1. St. Paul’s Catholic College
Center Number:
64770
Candidate Number:
5887
Candidate Name: Connie Cronin
A2 Media Studies
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media –
Production Log
Evidence of Planning & Research
Aims and Objectives
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2. AO2– Assess candidates’ application of knowledge and
understanding in evaluating their own work, showing
how meanings and responses are created.
AO3– Assess candidates’ ability to plan and construct
media products using appropriate technical and creative
skills.
AO4– Assess candidates’ ability to undertake, apply and
present appropriate research.
Brief Chosen
A 45 second – 1 minute 30 second trailer for a NEW Soap Opera
that will be exhibited on BBC 3 at 8:30pm (after Eastenders)
that will appeal to a Male and Female audience.
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3. Contents
Textual Analysis
Eastenders
-
Soap Opera Codes & Conventions
Multi Strand Narrative
Coronation Street
“..the home, the family, domestic tribulations and the strong woman, and as such, it
has long been said to appeal to the female viewer”
‘Masculinity and Popular television’ – Rebecca Feasey (2007)
-
Is this evident and how is this presented to the audience?
Research
Purpose of a Trailer
Multi-Platform promotion
Textual Analysis – Coronation Street and Hollyoaks
Deadlines – Production Work
Filming Dates: Tuesday 22nd October 8.00am – 12.45pm
Edited Trailer – Complete:
Promotional Poster – Complete:
Promotional Magazine Cover – Complete:
Evaluation – Complete:
Production Work
Director – Joshua Davey
Producer – Connie Cronin and Christian Bonning
Institution research – BBC Three
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4. 1) What are some of the Codes & Conventions of this genre?
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5. 2) Codes & Conventions of the Soap Opera Genre
The Soap Opera genre can be categorized by the ‘repeated’
(Steve Neale) elements of:
1.
Romance
2.
Family relationships and conflict
3.
Focus on working class communities
4.
Cliff Hangers
5.
Multi-stranded narrative
6.
Realism
Eastenders(1985 – Present)
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6. Key information regarding this text:
Exhibited on BBC1 and repeated on BBC Three
One of the UK’s highest rated programs (8mil per week)
Set in the ‘kitchen sink’ setting of fictional Walford, East London
Textual Analysis Task
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye51O8WBVVM&feature=related In your opinion, according to Hartley’s Seven Subjectivities, what is the target audience for
Eastenders?
Age
15+
Gender
Mainly targeted at females
Nationality
British
Trailer 1)
What is the Focus of this trailer?
Love triangle between Stacey, Max and Bradley.
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7. Code
&
Convention
Romance
Family
relationships
and/or conflict
Evidence
(Verbal, Non-Verbal,
Technical)
Verbal code - ‘love you’
‘yeah me too’
Non verbal code - Max
and Stacey kissing
Technical – likes father?
Likes son?
Impact on the Audience
(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)
‘Personal identification’(Katz) – the characters
both display their ‘love’ through verbal and non
verbal codes that the audience can personally
identify and relate to within their own lives.
This reflects how the show will target families
(Hartley) although it connotes something that
isn’t socially acceptable within society
Verbal Code – ‘Does she
know something?’
Non verbal code - Stacey
Focus on working working on a market stall
class
communities
Non verbal code –
characters mainly
wearing dark clothing
which represents the
working class community.
The clothing is a denotation of their lifestyles,
and reflects their ‘lower class/dangerous class’
(Marx). The connotations of Stacey working on
the market stall is also that she is part of the
‘working class’ community, to not have a
successful career path is what is expected from
their class.
Technical codes of close These technical codes show that all the
“Multi-Stranded up and mid shots
events are happening simultaneously and
Narrative”
makes the audience feel part of the
community as they know all that is going on.
Verbal Code – ‘I know
This gives the audience an indication that
your dirty little secret’
something bad is about to occur and
‘Disequilibrium’
encourages them to stay tuned to find out
(Todorov)
what the ‘dirty little secret’ is.
Trailer 2)
What is the Focus of this trailer?
All of the Branning family, judgement day for Max.
Code
&
Convention
Romance
Family
Evidence
Impact on the Audience
(Verbal, Non-Verbal,
Technical)
(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)
Non verbal code –
costumes, Stacey wear
provocative clothing
although Bradley is
trying to be protective
over her.
Technical code – close
ups and mid shots
The costumes symbolize their position in the
love triangle, and also keeps the audience
part of the situation. This is a benefit as it
helps keep the audience eager to find out
more about what will unfold.
Portrays the tension within the family to the
audience through close up of the characters
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8. relationships
and/or conflict
Focus on
working class
communities
faces, showing detailed facial expressions;
keeping the audience involved in the
conflict.
Non verbal code –
costumes maid
Technical code – close
“Multi-Stranded ups, mid shots and long
Narrative”
shots
Non verbal and verbal
codes through a
‘Disequilibrium’ soundtrack and the
(Todorov)
verbal code of the
lyrics.
