Past Students Soap Opera Trailer 2

Mise-en-scene

A range of locations are shown - domestic interior environments, such as inside a home, a school and a drugs store. Exterior settings used include a park and a street. This range of settings brings about verisimilitude and makes it more conventionally realistic to that of real people's lives.

Costumes involved are also conventional but simple - hoodies, coats and headphones are all items that are stereotypically linked to teenagers, making the representations conventional.

Props are additionally used, such as a pregnancy test, mobile phone and drugs. This integrates the characters into the settings and makes them more believable and realistic for the audience. These props are also used to interlink storylines, such as with texting and the pregnancy storyline.

Titles

Throughout the clips, words are used - such as 'escape', 'release' and 'mistakes' - connoting with drama and emotion to splice up the clips and make the audience associate the shots with the words. They are done in a way that looks professional with black backgrounds and white, glowing text to make the titles stand out. Information on when the soap is aired and the channel logo (E4) is shown too, to give information to the audience.

Sound

In this trailer, both diegetic and non-diegetic sound are used, including music and dialogue. Fast paced, non-diegetic techno or dubstep-like music is used throughout the trailer, which is music often associated with teenagers. During a point where it gets fast paced (with the characters who have drugs) the music lowers in volume to hear the characters rummaging around in the house and one of the characters yells, "Crap, Daniel!" to then hear the non-diegetic sound of police sirens. This use of diegetic dialogue highlights the drama of the soap and interests the audience more. Afterwards, the music starts back up again.

An improvement for sound could be that a voice-over over the titles at the end would be good, to pull the audience in more and help them remember when the soap airs. A voice-over would also be stereotypical and conventional to that of general E4 and soap opera trailers.

Editing

Editing within this trailer is fairly simple (aside from the titles) in that the pacing is fairly regular and not too slow or fast. The cuts in the trailer do speed up, however, when the characters are rummaging through the house. This heightens the drama and makes the audience more interested.

Camera Angles

A good variation of camera angles are used throughout this trailer, with shots such as over-the-shoulder shots, mid shots, two-shots, tilts and even a 360 degree turn. The variation of shots keeps the audience interested and the shots are all a suitable length. The 360 degree turn isn't particularly conventional to soaps but it does give the trailer a different style and makes it unique to what is usually seen, enhancing the drama and danger of drug dealing. Framing overall is good in that you can clearly see the characters and their actions, as well as the interior or exterior settings. However, with one shot it could be seen as questionable as the characters on the street walk closely towards the camera, which is framed somewhat strangely and doesn't seem to execute in the way I think they were trying to achieve.


Overall, I think that this trailer is really good in all aspects of mise-en-scene, titles, sound, editing and camera angles and it uses conventional and challenging aspects of each. I do have a few criticisms with that the range of characters could be better in terms of age range, but it does seem like this soap would focus mostly on the lives of teenagers and young adults rather than people of all ages.

Past Students Soap Opera Trailer 1

This is a soap opera trailer created by students who were in the year above me called Whodunnit.

There are various things I think are good about the trailer- there is a good range of characters, both female and male and their relationships with other characters are shown, such the group of boys at the start that are clearly shown as friends, a couple who are hugging and a pregnant woman. There are several narratives briefly shown throughout the trailer- such as the main one being the introduction of a new character, conflict between a couple and a teen pregnancy.There is also a variation in camera shots used, which follows the female character around as she walks through the streets- this helps to make the audience curious about her and the reactions she is getting. Another good factor is that both non-diegetic and diegetic sound are used, such as non-diegetic music, diegetic character dialogue and non-diegetic narration at the end. The trailer also clearly gives information such as the soap opera's name and when and where it is broadcasted.

However, there are some issues in the trailer. At times the framing means that character's heads are cut off, or some camera shots look awkward and not appropriately used. Another issue is lighting- sometimes it is too low-key to see things in shot clearly, which may be due to the time of day it was filmed. The non-diegetic music which plays in the background may also be a little too loud over the diegetic dialogue, and after a while it can seem repetitive.

Soap Opera Conventions

An example of a two-shot camera shot

These conventions are followed to make soap operas recognisable and allow you to make links between soaps.

