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St. Paul’s Catholic College

Center Number: 64770

Candidate Number: 6402

Candidate Name: Abbie Fowler

A2 Media Studies

Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media –

Production Log

Evidence of Planning & Research

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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 at 8:30pm (after Eastenders) that will appeal to a Male and Female audience. YOU SHOULD research when Eastenders is scheduled (Day – Time)

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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: Edited Trailer – Complete: Promotional Poster – Complete: Promotional Magazine Cover – Complete: Evaluation – Complete:

Production Work

Director – Roles & Responsibilities? Producer – Roles & Responsibilities? Institution research – BBC Two

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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

Drama

Relationships

Famiy Problems

ConflictRomance

Exaggertation

Death

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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/conflict 3. Focus on working class 4. Antagonism and conflict 5. Realism and ideology/setting – regional identity

Eastenders (1985 – Present)

Key information regarding this text:

Exhibited on BBC1 and repeated on BBC Three

One of the UK’s highest rated programme

Set in the “Kitchen Sink” setting of fictional Walford, East London

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

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. Extension - 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

18-35 year olds

Gender

Female

Nationality

Any

Trailer 1) What is the Focus of this trailer? The characters are the main focus of this trailer

The trailer is called lies so the trailer is focused on the lies that the characters tell.

Code &

Convention

Evidence

(Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical)

Impact on the Audience

(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)

Romance

Non-verbal – facial expressions

Helps to build a ‘personal relationship’ (Katz) with the audience because they will love the relationship, which Phil and Shirley

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have, and will therefore make them want to watch it more. Also can help the audience to ‘personally identify’ (Katz) with them because they may have had a relationship like that with someone else before.

Family relationships and/or conflict

Verbal – the words that were used

This can affect ‘caregivers’ (Maslow) because they will sympathise with Sharon as she is hurt.

Focus on working class communities

Verbal, non verbal and technical

This can help the audience to ‘personally identify’ (Katz) with the characters in this show because they will stereotypically be able to relate to the characters due to the places that they’re in. They can also relate to the situations/problems that the characters are having as they are stereotypically also working class people.

“Multi-Stranded Narrative”

There are many different characters in the trailer all doing different things, leading into the same storyline.

It can keep the audience engaged because they will want to know what goes on in all of the different storylines.

‘Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

One of the people on the square is a murderer.

“There’s a killer amongst them” – non-verbal code creates the idea that it could be anyone on the square.

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Trailer 2) What is the Focus of this trailer? A murder has taken place, within the square and they’re trying to find out who done it.

Code &

Convention

Evidence

(Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical)

Impact on the Audience

(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)

Romance

Roxy and Alfies wedding

The main audience that they will attract from this is women (Hartley) because they will want to watch the wedding.

Family relationships and/or conflict

Conflict between two women. Kat wearing red.

Through Kat wearing red, this connotes that she is dangerous. Therefore, the audience can see that she’s a strong and dominant character.

Focus on working class communities

Setting – the pub. Familiar setting, ‘personal identification’ (Katz) – a setting many of the viewers will know and recognise, allowing them to relate to the characters.

“Multi-Stranded Narrative”

Wedding. Alfie has to chose between Roxy or Kat.

Keeps the audience entertained with many different storylines all tied in together.

‘Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

Shirley not getting on with Linda – could cause trouble as they work together.

‘Diversion’ (Katz) – other characters’ misfortunes distracting the audience from anything in their own lives.

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Multi-stranded narrative A Multi-stranded narrative can be defined as….. Telling a story from more than one person’s 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 narrative

3 different stories in different scenes

See lots of different story lines

Family relationships and/or conflict

Shirley was upset about her son

Feel emotional

Focus on working class communities

Language – “oi” Personally identify

Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

Sirens Low key lighting

Dodgy community

Romance

Phil & Shirley = chemistry - ‘Diversion’ (Katz)

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Soap Opera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson 3 Textual Analysis 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, 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)

Next Page - 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.

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Code & Convention Evidence Impact on the audience Rebecca Feasey (2007) Ideology: 1. women want to run a business 2. woman are very demanding 3. woman head of the table 4. woman shouting at daughter 5. “Multi-Stranded Narrative”

Multiple Story lines

Family relationships and/or conflict

Tracey wants to take over the factory, funeral.

Focus on working class communities

“Do ya wanna eat ya breakfast in the yard”

Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

Funeral – Tinas Death

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Soap Opera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson 4 Textual Analysis

1) What is the purpose of a trailer? Is to promote and advertise the film before it is released in cinemas. To inform the audience and therefore potential viewers marketing product

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

having a bigger audience

more convenient for people

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

3) Textual Analysis –

Next Page - YOU MUST make notes on the following areas when deconstructing this sequence from Coronation Street:

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

- It is a wedding - Conflict between other characters - Roles of the characters - Crossing fingers - Facial expressions - Wedding reception in a pub - All had something linked - Symbolic voiceover

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- Steve’s facial expression – Regret? Happy?

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)?

- boy vs girl - conflict - self discovery - promiscuity - teen problems - viewpoint of both genders

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

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

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Production Work

1) What is the role of a Producer? All aspects of the production across 3 stages, pre –production, production and post-production. Manage everyone and ensure everything 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.

Target audience – 36 - 54

Tone – witty, warm, playful

Shows/history –apprentice/top gear/have I got news for you

5.6% share

31,790 people a week.