St. Andrew’s Catholic School

Center Number: 64135

Candidate Number: 4009

Candidate Name: Feargus Bracken

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

YOU SHOULD research when Eastenders is scheduled (Day – Time)

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

3

Soap Opera Codes & Conventions – Lesson 2

Repertoire of Elements

Setting:PubHousesMarketStrong regional identity

Narrative:RelationshipsDeathAdulteryFlashbacksFamily issuesSexuality

Character:Manipulative charactersKillerGeezerVoyeuristicActive and passive

Icons:CommunityRegional identityTheme tuneOver arcing storylinePlots and subplotsGossipSpecial episodesVerisimilitude – attempt at creating realism

4

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/or conflict

3. Working class community

4. Antagonism and conflict within community

5. Fixed representation of regional identity

Eastenders (1985 – Present)

Key information regarding this text:

Exhibited – BBC 1 – repeated on BBC 3

UK’s highest rated program

Set in Watford

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.

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 15 – 45

Gender Women

Nationality British

Trailer 1)

What is the Focus of this trailer?The theme of violence – taking over the ‘Queen Vic’

Code&

Convention

Evidence

(Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical)

Impact on the Audience

(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)

RomanceHugging – between man and woman

Hartley – character 20-40 appeals ones of the same age

Family relationships and/or conflict

“stay away from my brother”“it was me”Mid shots – people standing in pub ( working class

Katz – caregiverAppeals to audience that identify as caregivers

Focus on working class communities

The Pub ( Queen Vic)Working class haven/community

Hartley –accentLocation appeals to the audience as they can recognize with the characters.

6

“Multi-Stranded Narrative”

New Owner of the Working Class Queen VicMoney and Greed

This relates to the audience, as it creates a sense of community and solidarity. It reflects the nature of working class communities

‘Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

New owner of Vic , replaces other character

The replacement of a key figure in a community associates with the audience, as they can sympathise with the characters on the show.

Trailer 2)

What is the Focus of this trailer?Find the cheater

Code&

Convention

Evidence

(Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical)

Impact on the Audience

(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)

RomanceKissing Hartley – characters 20-40 appeals to 20-40

Family relationships and/or conflict

Kat and Alfie fightingThree brothers togetherPace - fast

‘Caregivers’ (Maslow)– sympathy for Alfie, as the audience will – what? INCOMPLETE sentence

Focus on working class communities

The Queen Vic pubMarket

Personal identity – KatzRegion – HartleyThe impact on the audience is that there is a closer relation to characters and a sense of community.

“Multi-Stranded Narrative”

One story line – Kat and Alfie conflict

Audience can focus more on the one story rather than lots of different themes.

‘Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

Kat and Alfie fight due to Kat cheating.

Audience feels sympathy for the characters as they are fighting. The audiences sympathises with Alfie due to – INCOMPLETE sentence

7

Multi-stranded narrative

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

Telling a story from more than one person’s POVTelling multiple stories about multiple characters in a 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

narrativestag and hen doRonnie rings Jack

More interest/ storylines for the audience – VERY vague…..

Family relationships and/or conflict

Phil and Jack argue Audience can ‘personally identify’ (Katz) to the characters if they are in a similar situation.

Focus on working class communities

The Queen Vic/club Relates to them - ??? as it is a working class location/establishment.

Disequilibrium’ (Todorov) Ronnie phoning Jack Adds another storyline, which accedes to create tension and is intellectually stimulating. The audience will not be focused on a single linear story, but multiple plots.

Romance Woman kissing man Audience can relate to romance. The audience, the portion that are romantically involved, can relate with personal identity.

Soap Opera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson 3Textual Analysis

8

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

The family, the home, domestic tribulations and the strong woman, and as such, it has a long been said to appeal to the female viewerKatz – personal identity

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.

Code & Convention Evidence Impact on the audience

Rebecca Feasey (2007) Ideology: beliefs and values

1. Woman cleaning doing house work however this challenges Feasey as this shows that this female isn’t being shown in a dominant way.

2. Man taking kid to school – this conforms to Feasey as it connotes that the man is doing the work rather than the woman doing everything. This is an example of the ‘metrosexual’ modern male who is not driven away from traditionally feminine tasks.

3. A domestic family – The family were seated together, and discussing their

9

problems and other recent events that have occurred. Creates a sense of solidarity, and relation to viewing families who function in the same way.

“Multi-Stranded Narrative” Man leavingHoneymoon

Family relationships and/or conflict

Couples – Multiple couples present, both ones in parental roles and those who are seeing each other. Relates to more audience members by relationship status

Focus on working class communities

“going out for a slap up meal” The use of colloquial language in reference to the class of the viewers. Upper classes view it as humourous , middle and working classes relate.

Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)The arguments inbetween two different motherly figures creates tension, and shows connotations how there has been previous conflict between the two characters. Shows the breakdown of the extended family unit.

RomanceMan and woman – “honeymoon” A trip away together to celebrate their marriage, the woman is excited but the male is trying to cheat on the side.

Other Themes & Issues represented:

Infidelity, family conflict.

Soap Opera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson 4Textual Analysis

1) What is the purpose of a trailer?

To gain the audiences interest.

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

Get to a wider audience using platforms.

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

3)

Textual Analysis –

10

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)

50TH ANNIVERSARY

Multi stranded narrative:There is one main narrative throughout the trailer, but with multiple sub plots occurring within the main narrative (The fire and derailment of the train causing separation and escalating tension)

Character Dilemmas:All the characters are affected, some characters are effected emotionally and stay back, while other characters will attempt to search the wreckage.

Personal Identity – KatzThe audience can relate to the feeling of care that characters present to their loved ones and acquaintances. Ultimately, not much of the audience will directly identify with the situation as not many will have survived a tram crash. But, the audience will feel sympathy for a disaster like this due to many disasters that have occurred in real life.

11

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)?

Gender signs – appeal to both, colour – pink and blue – gender stereotype

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

Music – white wedding – good contrast to black costume of the characters. Binary opposite white and black –Good and Evil/ Pure and Impure

Petals – black – death or end or decay. Directly contrasts to the theme of a wedding, which is happiness and new life.

Pregnancy –Forced smile from the other characters – forced happiness at a wedding. It connotes conflict about either the parentage of the baby, or a disagreement with views between characters ( etc, they might oppose sex before marriage and enforced this one.)

‘Nice day, for a white wedding’ – The lyrics directly contradict with the trailer presented on- screen, where all the characters are wearing black. It connotes stress and conflict, at a time where all the colours are traditionally associated with white and purity.

‘Start again’ – Connotes possible chance of a fresh start, with a wedding being seen as turning over a new leaf. The mise en scene and facial expressions of the entourage of those at the wedding show opposition, and how conflict will possibly occur.

12

Production Work

1) What is the role of a Producer?

Decision making, oversee the production, organization, consideration of target audience, successful, finance and budget.

2) What is the role of a Director?

The visualization of the scene – action, leader on set, calm, focus, on the spot decisions.

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.

Total population covered - 53,502,000 adults (15+)

The average age of the BBC listeners are 32

The launch of a second channel in April 1964 saw the creation of BBC 1 and BBC 2 brands

A big publicity campaign was mounted to launch the new channel, using the rather playful symbol of a kangaroo with a baby in its pouch, with the even more unlikely names of Hullabaloo and Custard (visuals drawn by artist Desmond Marwood).

13