• The constant illusion of real time
• Multiple characters, with strong female characters (this is due to the original target audiences of soap operas)
• Each episode has many short scenes, typically less than two minutes
• Current social issues relatable to the audience
• Continuity throughout episodes
• Mostly diegetic sound
• Use of cliff hangers and tease devices to keep the audience in suspense
• Domestic, naturalistic mise-en-scene (known as 'kitchen sink' mise-en-scene)
• Storylines interweave
• Lots of camera shots involving two-shots and over the shoulder shots of conversations
• Symbolic costumes and set to display character identities to the audience



Domestic mise-en-scene in Hollyoaks (Home interior)

• Combinations of action (information for the audience) and enigma (questions raised by the audience)

Whilst most soap operas- such as Eastenders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale- follow these conventions, it can be seen that Hollyoaks tends to go against some of them. For example, a lot of Hollyoaks episodes start out with non-diegetic music which introduces the characters and storylines for that episode. Hollyoaks also occasionally uses editing to show pop-ups for text messages, which other soap operas do not do.

Bibliography:
OCR Media Studies for AS, Julian McDougall, 2008, Hodder Education

Soap Opera Poster 2

This is a poster for the Australian soap opera, Neighbours, advertising that it is changing channel. Fitting conventions, the poster includes all of the show's cast - or, at the very least, it shows prominent characters in recent storylines within the soap opera.

The setting of the poster displays the area in which the characters live- Ramsay St. The blue sky has connotations of warm, peaceful weather, stereotypical to that of Australia, which helps the audience know where the soap is set. This use of happy feeling mise-en-scene suggests that the soap opera consists of rather care-free, happy characters who are in a tight-knit community. The fact they are all together as a group also connotes this, and the audience is able to see different relationships- such as families and couples- between the characters. Mise-en-scene is also used with character's props, such as holding an instrument or flowers. This helps show the type of character they are, such as the hobbies they have or personality traits. Their clothing also shows this, to an extent. Animals are also included on the poster- a kangaroo, dog and parrot. This helps existing audiences further gain connotations of Australia from the poster.

The sign in the top left that says 'SAME RAMSAY ST / NEW HOME' is in the style of an actual street sign that is used within the show, working off existing icons and familiar objects to attract the audience. It also informs them that the soap opera is not changing, but is actually moving channel, using snappy and quick wording. The simple black on white colouring makes it noticable and easy to read, the uppercase lettering also attracting attention to it. The other sign, in the bottom right corner, is used in a similar way; stating the soap opera's name, when it is shown and where. The use of the Channel Five logo is also used as part of making the audience familiar with it, and the yellow colour of the text also helps to make it stand out. The positioning of both these titles is done to follow the viewer's focal point- moving from left to right- and also means that the signs aren't obstructing the rest of the poster.

Colours used throughout the whole poster are rather vibrant and colourful- used not only to attract the viewer's eye, but to also bring about connotations of happiness, excitement and positivity. This is paired with the happy expressions of the characters; once again suggesting the happy nature of the storylines the characters experience on Ramsay Street.

Analysing this poster will help my group develop a soap opera poster as we can follow existing conventions and methods used to make our soap opera successful. Following conventions in our own poster also allows audience to understand and connect with the poster, as it will be in a similar style to others.

Soap Opera Poster 1

This is a billboard poster for the soap opera Hollyoaks.

Key things that stand out are the limited use of text, the colours and the imagery. There is very little text used on the poster- only enough that clearly indicates to the viewer what the poster is about. The text 'A week that will change Hollyoaks forever' does not give much information away, but rather hooks the viewer and makes them curious about what is to happen. The text also lists the day Hollyoaks will be shown, as well as the Channel 4 logo on the right which is used due to its familiarity with the viewers. The font used is simplistic and easily readable, but also bold as the black makes it stand out. This is a simple but effective way of getting across important information to the viewer.

The colours used in the posted are orange, yellow, red (the fire) and white and black for the text and logo. This makes the text and logo clearly stand out from the fiery colours, drawing the viewer's eyes to them.

The imagery itself involves five characters from the show- two male, three female. The symbolism of the characters being made of fire could link with story lines within the show, as fire has connotations of danger, destruction, anger, power and passion. These connotations could be between the characters shown as part of their story lines, or with five separate story lines specific to the characters. The fire could also represent parts of the characters' personalities.

Generally, this poster appeals to existing audiences of Hollyoaks, particularly as a regular viewer would recognise the characters and perhaps understand the symbolism that represents the story lines between them. However, this poster could potentially attract a new viewer or audience out of curiosity.

Soap Opera Magazine Cover 2

Soap opera magazine, 'What's on TV'

This initial elements of this cover that immediately grab the audience's attention are the bright colours and text - 'KILL ROXY!' is in quite stricking colours that are designed to be contrasting as well as attention grabbing. As you can see to the left, all the colours used tend to contrast eachother - bright pinks, blues, yellows and reds. Used in conjunction with the bold, uppercase text the colours are used to 'shock' the audience and intrigue them about what is inside, as well as to make them connote the colours with the exaggerated drama of soap operas. These sorts of bright colours will need to be considered in our own soap opera magazine, as to be conventional as well as attention grabbing.

