Zoe Hickson - 1033 - Poster Idea Development

1. OCR Media Studies – A2 Level
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio
Mind Map and
Research
Name: Zoe Hickson
Candidate Number: 1033
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135
Generation of Ideas for Ancillary Product 2) –
Poster

2. Themes• Thriller/sinister – This theme connotes danger and action, which would link well with a suspense trailer, used to hook in
audience members and encourage them to watch the entire series of the soap opera. This type of trailer could fit in well
with the school setting we intend to use, as each event in the school is full of action and suspense.
• Romance – This theme would appeal more to a slightly younger audience than typical soap opera target audiences, perhaps
females aged between 15 and 40. This theme would add to the drama within the trailer, and it is something that could
change throughout the series, with different characters being in different relationships and having different romantic issues.
• Mystery – Within my trailer, there is lots of mysteries presented, causing the audience to question why Phoebe is being
stalked, why Jess and TJ are arguing, and what the real relationship is between the student and teacher. This type of theme
would appeal to my target audience, as asking themselves questions would make them want to watch the series and have
those questions answered.
• Multi-stranded narrative – Including lots of the characters on the poster makes it more interesting for the audience, as
there is lots to look at and work out, compared to just having one image. This type of theme also reflects the many themes
within the trailer itself, rather than just focussing on the main one. To do this, I would have a main image based on one
theme, but find a way to incorporate some of the other characters and cause the audience to question whether those
characters are linked to that one theme. For example, I could have an image of Phoebe and Lucas in the woods, but then
blend in images of some of the other characters, in order to question whether they are involved in the stalking theme within
the trailer.
Name: Zoe Hickson
Candidate Number: 1033
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135

3. Tagline Ideas
• ‘There’s always someone watching’ – this would link to the theme of stalking present within our trailer,
and would appeal to our target audience as they said that they like the thriller theme within soap operas.
The verbal code ‘always’ connotes that the characters will never be able to escape whoever is watching
them, and this could be anchored by the type of image I take for my main image. For example, I could take
a picture of Lucas looking around a tree at Phoebe which would connote that he is always watching her.
• ‘New girl in town’ – this would appeal to my target audience, as they may be encouraged to watch the
series to find out who the new girl is and what the other characters think of her. The verbal code ‘new’
‘signifies’ (De Saussure) that, much like the series, there is a new character moving to the town, which
connotes that there may be many issues with this.
• ‘A small town with big secrets’ – this leaves the audience questioning what big secrets there will be within
the soap opera series, meaning it will encourage the audience to watch it. The verbal code ‘secrets’ would
appeal to my audience, as they are likely to want to watch the whole series to find out what these secrets
are, especially if the series is set in a ‘small town’.
• Use of emotive language – used to get the audience to empathise with the characters or feel a certain
emotion towards one of the characters. If I was to use this in my poster, I would want the audience to feel
sympathy for the character who is being followed.
• Rhetorical questions – could be used to make the audience think about the story, and may encourage
them to watch the series to find out the answer to their question.
Name: Zoe Hickson
Candidate Number: 1033
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135

4. Image Needed
• New school member in the centre with each of the other characters either side - This would instantly give
the audience an insight into what the series will involve, as well as the amount of different stories that the
soap opera episodes will follow.
• School girl in the woods with her ‘stalker’ looking at her from behind a tree – this would appeal to my
target audience as they said that they like thriller themes in soap operas, and the theme of stalking and
blackmail could be linked to thrillers. It would also connote that something may have happened between
the two people, but will encourage the audience to watch the series to find out what has happened and
why he is following her.
• Blending three sets of eyes into the bottom of the poster – so that the images behind can still be seen –
smoke effect behind the sets of eyes, similar to the Eastenders poster. This would link to the thriller
theme, as the girl is being stalked but she doesn’t know who it is stalking her at first. It would also cause
the audience to question who they think it is stalking her, and makes it seem as though lots of people are
watching her. I would also want to manipulate the images of the eyes, so that they look all different
colours.
• Tools to use –
• brush tool – to select which parts of the characters I want by cropping the image and manipulating the
photo.
• Spot removal tool – used to remove any imperfections from the characters faces in order to make them
appear to be perfect.
• Lasso tool – to capture the parts of the images, and enable me to remove the background.
• Hue/Saturation layer – to change the colour of the actual iris of the eyes.
Name: Zoe Hickson
Candidate Number: 1033
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135

