Mental Illness on Television Drama

Television Drama has enormous power to shape public attitudes towards mental illness - a subject still shrouded in ignorance and misunderstanding. But it is the job of the industry to challenge popular myths? Or does it have a responsibility at least not to mislead? Is using pejorative dialogue about people with mental health problems any more acceptable than broadcasting racist language?

This report is based on research led by the Glasgow Media Group (GMG) at Glasgow University and is commissioned by SHIFT, the department of health programme to tackle the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness. The research analysed three months of Television Drama on UK terrestrial channels between 4pm and 11pm. From 74 episodes from 34 different programmes contained mental illness-related storylines. 

This article is trying to convey a serious message to producers and directors of Television Dramas. It is displaying how mental health is portrayed in extremes, which the audience interpret as stereotypical mental health and that is the main cause of stereotypes, and how all people who have mental health are maniacs who are going to kill you if you look at them. 

Television producers and mainly concerned with increase ratings, and getting more viewers than before. They do not seem concerned about the 'real-life' repercussions of there representation of mental health. What they show people interpret as reality, and believe that mental health is very serious and severe, ultimately, having a mental health issue makes you a murdering or suicidal maniac. 

The statistics shown by the GMG are interesting and are definitely showing the consequences of how Television Drama explores mental health. 

Overall Television Drama has large potential to combat stigma and improve public understanding of Mental Health. However, unsympathetic portrayals and references to mental health are still dominant in soaps. The over-representation of violence, with most programmes suggesting people who have mental health issues are dangerous and should not be in public. Mental Health professionals, charities and people affected by mental illness are all keen to work with the industry to help create authentic programmes rooted in reality.

Marketing and Distribution Homework

1) What is the vertical distribution system?
Vertical distribution is where one company produces and distributes its own films.


2) How does this affect control of the film industry?
This indicates that large companies and corporations will continue to dominate the film industry and smaller, independent companies will struggle to compete.


3) How does a recent Disney film benefit from this?
Disney is currently owned by a company called General Electric, which is one of the 'Big Six' media companies in the world, and is dominant in the film industry. This company is so diverse that it also builds engines for Airliners and fighter jets. One of Disney's recent films like The Princess and the Frog would have a major advantage over independent companies due to the already well-established connections General Electric have for distribution. This enables them to distribute large quantities of items over a large area, at a rapid speed. Continued repetition of this method will ensure future Disney films they will be allowed the same advertisements. 


4) Which media companies do General Electric own?
General Electric own the following companies: 80% of NBC Universal; Universal Picture, Focus Features and Rogue Pictures. General Electric has production agreements with: Imagine Entertainment, Jersey Films, Tribeca Films, Shady Acres, the Kennedy/Marshall Company, Playtone Company, Strike Entertainment, Type A Films, Depth of Field, Stephen Sommers and Working Title Films (Europe).


5) What manufacturing facility do they own which supports the vertical distribution system?
The facility which supports the vertical distribution system is Universal Studios Home Entertainment.


6) Look back at the previous 2 answers. How then, do companies owned by General Electric benefit from their vertical distribution system?
Other companies owned by General Electric benefit due to the already established and sterling relationships and connections General Electric currently have concerning distribution.


7) Compared to the production cost of a film, how much does marketing and distribution cost?
No information available, marketing and distribution budgets are difficult to research.


8) Who do Working Title Primarily market their film towards?
Working Title primarily market their films dependant on the genre of the film. Films such as Paul, and Johnny English are generally marketed towards Americans, as the main protagonists are 'typically British' and this is what intrigues Americans in. These type of action/comedy films are generally for audiences between 16-24 years old, and bias towards a male gender. On the other hand we have Atonement, a film set during the second world war, which is cleverly pieced together and intertwined, from a single lie told by a young and ignorant girl. This films naturally markets towards men and women around the ages of 30-50 years. The film envelopes the audience around the love between two people, and their struggles, due to ignorance of a young girl. 
Whether action-packed or making the audiences think as they watch, and develop a deep message, each genre is unique to its own audience.


9) Vertical distribution should guarantee a film's success. Find a Working Title film that did not perform as well as expected. What factors, other than distribution and marketing, caused this film to be a commercial failure?
The film I have selected to discuss is Captain Corelli's Mandolin, which was meant to be a great success. This film was one or Working Title's largest budgets, however, due to its change in story, and lack of mirroring the book, audiences were disappointed, which caused the film to perform in the box office very poorly.


10) Smaller Companies cannot benefit from a vertical distribution system. What marketing methods do independent or small film studios use instead?
For smaller film companies and studios, the best way to increase distribution is through a marketing company, which scour the huge multi-national corporations for someone willing to buy. It is now possible to bypass traditional methods of marketing and distribution, using the internet, social networking websites and game consoles to increase a film's exposure to audiences across the globe. Using the internet, you can publicise to a large audience or to a niche audience.

Lighting Types

Lighting

Key Light
Key lighting is used to highlight a protagonist or object in a scene.

Back Light
Back lighting is used to highlight objects or characters toward the back of the scene.

Fill Light
A fill light is used to reduce the contrast of a scene and/or highlight areas of a scene which are in shadow.

Chiaroscuro
This form of lighting is used to indicate an extreme case of low-key lighting to highlight areas of light and dark in scenes. Such as heaven and hell or right and wrong.

Rim Lighting
Rim lighting creates a halo effect or stark glow around the designated area.

How does piracy affect Working Title Film and how have they tried to stop it?

Piracy affects the production, distribution and exhibition of the film industry. Piracy is "murdering" the film industry, the continued increase of piracy is costing companies millions of pounds a year. In 2009 77.75 million pirated Digital Versatile Discs (DVD) were sold. This some took around £7'000'000 from the film industry in 2009. The smaller studios with talent pools and aspiring young films makers and workers lose out on money, and experience as the smaller companies are less willing to take risks with films, and film-making begins to dwindle. This hampering of talent, stops aspiring young workers on their way up to large dominant film companies, such as Warner Bros.

 Companies such as Working Title Films are now introducing technologies not available or at the same quality of public purchase, such as 3D or digital films. Digital films projectors cost around £250'000 per screen, this innovative new way of watching film is more secure, and makes for much better viewing. The screen is no longer pixelated either. Each cinema is sent a copy of the film for example, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy recently made by Working Title is distributed in an encrypted safe, with a password unique to each container, and will expire after a set time, this is how piracy is currently being combatted.

Piracy is increasing at an average of 3% each year. This is mainly due to the dramatic increase in digital and media technologies. Faster broadbands and different torrents make downloading a film from the World Wide Web very easily and fast. The quality is often good nowadays.

Monarch of the Glen- Camera Movement and Composition

During the start of the clip, we are mainly using a tripod, up until a young girl by the name of Amy, begins to drive the car. The camera moves towards her as if someone is walking up to her, and listening to what she is saying to herself, as it turns out she can not actually drive. The majority of dialogue between characters is close-up shot of the protagonists. It switches between each character as their dialogue comes up. The majority of camera movement is still. Except for the two most significant parts of the story, where the camera applies the representation that you as the viewer are also in the situation and walking towards the point of significance. The second significant situation after the car crash into her teacher Mr Edward Green and her uncle Paul Mcdonald are in what appears to be the library (with the candlestick) having a brandy and discussing Amy's future when the camera dollies toward our characters as if walking into the conversation and being involved.