This document contains a production log and research for a student's advanced media studies portfolio project creating a trailer for a new soap opera. It includes research on soap opera codes and conventions by analyzing episodes of EastEnders, Coronation Street, and Hollyoaks. Deadlines are set for filming, editing, and additional promotional materials. Roles of producer and director are defined. The target institution is identified as BBC Three focusing on younger audiences with innovative content.

1. St. Paul’s Catholic College
Center Number:64770
Candidate Number: 5915
Candidate Name:Shannon Louise Fisher
A2 Media Studies
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media –
Production Log
Evidence of Planning & Research
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2. Aims and Objectives
AO2– Assess candidates’ application of knowledge and
understanding in evaluating their own work, showing
how meanings and responses are created.
AO3– Assess candidates’ ability to plan and construct
media products using appropriate technical and creative
skills.
AO4– Assess candidates’ ability to undertake, apply and
present appropriate research.
Brief Chosen
A 45 second – 1 minute 30 second trailer for a NEW Soap Opera
that will be exhibited on BBC 3 at 8:30pm (after Eastenders)
that will appeal to a Male and Female audience.
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3. Contents
Textual Analysis
Eastenders
-
Soap Opera Codes & Conventions
Multi Strand Narrative
Coronation Street
“..the home, the family, domestic tribulationsand the strong woman, and as
such, it has long been said to appeal to the female viewer”
‘Masculinity and Popular television’ – Rebecca Feasey (2007)
-
Is this evident and how is this presented to the audience?
Research
Purpose of a Trailer
Multi-Platform promotion
Textual Analysis – Coronation Street and Hollyoaks
Deadlines – Production Work
Filming Dates: 22/23 October
Edited Trailer – Complete: 14th February 2013
Promotional Poster – Complete:14th February 2013
Promotional Magazine Cover – Complete:14th February 2013
Evaluation – Complete:14th February 2013
Production Work
Director
Producer
Institution research – BBC Three
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4. Soap Opera Codes & Conventions – Lesson 2
1) What are some of the Codes & Conventions of this genre?
Everyday
Situations
Family
relationships/and
or conflict
Sponsors- hugely
relies on product
placement
No relation to the
outside world
Codes and Conventions
Romance
Creates
Realism
Not unlikely
narratives
Focuses on
working class
communities
Multi –
Stranded
narratives
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5. 2) Codes & Conventions of the Soap Opera Genre
The Soap Opera genre can be categorized by the ‘repeated’
(Steve Neale) elements of:
1.
Romance, love and secret relationships
2.
Family relationships and/or conflict
3.
Focus on working class communities
4.
Antagonists and conflict within the community
5.
Everyday situations and relationships
6.
Cliff Hangers
7.
Multi-stranded narrative
8.
Realism
Eastenders(1985 – Present)
Key information regarding this text:
Exhibited on BBC1 and repeated on BBC Three
One of the UK’s highest rated programs (8mil per week)
Set in the ‘kitchen sink’ setting of fictional Walford, East London
Textual Analysis Task
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6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye51O8WBVVM&feature=related -
You MUST complete the Table below whilst watching the TWO promotional
trailers for the BBC Soap Opera Eastenders.
You SHOULD aim to identify key examples (Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical)
from each trailer that demonstrates your understanding.
You COULD apply relevant audience theory to explain what impact these key
examples would have on the target demographic.
In your opinion, according to Hartley’s Seven Subjectivities, what is the target
audience for Eastenders?
Age
15+
Gender
Mainly targeted at females
Nationality
British
Trailer 1)
What is the Focus of this trailer?
Love triangle between Stacey, Max and Bradley.Who does Stacey want? Adultery.
Code
&
Convention
Evidence
Impact on the Audience
(Verbal, Non-Verbal,
Technical)
(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)
Romance
Verbal code ‘love you’
Non-verbal code of Max
and Stacey kissing.
Family
relationships
and/or conflict
Verbal code: ‘your dirty
little secret’
Non verbal code of
Tanya storming up to
Stacey aggressively
Katz - Personal identification with Love and
having a relationship. Diversion – Can
immerse within this relationship and also
personally identify.
