GCSE Media Studies Paper 2008

[Xarea]

Few questions:

• What days are your exam on?
• Decided on your sitcom? If so, what's so good about it?!
• Oh, and, if you can, give hints and tips for others on how to answer the two knowledge questions? (task one and two)

;].
Jay x

i) Thursday 15th May at 9.00am and Tuesday 20th May at 1.30pm

ii) Yeah, it's about a group of kids who all leave school and get a job at a fastfood resturant, and the problems and errands they get into. It's a mix of Hollyoaks and Skins.

iii) Read my earlier post.

[Jaiisun]

Mine is only 6 (and 7) days away!

Monday 12th May at 13:30 and Tuesday 13th May at 13:30

My sitcom is like Skins! But funnier with less detailed storylines.

;].
Jay x

[Xarea]

From seeing the posts on this (and some other forums), it seems that EVERYONE is aiming for the idea of their sitcom to revolve and be into some comparison of Skins. Now is the time i'd consider changing my own, but I don't have the time to re-do all my notes and planning.

Anyone who's not started task three or four yet, i'd probably reccomend laying off a Skins approach.

[needhelp]

does ny1 kniow how to do question 2
i find it really hard
even my teacher does not know how to do it
who ever knows MUST be a GENIUS :eusa_clap
can some 1 pleasee tell mee
thank youu

[Jaiisun]

From seeing the posts on this (and some other forums), it seems that EVERYONE is aiming for the idea of their sitcom to revolve and be into some comparison of Skins. Now is the time i'd consider changing my own, but I don't have the time to re-do all my notes and planning.

Anyone who's not started task three or four yet, i'd probably reccomend laying off a Skins approach.

I'd say that it doesn't really matter how common the sitcoms are, as i'm sure the examiner will realise that teenage boys and girls are more than likely going to create a sitcom for their age range.

However, if you're looking to surprise the examiner and give him something different to look at - then that's when you'll want something other than a new version of Skins.

;].
Jay x

[The Professor]

For comparison's sake, here's my planning for my sitcom. I couldn't care less whether you copy or not, just don't get caught and change the names of the people and the such. I also wouldn't advise it if you live anywhere near me (Nottingham-ish)


The sitcom I have created is based on the adventures and antics of three middle aged men called Reginald Genitalia (or RegGen to friends), Wayne Smartie and Alexis Lexus. The all live on a canal boat on the Erewash Canal in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, England, and this is their primary form of transport with the canal running very close to the playing field on which they play. Their pub is called the “Tiger Inn” and the team is appropriately called the “Tigers.”

The characters take their football extremely seriously, although they often finish bottom of the lowest tier of the English Football League. This often sparks arguments and banter between the men which can serve to set up some one liners or running jokes. They also have lots of very bad taunts for the opposing teams. Leading on from this idea, there could be a running joke in the title squence such as an insult written on the goalpost with marker pen or an amusing message on the back of a T-shirt.

Reginald Genitalia is a typically upper class character, ala “Lord Melbury” in an episode of Fawlty Towers or “Prince George” from Blackadder the Third. This said, his patronising demeanour often makes him look silly when what he is explaining turns out to be completely wrong. His name is also a source of constant amusement, especially since the word “genitalia” is printed on the back of his shirt during matches. He is also the team captain, which gives him the nickname “Captain Genitalia” from other football teams, although his friends and team mates call him RegGen.

Wayne Smartie is a Wayne Rooney-esque player who has lots of muscle but little brainpower. His main trait that everyone else finds funny is his constant misunderstanding off the offside rule, where he will misinterpret the rule based on the word “offisde”, for example thinking that you can only shoot if you fall of the side of the pitch in the process. In the canal boat setting, he is scarily good at snakes and ladders and other such games, despite having an inability to read the rules.

Alexis Lexus is the intelligent character of the programme, ala Blackadder in seires 2,3 and 4 or Polly in Fawlty Towers. The tongue twister name is a running joke in the programme, as it is mispronounced by almost every other character. He is the only truly skilled footballer on the team, and often shows signs of frustration with his team for being so poor. He is the generic good-guy character who always resolves the problems that arise in the episodes. His humour is mainly dry satire like Basil Fawlty and often uses the technique of “Breaking the fourth wall” (which is talking to the audience directly, or in this case the viewer) to complain about the situation and/or people at the time.

Other sources of humour in the programme are the serious attitude of the team to the game despite losing all the time and clearly having no skill at all, frequently puttng all their results down to bad luck. Their frequent encounters with other canal users and their clashes of personalities can also serve as a basis for one liners.

The name of the sitcom is “Down Like The Titanic.” The reasons for this are twofold: firstly it is a reference to their performance in the football league, showing that they are always proceding down the table and that they do this spectacularly ( like the sinking of the Titanic) and secondly the Titanic was a boat, as is their house. The pessimistic tone of the title also represents the main themes of the sitcom, which are negativity and constant failure.

It will be shown at prime time on Channel 4, I would suggest 10PM as that is when C4 traditionally airs its sitcoms and is therefore likely to get good ratings. I have chosen C4 as opposed to the BBC as it is a slightly surreal situation in a similar vein to The IT Crowd and Peep Show, and is therefore likely to become a cult success as opposed to a mainstream success. However, the fact that is isn't completely surreal and appeals to a wide demographic could make it suitable for BBC3 because that channel typically has the same sort of demographic watching to Channel 4 sitcoms, and it also has the chance of being shown on BBC2 if it becomes a success, like “Gavin and Stacey” has recently. However, because BBC3 has lower viewing figures than C4, I would suggest C4 to give the biggest chance of popularity.

It will be aimed at young adult male audiences, aged 16-30. This is because the young male population of the UK typically has an interest in football, whether it be watching matches on television, going to matches in person or playing for a team themselves. Combined with the fact that there is a large portion of the population in this demographic, it should get high ratings provided it's well made and funny.

It should be able to be made with a relatively low budget, with the only expenses being the hiring of a narrow boat for the shots of the outside of it and construction of the sets. It will not be heavy in terms of CG effects as most of its appeal will be the situations and the humour as opposed to the appeal of the aesthetics. The first few series of Red Dwarf were successful with minimal CG effects, whereas the later series started to lose ratings, which were when all the model shots were switched to CGI, suggesting that expensive effects may actually detract from the effectiveness of a sitcom. Indeed, some went as far as to say the seventh series was more of a comedy-drama than a sitcom because the extravagant CG effects and sets overshadowed the comedy.

[needhelp]

do you know how to do task 2
im really stuck
thanks

[Throne Sofa]

@ needhelp.

Look at hybrid genre's a lot, surrealism in sitcoms, future of sitcoms as well like different types of media we can receive it through now such as the internet and freeview etc. This allows more niche sitcoms. Also bbc3 wanting sitcoms etc.

And for my sitcom... I haven't detailed planned it yet but. It will probably be about a group of women all working in a cafe/resturant and they've got to run the place... etc.. :S

[needhelp]

thanks for that
it really helped

[Xarea]

I must say Prof-A, you seem to have planned really, really well - I really like your write up. My write up is still on the drawing board, seeing as I am going to do Task 1 and 2 this Thursday, then i've got until 1.30 next Tuesday to plan Task 3 and 4.

If you don't mind, i'm going to take a few notes from your essay . Nice work, buddy!