Dallas Notes

DALLAS

·        Texas – famous for oil which leads to power and wealth.

·        Based on the “Ewing” family.

·        Family feuds, affairs, murder etc.

·        Aired from 1798 until 1991   (13 years)

·        Ran in seasons and started out as a TV drama.

DALLAS OPENING

·        The soundtrack automatically connotes the show, people relate the theme tune to cowboys, glamorous people etc.

·        Establishing shot towards Dallas shows buildings made from glass, highlighting the rich lifestyle.

·        Shots from a helicopter over Dallas – shows the wealth.

·        The characters shown all have perfect appearances – makeup, hair, clothes etc.

·        The shots of land show that the characters can afford things on a greater scale than usual American citizens.

·        Through the seasons, the opening credits haven’t changed that much but the characters have developed into younger and sexier ones to attract new audiences.

·        Dallas 2012 – the use of title cards shows that the trailer has developed. They are used to answer characters questions and give the audience hints at what will happen.

·        Bobby – “moral compass” – in the 2012 trailer, you see that Bobby’s son is carrying on from his father’s past.

DALLAS SCENES – BOBBY DIES.

·       The shot of the huge door shows status, this highlights that the family can afford expensive things.

·       The characters are glamorous – the woman has no hair out of place, perfect makeup and expensive jewellery.

·       The non-diegetic sounds are used throughout the scene to create tension.

·       Mannequins are used to look like a character in a car crash – shows how fake/materialistic the characters are.

BOBBY RETURNS

·       The woman is sleeping in full makeup with her hair perfectly done. She still looks glamorous as soon as she wakes up.