Long form TV drama and fandom

https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/best-stranger-things-fan-art

https://www.self.com/gallery/stranger-things-gift-guide

LFTVD terminology

How to write an essay:

Point
Examples
Specific
Analysis
Theory/terminology
Answer the question


VOD: Video on demand
Horizontally integrated: Consolidation of many firms that handle the same part of the production process
Vertically integrated:
Above the line: Paid advertisement
Below the line: Free advertisement

Water cooler: Small conversation
Shared universe: Everyone talking about it
Easter eggs: Hidden message/ secret feature of work
State of nation TV: Long form shows challenge the simpler storylines and stereotypical characters dominating TV in the US
Foreshadowing: Indicating a future event
Beyond the binary: Constantly changing your opinion on something
Systematic change: Changing one person changes other things

Linear narrative: Clear beginning/ middle/ end- follows chronological timeline
Fragmented narrative (non-linear): Disrupted narrative, don't have clear steps and shows events out of chronological order- helps show parallel stories within a story (replicates how human mind works)
Restricted narrative: Experience the story through senses and thoughts of just 1 character- narrative cannot tell audience things the main character does not know.
Omnipresent narrative:  A panoramic view of the world of the storyline- point of view of many of the characters and helps audience see a broader range.

Closed endings: Traditionally one characters story that comes to a resolution- sometimes unique storyline per episode that is brought to a conclusion
Open endings: Ends on a cliff hanger, story line unique and can be unsatisfying for the audience.

Distribution of Stranger Things

Circulation
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1RDBwl4DcrSHPSEI3e_-kY4B-Kym7_Sv9t76ceN5_rHo/edit?usp=sharing

Ownership
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1WcOZORCu8fFKySiAlzXFDJ8EZIe26SJyc9ijsDJm8p4/edit?usp=sharing

Production
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1hPOdOLhCoMXUMpyvVQj5BqzCWgECtAtC1casZ3Nv6iQ/edit?usp=sharing

Scene by scene- social groups

Conventions of LFTVD- Stranger Things

How are different social groups represented in the sequence you have analysed?

Two different groups of teenagers are represented as a social group in the the first episode of Stranger Things: this includes the boy group who are seen as pre-teens and the high school teens including Nancy, Jonathon and Steve. The difference between the two groups are evident in the way they are portrayed. The first time we are introduced to the boys ( Will, Mike, Dustin and Lucas) they are playing Dungeons and Dragons in Mikes cellar. The scene consists of lots of quick changing long shots of the boys as they speak very loudly and overlap each other. This highlights to the audience the boys age if they are playing board games, especially due to them taking it so seriously highlighted by the concentration in all of there faces and the stress expressed. This is supported when Mikes mum interrupts to tell them to go home showing they are still kids and not old enough to be able to do what they want. The omnipresent narrative allows us to view the narrative from all the boys point of view and see their individual outlook which supports their characteristics therefore helping the audience understand from a broader range. This therefore shows the audience what the boys are like from the nature and maturity of their age and helps them understand through the use of omnipresent narrative the social groups represented in Stranger Things.
Whereas, the high school teens are shown from a different perspective to that of the boys as they are much older and more mature in the world. The scene in which Nancy and Barb are walking along the school corridor talking about how Nancy and Steve's 'date' went foreshadows the next scene in which we are shown a close up shot of Nancy and Steve kissing in the bathroom. The way Nancy is dressed in a long skirt and cardigan shows her to be a conservative type of character in comparison to Steve who is presented as the popular, charming player of the school through his language stating about "going on a long drive" and his body language. Their characters are pushed through in Stranger Things through the use of 'beyond the binary' in which our opinions on Steve especially is constantly changing as we start with thinking he is bad but slowly begin to see he is actually interested in Nancy. This presents a stereotypical story line of the popular boy going for the 'nerdy' girl and representing the high school teens in a classic American way.

Another social group represented in Stranger Things episode one is the government and how the people we are supposed to 'trust' we do not. The scene in which the social worker arrives and shoots Benny highlights the distrust the audience have for the government. The softness of the camera shots between Benny and Eleven just before the shooting highlights the innocence of the characters especially Elevens yellow top which represents happiness and purity in contrast to the harsh outfit of the 'social worker'. The quick tracking shot of Eleven escaping the diner shows the fear the government have put Eleven in and how calculated and ready they are. The producers have used constructive realism to allow the audience to instantly be wary of the government due to the way they have been portrayed so quickly into the beginning of the sequence. Therefore, the government are represented as a untrustworthy social group which keeps the audience grip as to why they are acting so erratically.

Stranger Things scene by scene