Analysis of children's TV drama opening sequences Tracy Beaker
The opening titles to the Tracy Beaker episodes introduces only a few of the characters in the series which are Tracy, the four other children she lives with at the children’s care home and Tracy’s mother. Tracy and the four other children from the care home are all shown in a few of real life pictures put together to form a sense that they are moving in a flip book style of movement however aren’t and are just stationary pictures, they are all pulling youthful poses and funny faces that look fun and appealing to the young audience. Where-as Tracy’s mum is introduced to us in a cartoon form in a cartoon rather than real life picture in a heart shaped thought bubble leading off of Tracy’s head and then moves into a cartoon picture of the two together. The fact of Tracy’s mum being a cartoon rather than real life picture, in a thought bubble of Tracy’s and surrounded by heart (♥)motifs all sets the scene and main story line of Tracy thinking a lot of her mum but how she also isn’t ever there for her however much she wishes she was for all episodes.
The entire opening title is in bright bold colours with lots of bright bold non-detailed, easy to see shapes of things that look fun and glamorous therefore appealing to the young audience a few examples are: hearts, stars, burgers, chips, milkshakes, cars, cakes, fish, airplanes, helicopters, buses, cruise ships, radios, the world, rabbits, dolphins, whales, space ships, and balloons. The mix of cartoon with real life pictures makes the title very catchy and enticing to watch, therefore bringing the target audience in and getting them excited about what may be in the episode.
There is also a very catchy tune and lyrics that go with the titles, the titles are ‘I can make my world come true, all my dreams will see me through, doesn't matter what may come my way, believe me now, I will win some day’. By using these lyrics we are again drawn into the introduction of Tracy’s character and the teenage strive that she goes through during the episodes. The same tune and lyrics are used consistantly during the episodes therefore showing the same ideas again.
The titles finish with a cartoon picture of Tracy and her mum in a heart shaped bubble then the title of the show ‘The story of Tracy Beaker’ in a childish font style with green, orange, pink and yellow font colours surrounded by blue, pink, yellow and orange boarders. This grabs the audience’s attention and entices them into watching the episode. The final piece of the titles is the writing ‘based on the book by Jacqueline Wilson’ and the illustrators name, there is no mention of the actors or directors etc. By having the book title the audience who have read any books by her will be enticed even more to watch the episode. The sharpness of the opening title and the length of it being just twenty seconds is important as it means that the audience are able to get a clear understanding of what the episodes are about but however do not get bored which is vital when aiming at a young audience.
Lizzie McGuire
The opening titles to Lizzie McGuire are very simplistic yet very effective, it introduces all of the main characters in order of importance; Lizzie, her brother, two best friends, mother, father and they are all introduced in fun, youthful ways also with comedy value of throwing around dodge balls and chasing each other. As well as that consistent theme there is also another one throughout the titles of a white background with moving horizontal and vertical block lines in varying colours in different shades of blue and green. The setting and theme is simplistic yet effective as you are able to know who each individual character is by picture, character name and real name and also their relationship with Lizzie by the text that also comes up all in black font colour in an easy to read font style. There is also the cartoon character of Lizzie shown that is used throughout the episodes.
There is also a very catchy tune and lyrics in the titles with the lyrics: ‘If you believe, we've got a picture perfect plan. Then we've got you fooled, cause we only do the best we can. And sometimes we make it and sometimes we fake it. But we get one step closer, each and every day. We'll figure it out on the way.’ These lyrics introduce us to Lizzie’s character and the teenage troubles and strive she goes through during the episodes. The length of the opening title being just thirty eight seconds is important as it means that the audience are able to get a clear understanding of what the episodes are about and know the characters a little better but however do not get bored which is vital when aiming at a young audience.
The Sleepover Club
The sleepover club opening title introduces all of the main characters to the episodes which are; Frankie, Fliss, Kenny, Lyndz, Rosie and the boys. The entire opening title has a simple yet effective setting of bubbles with one type of font which is a very feminine style with hearts, the bubbles connote freedom and a carefree attitude which represents the characters. It starts with the entire group of girls in one bubble hugging and laughing, then moves onto the group of three boys in one bubble smiling, then moves onto five individual bubbles for each individual girl main character in order of importance. The shot of girls and then boys show that they find their friendship with the girls more important than the boys that’s why they come first. They all have their own different colour background to show their individuality but have the same style bubble and girly diary style font for their names which shows that even though they are all individual they all have the same thing in common of being in the same friendship group.