The majority of the text used on the magazine cover is uppercase - it is supposed to intrigue the audience and let them know what the current, popular storylines are for particular television shows. The typeface is also rather bold and thick, compared to standard fonts such as Ariel and Times New Roman. The bold text is used, once more, to attract the audience. Other pieces of text give information on the price of the magazine, the title of it and the issue date. The sizing of the different texts also indicates which are the most important - in this case, it is the large 'KILL ROXY!' text. Factors such as text size, font and letter case will need to be considered in our own soap opera magazine.

Another attention grabbing, main part of the cover are the two characters on the right of the cover. These are familiar, known faces to the audience of Eastenders who would be aware of the relationship between the two and the storylines surrounding them. Their storyline is the selling point for the magazine, as seen by how large they are when compared to other characters shown and the logo of the magazine. Each of these little storylines are put in their own sections, with different shapes, such as circles or squares, with appropriate captions. These are common conventions of soap opera magazines, and we will have to use them in our own magazine cover for it to be conventional and effective.

There are key elements of this magazine cover, such as the price tag, magazine title, issue date and barcode, which are small in comparison to the rest, but are still important. We will need to include these in our own magazine cover for it to actually be a soap opera magazine cover.

This analysis will assist us in creating our own soap opera magazine cover, as we will be able to use typical conventions such as colour, layout and text that audiences will already be familiar with and for the cover to be succesful and effective.





Soap Opera Magazine Cover 1

This is the front cover of a soap opera magazine called Inside Soap.

There are various factors of the cover that immediately grab the viewer's attention- these being the magazine's title, the image of two characters beneath that and the text 'long-lost sisters?' The text in both the title and the storyline caption are very large, therefore making them the most attention-grabbing. The large images of two characters is also to illustrate the soap opera's storyline, as they will be familiar to the show's audience.

Colours used most frequently on the cover are red, orange, yellow and white. These colours contrast sharply when used against eachother, making them attract the reader's attention as well as prominently stand out.

Surrounding the main focus point of the magazine- the two females- there are various boxes containing snapshots from the soap operas themselves, with captions over the top briefly describing the plot line. There is also a slogan underneath the magazine's title, which uses repetition with the word 'every' to make it snappy and recognisable.

There is very little white space on the cover as a whole, making it crowded and so that there is a lot to look at. Most of the text on the cover is in uppercase lettering to make it stand out, and the fonts used are all similar- using thick and bold lettering- so that all the text on the page is consistent as well as attention-grabbing.

Other small things included on the cover is a barcode, a price for the magazine and the dates the magazine is relevant for.

The cover is used generally to give an insight of what is inside the magazine and to convince the viewer into being interested by the images and text used. Familiar faces and imagery are shown for existing audiences of the soap operas included, using bright colours and bold text to gain their attention.

Initial Soap Opera Ideas

Here are some rough initial ideas I have had for our soap opera, linking in to conventions of soap operas. Later on I shall discuss these with my group to compare ideas and improve and add on them.

Initial Soap Opera Poster Notes

I have been looking at several soap opera posters from different channels in order to get an initial idea on the typical things seen on the posters. A main factor is that most of them are landscape posters, rather than portrait, often to give verisimilitude and show more of the setting with mise-en-scene.

Sometimes they involve lots of characters to show the range of cast in the show, but sometimes they only show a few to focus on a particular main storyline. Character's personalities are shown through their costumes (mise-en-scene) as well as their poses, expressions and reactions to other people around them. These are used to show the viewer what sort of relationship a specific character has with others.

Symbolism is sometimes used in these posters, such as the fire in the Hollyoaks poster and the cracked house in the Coronation Street poster. The use of symbolism makes the viewer connote certain things about the characters or the soap - fire connotes with anger and passion, cracks connote destruction and danger - to interest them more into watching.

Soap opera posters always involve the logo of the channel they are aired on, the name of the soap and the time and date they are on. These are key factors in making sure the audience know when to watch.

By gathering this information from looking briefly at a few posters, I will have more research when it comes to creating my group's poster. It gives me an insight into the range of posters there are and how they can change depending on the channel they are aired on or the soap it's advertising, as well as key conventions.

Initial Soap Opera Magazine Notes

 

Having looked at several TV listings and soap opera magazine covers, I've been able to gather general research about what is conventional. One of the first things I notice looking at these covers is the use of colour - colours are always bright and contrasting to attract the viewer. Common colours are red, yellow and white. The text that is usually the largest on these covers is either the main storyline or the magazine's cover; this is because they are the main selling points of the magazine.

