Capital: Case Study Blog Task
Reviews and features
Guardian review by Sam Wollaston
Telegraph review by Ben Lawrence
London Evening Standard: five things you need to know about Capital
Behind the scenes filming Capital from the Daily Telegraph
1) What positive points do the reviews pick out about Capital?
It addresses a lot of aspects of real diverse London life, and the actors very well depict 'the loneliness of London life'.
2) What criticisms are made - either of the TV drama or the original novel?
The characters were underdeveloped, with too much happening before we now the characters equlilibrium enough to empathise with them.
3) How does the TV drama change the time period and location for the story in comparison to the original novel?
They move location to suit the written characters more because of the gentrification of the original location. Also, some characters were left out of the TV drama in order for the directros to be able to focus on the few storylines they did keep in the show while modifying it.
4) In the Telegraph 'behind the scenes' article, what does the writer say about the London housing market?
Housing prices are on the rise and currently show no sign of plateau or decrease.
5) What references can you find in these reviews and features to the idea Capital is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama? How does it capture modern-day London?
All the articles speak about it 'capturing' real life people struggling to keep up with being millionaires (property wise) and how the diversity acts as a miniature model of London.
Textual analysis
Watch the trailer for Capital:
1) How does the drama use camerawork to capture London life?
The camerawork includes crane shots and wide shots from high angles to display the London setting. These types of shots allow maximum view of the location they are in which is important for the mise-en-scene because it helps the audience match the characters to the location they are in. For example, one reason is that if there is a high angle wide shot of a long dingy street and a following shot of a well dressed man/woman walking down a street, it will be obvious that they are showing two separate locations.
2) What does the camera movement when characters are initially introduced suggest about the drama and its London setting? Pick out one or two shots in particular.
3) How does the trailer use mise-en-scene to capture the family element of the drama?
There is a lot of shots that include a modern household, with general mess around to emphasise the type of lifestyle the drama is based around. The different families are shown with each of their problems in a matter of seconds.
4) Bastille's 'These Streets' is used as the soundtrack for the trailer. What does this communicate to the audience and why is it effective?
Aside from the irony of the show being based on one particular street, the song is upbeat which suggests the lives of the people are typically happy. Since we don't see any disequilibrium in the trailer, only the equilibrium is portrayed- this is evidently done through the song.
5) How does the trailer introduce narrative strands suggesting tension or enigma in the 40-second running time?
Different families are shown in a good stages of their lives- for example, the black woman kissing her boyfriend, or the white banker talking about his £2 million bonus. This is followed by a scene of the woman being locked in a cell, and the bankers wife losing her temper. This suggests how the narrative is to suffer a disequilibrium and the audience consequently want to find out why.
Watch the Episode 1 preview for Capital:
1) What does this preview clip suggest about the potential sub-genres for Capital?
It is suggested from the use of the detective that there is an element of mystery and crime, alongside the questioning family that have no explanation for the occurrences.
2) What elements of the clip might suggest this is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama?
The younger characters address the very current issue of white supremacy/privilege and how police favour white people and sympathise their issues more than minority groups in Britain.
3) Analyse the mise-en-scene in this clip. How does this provide realism and familiarity for audiences?
There is an element of realism for the audience in the very typical looking corner shop: cluttered, but with every kind of convenience you could need at any time of day. The natural daylight coming through the window also aids the realism as it seems as if they are on a real street corner and people can just walk in from outside.
4) What audience pleasures are provided by this scene?
5) How is the audience positioned to respond to the different characters in this particular sequence?
The audience is forced to address the issue of white privilege in the policing system which in this case is proven undeniable. All audiences watching are positioned against the detective because they can't tell whether to trust his judgement or not.
Watch the Episode 2 preview for Capital:
1) How does this clip represent upper-middle-class family life?
The mise-en-scene in this clip include a large, open kitchen that looks recently renovated or extended- this suggests their wealth isn't like winning the lottery but it is a part of their lifestyle. They own a dishwasher which not many people on the street would, reiterating the fact that their wealth is a natural thing that doesn't particularly excite them; they use their money for practical living things. The wife enters looking for her mobile which again suggests that she needs this expensive piece of technology to function.
2) What narrative strands are suggested in this sequence?
It is suggested that the husband finds more interest in talking to the younger, more approachable nanny, which consequently will lead the wife to create a narrative of jealousy and broken marriage.
3) How is the audience positioned to respond to Roger Yount, the main character (banker and father to the two boys)?
The audience is made to sympathise with him as he has to struggle a huge job with two young children plus housework, without any prior experience or the help of his wife. He is interacting with his children finally, which for any father is a joyous and important moment, but then his wife enters and belittles each of them for spending quality time with the children without her which then positions the audience against her and on the side of Roger.
