My idea for my trailer originally came from the research that I did. For example, I watched and analysed three different soap trailers in order to get an understanding about how trailers are created and what they are used for. The Hollyoaks trailer that I evaluated was particularly useful to my ideas because it highlighted the same target audience that I was planning to target with my own trailer. This was imnportant because it essentially highlighted the conventions that I would need to follow in order to create an effective and contemporary product that would attract a target audience of both male and females aged between 14 and 20. The main reason why I chose this target audience in the first place was because I believe that as I am also of this age, I would have more of an understanding of the needs and expectations of this particular group and would therefore be able to attract them easier.
I believe my final products are successful because they follow the basic conventions of a soap trailer, magazine and poster. For example, revolving the location around the family home in order to create a more realistic setting, and emphasizing one major up and coming storyline. I also believe that I have represented my target audience well through the use of bright colours, large font and informal language on the ancillary tasks, and through the use of characters of a similar age to my target audience throughout the trailer. This is important because as I found out from my questionnaire evaluation, the audience feel as though they can relate to a character if they are of a similar age to themselves.
Although I am pleased with my final products, I did encounter a few problems. For example, timing was a huge problem throughout the assignment as I found it difficult to get all characters together to film the group shots at the same time. This was due to actors work or study commitments. Also, I have never created my own blog before and so I had to start from scratch and teach myself the basic skills in order to be able to publish my work. However, this has helped me to gain and develop valuable skills that I can use later on in life through both work and study. I also developed my editing and particularly moving image skills as at the beginning of this task I was lacking in experience with this particular form of media. However, after lots of practice in the editing suite and with the camcorder, I now feel that I have come a long way since the beginning of this task and feel much more confident with the idea of using blogs to communicate and promote work, and to work with moving image.
Friday 15 April 2011
EMAIL PROVIDING CONFIRMATION TO USE SOUNDTRACK
From: Verity Griffiths (vgriffiths@ministryofsound.com)
Sent: 25 March 2011 16:01:50
To: emma_babygirl_92@hotmail.co.uk (emma_babygirl_92@hotmail.co.uk)
This is fine from our side- we can approve the master side- Universal publishing (suzanne.carey@umusic.com) is your contact for publishing approval
Thanks
From: emma_babygirl_92@hotmail.co.uk [mailto:emma_babygirl_92@hotmail.co.uk]
Sent: 25 March 2011 15:54
To: Verity Griffiths
Subject: Re: Ministry of Sound Group Enquiry:-- Licensing Enquiry - Music
I am constructing a short trailer for a new soap for my media coursework and the track by Example would be used as the backing track for this trailer. It will only be a short trailer of about 30seconds so only a short section of the track will be used. Also, the trailer is purely for academic uses and will not be used publicly. I would be extremely grateful if you could grant me permission to use this track by Example.
Thankyou,
Emma Garton
Sent: 25 March 2011 16:01:50
To: emma_babygirl_92@hotmail.co.uk (emma_babygirl_92@hotmail.co.uk)
This is fine from our side- we can approve the master side- Universal publishing (suzanne.carey@umusic.com) is your contact for publishing approval
Thanks
From: emma_babygirl_92@hotmail.co.uk [mailto:emma_babygirl_92@hotmail.co.uk]
Sent: 25 March 2011 15:54
To: Verity Griffiths
Subject: Re: Ministry of Sound Group Enquiry:-- Licensing Enquiry - Music
I am constructing a short trailer for a new soap for my media coursework and the track by Example would be used as the backing track for this trailer. It will only be a short trailer of about 30seconds so only a short section of the track will be used. Also, the trailer is purely for academic uses and will not be used publicly. I would be extremely grateful if you could grant me permission to use this track by Example.
Thankyou,
Emma Garton
LOCATION SHOTS;
The reason I chose these locations is because I wanted to follow the traditional convention of soap trailers with the setting based around the family and the family home. Although I have focused much more on a friendship group within my trailer storyline, I wanted to shoot the trailer in the home because it highlights this traditional convention and creates a much more realistic vibe, which is extremely important within a soap because soaps are supposed to be an exaggerated version of a realistic life and the problems in which we face on a day to day basis.
