St. Paul’s Catholic College

Center Number: 64770

Candidate Number: 6259

Candidate Name: Eleanor Stapleton

A2 Media Studies

Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media –

Production Log

Evidence of Planning & Research

1

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 BBC 3 at 8:30pm (after Eastenders) that will appeal to a Male and Female audience.

2

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 Producer Institution research – BBC Three

3

Soap Opera Codes & Conventions – Lesson 2

1) What are some of the Codes & Conventions of this genre?

You MUST demonstrate what you already know by completing a “Spider Diagram” of what you know about OR expect from this genre:

Codes and Conventions

Multi-stranded narrative

Everyday Situation

Sponsors

Creates Realism

Romance

Focuses on working class communities

No relation to the outside world

Family relationships/and

or conflict Not unlikely narratives

4

2) Codes & Conventions of the Soap Opera Genre

The Soap Opera genre can be categorized by the ‘repeated’ (S t e v e N e a l e ) elements of:

1. Romance

2. Family relationships/ and or conflict

3. Focus on working class communities

4. Antagonism and conflict within the community

5. Creates realism

Eastenders (1985 – Present)

Key information regarding this text:

Exhibited on BBC 1 and represented on BBC 3

One of the UK’s highest rated programmes (Averages around 8 million viewers a week)

Set in the ‘Kitchen Sink’ setting of a fictional Walford East London

Textual Analysis Task

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

5

You MUST complete the Table below whilst watching the TWO promotional trailers for the BBC Soap Opera Eastenders.

You SHOULD aim to identify key examples (Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical) from each trailer that demonstrates your understanding.

You COULD apply relevant audience theory to explain what impact these key examples would have on the target demographic.

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

Age - ?

Gender - ?

Nationality - ?

Trailer 1)

What is the Focus of this trailer?

The dilemma between Stacey’s two relationships – Romance, Family, Betrayal, Adultery

Code&

Convention

Evidence

(Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical)

Impact on the Audience

(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)

Romance“I Love you” Diversion – Can immerse within this

relationship and also personally identify.

Family relationships and/or conflict

“Does she know something?!”

The audience members want to be informed and educated about this forthcoming disequilibrium and wants going to happen. This will keep the audience entertained and maybe allow them to build a personal relationship with different characters.

Focus on working class communities

“I know your dirty, filthy little secret!”

Stacey working on the market stall.

Audience can immerse themselves into this situation between two other people and escape from their own reality.

Audience members can personally identify with this situation and location as it might be familiar with some members of the audience.

“Multi-Stranded Verbal code of text: Likes father, likes son

Hartley: GenderPeople can personally identify with this

6

Narrative” event and members may have gone through something similar.

‘Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

Zoom in on Stacey’s facial expression

Personal identification: Audience can personally identify with Stacey’s feelings and emotions and can maybe build a personal relationship or sympathise with her (Caregivers – Maslow)

Trailer 2)

What is the Focus of this trailer?

Max ‘making his bed’ and also ‘judgment day for Max ‘

Code&

Convention

Evidence

(Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical)

Impact on the Audience

(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)

RomanceBody language Stacey walking towards Max and also the facial expression.

Immerse themselves into Stacey and Max’s situation of them having an affair.

Family relationships and/or conflict

Tanya’s facial expression

Audience can escape from own reality and maybe build a personal relationship with Tanya as some members may be able to sympathise with her (Caregivers – Maslow). Members might also want to be informed and educated about why she’s feeling like this.

Focus on working class communities

Stacey’s outfit as the maid > not a well-paid job, working class job.

Some members may be able to personally identify with Stacey’s outfit as they may have similar or the same job as a maid/cleaner. From this they may be able to build a personal relationship with Stacey.

“Multi-Stranded Narrative”

The shot of Stacey as the maid then cuts to his wife.

Members may be able to personally identify with the amount of situations going carried out. Can relate to the busy lifestyle.

‘Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

Low key lighting“You can run home”“Judgment day”

Audience members want to be informed and educated about the situation going on between these multiple characters.

7

Multi-stranded narrative

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

-Telling a story from more than one persons (characters) point of view

-Telling multiple stories about multiple characters in an open narrative episode for example.