This keeps the audience entertained
knowing that something bad is going on, and
they know more about it than the
characters, it also allows them to build
personal relationships with characters on
screen such as the ‘villanous’ (Propp)
Katz –Personal identification with everyday
working and not having a glamorous job.
Focus on
working class
Non-verbal code of
characters actually
physically working, and
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7. communities
working on a market
stall
Verbal code ‘Likes
“Multi-Stranded Father? Likes Son?’
Narrative”
Non-verbal code of
Tanya aggressively
‘Disequilibrium’ storming up to Stacey
(Todorov)
Hartely’s gender ‘Father and Son’
‘Personal Identification’ (Katz) –people can
identify with personal or impersonal
relationships with parents and family
members.
Personal identification, the audience can
identify with being angry and in a situation
and not being able to contain/ hold yourself
back.
Trailer 2)
What is the Focus of this trailer?
Max ‘making his bed now lying in it’.
Code
&
Convention
Romance
Family
relationships
and/or conflict
Focus on
working class
communities
Evidence
Impact on the Audience
(Verbal, Non-Verbal,
Technical)
(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)
Non-verbal code of the
way Stacey walks
towards Max, almost
seductively/ her
provocative clothing
Non-verbal code of
Tanya clawing at the
sheets, looking
disgusted with Max
Technical code, the shot
of Tanya’s hands and
cut to her face
The audience can immerse themselves in
the secret of Max and Stacey’s affair.
Non-verbal code of
Stacey’s maid outfit and
Bradley’s guard outfit
The audience can personally identify with
having to do a working class job.
“Multi-Stranded Non-verbal code of all
Narrative”
the characters looking
mad/disgusted with
Max
Caregivers (Maslow) will sympathise with
Tanya (as she’s the one being cheated on)
The audience can sympathise with Max
getting dirty looks from everyone and feel
sorry for him.
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8. Verbal code ‘Run on for
a long time sooner or
‘Disequilibrium’ later we gotta cut you
(Todorov)
down’
‘Judgement day for max’
Non verbal code of Jack
holding up Max’s
morgue band
This gives the audience a ‘window into the
world’ Wendy Helsby, it gives the audience
an insight into the themes of the soap at the
time.
Multi-stranded narrative
A Multi-stranded narrativecan be defined as…..
Telling a story from more than one persons perspective.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Telling multiple stories about multiple characters.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
You MUST deconstruct the 10-minute extract from Eastendersand identify where
the following elements are presented to the audience:
Multi-stranded narrative
Family relationships and/or conflict
Focus on working class communities
‘Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)
Romance
You SHOULD write down x1-2 examples for EACH of the elements above that are
presented.
Code & Convention
Multi-stranded
narrative
Family
relationships
and/or conflict
Focus on working
class communities
Evidence
-Lauren out of control.
-Michael depressed about
his baby.
Jack and Sharon’s
awkwardness.
Verbal/Non verbal codes:
-‘you do realize you sound
like Dad don’t you?’
-Lucy’s face goes to
annoyed
Impact on the audience
Allows the audience to
‘diverse’ themselves into
the soap opera focusing
on all the different
characters.
Katz- personally identify
with sibling arguments.
-Non-verbal code of
working on the market
stall and wearing aprons.
-Verbal code ‘need to earn
a living’
Katz – Personal
identification with having
to work and having a dayto-day job
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9. Disequilibrium’ (Todorov) -Non verbal, Max and
girlfriend storm into
Tanya’s house demanding
Lauren lives with them.
Romance
The audience can
empathize with Tanya as
it is two against one. Also
people can personally
relate with family
arguments.
Verbal code ‘what’s up boy The audience becomes
trouble?’
‘caregivers’ hoping
‘I really thought he liked’
Michael will love her one
day. We also feel sorry for
her character.