ANCILLARY TASK, POSTER ANALYSIS 2;
MAIN IMAGE; Bright and striking image immediately catches the target audience’s attention. The fact that the image is very heavily over edited is important because it highlights the breaking of traditional soap conventions. Unlike the poster taken from Coronation street that I have also analysed, this image is very dramatic and gives away much of the storyline. It clearly shows that there some sort of fire and highlights which characters are involved. The image is also very unfeminine. This is important because unlike most soap’s, Hollyoaks does not target a mostly female audience, but also targets males too. The dark colours in the image connote death, despair and evil-indicating something terrible is going to happen. This colour also emphasizes the orange fire which connotes danger, also giving away more of the storyline. The fact that the producers have used five very different characters is important because it leaves the audience guessing, they may have an idea about the storyline but they are left wondering which character’s will suffer most, creating a major cliff-hanger and leaving them wanting to tune in to find out what happens.
Logo; this is important because it tells the target audience which channel they will need to tune into in order to watch the programme being advertised. It is also an easily identifiable logo that soap fans would instantly associate with Hollyoaks, further advertising the soap and also advertising the other programmes that regular channel 4 viewers would associate with this logo. The use of the colour white is particularly effective because it stands out dramatically against the dark colours within the image, highlighting the importance of advertising the logo.
The phrase is important because it was also used in the trailer to promote the same storyline. This is extremely effective because it constantly reminds the target audience about the up and coming storyline, making them more inclined to tune in. The black, bold font and the white backing stand out against the dark background, instantly catching the target audience’s attention. The colour white also has connotations of innocence and purity which is important with regard to the storyline because it could mean that it is an innocent character that suffers within this dramatic storyline.
ANCILLARY TASK; POSTER ANALYSIS
MAIN IMAGE; Bright and colourful image catches the target audience’s attention, particularly the continuous use of the colour pink within the set is important because this would attract the target audience of a traditional soap - which is usually female - as it is a particularly feminine colour. The very controlled poses and structure of the image indicate that this is not a still from the soap, but that the image has been taken specifically for advertising purposes. Also, the use of these two particular characters indicates a big storyline revolving around only these two characters-the conflict triangle will be associated mainly around these two characters. The use of artificial lighting in the image emphasizes the “good guy/bad guy” approach, with the lighting heavily focused on the female character, showing her to be the good character, and the male to be the bad guy because he is cast in shadow. The mise en scene further highlights this with the use of costume- the female is in light and colourful clothing, while the male is in a dark suit, forming a strong contrast between the two.
Slogan; This gives a little away about the storyline, persuading the target audience to tune in in order to find out more because they are left almost on a cliff-hanger. The use of small font indicates that the image is more important in attracting the audience. This is probably because soap audiences often tune in most nights and are therefore already aware of the character’s/possible storylines-this poster has been created purely to inform viewers that this conflict is coming to a close, and it will be a major storyline-it is used to grab as much of an audience as possible and boost ratings.
Logo/website; The fact that this font is larger and bolder than the font above is important because it indicates that it has slightly more relevance in attracting the audience. It tells the audience which soap is being advertised, and the short, snappy sentence will keep it in their head and help them to remember it, particularly if they see it advertised a lot as this will make them remember that there is a big storyline coming up, therefore making them more likely to tune in. This slogan is what every single viewer will associate with this particular soap. The use of the website adds a little more information, the viewer may feel that more information on this storyline will be given on the website and therefore may be more likely to look at it, which would create more hits for the website.
SPONSER LOGO; Sponsors pay to have their brand advertised whenever the soap is shown to attract more customers- use of synergy/convergence.
LOGO; This logo is extremely identifiable, as most people would recognise it straight away. It not only advertises the channel that the soap can be viewed on, but further advertises the soap. Also the viewer may be tempted to see what other programmes are being screened on this channel. The bright colour also catches attention.
ANILLARY TASK, MAGAZINE ANALYSIS 2;
PLUG- Large bold font stands out and catches the reader’s attention. The colour pink has connotations of lust and identifies the target audience as female. The word “revealed” and use of exclamation mark make the reader feel excited and as though they are getting something exclusive only to this magazine which would therefore persuade them to buy it over any other.
MASTHEAD- I have noticed that the colour red is used consistently on a variety of soap magazines for the masthead. This may be because it is a bright colour and instantly catches the reader’s attention, while conveying through connotations, the different emotions that form the basis of soap storylines, e.g. love, passion, anger and violence.
MAIN IMAGE- This image is important because unlike the main image on the other magazine that I have evaluated, this image does not use a direct mode of address. This is effective because it highlights the distress and anger of the character and emphasizes the dramatic storyline, making the target audience want to know more about why she is angry and therefore persuading them to buy the magazine.
