Communication Skills and an Intercultural Marriage - Essay Example

Interracial relationship in Emmerdale Introduction: Marriages are happy occasions when the bride and the bridegroom are blessed and hopeful for a bright future ahead in life, a journey that they both shall undertake together, and wish all brightness to themselves and their friends. If the need to keep happy endings is on top priority, then more often than not the chances of a divorce are thin. The latest scenario in the western world has intercultural and interracial marriages hitting all time highs. Did you know that by 2012, there were 4.8 million intercultural marriages reported in America alone (The Associated Press, 2012)? We are in an age where globalization has built a more liberal and understanding attitude towards mutual growth and development. Interracial marriages are undoubtedly the next step to defining the generation next, which understands the importance of living across cultural barriers (Judice, 56-60; Yancey and Lewis, 66). Children of intercultural marriages are more culturally aware and have a broader perspective to life than the children born into monocultural families (Crippen, 7). The Boston marathon in 2013 was gripped with sudden terror when bombs planted by two youngster “Jihadis”, that injured and killed many innocent runners (Scheer; Hoffman). The racial inclination of the two bombers was later revealed during investigation. Culture is defined as acts of harmony and belief that the members of a community indulge in, while race is defined as a sub-community that has distinct culture and language practices. Over the years, migration and globalization has caused a great deal of exposure to multi-cultural scenario, both in professional and personal lives (Lewis, 268). There are an increasing number of interracial marriages happening in the Western society today. This trend in the Western society seems to have gripped the attention of media personnel, so much so that they have started using intercultural marriages as background themes to soaps and serials that they create and air to audiences in these countries (Karis and Killian, 65, 126, 165). Even celebrities’ gestures are marked as racist (White). The various aspects of a family that is based on intercultural values are highlighted in these soaps. The popularity of such soaps is a direct indicator of how audiences are able to relate to their real life circumstances and watch the added drama on air (Nittle). Overview of Emmerdale A leading example of intercultural environment created on celluloid or the small screen is the entry of the Sharma family in the Emmerdale series. The story of the family is a simple extension of what we see in daily life, with elements of who-done-it suspense and crisis mixed into the narrative. From a cinematographer’s point of view, the serial as it stands on the shoulders of the main Sharma characters offers interesting recipe for experimentation, more so because of the intercultural background that is portrayed in it (Albetazzi and Cobley 289). Thus, we can suggest that the idea of introducing an American Indian family into the Emmerdale series was a clever move by the producers, who understand that the present day scenario in the average American or British citizen’s daily life has a lot more to do with intercultural marriages and exchanges, than it did in the earlier days of television. The Story Of the Sharma’s in Emmerdale: Set in the village of Emmerdale, the 2009 changeover from the traditional all British scenario to an American Indian family entering the village was a surprise for everyone. The entire plan of the production team was to re-invent the series which was already suffering from lower TRPs by that time. Needless to say, the fact that such a change was brought in with fresh new face worked wonders in getting life back into the channel’s heaving viewership records. Jai, Nikhil, and Priya Sharma are the three main characters in this serial. The soap has been doing well over the past four years, thanks to the heroics of the members of the family and their friends. Nikhil’s story takes a gruesome turn with the death of his wife in a car accident, which later on turns out to be a murder. Jai’s life is still under focus as he has continued to stay in the village and keep to the original business while Nikhil has shifted base with his daughter. The incidents in Jai’s life have taken the serial to a whole new level of personal news. The original screenplay that adopted a who-done-it approach is slowly moving towards a thriller approach (Hello Magazine). While it is not clear whether the shift is due to lack of stories or adequate suspense ideas, viewers are no doubt enjoying the development of story and their dedication keeps the producers going. In general, the entry of the Sharmas in Emmerdale has been a queer journey of emotions, much like the Indian serials that happen. Jai, who was earlier portrayed as the one who wanted to break away from family business is the one taking care of it now. His personal life is in constant doldrums as he shifts between the responsibilities of family and business. Affection for Archie, his son from Rachel, has overtaken all his concerns lately, and he wishes to keep the child with himself. This fatherly concern and selfishness of Jai’s personality was not something that we got to see in the previous years. The serial gets more and more interesting as viewers try to understand whether Jai, like Nikhil, would like to follow the same steps and get to re-unite with his son. Jai’s inclination towards fighting to gain custody of the child is only reasonable since in the serial Jai does not have a child of his own. However, since Rachel and Jai were never married, his moves are more random and unorganized. Every part of the Sharmas’ journey in the soap have been that of entrepreneurial journeys of the three protagonists interspersed with the presence of their parents. While Jai takes a major proportion of the audience attention right now, the entire journey of the serial is definitely turning for the better when we analyze all the important elements of film making. To start with, the story of the Sharmas