Doctor Who Notes
Narrative
There is more than one plot in ‘Asylum of the Daleks’, but they all relate to the main plot, the main plot is about Doctor Who and his companions who are Rory and Amy, what has happened to them is they have been taken onboard the Daleks ship and told to go to the Asylum and deactivate the force field surrounding it. The other two plots which are related to this have their own story, the first one is about Rory and Amy and what their relationship is like, their relationship plays apart in their survival of the main plot. The second plot is about a women named Oswein who has control over the Asylum and it is about her past and how she got their. All these plots meet the main plot towards the end when Rory saves Amy’s life when he gives her his watch that protects him because he has a stronger love for Amy and how Oswin was captured by the Daleks and her memories put into a Dalek which then comes in useful when she deletes the memories of all Daleks to do with the Doctor. These sub-plots can stand alone but don't as they will have an effect on the rest of the series, Rory and Amy will become main characters in the series and the Daleks will leave the Doctor alone.
Representation
Doctor Who is represented in this series as a person who is capable of doing anything with his screwdriver and knowledge, he is quite quirky and unusual the way he goes about things and he is also quite humourous towards other characters in the episode. The look of the Doctor is also quite quirky and eccentric in the way that he dresses and with his haircuts. Even with all of this, he is also seemed to have a demonic side which is quite serious and dark when he wants to. Rory is represented throughout the episode to be the main comic in it, with it either being physical or by what he is saying, also he is seemed to have a strong love for Amy even though they have just recently divorced. Amy is represented as a strong independant woman who keeps Rory in check but also has love for Rory even though she doesn't admit it, she is also very adventurous in what she does and goes about it.
Mise-en-Scene
The mise en scene throughout this episode varies widely, mainly depending on the location. To set the mood for the audience you have to establish the setting, lighting and the subject. Getting into the first starting of the main plot scene you are set in a snowy land with very little about, there is a neutral mood until you go into the spacecraft which has been buried underneath the snow where it is dark, the mood suddenly changes soon as they step foot into it, the crew is slouched and in the middle of this dark room, they then become puppets for the Daleks and the mood becomes more dark. The Dalek Asylum has a very mysterious mood to it, this is portrayed in the episode by using dark settings and very little lighting with a lot of shadows and areas which the audience will find curious and make up what they think would be their. To get across the correct message to the audience with just a scene setting there are various aspects and you can’t just count on Special Effects and dialogue throughout the scene to do this.
Sound
Throughout this episode a lot of non diegetic sound is used to get across the certain mood of the episode, the mood will change scene from scene to create certain moods and atmosphere throughout, and example of this would be at the start where the photoshoot is going on and when Rory comes to see Amy, there is a upbeat modern music going on and slowly dies down as she walks to where Rory is and this creates a change of mood and emotions for both the audience and the characters, this just creates a sound bridge which is used generally once in the episode and at the end when it talks about the next episode. To create tension using non diegetic sound the increase the volume of the music or change it to a more fast paced one, a lot of the time it is changed, the change is subtle, but they can change it instantly to create a more dramatic effect. Diegetic sound is used whilst filming the episode and also when it comes to editing to give it more of a punch behind it. diegetic sound helps the audience understand where they are and what is around them, it gives us a sense of submersion into the episode.
Title
The doctor who titles are highly recognisable with the sound that has been used and also the images that they have used. The credits are completely done by CGI with no recorded footage. The sound which is used is recognisable without seeing the screen, when you hear it you automatically think of doctor who, and it is the same when you watch it without the sound, you see the tardis and know its doctor who and then the characters names come on, the background to all of this is the time hole which is used is some of the episodes and therefore automatically assumed with Doctor Who. The characters names appear on the screen then the actors name appear in accordance to lead roles in the episode
Camerawork and Editing
A Lot of different camerawork is used just to create a different effect and feel of when you are watching the episode. To start this episode they used a low angle, and generally when you use a low angle it has to be compensated for with a high angle. Low angles are used to show dominance or power, in this case Doctor Who having power over the Daleks. The use High Angle to shots, and example of this is when Rory fell into the Dalek Asylum and the camera is looking down on him as if he is less powerful and afraid. Point of view shots are used of the Daleks cameras to give the audience an understanding and give them a change of perspective in the episode instead of always following the Doctor. During different scenes, different techniques are used to create feeling of Action or Romance. During the action scenes in Doctor who they use a lot of fast paced panning and a lot of hand held views, to make the audience more involved in what's happening, and example of this would be when the explosions are going off and the doctor is running, he doesn't fully understand what is going on around him and thats what they want the audience to feel when they create this mood. When the mood is calmer in the scenes, such as when Amy is imagining the Daleks as people, the camera movements are a lot softer and gradually as they move, this slows down the episode and again immerses the audience more into the episode.
Genre
Doctor Who is from the title scene to the end a Sci-Fi television program based throughout different periods and time and space. This is the main aspect of Sci-Fi and to confirm it is indeed a Sci-Fi genre it includes Space Ship and life on other planets, technology way way advanced in our time.
Target Audience
The target audience of Doctor Who is widespread but has a specific target of late teens to adults who watched it when they were younger, even though it is a family friendly program as it is shown before watershed and there is a lack of swearing, it has mature jokes and sex appeal from both the men and women of the program. Overall the Doctor Who caters for a massive audience but still has a specific target audience who will enjoy it more.
