Capital csp

 1)What positive points does the review pick out about Capital? What criticisms are made - either of the TV drama or the original novel?

in “the evening standard” this widely diverse series is described in a very professional method they call capital “a three part series about the British economy” although this isn’t false if you’ve watched it you would be able to tell that this series is more aimed to have a comedic approach rather than the professional and serious manner this article presents it as. After an overhyped introduction to the series we are presented with various points as to why the film is “amazing” these include the mention of a great cast mostly due to the diversity, it might not seem like much of a statement however a British audience would be able to relate to the cast due to the diversity in london and might see this as a reason to watch the series.

2) What references can you find in the reviews and feature to the idea Capital is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama? How does it capture modern-day London?

As previously stated, this article widely publicises the diversity of the cast which i feel contributes heavily to our modern day london as during the time of the production of this series was when diversity was really starting to expand in their “modern day london”. However i can also see where modern day london is not enevitally captured such as the second point of this article where they mention that this is based off a novel which we know in current not only london but society in general we are filled with technological advancements and we tend to strain further from books or anything manual.

 1) How does the drama use camerawork to capture London life?

Camerawork has effectively been used in order to capture the london life through various techniques such as focusing on key aspects of london in order for the audience feel a sense of sentimentality or understand the type of location this is being set in. examples of this is the close up of a street sign which is everywhere in london as a sign of indication of location. they also shortly pan across the cast showing the stereotypical cultures doing their stereotypical assignments such as the polish man doing construction, the south asian man in front of a cornershop (he is positioned in a sense that he owns it), the black woman on a lower paying job and the british caucasians in a nice homey environment.

2) How does the trailer use mise-en-scene to capture the family element of the drama?

The characters may appear in scenes taking place in their homes where they are having dinner and conversing. Additionally, it shows casual, everyday clothing. The audience can tell that the family is content and close by the characters' facial expressions during dinner. We also see roger and his wife very distanced in comparison to the asian household who seem very close together.

3) How does the trailer introduce narrative strands suggesting tension or enigma in the 40-second running time?

Since the entire clip shows Quentina happy and in a relationship, the audience may be perplexed as to how this innocent person has been detained when they see a shot of her in a police cell and wonder what she did to deserve to be arrested and who she is. Finally, we see a clip of Arabella, Roger's wife, shouting "what are we going to do" in a worrying manner. This is another enigma code that begs the question of why Arabella is acting so upset and furious.

Capital scenes and representations-

0:30-4:50-Recognisable location, common London housing, establishments have a sense of identity (corner shops) diverse casting with an accurate stereotype representation, inflation and social crisis shown, progressive change in atmosphere, lighting from ast t present has widely changed.

6:28-8:10- Extreme long shot helps establish this scene's setting, accurately representing the 'rich' part of London, gender stereotypes reinforced- man is the breadwinner. racial stereotypes, white male is a millionaires however the south Asian household was clearly less financially stable.

14:00-15:35-reinforcing the riches of England through listing the variety of opportunities and benefits of being a rich person in England. stereotypical loveless caucasian marriage, denying sex-} she wants him for money or for the kid.

18:00-19:42, 31:10-39:00- diversity of London expanded to show the reality/help the audience relate, shows inside where some people might never have been for example entering a black church, a caucasian audience isn't likely to have experienced that, Quantina isn't required to work however she tries as much as she can to contribute to the society that doesn't want her, subverts racial and gender stereotypes

2) How does Capital use stereotypes? Do the characters and issues represented in Capital reinforce or subvert the stereotypes we typically see in the media?

throuout the series, capital has offered a wide range of stereotypes which are heavily reinforcing and influencing today’s society such as the asian man owning the corner shop which is a very large stereotype especially within london. There is also the stereotype that the elderly does not accept change and can tend to show hints of racism without knowing it. The association and accusations the black female faces in the show heavily reflects today’s society as often minorities such as people of colour get accused of crimes despite their innocence. Not only race is targeted by these factors of course as age is also a significant factor. i have already established the elderly however the younger members of this series are presented in an immature fashion. An example of this is when the shopkeepers son is keeping a friend over his house for a while and that “friend” displays a number of disrespectful or immature things such as leaving out a finished carton of milk or using things without permission

1) Who is the parent company for Kudos?