ANCHORAGE TEXT- this text is the first thing you see on this magazine. The bright, bold and uppercase font stands out and instantly grabs the target audience’s attention. It also ties in with the main image, giving the target audience an idea about what the major storyline might be but still leaving it on a slight cliff hanger so as not to ruin the surprise and persuade them to buy the magazine so they can find out more. Also, the fact that this text simply states “KAT FINDS OUT” insinuates that the target audience must already know the background information on this storyline which highlights the target audience as being big soap fans who tune in regularly.
SELL LINES- similarly to the other soap magazine cover that I have analysed; these are also quite sensationalist using exclamation/ question marks which create cliff hangers and persuade the target audience to buy the magazine in order to find out more.
Variety of smaller images highlighting different soaps and their storylines. This is important because it attracts a wider target audience, for example the main storyline on the front cover of this magazine is taken from Eastenders and not all soap fans watch Eastenders-when they see that storylines from other soaps are also included they will be more inclined to buy it.
The yellow font on red background stands out and catches the reader’s attention. Also, the use of uppercase, bold font and exclamation mark plus the use of sensationalist style language makes the reader want to know more and therefore persuade them to buy the magazine.
ANCILLARY MAGAZINE ANNOTATION 1;
A variety of smaller images is eye catching and highlights different storylines/characters from different soaps in order to attract a wider audience. These images consist of mostly female characters, identifying the target audience as being female. This also highlights the dominance that female characters convey in soaps, which is important because it is usually the male role that is dominant in TV drama.
MASTHEAD- Red has connotations of love, anger, lust, danger-all the conventions of soap storylines. This highlights the fact that it is a soap magazine. This colour also catches the audience’s attention and makes the magazine stand out.
PLUG -The alternating colours are eye catching for the reader and make the cover stand out. Repetition of the word “every” is a very persuasive use of the power 3 technique showing that nothing in the magazine has been left out- everything you want to read is included which attracts the reader because their wants and needs have been addressed throughout the magazine. The white also has connotations of purity and honesty, showing the reader that the magazine gives information on true storylines and yellow has connotations of happiness which is controversial because soap storylines are usually based around conflict.
SELL LINES are all quite sensationalist, featuring tabloid language to immediately grab the target audience’s attention. They also feature specific character names to make the soaps easily identifiable and attract all fans of different soaps. Every copy also ends with some form of punctuation, namely an exclamation mark to make it seem almost as though the magazine is shouting at you to read it. This adds mystery to the storylines being highlighted and makes the audience want to know more and therefore buy the magazine.
Buzz word- “Plus!” works as a buzz word to create excitement and catch the readers attention, it makes them interested in the sell lines and want to know more.
STRIP- The white/red and Blue/yellow colours tie in with the overall colour scheme, seen again in the sell lines at the top of the cover and in the plug. This tones it down a little and makes the magazine more recognisable and controlled. It also refers to a soap storyline using the location rather than the soap title which is important because it highlights the idea that the target audience are familiar with soaps and should therefore know exactly which soap this is referring to. The colours and techniques used (rhetorical question, upper case text, punctuation, etc) makes the strip stand out and catch the target audience’s attention.
ANCHORAGE TEXT- Ties in with the main image and highlights the storyline that is associated with the character in the image. This is important because it tells the audience exactly who is involved in the storyline and makes them want to read on because it is left almost on a cliffhanger- you can only know what happens in the story if you buy the magazine. The orange and black colours used and the central positioning also stand out and catch the readers attention, adding to the busy overall feel to the magazine
Price&Date (circulation figure)- soap magazines tend to be issued weekly because they include tv listings. This price is also good because its under £1.50, a price I know from previous research to be seen as “affordable” by my target audience.
SLOGAN- The black text and yellow background work as a substitute for the WOB effect which makes it stand out against the busy magazine cover. The use of red to highlight the word “big” draws even more attention and makes you want to know more-persuading you to buy the magazine.
MAIN IMAGE- The pose of the subjects is important because it shows how they’re feeling and emphasises just how dramatic the storyline will be. For example, Stacey’s sad face (second left) indicates that something bad is going to happen to her and this ties in with the language used in the additional anchorage text; “agony”. The characters and soap names haven’t been included here because the editor is assuming that the target audience will know exactly who they are and what soap they are from because the magazine has been designed to specifically attract soap fans. Subjects also highlight a direct mode of address because they are looking directly at the camera, making it seem more personal to the reader.
