This document contains planning and research materials for a media studies project on creating a trailer for a new soap opera. It includes analysis of existing soap operas like EastEnders and Coronation Street to identify codes and conventions. Deadlines are set for filming, editing, and promotional materials. Research is presented on the roles of a director and producer. Analysis of soap opera trailers focuses on aspects like multi-stranded narratives, characters, and how they would appeal to audiences.

1. 1
St. Paul’s Catholic College
Center Number: 64770
Candidate Number: 6446
Candidate Name: Syan Magahy
A2 Media Studies
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media –
Production Log
Evidence of Planning & Research

2. 2
Aims and Objectives
 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 at 8:30pm (after Eastenders)
that will appeal to a Male and Female audience.
YOU SHOULD research when Eastenders is scheduled (Day –
Time)

3. 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”
Research
 Purpose of a Trailer
 Multi-Platform promotion
 Textual Analysis – Coronation Street and Hollyoaks
Deadlines – Production Work
Filming Dates:
Edited Trailer – Complete:
Promotional Poster – Complete:
Promotional Magazine Cover – Complete:
Evaluation– Complete:
Production Work
 Director – Roles & Responsibilities?
 Producer – Roles & Responsibilities?
 Institution research – BBC Two
SoapOpera Codes & Conventions – Lesson2
1) What are some of the Codes & Conventions of this genre?

4. 4
YOU MUST demonstrate what youalready know by completing a
“Spider Diagram” ofwhat you know about OR expect from this genre:
2) Codes & Conventions of the SoapOpera Genre
The Soap Operagenre can be categorizedby the ‘repeated’

5. 5
(Steve Neale ) elements of:
1. Romance
2. Family relationships and/or conflict
3. Focus on working class communities
4. Antagonism and conflict within the community
5. Social issues – crime,unemployment, racism,sexuality,etc.
Eastenders (1985 – Present)
Key informationregarding this text:
 Exhibited on BBC1 and repeated on BBC3.
 One of the UK’s highest ratedprogrammes (6millionviewers on
average)
 Set in the “kitchensink” of fictional Walford, East London.
Textual Analysis Task
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye51O8WBVVM&feature=related -
YOU MUST complete the Table below whilst watching the TWO promotional
trailers for the BBC Soap Opera Eastenders.

6. 6
YOU SHOULDaim to identify key examples(Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical)
from each trailer that demonstratesyour understanding.
Extension- YOU COULD apply relevantaudiencetheory to explain what
impact these key examples would haveon the target demographic.
In your opinion, accordingto Hartley’s Seven Subjectivities, whatis the
target audiencefor Eastenders?
Age 15-30 years old
Gender Female
Nationality British
Trailer 1)
What is the Focus of this trailer?
A murder has taken place on the square and there are a number of suspects.
Code
&
Convention
Evidence
(Verbal, Non-Verbal,
Technical)
Impact on the Audience
(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)
Romance
N/A There is no romance shown in the trailer.
Family
relationships
and/or conflict
Many members of
Lucy’s family are
suspects for her
murder.
This can impact the audience as it shows
that there is no love in the family, which is
unusual.
The stereotypical family should love each
other and not suspect they are murderers.
Focus on
working class
communities
The characters are seen
working, for example,
Peter is seen with a
shovel.
The audience could suspect that he may
have killed lucy.“Personal identification”
(Katz)
“Multi-Stranded
Narrative”
There are many
different characters in
the trailer all doing
different things, leading
This creates the idea that there are many
different suspects for the murder.
“Diversion” (Katz) appealing to different
groups of the audience.

7. 7
into the same storyline.
‘Disequilibrium’
(Todorov)
One of the people on
the square is a
murderer.
“There’s a killer amongst them” – non-verbal
code creates the idea that it could be anyone
on the square. “Inform and educate” (Katz).
This relates to the n0n-verbal code as it
informs them that there is a killer amongst
the people in the square.
Trailer 2)
What is the Focus of this trailer?
New characters that have joined Eastenders
Code
&
Convention
Evidence
(Verbal, Non-Verbal,
Technical)
Impact on the Audience
(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)
Romance
Johnny and Danny
kissing, after he’s seen
with Whitney and
encouraged on by his
parents.
“Age” (Hartley’s seven objectives) besides
there were two males kissing, there was an
age gap between them both which could
impact the audience as the older male may
have convinced him.
Family
relationships
and/or conflict
“Got a lot of catching up
to do, Shirl”
Mick talking to his sister, who he
presumably has not seen in years. “Personal
relationship” (Katz) instant relationships
between the siblings, impacting the
audience to feel that instant bond.
Focus on
working class
communities
Setting – pub. Familiar setting, “class” (Hartley’s seven
objectives) working class.
“Multi-Stranded
Narrative”
Johnny and his
relationship issues
Nancy’s relationship
with her mum.
Linda and Shirley not
getting on.
Keeps the audience entertained with many
different storylines all tied in together.
‘Disequilibrium’
(Todorov)
Shirley not getting on
with Linda – could
cause trouble as they
work together.
Personal identification (Katz)