Endemol Shine UK

2) What was the breakthrough show for Kudos in 2002?

They won a BAFTA with their spy drama known as 'spooks'

3) Watch the showreel on the Kudos website. What other TV dramas have Kudos produced? What awards have they won?

It has produced television series for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Amazon and Netflix and its productions include Tin Star, Humans, Broadchurch, The Tunnel, Grantchester, Apple Tree Yard, Utopia, Spooks (US:MI5), Hustle and Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes. Their awards include The best indie award, the edging out studio learner and the BAFTA

4) What audience pleasures does the showreel suggest Kudos productions offer? 

We are shown the characters in many different ways including bits where the cast is grouped together in a sentimental way and we are placed to sort of be involved with the group to feel a sense of identity with the cast. We are also involved with personal moments between two characters to make us feel involved with their conversations.

Marketing and promotion

Read the BBC Press Pack for Capital.

1) How does the programme information on page 3 make Capital sound interesting to audiences?

The use of a cast and characters from a variety of backgrounds, the enigmatic letters, and the potential goals of the person are all intriguing. 

2) Why does the programme information mention the other shows that the director and producer have worked on?

It could be a sort of promotion kind of like a 'if you liked this you'll love this' type of scenario and so it could encourage the audience to explore more of their productions and if they like what they see then they might even become a loyal member to the company

3) Who commissioned Capital for BBC?

Charlotte Moore, Controller of BBC One and Ben Stephenson, Controller of BBC Drama.

4) Read the interview with Toby Jones. What does he say about the character of Roger?

He claims that he is not a bad person but rather a "slightly complacent" person, which would explain why he spends a lot of money on items that normal people do not ordinarily buy.

5) Read the interview with Adeel Akhtar (page 10). What does he suggest Capital says about the fictional Pepys Road and the sense of community (or lack of it) in London?

He discusses how, despite being a fictional street, it accurately depicts contemporary London society and how much has changed over time.

6) Read the interview with Shabana Azmi (page 12). What does she say about Asian representations in Britain? 

"I think so. If you look at the subject of Capital, and the number of communities that are being represented, there’s awareness that the world is shrinking, and becoming a global village. We are absorbing cultures, and understanding them, or at least trying to understand them within their own paradigms."

7) Read the interview with Peter Bowker (who adapted Capital - page 14). What are his favourite scenes in the drama and why?

He enjoys the frantic dinners with the Kamals. They are classic, idealised family moments that everyone has experienced, but they are performed with hilarious flair.

8) Read the interview with Derek Wax, the Executive Producer for Kudos (page 16). Why did he produce Capital and what does it say about the way we live now?

The producer points out that the difference between people who keep their homes the same or renovate them, like the elderly woman and the banker, makes the relationship between real house prices and how they are represented directly realistic given how high they are.

Look at the DVD packaging for Capital. There are many marketing techniques employed here.

1) How does the packaging use other critically acclaimed TV dramas to promote Capital?

The phrase "From the makers of Humands & Broadchurch" at the top of the DVD cover draws viewers who have seen and appreciated those shows and may be interested in watching Capital. 

2) What does the use of design and images suggest to the audience about the drama?

The DVD box features a variety of families and characters, suggesting that the programme will be family-focused and centre on the lives of these individuals. At the bottom of the DVD cover, we can also observe that the show does include diversity through the Kamal family. 

3) How are review quotes used on the cover and what do they suggest to the audience about sub-genre, narrative and audience pleasures?

"Insightful and moving...a compelling portrait of modern Britain...Terrific."- This quote tells us as the audience that Capital will clearly feature the problems of modern Britian and provides the audience with a sub-genre of social realism. It also brings audiences the audience pleasure of surveillance as they find out more and more about Britain's problems as well as how the economy suffered after the 2008 recession crisis.

4) What representation of London does the DVD packaging offer?

The iconic buildings of London, including the Gherkin, Big Ben, and the London Bridge, are depicted on the DVD box. Additionally, the individuals depicted on the box demonstrate how diverse London is growing.