QUESTIONNAIRE EVALUATION;
I have thought about my target audience a lot, as it is very important that I base my soap around an audience I can easily attract. With this in mind, I have chosen to aim my soap at a target audience of both males and females aged between 14 and 21, although it could attract an older secondary audience depending on how it suits them personally (similarly to Hollyoaks). The reason for this is I have taken into account the fact that soaps are based around an exaggerated version of reality and therefore the characters I use will need to be at an age where my target audience can relate to them. Also, as I am within this age category, I am also able to create a much more appealing soap as I understand more clearly about what the audience will want and expect. As I have now identified my target audience, I am going to focus my questionnaire evaluation around the answers taken from people of this age group, so that I can find out my target audience’s wants and needs, this way I will have a better understanding of what I need to do in order to be able to create a soap trailer that will fulfil their needs.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU WATCH SOAPS?
From this question, I wanted to find out how many males and females within my target audience actually watch soaps regularly, so that I can then see how I can create a trailer persuading people that don’t necessarily watch soaps, to tune in.
From this, you can see that the traditional idea that soaps were created to target a more female based audience still holds true in contemporary society, with all females in my target audience age group that took part in my questionnaire watching some sort of soap at least once a week. This is also important because the traditional idea sees soaps aimed more at the older generation of females, whereas in this instance, my questionnaire has shown that teenagers and young adults also watch soaps much more nowadays, with many more soaps specifically targeting younger people and creating storylines that they can easily relate to, such as teenage pregnancy and underage drinking. This idea has been further proven through question 4 of the questionnaire which shows that the majority of people questioned said they watched either Hollyoaks or Eastenders-two soaps that have consistently produced high standard storylines based around young adults and the problems they have to overcome.
The male pie chart also shows interesting results, with the many males aged between 14 and 21 tuning into their favourite soap most of the times it is shown. This highlights just how much soaps and society have changed in recent years, with many more males actually watching and enjoying soaps on a weekly basis. The male results are particularly interesting because they highlight the traditional belief that soaps target a majority female audience, as although many more males do watch soaps, the majority of males that took part in the questionnaire admitted that they only watch soaps when there is nothing better to watch. This could be due to the way females are portrayed in most soaps, as the female characters seem to be much more dominant and powerful than you would expect to find in any other type of TV drama. This may be the reason why males do not watch soaps as much as females because their traditional role sees them as being the dominant and powerful role, and they may not feel comfortable with the role reversal we see in most soaps with regard to genders.
WHEN WATCHING A SOAP TRAILER, WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT TO SEE AND IF A TRAILER FOR A NEW SOAP WAS SCREENED, WHAT WOULD PERSUADE YOU TO WATCH THE SOAP?
Although this was an answer written completely by the person taking part, there were many similarities between the male and female answers. For example, the majority of answers were based around drama and intense storylines- something to make them want to know more about the storyline such as a cliff-hanger. However, the answers also differed slightly when it came to gender, with many females asking to see romance and an introduction to the characters as well as dramatic scenes, whereas males wanted to see much more gritty drama such as violence and action. This highlights the fact that different genders have different needs and that I need to create a trailer that is going to fulfil the needs of both sides of my target audience and persuade as many people as possible to watch my soap.
DO YOU PREFER A TRAILER WITH A SOUNDTRACK/BACKING MUSIC?
100% of both males and females who took part in my questionnaire answered yes to this question, therefore I will include a backing track/soundtrack in the background of my trailer, as it is something my target audience would expect, and may persuade them to watch my soap, particularly if they know the song and it ties in well with my soap. I will think about the song I will use carefully because it needs to be something contemporary and perhaps quite popular in order to be suitable and attract a wider audience.
IN A TRAILER FOR A NEW SOAP, WOULD YOU PREFER THE FOCUS TO BE BASED AROUND ONE MAIN STORYLINE/CONFLICT, OR WOULD YOU PREFER THE CHARACTERS TO BE INTRODUCED SO THAT YOU KNOW ABIT MORE ABOUT THE SOAP? WHY?
