Alexander used soap opera conventions such as point of view shots, close ups, and natural lighting in his media coursework trailer and ancillary texts to create a realistic feel. He compared his work to existing soap operas like Emmerdale to demonstrate his understanding and use of conventions. While some soaps develop conventions with hybrid genres, Alexander chose to keep his work traditional to make it more serious and professional for his target genre of social realism.

1. A2 Media Coursework Evaluation
BALL, ALEXANDER
CANDIDATE NO.
CENTRE NUMBER: 33435

2. Q1: How did you USE, DEVELOP or challenge
codes and conventions of real media products?
Q2: How effective is the combination of
your main product and ancillary texts?
Q3:What have you learned from
your audience feedback?
Q4: How did you use media technologies in the
construction and research, planning and evaluation
stages?

3. Q1
Q1: How did you USE, DEVELOP or CHALLENGE
codes and conventions of real media products?

4. Planning: Soap Opera Q1
A lot of the storylines are Big close ups to
in trailers to keep viewers show emotions On a set not at a
interested specific location
The camera
acts as a 4th
wall
Soap opera codes and conventions
The majority of
Casual and soaps have at least
everyday Everyday storylines Over the shoulder shots 5 storylines
clothing to so that viewers can to make viewers feel as if
create realism relate to the they are actually listening
characters problems to conversations

5. Planning: Soap Realism Q1
Everyday Multi Camera and
situations and stranded Lighting very
relationships narratives simplistic to
Storylines
that people create realism
can relate to
Soap Realism codes and conventions
Episodes are
Working class usually half an
people hour long with
Thee is no around 3 breaks
Everyday in-between
non diegetic clothing and
sound, apart props
form the
theme tune

6. Uploading Q1
I used Blogger to upload all of my planning
documents and my trailers and ancillary
products.
http://alexanderb1.blogspot.co.uk/

7. Comparing shot types Q1
Point of View shot
Framing shot
Camera as 4th wall
Close up

8. Comparing my trailer with existing trailers Q1
Point of View shot/ Over the Shoulder shot
Here I am demonstrating that I have used camerawork that exists in a realism soap.
These sort of shots portray the emotions of the characters really well
and also makes you feel as if you are listening in on the conversation.

9. Comparing my trailer with existing trailers Q1
Shot Reverse Shot
Shot Reverse Shot
These shots are used to see the characters emotions as they are having a conversation.

10. Comparing my trailer with existing trailers Q1
High Angle Shot
Low Angle Shot
Close up

11. Comparing my poster with existing posters Q1
Both of the posters have action shots as the background.
Both of the posters have the ITV1 logo
Both of the posters have the times of when it will be
shown
The lighting in both
posters is the same
as they are both
natural
Very little text on
the poster
The colour scheme
is the same

12. Comparing my poster with existing posters Q1
The ITV1 logo is much bigger on the Emmerdale poster
The number of stars on the page is different

13. Comparing my front cover with existing front cover’s Q1
Similarities
• Both of these front covers have 3
colours
• All of the spacing between
features are the same.
• They both have similar sub
headings
•They both have a button on the
left hand side displaying
information
• The masthead font is similar
• There is an image in the bottom
right of the front cover
•There is a website and the date at
the top of the page under the
masthead
•Mastheads are different

14. Comparing my front cover with existing front cover’s Q1
Differences
• The bar is displayed at the
bottom of the page instead of the
top
• The barcode is on the opposite
side
• My front cover has 2 stars
instead of one
•The feature image is displayed
further up the page.

15. How does my soap use codes and conventions? Q1
Camera as a 4th wall
Natural lighting keeps it realistic and creates a gritty
feel

16. How does my soap use codes and conventions? Q1
Eastenders has a very
wide target audience of
around 13 – 60 year olds.

17. How does my soap use codes and conventions? Q1
I decided that I wanted to choose ITV1 for my institution,
like Emmerdale and Coronation Street. I researched many
Emmerdale trailers to see what conventions I needed to
include.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peggAWRZ0_4

18. Developing soap conventions Q1
Developing means to add something new in to an existing soap.
Ugly betty develops soap
Example of developing conventions because it is a
soaps. soap/drama hybrid. They have
added an extra sub genre.

19. Challenging soap conventions Q1
This Made in Chelsea trailer
challenges codes and
conventions because it actively
goes against what the audience
Example of developing are expecting to see. In other
soaps. words you wouldn't expect to
see a merry go round in a Made
in Chelsea trailer. This keeps
the audience interested.
http://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=Q74l7yfsJ1Y

20. Why I didn’t develop and challenge conventions Q1
I chose not to do develop and
challenge conventions as I
wanted to make a more serious
soap and I wanted to keep it
more traditional instead of
putting a spin on it.
I felt this would make it look
more professional. It also
wouldn't have suited my sub
genre as I was doing social
realism.
The location where we were
filming was just right for my
trailer, so it fitted the sub genre
really well.