Soap Opera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson 3
Textual Analysis
According to Rebecca Feasey in ‘Masculinity and Popular television’ (2007), the Soap
Opera genre tends to focus on:
‘… the home, the family domestic tribulations and the strong
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
woman, and as such, it has been said to appeal to the female
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
viewer”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
1) – Do you agree?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8_ApPT6isY(First 5 minutes)
You MUST deconstruct the opening 5 minutes of a sequence from the popular ITV
Soap Opera Coronation Street (1960 – Present) to identify examples of where this
ideology is presented to the target audience.
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10. You SHOULD also try and identify, to demonstrate your knowledge and
understanding of the genre, any Codes & Conventions associated to the Soap Opera
genre.
Code & Convention
Evidence
Impact on the audience
Rebecca Feasey (2007) Ideology:
1. Multi stranded narratives: David and Kylie talking about nightmares.
Gail playing football with the young boy.
2. Romance: ‘Or you could come to bed’
3. Working Class Community: ‘Some of us have to work.’ ‘Me and Katie
can go down to the pub.’
4. Conflict: ‘ARE YOU INSANE?!’
Multi-stranded
narrative
Family
relationships
and/or conflict
Michelle and Ryan talking
about breaking up with
Katie
‘What’s the local gossip’
‘You cants just lead her
along’ Michelle to Ryan
Diversion – Can immerse
into different situations.
The audience may
sympathise with the
character they are talking
about.
Soap Opera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson 4
Textual Analysis
1) What is the purpose of a trailer?
The purpose is to advertise and promote the soap opera/ media text.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
2) What are the benefits of Multi-Platform promotion of a media
text?
Gets the advert seen by more audiences.
More exposure through: broad cast ( Television/Film trailers) and
E-media (Internet/Websites)
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11. Ultimately, some form of C o n v e r g e n c e is important when
promoting a text to the target audience.
3)
Textual Analysis –
You MUSTmake notes on the following areas when deconstructing this sequence
from Coronation Street:
Multi-stranded narrative
Character dilemmas
‘Personal Identification’ (Katz)
Becky getting ready for the wedding- looks very happy Katz Personal
Identification with having their special day.
Steve getting ready for the wedding- looks stressed/ upset Katz Personal
Identification for people have got married before.
Roy and Hayley getting the wedding ready, sorting out the cake, getting Becky
in the car looking worried again Personal Identification with worried
‘parents’ on a wedding day.
Liz and Jason look like they have sexual tension.
Eileen crossing her fingers (as if she knows something bad is going to
happen)
The non verbal codes have lots of emphasis on luck, then the Verbal code of
the song lyrics: ‘I’m feeling lucky.’
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12. http://www.channel4.com/programmes/hollyoaks/4od
The above link will take you to some of the latest episodes of Hollyoaks.
1. What are the connotations of the Ident for the popular Channel
Four Teen Soap Opera Hollyoaks(1995 – Present)?
Male vs Female, battle of the sexes –due to the two gender symbols.
Also the gender specific colours pink vs blue – tying to attract both
sexed audiences.
Hollyoaks – “White Wedding Trailer” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu2sW-r9Vb4
2. You MUST make notes on the following areas when
deconstructing this sequence from Hollyoaks:
Binary opposition of the non-diegetic music
Symbolism of the non-verbal code of the tear
Representation of Pregnancy
Any other examples that would impact the audience
‘A nice day for a white wedding’ – Irony as they are all in black.
Their marriage seems to represent something of which is bad.
Tear being black- representing Mercedes black/ dark soul.
Her being pregnant seems to be frowned upon by her wedding
guests.
‘Sister what have you done’
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13. ‘Put her hand over her bump as if to protect her baby.
The baby bump being so big, representing how it’s a big issue
looming over her.
Production Work
1) What is the role of a Producer?
Oversea all of production across the 3 stages- Pre-production, production
and post-production.
Manage everyone and ensure everything is in place in order for the text to
look fit for purpose.
2) What is the role of a Director?
Oversea the creative aspects of the production.
Direct people in front and behind the character.
3) Institution research –
You MUSTresearch the institution that your trailer will be exhibited on.
Target audience 16-34 years
Provides ‘innovative’ content to younger audiences.
Launched 2003, taking over BBC Choice
Focuses on new talent/technologies.
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