It begins with Frankie who has a purple background with a series of images with her smiling and hugging a boy showing that she is a girly girl and interested in boys but not to the extreme. Then onto Fliss who has a pink background who has captions of her posing, smiling and hugging a boy showing that she is an extreme girly girl interested in boys. Then onto Kenny who has a red background with captions of her smiling, jumping and with the other girls showing that she is a sporty girl who isn’t interested in boys and is more interested in her friendships. Then onto Lyndz who has a green background with captions of her smiling and laughing which shows her as a clever outdoors interested girl. Then finally Rosie who has an orange background with captions of her smiling, laughing and dreamy about a boy which shows she is a girly girl interested in boys.
There is also a very catchy tune and lyrics that go with the titles, the titles are ‘Hanging around it's just no fun when you're alone, but no matter what we are goin through, together we can find our way home. So come and sleepover-over and everything will be just fine, you and I can't wait until the sun so come on and sleepover-over, together we can dream in time and nothing's gonna stop us having fun, so come on and sleep over.’ By using these lyrics we are again drawn into the introduction of the characters thoughts of being a close friendship group and also the teenage strive that they all go through during the episodes, it also invites the audience to ‘sleep over’ making them feel more personally involved in the episode. The titles end with an image of all of the girls in one bubble together back with a purple background like the beginning of the title which fades into a screen with a purple background with the writing ‘The Sleepover Club’ with the heart (♥) motif in the same girly diary style font that was use throughout the individual introduction to each character with their names.
Analysis of children's TV drama episodes
Tracy Beaker
The episode starts with an extreme close up as an establishing shot of Tracy pushing her head up against a glass door, this shows us that the programme is going to be about her and she is the main character and focus of it. A two-shot is then used to show Tracy and Jenny (the care worker) having a conversation about Tracy wanting to leave the care home by doing this, the scene establishes their relationship for the audience. The camera then zooms into Tracy’s face gradually fading into a cartoon cutaway of Tracy’s thoughts, by doing this the audience are able to understand how Tracy is feeling and what she is thinking. Her thoughts are portrayed in cartoon form as a mini story. This happens constantly throughout the episode so that the young audience are able to understand her thoughts, follow the story line easily and keep stimulated throughout as the cartoons grab their attention and are fun to watch. The shot then changes to a high angle shot looking down on all of the children that live in the care home sitting down at the dinner table having food given out by a care worker, he is standing up and this therefore shows the role of the adults there are in control of the children which is a common relationship role style between adults and children that the audience will be able to relate to. A two-shot is used again to show Ryan and Zac (two children who also live at the care home) laying around in their bedroom complaining about being ‘bored’ which is something that most of the audience will be able to relate to feeling the same way at one point. Later on Tracy decides that she isn’t getting the attention that she needs at the care home so she and her friend Ben are going to go and stay at her hoping to be mum Cam’s flat, the scene then moves to an establishing shot of the pair waiting for a bus to take them to Cam’s flat. Whilst waiting for the bus the two are leaning on railings behind them which show them as being free as the railings are behind them rather than in front of them, therefore not closing them in. However they are very small in the overall shot showing that they may have freedom but they are very vunerable with no real idea of what they are doing, the audience will be able to relate to this as they find the prospect of having no parents and freedom a very appealing thing however when in the actual situation of it they would feel very lost and unsure of what to do. When Ben questions Tracy about not having a mother she gets very defensive and the shot turns into a cartoon cutaway of Tracy’s thoughts about her mother which explores her thinking that she is amazing and saving the world is her job. However the shot then turns into a real life flashback of Tracy and her mother when she used to live with her, showing how it was not a happy time for Tracy and that she looked after her mother rather than her mother looking after her, showing a very different story to the one in Tracy’s cartoon cutaway. The flashback then focuses on Tracy’s face and then turns into a graphic match of her in the flashback to her now waiting for the bus with the same sad expression on her face.
