Media coursework

1. Soap Opera Genre –
Independent Textual
Analysis
Name: Artur Rudzinski
Candidate Number: 6740
Center Name: St. Paul’s Catholic College
Center Number: 64770
OCR Media Studies – A2 Level
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio

2. Trailer 1 – Kat and Alfie Trailer - EastEnders - BBC One
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p4xlLezos0
Verbal Codes –
Narrator voiceover “it’s all kicking off in the square” followed by the non-diegetic EastEnders sound track (the drum tune) to generate
tension between Kat and Alfie as the drum plays. The sound of Kat’s boots as she walks as the music rises with her footsteps to make
the audience feel uneasy about her character. Laughter stops as soon as Kat looks in the way of laughter and all expressions change, as
Ian says “blimmin’ ‘eck”. From the dialogue we can also tell that there will be something going on between Alfie and Kat as Kat asks
“where do you get a drink around here” where she then gets a sarcastic reply of “I think you’re gonna need one” which symbolises
conflict between the two characters. We can hear a gun click when Kat takes out her mirror from her bag, to symbolise that its her
“weapon” which is a part of SFX in the trailer and symbolises her higher status in the play.
Non-Verbal Codes – Comment on the use of Setting, Lighting, Costumes, Facial Expressions and Characters
The message and theme of the trailer is mainly conflict and destruction due to ruined buildings. This is seen through
people running away from Kat symbolising that wherever Kat appears there is conflict. The rustling paper which is
blown in front of the pub symbolises the “calm before the storm” which foreshadows conflict in the trailer between
characters in the square. The mirror acting as Kat’s “gun” symbolises that she may have a hidden weapon or some
sort of a trump card in all this conflict. The mise-en-scene itself shows that there has been some sort of conflict
already happening even when Kat wasn’t there which means that she’s an addition to the conflict itself.
Technical Codes – Comment on the use of Camera Angles, Shot Types and Camera Movement
Camera angles are used in the play to enhance they way in which we see certain characters or their themes. An over the shoulder shot
has been used on Kat to demonstrate her power over certain characters like Alfie. Such shots like close up on Ian’s eyes is used to
emphasize his fear towards Kat and what’s about to happen which can make the audience feel nervous about what's about to happen.
We are also presented with a close up shot on Kat’s hand as she takes out her mirror from her back which makes us wonder what sort of
a “weapon” she has hidden. We are also presented with an over the shoulder shot to represent a mysterious character to be later
revealed as Alfie as the camera moves into a close up on his face, revealing his character. However he is then shown through Kat’s legs
to show her power over him as they stare at each other which creates pressure in the audience and leaves them wonder what will
happen next. We are then shown a shot-to-shot close up on eyes where the shot gets closer everytime it switches and therefore this
style of camera use an generate a sense of pressure and panic in the audience

3. Trailer 2 – Skins Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToKa4dTAqE4
Verbal Codes – There is a lot of non-diegetic sound played throughout the trailer such as the
soundtrack of "ready to start" which signifies how each character gets ready for an upcoming event
that involves them. The voiceover is also included to give an non-diegetic sound of "skins on E4"
which engages the audience to watch the show and find out more about the show. The sound effects
include wind blowing when the characters are falling to add a dramatic effect to the trailer and make
it seem fast paced when the clothes are being put onto the characters
Non-Verbal Codes – The nude clothing transition symbolizes the characters transformation from
being innocent to being secretive. This is important because it allows us to foreshadow certain events
which include a specific character and it allows us to be more into the show so that we want to want
more. The lighting also has impact because the dark background is contrasted against the characters
in bright lighting meaning that they are opposite to what they actually are which shows us their dark
past by making them brighter. Facial expressions also reveal a lot because it allows us to see that the
longer they fall down the more exhausted and scared they become.
Technical Codes – The camera movement represents the way in which characters are expressed such as the
focus on their expressions, what they wear and what they are doing in the shot. In this trailer however we are given
a close up shot to show what the characters’ face expressions are so that their feelings are emphasized. This is then
followed up by the fall of each character through the use of a wide shot and vertically panned shot simultaneously.
This is used to emphasize the emotional “fall” in their characters as they get dressed into clothes (symbolizing the
transformation from being innocent to having as many secrets as clothes).

4. Evaluation of Textual Analysis –
Compare and Contrast
Trailer 1 - The areas I would repeat from this trailer is that I would use the theme of the wild
west but present it in different context, not a gunfight but maybe a robbery to symbolize
something else in my trailer e.g.: the way in which teenagers are shown today and how they
are seen by society which would be targeted at my target audience of 16-25 year old teens
and young adults
Trailer 2- The things I would repeat from this trailer is definitely the use of the soundtrack as
the soundtrack plays a big part in the trailer depending on the lyrics of the song and how
they were used. An example of this would be the song "ready to start" which uses specific
lyrics to demonstrate an event that may or has happened.