1. Soap Opera Genre –
Independent Textual
Analysis
Name:
Candidate Number:
Center Name: St. Paul’s Catholic College
Center Number:
OCR Media Studies – A2 Level
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio
*Logos for the Soaps analysed
HERE

2. Eastenders Trailer: ‘Secrets’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWyB6Nqfhv8
Verbal Codes –
The diegetic? non-diegetic? voiceover “We’ve all got something to hide” – Be careful: This is NOT a voiceover – the verbal code shortly
afterwards is though connotes that everybody in this soap opera is hiding something and that everybody is very secretive. Voiceover –
tone of voice? Gender? Why?
These secrets can create scandal and drama in the soap for the audience, much to their excitement and captivation.
Also, the diegetic dialogue of “that didn’t stop you sleeping with her did it?” further ‘signifies’ (Theorist) the scandal in this soap and
that people are having affairs, which can also help to create drama in the soap and will attract an audience – what audience in
particular (stereotypically) and WHY?.
X1-2 more examples of diegetic dialogue are needed
The non diegetic soundtrack is very fast and dramatic which creates tension for the audience, as well as being synchronous with the
action – what IS the action? going on in the trailer.
Sound effects – Examples?
Non-Verbal Codes –
One of the non-verbal codes in this trailer that helps establish the genre (Soap Opera) is the setting of a pub. This connotes that all of
the characters in the scene are part of a working class community who go down the pub. This means that the audience can ‘personally
identify’ (Katz) with the characters in the trailer because they might also be part of a similar working class community. The costumes
in this trailer are just normal average clothing, which connotes that the characters in the trailer just dress normally – what else?Some
of the characters are in dark clothing – why?. The facial expressions at the beginning of this trailer are all sad as they are all at a
funeral. This connotes that this media product and text can be very emotional at times for the audience. However, towards the end of
the trailer everyone’s facial expressions turn into a guilty look, as somebody has been killed they could all be guilty, making the
audience wonder who could’ve done it.
Each of the characters within this trailer all have drama in their lives, which can attract an audience as they enjoy watching the drama.
Also, a prop which has been used in this trailer is the card denoting ‘rot in hell’, which connotes that the person who died wasn’t very
liked – is the person who opens the card revealed to the audience?
MISSING – Lighting? Research a term called chiaroscuro and link to the opening of the scene –
MISSING – Characters – Propp’s character roles? Rebecca Feasey (2007) ideology?
MISSING – Fire shot – connotations?

3. Technical Codes –
One of the technical codes in this trailer that would impact the audience is the low camera angles of some of the characters within
this soap-opera text. These camera angles are looking up at the characters, which can connote that they are dominant and may
therefore be guilty for the death of Lucy, which makes the audience want to know which one of them might have done it.
The technical code of close-ups of the characters facial expressions can help the audience to sympathise (‘Caregivers’ – Theorist)
with the characters. X1-2 more examples of angles OR Shot Types
MISSING – Establishing shot of the coffin being carried from a low-angle – Connotations?
MISSING – Camera movement – zooms?
MISSING – Transitions – Pace of the cuts
MISSING – Captions e.g. “Some secrets” etc. - Connotations?
Screen grabs of examples you refer to HERE

