This document is a mind map and research for a poster ancillary product for a soap opera called "Hanging Hill Lane." It discusses inspiration from other soap opera posters, ideas for themes, taglines, images and manipulations to include. The student analyzes posters from Hollyoaks and Eastenders soaps and discusses using characters, settings and effects to portray themes of mystery, danger and intrigue. Next steps mentioned are taking photos to fit themes and editing the poster in Photoshop a few weeks before the deadline.

1. OCR Media Studies – A2 Level
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio
Mind Map and
Research
Name: Maryasiye Kircin
Candidate Number: 1158
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135
Generation of Ideas for Ancillary Product 2) –
Poster

2. Theme
Ideas
Hollyoaks: This poster is presented in a
landscape format in order to maximise the
number of aligned images in a horizontal
format which ‘signifies’ (De Saussure) a
range of characters and hints to the
viewership those specific characters
importance for upcoming episodes. The
power of the characters is enhanced by the
use of the flame brush tool via download in
order to create a fire effect over each other.
The use of the fire effect and the five
characters connotes more plot information
to the readership and hints what themes will
possibly be portrayed. This poster may
influence my poster as I believe this poster
“informs and educates” (Katz) my audience
in a vague yet intriguing way.
Eastenders: This poster has also caught my
inspiration as this represents/ hints a murder
mystery. This poster as well is in a horizontal
landscape which represents the ‘victim’
(Propps’ Narrative Functions) in a fade
colourless setting to promote the theme of
evil and murder mystery. I also like the fact
that there is only one character on the
poster to enhance the mystery and to put
more focus on the victim. Within this poster
what I will possibly aim to ‘repeat’ (Steve
Neale 1970) would be the theme of darkness
and murder which is what our trailer
‘Hanging Hill Lane’ mainly denotes.

3. Tagline
Positioning:
The positioning of my taglines all depend on
the positioning of my photographs on my
poster.
Lower Right/Left: A common presentation of
text is within the bottom right/left of the
template as it creates space for the images
to dominate the poster.
Central Upper: An alternative method of
presenting the tagline is when the text is
presented at the upper section of the poster.
Taglines that are presented at the upper
section of the poster may give a guideline
and opening to the poster’s photo’s
meaning. It also attracts the reader to look
towards the poster’s photo.
Central Lower: A last common tagline is
placed in a central lower position. It denotes
a high importance to the soap opera
however, it also possibly connotes to the
readers the importance of looking at the
photo and then reading the strapline to
understand the plot of the soap opera and
its themes etc. more.
Language:
Rhetorical Question: One example of an
effective tagline could be denoted from a
rhetorical question. An idea of possible rhetorical
question could be like “Did Jess Survive?”. Having
a rhetorical question will allow me to follow the
theme of mystery and danger in the location for
vulnerable people in ‘Hanging Hill Lane’. Also,
“survive” gives connotations to the readership of
attempted murder and trial – hinting some
possible themes that will be shown.
Phrase: Personally I believe the most common
technique for soap opera taglines is to use a
phrase as it creates a catchy hint that the
readership will most likely remember. One
phrase I could possibly use would be the same
tagline I used in my ancillary magazine product
stating “Once in Never Out” as it connotes our
main themes of danger of vulnerable characters
in the soap opera (in our trailer: Jess represents
this). It also hints that once a character is
trapped within the corruption of the area; there
is no escape, but more mischief.
Alliteration: One common language technique
that is used within multiple posters is the use of
alliteration. This technique consists of having a
repetition of a plosive, letter or sound within
consecutive terms. A phrase that I may possibly
include on my poster ancillary product could be
an example like “Death or Danger?” As these are
two themes represented within my groups soap
opera trailer.

4. Image(s)
Setting:
For my setting in relation to my images I will
either have a plain background or the main
location of our soap opera trailer ‘Hanging
Hill Lane’ to manipulate photo’s and effects
etc.
Ashtead Village: By using a background of
our soap opera scenery it will allow my
target audience to familiarise themselves
with the narrative and plot of Hanging Hill
Lane. I may possibly change the hue and
saturation to make the scenery more dim
and colourless like the EastEnders poster to
represent negative, dark themes that we aim
to represent in our soap opera trailer.
Black Background: An ordinary black
background automatically creates the sense
of darkness and fatality. It will also create
the main focus to be on the main image(s).
Characters:
Cover Star; Jess = ‘victim’: As shown in the
EastEnders Lucy Beale murder mystery
poster, the main character is only
represented. I may possibly do this and just
show Jess to enhance her innocence of
walking around in Hanging Hill Lane. Having
just jess would be a good idea because it
causes a clear message to the readership,
but then a disadvantage could be that the
poster will then lack detail.
Zeyan = ‘villain’: I could have the villain
(Zeyan) to be shown on the poster with the
victim (Jess) to represent the idea of evilness
and murder.
Cast = The cast in our trailer represents each
theme which the audience will be able to
link and understand the story’s plot in more
depth.
Manipulation:
Brushes: Brushes such as the fire brush, faded brush and a regular brush, all of these
can be adjusted based on their shape, size and density. I will use these range of brushes
to refine edges of an image and allow it to blend to the background of my poster.
Patch tool: The patch tool will be used for the images of characters within my poster. It
is used to remove individual of sports, marks and cuts. This effect is used by most major
editing companies and I will use it for my poser on Photoshop.
Saturation: The saturation tool enables me to adjust the colour, vibrancy and visibility of
an individual image. Changing the colours of my photos will make my poster look more
professional and more intense.

5. Synergy
&
Point of Call Info
Reviews:
Like they have it in traditional film posters, I
will use appraisal from magazines from my
other members of my soap opera trailer
group and give our soap opera trailer a star
rating from each magazine company. This
causes a widened view of the TV series and
alters the reputation of the plot itself. I will
either present these at the upper/lower
central of my magazine.
Social Media:
In my soap opera trailer poster I will
include the synergy of social media
through the denotation of Hanging
Hill Lane's Facebook and Twitter
page. This enables the audience to
get more information about the soap
opera.
In relation to Twitter, the use of the
‘hashtag’, I may possibly place on my
poster #Hanginghillane or hashtag my
chosen tagline for the audience to
have the freedom to tweet about the
soap opera trailer and become their
own allocated journalist ‘Citizen
Journalism’ (Gillmor 2004).
Point of Call Information:
Soap/Channel time within my poster will be
8:30 pm, half an hour before watershed. I
will also present that our soap opera will be
presented on BBC 2 by portraying the BBC 2
logo on my poster. These details will navigate
and ‘inform’ (Katz) to the reader when they
will be able to watch the soap opera.

6. ConclusionWhat I need to do next:
After creating and putting together my ideas for my poster idea development, I
have decided my next steps will be taking desired pictures to fit my themes for my
second ancillary product. I will aim to do this a couple of weeks before the
Christmas holidays so I will have time to edit my poster and try and create a unique
product.
What you’ll need to organise/arrange:
I will need to consider a range of things while preparing and making this, primarily I
will choose and download a suitable font style from DaFont, my font style will be
‘Impact’. I will also need to organise what props I will like to use, most likely these
will include the props that we used in the trailer that presented a theme, (for
example: Police badge, drugs, knife). While taking my photos for my poster I will
need to consistently look at my poster hand drawn drafts and consider the poses
my characters will have to do.
What software you will use to create the product and Why?
The software that I will be using is Adobe Photoshop because throughout my year
of AS Media studies and my continuation into A level Media studies the software I
am most familiar with is Adobe Photoshop, and also I used Photoshop for my
magazine ancillary task.