I am going to use my skills of denotation and connotation to analyse 'The Tudors' and how it creates a sense of drama and how it draws the audience in. As 'The Tudors' represents a well known ruler, many audience members may want to engage and watch how he Henry VIII became this famous icon and to view his life being exposed.
At the beginning of the opening sequence it had been edited to make flashes of the grown man Henry and a woman. It then flashes to a young boy sitting on a throne. This suggests that it is a story of how this young boy became this big ruler. There is non-digetic sound of a narrator speaking and he says the words '...you have to go back to the beginning'. This suggests to the audience that it is a story from the beginning about Henry VIII. It draws the audience in by saying these words and informing the audience about his wife.
The mise-en-scene of a moving shot towards a crown gives a sense of drama. The crown on the throne connotes that there may be a new heir (Henry VIII) or that a ruler had died. It creates an empty feeling with no power creates and empty feeling with no power as an audience member would expect an aspiring King on the throne. There is also non-digetic sound of swords being drawn which connotes fighting and someone dying. This could then suggest that the king that is not sitting on the throne at that point had been killed or injured by a sword.
The connotation of the young man sitting on the thrown looks naive. The close-up shot of his face shows how pale he is which can connote illness and as his eyes widen it's as if he has seen a terrifying source. This draws the audience in by him being terrified they want to know what it is. At this point there is also non-digetic sound of swords being drawn. This creates drama as his eyes widen and could connote that he is a viewing a fighting scene.
There are many characters included in this TV drama. When they are individually shown their mise-en-scene represents them as being quite powerful and in the Tudor day and age. Also, their close-up and mid-shots suggests to the audience that they will play an important part in this TV drama. When they are being shown non-digetic sound of classical music plays which connotes middle/upper class and gentleness however, when a character is introduced there is a loud drum noise. This can connote that they are important but also they may be quite fierce as the drum noise is loud and strong. The audience can then also acknowledge that they are superior roles in the programme.
There is a high angle dolly shot of men riding horses. This could connote that they are less superior to Henry VIII and also that they are charging somewhere. After this dolly shot there is then a wide shot of a man looking aggressive riding towards the camera. This can connote that he is ready to fight and wants revenge which suggests power to the audience. This created drama as it is a scary, aggressive and suggests death.
In the opening sequence when the title 'The Tudors' comes up there are contrasts of colours. There is a black background to connote death and secrets which creates drama. The typography of 'The Tudors' is quite classical writing and in white to suggest purity and peace. However, the 'T' of the 'Tudors' is in red and made as a religious cross. This connotes that there is death and blood spilled which suggest to the audience there is gore. Also, the cross suggests religion which links into piece. There is also a cross in the 'o' of the 'Tudors' which suggests unity but still death of it.
Overall, there is mixed feelings of love, seduction, death and power to create drama in the scene. I believe I have explored 'The Tudors' well using connotation and denotation to find how it creates a sense of drama and how it draws the audience in to the story.
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