Cross cutting are constantly used throughout the episode as they allow more than one story line to commence at the same time sharply and us to be able to see the different story lines rather than just one, by doing this the audience is kept mentally installed with the programme and therefore doesn’t get bored. For example a jump cut is used from the bus stop where Tracy and Ben are to the care home which shows us the car washing story line shared between Ryan, Zac, Justine and Louise. A jump cut is then used again setting the scene back to Tracy’s story line which is now outside Cam’s flat. The classic good vs bad is shown as Tracy and Ben are trying to get into Cam’s flat but she is not there so Tracy takes it upon herself without a second thought to find a spare key, open the door and wander straight in, however Ben disagrees as he believes it is the wrong thing to do. Ben ends up following Tracy in the house which shows that bad won over good this time, this would excite the audience as they would like to take the bad decision in their own lives but know there would be repocutions if they did so and always take the good decision instead. The scene then moves to a two-shot of Tracy and Ben in Cam’s flat eating junk food and listening to loud music which would appeal to the audience as they would like to do that themselves but generally wouldn’t. However this swiftly moves into a close up of Cam walking through her front door to find the pair and immediately begins to shout at Tracy, instead of the normal reaction of crying or being scared the audience is expecting it turns into a close up of Tracy shouting back at Cam and not getting into trouble for it. This would appeal to the audience as they would generally get into trouble if they were to shout at parents. There is then cross cutting to the care home where there is a low angled two-shot of Jenny and Cam with their arms crossed looking very angry telling off Tracy for what she did, this is a scene that the audience can relate to as they are aware of being told off by their parents if they have done something wrong. The scene then moves to Tracy saying goodbye to Cam outside, here the two story lines and majority of characters become linked together as there ends up being a water fight because the children had cleaned Cam’s car when they weren’t supposed to. The episode then ends on a close up freeze frame of Cam and Tracy throwing a bucket of water laughing, this shows the pair happy together which summarises their feelings and the episode.
The costumes consistently represent the characters as the children are always wearing bright and primary colours such as red, yellow, green, blue, also sparkly accessories for the girls therefore showing their individual characters and youthfulness. Where-as the adult characters costumes are always bland dark colours showing that they are older and generally not as fun. The two boys Ryan and Zac are playing with a football in one of their scenes and this prop represents them as being very boyish and youthful, also Tracy’s friend Ben always has a bag with him which represents his character as being adventurous. The prop of the dirty car with the words ‘clean me’ written on the back window set the scene for one of the story lines, these things appeal to the audience as they will wear the same kind of clothing as them and use the same kind of props. Non-diegetic sound is used constantly throughout the episode as it adds emphasis to the events that are occurring for example something bad, good, exciting and it also allows the audience to feel the emotions of the characters and emphasises how the audience should react. ‘Slapstick’ comedy is used throughout the episode as it is a simple comedy that the audience would be able to understand and find funny without having to think in depth about what is meant. There are always only about 2 story lines in one episode and they only last for the one episode there is never a story line that over flows into another episode, therefore meaning that they are easy to follow and understand. They are also made easier to understand with the use of cutaways in the form of cartoon that appear every couple of minutes that show Tracy’s feelings or thoughts towards something that is happening in greater depths, this also lets the audience feel like they know the characters better and personally. Also by being in a cartoon form they are more attractive to the young audience as they are in easy shapes that are easy to follow and in bold generally bright colours. The episode length of fifteen minutes is also crucial as it means that the audience are able to keep up with what is going on and not get bored.
