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.