2. Definition and History of Melodrama
• Definition - A sensational dramatic piece, with exaggerated
characters and exciting events intended to appeal to the
emotions of the audience.
• History of Melodrama-
• Melodrama is a style of drama that has been applied on the
stage, in movies and television, and radio formats, from the
18th century to the present.
• Beginning in the 18th century, melodrama was a technique of
combining spoken words with short pieces of music.
• Some would argue that melodrama has left the Western
scene in television and movies. However, it is still widely
popular in other regions, particularly in Asia and in Hispanic
(Spain/ Mexico) countries.
3. Conventions of Editing in Melodrama’s
– Hollyoaks Blast clip
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4SaUPn16HQ
Editing used in the Hollyoaks clip:
• Slow motion – this was used when the bomb exploded, also it was used
when the people inside the house hit the walls because of the power of
the bomb going off. The music at the start of the clip also went into slow
motion, when the phone hit the floor.
• Non-Diegetic Music – this was in the clip right up to the point of the bomb
exploding. Also, when the characters were speaking, in the background
you could hear a countdown, this was to symbolise the countdown of the
bomb going off.
• Continuity Editing – This is used in the clip to show the scenes/shots
before the bomb went off, then it showed the scenes/shots when the
bomb exploded. Therefore, to show this, this was used in a chronological
order.
4. Themes
• The Theme - One of the main themes of a Melodrama is to evoke the intense
feelings of the audience.
• Features - The main features of Melodrama themes, is of love, suffering,
betrayal, sacrifice and redemption.
• Melodrama Theme in Hollyoaks - The main Melodramatic themes that were
used in the Hollyoaks clip, out of the list above, were betrayal and suffering.
The reason why betrayal was used in the clip was because someone had
planted the bomb in the house where everyone was. Suffering was also used,
this is because the clip tells the audience that 5 people are going to die.
• Audience - For people who watch Hollyoaks a lot, this will evoke their feelings
because they will want to know who the 5 people who die are.
5. Characters and Representation
• Characters - The typical characters that are in a Melodrama, is that it
usually has a hero, who has a sidekick and there is a villain. In addition to
this, the hero defeats the villain in a Melodrama.
• Representation - The representation of Melodrama characters is that it
sounds very superhero like, the main stereotype to show this is by the fact
the hero always defeats the villain. This is added by the fact that the hero
also has a sidekick.
• Hollyoaks clip – In the Hollyoaks clip the audience know that there
definitely is a villain because the phone that the woman called made the
bomb go off. However, the audience do not know whether there is a hero
because in the clip it did not show someone saving people or defeating
the villain.
6. CONVENTIONS of
MISE EN SCENE in a MELODRAMA
• There is only one setting for example Chester. There will also be a
particular place where the characters come together for example; a cafe
or a pub.
• Costume and props will be based around the wealth and location of the
people, this emphasizing stereotypes. Costuming may also emphasize a
personality trait of a person.
• Body language and appearance can help build a character. This along
with gestures and facial expressions developing the character fully.
• The lighting and the colour help set the scene; for example ambient
lighting reflects the realism.
7. Typical Storylines
• Teen pregnancy
• Marriage
• Affairs
• Relationships
• Abuse
• Sexuality
• Money issues
• Loss
• Psychological issues
• Death
Many soap operas feature multi strand narratives, which is explored through
lots of different characters. There is something for everyone, many
audiences can relate to it.
8. Institutional Details
Hollyoaks – Channel 4, 6:00 pm, Teen
Drama/young adults
First aired - 23rd October 1995
Waterloo Road – BBC One, 8:00 pm, Teen
Drama/young adults
First aired - 9th March 2006
9. Famous Examples
- Hollyoaks
- Almost 4,000 episodes
- 800,000 viewers
- Two video specials, “Let Loose” and “In the city”
- 28 awards
- Waterloo Road
- 180 episodes
- 6 million viewers
- 9 awards
10. Cinematographic Conventions
- Two shots and three shots
- Conveys emotion and relationships between
the featured characters.
- Two shot wests are especially common in
soap operas.
- Use of iconography
- Creates a sense of familiarity and recognisability for the audience.
Usually coupled with the use of one or two main hubs wherein the
stories will take place, for the most part.
- Close-ups and extreme close-ups
- Allows the audience to see emotions in even greater detail, and
encourages empathy.
(An example of a two shot)
11. Sound Conventions
- Mostly diegetic sound
- As melodramas are based in reality, they are expected to have
mostly diegetic sounds. Speech, vehicle sounds, and occasionally
music can all be found.
- Some non-diegetic sound
- Non-diegetic music for the credits that sometimes overlaps with
the final moments of the show
- Voice-overs by the characters
- to create a personal feeling with the character speaking
- Prevalent in Hollyoaks
