Whitechapel

These are some brief notes I wrote down whilst watching the start of crime/ drama/ thriller Whitechapel on BBC1.
Camera angles: Lots of tilt shots, making everything seem more surreal.
Close Ups, show you detail of the action/ emphasising areas
Shots from low on the street. - These shots make the action look more threatening, and could be from the point of view of someone whos just been attacked.

Lighting: Chiarascura - emphasises areas and makes threatening/ distorted shadows.
Set at night - street lamps give more authentic lighting. Strong light reflected from puddles and wet street pavements. Making everything more menacing or unglamourous.
This lighting and the colours are significant to the thriller genre as they are unglamerous, unnatural and dark. This makes everything more distoreted, tense and scary.

Music - non diagetic tense.
Sound - other than music - lots of shouting/ talking/ sounds of people in pain.

Costumes: hints of Victorian style clothing contrasting against police uniform and hoodies.
Setting/background - East end of London. Shows street name. Tower of London, Tower Bridge, dark narrow alleys (not well lit residential areas) Steps, cobbles, old buildings.
Titles- typography - jerky, flickering. Old typewriter font, but not neat, makes it more authentic to the period set, but also makes it more menacing.

How is it significant to to drama/ thriller?: The first written word scene, and opening shot, is an old newspaper clip (Murder) so immediately sets the mood. Links historical flashbacks with modern day life. They make everything more tense and dramatic.

Realistic: flashes of modern day realism (police versus youths) along with Victorian newspaper clippings and photos.
Shots of newpaper clips and photos - distorted + flickering type, similar to old fashioned typewriter typing. Covered in blood and roughly torn out.
Shadows/ chiaroscura lighting/ silhouettes are prominant.
Distorted, jumpy, silhouette shots
shot of street name / london/ landmarks (Towerbridge) easily lets you identify where its set.
First word - "Murder" - shocking.
Blood and knife keep repeating - emphasising danger
Man stepping in puddle with reflections of old fashioned lamps - tilted camera angles from high and low. Contrast of low life and high life - along with upper and lower classes.
Dogs barking in background makes a shot more menacing.
Tilt shot - shoes behind a doorway - manacing, secretive.