Lizzie McGuire
A lot of different camera shots are used in this episode of Lizzie McGuire to emphasise things, people and certain events but the first that caught my eye was the low angle zoom in shot that was used focusing on the famously signed football owned by Lizzie’s father. This shot and the extreme close up shot of Lizzie’s father when he talks to the football lets the audience realise the importance of the certain object (the football) to Lizzie’s father and also adds comedy value. The importance of the football is again shown by an extreme close up shot of it with non-diegetic funeral sound played whilst the shot it on screen, which is part of the programmes playful and youthful mode of address. The shot then moves to an aerial shot of Lizzie, Gordo and Miranda searching Matt’s bedroom in an effort to find the football, but also Matt when they realise that he isn’t at home. That certain shot makes Lizzie, Gordo and Miranda look very small and vunerable which the audience can relate to as they been in positions of vunerability during their lifetimes also. During all shots of Lizzie and Matt, Lizzie is always positioned so that she is taller in it than Matt showing the brotherly/sisterly relationship the two have with Lizzie in charge of all situations by looking down on her younger brother Matt and this therefore shows authority. The audience can relate to this as they will have encountered older siblings and sibling rivalry also. There is a medium shot of Gordo with two wide shouldered and tall football players when they come to visit the house to check that Lizzie is keeping control of everything as her parents are worried about her, this shot shows the authority the football players have over Gordo even though they do not know him and they do not leave and force their way into the house to check that everything was okay before they would leave. This shot shows control as the football players are in control of the situation however the element of comedy is added by the non-diegetic sounds in the background, this means that the audience are able to relate to it as they will of experienced control in their lives however by making it light hearted with the comedy element they can watch with a simplistic view of control rather than an in depth view. There is an on-going theme of the usage of a montage of pictures that relate to what is happening in that scene at that time so that it adds comedy value to the audience and also so that it gives a more in depth view of the things to the audience in a non-serious way. There are two slow motion shots, one being where Matt loses the regular football that he is playing with and the other is when the famously signed football gets popped. By using a slow motion shot for both of these it means that there is emphasis clearly put on the bad thing about to happen so that the audience have a clear view of what’s going on. As well as slow motion there is also a fast motion shot of Gordo when he is home alone and makes a sandwich. The shot is there so that you are able to see what he is doing whilst everyone else is away however done in fast motion as it is only of him making a sandwich and no important events occur whilst he is doing this, but the audience still wants to know what he is doing. By using fast motion there is also an element of comedy added to it as he looks silly as he is making his sandwich and there is also some non-diegetic sound added to the shot which adds more of a comedy element for the audience and also means that they do not get bored. Whenever a phone call commences in this episode a split screen shot is used so that the two people on the phone call are both on the screen at the same time, this means that you are able to see their reactions to what the other has said as well as just what they say. Just like the shot of Gordo making a sandwich, there is a fast forward shot of Matt and Lenny when they are going around town visiting all of the places that they can think of to get the football fixed. It adds a comedy element as all of their actions are on fast forward therefore looking silly and the same non-diegetic sound is used in this shot which keeps the audience from becoming bored.
There is a constant use of a cartoon cutaway of Lizzie McGuire in this episode which appears every few minutes or less which sums up the emotions that Lizzie is feeling at that particular time and generally put across with an over exaggerated view of feelings which adds an element of comedy and ensures that the audience does not become bored. As well as summing up Lizzie’s current feelings at that particular time the cartoon cutaway also recaps the last part of the episode that has just happened so that the episode is clear to understand for the audience and as is very attractive to the audience as it is in cartoon form which a younger audience that would be watching the episode would like to watch.
Analysis of DVD front covers Lizzie McGuire
The Lizzie McGuire DVD is aimed at a young audience interested in the television series or the individual characters in it. The colour scheme is simple yet effective as it shows the type of DVD that it is, being a generally girly DVD about mainly feminine based issues with the colours used being pink, blue and orange but the majority pink.
The route of the eye goes through the title of the DVD again emphasising what it is and that the entire DVD is mainly about the one character Lizzie McGuire, there is also an image of the cartoon Lizzie that is used throughout the episodes which would appeal to the young audience as children like cartoons as they are simple to understand and very clear. It then goes through the image of the three main characters, Lizzie, Gordo and Miranda which are dressed and posed appealingly to a young audience as they are shown in ‘cool’ clothes with fun and vibrant poses. It then goes through the symbol of the ‘Disney Channel’ which shows the audience where the DVD originally came from and be an enticement to watch at the majority of children like to watch children’s television programmes and channels.
The Sleepover Club
The sleepover club DVD is aimed at a young and mainly female audience as the DVD is about young females becoming teenagers and their problems that they occur during this, for example boyfriends etc which is not something most boys would find interesting enough to watch. The colour scheme of purple, white and yellow represent the female theme as they are colours mainly associated with females rather than males.
