69504 - Analysis of Television Language

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will have acquired a good knowledge of the main perspectives on both television languages and its consumption, from its birth up until its most recent trans-media evolutions (premium TV, Web TV, satellite TV). The student will also be able to effectively analyze different TV format and genres.

Course contents

The aim of the course is:

1.to provide the students with an in-depth knowledge of the main TV models of broadcasting Television, from its beginning up until nowadays most recent trans-media evolutions (WebTV, YouTube, Netflix),

2. to develop a critical perspective and to teach the most adequate analytical tools that can help to comprehend TV’s genres and formats (reality show, make-over television, news formats, etc.), in order to shed light on appropriate categories and concept for a thorough understanding of nowadays TV in its relation to new media and technologies.

 

The course will be articulated in three different thematic and methodological parts, in order to offer a complete and in-depth review of the history and the transformations of television and its languages. The first part of the course will focus on the evolution of different models of television, from the so-called “paleo-TV”, to the “neo-TV”, up until nowadays times of digital and on-demand TV, web-TV and YouTube. Along with the history of Italian television, both European public service broadcasting and the American commercial model will be discussed as productive models that have influenced the development of today’s transnational formats.

In the second part, the course will proceed to examine of television languages and of the tools and categories of possible analysis of televisual and trans-media textuality (Tv website, fandom, blog). By adopting a socio-semiotic perspective, and by looking at case-studies, the main genres and TV formats will be investigated, paying particular attention to the different elements of a TV grammar (compositions of the shots, points of view, camera angles and movements, editing).

The last part of the course will be entirely dedicated to the analysis of specific examples of contemporary “Quality TV”, namely to fiction and TV series, along with their “expanded” textuality, that is to the intertwining between TV, cinema and new media. Different TV series genres produced in different countries (USA, Italy, UK) will be discussed, from dramas to sit-coms.

Readings/Bibliography

Carini, S. (2009), Il testo espanso. Il telefilm nell'età della convergenza, Vita e Pensiero, Milano, 2009.

Grasso, A. (ed.), (2013), Storie e culture della televisione, Milano, Mondadori.

Grasso, A., Penati, C., (2016), La nuova fabbrica dei sogni. Miti e riti delle serie Tv americane, Milano, il Saggiatore.

Grignaffini, G., (2008), I generi televisivi, Roma, Carocci.

Grignaffini, G. e Pozzato, M. P. (eds.), 2008, Mondi seriali. Percorsi semiotici nella fiction, Link, Milano, RTI.

Lotz, A. D., Post Network: la rivoluzione della TV, Roma, Minimum fax.

Menduni, E., 2015, I linguaggi della radio e della televisione. Teorie, tecniche, formati, Laterza, Roma-Bari, nuova edizione

Teaching methods

The course is thought of as a critical reading of theories, methods and tools for the analysis of media languages. As such, it implies a collective discussion of particular case-studies. To the students who will attend the course regularly, an active commitment will thus be expected: these students will have to work (individually or in a group of maximum 4 people) specific example of contemporary TV’s languages and formats, both fiction and non fiction.

The attendance to the class is thus strongly recommended.

Assessment methods

 

For those who will have attended the course and that will have worked on case-studies during the lectures, the final exam will consist of an oral discussion of a power point presentation, and on a written paper on one of the topic discussed during the course, in which they will have to demonstrate their capacity to apply the tools provided and the different methodologies discussed throughout the course.

The length (the amount of words and the number of slides of the power point presentation) of these two assignements will depend on the number of people in the group, and on the selected topic.

The students who will not be able to attend the course will have to pass a written test on the various topics of  course.

All papers and power point presentations will be valued by taking into account the student’s capacity to use the references provided in order to produce an accurate and critical analysis of contemporary TV languages. An organic and critical view of the topics discussed during the course, along with an appropriate use of the analytical tools and the, will be valued with the highest marks. Syntactic mistakes, inappropriate use not only of the terminolgy, but of the vary basic Italian syntax, will be valued negativley (this does not apply, of course, to Erasmus students).

Teaching tools

During the classes, there will be projections of different examples of TV genres. The multimedia tools available in the lecture's room will be used.

Office hours

See the website of Cristina Demaria