Production and industry context
1) What is Kudos' parent company?
Endemol Shine group
2) What was the breakthrough show for Kudos in 2002?
'Spooks'
3) Watch the showreel on the Kudos website. What other TV dramas have Kudos produced? What awards have they won?
They have 4 BAFTAs and have also produced show such as Broadchurch, River, and Flowers.
4) What audience pleasures does the showreel suggest Kudos productions offer?
There are chase scenes, scenes of sexual nature and violence, and voice-overs of the script that hint at the genres and story-lines of each drama.
Marketing and promotion
Read the BBC Press Pack for Capital.
1) How does the programme information on page 3 make Capital sound interesting to audiences?
There is a brief overlook on all the characters lives. It states their equilibrium and what they would call 'normal life' and it then follows to list their downfalls:' Interweaving stories reveal lives filled with love and loss, fear and greed, fortune and envy and most recognisable of all, family and home'
2) Why does the programme information mention the other shows that the director and producer have worked on?
It begins by stating the actors and previous productions they have been a part of. It also elaborates on the awards they have won, almost to assure the audience that the actors are going to do a good job.
3) Who commissioned Capital for BBC?
Charlotte Moore.
4) Read the interview with Toby Jones. What does he say about the character of Roger?
'Roger isn’t an evil banker, he’s a slightly complacent banker. He’s become used to a certain way of life and has a self-imposed pressure to live that way. He spends a lot of money on things that other people don’t spend money on – for example fixtures and fittings - but that is normal to him and his wife. He is not totally in charge of his life or his work. '
5) Read the interview with Adeel Akhtar (page 10). What does he suggest Capital says about the fictional Pepys Road and the sense of community (or lack of it) in London?
'It looks at the idea of a community, and what it means to belong to the community from whatever background you’re from. One of the problems is that some people within a community, such as 11 Ahmed’s brother Usman, feel ostracised from it. They feel like they don’t belong and are on the outside looking in. Capital looks at that concept and also that they are all part of something bigger than themselves.'
6) Read the interview with Shabana Azmi (page 12). What does she say about Asian representations in Britain?
'If you look at the subject of Capital, and the number of communities that are being represented, there’s awareness that the world is shrinking, and becoming a global village. We are absorbing cultures, and understanding them, or at least trying to understand them within their own paradigms'
7) Read the interview with Peter Bowker (who adapted Capital - page 14). What are his favourite scenes in the drama and why?
' have a few favourite moments in the book which I wanted to make sure stayed as favourites in the adaptation. Christmas morning where Roger has been abandoned and left to look after his two 15 children is one that Euros (Director) has done brilliantly. Roger realises that his life is changing but it’s done with such comedy! It is one of those glorious Basil Fawlty moments where the farce is working at one level and the emotional farce is working at another.
I also love the Kamals’ chaotic family meals. They are quintessentially archetypal family scenes that everybody lives through, but played with great comedic panache.
And when Bogdan the Polish builder talks to Matya the Hungarian nanny about the affluent Londoners they are working for, it’s fascinating. Capital has a wonderful scale but is all about the minute observations of human nature'
8) Read the interview with Derek Wax, the Executive Producer for Kudos (page 16). Why did he produce Capital and what does it say about the way we live now?
'The novel really spoke to me as it has a sweeping Dickensian ambition to it, all life in one street. I loved the sense of this big, expansive panorama of life as well as the small details of human behaviour. The whole of London seen through the microcosm of one street.It definitely speaks to me about where London and the country is now. The obsession with property, the fact that London house prices have risen extraordinarily, has only intensified the sense of a society of haves and have-nots. Everyone’s connection to money is explored but then the novel expands to ask what life’s real value is, and it does this with a very deft, light touch. I’d say the novel is profound but never overtly polemical. '
DVD packaging
1) How does the packaging use other critically acclaimed TV dramas to promote Capital?
The top of the packaging includes the previous dramas the makers produced. They are obviously very popular and successful dramas and therefore the audience will be more inclined to watch.
2) What does the use of design and images suggest to the audience about the drama?
The design is very similar the poster for 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' which indirectly hints at the same kind of dramatic, money orientated lives that both productions revolve around. The skyline image has a connotation of a flashy, expensive area that London inhabits. The irony is that it costs big money but the street they live on is an average middle class place.
3) How are review quotes used on the cover and what do they suggest to the audience about sub-genre, narrative and audience pleasures?
The reviews are used to reiterate the success of the drama and to almost prove that their advertisement is true. It suggests that the audience is interested in insightful and current topics like housing and immigration. This further suggests that the viewers are educated.
4) What representation of London does the DVD packaging offer?
It offers a diverse view of London through the images of different families of different ethnicity below a silhouette of London which immediately says that they all live in the same place.