8. 8
Multi-stranded narrative
A Multi-stranded narrative can be defined as….
- Telling a story from more than one person’s point of view.
- Telling multiple stories about multiple characters in an open narrative
episode for example.
YOU MUST deconstruct the 10-minute extract from Eastenders and identify where
the following elements are presented to the audience:
 Multi-stranded narrative
 Family relationships and/or conflict
 Focus on working class communities
 ‘Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)
 Romance
YOU SHOULD write down x1-2 examples for EACH of the elements above that are
presented.
Code & Convention Evidence Impact on the audience
 Multi-stranded
narrative
- Sharon being attacked
- Phil/Shirley’s
discussion
Ian and Rainie
- Builds suspense
 Family
relationships
and/or conflict
- Mick helping Johnny –
“alright son”
Shirley’s difficulty with
her son
- ‘Caregivers’ (Maslow)
‘Diversion’ (Katz)
 Focus on working
class communities
- Colloquial language –
“allo”
‘Personal identification’
(Katz)
Disequilibrium’ (Todorov) - Sharon unconscious - ‘Diversion’ (Katz)
 Romance - Ian and Denise – broken
down relationship – low
key
lighting-
“Personal relationship”
(Katz).
SoapOpera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson3
Textual Analysis
According to Rebecca Feasey in ‘Masculinity and Popular television’ (2007), the Soap
Opera genre tends to focus on:

9. 9
- Promote and advertise a product, for example a film or TV show.
- Inform the target audience about the film, TV show, or other media
product.
- Creates buzz about the product.
- Serves as a marketing tool.
1) – Do you agree?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8_ApPT6isY (First 5 minutes)
Next Page - YOU MUST deconstruct the opening 5 minutes of a sequence from the
popular ITV Soap Opera Coronation Street (1960 – Present) to identify examples of
where this ideology is presented to the target audience.
YOU SHOULD also try and identify, to demonstrate your knowledge and
understanding of the genre, any Codes & Conventions associated to the Soap Opera
genre
Code & Convention Evidence Impact on the audience
Rebecca Feasey (2007) Ideology:
Rebecca Feasey (2007) Ideology:
1. Domestic tribulations – “two sittings for breakfast” – Deirdre
2. Deirdre sat in the middle – strong female.
3. Anna telling Faye to go to school – strong, dominate female.
“Multi-Stranded Narrative” - Deirdre and family.
Anna and her daughter Faye.
 Family - Family at war.

10. 10
relationships
and/or conflict
Anna’s personal troubles affecting family life.
 Focus on working
class communities
Anna washing up – ‘personal identification’ (Katz)
Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)
- Carla
Funeral – Tina’s death
SoapOpera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson4
Textual Analysis
1) What is the purpose of a trailer?
To make you want to see the program, it allows the audience to grasp the basic
concept of the program without giving too much away about the story. This then
makes the audiences want to tune in to watch it and to find out what the cliffhanger
is from what they have watched in the trailer.
2) What are the benefits of Multi-Platform promotion of a media text?
 A wider audience
 Easy to access for the audience
Ultimately, some form of Convergence important when promoting a text to the
target audience.
3)
Textual Analysis –
Next Page - YOU MUST make notes on the following areas when deconstructing this
sequence from Coronation Street:
 Multi-stranded narrative

11. 11
 Character dilemmas
 ‘Personal Identification’ (Katz)
 Repetitive “GoodLuck” shows to the audience that everyone is
hoping it will go ok. – Multi-strandednarrative someone saying
goodlike which impacts on the audience that something isn’t
right, they shouldn’t get married.
 Wedding – character dilemmas awedding should be a happy
moment for people, everyone in the trailer is serious.
 Symbolic voiceover at the end:
 “Friday the 13th, the perfect day for a perfect wedding” – personal
identification, the audience can identify that the irony of the word
perfect and the irony on the wedding being on a cursed day isn’t
going to turn out right.
 Characters looking at each other in doubt – multi-stranded
narrative,different stories throughout all the characters at the
wedding, there are all different stories,whichcan link to the bride
or the wedding.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/hollyoaks/4od
The above link will take you to some of the latest episodes of Hollyoaks.

12. 12
1. What are the connotations of the ident for the popular Channel Four Teen
Soap Opera Hollyoaks (1995 – Present)?
- Boy Vs. Girl – teen problems (romance)
- Younger audience (promiscuity) –conflict
- Viewpoint on both gender roles – self discovery
Next Page - Hollyoaks – “White Wedding Trailer” -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu2sW-r9Vb4
2. YOU MUST make notes on the following areas when deconstructing this
sequence from Hollyoaks:
 Binary opposition of the non-diegetic music
 Symbolism of the non-verbal code of the tear
 Representation of Pregnancy
 Any other examples that would impact the audience
Production Work
1) What is the role of a Producer?
Oversee all aspects of the production across 3 stages pre-production and post-
production. Manage everyone and ensure everything is in place in order for the text
to look fir for purpose
2) What is the role of a Director?
Oversee the creative aspects of the production direct people in front and behind the
camera