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St. Paul’s Catholic College

Center Number: 64770

Candidate Number: 6508

Candidate Name: Aaron Thomas

A2 Media Studies

Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media –

Production Log

Evidence of Planning & Research

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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 at 8:30pm (after Eastenders) that will appeal to a Male and Female audience.

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Contents

Textual Analysis

Eastenders - Soap Opera Codes & Conventions - Multi Strand Narrative

Coronation Street

“..The home, the family, domestic tribulations and 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: Edited Trailer – Complete: Promotional Poster – Complete: Promotional Magazine Cover – Complete: Evaluation – Complete:

Production Work

Director – Roles & Responsibilities?

Producer – Roles & Responsibilities? Institution research – BBC Two

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Soap Opera Codes & Conventions – Lesson 2 1) What are some of the Codes & Conventions of this genre? 2) Codes & Conventions of the Soap Opera Genre The Soap Opera genre can be categorized by the ‘repeated’ (Steve Neale) elements of:

1. Romance

2. Family Relationships

3. Focus on working class communities

Soap Opera

Soap Operas are used for a sense of escapism

It was originally targeted at lower class housewives

It details social issues that the audience can somewhat relate to

It helps to keep the audience captivated because Soap Operas contain a dramatic twist

It not only appeals to males, it also appeals to the female audience as well

Soap opera storylines are some of the wackiest and most romantic on genres on air

Soaps are stories told over an extended period, with different characters being featured at different times

Soap Operas were initially aired on the radio as oppose to Television

Soap operas focus their themes around family life, personal and sexual relationships, emotional and moral conflicts and often social issues such as rape, teen drinking and more

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4. Murder

5. Antagonism and conflict within the community

Eastenders (1985 – Present)

Key information regarding this text:

Exhibited on BBC1 and repeated on BBC Three

One of the UK’s highest rated programs (6mil viewers per episode)

Set in the ‘kitchen sink’ setting of fictional Walford, East London. It also takes

place in the local area of Albert Square, where the audience is introduced to the characters and their lifestyle on the Square.

Birds eye view of Walford, connotes that there are lots of disequilibrium

Textual Analysis Task http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye51O8WBVVM&feature=related -

In your opinion, according to Hartley’s Seven Subjectivities, what is the target audience for Eastenders?

Age

16 and over

Gender

Males and Females

Nationality

British

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Trailer 1) What is the Focus of this trailer?

To entice and entertain the audience

Code &

Convention

Evidence

(Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical)

Impact on the Audience

(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)

Romance

There was no romance in the trailer because it was primarily about the death of a young girl and people’s reaction towards it. Although in the soap, Max had a romantic affair with Lucy. Therefore, Max’s facial expression of him looking very upset connotes that he grieves for the loss of their relationship.

Hartley’s seven subjectives – Age – The audience may feel very shocked at the fact that Lucy and Max begin to have a romantic relationship because of the very wide age gap between them. Max appears to be in his 40’s and Lucy appears to be in her early twenties.

Family relationships and/or conflict

Verbal Code – “You killed Lucy”, this is a voiceover

Katz – The Eastenders trailer helps to inform the audience that something awful is happening.

Maslow – Caregivers – the readers can emphasize on the family conflict and sympathize with the problems they have to face.

Focus on working class communities

The trailer is focused around different working communities in the East-end like the picture of Shirley in the Pub.

Katz – Diversion – The audience can relate to the disequilibrium of the community and the reality of the situation

“Multi-Stranded Narrative”

There was a sense of multi-strand narrative because there are lots of flash cuts.

Maslow – Survivors – the audience can have an understanding of what the trailer is about, from the different narratives. Also, it can help the audience to realize which people are involved with the murder and ask how those specific characters shown, were involved with ‘Lucy’ at the night of her death?

‘Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

There is a murder in Albert Square and flash cuts are used to portray, the victims

Hartley – it appeals to all audiences who enjoy dramatic excitement in a soap opera trailer.

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involved with the death.

Trailer 2) What is the Focus of this trailer? To introduce characters in Eastenders

Code &

Convention

Evidence

(Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical)

Impact on the Audience

(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)

Romance

There was no sight of romance. However, Phil and Sharon both end up in relationship in Eastenders. Therefore, the look that Phil gives Sharon in particular could connote a past relationship.

Maslow – Survivors - It can make the audience become more interested in keeping up with Eastenders. Furthermore, it can sway the audience to make a routine check into finding out more about Sharon’s potential relationship with Phil.

Family relationships and/or conflict

There is antagonism as people in the community stare at Sharon as she levitates off the ground.

Katz – personal relationship – As the antagonists looks up at Sharon with bad facial expressions. The audience may sympathize with Sharon because she is a recent character to just return to Albert Square and yet the audience can sense so much potential conflict between Sharon and residents in Albert Square.

Focus on working class communities

There are shops around in the community, which makes the soap opera looks realistic. Also, the verbal communication used in this working class community is colloquial “init” because of their London dialect, which helps clearly indicate the location of the soap.

Katz – Diversion - The audience can immerse themselves from their boring community to Albert Square, where the drama always continues. The clothing used establish that the characters are from a working class community, from the use of aprons to indicate a character is working on a market or café and their black shoes which indicate that one of the characters own or work in a business. The audience can then relate to the characters and how they live their daily working life.

