..Spooks Essay...x

Media Audiences

Throughout the opening sequence there is a number of techniques that appeal to a weekday mainstream audience. Firstly the different types of shots may connote the genre of the TV series. For example the opening starts off of a close up shot of a young girls face; this shot is also shown in slow motion which connotes tension and anxiousness for the audience. In addition in the opening of the sequence after the woman is shown, a couple is shown in the car. The close up shots of their features on their faces connote to the audience that they may be the villains in the trailer as their full faces are not being shown.

Media Institutions
In the beginning of the trailer the first thing shown is the BBC Logo, this has an effect on the mainstream audience as BBC is a well known channel and has high expectations when it comes to producing TV Series, so by showing BBC at the beginning of the trailer would have more people wanting to watch it. In addition the BBC is to educate, inform and entertain. In the opening of the sequence we are shown that there are obviously people watching over the house and people inside the house, so this straight away connotes the idea of informing, as it may inform the audience the dangers around themselves, in addition to this, it can also educate as there may be a moral to the story.

Media Representations:
There are many characters being represented in the opening of the sequence. Firstly the young man and woman are represented as middle class people who are in love, representing a typical middle class relationship. This would therefore attract more young people to watch the show. Also as the sequence develops the audience can see that the genre of the TV series is going to be drama. Therefore the 2 actors we see towards the end of the opening sequence are portrayed as the villains of the programme as they are spying on the main characters.

Media Forms:
In most opening sequences of drama TV series it is normally fast cuts of shots with a fast paste. However in this opening sequence it is has more of a slow paste so the storyline isn’t confusing. For example we are shown each character and the importance of each character for the programme; however most opening sequences don’t follow this, as they would not want to give the storyline away straight away as it is only the opening of a programme. Moreover it does use codes and conventions of a normal opening sequence such as enigma codes. For example the young girl who is skipping in the beginning, the audience’s point of view will be thinking who the girl is and why she is doing what she is. As this creates suspense and mystery it makes the viewer want to watch more and therefore get tuned into watching the programme all the time.