The first TV series I analysed was Safehouse, Episode 1. This show opened with one male character swimming in a lake with scenes of flashbacks of him and his wife being shot. For the next several minutes no dialogue is used but background music is heard to create mood and introduce the genre. The first character is seen walking towards a house and there is use of non-dietetic sound as a voice is calling 'Katie.' The location changes as the man arrives at a party where he is greeted with his friends who are drinking champagne to celebrate his birthday.
A second character is introduced while driving a car before the scene switches to a family of four walking along a beach. The car then drives past the family. In this location little dialogue is used. The family are introduced by speaking to each other but then the audience notice a sinister character lurking in the background. We know that this man is menacing as his face his blurred to hide his identity. As the man begins to follow the family his reflection is shown in the glass as he is stood waiting.
The scene changes back to the party as the characters sing happy birthday. At around seven minutes into the series one of the character introduces the idea of a Safehouse which will foreshadow the events later on in the story line. The scene with the family is now shown and the man appears behind one of the children and begins to communicate with the young boy - he introduces himself as Micheal. Micheal picks up the young child and runs away with him and the frantic family attempt to chase after him.
The second TV series I analysed was American Horror Story: Season 5, episode 4. The opening sequence is placed in a hotel which we know will be the primary location. The first character enters the door and heads towards reception; a low camera angle is used to represent authority and control. Non-digetic sound is used in the form of background music to introduce the genre of the series. Shortly after, a second character is introduced by also entering through a door. The two characters discuss 'Devils Night' which is the name of this episode. The reception shows the first character to his room before the location changes to him climbing through a window into another room. In this section of the series there is no dialogue but background music to create suspense and tension. A fifth character is introduced, Mr March, after the guests in the hotel are attacked and the woman is screaming for help. At two minutes and forty seconds the opening sequence ends and the audience is introduced to the themes and actors.
Another character is introduced: a man who awakens by the sound of the phone ringing of his daughter who is calling. The camera switches from each character while they are talking. The location has changed again to a different hotel room and Scarletts home. At just after five minutes a female character is introduced attending to the laundry and a flashback is then shown displayed in black and white and the audience learns this was from 1925. In the flashback we can see the same lady from the present scene with her son on the afternoon of Halloween.
After this research I need to create multiple story lines so that more characters and locations are included: this will ensure my TV script is more realistic and professional. I would also like to included sections of the script which contain no dialogue as this is what I have noticed while doing my research and an effective way to create tension and mood.
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