The route of the eye starts through the words ‘100% fun, fashion and friendship’ which would appeal to a young female audience as these three things are ones that are very high on a young females priority list at their young age. It then follows through the title of ‘the sleepover club’ which is in a female diary style font which again represents where the female intended audience and would entice them as the majority of them would enjoy sleepovers with their friends and find it just as fun to watch other people have them. It then follows through and finishes on the image of the main characters in the DVD who are all in fun, young and relaxed poses and are all smiling and looking as if they are having a good time which would entice the audience to watch the DVD as they may wish to make their own sleepovers after watching the DVD and want to be just like the characters.
The Sabrina the teenage witch DVD is aimed at a young mainly female but not completely audience as it relates to themes of teenage female annoyance such as boys etc, something of which boys couldn’t care much for. The colour scheme is simple with just white, blue and red yet effective at grabbing the attention of the audience which is its purpose.
The route of the eye begins through the title of the DVD which the word Sabrina is used in a witch like curvy, spiral style font to bring over the theme of the DVD for the audience which is witchcraft. It then moves through the image of Sabrina pulling a witch like pose as it seems as if she is casting a spell with the end of her finger as there is sparkles and a wave of something coming out of it, this would entice the audience to watch the DVD as witchcraft etc seems very magical to that age range at that time. It then goes through the image of Sabrina’s famous black cat Salem which again would entice the audience to watch as the witchcraft seems as if it is being bought across in the real life and is really occurring.
By researching these DVD covers I am able to understand that the conventions of DVD covers are that the image of the main character(s) are positioned in the primary optical area meaning that your attention is drawn to it leading to you looking into the DVD cover and not passing it by. The title and slogan are always positioned in the first section of the route of the eye as that is the first thing you look at on the DVD cover so therefore it catches your eye and then you continue to look at the rest of the DVD cover.
Analysis of magazine front covers Hannah Montana
‘Hannah Montana’ is a magazine all about the children’s TV star Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus). It involves all kind of fun facts about her life, her adventures, secrets and gossip, as well as fashion tips, hair secrets, crushes and quizzes. It is generally aimed at a young female audience with the age range of 6 - 14 who are interested in girly facts, Hannah Montana herself, her television programme or her music. This front cover it features a large image of Hannah Montana holding a microphone in a singing pose, a midshot is used to show her costume which is a pink and black dress represents Hannah’s character as a feminine pop star.
The route of the eye begins in the masthead which is Hannah Montana which is in a showbiz type font in gold and purple font colours which connote her feminine pop star nature and that the magazine is all about her. It then moves to pause onto a part of the picture of her which is her head, it then follows through the rest of the picture of her, and this gives you the visual image of who the magazine is about instead of just having the name in text. It then pauses in a coverline that is advertising an article in the magazine of ‘Hannah’s advice for you’ which would grab the reader’s attention as they are being personally brought into the magazine as it is advertising to them, individually therefore feeling personally involved with it. In this area there is also the ‘Disney channel’ logo which gives them publicity and also shows where you can watch Hannah Montana on the television as that is the channel of which she became a star on. It then finishes in the terminal area which is advertising the Hannah Montana ‘movie and change your style issue’ of the magazine, which would entice readers to read the magazine if they hadn’t already done so as they would want to find out more about that issue.
The colour scheme used throughout the magazine front cover is simple with just three colours; pink, yellow and purple but these are feminine colours and make the magazine easily readable as well as representing Hannah Montana and the magazine as being a girly girl type magazine. They are also eye catching and feminine which would help it appeal to the target audience of mainly females. The types of fonts used are easily readable and very clear, which means that the reader is easily able to see what is written and easily enticed. The mode of address for this magazine is youthful, fun and femenine and this is demonstrated to us by the use of pugs in a firework/explosition form, bright colour schemes and a fun energetic pose of Hannah Montana singing.
Tracy Beaker
‘The official Jacqueline Wilson’ is a magazine based on all of Jacqueline Wilson’s books however this issue has a cartoon version of Tracy Beaker on the front as Tracy beaker is the biggest of all Wilson’s books as it has made itself its own television show after the book was released. It has all kind of facts about the different books of Wilson’s but largely focused on the Tracy Beaker books and especially the television programme.