“Multi-Stranded Narrative”

As people give her a fearful look it shows that she has background conflict with some of the characters.

Katz – inform and educate – teaches the audience that Sharon is going to be a bad character, especially from the voice-over of “there is a storm coming”.

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‘Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

Everyone looks in shock at Sharon. This indicates that she may be a big problem for one of the characters.

Hartley – It can help entertain the both genders.

Multi-stranded narrative A Multi-stranded narrative can be defined as…..

Telling a story from more than one person’s point of view, – (stereotype/ anti-stereotype). Telling multiple stories about multiple characters in an “open narrative” episode, for example – (stereotype/anti stereotype).

Code & Convention Evidence Impact on the audience

Multi-stranded narrative

It goes from Johnny’s story, to Shirley’s story, and then back to Johnny’s

Keeps the audience captivated

Family relationships and/or conflict

The sister and Father rush to support the son. Also, another non-verbal conflict is that Sharon is on the floor.

Let’s the audience know that Sharon will soon be saved and that Johnny’s family have a strong relationship.

Focus on working class communities

The setting takes place in the pub, as well as the way there is a sense of non-verbal codes of slang.

The audience can relate to the characters’ dialect

Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

Sirens appear and also there is an establishing shot of Sharon on the floor.

Engages the audience and keeps them interested

Romance

Phil and Shirley having a heart to heart conversation

Keeps the audience emotionally detached and entertained.

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:

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“The home, the family, domestic tribulations and the strong woman, and as such, is has long been said to appeal to the female viewer.”

1) – Do you agree? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8_ApPT6isY (First 5 minutes)

Code & Convention Evidence Impact on the audience

Rebecca Feasey (2007) Ideology:

1. Strong Female Orders boys around It can make the female audience entertained to watch it more

2. Dominant Shouts up to the child Makes the young adult

audience feel more intrigued to watch the soap since the confident character presented

3. Stereotype Cleaning up the dishes Helps the audience to personally

identify with the specific Character.

4. Mother puts a Tells the daughter, Helps motherly audience Strong front for the child. “Don’t worry about it”. in relating to having a

grown conversation with their child

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5. Motherly figure Motherly figure asks Audience can sympathize with Who offers support the daughter that “what the two characters.

She is thinking about”

“Multi-Stranded Narrative”

One of the characters was telling Tracy that his friend was innocent for a crime that was committed. The other narrative was shown when the mother tells the daughter about the financial issues.

Family relationships and/or conflict

Mother telling the daughter about the financial issues, while trying to keep confident.

Focus on working class communities

The supermarket is a setting

Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

Tracy says “keep your mouth shut” There was mention of a funeral so someone has died.

Romance

There was no sight of romance but from the non- diegetic dialogue of “she is innocent” connotes that the fact this character is sticking for this woman means that he is in love with her.

Other Themes & Issues represented:

The stereotype of the motherly figure finishing off the dishes help housewife audiences to personally relate to the specific character.

Soap Opera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson 4 Textual Analysis

1) What is the purpose of a trailer? The purpose of a trailer is to promote and advertise the show before it is released on air. This is likewise with a new movie.

2) What are the benefits of Multi-Platform promotion of a media text?

It helps to grab a mass audience.

Easier for the audience to access Ultimately, some form of Convergence is important when promoting a text to the target audience.

3) Textual Analysis –

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“I’m lucky” - Verbal Code

Personal Relationship – The women can sympathize with the feeling if getting married.

Narrative Structure is normal Multi-Stranded Narrative – A couple is getting married and through different

camera shots, we can see how other people react to this through the non-verbal codes of facial expressions.

Wedding Romance/ Chemistry - Male and Female character outside the ‘Rovers’

In the trailer one of the female characters gave a big sigh. This connotes that she is worried something will go wrong.

Technical code - Shot Reverse Shot – Steve is jealous and is infatuated with the young and beautiful bride.

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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)?

The connotations of the indent could symbolize that the soup targets teenage boys and girls because of the antagonism between each gender. The indent shows this through the connotations of pink and blue writing that demonstrates that stereotypically, pink is a female’s color and blue is a male’s color. Since it is used to create one word, the ident is for male and female teenagers.

Next Page - Hollyoaks – “White Wedding Trailer” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu2sW-r9Vb4

The dark atmosphere, mixed with the soundtrack connotes that bride’s wedding will be a wedding from hell

The tear connotes that something not just bad, but disastrous will happen at the wedding.

“Shot gun wedding” very quick solution to a problem. The verbal code of the song lyrics connotes that maybe the bride is forced into getting married in order to solve a solution.

The black tear could resemble the way; the bride sees the wedding as something dark and monstrous.

The drop and shatter of the dolly could resemble the way the bride has lost her innocence

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The technical code of slow motion character movement as the male antagonist waves his hand with a black glove could symbolize the way there is conflict between the two characters.

The facial expression on the antagonists’ face wearing the glove changes as the bride walks past him. The connotations of this shows that the male antagonist and devious.

Production Work

1) What is the role of a Producer?

Oversee ALL aspects of the 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?

Oversee the creative aspects of the production. Direct people in front of the camera and behind.

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3) Institution research –

It’s a British broadcasting corporation so it is based in the UK

Launched in 1964

It was BBC’s first channel in color

In June 2nd between June 8th, BBC reached 3.2mil viewers

The aim for BBC Two is to launch ambitious and factual programs