Soap Opera Genre –

Ancillary Product Analysis

Name: Claire OlneyCandidate Number: 1186Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic SchoolCenter Number: 64135

OCR Media Studies – A2 Level

Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio

the box connotes importance of the masthead, and it could also suggest passion for the soap opera genre.

‘New Clearer TV Guide! Find what’s on QUICKER!’ – This verbal code leads the audience to believe that they are keeping up-to-date by purchasing the ‘new’ guide. Also, by capitalizing the adjective ‘QUICKER’ adds emphasis to the speed that the reader would be able to find out what programs are on, and therefore stay up-to-date.

Verbal codes such as ‘Horror’, ‘Crash’, ‘Shock’, and ‘Quicker’ have been used in order to attract the audience’s attention, as this kind of language makes the event seem more interesting and invites the reader to either read more about the program or watch it itself.

There is a large Mid Shot image of all 3 cast members involved in the Coronation Street headline. Their serious facial expressions are anchored by the headline ‘Who dies?’, which is a way of grabbing the audience’s attention, to invite them to try and guess who could potentially die. One of the characters’ heads is covering the masthead slightly, therefore connoting the importance of the headline within this particular issue of the magazine, and in the current world of the soap opera genre.

Main Headline – They have used language such as ‘Horror’ and ‘Crash’ to attract the reader’s attention, and then they have left it with a question in order to get the reader to think for themselves, and to read the magazine to find out more details on the upcoming event. They have also added an effect to the verbal code ‘Crash’ to make it look shattered, which is very eye-catching on the page, and it brings the headline to life.

There have been smaller cover lines added across the bottom of the front cover in order to give the magazine more variety so they can attract a wider audience, but it also promotes the programs and it gives the reader more of an insight to what is inside the magazine.

They have also included a web address underneath the masthead, which is a form of cross-media convergence. This is significant because it allows the reader to access more information about the magazine on the internet, and there may be the option to subscribe online.

Masthead – Written in a bold font in order to grab the audience’s attention. It has been written in a white font inside a red box, which is avery striking on the cover, and highlights significance. The colour red for

Masthead – It has been written in a bold red font, and goes across the page in order to stand out more, instead of it being in the corner. Also, it overlaps the main images of the characters, which connotes its value and importance on the magazine. The red connotes passion for the soap opera genre, and suggests importance.

Verbal codes such as ‘Shock’, ‘Terror’, ‘Hell’, ‘Secret’ and ‘Horror’ are used in order to attract the audience to buy the copy of the magazine, as well as tuning into the program itself. These adjectives are explosive and eye-catching, which don’t give away any part of the story, but they are shocking enough to entice people to read about them.

There is a non-verbal code of the main image, which could be viewed as anti-stereotypical in terms of gender because the two women are in front of the two men, which connotes that they are more important in the soap at this point. The photos of them are mid shots, in order to get all four characters in focus on the page, although the two females are more in focus.

Main Headline – It contains the word ‘Shock’, which therefore connotes something unexpected and leaves the audience guessing what might happen. The fact that it’s been written in orange, which is a different colour to the other cover lines connotes significance and passion, which will reflect on the reader and make them excited to read about it or watch the program.

There have been smaller cover lines added across the bottom and the top of the front cover in order to give the magazine more variety so they can attract a wider audience, but it also promotes the programs and it gives the reader more of an insight to what is inside the magazine.

Strapline – The word ‘Every’ is repeated, which therefore emphasizes that the magazine offers everything the reader would want. Also, ‘Every’ has been enlarged over the other words in order to stand out and make the audience understand that by buying this, they will find out everything there is to know about each soap, which will be updated weekly, with new ‘secrets’ every week.

The magazine promotes a 7-day TV guide, which implies how they care to inform the reader of programs every day of the week, to ensure that they are completely up-to-date with what is on TV.

The banner across the top of the page also includes more stories for other programs, in order to give the audience more information and to promote these programs. The fact that it has been highlightedin a yellow banner connotes significance to the reader and it also enables it to stand out more over the white background.

ConclusionAfter completing this task, I now know that I will ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale – 1980) the way that both magazines have incorporated bright and striking colours onto the front covers, as this enables the conventions of the magazine to stand out where necessary and it therefore attracts the audience’s attention. Also, I will repeat the way that both masthead’s stand out on the page as they have been enlarged as well as the fact that they have been composed in bold colours. Another feature I will ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale – 1980), is how both magazines have included other storylines on the page, as it allows the magazine to reach a wider audience, but I prefer how ‘What’s on TV’ have done this just at the bottom of the page as opposed to the top and bottom like ‘Inside Soap’ does, because I feel that it looks neater and more professional. From ‘What’s on TV’ I will ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale – 1980) the prominent coloured background instead of the plain white background used for ‘Inside Soap’. This is because I feel that the strong coloured background fits in with the bold style of the soap opera genre magazine as well as being more eye-catching for the reader.