The ever so delightful Hollyoaks being analysed...

1. Hollyoaks – Case Study 5.1
The episode I chose to study was aired on Tuesday 01 March 2011. The
focus of this episode is a young character called Seth who has been rushed to
hospital after having a bad reaction to some illegal steroids from his friend
Gaz. Seth’s sister Jason (originally Jasmine) is trying to get Gaz to come
clean about selling them to him but Gaz is concerned about loosing his job
and going to prison again. Elsewhere Ste and Rae have planned a night in to
have a curry and watch some movies. The section of this episode I have
chosen to study starts at 11 minutes 57 seconds and ends at 15 minutes 19
seconds.
Camera
A good majority of the camera shots are close ups. The shots quickly cut
between each character and their head and shoulders fill up a majority of the
frame. Some midshots are used but it’s not often and mostly the camera is
static. When Seth’s parents and older brother are talking to him they use low
angle shots to make them look intimidating, almost the view that Seth would
get from his hospital bed. When Jason tries to talk a slightly higher angle shot
is used to show that they are not really interested in his/her opinion and
they’re often quite rude in the dialogue towards him/her. The angle only
changes when s/he stands up and voices his/her opinion. We also see Gaz
through open blinds, making a barrier between him and the hospital room, this
could foreshadow his fate. When we change to the ‘lighter’ scene with Ste and
Rae the camera isn’t as static. It gently moves to the two of them cooking and
talking and then moves with Ste as he walks around the frame. The camera
continues to follow the characters as they move with barely any quick cuts.
This could show that this storyline is a bit more relaxed and ‘lighter’. Close
ups are started to use when the characters sit down to eat and start to talk,
this allows the viewer to feel more involved with the characters and read their
facial expressions more. I feel that the placement and shots of the camera in
this short clip help the viewer to interpret the storyline more so. E.g. a
smoother shot may make the viewer feel the mood is more smooth and
relaxed.
Editing
I have mentioned a fair bit of the editing process in the paragraph above. A lot
of the clips are put together to make really quick cuts and give a sense of
pace. In the crucial ‘bridge’ between the two storylines there are a lot of very
quick cuts between different characters faces and their facial expressions
which then bridge into a really smooth shot which stays the same and follows
both characters as they move around the frame. This allows the viewer to
make a clear relation to the two storylines not being interlinked and the
differing pace helps establish this too.
Sound
During the clip of the first storyline pure dialogue is used and the faint noise of
people talking in the background ca be heard lightly; I’m unable to tell whether
this is diegetic or non-diegetic. However, in the second storyline clip we can
hear faint music playing in the background behind their dialogue. I get the

2. impression that the music is non-diegetic because the volume increases as
the characters go to sit down in the other room, it also stops suddenly when
Ste’s phone goes off. The rest of this clip is pure dialogue.
Mise en Scène
The locations of the two storylines are the most immediate change notable I
believe. Seth’s story is taking part in a bright and busy hospital and his actions
are public to his family and a lot of other people, in contrast Ste’s story is
happening in a small flat where the lights are quite dim and it’s just him and
one other character. Ste is in a comfortable home environment where as Seth
is in an unusual environment for him. Costume isn’t incredibly different apart
from Seth is wearing a hospital gown; this does make him stand out amongst
other characters though. Ste and Rae are wearing fairly neutral, warm colours
which make their storyline seem far more relaxed and the props and
surroundings are true to that as well, there are no incredibly unusual things
that stand out. In Seth’s hospital room there are a lot of whites though and the
lighting is rather harsh, causing a lot of shadow. The two scenes contrast in
terms of the quick cut static shots and smooth shots and also with tone and
volume of dialogue.