This document discusses the soap opera genre and Propp's character roles and narrative functions as they relate to two soap opera trailers. It analyzes the trailers from Coronation Street and EastEnders in terms of Propp's roles of villain, princess, and fake hero. It also examines narrative functions like exposure, struggle, and punishment that appear in events within the trailers.

1. Soap Opera Genre –
Propp’s Character Roles
Propp’s Narrative Functions
Name: Chloe Haynes
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OCR Media Studies – A2 Level
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio

2. As the camera zooms to Carla's she says “Hang on a
minute, you did a deal with me with his money”, which
connotes the younger man is a ‘fake hero’ by pretending
to help someone with someone else's money but has in
fact made the situation even worse.
Trailer 1 – Coronation Street:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w51KhdDSeto
Propp’s Character Roles
Sally is seen as the ‘princess’ as she is planning on
getting married to her hero, which is denoted in the
trailer through the verbal code of diegetic dialogue
she delivers “everything will be back to normal
after the wedding”.
The male antagonist is seen as a ‘Villain’ when he
appears to be threatening and says “you think you can
hide form me forever?”, which connotes someone is
trying to avoid him because he might be dangerous.

3. Propp’s Narrative Functions
Trailer 1 – Coronation Street:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w51KhdDSeto
Exposure- The ‘fake prince’ is exposed when the close up
shot shows Sarah worrying because she has been made out
to look like she is a murderer when she says “what if they find
the body?”.
Struggle – Confrontation is apparent in the trailer as
Sally meets the villain Anna and they confront each
other and Anna says "if anyone is a cheap tart
around here is you” which causes a fight
(conflict).They fight over their hero, this is signified
when the camera zooms in and focuses on the man
behind the women.
Meditation -The low angle shot of the girl looking
up to the villains uncovers and learns the villainous
acts that have transpired when she talks about the
dead body and says “I want to know where he is!”

4. Propp’s Character Roles
Trailer 2 – EastEnders:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upBV74yw7vg
Phil is seen as a ‘villain’ in the trailer as he aggressively
and forcefully grabs Jane who is innocent, then covers her
mouth so she can’t scream for help or savior.
The man says “I'm not a monster you know”, but the non-
verbal code of Kathy's worried facial expression connotes
to the audience that she doesn't believe him, connoting
he may be a ‘Villain’.
Abby who is seen as the ‘princess’ is in shock as she is
being accused as one of Lucy's murders. As it says in
the trailer “You battered Lucy, Miss Branning, on the
night of her death”.

5. Propp’s Narrative Functions
Trailer 2 – EastEnders:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upBV74yw7vg
Unrecognised arrival- Kathy's unrecognised
arrival home to the square is denoted when
the close up shot reveals her calling the pub for
help.
Punishment-The villain suffers the consequences
of their actions. This is denoted when Max is
arrested and seen walking into the court room
and then the judge asks “how do you plead?”
Complicity-Jane is unwillingly forced to help Phil, the
‘villain’, by giving him information about Lucy's death
because Phil knows she has something to hide and
wants to know. You can see Jane is upset and hurt by
the non-verbal code of her facial expressions.