Soap Opera Genre – Independent Textual Analysis

Name: TJ SalangoCandidate Number: 1220Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic SchoolCenter Number: 64135

OCR Media Studies – A2 Level

Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio

Trailer 1 –EastEnders: Mother’s Day 2016 TrailerVerbal CodesAlthough the trailer does not feature any audible diegetic dialogue between the characters there is a non-diegetic soundtrack. The song, Mother by Florence + The Machine, plays throughout the whole trailer with lyrics such as ‘Mother… Make me a bird of prey’ emphasizing the importance of the role of mothers in this particular Mother’s Day trailer as well as in EastEnders in general. The soundtrack begins casually then slows down; it then returns during a more intense part of the song. In addition to the non-diegetic sounds, there were thunder sound effects as well as deafening noise as the camera focuses on who seems to be the main character in the trailer, adding significance to their presence. As for diegetic sounds, the sound of the prongs stabbing the meat as well as the flowers quickly wilting and the photo glass shattering is exaggerated, adding to the overall intensity of the trailer and the impact of the trailer. There is no voiceover during any part of the trailer.

Non-Verbal CodesInitially, the trailer begins with an average black family having dinner. The lighting is low key, natural, the character’s facial expressions, smiles and inaudible conversations connote that they are enjoying the gathering and their clothing, red dress and suit, suggests that they are of the middle class. This is further supported by the fancy food on the table, the red wine and the medium cooked beef. Once the supposedly main character stabs the beef, the lighting immediately darkens and turns red, creating a sense of power, danger and energy in the trailer. The facial expressions change too, as the other characters face the woman, they show emotions of fear and horror, whilst the mother shows ruthlessness and coldness towards them. The use of the overflowing wine glass can foreshadow the overflow of life-changing events that would take place in the later series. The positioning of the mother standing over her husband can connote how her role will develop into something much more powerful later in the series. The costumes of the elder characters are casual yet classy, adding to the initial relaxed environment depicted at the beginning of the trailer. The teenager is wearing a light grey hoodie which represents his youth and casual perception of events. The majority of the trailer is filmed with a dark red filter, adding to the sinister atmosphere; this is exaggerated by the gusts of smoke and broken glass which all contribute to foreshadow unfortunate events.

Technical CodesThe scene begins with an eye-level long shot, presenting all of the family members in the frame, establishing the closeness and the relationship between them all. After this brief introduction medium shots are taken of each of the family members, focusing on their actions; the low angle shot on who is presumably the father highlights his role in the show and possibly his position above his family. The medium shot on the young man and another female family member hints that there is a stronger bond between the two, whilst the mother, who is in shallow focus, can connote her lack of importance to them. The mother then stabs the meat and the next shot is a low angle close up of her tense face; this signifies her sudden power in that moment in time as well as her dominance. The shot reverse shot between her and another male member, along with close ups, suggests that there is conflict between the two. The trailer finishes with the same camera shot as we were introduced, connoting that the events are a vicious cycle or simply a foreshadowing of the show. As for the camera movement, the trailer is almost edited to be played in slow motion, hence the camera movement seems sluggish, yet the cuts are prevalent. This adds to the heavy nature of the advert and the weight of all the problems.

Trailer 2 –Nowhere Left To Run - Coronation StreetVerbal CodesThe trailer features no diegetic dialogue between the characters apart from the woman shouting ‘Run’ at her female friend, however there are few diegetic sound effects such as doors slamming shut, car tires screeching, heavy breathing and footsteps, all of these add to the general intensity and fast pace of the trailer. The song, Devil’s Whisper by Raury plays throughout the entirety of the trailer, with audible lyrics such as ‘You better run… All day long’ which is obviously a reference to both the title of the trailer and also what the characters are doing. From this we can gather that there is a danger from which the characters of the show are running away from as it is implied he poses a threat to them. The lyrics ‘I’m not trying to be a preacher, I was never a reverend’, if perceived from the victim’s perspective, connotes that they feel guilty for something, which could possibly be their reason for running. The only voiceover evident in the trailer is of a woman speaking directly to the audience of the Soap Opera’s show time to inform the viewer of when the show will be live.

Non-Verbal Codes The lighting is quite high key since the majority of the trailer takes place outside where the weather is sunny; the general connotation of the high key lighting adds to the upbeat theme of the advert whilst still creating a realistic British atmosphere. Since it is a soap opera the setting has to be relatable, hence it takes place in what seems to be a small community, local people and businesses are shown, the characters are seen running through a garage, alleys and the street, all of which are common environments in the UK. The three victims are dressed casually, a polo top and jeans for the man whilst one of the woman wears a summer dress and the other a light jacket and jeans; again this sets the scene that the characters are average people. However, the antagonist wears all black, connoting that his character is dangerous and evil. This is anchored by his constant tense and angry facial expression, whilst the victims show fear.

