House of Cards

Glossary

Drama
What is TV drama? TV drama is a broad genre. At its simplest, it is fictionalised action in narrative form.

Long form TV drama
Long Form Drama is a term coined to describe the recent shift of interest towards television series of high quality that many consider to have replaced the cinema as a locus of serious adult entertainment. Unfolding over multiple episodes, hours, and even years, these TV shows are seen to provide a content, often dark and difficult, and an innovative style that strain against the conventions of cinema as well as network television. 

Media convention
A code is a system of signs which can be decoded to create meaning.In media texts, we look at a range of different signs that can be loosely grouped into the following:technical codes - all to do with the way a text is technically constructed - camera angles, framing, typography etc. verbal codes ...

A code is a system of signs which can be decoded to create meaning.

In media texts, we look at a range of different signs that can be loosely grouped into the following:

technical codes – all to do with the way a text is technically constructed – camera angles, framing, typography etc

verbal codes – everything to do with language -either written or spoken

symbolic codes – codes that can be decoded on a mainly connotational level

Genre

A genre is basically the category of any type of art or literature, for example categories of movie would be comedy, horror, thriller etc.

Genre Hybridity

Some media texts are hybrid genres, which means they share the conventions of more than one genre. For example Dr. Who is a sci-fi action-adventure drama and Strictly Come Dancing is a talent, reality and entertainment show.

Synopsis 

A brief summary of the major points of a written work.

Subvert
To undermine the power and authority of (an established system or institution).

Barthes Narrative Code

Open or closed? 

texts may be

' open ' (i.e. unravelled in a lot of different ways) or

' closed ' (there is only one obvious thread to pull on). 

Barthes also decided that the threads that you pull on to try and unravel meaning are called narrative codes and that they could be categorised in the following five ways:

The Hermeneutic Code / ENIGMA CODE

The Hermeneutic Code refers to any element of the story that is not fully explained and hence becomes a mystery to the reader.

The purpose of the author in this is typically to keep the audience guessing, arresting the enigma, until the final scenes when all is revealed and all loose ends are tied off and closure is achieved.

The Proairetic Code (ACTION CODE)

The Proairetic Code also builds tension, referring to any other action or event that indicates something else is going to happen, and which hence gets the reader guessing as to what will happen next. 

Action code - applies to any action that implies a further narrative action. For example, a gunslinger draws his gun on an adversary and we wonder what the resolution of this action will be. 

The Hermeneutic and Proairetic Codes work as a pair to develop the story's tensions and keep the reader interested. Barthes described them as:

 "...dependent on ... two sequential codes: the revelation of truth and the coordination of the actions represented….."

Semantic Code

Example: The connotations of a red rose could be love, romance, passion, proposals, 

House of Cards (S1 E1)

What genre is the media text?

Political Drama

What sub is the media text?

List the main characters

Garrett Walker - President elect 

Linda Vasquez - Chief of staff, woman, latino, tuff as a 2 dollar cheque.

Frank/Francis Underwood - House majority whip – keep the sludge moving.

Claire Underwood - Frank's wife, mysterious, CEO of charity, ruthless.

Zoe Barnes - Washington Herald reporter.

Michael Kern – Recently elected secretary of state

Peter Rousseau - arrested for drink driving, solicitation, use of controlled substances.

Christina Gallagher - assistant to…

Jim Matthews

Donald Blythe - Educational secretary

Lucas Goodwin - Washington Herald

https://www.slideshare.net/naamah/thriller-conventions-65929544

What are the genre conventions of a thriller / political thriller?

> Uses suspension, tension and excitement as the main elements.

> Has many subgenres: mystery, crime, psychological, political and paranoid.

> Atmosphere of menace, violence, crime and murder.

> Literary devices like plot twist, red herrings and cliffhangers.

> Narrative techniques include: plot twists, multiple lines of action, flashbacks, red herrings, misdirection, deadlines, principle of concealment, chases/pursuits and making the audience work.

