Buffy The Vampire Slayer

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an American television show which aired from 1997 to 2003. The television series created by Joss Whedon follows Buffy Summers, chosen by fate to be the latest in line of young women known as "Vampire Slayers". The selected Vampire Slayer is the only one equipped with the strength and skill to battle against vampires, demons and other forces of darkness. Buffy Summers is aided by a "Watcher" who mentors and trains her, along with a loyal circle of friends known as the "Scooby Gang". Buffy the Vampire Slayer was and still is a powerful and influential show, often referenced in today's television. The series owed its popularity to Joss Whedon and the entire Buffy team for the show's unconventional stylization that…show more content…
In season one, episode one of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, medium long shots and medium shots were used to limit the audience's ability to see; creating an eerie atmosphere, invoking a fear of the unknown beyond the frames of the screen in the viewer as well as generating an anxiousness for what is to come. This is evident throughout the episode. An example would be the start of the episode as the camera follows Carla the Vampire and the boy through an empty school hallway, only allowing the viewer to scan what is closest to the characters. Medium shots were always used as the audience follows Buffy through a quiet part of the club, displaying Buffy's uneasiness and encouraging the viewers to replicate her fears outside the screen. Another example of how cinematography portrays the essence of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is when Xander called after Buffy as she dropped an item, the camera starts showing Xander's feet and slowly pans upwards, revealing the item was a stake. This adds an element of mystery and secrecy to the series as the audiences experience Xander's confusion. Buffy the Vampire Slayer also utilizes the point-of-view shot, demonstrated when Buffy was thrown in the coffin and the viewer is given the perspective of Buffy, simulating real fear as fans of the show temporarily "becomes…show more content…
The series borrowed a structure that had been primarily popular on the cop show Wiseguy, in which the heroes face off against one primary villain per season, though it was Buffy that gave this idea its most popular name—the Big Bad. (VanDerWerff, "10 episodes that show how Buffy the Vampire Slayer blew up genre TV") However, the conflict in each individual episode is usually resolved by the end of the hour. The series is made up of individual stories that are interconnected and carefully weaved. This allows new viewers to jump on the Buffy bandwagon at any point of the series without being entirely lost. The series enjoys toying with depiction of characters. At the beginning of episode one, a pair of male and female is seen sneaking into a school at night. The producers intended for us to conclude that the male is the mischievous one as he is seen breaking all the rules and urging Carla (blonde, innocent looking) to follow him. The audience in time will discover that Carla is a vampire. Similarly, the librarian Giles is portrayed suspiciously on his first encounter with Buffy, notably so as Buffy enters the old, quiet library from the busy hallways. The man (later introduced as Angel) Buffy meets in the alley was equally shady however he offered Buffy a piece of information that led Buffy to forge ahead in her vampire slaying pilgrimage. Last but not least, the main character Buffy
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