Formats in Film and Television

Single Drama – This is based in television and is quite rare in this day and age and is designed as a ‘one-off’ story. Single Dramas are mostly based on typical issues, which the producers think is better suited for television than for cinema.

Formats in Film and Television

 

Serial – This format is used for a TV Series that will use the same characters (sometimes the same locations) regularly but each episode is not complete within itself and storylines will continue through to each episode. This is to encourage the audience to watch the next episode and find out what happens. Some Serials can carry many storylines (some up to four or five).

 

Procedural Drama – Procedural Dramas are a series which each episode its own storyline and which will rarely carry over to the next episode. Procedural Dramas are very popular all over the world. Shows such as Castle, CSI: Miami, NCIS, Bones and Hawaii Five-O. Most Procedural Dramas are based around law enforcement agencies, court or law.

 

Series of Films – A Film Series is a collection of related films that succeed each other. Some Film Series are multi-film work. Individual sequels are common but not always successful enough to spawn more sequels. Well known Film Series include Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars, Star Trek, X-Men, Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones and Transformers.

Narrative of World War Z

The film starts with Gerry Lane (Former UN Employee), his wife and his two daughters having breakfast before heading out into heavy Philadelphia traffic when the city is attacked by zombies. As the chaos begins and spreads, Gerry and his family seek refuge in a department, home to a couple with a young son. An UN Deputy Secretary General sends a helicopter that extracts the Lanes and the couple’s young son to US Navy vessel in the Atlantic.

A doctor sites that the plague is a virus and if they can find the origin they may be able to develop a vaccine. Gerry reluctantly agrees to help and find the sources outbreak but only if his family will be not be removed from the ship which the UN reluctantly agree to.

Gerry and his team fly to Camp Humphreys which is a military base in South Korea where they are attacked by zombies which results in some casualties. Turning to re-enter the plane, the doctor falls and accidentally shoots himself resulting in his death. Gerry and the rest of the team are then rescued by the bases surviving personnel.

They then travel to Jerusalem and meet a Mossad chief and explains earlier that the Indian Military had been fighting ‘dead spirits’ and therefore build a huge wall around the city. As Gerry is told this, loud celebratory music is sung by the refugees and prompts the zombies to scale an attack and climb the walls. As all this happens, Gerry is escorted to the plane by some soldiers. On the way, Gerry notices zombies ignoring an emaciated little boy. Soon after a soldier is bitten on the hand which Gerry amputates to stop her turning. Gerry and the soldier escape on a commercial airline plane.

Gerry contacts the UN where the plan is diverted to a WHO facility just outside Cardiff, Wales. On the plane a stowaway zombie attacks mid-air and Gerry uses a grenade to blow the infected out of the aircraft, which also courses the airplane to crash. Gerry and the soldier are the only survivors. Gerry awakens three days later in the WHO facility and explains to the staff a theory he has, that zombies don’t bite or attack people who are seriously injured or terminally ill because they won’t be suitable hosts. The facility is then overrun by zombies but Gerry gets to the pathogen vault where he infects himself with unknown bacteria and tests the theory by opening the vault, which is a success.

Gerry then escapes to and goes to reunite with his family in a safe zone at Freeport, Nova Scotia. A ‘vaccine’ derived of the pathogens is created and is issued to troops battling the infected, which acts as a camouflage. The vaccine also helps survivors to reach quarantine zones. Human forces start to offense against zombies and hope is restored. Gerry then comments on how this isn’t the end.

The Amazing Spider-Man Narrative

The film starts and Peter Parker is a socially awkward teen in high school that has a crush on Gwen Stacy and is bullied by Flash Thompson. He lives with his Aunt (May) and Uncle (Ben) after his parents disappearance many years before.

After a day at school, he comes back home and finds his dads research that reveals he worked at Oscorp with fellow scientist Doctor Curt Connors. Peter manages to sneak into a lab at Oscorp where ‘biocable’ is under development from genetically modified spiders. After sneaking inside Peter is bitten by one of the spiders. On the subway ride home, Peter discovers he has spider-like abilities.

After studying his father’s papers and research he goes to visit Doctor Connors and gives to him the missing piece in Doctor Connors experiments. Doctor Connors then invites Peter to work with him on the experiments on regenerating limbs. After working on the experiments with Doctor Connors at his lab he forgets to pick up his aunt. When he gets home he has an argument with his uncle and storms out.

At a nearby deli, Peter is two cents short and can’t afford milk. As Peter is about to leave, a thief comes into the store and steals the money from the teal which Peter keenly observes. While searching for Peter, Ben tries to stop the thief but is shot in the process. Peter then finds Ben bleeding and dying from the gun shot.

After Uncle Ben’s death, Peter starts using his new abilities to track down criminals matching the killer’s description. After falling through the rough of an old abandoned gym, Peter notices a luchador poster which inspires Peter to don a mask and spandex costume to hide his identity.

Peter is then invited to a dinner from Gwen and meets her father Captain George Stacy and have a conversation about Spider-Man (Peter’s alter-ego). After the dinner Peter reveals to Gwen that he is Spider-Man and they share a kiss.

After successful trials on regenerating limbs on a mouse, Connors tests the experiment on himself after pressure from his superior Doctor Ratha. Doctor Connors then goes to stop Doctor Ratha using the experiments on hospital patients but on his way his skin starts to turn green and scaly and starts to become the ‘Lizard’. Peter Parker as Spider-Man intercepts him at the bridge and snatches all of the falling cars with his web lines.

Peter then unsuccessfully confronts the Lizard who he suspects is Doctor Connors. During the confrontation Doctor Connors/Lizard finds out Spider-Man’s identity and goes to his high school where they fight before Lizard escapes. Following this the police start a manhunt on both Spider-Man and Lizard.

The police then corner Spider-Man where Captain Stacy finds out that Peter is Spider-Man. Lizard plans to make all humans a lizard like creature by releasing a chemical cloud from Oscorp Tower. Spider-Man eventually releases an antidote through the cloud and saves the city but not before Lizard mortally wounds Captain Stacy. Before his death, Captain Stacy makes Peter vow to keep Gwen safe which Peter initially does but later suggests to Gwen at school he may see her after all.