St. Paul’s Catholic College

Center Number: 64770

Candidate Number: 5887

Candidate Name: Connie Cronin

A2 Media Studies

Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media –

Production Log

Evidence of Planning & Research

Aims and Objectives

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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.

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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: Tuesday 22nd October 8.00am – 12.45pm

Edited Trailer – Complete:

Promotional Poster – Complete:

Promotional Magazine Cover – Complete:

Evaluation – Complete:

Production Work

Director – Joshua Davey Producer – Connie Cronin and Christian Bonning Institution research – BBC Three

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

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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 and conflict

3. Focus on working class communities

4. Cliff Hangers

5. Multi-stranded narrative

6. Realism

Eastenders (1985 – Present)

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Key information regarding this text:

Exhibited on BBC1 and repeated on BBC Three

One of the UK’s highest rated programs (8mil per week)

Set in the ‘kitchen sink’ setting of fictional Walford, East London

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 15+

Gender Mainly targeted at females

Nationality British

Trailer 1)

What is the Focus of this trailer?Love triangle between Stacey, Max and Bradley.

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Code&

Convention

Evidence

(Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical)

Impact on the Audience

(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)

RomanceVerbal code - ‘love you’‘yeah me too’

Non verbal code - Max and Stacey kissing

‘Personal identification’ (Katz) – the characters both display their ‘love’ through verbal and non verbal codes that the audience can personally identify and relate to within their own lives.

Family relationships and/or conflict

Technical – likes father? Likes son?

Verbal Code – ‘Does she know something?’

This reflects how the show will target families (Hartley) although it connotes something that isn’t socially acceptable within society

Focus on working class communities

Non verbal code - Stacey working on a market stall

Non verbal code – characters mainly wearing dark clothing which represents the working class community.

The clothing is a denotation of their lifestyles, and reflects their ‘lower class/dangerous class’ (Marx). The connotations of Stacey working on the market stall is also that she is part of the ‘working class’ community, to not have a successful career path is what is expected from their class.

“Multi-Stranded Narrative”

Technical codes of close up and mid shots

These technical codes show that all the events are happening simultaneously and makes the audience feel part of the community as they know all that is going on.

‘Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

Verbal Code – ‘I know your dirty little secret’

This gives the audience an indication that something bad is about to occur and encourages them to stay tuned to find out what the ‘dirty little secret’ is.

Trailer 2)

What is the Focus of this trailer?

All of the Branning family, judgement day for Max.

Code&

Convention

Evidence

(Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical)

Impact on the Audience

(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)

RomanceNon verbal code – costumes, Stacey wear provocative clothing although Bradley is trying to be protective over her.

The costumes symbolize their position in the love triangle, and also keeps the audience part of the situation. This is a benefit as it helps keep the audience eager to find out more about what will unfold.

Family Technical code – close ups and mid shots

Portrays the tension within the family to the audience through close up of the characters

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relationships and/or conflict

faces, showing detailed facial expressions; keeping the audience involved in the conflict.

Focus on working class communities

Non verbal code – costumes maid

She has taken on the role of someone that audience would associated with that community (working class)

“Multi-Stranded Narrative”

Technical code – close ups, mid shots and long shots

The technical codes use help to establish that the focus is on Max. The use of different camera shots help establish a multi-stranded narrative by showing the narrative from 4 different perspectives.

‘Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

Non verbal and verbal codes through a soundtrack and the verbal code of the lyrics.

Different parts of the advert give deeper meanings to certain aspects, such as Stacey dressing as a maid and Max as a security guard, this could denote that Stacey will soon have her own mess to clear up, and Max is protecting his secret, and trying to protect Tanya from finding out.

Multi-stranded narrative

A Multi-stranded narrative can be defined as telling a story from more than on persons point of view, or telling multiple stories about multiple characters in an open narrative episode for example.

Code & Convention Evidence Impact on the audience Multi-stranded

narrativeAvon and Dexter also Tanya and Max (Technical)Kat and Alice

Absorption into the community, makes the audience feel as if they are part of it.

Family relationships and/or conflict

Verbal - ‘let’s try and be a family’ Tanya say to Lauren,

The audience can personally identify (Katz) with Tanya and the family problems she is facing.

Focus on working class communities

Verbal – ‘I ain’t even interested’Setting – Market place,

The colloquial language connotes the working class community, as does

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home the market place as that is the heart of the square where everything goes on.

Disequilibrium’ (Todorov) Verbal – ‘she’s on a slippery slope’

Connotes that there could be further drama and events that will create a disequilibrium, this helps to keep the audience tuned into the show.

Romance Non verbal – max and Tanya separated. Jack and Sharon getting together

Both romances or past romances will lead to conflict in the show which will also keep the audience tuned into the show.

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

‘the home, the family domestic tribulations and the strong woman, 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)

Code & Convention Evidence Impact on the audience

Rebecca Feasey (2007) Ideology:

1. Multiple families been shown throughout the narrative conform to Feasy’s ideology.

2. Domestic Tribulations – An argument starts inside The Rovers between mother and daughter, but like most families the argument is resolved quickly after.

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3. The home – shown in the clip as everyone starts of in their homes.

4. Female viewer – the soap is appealing to the female viewer as is revolves around family, and the challenges that come with that. It also gives the female viewer a diversion from real life and allows them to ‘personally identify’ (Katz) with some of the situations that occur within the soap.

5. Strong woman – there are many examples of strong woman throughout the narrative, especially ones that the female segment of the audience can personally identify with, as woman in the show that they always get what they want.

Multi-stranded narrative

Technical Establishing shots and long shots introduce the different families within the show.

Family relationships and/or conflict

Verbal The families address each other in only a way a family would. It also shows conflict between the families which is also common in everyday life

Focus on working class communities

Non-verbal The characters costumes within the trailer help establish that they are from a working class community.

Disequilibrium’ (Todorov) Verbal Marcus and Sean have an argument creating a disequilibrium and an enigma clue as to what will happen next

Romance Non-verbal Romance is presented to the audience between Mary and Norris as she dances around the shop smiling and laughing as she talks to him.

1) What is the purpose of a trailer?

To attract target audience intended without giving to much away from the main storylines.

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

Attract a larger target audience Cheap and easy to get out to audience

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

Textual Analysis –

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

Multi Stranded Narrative - Becky’s wedding from both Becky’s and Steve’s point of view.Younger male character – sexual tension

Character Dilemma– Grooms misery?- Young man not happy about something

Personal identification (Katz)- Wedding stress- Bride – happy- Marriage- Preparation

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)?

Symbolises that there will be a ‘battle of the sexes’ as there is a clear divide between genders.

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

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Everything is the trailer is in binary opposition to the norm, the lyrics in the soundtrack ‘nice day for a white wedding’ although the characters are all dressed in black which is more like a funeral, it could connote death at the wedding. There are also connotations of an unwanted pregnancy as there is a smashed baby doll on the floor.

Production Work

1) What is the role of a Producer?

- Oversee all aspects of the production across 3 stages- Manage everyone, production, pre-production

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 –

Launched in Febuary 2003

Target audience 16 – 30 years old

1.4% audience share

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