Guardian review by Sam Wollaston
Telegraph review by Ben Lawrence
London Evening Standard: five things you need to know about Capital
Behind the scenes filming Capital from the Daily Telegraph
1) What positive points do the reviews pick out about Capital?
It addresses a lot of aspects of real diverse London life, and the actors very well depict 'the loneliness of London life'.
2) What criticisms are made - either of the TV drama or the original novel?
The characters were underdeveloped, with too much happening before we now the characters equlilibrium enough to empathise with them.
3) How does the TV drama change the time period and location for the story in comparison to the original novel?
They move location to suit the written characters more because of the gentrification of the original location. Also, some characters were left out of the TV drama in order for the directros to be able to focus on the few storylines they did keep in the show while modifying it.
4) In the Telegraph 'behind the scenes' article, what does the writer say about the London housing market?
Housing prices are on the rise and currently show no sign of plateau or decrease.
5) What references can you find in these reviews and features to the idea Capital is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama? How does it capture modern-day London?
All the articles speak about it 'capturing' real life people struggling to keep up with being millionaires (property wise) and how the diversity acts as a miniature model of London.
Textual analysis
Watch the trailer for Capital:
1) How does the drama use camerawork to capture London life?
The camerawork includes crane shots and wide shots from high angles to display the London setting. These types of shots allow maximum view of the location they are in which is important for the mise-en-scene because it helps the audience match the characters to the location they are in. For example, one reason is that if there is a high angle wide shot of a long dingy street and a following shot of a well dressed man/woman walking down a street, it will be obvious that they are showing two separate locations.
2) What does the camera movement when characters are initially introduced suggest about the drama and its London setting? Pick out one or two shots in particular.
3) How does the trailer use mise-en-scene to capture the family element of the drama?
There is a lot of shots that include a modern household, with general mess around to emphasise the type of lifestyle the drama is based around. The different families are shown with each of their problems in a matter of seconds.
4) Bastille's 'These Streets' is used as the soundtrack for the trailer. What does this communicate to the audience and why is it effective?
Aside from the irony of the show being based on one particular street, the song is upbeat which suggests the lives of the people are typically happy. Since we don't see any disequilibrium in the trailer, only the equilibrium is portrayed- this is evidently done through the song.
5) How does the trailer introduce narrative strands suggesting tension or enigma in the 40-second running time?
Different families are shown in a good stages of their lives- for example, the black woman kissing her boyfriend, or the white banker talking about his £2 million bonus. This is followed by a scene of the woman being locked in a cell, and the bankers wife losing her temper. This suggests how the narrative is to suffer a disequilibrium and the audience consequently want to find out why.
Watch the Episode 1 preview for Capital:
1) What does this preview clip suggest about the potential sub-genres for Capital?
It is suggested from the use of the detective that there is an element of mystery and crime, alongside the questioning family that have no explanation for the occurrences.
2) What elements of the clip might suggest this is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama?
The younger characters address the very current issue of white supremacy/privilege and how police favour white people and sympathise their issues more than minority groups in Britain.
3) Analyse the mise-en-scene in this clip. How does this provide realism and familiarity for audiences?
There is an element of realism for the audience in the very typical looking corner shop: cluttered, but with every kind of convenience you could need at any time of day. The natural daylight coming through the window also aids the realism as it seems as if they are on a real street corner and people can just walk in from outside.
4) What audience pleasures are provided by this scene?
5) How is the audience positioned to respond to the different characters in this particular sequence?
The audience is forced to address the issue of white privilege in the policing system which in this case is proven undeniable. All audiences watching are positioned against the detective because they can't tell whether to trust his judgement or not.
Watch the Episode 2 preview for Capital:
1) How does this clip represent upper-middle-class family life?
The mise-en-scene in this clip include a large, open kitchen that looks recently renovated or extended- this suggests their wealth isn't like winning the lottery but it is a part of their lifestyle. They own a dishwasher which not many people on the street would, reiterating the fact that their wealth is a natural thing that doesn't particularly excite them; they use their money for practical living things. The wife enters looking for her mobile which again suggests that she needs this expensive piece of technology to function.
2) What narrative strands are suggested in this sequence?
It is suggested that the husband finds more interest in talking to the younger, more approachable nanny, which consequently will lead the wife to create a narrative of jealousy and broken marriage.
3) How is the audience positioned to respond to Roger Yount, the main character (banker and father to the two boys)?
The audience is made to sympathise with him as he has to struggle a huge job with two young children plus housework, without any prior experience or the help of his wife. He is interacting with his children finally, which for any father is a joyous and important moment, but then his wife enters and belittles each of them for spending quality time with the children without her which then positions the audience against her and on the side of Roger.