in Emmerdale is unique since it is a highlight example of intercultural marriages in Media. The serial’s growing popularity made it clear that although the concept is new to traditional media, the formula works because people can relate to the facts and incidents that are being portrayed. The onus is on the creators of the soap to use the right mix of elements to make the story more gripping. A soap of Emmerdale’s history always has multiple storylines being served together within the week. We dwell upon the most important aspects of developing the serial that teach us unique and traditional aspects of media as we see it today. Scene analysis: A movie maker who is just making a start can take important lessons in media and cinematography from the example of this reinvented avatar of Emmerdale. There are definite highlights in the way scenes have been churned out in this serial (Kilkelly). Some have had positive popularity from the audience, while there are some which have met with negative criticism and outburst. We take a close look at all the highlight scenes and find out what important elements have been used in each of them (Tilley; Davies) We begin with the study of the death scene of Gennie. In the story, she overhears the plan of Debby and her friend and actually runs to save herself, with them in hot pursuit. The car crashes and Gennie is then killed in cold blood by Cameron. The entire scene was shot in a realistic manner in broad daylight. No aspect of horror film making or cold blooded murder scenes that we usually see in media was used in this scene. The murder happens in broad daylight wherein the unconscious Genny is smothered and killed. The realistic sequencing of the shots, coupled with highly optimized camera action, made the scene have a strong impact on the audience. The star who acted as Gennie called the whole scene so brutal and effective. While audiences were in for a shock when they got to see the murder in broad daylight, the production team was widely criticized for airing the scenes in a family show. The bright colors used in the scene along with Nikhil’s absence and lack of knowledge of the truth, worked to build upon the suspense of the scene and had twice the effect. Another important scene that shows us how the Emmerdale has been having a change of viewer interface is the passionate kiss between Megan and Jai (Stewart). In a relationship that fails to withstand the tests of time, the kiss comes as a healing in Jai’s life since he has already experienced too much heartbreak before meeting Megan. The music, the dialogues, the lights, and the camera action are kept at their soothing best. The viewers not only enjoy the smoothness throughout the scene, but the fact that both actors emote well and are complemented by each other and the light that is used in the background, develops an extra special feel to the scene. Megan is completely aware of the ups and downs in Jai’s life and wishes to add some charm to it by offering her love and affection. On the contrary, Jai is too obsessed with his problems and is unable to concentrate or feel the depth of her love, until the moment comes when he feels her passion. There may be a repetition of motifs in this serial and the scene may be regarded as just another kissing scene, but the impact it created on the audience was worth a watch and accomplished only by the cinematic genius of the directorial team.   The third most important scene analysis as we see it in Emmerdale is all those situations wherein Nikhil or Jai has a baby in their arms. While they are portraying to play the father of the baby, portrayal of emotions like attachment, sadness, grieving, shock, or madness seems to be the main focus of the scenes. And with a baby to handle, the actors are definitely finding it hard to make the scenes and dialogues happen. To give their best shot, the actors may rehearse as many times as they want, but it is the director’s cut to ensure that proper camera angles are used to minimize disturbances caused by the baby’s movements or random shrills. The intercultural marriages portrayed in the movies are excellently filmed and showcased. Scenes with the baby in the midst of family get-togethers or parties are definitely to be considered as cinematic winners for the entire team. And there are many such occasions in the serial. Since all the three main protagonists are entrepreneurs, their business dealings are covered with a touch of style and luxury that is typical to the Emmerdale set-up. Wealthy yet challenged, the trio of Nikhil, Jai, and Priya Sharma are required to handle their personal problems separately, which are portrayed in other parts of the serial, but address business issues together. In the scene wherein Jai outcrosses the jurisdiction of Nikhil and hires a driver or a sub-ordinate, only because he falls for the womanly charms of a guest at a party or meets a new girlfriend, are well drafted. Dialogues and scenes are placed in the posh settings of the office or home, and the agreements that the brothers and the sister finally reach are based only on familial ties and mutual co-operation, something that is not seen in real life. Although there are conflicts and arguments, the overall synchronization of thoughts that the trio ultimately portrays is new. This newness is a pleasant addition to the intercultural marriages that have been portrayed in the series, and gives the directorial team and actors a chance to re-invent their filming and acting abilities respectively. The script in particular deserves credit for making it possible to portray the suspense, the conflicts, and the solutions reached. Plotting scenes have been present in the serial ever since its inception and even in the Sharma avatar, these scenes hold the traditional suspense of Emmerdale narration. Also, a great amount of eye action is seen in characters who are plotting a crime or revenge. This is line with the regular practice of showcasing suspense on Emmerdale, and has equally strong impacts when the scenes are interspersed between family, romantic or humorous scenes. Also, key happenings like murders, accidents, and crime are showcased with a lot of vigor in