Soap Opera Genre –

Independent Textual

Analysis

Name: Abbie Fowler

Candidate Number: 6402

Center Name: St. Paul’s Catholic College

Center Number: 64770

OCR Media Studies – A2 Level

Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio

Trailer 1 – Eastenders -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADNwkxrCtd4

Verbal Codes –

There is no diegetic dialogue spoken by the characters of Eastenders in this trailer, however, in the non-diegetic sound of the

soundtrack playing in the background, it uses particular lyrics within this soundtrack which connotes and convey strong annotations

of the atmosphere within Eastenders. For example “In the land of God’s and monsters” connotes that there are good and bad

people living together and also ‘signifies’ (De Saussure) the expected Soap-Opera theme of antagonism and conflict in the genre.

These song lyrics anchor the meanings represented in the trailer to add a significant effect on the audience by letting them figure

out themselves the real meaning of it.

“There’s a killer amongst them” – the connotations behind this is that one of the characters who have been shown in the trailer is a

killer, and amongst all of them, one person has done it. This lets the audience know that those characters have been shown for a

reason.

Non-Verbal Codes –

The setting of this trailer is all based in Watford where Eastenders is set. Within Watford is all of the characters homes and places

where they go. For example The use of the launderette being shown in the trailer connotes that they are working class people if

they have to go to the launderette to wash their laundry. The use of low key lighting throughout the trailer conveys the narrative to

be dark and mysterious.

The characters all have all the same facial expressions throughout the trailer, which connotes that they’re all going through the

same emotions

All the characters have some props in the situation they are in as they are acting out their every day life situation, therefore their

props are every day objects, however, for example; the object that Peter is using is a shovel, this could be used to contradict the

death of Lucy. The costumes that are used are every day clothes, just like the setting which is based in the Queen Vic, the pub in

Watford. This connotes to the audience that they are still living out their normal daily lives.

Trailer 1 – Eastenders -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADNwkxrCtd4

Technical Codes –

The technical code of the straight camera movement in this trailer is slow, which allows the audience to get a more in depth feeling

of what is going on within Watford. The shot types within this trailer are all very similar so they can keep the same effect of the dark

and mysterious constant throughout the trailer, for example straight, still camera movements.

The camera angles are all similar as well, as they all come from either underneath the characters or are quite oblique to capture

the mysterious moment of just their eyes moving. This creates an mysterious effect for the audience as it leaves them on a

cliffhanger.

The pace of the cuts are very slow, this allows the audience to be able to gain the full effect of the mysterious feeling within this

trailer.

The high angle shot of all the characters at the end of the trailer connotes how they all may be guilty and have all played a part in

the death of Lucy. This anchor’s (support) the themes & issues represented at the end of the trailer by making the characters look

guilty.

Trailer 2 – Coronation Street http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8utOBfHCGo

Verbal Codes –

There is not a lot of dialogue within this trailer, accept from towards the end of the flashbacks of Tina’s life.

This connotes to the audience what the narrative is going to be based around and also helps the audience gain an understanding

to the story line but without revealing too much and making them want to watch the full episode. There is no sound effects or non-

diegetic soundtrack within this trailer, which also creates an empathy effect within the trailer and the audience, as they’re just

keeping it simple, it seems to reveal a lot less but creates a bigger effect of mystery for the audience. There is no voiceover which has been used in this trailer.

Non-Verbal Codes –

The non-verbal code of the setting of this trailer is similar because at the beginning the shots of all the characters are of them

standing all in the same place, which connotes that the characters all come from the same area and all have something in

common with each other, which then shows the importance of how they all link to the story line. The low key lighting of this trailer

is all dark and mysterious, which leads the audience on to wanting to watch more.

This creates an overall effect on the trailer by showing what the atmosphere is like within this soap, due to the story line of who

killed Tina, which establishes the expected multi-stranded narrative usually associated to this genre. The costumes used within

this trailer were just normal every day outfits that the characters would’ve normally worn, which connotes that although they all

look normal, there still could be a lot of other unusual things going on within Coronation Street.

There was no props in this trailer, this could’ve been done, to not reveal away the ending of the story line.

Evaluation of Textual Analysis –Compare and Contrast

Trailer 1 - Eastenders) – Areas of Strength and what you would ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale - 1980) and/or ‘exploit’ (Abercrombie – 1995)

The area of strength I would ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale – 1980) and/or ‘exploit’ (Abercrombie – 1995) is the lighting, this is because it

is dark and mysterious. I would also repeat setting in my trailer as they all have some meaning behind it and a purpose as to why

the setting is the way it is, being still and nothing moving, to show the atmosphere of what it is like due to the story line. Having a

blank facial expressions throughout the trailer is also something I would repeat as it lets the audience be more engaged in the

trailer and want to find out more, without the trailer revealing too much.

However, I would like to repeat some of the camera shots within this trailer for my own trailer for example; the shots of everyone

being still and just their eyes moving and some things being in slow motion, this gives the audience a sense of wonder as to why

this is happening and want to find out what is happening within the story line, which leads them onto watching the soap to find

out.

Trailer 2 – Coronation Street) – Areas of Strength and what you would ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale - 1980) and/or ‘exploit’ (Abercrombie – 1995)

I would repeat in my trailer from Coronation Street is the setting, which was the characters who have been placed in the same

position one at a time in the exact same spot, this then makes the characters all look like they have an connection with the same

thing and leads every one wondering what they have done in order to be made to look like the bad ones within the trailer.

I would also like to repeat the costumes like the ones in Coronation Street, this is because they are not too over the top, they are

just ordinary clothes like people would wear every day, this makes it harder for just one person to stand out to ‘give away’ the

story line to the audience, as they all look similar to each other. This also adds to the effect of the mysterious story line of as they are not easily revealing the story line as to who is the killer.

Trailer 2 – Coronation Street http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8utOBfHCGo

Technical Codes –

Camera Angles in this trailer are very straight forward for example: eye level shots, there are no complicated ones. Keeping this

effect on the camera throughout the trailer still leads to the audience having a feeling as wanting to watch more, as they have

stayed similar throughout the trailer, the effect has been constant throughout the trailer because of this.

The shot types are all similar, these shot types being close-ups to eye level shots. As well as they all keep a constant angle

throughout the trailer or all come from a similar place. For example: coming from underneath the characters or just straight on at

their face.

This keeps a nice scary effect on the trailer as it makes them realise something bad has or is going to happen (also known as a

‘disequilibrium’ – Todorov), and who to and which people play more of an important role within the story line than others.

The transitions used were at a normal pace for each of the cuts, this allows the audience to take a good look at the characters in

their facial expressions, props and so on. The character's are all looking at the camera in the begging of the trailer, then all relates back to that one character, ‘Tina’. This shows how they all play a significant part in Tina’s life and all have something to do with the storyline of what happens to Tina.