From the chart above, it is clear that there is a vast difference in what the target audience expect from a new soap trailer with regard to gender. For example, most males voted that they would prefer to see a conflicting storyline, whilst most females wanted the characters to be introduced. Looking at the answers given for this particular question in more detail, I have found that the gender differences are particularly traditional and obvious in that all males who voted for a conflicting storyline specifically referenced to violence and action, while the females wanted to know the characters so they could understand them better and really feel like they know who they are. This is important when thinking about my own trailer because these are two very different views and I would like to please both male and female within my target audience. However, I have decided that because overall, females watch soaps more than males, and are more likely to tune in more often to my soap, it is therefore more important to make sure that their expectations are fulfilled, which is why I will focus more on the characters within my soap, although I will also add a little suspense and mystery to attempt to grab the males attention as well.
WOULD YOU RATHER WATCH A SOAP SPECIFICALLY TARGETED AT YOUR AGE GROUP AND WHY?
Evaluating these results in closer detail has shown me that slightly more of my target audience would prefer my soap to be based around people of a similar age to them. The most popular reason behind this is that they find it easier to relate to this age group because many of the situations they go through in life will be similar and they will be able to sympathise with and understand the characters a lot better. For this reason, I will make my soap trailer appealing for my target audience, making sure the characters are of a similar age to my audience so that they are more likely to watch it.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU WATCH SOAPS?
From this question, I wanted to find out how many males and females within my target audience actually watch soaps regularly, so that I can then see how I can create a trailer persuading people that don’t necessarily watch soaps, to tune in.
From this, you can see that the traditional idea that soaps were created to target a more female based audience still holds true in contemporary society, with all females in my target audience age group that took part in my questionnaire watching some sort of soap at least once a week. This is also important because the traditional idea sees soaps aimed more at the older generation of females, whereas in this instance, my questionnaire has shown that teenagers and young adults also watch soaps much more nowadays, with many more soaps specifically targeting younger people and creating storylines that they can easily relate to, such as teenage pregnancy and underage drinking. This idea has been further proven through question 4 of the questionnaire which shows that the majority of people questioned said they watched either Hollyoaks or Eastenders-two soaps that have consistently produced high standard storylines based around young adults and the problems they have to overcome.
The male pie chart also shows interesting results, with the many males aged between 14 and 21 tuning into their favourite soap most of the times it is shown. This highlights just how much soaps and society have changed in recent years, with many more males actually watching and enjoying soaps on a weekly basis. The male results are particularly interesting because they highlight the traditional belief that soaps target a majority female audience, as although many more males do watch soaps, the majority of males that took part in the questionnaire admitted that they only watch soaps when there is nothing better to watch. This could be due to the way females are portrayed in most soaps, as the female characters seem to be much more dominant and powerful than you would expect to find in any other type of TV drama. This may be the reason why males do not watch soaps as much as females because their traditional role sees them as being the dominant and powerful role, and they may not feel comfortable with the role reversal we see in most soaps with regard to genders.
WHEN WATCHING A SOAP TRAILER, WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT TO SEE AND IF A TRAILER FOR A NEW SOAP WAS SCREENED, WHAT WOULD PERSUADE YOU TO WATCH THE SOAP?
Although this was an answer written completely by the person taking part, there were many similarities between the male and female answers. For example, the majority of answers were based around drama and intense storylines- something to make them want to know more about the storyline such as a cliff-hanger. However, the answers also differed slightly when it came to gender, with many females asking to see romance and an introduction to the characters as well as dramatic scenes, whereas males wanted to see much more gritty drama such as violence and action. This highlights the fact that different genders have different needs and that I need to create a trailer that is going to fulfil the needs of both sides of my target audience and persuade as many people as possible to watch my soap.
DO YOU PREFER A TRAILER WITH A SOUNDTRACK/BACKING MUSIC?
100% of both males and females who took part in my questionnaire answered yes to this question, therefore I will include a backing track/soundtrack in the background of my trailer, as it is something my target audience would expect, and may persuade them to watch my soap, particularly if they know the song and it ties in well with my soap. I will think about the song I will use carefully because it needs to be something contemporary and perhaps quite popular in order to be suitable and attract a wider audience.
IN A TRAILER FOR A NEW SOAP, WOULD YOU PREFER THE FOCUS TO BE BASED AROUND ONE MAIN STORYLINE/CONFLICT, OR WOULD YOU PREFER THE CHARACTERS TO BE INTRODUCED SO THAT YOU KNOW ABIT MORE ABOUT THE SOAP? WHY?