scenes. Women and men involved in the scenes are required to give their best shot in enacting their individual roles, all of which have a cumulative effect on the overall strength of the scene. Emmerdale’s scenes have always been iconic, well researched, well depicted, and emphatic. They get carried into the minds of the audience who come back to watch the next episode with eagerness. The portrayal of intercultural marriages in the Sharma family is also not devoid of these elements of the Emmerdale village life. Narrative development with reference to genre conventions: The use of intercultural marriage set-up in this version of Emmerdale definitely brings in new and diverse approaches to the narrative. While here, people expect to see more of action amidst togetherness, the narrative has been constantly upgraded to accommodate the suspense and thriller sequences of the stories (Duncan; Dainty). We chart a rough course of the narrative used and aired in the Sharma family installment of Emmerdale. Suspense: This genre has always been a regular aspect of Emmerdale episodes from even before the Sharma family was introduced in 2009. The genre conventions included have music, dialogues, expressions, and all aspects that can describe the building up of suspense in an urban entrepreneurial family. However, parts of the narrative also do not comply with traditional suspense building practices. For example, in each of the scenes the background music is serious, but the lighting is bright and add a touch of lightness to the overall mood of the scenes. Also, the narrative is kept unfocused on the suspense element and uses definite diversions like serious business meetings, humorous quips and characters, romantic scenes, and family problems, to cover up the suspense that lays within the main plot. New characters are introduced to add to the confusion, and old ones are removed. However, although new, this dynamic principle of Emmerdale series has only helped it to retain audience curiosity as fresh casts always attract new fans to the serial. Plots, turns, and twists keep the average viewer shocked and transfixed. For example, after Gennie’s death, Nikhil is unable to bear the loss and refuses to take care of their child. In the flow of emotions, he leaves the baby in the arms of Debby, whom we know is responsible for the car crash of Gennie. Such twists in the narrative are typical to Emmerdale series. Needless to say, they have kept the Sharma saga amongst the top of the most viewed soaps. Romance: Primarily, endorsed by Jai’s character in the soap, romance has been used to make the narrative pleasantly adventurous. All the genre conventions have not been followed, but the narratives are kept alive with the numerous flings that the protagonists have. The outcome of the romance portrayed in the serial’s different episodes may or may not be a marriage amongst the characters involved. However, in most cases, the elements of human emotions typical to relationships and marriage, like expectations, betrayals, hurts, and selfishness, are preset in the narrative. The characters get married to people from other cultures, or have one night stands, there may or may not be a relationship that is sustainable between them, but that does not stop the baby from coming. Amongst the most successful romantic pairs of the serial, Nikhil and Gennie and Jai and Megan top the charts of popularity. Had it not been the use of the soothing candlelights and the charming music, the inclusion of romantic scenes in the narrative would have looked incomplete. Again, Priya is seen eyeing David and asks him to father her and their unborn baby (Falconer). This is also an example of interracial romance and an hint towards illicit affair. Western: Western movies have always breathed of life and jubilation, of colors and interracial relationships. The incorporation of brightly Western moviemaking motifs in the serial impart the unique richness to the narratives. For example, the sets used in the scenes, the village locality as depicted in the outdoor scenes, the business meetings as shown in the offices and eateries are all created by following the dictates of Western movie making. The touch of Victorian interiors has been deliberately left incomplete in the posh luxury of the Sharma house. The use of contemporary interiors has further added to the creation of intercultural settings. The depictions are accurate since according to the storyline, the main protagonists are in no way purely American or British, but are married to spouses from those origins. Therefore, Victorian upholstery and chic dining sets with suburban cutlery are all placed in the same room, and do not cry conflict on each other. The costumes used by the characters are prominently Western and the most relevant songs and music scores used in the serial are English. With this Western genre deeply incorporated in the serial, the creation of a interracial scenario is successfully honest and complete for the story of the Sharma family. The parties and get-togethers that have been portrayed in the soap are entirely Western and the styling of actors is in line with this genre’s conventions. Thus, we see that the original elements of Western genre that were present in Emmerdale series have not been replaced in the new avatar. Instead, they have been used as the base on which the intercultural picture develops and blooms, due to the silent contrast the Western surroundings offer. Crime: The use of scenes and sequences of crime like murders, thefts, and revengeful betrayals are considered iconic in Emmerdale. We say this because the use of highly optimized crime scenes which otherwise would not have existed in a family soap script brings in a sense of shock in the viewers. As a result, the show rates go up. For example, the use of murder after a brutal accident, one that was done in the case of Gennie’s death would never be deployed in a story that was not strictly crime fiction. However, here it was in family show, set right in time of the story when Nikhil is looking forward to a happy new life with his own family. Other crime genre elements like plotting and execution, betrayals and lust have been incorporated