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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

2. Trailer 1 – Kat and Alfie trailer- EastEnders – BBC one
Verbal Codes
The trailer has a non diegetic soundtrack which instantly captures the idea that the soap is now set in the
wild west. This then leads to the use of diegetic sound of jenein laughing, which instantly gets cut by Kats
presence. Verbal speech from Kat is then used “where do I get a drink around here”, after the click of her
mirror which has been sound altered to match that of a gun clicking. This then gives the audience to
believe Kat is waiting to dual her nemesis, meaning their will be conflict between the characters Kat and
Alfie. The trailer uses Kats diversion theory as the clip diverts the viewers attention from the real world
and allows the individual to escape into the soap opera.
Non-Verbal Codes
Throughout the trailer there is the obvious theme of the western setting being introduced at the start of
the clip. This is expanded upon by the desertion of the square, the idea of the wild west is expanded upon
with the characters looking at the Kat like she's an outlaw. upon with the introduction of the character Kat
this A symbol is seen which is of newspaper running along the floor, this again sets the scene of the wild
west but with a modern input within it. Moreover, the newspaper which is blown by the wind indicates
that a storm is arising, Ferdinand De Saussure stated “signs act as signifiers” the newspaper
Technical Codes
Within the trailer they have many different camera shot, firstly there is a upward establishing shot of
the bar, this is to show that it is a big part of the trailer. Secondly there is a tracking shot of Kat walking
(at this point you don’t know it is her), this is used to engage the viewer and making them wonder
who it is and also this is a common convention of a western film. Thirdly there is a upward pan when
she stops walking to reveal its Kat, this is used to relieve the viewer of guessing who the person is.
Fourthly there are many close up of both Kat’s and Alfie’s eyes which shows there emotions and the
way they are looking at each other. Lastly there is a aerial/establishing shot of both Kat and alfie which
is used to show the distance between them two and their relationship.

3. Trailer 2 – hollyoaks
Verbal Codes – Firstly there is Non-diegetic soundtrack which is played though out the trailer, this is
to create a intense viewing experience and engage the viewer in what is going to come up next, it
stops for a brief moment introducing the diegetic sound/volume which steadily increases until the
glass breaks, they have done this to emphasize the fight the two are having. Again there is Non
diegetic sound used in the hospital scene and occurs when sirens are playing in the background, this
increases the tempo as the trailer becomes more rapid with each passing shot.
Non-Verbal Codes – The lighting is extremely low with one pale yellow light center top creating a
mood of suspicion and darkness within the cast. The outfits that are used match the general idea of the
characters personality along with the mood of the scene for example the man who waves at the bride is
dressed in all black. This ultimately suggests that this character has a sinister side to his personality, as
he watches the protagonist with the intent to kill her. His glove is pitch black and he is dressed for a
funeral, this indicates the character to a warning to others as he has the potential to be a killer.
Technical Codes – The trailer starts with a shot of a woman in the back of a car and as the trailer
progresses a shot change to a high angle shot on two men, this is done to show that they are in more
power. The scene progresses to where a woman is in a hospital bed and a man kissing her forehead
which obviously indicates the two characters relationship, a low angle establishing shot is used to
show the surrounding and of them, it also presents the two alone together which shows off Laura
Mulvey’s (male and female gaze) as the two actors are visibly attractive. Lastly, another scene has
been created where a woman walks into a house and a low angle tracking shot is used to show the
perspective of the children, therefore presenting the character to fear for their safety. A panning shot
is used on each character and some then move into a close up showing the emotion of the different
character giving the audience a ruff indication of what is to come and the character involvement.

4. Evaluation of Textual Analysis –
Compare and Contrast
Trailer 1)
The Kat and Alfie trailer set the scene very well with the wild west theme it grabs the attention of the
audience as they speculate what the trailer might be for. The two characters Kat and Alfie set the scene
as being ‘outlaws’ as they are shunned from society and all the townsfolk fear them. As the character
Kat enters, a storm is brewing which sets the scene that all hell is going to be set loose, this really
interested me as the weather was setting the scene for the showdown between the two characters.
However, the lighting was too bright glary which is typical for a old western film but I feel the darker and
more sinister lighting of the holly oaks trailer stole the spotlight, due to the feeling I feel when the
characters walk through the ale with a dark theme.
Trailer 2)
I would like repeat the lighting that the Holly oaks trailer had, this is because it captured the gothic
element within the trailer. The lighting was mainly used for the alter and the ale which presented each
character as having a some what ‘bad side’ to them. As the trailer progresses more close ups are used to
empathize the dark and mysterious setting, along with long shots showing off the all black monetary.
I think the dialogue was used very effectively, due to the long walk to ale there was no need to use any
dialogue. However, a non diegetic soundtrack is playing which shows off the initial haunted theme of the
trailer. Moreover, the soundtrack was what instantly encapsulated me into being engrossed in the trailer,
this is because it was such a dark theme and the opening shot presents the disequilibrium entering with
each passing step.