From the chart above, it is clear that there is a vast difference in what the target audience expect from a new soap trailer with regard to gender. For example, most males voted that they would prefer to see a conflicting storyline, whilst most females wanted the characters to be introduced. Looking at the answers given for this particular question in more detail, I have found that the gender differences are particularly traditional and obvious in that all males who voted for a conflicting storyline specifically referenced to violence and action, while the females wanted to know the characters so they could understand them better and really feel like they know who they are. This is important when thinking about my own trailer because these are two very different views and I would like to please both male and female within my target audience. However, I have decided that because overall, females watch soaps more than males, and are more likely to tune in more often to my soap, it is therefore more important to make sure that their expectations are fulfilled, which is why I will focus more on the characters within my soap, although I will also add a little suspense and mystery to attempt to grab the males attention as well.
WOULD YOU RATHER WATCH A SOAP SPECIFICALLY TARGETED AT YOUR AGE GROUP AND WHY?
Evaluating these results in closer detail has shown me that slightly more of my target audience would prefer my soap to be based around people of a similar age to them. The most popular reason behind this is that they find it easier to relate to this age group because many of the situations they go through in life will be similar and they will be able to sympathise with and understand the characters a lot better. For this reason, I will make my soap trailer appealing for my target audience, making sure the characters are of a similar age to my audience so that they are more likely to watch it.
Trailer analysis research;
The arrival of the Mitchell sisters trailer (Eastenders)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbUoYGRbIyg
This trailer is advertising the arrival of new Mitchell sisters Ronnie and Roxy in the long running BBC Soap “Eastenders”. BBC is a major media institution with “Eastenders” being one of its most popular and well known programmes. The fact that this particular soap is so well known almost makes it an institution within itself, with people who don’t even watch it being able to identify its characters and storylines.
This trailer is effective in attracting its target audience as the very start of the trailer begins with a shot of well-known character, “Mo Slater”. This character is very identifiable both for people who do or don’t watch the soap and this is therefore important because it immediately shows the audience which soap is being advertised. The institutional brand “BBC One” is reintroduced and reinforced at the end of the trailer and this also helps the audience to identify the soap and reminds them of the institution. This use of advertisement also profits the institution itself because if the audience enjoy watching this programme, they may wish to watch more BBC programmes which would benefit the company.
Representation of different groups is highlighted throughout the trailer. For example, the mid shot of “Shirley” towards the beginning highlights a very strong, powerful woman. The fact she is dressed in black shows she is quite a dark, mysterious character and this is further highlighted through her facial expression. This expression also highlights the conflict within the soap, and the contrast between different stereotypes. For example, all of the older characters shown within this trailer show a disapproving and perhaps slightly annoyed expression towards the two new characters. This is because the Mitchell sisters are being portrayed as young, outgoing and independent girls, clearly very into the party lifestyle. Representation of women within this trailer and within soaps in general is particularly important. This is because, it is well known that the majority of the population who watch soaps are female. The fact that female roles within soaps tend to be very dominating and powerful is very controversial as traditionally within TV, female roles are supportive rather than dominating and this may explain why females enjoy watching soaps because it gives them a sense of power and they idolize the characters.
The more contemporary society becomes, the more soaps such as eastenders in particular are trying to attract a younger, wider audience through the introduction of new younger characters and the sacking of older characters. This is highlighted in this trailer, through the mise-en-scene used. The revealing, party clothing of the Mitchell sisters particularly highlights their age, and the colour of their clothes shows many different sides to their personalities. Red has connotations of romance and also anger, highlighting that Ronnie is a very strong, dominant female. The black also highlights a dark side which adds a sense of mystery. Roxy on the other hand is wearing orange and white, which highlight her as being a very outgoing party girl, but also pure and honest. This gives an indication as to what these characters will go through and be like later on in the soap. The setting of the trailer, the Queen Victoria Pub is a key use of mise-en-scene because it further highlights the party lifestyle of the two new characters but is also extremely identifiable for the viewer which is important because it means they can immediately recognise which soap is being advertised.
A wide variety of camerawork/shots have been used in this trailer, including tracking, panning, mid-shots and close-ups. This has been done to highlight the different characters in different ways. A zoom has also been edited in to emphasize the facial expressions of the different characters and their reactions to Ronnie and Roxie’s arrival. This is important because this highlights the contrast between the different ages of the characters and also, more importantly, the different conflicts that may occur later on in the storylines. For example, the zoom in on Shirley and Mo at the beginning of the trailer show them to be annoyed and unimpressed by the arrival of two young, pretty and dominating females.