You MUST deconstruct the 10-minute extract from Eastenders and identify where the following elements are presented to the audience:

Multi-stranded narrative Family relationships and/or conflict Focus on working class communities ‘Disequilibrium’ (Todorov) Romance

You SHOULD write down x1-2 examples for EACH of the elements above that are presented.

Code & Convention Evidence Impact on the audience Multi-stranded

narrativeStory with Lauren and then cuts to Alice’s story

Diversion – Can immerse in different situations.

Family relationships and/or conflict

Tanya on Abi: “You’re my special little girl”“Oh, I’m sorry, are you apart of this conversation?”

Younger members may be able to personally identify with Abi and older with Tanya. Or families all together.

Focus on working class communities

Working on market stalls and the cockney east London accent.

Audience members can personally identify with the location and or the accent presented in the show.

Disequilibrium’ (Todorov) Max storming into Tanya’s house.

Members can - ?

Romance “Are you okay?” – Peter texts Lauren (Teenagers)

Younger members can immerse themselves into this relationship and build a personal relationship with these two characters.

Soap Opera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson 3Textual Analysis

According to Rebecca Feasey in ‘Masculinity and Popular television’ (2007), the Soap Opera genre tends to focus on:

8

The name, he family domestic tribulations and the strong women, and as such it 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)

You MUST deconstruct the opening 5 minutes of a sequence from the popular ITV Soap Opera Coronation Street (1960 – Present) to identify examples of where this ideology is presented to the target audience.

You SHOULD also try and identify, to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the genre, any Codes & Conventions associated to the Soap Opera genre.

Code & Convention Evidence Impact on the audience

Rebecca Feasey (2007) Ideology:

1. Home: Opening scenes focus on houses

2. Family: Mum, father, son – Dropping him at school and also giving lunch.

3. Domestic Tribulations: Issue on going to work when a loved one is ill.

4. Strong Women: Red Coat – Resilient, Mum: being the provider and standing up from nudges from kid.

Multi-stranded narrative

“What’s the local gossip” Wedding and relationship

Diversion – Can immerse in different situations.

Family relationships and/or conflict

“I could wedge it down your throat”“What would I do without

Some members may be able to sympathise with the character being

9

you?” targeted. Members may be able to build a personal relationship with these two characters.

Focus on working class communities

“What you need is a drink”Language used: Dosh (local talk).

‘Personally identify’ (Katz) with the accent and slang being used in the show.

Disequilibrium’ (Todorov) “She’s defiantly up to something”

‘Diversion’, can immerse themselves in the up-and-coming problem. Audience wants to be informed and educated.

Romance Flowers in hand. Personal identification and or sympathise with the character.

Soap Opera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson 4Textual Analysis

1) What is the purpose of a trailer?

To promote and advertise either a film or a television programme. Soap Opera: To advertise a certain episode or series of episodes and to hopefully sell to a mass audience

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

To promote the film or television programme series to a wider audience.

A cheap effective way to promote to a mass audience.

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

3)

Textual Analysis –

10

You MUST make notes on the following areas when deconstructing this sequence from Coronation Street:

Multi-stranded narrative Character dilemmas ‘Personal Identification’ (Katz)

Hayley and Roy – Facial expression

Tension - Liz and Jason – Multi stranded Narrative

Romance – With Becky but binary opposite with Steve

Sign – Hayley

Eileen crossing the fingers – to say this could go either way.

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)?

It could represent the battle of the sexes in the soap and could connote the female gender is more dominant

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

11

2. You MUST make notes on the following areas when deconstructing this sequence from Hollyoaks:

Binary opposition of the non-diegetic music Symbolism of the non-verbal code of the tear Representation of Pregnancy Any other examples that would impact the audience

Symbolism of the tear – Black connotes fear she could be crying because of guilt > “What have you done”

The lyrics are a complete binary opposition to what the situation is. > “It’s a nice day for a white wedding”

Baby bump is oversized > Fake.

Production Work

1) What is the role of a Producer?

Oversee all aspects of the production across the 3 stages the pre-production, production, post production. Manage everyone and ensure everyone 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 and behind the camera.

3) Institution research –

You MUST research the institution that your trailer will be exhibited on.

Tips: Programming, Target audience, Audience figures, History of the channel.

Launched 9th February 2003.

Audience 1.4%

It replaced BBC Choice

The live Eastenders episode in 2010 gained 4,537,000 viewers.

The channels target audience is 16 – 34.

12