2. What Is Soap Opera?
A Television programme with deals with many challenges and
problems as in the real world from day to day.
3. What is a documentary?
Is Television or Film based. These provide factual support on a
particular subject.
4. What is an advert?
Is mostly radio and television based, which appear between
actual programmes. These help promote a certain product to
persuade you to purchase it.
5. Key Conventions
Soap Opera – Catchy theme tune, a few main locations where
everything happens, cliff hangers, based on day to day life.
Documentary – Voiceover, archive footage, interviews, sounds
(non- diegetic), factual footage/ information.
Adverts – Brand logo, slogan , colour scheme, SFX, camera
angles.
6. History
Soap Opera – The term ‘soap opera’ comes from when they were
aired on the radio, they were sponsored by soap brands.
Documentary – In the pre-1900’s people used to capture single-
shot moments, e.g., factory workers leaving work. These were
called ‘actuality’ films. The word ‘documentary’ was not coined
until 1926.
Advert – Commercial messages have been found in the ruins of
Pompeii and ancient Arabia ,dating all the way back to even the
Egyptians.
8. Viewing Figures
Soap Operas –Coronation Street 2015 – Lowest figure,
5,170,000, 20th February.
Highest figure, 8,240,000, 19th January
Documentary – Educating Yorkshire got an average audience of
2.62 million in one night.
9. Prominent Actors
Soap Opera – Michelle Keegan, Kym Marsh, Craig Charles, Danny
Dyer, Adam Woodyatt, June Brown.
Documentaries – David Attenborough, Louis Theroux, Ross
Kemp
Advert – David Tennant, Cheryl, Mo Farrah, Johnny Vegas
10. Costs
Soap Opera – the BBC revealed that a year's-worth of
EastEnders costs £29.9 million.
Documentary – The documentary Blackfish only cost $76,000 to
make.
Advert – The Cadbury Gorilla advert cost an estimates £700,000
