TCF 311 Exam #2

The exams for this course mostly consist of in-class essays on TV programs you choose. They require you to apply the analytical principles presented in class and in Television.

In specific, Exam #2 will cover chapters 5-8--including mise-en-scene, videography and cinematography, editing and sound. There will be short-answer questions, but the bulk of the exam will be essays on a television program you have chosen in advance. It will be open book and open note. That is, you may use any books/notes during the exam.

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Preparation

Choose a fictional, narrative television program ahead of time. Do not select an animated show or a nonnarrative program such as a game show, sports program, or so-called "reality" program (e.g., Survivor). Also, the following programs may not be used: The Andy Griffith Show, The Cosby Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Friends, Northern Exposure, Oz, Seinfeld, Twin Peaks, Golden Girls, My Wife and Kids, Third Rock from the Sun, Jag, Roseanne, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Designing Women, Jamie Foxx Show, Spin City, Dawson’s Creek, Will and Grace, For Your Love, That 70s Show, Full House, Drew Carey Show, The Practice, Dick van Dyke Show.

Before the exam, prepare the following in word-processed format:

1. A decoupage (a shot-by-shot description) of a single scene. List every shot in your scene and identify what type of framing was used (see the abbreviations on p. 122). Describe any significant action in the shot, using the characters' (not the actors') names. Include only the most significant dialogue; do not include every line.
   
   For example, the Northern Exposure scene on pp. 153-157 would look like this:
   1. LS exterior of Maggie's house, night.
   2. MLS interior. Maggie makes dinner for Joel.
   3. MCU Maggie talks to Joel about the night before. "Last night you were so different..."
   4. MCU Joel reponds.
   5. And so on . . .
2. Frame grabs (as on pp. 153-157) from this scene would be helpful, but since you probably don't have that technology, you must draw frames for each shot--as in the storyboard on p. 146 and the diagrams in Figures 7.5 and 7.6. (Don't worry about being being a fine artiste when creating these drawings!) Examples of student-made storyboards are available here.
3. A diagram of the camera positions used in this scene--as in Figures 7.5 and 7.6. Identify which shots are done from which camera positions.
4. The episode's credits: producer, production company, director, writer, principal cast (actors' and characters' names). Remember, The Internet Movie Database (us.imdb.com) and EpGuides.com contain most of this information. You must list the credits for your specific episode, not the entire series.

The material above must be turned in with the exam and will be worth 15% of the exam score.

It would also be a good idea to think through the analytical principles we've discussed as they apply to your particular program. You might even outline some thoughts along these lines, but you should not prepare a formal essay.