Technical CodesOverall the pace of the trailer is very quick, the cuts are fast paced throughout, creating a sense of intensity and danger for both the audience and the characters; it is only once the characters stop running that the cuts become slower, grounding the fast beat to a halt and leaving the viewer in anticipation. We are introduced to one of the female victims with a medium eye level shot, highlighting that she could be one of the more important characters. The camera tracks the victims running with a long angle shot, presenting them as one team in which they work together. As they run past a couple they are in shallow focus with the couple in deep focus, connoting that to other members of the show they aren’t important figures and that their situation is under looked. The antagonist is presented with a close up, already the audience is informed of his position in the trailer. As the victims come to a halt, they look down a cliff as the camera looks back at them with a medium shot at a very low angle; this could suggest that despite they were running, they are still above the situation. The camera changes to an eye level shot with the antagonist approaching them from the back in shallow focus, adding to the mysterious nature of his character, then a close up of his face which builds more suspense for the viewer. The advert finishes with the camera zooming out at a high angle with all the characters in frame, foreshadowing their impending doom and no escape.

Evaluation of Textual Analysis – Compare and Contrast

Trailer 1) – Areas of Strength and what you would ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale) or “exploit” (Abercrombie – 1995)From observing the trailer I have analyzed its weaknesses and its strengths as well as film techniques I would like to repeat and exploit. Despite its clever use of no diegetic dialogue to emphasize the significance of the song’s lyrics, I feel this is something I cannot ‘exploit’ in my own trailer as in order to achieve a higher grade diegetic dialogue must be present; however, I would like to ‘exploit’ the addition of a meaningful and lyrically relevant song to represent the character's feelings, emotions and situation. The general non verbal code of the character’s costumes is definitely something I will ‘repeat’ due to the observation that the soap opera genre evolves around middle/ lower class people, which is clearly presented by the way these characters dress; although they are seen celebrating, their clothing doesn’t look overly expensive, nor are they overly formal. I would like to ‘exploit’ the shot reverse shot editing technique as it can be a powerful yet subtle representation of conflict between characters, in this case, since a trailer is only an advertisement, it can be used to foreshadow important events that would occur during the actual episode, therefore it leaves the audience in suspense and adrenaline. The general setting isn’t as appealing as the outdoor urban environment shown in the Coronation Street trailer, I would also imagine that filming indoors can lead to lighting problems such as too much or not enough light, tight filming areas, risk of getting disturbed during shooting, hence why it would be preferable to film outside, providing that the weather is appropriate, than inside a dining room. Special effects such as a smoke machine to create a misty atmosphere, as well as professional CGI that was used to age the flowers, strongly add to the aesthetics of the scene, however I feel that such effects would be difficult to replicate in our own trailers, hence this is something I feel I couldn’t ‘exploit’. Towards the end of the trailer come some techniques I would like to ‘repeat’; the act of introducing the trailer and ending it with the same camera angle not only is aesthetically pleasing, but it creates a dramatic effect.

Trailer 2) – Areas of Strength and what you would ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale) or “exploit” (Abercrombie – 1995)The Coronation Street trailer shares similarities and differences to the EastEnders trailer; one particular technique both adverts had used was the lack of diegetic dialogue, however this trailer featured a girl shouting ‘Run!’. The use of short yet impacting verbal dialogue can add to the fast pace of a trailer, which is something I feel I can ‘exploit’ in my own trailer to build sudden suspense. A camera technique that I find extremely powerful is the use of deep focus and shallow focus on specific characters, it can be used to portray relationships between characters and represent their status or feelings for each other, therefore it is something I would very much like to include in my own trailer. Along with this is the broken frame shot, it acts as a representative of a character or an object, and is another technique I’d ‘repeat’. Much like the EastEnders trailer, the characters’ clothing is very ordinary, neither too formal nor overly expensive which is absolutely important in the soap opera genre as the wrong clothing will ruin the trailer. The lack of filming outdoors in the EastEnders trailer is something I would not like to ‘exploit’; on the other hand, the Coronation Street takes place mainly outside in what appears to be a small village or community, with short yet brief scenes of the characters running indoors. The variety of filming locations would achieve a higher grade and also give the viewer a deeper insight as to where my soap opera would take place. The constant fast paced cuts are an editing technique I would also like to include as not only does it build adrenaline for the audience but it represents the scenes from a number of different angles, forming the general setting for the show. As mentioned analyzing the EastEnders trailer, the natural yet bright lighting in the Coronation Street trailer is more preferable as its realistic and achievable, hence this is a non verbal code that I would like to ‘exploit’, the lighting and the weather. One last technique that I would like to include in my own trailer is the use of extreme angle camera shots; at times the camera is at an extreme high angle or extreme low angle, which I feel improves the advert due to the unconventional camera techniques.