p2

Learners choose one media product that is producedby the institution they have investigated, and analyseits:

A) Purpose
the purpose of Its always sunny in Philadelphia is to entertain the audience. Another purpose is to show people how not to behave in public.

B) Genre
The show is a comedy american sitcom. The show is obliviously a comedy and an example scene is when charlie dresses up as his character green man and gets beaten up by the Phillie Phanatic. The show is labeled as a sitcom, however there are multiple reasons why I believe it is not in the same category as a show like Friends. For example, Friends has a live audience, canned laughter and not many varied camera shots, Friends also is always filmed from one side acting as the fourth wall and is basically televised theatre. Its Always Sunny does not have a live audience and uses multiple camera angles and styles of shots. Its always sunny also follows some stereotypes such as always having the same characters and having a different issue or situation to face in each episode.  Both shows also use medium long shots as they show the whole body for body gestures.

C) Form
The show is made by FXX however it is on Netflix. Netflix is a payed subscription service where you pay a fixed price every month for access to thousands of shows and films. The shows narrative structure follows an episodic genre.

D) Style
The colour pallet in its always sunny is not anything extreme as it is meant to be realistic and feature normal people. the show is shot with hand held cameras which gives the realistic style to the show.

E) Content
The show is about a group of friends who own a bar. In each episode the gang have different schemes and plans and they normally don't end up well for them.

F) Meaning

In this shot Frank is trying to hang himself as he is broke. The act of hanging yourself is quite a private thing and you wouldn't do it in a public space, However Frank is doing it in the middle of the bar. This is comedic as it isn't something you would do in public. The characters expression suggests that he is disappointed that the hanging has not worked, this is comedic as normally if someone was hanging from a rope they would be dead. The heavy duty rope suggests that the character has gone all out to kill himself and it still hasn't worked. The camera is positioned behind a character which makes it feel like you are there watching the from inside the bar. The characters just standing and watching the character hanging shows the audience that the characters are not good people, and that that the characters are used to Frank doing stupid things. 

The camera is positioned from the left of the screen and features both Charlie (Left) and Mac (Right) in a two shot. Both characters wear similar clothes which suggests to the audience that they both have the same intellectual level. Both characters are quite over the top and the scene shows this as Mac is holding a katana. The katana comes across as a sign of masculinity and suggests that the character is trying to make himself look as masculine as possible. The cut sleeve jacket on mac also suggests that he is trying to show off his muscles and tattoo, which are also signs of masculinity. Charlie wearing the bandana and the denim jacket suggests he is quite over the about his patriotism towards the USA. Both characters outfits don't fit in with the setting of the shot as they are applying for security guards at a high school where you wouldn't wear patriotic outfits or carry a katana.

2. Camera shot type and why?

The scene features lots of close ups of the characters once in the shower. This is done to give a comedic aspect to the scene as it shows the two male characters in the shower together very close together. The way the two men are talking makes the scene funny as they are trying to put on accents which don't come across very well. The character who has gone blackface also makes the scene funny as his paint is coming off in the shower, The scene then becomes funnier as the other character reacts to the paint coming off. The two characters then switch roles in the film which adds to the humor of the scene as the film they have made is so poorly made but they think it is very good. The close ups show the reactions of the characters and makes the viewer focus on how silly the characters are.

5. How is the show different from other shows?

Its always sunny in Philadelphia is different from other shows in the way that its comedy is over the top and quite offensive. For example, other sitcoms such as The Big Bang Theory have different styles of comedy and rely on a laugh track with a live audience. The comedy is different in the way that it doesn't hold back and goes quite extreme, Like how in the scene a character goes blackface which shows like The Big Bang Theory wouldn't ever do. This could be because the show is more family friendly however The Big Bang Theory still has some adult themed scenes and jokes.

6. Colours used and why this is typical of the genre?

The shows colouring is predominantly quite bright. This fits the stereotype of the genre as it is a comedy and comedy's are usually quite bright to reflect on the humor and make the audience have fun watching the show. This is because bright colours suggest happiness and fun which the scene especially is as the two characters are being silly and having fun playing volleyball together.

g) production process - in three areas