Research Texts

Silent Witness: Choices, Part 1 (2005)

What happened in the opening episode?
     We see a drive-by shooting take place outside a night club, that results in three deaths. It occurs as part of a gang turf war. The team worked to trace the bullets to find out who did the shooting. They find the car, and a decomposed body of a drug addict. Towards the end of the episode, another man is shot who belongs to one of the gangs.

What happened in the opening scene?
     A group of people stand outside a club as they wait for it to open. The club owner and his girlfriend arrive outside, he gives her an engagement ring, which she then goes to show her friend. The club owner notices a car, which then makes everything go into slow motion as a gun emerges from a window and begins firing rapidly into the crowd. Three people are seen to be hit, as the club owner screams angrily (we later find out he was shooting back as well).

Who were the characters involved in the opening scene?
     The Club Owner - Modest, Modest's girlfriend - Helen, a couple of bouncers, Helen's friend, a crowd of unknown people, the gunman.

What made it indicative of a single camera production?
     The shots used had more variety to them than would be possible in a multi-camera production, there is more movement of the camera across an area. In some shots you would have been able to see another camera within them - for instance a close up cutting to a wide shot. There is also evidence of actors having to hit a mark in order to be suitably lit how the director desires.

Edge of Darkness: Episode 1 (1985)

What happened in the opening episode?

     A police officer's daughter is shot and he begins investigating why she was killed. Many believe it was a failed attempt to kill him (potentially by a criminal he helped convict), but he informed by somebody attached to the prime minister's office that his daughter was a known terrorist. He discovers that much of his daughter's belongings and her body itself was irradiated.

What happened in the opening scene?

     The police officer, Ronald, is confronted by a politician who is being accused of fixing the vote in the latest election. He persuades Ronald to delay the enquiry by two weeks, whilst there is a trade union meeting, on the basis that they are already on the verge of another strike by local workers.

Who were the characters involved in the opening scene?

     Ronald Craven, a Yorkshire police officer, a politician, and an unknown person.

What made it indicative of a single camera production?
     The shots were more interesting, you could see in a shot the place a camera would have been in the previous shot. The characters were lighted specifically, and had to reach certain marks to make sure of this.