This document provides an analysis of two soap opera trailers from EastEnders and Coronation Street. The EastEnders trailer focuses on conflict between characters Kat and Alfie, shown through their tense facial expressions and a sound effect imitating a gun cock. The run-down pub setting establishes the working-class community. The Coronation Street trailer initially depicts an idyllic street scene, but then cuts to emergency services, setting up a contrast between tranquility and impending crisis. Facial expressions show romance between characters unaware of the approaching disequilibrium in the form of a tram crash. Technical elements like editing style and camerawork are compared between the trailers. Elements from both that could

1. Soap Opera Genre
Independent Textual
Analysis
OCR Media Studies – A2 Level
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio
Trailer 1
Trailer 2
Name: Eleanor Stapleton
Candidate Number: 6259
Center Name: St. Paul’s Catholic College
Center Number: 64770

2. Trailer 1 – Eastenders:
Kat and Alfie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p4xlLezos0
Verbal Codes – In this Eastenders trailer, it starts off with a non-diegetic western soundtrack. This gives off a tense vibe within the location and between
the two main characters presented within this trailer which are Kat and Alfie who are in a tense relationship as they are renowned for having back and forth
relationships with each other. As a result the audience can maybe have a ‘personal identification’ (Katz) with either one of these characters as they may be
able to relate to having tense relationships with someone. This moving image trailer is focusing on conflict, a stereotypical convention of a soap opera
trailer, which is represented through the verbal code of Also within the trailer there is a broken road sign giving off a worn out squeaking sound, which
signifies the working class community of Albert Square being a battle ground for antagonism and again highlights the conflict (or potential conflict) between
the main protagonists. The use of diegetic, colloquial dialogue of “Flippin’ ‘eck” connotes a stereotypical east London working class community and to an
extent, a somewhat uneducated community as the dialogue used has been shortened to fit the typical east London dialect. This is a common code and
convention typically shown in soap operas. Later on in the trailer, there is the use of a sound effect which is used on Kat’s pocket mirror, which is intending
to replicate the cocking of the gun. This is relating to conflict and connoting a tense situation between these two characters and the trailer is focusing on
conflict, a stereotypical convention of a soap opera trailer, which is represented through the verbal code of this sound effect.
Non-Verbal Codes - Firstly we are presented with the setting of a run down local pub, which immediately shifts the focus on working class communities which is
a common code and convention for soap operas. Another non-verbal code presented in this trailer is Kat and Alfie’s facial expressions towards each other which
denote the hatred that they may have for each other and connotes the seriousness in their conflicted relationship. Also, in the trailer there is a female character
looking through some blinds. When Kat arrives onto the set, there is a shot of her gasping and closing the blinds immediately This could signify the danger of this
location and from what the audience is presented with first off, the local run down pub, its an obvious working class community. According to Karl Marx, the
working class is also known as the dangerous class. Some audience members may be able to familiarize with the location and females may be able to personally
identify with the scared female character shutting the blinds. The dangerous class conforms to a stereotypical view about how they are aimed for the working
class audience. During the beginning when Kat arrives, she drops her bag on the floor and the audience are faced with this leopard print bag which is one of Kat’s
trademarks as a character. The connotations of leopard print is sometimes it can come across as quite tacky and a print which is stereotypically associated with
‘Chavs’. Some animals prints are worn by upper class people to make them seem more dominant. Kat can be referred to as a social climber (Maslow) however, it
always seems to backfire because of the community she is from.
Technical Codes – Within the Eastenders trailer, the technical codes which are presented to the viewers are that when Kat arrives into the
square, there is a camera movement tilting upwards to her facial expression. The expression on her face suggests an upcoming ‘disequilibrium’
which is one of the common codes and conventions within a soap opera. The cut to Janine laughing in the distance with the use of an over the
shoulder shot connotes that there is a definite ‘disequilibrium’ here, as her shocked reaction is centrally framed for the audience to see. You
could say that this also relates to the multi stranded narrative code and convention because the trailer is named Kat and Alfie, but then this
suggests that there is another feud going on between Kat and Janine. During the end of the trailer there is the use of a fast paced shot reverse
shot between Kat and Alfie which gradually gets closer towards their eyes. This is connoting their tense relationship within a shot. This also a
very common theme throughout all soap operas. The audience members may be able to personally identify towards either Kat or Alfie
depending on the viewers gender.