She has taken on the role of someone that
audience would associated with that
community (working class)
The technical codes use help to establish
that the focus is on Max. The use of different
camera shots help establish a multistranded narrative by showing the narrative
from 4 different perspectives.
Different parts of the advert give deeper
meanings to certain aspects, such as Stacey
dressing as a maid and Max as a security
guard, this could denote that Stacey will
soon have her own mess to clear up, and Max
is protecting his secret, and trying to protect
Tanya from finding out.
Multi-stranded narrative
A Multi-stranded narrative can be defined as telling a story from more than on persons
point of view, or telling multiple stories about multiple characters in an open narrative
episode for example.
Code & Convention
Multi-stranded
narrative
Family
relationships
and/or conflict
Focus on working
class communities
Evidence
Avon and Dexter also
Tanya and Max
(Technical)
Kat and Alice
Verbal - ‘let’s try and be a
family’ Tanya say to
Lauren,
Verbal – ‘I ain’t even
interested’
Setting – Market place,
Impact on the audience
Absorption into the
community, makes the
audience feel as if they are
part of it.
The audience can
personally identify (Katz)
with Tanya and the family
problems she is facing.
The colloquial language
connotes the working
class community, as does
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9. home
the market place as that is
the heart of the square
where everything goes on.
Disequilibrium’ (Todorov) Verbal – ‘she’s on a
Connotes that there could
slippery slope’
be further drama and
events that will create a
disequilibrium, this helps
to keep the audience
tuned into the show.
Non verbal – max and
Both romances or past
Romance
Tanya separated. Jack and romances will lead to
Sharon getting together
conflict in the show which
will also keep the
audience tuned into the
show.
According to Rebecca Feasey in ‘Masculinity and Popular television’ (2007), the Soap Opera
genre tends to focus on:
‘the home, the family domestic tribulations and the strong woman, and as such, it has long
been said to appeal to the female viewer.
1) Do you agree?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8_ApPT6isY(First 5 minutes)
Code & Convention
Evidence
Impact on the audience
Rebecca Feasey (2007) Ideology:
1. Multiple families been shown throughout the narrative conform to Feasy’s ideology.
2. Domestic Tribulations – An argument starts inside The Rovers between mother and
daughter, but like most families the argument is resolved quickly after.
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10. 3. The home – shown in the clip as everyone starts of in their homes.
4. Female viewer – the soap is appealing to the female viewer as is revolves around family,
and the challenges that come with that. It also gives the female viewer a diversion from
real life and allows them to ‘personally identify’ (Katz) with some of the situations that
occur within the soap.
5. Strong woman – there are many examples of strong woman throughout the narrative,
especially ones that the female segment of the audience can personally identify with, as
woman in the show that they always get what they want.
Technical
Establishing shots and long
Multi-stranded
shots introduce the different
narrative
families within the show.
Verbal
The families address each
Family relationships
other in only a way a family
and/or conflict
would. It also shows conflict
between the families which
is also common in everyday
life
Non-verbal
The characters costumes
Focus on working
within the trailer help
class communities
establish that they are from
a working class community.
Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)
Verbal
Marcus and Sean have an
argument creating a
disequilibrium and an
enigma clue as to what will
happen next
Non-verbal
Romance is presented to the
Romance
audience between Mary and
Norris as she dances around
the shop smiling and
laughing as she talks to him.
1) What is the purpose of a trailer?
To attract target audience intended without giving to much away from the main
storylines.
2) What are the benefits of Multi-Platform promotion of a media text?
Attract a larger target audience
Cheap and easy to get out to audience
Ultimately, some form of Convergence is important when promoting a text to the
target audience.
Textual Analysis –
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11. Multi-stranded narrative
Character dilemmas
‘Personal Identification’ (Katz)
Multi Stranded Narrative - Becky’s wedding from both Becky’s and Steve’s point of
view.
Younger male character – sexual tension
Character Dilemma
– Grooms misery?
- Young man not happy about something
Personal identification (Katz)
- Wedding stress
- Bride – happy
- Marriage
- Preparation
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/hollyoaks/4od
The above link will take you to some of the latest episodes of Hollyoaks.
1. What are the connotations of the Ident for the popular Channel Four Teen Soap
Opera Hollyoaks(1995 – Present)?
Symbolises that there will be a ‘battle of the sexes’ as there is a clear divide between genders.
Hollyoaks – “White Wedding Trailer” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu2sW-r9Vb4
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12. Everything is the trailer is in binary opposition to the norm, the lyrics in the
soundtrack ‘nice day for a white wedding’ although the characters are all dressed in
black which is more like a funeral, it could connote death at the wedding. There are
also connotations of an unwanted pregnancy as there is a smashed baby doll on the
floor.
Production Work
1) What is the role of a Producer?
-
Oversee all aspects of the production across 3 stages
Manage everyone, production, pre-production
2) What is the role of a Director?
-
Oversee the creative aspects of the production
Direct people in front and behind the camera
3) Institution research –
Launched in Febuary 2003
Target audience 16 – 30 years old
1.4% audience share
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