For this assignment, I chose to watch the show “30 Rock”.
Based on the setting, it is clear that the characters have a working
relationship with each other. The main character, Liz, seems to be caring
toward others as demonstrated by her smiling, giving hugs, and handing out food
to others. The other character, Jack, is clearly the boss given the business
suit he wears and seems to be directing others. His facial expressions remain
the same and he is sitting behind a desk with others across from him. Jack and
Liz don’t seem to get along as she shakes her head at him and they never smile
at each other. One character, Tracy,
showed he was upset by using exaggerated hand movements and his mouth opened
wide showing he was yelling. I noticed that Liz seemed interested in working
with Tracy since she appeared nervous with her smiles and her body appeared
tense. Later she appears to be more relaxed as she is talking to Tracy and
trying to find to make eye contact by moving around as he does.
After watching the show with the sound playing, it was much
easier to observe the interactions between characters. The boss, Jack, is a
blatantly honest character that is new to the company and does not seem
well-liked. Liz did not seem as quiet and nervous as she did when I watched the
show with the sound off. She makes more remarks that are straight-forward. While
talking with Tracy, Liz seems more relaxed than I thought before and she is
more open and honest. Tracy does not appear as upset but rather he seems
confident in himself. The relationships I noticed are the same as when I
watched without sound yet now I have a better understanding of the dynamics
within their working relationships.
If I had watched a show I am more familiar with, I would
have predicted what the characters would do and how they would react between
each other. It also would have been easier to understand the plot of the show
without trying to decipher the relationships between the characters. I often
watch TV shows while completing other projects at the same time. I often only
look at the TV when they say something that catches my attention or I am trying
to gain more insight into the show. If I didn’t have sound playing or had only
sound (like a radio show), it would take a lot more of my attention to grasp
the plot and the relationships of each character.
Hi Terri
ReplyDeleteYou raise an important point, it is more challenging to figure out relationships between characters and individual personalities when you go in blind. I think that this is true for all relationships. However, often the very knowledge that helps us to make decisions and connects us to people when used mindlessly can have the opposite affect. O'Hair gives a list of great suggestions that can be used to help one become a good listener.
In my early childhood we listened to stories on the radio for entertainment as there was no television in my country. I would often conjure up images of what I thought the characters looked like. What was interesting for me was that sometimes I would continue the adventures in my mind during the day until i listened to the next episode.
Hello Terri,
ReplyDeleteWe communicate as much or more with body language as much as we do with words. For this reason, we should be aware of our body language and what it might communicate to others. Naturally, the use of verbal expressions will give us a more precise interpretation of the types of relationship among characters. Similarly, with observation, nonverbal cues can be quite effective.
Terri,
ReplyDeleteGreat observation. I too watched an episode of a soap opera. I just read another colleague's post who had watched a reality show and it was apparently more difficult to figure out the relationships without the sound on. It made me wonder if it is easier to predict the dynamics of the characters in a soap opera than watching real people in action. What do you think? My guess is that actors are trained to be animated and show more emotion on their faces and have had time to read the script and rehearse it several times probably before they made the show. I think I am gonna watch a couple of episodes of different reality shows and figure out if my assumption is correct. You said you watch a lot of TV shows what is your analysis? Thanks for your post!
Maryam
Hi Terri, I thought this was a great activity for learning. I found it challenging to watch TV without sound. The movements the characters made did not display the relationships well. I find it interesting that silent films were once very popular. The actors and actresses exaggerated their moves to convey emotions. Watching TV without sound, made me realize how difficult it might be for the hearing 0-impaired to interpret TV shows. Your assumptions were almost identical with the sound on and off. Great observations. Dana
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