3. Trailer 2 – Coronation Street:
Tram Crash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcVoNEhhICU
Verbal Codes – Within the Coronation Street trailer titled: Tram Crash, we are first presented with the use of a non-diegetic soundtrack.
This soundtrack is a complete binary opposite to the last trailer as it’s the antithesis of what the trailer is attempting to display. During the
soundtrack, there are short cuts to an alarmed fire station. This is where viewers may be able to ‘personally identify’ with the soap opera
itself because they are used to these sounds every day because of the location they are situated in which would be a working class
community. This trailer is focusing on working class communities in the common codes and conventions of a soap opera. There is also the
use of a diegetic sound effect of the police car screeching across of the road, which connotes a rushed, serious and unstable feeling. With
the non-diegetic lyrics, the line “Does enchantment pour out of every door?” after this line has been sung it cuts from the street to the fast
paced police scenes which could act as an enigma code to say that the happy utopian scenes, the ‘enchantment’ the audience are
presented with before, are false as the binary opposition (Levi Strauss) is an upcoming disequilibrium.
Non-Verbal Codes – The lighting used for the setting is very high key and joyous, something which viewers wouldn’t normally expect in a
soap opera trailer as the narratives often presented create realism in a more serious way. From this some viewers may be able to identify
with the local surrounding such as the pub, garage and corner shop, which are represented as being important parts of a utopian
community. However, during the cuts of the multi stranded narratives throughout the street, viewers are presented with a rushed fire and
police station. The lighting used for this is quite cold, dull and low key in setting up a disequilibrium which viewers are much more familiar
with when they consume soap operas. Also within this trailer the non-verbal code of the facial expression on Nicks face when he looks over
to Leanne connotes a feeling of romance between the two characters This appears to be the common romance theme audience’s would
expect from a soap opera and in which everyone is familiar with. This is also connoting the multi stranded narrative which is displayed in all
soap operas showing that they are oblivious to the main disequilibrium about to occur, which is a serious tram crash.
Technical Codes – Throughout this trailer it has been edited with a slow motion effect on the parts shot in Coronation Street. This is
connoting the laid back narratives around the street because all the characters are unaware of what's going to happen. The parts which are
shot in the fire and police station have no editing applied to them, which is connoting the rushed feeling and seriousness of the upcoming
disequilibrium. Some members may be able to personally identify with this as it’s a working class job and the majority of viewers who
consume soap operas are from this type of social background, which are can range from groups C2 to E according to the socio-economic
needs groups. Throughout the trailer the use of actors and extras is very effective. They are using people as transitional wipes to reveal
another narrative within the soap. This is a common code and convention which you would expect to see in soap operas a multi stranded
narrative to keep the audiences entertained on many other stories besides the main equilibrium/disequilibrium.

4. Evaluation of Textual Analysis –
Compare and Contrast
Trailer 1) –
Areas of strengths in this trailer in which I would like to ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale) and apply into my own soap opera trailer
would be to apply some sound effect to intensify the use of different objects to connote a sense of seriousness. I would
also like to ‘exploit’ (Abercrombie – 1995) some of the shots which have been used to display different situations, for
example at 0:48 of the trailer, there is a low angle shot of the car from the back right wheel capturing the police car
rushing off. This be really effective if done the opposite way round when maybe a character arrives on the location. I’m
not certain how it would be used as its early stages of the planning and research, but I would also like to maybe repeat
the use of the over shoulder shot. With some rough ideas already, this could work well with maybe showing a darker
side to the main antagonist and also using some dramatic lighting to emphasise his/her dark side.
Trailer 2) –
Areas of strengths in this trailer in which I would like to ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale) and apply into my own soap opera trailer
would be to have some sort of tense non-diegetic soundtrack. I think using a song with the right lyrics to convey the
message can be much more effective than using dialogue. I would also like to ‘repeat’ the use of the slow motion
effect. I think with already planning rough ideas, this could work really well with the concept of my groups soap opera
trailer as it would intensify the disequilibrium of the trailer and it would create a dramatic feel which would overall
emphasise a tense feeling between the characters within the trailer. Also maybe the use of having shots at a normal
speed to intensify the chaos of the disequilibrium shown within the trailer would be worth utilizing as well. In this
trailer there is a small use of a pan and I think I would like to apply this technical code when making the soap opera
trailer.