The sound used in any trailer is important, because it can inform, persuade and grab the attention of the target audience almost instantly. The use of sound is particularly interesting within soap trailers because it often introduces the character and the type of storyline they are about to be involved with. The sound used within this Eastenders trailer does exactly that- the lyrics emphasize the seductive, sexy and powerful identities of the two new characters, and gives us an idea that there are going to be plenty of love storylines surrounding them in the near future. The use of editing to emphasize the sound effects is extremely effective because it creates a louder, more dramatic effect on the audience, and also further highlights the power and drama surrounding the two new characters. The lack of dialogue is most interesting because it highlights the following of a traditional convention. Most soaps steer clear of the use of dialogue within their trailers as it can sometimes give too much away about the storyline and they like to keep their audience guessing on what might happen- they will have to tune in to uncover the storyline. I will need to take into account this traditional convention when planning my own trailer, so that it ties in with my target audience and suits their needs and expectations- would they prefer dialogue or would it be more dramatic and enticing to keep them guessing?
The bonfire night 2010 promo trailer (Hollyoaks)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8Xnxd-xjX0
This trailer was created by Channel 4 to promote a huge bonfire night storyline for modern, up and coming soap “Hollyoaks”. Hollyoaks, although it has been running for a number of years now, has often been criticised for being defined as a soap because it breaks several conventions that are deemed most important within soap operas in the UK, for example it is targeted at both a male and female audience, of a fairly young age. It is also extremely exaggerated, and at times perhaps slightly unrealistic. This is the main reason why I have chosen to look at it, as the target audience and breaking of conventions that follows from having this target audience are extremely similar to my ideas about my own soap trailer.
This trailer is extremely effective at attracting its target audience because it highlights well-known and easily identifiable characters, all of which are of similar age to the audience they are trying to attract. This is important because the audience tend to feel as though they can relate more to characters of their own age. The use of characters is important in this and in all soap trailers because it shows the target audience who is involved in which storyline, it gives them more of an idea about the plot and makes them want to know more.
The representation within this trailer, combined with the mise en scene is important because the characters are highlighted as being very glamorous and sophisticated. The use of costume and styling is effective at representing wealth, class and sophistication because the clothing of all characters within this trailer is extremely formal. This is important because it highlights the breaking of conventions through the idea that soaps are supposed to portray a realistic lifestyle whereas this highlights all characters to be rich, wealthy and glamorous-even if they are not like this in the actual soap. The use of makeup particularly on the females is also important because they are all wearing dark eye shadow and dark red lipstick. This not only emphasizes the glamour and seductiveness of the trailer but also highlights a more dark and sinister meaning. Combined with the slow and mysterious soundtrack and the fire this makes you wonder if something bad is going to happen.
One major convention of soaps and soap trailers is the lack of SFX. However, this particularly trailer is important because it breaks this convention with the use of a lot of SFX. For example, the fire has all been edited in and a time lapse has been used to create a slow motion effect. This is important when studying how soap trailers appeal to their audience because the majority of soaps want to attract an older, female audience whereas this soap is a lot more contemporary and is targeted at a much younger audience of both male and female. This younger audience means that the producers have to use SFX within the trailer in order to attract them, as from my recent questionnaire I found that this type of target audience prefers to see action and SFX, making them more likely to tune into the programme. This is an important discovery as my trailer is also aimed at this younger audience and I will therefore have to follow the conventions that Hollyoaks has created itself, in order to attract my younger target audience. I will also need to take into account the soundtrack with this as a more modern track will help to persuade my target audience to tune in.
Becky and Steve “Good Luck” Wedding Trailer (Coronation Street)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAPdiFbCyc8
This trailer was created by ITV to promote the big storyline revolving around characters Becky and Steve and their wedding. The main reason I have chosen to look at this trailer is the importance of the soundtrack.I wanted to highlight the importance of the use of a soundtrack because as seen in this trailer, it links with the storyline and acts as a spoiler, giving away a little information. For example, the repetition of the lyrics "good luck" in this trailer are important because it makes you wonder whether something bad is going to happen. This is further emphaszied by the dialogue at the end of the trailer indicating that it will be screened on Friday the 13th- traditionally a very unlucky day. After deeply considering the importance of the soundtrack, I intend to use a track on my own trailer that will link with the storyline and conflict. I also intend to use a modern and well known track in order to catch my target audience's attention and persuade them to tune in.
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