Another thing is that there is very little empty space on these covers - everywhere is filled with either bright coloured text, or images from soaps. Often on the right side of these magazine covers, two characters from the main storyline are shown together. This is to make the viewer recognise them and associate them with the soap.

Other smaller conventional factors on these covers are barcodes, dates and prices. 

By doing this research, I am able to get an initial idea of what a soap opera magazine cover should look like, helping me with the develop of my group's own cover.

Soap Trailer Analysis 3

Hollyoaks



Mise-en-scene is a factor very prominent in this trailer, as lots of symbolism and imagery is used to explain story lines and character relationships. At the start of the trailer a female character is shown scraping her nails across a wall, leaving a fiery trail in her wake. This has various connotations- perhaps that what she touches gets burnt, that she has is angry or easily aggravated, or that she is powerful. The last connotation could also be linked with her clothing- a simple white dress and a necklace. The necklace perhaps suggests she is well-off due to her formal clothing, and the colour white often has connotations of purity, peace and innocence- but the fire she is leaving contradicts this.

Fire is a reoccurring theme throughout the trailer, such as the vase of flowers which suddenly bursts into flames- this suggests destruction of a setting or part of a home. A male character in a suit is then shown to be breathing fire from his mouth whilst he looks angry; this shows to the viewer that there is conflict between him and the female character in the red dress. The character in the red dress then throws a glass to the wall which then creates more fire- therefore meaning more conflict and disruption. Fire also occurs elsewhere, such as when a waiter lifts a plate cover to reveal fire to a woman, which could have connotations of the woman being tricked or about to be in danger. A wide shot of the whole room reveals everything to be shrouded in fire, having connotations of disruption, disorder and danger being everywhere. The symbolism of drama and chaos within the show is used to entice viewers by making them curious about how situations will be resolved.

Sound within the trailer includes non-diegetic music, diegetic sounds when fire appears and non-diegetic narration. The music sets the atmosphere; it sounds somewhat classy but has deeper meaning with the lyrics "On a gathering storm comes a tall handsome man in a dusty black coat with a red right hand"- this relates to the story line with the waiter as it suggests he has evil intentions. The sounds when flames appear brings attention to them and their meaning, and the narration also helps to hook the viewer's attention by saying "A week that will change Hollyoaks forever." as well as saying the date the soap opera will begin.

Tracking shots, over-the-shoulder shots, mid shots and wide angles shots are used in the trailer. A tracking shot is used to follow the first character as she drags her nails across the wall- this is to clearly show the fire trailing from her. Over-the-shoulder shots are used whilst the man is arguing with the woman in the red dress, also to clearly show the fire that he is breathing. The wide angle used at the end distinctly shows the abundant amount of fire throughout the whole room, which shows that the danger and destruction is far-spread and that what is happening effects everybody.

There are various narratives revealed within the trailer, most of which are more understood by existing audiences rather than new ones. However, it is clear that with most of the narratives are on step two of Todorov's theory of equilibrium- the equilibrium has been disrupted. This is seen through the symbolism and imagery with the fire. Viewers interested in the trailer have to actively try to understand and decode what they are seeing in order to work out the story lines.

Titling is only used in the trailer at the end- 'November 5th Hollyoaks'. This use of titling is very simple but is quick and short, giving out information needed in an easy way. The channel four logo is also shown on the screen, as it is a familiar logo for existing audiences of Hollyoaks.

By analysing these trailers, I have been able to gain knowledge on conventional camera shots, sound, mise-en-scene and characters in trailers. Knowing the different ways trailers express things such as storylines, characters and location in a way that attracts the audience allows us to become knowledgeable of similar techniques.

Soap Trailer Analysis 2

Eastenders



This trailer uses non-diegetic music at the start which is part of the theme song for Eastenders- existing audiences will recognise this music and the show it pertains to. As clips from the show begin to play non-diegetic piano music plays as well, which is of a slow pace and gives a sad tone to the trailer, which relates it to the story line. Diegetic dialogue is also shown between characters, such as with Bianca saying "She probably won't even make it through the night", which refers to the character Pat, who is sick. This alerts the viewer of the disruption which has occurred, making them interested into what will happen. The trailer ends with a non-diegetic narration, stating what the show is and when it is shown. Afterwards, part of the Eastenders theme plays but cuts short- this is symbolism which links to the fact Pat is dying and that it is "the end of an Era."

