the required essay......Learn them ALL to be
adequately prepared. Good luck!
- Apply the "Journey" to "Virtuoso" Be specific and thorough. Explain
whether or not this is melodrama and why it is or is not successful.
What are the essential differences in focus and
structure between the first pilot, "The Cage," and the second, "Where No Man
Has Gone Before." Explain why these difference occurred and why they were
significant.
Why do you believe a television critic has an
important role in contemporary society? Be specific and support your thesis
with arguments from class discussion.
Analyze the characterization in original Star
Trek. Explain the role and function of these characters in the series
from a writer's point of view.
Discuss the "format to formula" problem as it
occurred in original Trek. How were those problems addressed in the
later Star Trek series?
How does the statement, "the mythical frame
dissolves and the history we see is our own" apply to television melodrama.
Use a specific episode to illustrate.
What is the difference between high culture and
low culture? How do these terms apply to television and television
criticism?
What are the key elements in a critical piece and
how do they reveal those things about which a critic should be
concerned?
What are the key elements of suspense?
Demonstrate how it is created using an example discussed in class or a
particular television episode.
Explain what a "foil" is and illustrate using the
characters from a Star Trek series or characters discussed in class
from another series or motion picture.
As usual, Dr. Mc reserves the right to
offer an extra credit "bear" essay.
EXAM
DATE: March 20th
TREK-A-THON
Friday, March 14thTH!
Copyright, 2003
Dr. Janet
McMullen
Return to 340
syllabus