This document summarizes how the author used conventions of soap operas in their coursework evaluating a soap opera trailer they created. Some key conventions they used included typical camera shots, realistic costumes and settings, changing storylines, naming the soap after its location ("The North"), using iconic filming locations, and including common soap opera tropes like a troubled relationship and antagonist character. The author explains how employing these standard codes and conventions helped their soap opera trailer appeal to audiences familiar with popular soaps like Coronation Street and Hollyoaks.

1. A2 Coursework Evaluation
By Amelia Lancaster

2. . How did you USE, DEVELOP or CHALLENGE codes and
conventions of real media products?
Soap Conventions Use of colour:
Camera Shots: The background colour mostly
Typical shots include reflects the , for example if
Mise en scene:
1. Medium close up there is a sad/upsetting scene the
The costumes of the
2. Two shots background will be light quite
characters reflect
3. Over the shoulder dark. The colour of the characters
their
3. Establishing shot clothes are important too, for
4. Extreme close up example if a woman was
The location and
setting of the soap the audience would
identify the type of immediately associate her with the
characters. Little themes .
makeup is used to
create the of Realism:
normal all day In social realism soap opera
everyday. the importance of using
realistic storylines and
characters is extremely
Storylines:
significant as
The storylines in soap operas swap and
to them in
change throughout the episode to
order for them to be
. Sometimes they link
.
between each other to create more .

3. . Using form and conventions
For our soap trailer we used a Our logo is similar to Coronation
not a serine font so Street as we took from
the logo is easy for the audience this soap to create our own. Again,
to read and enough this logo has a black and white
for them to recognise it. Simple colour scheme but in the style of a
black and white is used so it street sign.
doesn't look too glamorous,
reflecting the mood and feeling of
the soap. The colour black The font used almost looks like the
death and depression font used on motorway signs
whilst white innocence representing the soap as “in the city”
and virginity representing the and , creating a
difference in the personality of for our soap is pivotal as it a
the characters. younger audience therefore
to a wider spread of people.

4. . Using form and conventions
Most soap operas are
named after the place
they are set, for example
Coronation Street,
Hollyoaks and The Only
Way Is Essex. So we
decided to use the name
“The North” as our soap
is set in Manchester.
The background of the
billboard where
the characters come
from and
they are part of a
working class
background.

5. . Using form and conventions
Within soap operas is extremely important as it relates to the characters
lifestyle, social class, and background. It also helps to any necessary
messages and ideas. As our soap is set and named after Manchester it seemed
appropriate to film in the centre of the town in order for it to seem plausible.
Piccadilly Gardens, the top floor of a car park, a darken alleyway and a cafe in
town all seemed suitable locations where the characters would be seen in. The
first and last give the impression of normality where characters would go to
socialise. But the middle two are locations where danger is apparent, and there is
a situation going on.
Once again this helps to give to the story and
further helps the audience understand the background
story and lives of our characters. This helps them to
to our soap which uses similar conventions to
Coronation Street and Hollyoaks.

6. . Using form and conventions: Storylines
Troubled Relationship Antagonist
After doing some research I A character is
found that a relationship in also apparent in many soaps
trouble due to an affair as the audience crave a
as it narrative resolution and
relates to normal life and can usually want the
also help people to to be defeated.

7. . Using form and conventions: Storylines
We also used within the soap to conform to typical soap opera
. Title cards give the audience an insight into what is happening
in the storylines and breaks up the scenes neatly. Using two different
storylines within the trailer keeps the audience yet doesn’t
confuse them.