Camera angles within the trailer are over-the-shoulder shots, mid shots and close ups.  The over-the-shoulder-shots and mid shots show character's actions and facial expressions when talking to each other. A close up is used on Janine when Pat says "Because you were the only little girl I had.", as this is an emotional moment and clearly shows the expressions on her face. A mid shot is used towards the end to show the return of a character called David Wicks, showing him outside on his own in the rain- this raises questions for the viewer and makes them curious about what will happen.

Mise-en-scene involved in the trailer involves settings such as the interior of a house- such as the bedroom Pat is in. Another setting is outside in the street, where David is. The fact Pat is in a bed has connotations of her being sick and tired. The rain outside is a use of pathetic fallacy- rain has connotations of sadness and grief, which relates to the story line.   


The narrative of the trailer is focused on one storyline that is in point three of Todorov's theory of equilibrium- recognition of disruption. The disruption in this case is that Pat is dying, and this is used to attract viewers because they may have an emotional attachment to Pat as a character and will want to see how it affects the people around her. Another story line that is also included in the trailer is that the son of Pat returns, although this does not necessarily apply to Todorov's theory of equilibirum.

Few titles are used within the trailer, but they are used at the start, where it says 'The end of a year... The end of an era.", which is used to draw the viewer in. The BBC One logo is also shown beneath that and throughout the whole trailer, as the viewer will be familiar with it and will associate Eastenders with the BBC. Titles are used again at the end, stating what the show is as well as a website link which the viewer can use to actively search for more information. The colours for the titles are simplistic- white on a black background so that they stand out- and the font is suited to the logo of the soap opera and television channel.

Soap Trailer Analysis 1

Neighbours



This soap opera trailer primarily uses non-diegetic narration alongside camera shots to get across information to the audience. The narration introduces the show by saying "One little Aussie street..." alongside an animation clip with the road sign saying 'Ramsay St.', which relies on audience familiarity to indicate what the trailer is about. The line "...is about to be hit by a mega-drama" is used to make the audience curious about the show and hook their attention onto the trailer. It is from here that clips from the show are shown, and diegetic dialogue is used. Alongside the narration and diegetic dialogue, fast-paced non-diegetic music is used to show heightened tension and conflict between characters. Characters' names are also introduced through narration to give the viewer more information about the story line and make them more interested.

The narration line "Who's side of the street will you be on?" directly questions the viewer and helps to persuade them into watching the show, particularly with the use of the word 'you'. The last clip from the show involves dialogue in which characters are arguing and shouting, which brings about connotations of drama, problem and conflict- therefore giving the viewer more insight into the story line and ultimately helping to attract their attention. Finally, the narration lists when Neighbours is shown and the channel it is broadcasted on, in order to give the audience key information should they decide to watch it.

Camera shots used within the trailer are over-the-shoulder shots, close-ups and mid shots. The over-the-shoulder shots and mid shots are used to show conversations between characters and character's expressions. A close-up shot is used to focus on the words 'carpenters mechanics', which is related to the story line and helps to make the viewer curious. The way the camera shots show the conversations between people help to illustrate the conflict and problems that are going on, such as the hand actions and facial expressions when two of the characters are arguing and shouting. 

The mise-en-scene used within the trailer shows various settings surrounding the story line- such as the inside of a workplace, a garage and the interiors of various people's homes. This brings about verisimilitude as it reflects real life locations in which arguments and conflict can occur. The clothing of various characters helps to indicate the types of characters- such as Tony, who is wearing a suit, which shows that he is middle-class and has a job that may involve something such as office work, which is a contrast to Paul's clothing of a leather jacket, which has connotations of being more working class and being involved in practical work. Props are also used within the trailer, such as Paul using a laptop. The look of concentration on his face whilst using it perhaps suggests he is researching something, which may be relevant to the story line.

The narrative of the trailer focuses on there being conflict between two characters- Tony and Paul- and that the viewer may decide which side they are on when watching the show. This relates to point two and three of Todorov's theory of equilibrium, in which the equilibrium has been disrupted and then recognised. Conflict and drama are issues that can often attract audiences, as they can become curious and interested into what the conflict is about and how it will be resolved- and this trailer tries to make the viewer feel that.

There is limited, simplistic titling used within the trailer, such as at the beginning with 'Ramsay St.' and the small titles used at the bottom right which say 'New 6.30 weekdays.' The small titling in the corner is not too distracting from the actual content but also gives key information needed to watch the show. At the end of there are large titles which say the same thing, accompanied by the narration to repeat it. The colours used for the titling throughout are blue and purple, which may be distinct to the channel Neighbours is shown on in order to make it familiar.