5. Synergy and Point of Call
• On my poster, I will include synergy with social media, by placing the Twitter and the
Facebook logo somewhere on the poster. Although the professional posters I analysed did
not include this type of synergy, I will when creating my poster, as I feel this will appeal to my
target audience, as they will be able to interact with others that enjoy the soap opera series.
This synergy may also help to appeal my soap opera to a wider audience, as Twitter hashtags
and popular posts and pages on Facebook is a great way of publicising my soap opera.
• I will also include synergy with my magazine on my poster, by including the BBC Two logo, as
well as our Park Rise soap opera logo. BBC Two is a very popular channel for watching soap
operas, and is known for showing high quality content, meaning that fans of other soaps
might see the BBC Two logo on my poster, and be influenced to watch my soap. I will
manipulate both the BBC Two logo, and my soap opera logo, by removing the backgrounds,
as I feel this will make the logos look more professional against the trees in the background
on my poster.
• I will also include the point of call information somewhere on my poster. This is important
because I need to ‘inform’ (Katz) my audience about the time my soap opera will be on, as
well as which days it will be showing, to ensure that as many people watch it as possible.
Without this information, they would not know when to watch it, which would subsequently
result in less viewers, and therefore less success for my product.
Name: Zoe Hickson
Candidate Number: 1033
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135

6. Propp’s Character Roles
• Vladimir Propp was a literary critic, who founded the idea that certain types of characters are used in
every narrative structure.
• This theory was successfully used by many writers and producers, as they used the theory and created a
successful narrative.
• Propp’s character theory:
• The ‘hero’ – usually the victim/seeker/paladin/winner, reacts to the donor, and usually marries the
princess
• The ‘villain’ - struggles against the hero
• The ‘dispatcher’ - character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off
• The ‘false hero’ - perceived as good character in beginning but emerges as evil
• The ‘donor’ - prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object
• The ‘princess’ - person the hero marries, often sought for during the narrative
• This theory is relevant for the production of my soap opera poster, magazine and trailer, as my group and I
constructed our story based around some of these character roles. One example is the ‘villain’, which in
our trailer would be Lucas, as he struggles against Phoebe, the ‘heroine’.
Name: Zoe Hickson
Candidate Number: 1033
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135
Source:
http://www.mediaknowall.com/as_alevel/alevke
yconcepts/alevelkeycon.php?pageID=propp

7. Propp’s Narrative Functions• A member of a family leaves home
• An interdiction (a command NOT to do something), is addressed to the hero;
• The hero ignores the interdiction
• The villain appears and (either villain tries to find the children/jewels etc; or intended victim encounters the villain);
• The villain gains information about the victim;
• The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings (trickery; villain disguised,
tries to win confidence of victim);
• The victim is fooled by the villain, unwittingly helps the enemy;
• Villain causes harm/injury to family/tribe member (by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in
other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc, commits murder,
imprisons/detains someone, threatens forced marriage, provides nightly torments); Alternatively, a member of family
lacks something or desires something (magical potion etc);
• Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc/ alternative is that victimised hero is sent
away, freed from imprisonment);
• Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action;
• Hero leaves home;
• Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc, preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper (donor);
• Hero reacts to actions of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees captive, reconciles disputants, performs service,
uses adversary's powers against them);
• Hero acquires use of a magical agent (it's directly transferred, located, purchased, prepared, spontaneously appears, is
eaten/drunk, or offered by other characters);
• Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search;
• Hero and villain join in direct combat;
Source:
http://www.mediaknowall.com/as_alevel/alevkeyconcepts
/alevelkeycon.php?pageID=propp
Name: Zoe Hickson
Candidate Number: 1033
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135

8. Propp’s Narrative Functions
• Hero is branded (wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf);
• Villain is defeated (killed in combat, defeated in contest, killed while asleep, banished);
• Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken, slain person revived, captive freed);
• Hero returns;
• Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat, undermine the hero);
• Hero is rescued from pursuit (obstacles delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden, hero transforms unrecognisably, hero
saved from attempt on his/her life);
• Hero unrecognised, arrives home or in another country;
• False hero presents unfounded claims;
• Difficult task proposed to the hero
• Task is resolved;
• Hero is recognised
• False hero or villain is exposed
• Hero is given a new appearance
• Villain is punished;
• Hero marries and ascends the throne
These narrative functions are relevant to the production of my soap opera poster, as well as my magazine
and main task trailer, as my group and I considered these when constructing our ideas for characters within
out soap opera trailer.
Source:
http://www.mediaknowall.com/as_alevel/alevk
eyconcepts/alevelkeycon.php?pageID=propp
Name: Zoe Hickson
Candidate Number: 1033
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135

9. Mind Map - Conclusion
Name: Zoe Hickson
Candidate Number: 1033
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135
In the lead up to creating my final poster, I will need to take my desired pictures. This will involve me
collecting my models together, and taking pictures of some of them individually, and some of them
together. I will also need to get them to wear clothes that I feel their characters would wear, and tell
them which facial expressions I require, and what body language I need them to have.
I will also need to arrange some props, and download suitable font styles which we will decide as a
group, as we will all have the same font style on our posters.
I will create my poster using Adobe Photoshop CS5.1. This is because it enables me to manipulate my
images in order to make the poster relate to the theme of stalking.