This document provides an analysis of two soap opera trailers: Hollyoaks and EastEnders. For Hollyoaks, the trailer uses dialogue with cliffhangers, diegetic sound, and fast-paced music to create tension and intrigue. It features multiple settings and characters shown in mostly negative lights. EastEnders' trailer contains no dialogue or effects, relying solely on a dark, ominous song and freeze frames of characters with suspicious facial expressions across varied settings under low lighting. Both aim to entice viewers by depicting drama and mysteries without fully revealing details, leaving audiences wanting more information through continued viewing.

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Soap Opera Genre –
Independent Textual
Analysis
Name: Jordan Brace
Candidate Number: 6118
Center Name: St. Paul’s Catholic College
Center Number: 64770
OCR Media Studies – A2
Level
Unit G324: Advanced
Portfolio

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Trailer 1 –Hollyoaks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K064afZi_DU
Verbal Codes –
Dialogue- Lots of cliff hangers: “This is a confession”, “You’re a killer and you need to pay” and “We should tell her". The
connotations of this show that a lot of bad things have gone on and that now people must pay the price leading to an exciting
journey in the future episodes. These verbal codes are designed to entice potential viewers by giving away important information
but not the full story. This is good because it makes the viewers want to look further into the text so they can understand fully
what has gone on in past episodes of the series and find out what happens next after the large amount of cliffhangers.
Voiceover- Although there is no direct voiceover there is use of diegetic sound bridging in which a characters voice is heard and
after a few short scenes it goes to them finishing their sentence. This is used for effect to denote what the character is talking
about as it may be unclear to viewers who are unfamiliar with the series.
Sound Effects- There are no sound affects in the trailer. Only dialogue and sound bridging as the noises heard in the segment. This
could be to focus on the importance of what is being said in the trailer.
Soundtrack- The extract denotes fast paced diegetic electronic music to make them trailer seem exciting and intense. It provides
an emphasis on all that is happening within the trailer and it also builds tension as to what might happen.
Non-Verbal Codes –
Setting- There are many settings from driving in a car, to the hospital, in someone's house and their local high street. This connotes
that due to the multi-stranded narrative there are many different scenarios in which Hollyoaks is placed. It also connotes how there
is more than one main protagonist and that there is a community of people being shown in the trailer.
Lighting- Dark Low Key Lighting is used in only a few segments such as when it is night and the setting looks dark and scary as the
police officer announces they have found a dead body. It is also used in contrast at the hospital where bright white lights are used
to connote the dazed and confused patient after some sort of attack and they can now give evidence against a character making it
surprising
Costumes- Costumes are used to denote what is occurring for instance a tuxedo and wedding dress ‘signify’ (De Saussure) that a
wedding is occurring but for the majority of the trailer the people featured are wearing casual day-to-day clothing which may be
connoting that all of this drama and problems are a regularity in the world they live in, which appears to be a strong working class
community. In the trailer women are seen anti stereotypically and can be seen as evil and cruel as one tries to split up a family for
her own benefit going against Rebecca Feasey’s (2007)ideology of the soap-opera genre.
Facial Expressions- Facial expressions are used to show multiple emotions in the trailer that are commonly associated to this genre:
Fear, worry, a state of ecstasy, upset/sadness. The various emotions and facial expressions shows the large variety of feelings the
characters are experiencing however they are predominantly negative as with the rest of the trailer.
Characters- Looking into the characters throughout the trailer there are no protagonists or “hero” the majority of the characters
shown are seen in a negative light and this is throughout all settings within the trailer.

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Technical Codes –
Camera Angles- Various camera angles are used in the trailer such as the low angle used to connote the females
dominance. The technical code of the birds eye view camera angle as the man in the hospital wakes up connotes how
there is now more to the story as he can give his point of view adding an extra narrative. The high angle as the girl starts
to fall down the stairs which then switches to a low angle as she falls.
Shot Types- A multitude of shots were used such as a shot-reverse-shot during most conversations to denote the back and
forth between the characters. The Point of View shot as the officer checks the wallet to show it is clear and direct
confirming it is that character giving shock and worry to what may happen next to other characters involved with him
and entices them to continue watching. The use of a Tracking shot to show the expression on the characters face just
before he is about to get married possibly connoting that it could be a mistake. The shot then zooms in on that
characters face to focus on his expression and explain to the viewers how he feels/is feeling. An Eye line match shot is
also used when the looks exchanged between the two characters are that of concern and worry for what might happen,
connoting that bad things may be ahead and in the process provides an expected enigma clue (Roland Barthes) to a
potential ‘disequilibrium’ (Todorov) that may arise in the narrative. Over the shoulder shots are also used during
conversations to try and denote the realism of what is being said and how the person it is being said to reacts, such as
the anchoring verbal code of diegetic dialogue “I feel like I’m losing control” and the female character looks determined
to help the man.
Camera Movement- Through camera movement feeling and thoughts are projected for example the camera pans to
denote who all the characters are looking at and they look shocked at what they are seeing and so expressing there
emotions of surprise, shocked and confusion. A Tilt is used when the young girl is falling down the stairs. The camera
starts by looking at the top of the stairs and it tilts to follow her as she falls down the steps. Flash cuts are used nearer
the end of the trailer to quickly go through all of the multiple scenarios which have been previously shown in the trailer.
This is useful because it evaluates the trailer for the audience and wraps up the end of the trailer nicely before the main
cliff hanger which is the dead body which has been found.