The route of the eye begins in the top left corner on the pug of 12 free gifts that come with the magazine which would be a large enticement for the reader to buy the magazine as 12 free gifts is quite a large amount to be given out in a magazine. It then moves through the masthead of the magazine which reminds the reader of who the magazine is by and what books they may of read of hers. It then stops in the top right corner on an image of one of the free gifts from inside which would again be another enticement for the reader to buy the magazine. It then moves through the cartoon image of Tracy Beaker which would remind readers of the book of Tracy Beaker and the television series, also showing that there is a big section on that particular character in this issue which would be an enticement to those who enjoy Tracy Beaker in any form. It then stops on an advertisement of a few things that are featured in the magazine such as puzzles etc which would be an enticement to any reader as the majority of young readers enjoy things to do in their magazines. It then finishes on an image of Jacqueline Wilson holding something saying that she will be telling secrets in the terminal area of the magazine which would be an enticement for fans of hers to buy the magazine.
The colour scheme for this magazine is very young, vibrant and fun as there are many colours used but mainly yellow, pink and blue which appeal to the eye especially a younger audience. There also heart, star and swirl motifs used which appeal to a younger audience as they are frequently used by a younger audience when writing their own things. The fonts used are very un-neat, childish styles which would appeal to a younger audience as they feel as though their writing styles are now acceptable as they are being published around the country.
Sabrina The Teenage Witch
‘Sabrina’s secrets’ is a magazine aimed at a young audience of mainly females who have watched the ‘Sabrina the teenage witch’ episodes on television and want to find out more about Sabrina, the programme and the extras that come in the magazine.
The route of the eye begins in the left top corner on the title of the magazine and the title of the television programme which allows the reader to know the origin of the magazine as they may probably of watched the programme. It then carries on through the title going through a picture of Sabrina with her famous cat Salem from the television programme ‘Sabrina the teenage witch’ which the reader can relate to if they have watched it and recognise Sabrina and therefore know who the magazine is about. It then pauses on the free gift that you receive which in an image form which is also quite large, therefore enticing the reader to buy the magazine to get the free gift. It then carries on through the image of Sabrina and ends on the advertisement for puzzles, stories and Sabrina’s secret diary which would entice the reader to buy the magazine as they would then feel a lot more personally involved with Sabrina as they would know her secret thoughts. There is also a use of an asymmetrical layout which purpose is used to make the cover more eye catching for the audience.
The colour scheme is simple with just three colours; purple, yellow and pink yet they work very nicely together as they are all bold yet girly which would appeal to the mainly young female audience. The font styles used are simple yet curvy and curly which add a female also magic element to the magazine.
Questionnaire
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I used social networking sites Facebook and Twitter to ask people to answer my questionnaire's.
Analysis of questionnaire results From the responses I collected I have learnt that the majority of people who watch children's television drama programmes:
Are between the ages of 6-15 however mainly 6-13.
Are female.
Do not mind whether the characters are male or female, however the majority of female watchers prefer female characters and male watchers prefer male characters.
Like the opening titles to be between 30 seconds and 1 minute long.
Like there to be lyrics inthe opening titles rather than just a tune.
Like there to be sound effects throughout episodes.
Like more than just the main character in the opening titles however only the main characters.
Like there to be bright, eye catching colours for example; green, yellow, blue red, pink.
Do not care for the characters to be in a setting that relates to the programme in the opening titles.
Like there to be between 1 and 5 characters to be on a DVD box.
Do not care for the director and producer (etc) names to appear on DVD box's or on the opening titles.
Do like the characters names to appear on the opening titles however not a DVD box.
Prefer the characters to be in real life form rather than cartoon.
Focus Group For my focus group I used a group of children aged around 13 as from my questionnaire I learnt that these are the age group of children that watch childrens television drama. I showed them the opening sequences that I have analysed (Lizzie McGuire, Tracy Beaker, Sleepover Club) and asked them what they liked and didnt like.
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The Lizzie McGuire DVD is aimed at a young audience interested in the television series or the individual characters in it. The colour scheme is simple yet effective as it shows the type of DVD that it is, being a generally girly DVD about mainly feminine based issues with the colours used being pink, blue and orange but the majority pink.
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