Production and industry context
1) What is Kudos' parent company?
Endemol Shine group
2) What was the breakthrough show for Kudos in 2002?
'Spooks'
3) Watch the showreel on the Kudos website. What other TV dramas have Kudos produced? What awards have they won?
They have 4 BAFTAs and have also produced show such as Broadchurch, River, and Flowers.
4) What audience pleasures does the showreel suggest Kudos productions offer?
There are chase scenes, scenes of sexual nature and violence, and voice-overs of the script that hint at the genres and story-lines of each drama.
Marketing and promotion
Read the BBC Press Pack for Capital.
1) How does the programme information on page 3 make Capital sound interesting to audiences?
There is a brief overlook on all the characters lives. It states their equilibrium and what they would call 'normal life' and it then follows to list their downfalls:' Interweaving stories reveal lives filled with love and loss, fear and greed, fortune and envy and most recognisable of all, family and home'
2) Why does the programme information mention the other shows that the director and producer have worked on?
It begins by stating the actors and previous productions they have been a part of. It also elaborates on the awards they have won, almost to assure the audience that the actors are going to do a good job.
3) Who commissioned Capital for BBC?
Charlotte Moore.
4) Read the interview with Toby Jones. What does he say about the character of Roger?
'Roger isn’t an evil banker, he’s a slightly complacent banker. He’s become used to a certain way of life and has a self-imposed pressure to live that way. He spends a lot of money on things that other people don’t spend money on – for example fixtures and fittings - but that is normal to him and his wife. He is not totally in charge of his life or his work. '
5) Read the interview with Adeel Akhtar (page 10). What does he suggest Capital says about the fictional Pepys Road and the sense of community (or lack of it) in London?
'It looks at the idea of a community, and what it means to belong to the community from whatever background you’re from. One of the problems is that some people within a community, such as 11 Ahmed’s brother Usman, feel ostracised from it. They feel like they don’t belong and are on the outside looking in. Capital looks at that concept and also that they are all part of something bigger than themselves.'
6) Read the interview with Shabana Azmi (page 12). What does she say about Asian representations in Britain?
'If you look at the subject of Capital, and the number of communities that are being represented, there’s awareness that the world is shrinking, and becoming a global village. We are absorbing cultures, and understanding them, or at least trying to understand them within their own paradigms'
7) Read the interview with Peter Bowker (who adapted Capital - page 14). What are his favourite scenes in the drama and why?
' have a few favourite moments in the book which I wanted to make sure stayed as favourites in the adaptation. Christmas morning where Roger has been abandoned and left to look after his two 15 children is one that Euros (Director) has done brilliantly. Roger realises that his life is changing but it’s done with such comedy! It is one of those glorious Basil Fawlty moments where the farce is working at one level and the emotional farce is working at another.
I also love the Kamals’ chaotic family meals. They are quintessentially archetypal family scenes that everybody lives through, but played with great comedic panache.
And when Bogdan the Polish builder talks to Matya the Hungarian nanny about the affluent Londoners they are working for, it’s fascinating. Capital has a wonderful scale but is all about the minute observations of human nature'
8) Read the interview with Derek Wax, the Executive Producer for Kudos (page 16). Why did he produce Capital and what does it say about the way we live now?
'The novel really spoke to me as it has a sweeping Dickensian ambition to it, all life in one street. I loved the sense of this big, expansive panorama of life as well as the small details of human behaviour. The whole of London seen through the microcosm of one street.It definitely speaks to me about where London and the country is now. The obsession with property, the fact that London house prices have risen extraordinarily, has only intensified the sense of a society of haves and have-nots. Everyone’s connection to money is explored but then the novel expands to ask what life’s real value is, and it does this with a very deft, light touch. I’d say the novel is profound but never overtly polemical. '
DVD packaging
1) How does the packaging use other critically acclaimed TV dramas to promote Capital?
The top of the packaging includes the previous dramas the makers produced. They are obviously very popular and successful dramas and therefore the audience will be more inclined to watch.
2) What does the use of design and images suggest to the audience about the drama?
The design is very similar the poster for 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' which indirectly hints at the same kind of dramatic, money orientated lives that both productions revolve around. The skyline image has a connotation of a flashy, expensive area that London inhabits. The irony is that it costs big money but the street they live on is an average middle class place.
3) How are review quotes used on the cover and what do they suggest to the audience about sub-genre, narrative and audience pleasures?
The reviews are used to reiterate the success of the drama and to almost prove that their advertisement is true. It suggests that the audience is interested in insightful and current topics like housing and immigration. This further suggests that the viewers are educated.
4) What representation of London does the DVD packaging offer?
It offers a diverse view of London through the images of different families of different ethnicity below a silhouette of London which immediately says that they all live in the same place.
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