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Trailer 2 –Eastenders http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADNwkxrCtd4
Verbal Codes –
Dialogue- Throughout the trailer there is in fact no dialogue. I believe this is effective as it allows the viewers to focus
on the action that is being shown in the trailer and so dialogue is not necessary.
Voiceover- Non-diegetic voiceover is almost non-existent too but it is used in the outro of the trailer to say “Eastenders,
this week on BBC One” this small voiceover has nothing to do with the trailer but hopes that because the trailer is
enticing and eye catching they can use the voiceover o tell potential viewers where and when to find the program. This is
because the trailer speaks for itself and a voiceover would only interfere.
Sound Effects- The is no sound effects in the trailer either, he is to focus on the music in the trailer particularly the
lyrics and what they connote and so the use of no other sound is very successful.
Soundtrack- The inclusion of a non-diegetic soundtrack is the most important sound in the trailer simply because it is the
only sound heard by the viewers, the song has a dark tone as does the trailer due to it being about the murder of a
character within the series. The lyrics such as “In the land of god and monsters” & “No ones gonna take my soul away”
connote that she has been murdered by a bad person or Villain (Propp) and possibly one of the multiple characters from
the trailer connoting that the murder is a monstrous person.
Non-Verbal Codes – Comment on the use of;
Setting- The setting varies between characters but it denotes all of the characters doing something that could be
perceived as suspicious because of the setting they are in and their activities, the various settings connote how they may
all tie into the murder in different ways.
Lighting- The lighting in the trailer is constantly dark and low key due to the sad and gruesome setting behind it. The
lighting is used to depict the main characters shown as possibly evil or nasty people as their suspicious activity connotes
they may have had some involvement with the death of the character Lucy.
Costumes- The costumes in the trailer are regular day-to-day clothing which is odd for a situation in which someone has
recently died a they may be wearing clothes for a funeral? It could connote how the murder is among them hidden as a
“regular” person and tat they could be out their living their regular “day to day” life?.
Facial Expressions- Throughout the trailer all the characters have a similar facial expression, when they are freeze-
framed and stare at the character they all look suspicious mischievous and evil and it could be used to show how
everyone has a dark side.
Characters- There is focus on five characters which are deemed to be the main suspects but at the end all characters are
shown with the same suspicious looks as previously shown on other characters.
In the trailer women are seen anti stereotypically and can be seen as evil because they all act suspiciously going against
Rebecca Feasey’s (2007)ideology of the soap-opera genre.

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Technical Codes –
Camera Angles- Use of frontal or low angles to show how all those who are being viewed as suspects have power and are
important because there is a possibility they have murdered someone giving them a dark and scar appeal to viewers.
Shot Types- All the shots of characters are face on so the audience can see the characters emotions, all though they are
predominantly emotionless this could connote that they have no remorse for what they have done or maybe that they do
not fully understand the consequences they ill face if/when they are caught.
Camera Movement- Pan to the characters face as they are caught in their suspicious activity as if to say they hope no-one
is watching. Slow-motion is used on the characters themselves but the outside world moves at a regular pace. Their eyes
then move towards the camera directly as they are zoomed in on. The camera also pans out at the end of the trailer as
all characters are in view in the dark street as it shows them all as a large group staring at the camera, this connotes
how realistically it could be any of them but as viewers we do not know. This is used to keep the viewers interested as
they are left on a cliff hanger in hope that they may watch the program to find out who committed the murder.

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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)
I liked the trailers use of use of diegetic sound bridging which could be used to establish previous occurrences which may be
useful to give viewers an insight to a characters past. This could be useful as our soap opera is new and so the viewers will
have no idea about the character. I would “exploit” this for all of the characters shown in our trailer so that the viewers
could identify with each character and understand who they are.
I also would use Flash cuts which are used nearer the end of the trailer so I could quickly go through all of the multiple
scenarios which will have been previously shown in the trailer. This would be useful to give the characters a small
evaluation of who they are and their role in the soap opera. This could be repeated as it would be fairly easy to do and
useful as a whole.
Finally I would use the large amount of settings this would open up the soap opera and show how there is diversity between
characters and what they do on a day-to-day basis giving a “multi stranded narrative” making it more interesting for the
viewers.
Trailer 2) – Areas of Strength and what you would ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale - 1980) and/or ‘exploit’ (Abercrombie – 1995)
I liked the trailers use of Soundtrack as they made it important to what is going on in the scene and synchronization of
lyrics can connote problems which are related to the problems going on within the episodes ahead.
I would also use the trailers adaptation facial expression. The use facial expressions in a different way than conventionally
thought and it gives the trailer a unique feel and it connotes the fear, worry and suspicion between all the characters in an
excellent way which I would like to “repeat” in my own trailer.
Similarly I found the trailers use of non-diegetic voiceover very successful. It was short, sweet and gave the viewers all the
information they needed to find the program so they can watch the episodes that will come out in the future. If could
utilize this within my trailer I feel it will add a professional feel to the closing scenes of my trailer.