in the narrative to not just make it look more spicy, but to keep the suspense from slipping off viewer’s minds. Emmerdale is a combination of beauty and suspense, and the directorial team definitely has used all elements of both the genres to create a compelling had-up of visuals, that every member of the audience cherishes and recalls during leisure. Presence of a killer or murderer, a plotter or a revengeful character, all fall under crime genre. Again, the lighting used in the scenes is different than what is used in traditional crime genre or film noir. Needless to say, the adaptation that the brightly lit crime scenes portray talks of flexibility of the moviemaker to not stray too far from the main theme of brightness and suspense used in the rest of the serial. Ideology discussion: Emmerdale is a village that has witnessed interesting and sometimes shocking happenings in the past. With its fast growing community, the audiences have been treated to stories of different magnitudes till 2009. After July 2009, when the first reports of the introduction of the Sharma family were made known to public, the overall scenario changed from being strictly a Western society to an intercultural society that had interracial marriages and relationships involved in the storyline. Now, the idea was new and novel at that point in television history since, till then intercultural depictions had been minimal and secondary in television storylines. The use of an Indian descent instead of an African one further added to the novelty of the idea. Depictions of the Indian way of life as many have witnessed in America was focused upon. Cultural practices and traditions were lifted from real life and incorporated in the new storyline. Globalization has been the fundamental structure on which generations have grown up over the past five decades. Although the impact of globalization has been varying from country to country, developed countries like America and Britain are witnessing a more generic approach to Western civilization and its adaptation to include other cultures in its body (Fullford). The Sharma family’s story in Emmerdale has been a similar event in the history of media, wherein not just genre conventions but also culture conventions were broken on screen. Highly flexible looking sets and communities were created to draw in the average viewer and the suspense element has been used to add thrill in the new scenario. Communication skills which we do not always find in real life have been successfully depicted in the serial (Romano, 13-45). Adventures of the three main protagonists in the Sharma family are depicted using a support cast that does complete justice to the suspense and interracial themes of the soap, as it is in the present state. While not all the characters are Indian descendents, the cultural mix that is depicted in their day-today lives offers a broader perspective to normal living as you see in the Western countries today. Different cultural backgrounds need not necessarily cause trouble within a family or even a company or business team. The use of proper elements like suspense, humor, romance, and music, has enabled the production to come up with a new kind of cinema that is potential to take lead in mainstream cinema. Media geeks agree that the depiction in Emmerdale is not loud and is devoid of culture contrasts which usually other fictional productions tend to incorporate. The settings are near about real, and the depictions are as simple as possible. Opening doors to the creation of more media productions in these lines, Emmerdale team has created a wonderful hash-up of Western ideology and lifestyle as perceived by a trio of Indian descendents. The clever use of characters and their placement in the storylines definitely bring forth a good amount of novelty and experimentation that movie makers are prone to include in their work now onwards (Kilkelly). Cinematographic elements like realistic colors and semi-urban societies, would definitely find acceptance in intercultural movies that are to be created next, since with Emmerdale’s Sharma family, the media industry has learnt that interracial relationships need not be generalized as Afro-American cross-overs. Interracial Couple Representation: Representation of the interracial couples has been done in a clever and subtle way in the series. To begin with, this factor is a highlight feature of the uniqueness of the Sharma story. What makes the differences blur? Well, we take a look into those silent erasers of cultural demarcation that have been cleverly used in the soap. Firstly, we see costumes designed and worn by all the characters to be predominantly Western. There is a clever start to the whole theme as characters are portrayed on a common base, which is the Western style of dressing and living. Their representation has been deliberately kept uniform and the narrative concentrates on the experiences of each of the characters in the Sharma family, their opinions, and the impact of their choices on other people in their life, which includes other family members, friends, spouses, and children. Conclusion: The basic aim of this article was to understand how contemporary movie making has opened new definitions and perspectives in interracial marriages. While the Sharma family is a pleasant inclusion in the Emmerdale saga, their exploits are reminders of how people from different cultural backgrounds can co-exist and make do with no new problems than what people from the same culture face. The openness that the serial brings forth has been excellently accepted by audiences, and sooner or later the different genre conventions adapted to create the pleasant suspense of the Sharma family’s story will get recognized and adopted in main stream cinema. The controversy surrounding intercultural and interracial marriages gets toned down in the serial and other major issues of life like betrayals and selfishness take prominence. This is exactly how real life should be, and the society at large gets to learn quite a few important lessons through the serial, just as much as the movie making industry does. 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