In my last blog post, I briefly mentioned the importance of drama and attractive actors in a melodrama. However, there are many other factors that are just as important and must be carefully considered in order for the show to be successful. These factors include: representation and identity, consumption, and production.
Representation and Identity:
Representation and identity are important in a melodrama because they help provide a personal, emotional engagement with the viewers. When people see characters with whom they can identify, they become more emotionally engaged with the story.
Identity can mean many things! It may include:
- Physical appearance (ex: race, hairstyle, facial features)
- Personality (ex: introverted, extroverted)
- Style (ex: modern, hip, modest)
- Disabilities
Consumption:
Melodrama writers and producers really know how to hook their audience. Epic love stories are they key to doing so. In class, we discussed what components make a love story epic. Physical appearance, the male protagonist's charming smile, the female protagonist's nostalgic beauty, chemistry, talent, romantic elements, obstacles, and how the audience feels are what aid in creating an epic love story.
For example, in the telenovela Avenida Brasil, Nina and Jorginho's undeniable love for one another helps them overcome a major obstacle, Jorginho's mother. Although Nina is not your typical telenovela beauty, I think her looks are very charming because of her pixie cut and doe-like eyes. These protagonists can act very well and their chemistry is great, making their love story epic.
When considering chemistry and romantic elements, I feel that telenovelas are at an advantage because they have more freedom for the types of scenes they can film. This is because Turkey is a very conservative country, so dizis can not have very romantic or sexual scenes as compared to a telenovela. However, this does not mean the actors cannot have good chemistry. It just means they have to express it through different methods, such as touching dialogue and playfulness between the characters, music, and cinematography.
Production:
The production of a melodrama may just be the most important part of the drama, as it is how it comes to be!
The writing team consists of:
- Author / head writer
- Writers
- Main director
- Location director
- Studio directors
- Executive producer (showrunner)
- General producer
- Production assistants
I agree with everything in this blog post. You were exactly write in speaking about how representation and identity draw us into the story on a personal level. It's cool to see how diverse identities are becoming a bigger deal in these shows, making them more relatable. Your take on what makes a love story epic like chemistry, looks, and all the tribulations the characters go through was a really interesting take. And it's fascinating how different cultures, like Latin American telenovelas and Turkish dizis, bring their own flavor to the romantic scenes. It's clear that everyone's hard work behind the scenes is what makes these shows tick, and pushing for more diversity in representation is a big win. Loved this post!
ReplyDeleteHey Sacira! I absolutely loved your synopsis on what makes a melodrama a melodrama! I feel like the romantic elements of telenovelas definitely have more freedom with what they can portray on screen. Turkish dizis definitely have limited freedom as to what they can show on screen. I feel like Turkish dizis are very similar to Indian tv shows in that aspect. The primary audience of Indian tv shows are people who are a bit older. Indian tv shows mostly do not have romantic scenes on screen because they feel as though it wouldn’t go over well with their audience. Kissing and sex is a bit taboo with that audience, so the most that the networks do is build tension and show only that tension as opposed to the things shown in telenovelas or even dizis. I loved your post!
ReplyDeleteI was pretty well aware with the gist of telenovelas, but I hadn't really watched any Turkish dizis. However, it was interesting to see all of the clips in class and how different they are. As Sahana said, they have different customs and stay away from scenes involving kissing and sex, but the way they show attraction and tension is so cute and sometimes better.
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