> Thriller characters include criminals, stalkers, assassins, psychotic individuals, escaped convicts, menaced women, innocent victims, cops, people involved in twisted relationships.

> Other techniques include POV, dramatic angles, tense music, off screen sound, low key lighting, strong directional lighting, over exposed / colour manipulation, fast paced editing, jump cuts, parallel editing, obtrusive editing, silence, exaggerated sound, disorientation of time/space.

> Political thriller conventions include corruption.

How does House of Cards conform/subvert these conventions?

House of Cards conforms to these conventions in the way in which it is produced and the literary techniques

https://www.slideshare.net/marija2703/genre-conventions-59310145

What are the genre conventions of a drama?

> Exhibits real life situations, realistic characters, settings and stories.

> Character development and journeys

> Intense social interaction

> move audience emotionally with a dramatic storyline

> Heart of drama is conflict

> Conflicts incude inner/outer realistic struggles depicting hardship, difficulty and pain

> Audience can relate to characters

> Structured with climaxes and anti climaxes

>  A form of realisation at end / happy ending

What are the genre conventions of a political drama? 

(http://www.filmsite.org/dramafilms.html)

> Realistic ideas about politics

> Conflict between different characters

> Corruption

How does House of Cards conform/subvert these conventions?

House of Cards conforms to these conventions as it contains real life situations involving politics and incorporating real life scenarios and characters that relate to real life people. There is audience interaction in House of Cards when Frank turns to the camera and talks directly to the audience. Additionally, it contains drama and controversy similar to that of real life American Politics. It does exhibit real life situations, it has realistic characters, settings and stories. It is set in Washington DC, which is most famous for being where the White House is situated, where the president lives and where main politics goes ahead.

House of Card Synopsis (500 words)

House of Cards is an American political thriller drama TV series. It mainly follows the story of Frank Underwood, a Democratic congressman and house majority whip. In 'Chapter 1', the first episode of the first series, it is revealed that Frank ensured that Garrett Walker would become the President elect. In turn, it was promised that Walker would nominate Underwood as Secretary of State. It is then later revealed that Walker went against his promise and nominated Senator Michael Kern. From the start, Frank Underwood and his wife Claire, an environmental activist and CEO of a charity, make a plan together to ensure that Kern does acquire his position of Secretary of State. Frank tells Claire that they will have a lot of sleepless nights whilst the plan is in action and Claire says that it doesn’t matter to her and the pair agree on the plan. This is one of the main narratives throughout the first episode of the first season, but also throughout the entirety of the first season itself. Claire's non-profit organisation is called the Clean Water Initiative. This is the narrative that follows into many other episodes of the season and tells the story of how Frank Underwood intends to boost his career in office.

Another narrative within the first episode of House of Cards is the story of a young journalist named Zoe Barnes, who works for the Washington Herald. She is determined to be a more well known journalist and for her stories to become a main part of the newspaper. Because of this, she approaches Frank Underwood with information about a scandal, regarding an education bill that could help both of their careers to excel. This narrative shows how these characters would do anything it takes to boost their careers and make themselves a success, at the expense of others. Zoe and Frank cross their paths whilst he is avoiding people he knows at the symphony. This prompts them to meet again. Doug finds a shredded draft from Donald Blythe and Frank hands it to Zoe. After this, she begins writing an article for the Washington Herald without the knowledge of her editor. Eventually, her editor approves her article and it is published on the front page of the Washington Herald.

A third narrative within the first episode of House of Cards is the story of Peter Russo, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district, who is arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, solicitation and the use of controlled substances. Additionally to being arrested for a number of crimes, he is also having an affair with his assistant, Christina Gallagher. The two often use his work phone line to talk dirty to each other and in this episode, are seen in bed together. In this particular scene, Peter and Christina are talking and Christina decides to ask him about what their relationship will become. It is six months in and she says that she wants to take it more seriously. Peter agrees with her and says that he loves her.