4. Hollyoaks Spring Trailer – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K064afZi_DU
Verbal Codes –
A verbal code which has been used in this trailer to help create scandal and an element of shock value is the
diegetic dialogue of one of the characters saying “I’m not looking over the shoulder for the rest of my life”.
This connotes that that she is scared of one of the other characters – do the audience find out who? Can this be
linked to theory such as Propp?.
X1-2 more examples of diegetic dialogue are needed
The non-diegetic soundtrack within this trailer is very slow at the beginning, but then eventually speeds up as the
action in the trailer gets more serious. This soundtrack is synchronous with the action which is going on in the
trailer, where the audience are presented with – what? Explain what themes & issues are represented.
MISSING:
Sound effects?
Non-diegetic voiceover?
If they're absent WHY?
Non-Verbal Codes –
One setting in this trailer is that there is somebody in a courtroom – Proof read this again – does this make sense?.
This connotes that some of the characters in this soap-opera text are criminals and that there is going to be a lot of drama in this show,
which can help to attract an audience as they will want to watch the show to find out about the drama.
The costumes that the characters are wearing in this trailer is just average clothing – AVOID phrases like this, to connote that the
characters are the same as the audience as they are from a working class community, therefore the audience can ‘personally identify’
(Katz) with the characters. All of the characters within this trailer all have drama in their lives. The majority of the facial expressions in
this trailer are guilty, scared or really happy as well, which conforms to the view that the characters in a typical soap-opera – as
reflective of everyday life – are bound to experience a variety of different emotions. This also ‘signifies’ the expected multi-stranded
narrative generic convention associated to this genre.
MISSING – Lighting? High Key? Low Key?
MISSING – Characters – Propp’s character roles? Rebecca Feasey (2007) ideology?

5. Technical Codes –
A technical code which has been used in this trailer frequently is the use of close ups of all of the characters, which are presented
through fast paced cuts which exhibit close ups of all of the characters and their facial expressions, for example – give an example of a
facial expression presented to the audience and the intended impact on the viewer.
Some of the camera angles which have been used in this trailer are low camera angles to connote that the characters within this TV
Soap-Opera are dominant as the camera is looking up at them. The cuts within this trailer are very fast paced to help create tension
for the audience. At the beginning of the trailer, it is very slow and calm. However, towards the end of the trailer the cuts speed up
and construct images of the scandalous lives of the characters within the TV show. For example there is an affair, a pregnancy, a fight
and a young couple telling each other they love each other which very effectively establishes the multi-stranded narrative of a typical
soap opera.
MISSING – Camera movement – zooms? Pans? Tilts?
MISSING – Captions
Screen grabs of examples you refer to HERE

6. Evaluation of Textual Analysis –
Compare and Contrast
Trailer 1) – Areas of Strength and what you would ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale - 1980) and/or ‘exploit’
(Abercrombie – 1995)
One of the things - ! which I would ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale) from the Eastenders trailer is the text captions in-between each of the cuts in
the trailer, which can help to emphasize the drama and tension within the scene and add further symbolic meanings to the trailer.
Another thing - ! which I will ‘exploit’ (Abercrombie) from the Eastenders trailer is the costumes that the characters are wearing.
I will need to make sure that they are wearing average clothing - ! so it can allow the audience to ‘personally identify’ (Katz) with the
characters in the trailer.
Additionally, something which I will ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale) and ‘exploit’ (Abercrombie) is the low camera angles in the trailer so that
the camera is looking up at the character, therefore it will make the character look ‘dominant’ for the audience.
X1-2 more examples needed – YOU COULD comment on some form of ‘difference’ (Steve Neale) you would consider based on your
analysis
Trailer 2) – Areas of Strength and what you would ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale - 1980) and/or ‘exploit’
(Abercrombie – 1995)
One of the things - ! that I would ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale) from the Hollyoaks trailer is the fast paced cuts. This can connote how dramatic
all of the scenes in this Soap-Opera are – what? Explain and can make the audience want to watch this programme because they will
enjoy the dramatic scenes.
Another thing - ! which I will ‘exploit’ (Abercrombie) from this trailer is the non diegetic soundtrack so that I can make it slow at the
beginning and then fast towards the end so that it helps to create tension for the audience. Would you use a song with lyrics in though
to add further meanings to the trailer?
Also, I will ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale) and ‘exploit’ (Abercrombie) the setting that is in this trailer, as they are very common settings such as
in people’s houses, or in café’s, which can help the audience to ‘personally identify’ (Katz) with this show. Another setting which I
could ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale) is the courtroom – could you???? from this trailer as it helps to create drama and tension for the audience.
X1-2 more examples needed – YOU COULD comment on some form of ‘difference’ (Steve Neale) you would consider based on your
analysis