This lesson is designed to assist students in a case study of 'Sherlock' season 1. It is particularly useful for the upcoming GCSE Media Studies exam in 2018. Included in this recourse is a presentation which introduces students to the codes and conventions of Sherlock, and looks into Propp's Character Theory, and Todorov's Narrative Theory. Also included is a worksheet to go along with the PowerPoint, so students can complete tasks as the presentation moves along. At the end of the worksheet there is a small feedback section so teachers can be assured of how much the students understand of this topic, and which particular sections they need to re-cover.
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2. Codes and Conventions
In 'Sherlock', a wide range of codes and conventions are used to convey the nature of a
stereotypical TV Crime Drama.
In the show, stereotypes are used efficiently to ensure that the audience are aware of the genre.
As well as this, the codes and conventions add to the narrative by making it more realistic and
interesting.
3. Location, lighting and
Sound
Sherlock is (mostly) set in the Centre of London, which is a big city.
The atmosphere of the city is presented well in Sherlock, as we are shown large,
towering building, busy traffic, and a gritty 'backstreet' side to the city. Also, we
are show how hectic and chaotic the city is, with a huge amount of people in the
background. The weather is usually either moderately sunny or overcast/rainy,
which is typical of Britain.
Lighting is used in Sherlock to set the tone of several situations. At night, and in
the backstreets it is fairly dark, to emphasize how eerie the setting is. However,
during the day, a moderate and natural lighting is used for realism.
During the show, we hear a lot of noises from the city such as cars and people, in
order to (once again) make the show more realistic.
The music in Sherlock is very appropriate for the situations. During intense
moments, the music is gradual and builds up, while when Sherlock comes up with
an idea or is excited, the music becomes upbeat and quirky, which
particularly reflects Sherlock's character.
4. Camera and Editing
In Sherlock, camera angles are used considerately to make
a scene more interesting. For example, during a
conversation the camera will often focus on a close up shot
of the speaker's face. This particularly applies to Sherlock
when he is explaining the situation.
Lots of panning shots of the city are used, to emphasize the
cityscape, and to show how busy and hectic it is. Shots like
this are noticeably used in the intro sequence.
The editing in Sherlock is often fast paced, which reflects
how past paced Sherlock is, and the current situation.
Parallel editing is used, to maximize character coverage
during conversation.
5. Props and Costume
Codes and conventions are also conveyed through
the use of specific props and costumes.
Sherlock's outfit is typical of a detective, as he wears
the long coat which reflects mysteriousness, and he
sometimes wears a hat which is famed for being
associated with detectives through the original
Sherlock stories.
John Watson usually wears casual clothing, to reflect
his normality in comparison to Sherlock's superiority.
The scientist characters usually wear lab coats, the
police force usually wear a uniform etc.
6. Propp's Character Theory
Vladimir Propp came up with a theory which suggested that every story/narrative has a
particular set of fundamental characters.
Each character assists, and moves the plot along in order to keep the show's structure viable for
the audience's interest.
In Sherlock, there are very strong examples of Propp's theory, the following are some examples.
7. Character Types
Character Type Example in Sherlock Explanation
Hero Sherlock Holmes Sherlock is the main hero, as he solves the
crimes and attempts to save the day. Despite
him being the hero, he does have a darker
Helper Dr John Watson Dr Watson joins Sherlock on his adventures and
is like his sidekick. He usually assists with solving
the crime, and is more relatable for the
in comparison to Sherlock.
Donor Mycroft Holmes Mycroft sometimes supplies Sherlock with
information, and gives him hints.
8. Character Types
Character Type Example in Sherlock Explanation
'Princess' Victims Sherlock attempts to save the victims, and their
appreciation is the reward. The 'princess' role is
a shorter way of describing a typical 'damsel in
distress'
Villain Cabbie/Moriarty The cabbie acts as an opposition to Sherlock,
he gives him a mystery to solve. However, we
learn that Moriarty is a larger villain for
to fight against.
False Hero Anderson Sherlock has a particular disliking for Anderson.
Anderson attempts to solve the crimes, but
proves unsuccessful as Sherlock solves them.
Dispatcher Le Strad Le Strad usually finds cases for Sherlock to work
on, as he is part of the police force.
9. Todorov's Narrative Theory
Todorov believed that every narrative has a particular structure, and so came up with a theory
which suggests the fundamental structure of every plot/narrative.
These 5 sections were: 'Equilibrium', 'Disruption', 'Recognition of Disruption', 'Attempt to repair
Disruption' and 'New Equilibrium'.
The following tasks introduce Todorov's Theory.
10. Matching Task
Match the sections of a narrative to the correct description.
Equilibrium
Disruption
New Equilibrium
Recognition
Attempt to Repair
The opposition is acknowledged,
characters may become interwoven
into the story.
Setting and characters are
established, this is typically the
beginning of an episode.
Everything somewhat returns to
normality, and everything is almost
like it was at the beginning. Some
things may have been left
unresolved. (Cliff Hangers)
Oppositional characters appear. This
is typically the introduction to the
issue which must be resolved.
The Hero attempts to fix the
opposition, but may still encounter
more issues.
11. Matching Task
Match the sections of a narrative to the correct example for Sherlock 'The Great Game'
Equilibrium
Disruption
New Equilibrium
Recognition
Attempt to Repair
There is an un-explained explosion at
Baker Street which takes Sherlock by
surprise.
We find out who Moriarty is but the
episode is left on a cliff hanger. The
relationship between Watson and
Sherlock is established.
The episode opens with Sherlock
interviewing someone, before
returning to Baker Street.
Sherlock receives a phone call and
realises he must now solve puzzles to
save innocent people's lives.
Sherlock has solved a few puzzles,
and they are getting gradually more
difficult. Sherlock is about to enter
the final battle.
