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Soap drama representation research
Soap operas have conventions that make them distinct from other forms of television drama. These conventions collectively add up together to portray the idea of a 'domestic' real life, and tries to be recognisable to the public as 'everyday life', as well as being exciting and melodramatic at the same time. The distinctive conventions include:
- the constant illusion of real time
- precise continuity
- tease devices and cliff hangers
- combinations of action (information for the viewers) and enigma (questions raised for the viewer)
- the dominance of two shots and over the shoulder shots of conversations
- establishing shots (of locations) and tableaux (groups of people composed dramatically)
- coverage of current social issues
- meeting places that allow for gossip to circulate
- narrative flow and a nostalgic and perhaps outdated depiction of community
- interweaving storylines in each episode
- partial closure of storylines
- music used as a motif
- the dominance of diegetic sound
- highly symbolic costumes and set designs
- mise en scene
Audience Feedback
Questionnaire 1
1. What gender are you?
Male
2. Do you think soaps are interesting to watch? If no, why?
Yes because they portray a sense of realism and reflect everyday life. Sometimes they can be slightly melodramatic but it still ties in with the real life scenarios.
3. What attracts you to watch a soap drama?
The characters and storylines.
4. What type of audience do you think my media products are targeted at?
Older teens and adults (18+)
5. Do you think the magazine cover emulates a professional listings cover? Why?
Yes because it holds all the conventions of a magazine and is professionally done with the style of typography and use of colour.
6. Do you think the poster is appealing and promotes the soap well? Why?
Yes it is appealing and does promote the soap well as it is simple and effective and gets the message clearly across through the slogan.
7. Is there anything I can do to improve my media products?
No, they tie in well together and are well made.
8. Do you think my soap trailer, magazine front cover and poster fulfil their purposes?
Yes because they all follow the conventions of each one well and you can clearly see that they are a trailer, magazine cover and poster.
9. Any other comments?
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Questionnaire 2
1. What gender are you?
Female
2. Do you think soaps are interesting to watch? If no, why?
Yes because they are a source of entertainment and conversation.
3. What attracts you to watch a soap drama?
The characters, storylines and specific things that I can relate to myself personally i.e. the location or stereotypical characters.
4. What type of audience do you think my media products are targeted at?
Adults and teens.
5. Do you think the magazine cover emulates a professional listings cover? Why?
Yes it does as it attracts the eye easy through the use of bold colours and they busyness of the page is similar to ordinary listings covers.
6. Do you think the poster is appealing and promotes the soap well? Why?
I do as it portrays a modern and urban look which makes it appealing to the target audience however I do think that it could have included more characters so we can gain more knowledge about the soap. On the other hand the slogan indicates what the soap is about well subtly.
7. Is there anything I can do to improve my media products?
No, apart from perhaps within the trailer more footage consisting of character conversations could be used.
8. Do you think my soap trailer, magazine front cover and poster fulfil their purposes?
Yes.
9. Any other comments?
/
Diary Entries
- October 2010
- Firstly I chose a brief.
- Secondly, I researched different posters/soap magazine covers and analysed them so I could gain a good understanding of how a soap is portrayed in both these media texts.
- Thirdly, I researched soap names (ranging from nationally to worldwide) and concluded with 'Northerners'.
- Finally, I began to become familiar with Photoshop again (after my AS coursework) and began to plan my ancillary tasks.
- November - December 2010
- Firstly, I planned my ancillary tasks.
- Secondly, I decided where I was going to photograph my model for my poster and main image of my magazine cover.
- Finally, I began to create my ancillary tasks and completed them towards the end of December.
- January 2011
- Firstly, I researched two trailers of two British soaps ('Eastenders' and 'Coronation Street').
- Secondly, I planned my main task in three stages: I created a storyboard consisting of different locations/shots/editing elements and directions. I then created a shot list of which shots I would use first and then I developed a script consisting of what the voice overs would say.
- Thirdly, I researched into possible background tracks that could be used in my trailer. I finally decided on the first few seconds of the theme song to 'Halloween'. I created a continuous loop of it and allowed it to run in he background.
- February 2011.
- Firstly, I filmed the pan shots for my setting.
- Secondly, I transferred the footage of my setting onto Final Cut Pro and began editing.
- Thirdly, I recorded my voice overs using a video camera and then transferred it to Final Cut Pro. After keeping the audio but hiding the visual I was able to keep my original footage and have the voice overs in the back.
- Fourthly, I recorded my footage of various characters and included small snippets of them into my footage.
- Fifthly, I incorporated my music and completed all the transitions.
- Finally, I added the final touches to my blog.
Organisation
- Location: Langley Green, Oldbury.
- Langley Green consists of a high street, park, canal, terraced housing and a industrial estate. It's overall scenery represents a village town feel rather than a city outlook.
- The high street consists of ideal shops that you would associate with a soap drama. I.e. a local pub, a taxi service, a restaurant and general stores.
- The park also consisted of a small area and benches which is commonly seen in soaps as a place where characters go to be on their own.
- The terraced housing represents the lifestyles of the locals and this is further reinforced by industrial estate. It shows that the characters that would be associated with my soap do not obtain a glamourous lifestyle.
- Camera used: HD Camera.
- The camera allowed me to shoot footage in HD format.
- Software used: Final Cut Pro Express, Live Type and Youtube convertor.
- This software allowed me to use certain clips and add effects on my footage. E.g. cross fading and reduced speed.
- Live Type allowed me to create text which would be situated towards the end of my video.
- Youtube convertor converted my track into a mp3 file and Final Cut Pro allowed me to trim it and use certain bits of the track which I repeated along my footage.
Storyboard, shot list and scripting
- Storyboard:
- Shot List:
- Establishing pan shot of canal
- Close up of girl character with voice over
- Establishing pan shot of local pub
- Close up of boy character with voice over
- Long establishing shot of bench/park
- Close up of girl character with voice over
- Wide pan shot of '
- Close up of girl character with voice over
- Wide pan shot of general stores
- Close up of boy character with voice over
- Wide pan shot of terraced housing with text
- Scripting:
- Girl: "I kept telling everyone this town isn't safe."
- Boy: "No matter how peaceful it is, there's always something going on."
- Girl: "There's no way it would be a secret around here."
- Girl: "And there's no one you can trust."
- Boy: "It takes one to turn your life upside down."
- Girl and Boy: "Nobody said it was easy."
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