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Craville Studies >>
English Advanced >>
Frontline Language Features
Frontline Language Features
The Siege
Smaller
Fish to Fry
This
Night of Nights
The Siege:
· Mis-en-scene.
The frantic scenes at the office at the beginning of the episode set
the scene for how the Frontline news room operates.
· Moving
Shot. There is a shot that follows Brian around the office, showing
how the executive producer is always on the move.
· Satire.
Satire is probably the most important part of Frontline’s parody
effort. By using satire right throughout the entire series, they are
able to mock the real current affairs journalists. The satire also
helps to highlight Mike’s stupidity.
· Tension.
When Emma is speaking with the gunman, Gavin Forbes, she has to
transfer phone lines so the interview can go to air. With the crew
standing around in anticipation, there is a large amount of tension
in the air which is dramatically relieved when the phone line
transfer is a success.
· Framing.
When Mike is behind the desk, we only see him from waist up.
Unbeknown to the viewing public, Mike is wearing a racing suit that
is unseen to the audience as he is behind the desk.
· Lighting
and framing. Lighting and framing is used as a current affairs
technique to enhance a report. When Marty is reporting from the
siege site, he crouches in front of a police car despite being five
kilometres from any real danger.
· Sensationalism.
Sensationalism is used right throughout the series to further
satirise the issues. The following quotes are examples of
sensationalism.
o
“Have any shots been fired?” – Mike
o
“So we could have a Rambo situation!” – Mike
o
“The police have warned the media here of the very real danger.” –
Marty
o
“Keep safe!” – Mike
o
“Martin de Stasio reporting there from the line of fire.” – Mike
o
“Who knows what scars they may bare?” – Marty
· Non-diegetic
and diegetic music. The Frontline theme tune adds to the realism of
Frontline being a proper current affairs news program.
· Cutting.
Continually throughout the series, the producers of stories cut
parts of footage shot to suit a particular angle.
Smaller Fish to Fry:
· Zoom.
In the episode, the camera zooms up on the receipt to reveal an $87
bill. This use of camera sensationalism makes the bill look even
more of a rip-off.
· Intertextuality.
The episode contains both intertextuality with MediaWatch and also
with Woodward and Bernsteen.
· Hypocrisy.
This is evident when Brian explains his philosophy on current
affairs shows as:
o
Multiply the fridge repair men
o
Divide the bank fraud
· Juxtaposition.
The editor, Hugh, is a rough-looking sort who smokes, coughs and
splutters yet is responsible for the clean editing and smooth
appearance of the show itself.
· Puns
& Sensationalism. “The dry cleaner who’s cleaning you up.”
· Fade.
The time spent by the council workers on their break is exaggerated
by the use of fades.
·
Contrast. “There shouldn’t be any problems.” – “What sort of
problems?”
· Music.
An eerie, suspenseful piece is played when Frontline do the story on
the supposedly injured workers who can “bend over backwards if the
price is right.”
This Night of Nights:
· Noddies
and post-production techniques. After an interview has been shot,
the noddies are filmed and edited in. In the story on Ben Elton,
Brooke did not find him funny but put in noddies of her laughing at
the post-production stage.
· Sensationalism.
Once again used to beat up a story. “Street Aid, cheat aid.”
· Parody.
Mike practices his “mmmm” before he is actually due to say it.
“Mmmm, Brooke Van der Burg there with a disturbing report.”
· Hypocrisy.
Mike does not want to be involved with a story that promotes Telstra
after they have been found taping people’s phone calls but when
offered a new mobile, this perquisite soon means that he changes his
mind.
· Irony.
After Frontline decide not to do a story on people taping other’s
phone calls, it is ironic that Mike himself becomes a victim when
his phone call with Brian is recorded.
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