tvuygjb

1. 1
St. Paul’s Catholic College
Center Number: 64770
Candidate Number: 6508
Candidate Name: Aaron Thomas
A2 Media Studies
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media –
Production Log
Evidence of Planning & Research

2. 2
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.

3. 3
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: 3rd & 17th DECEMBER 2014
Edited Trailer – Complete:25TH FEBUARY2015
Promotional Poster – Complete:4TH FEBURARY2015
Promotional Magazine Cover – Complete:4TH FEBURARY2015
Evaluation– Complete:
Production Work
 Director – Roles & Responsibilities?
 Producer – Roles & Responsibilities?
 Institution research – BBC Two

4. 4
SoapOpera Codes & Conventions – Lesson2
1) What are some of the Codes & Conventions of this genre?
2) Codes & Conventions of the SoapOpera Genre
The Soap Operagenre can be categorizedby the ‘repeated’
(Steve Neale) elements of:
1. Romance
2. Family Relationships
3. Focus on workingclass communities
Soap Opera
Soap Operas are used for a sense
of “escapism” – (Katz
Gratification Theory)
It was originally targeted at
lower class housewives
It details social issues that the
audience can somewhat “relate
to” (caregivers –Maslow’s
Hierarchy of needs)
It helps to keep the audience
captivated because Soap Operas
contain a dramatic twist
It not only appeals to males, it
also appeals to the female
audience as well
Soap opera storylines are some
of the wackiest and most
romantic genres on air.
Different “equilibriums”
(Todorov) to create the perfect
atmosphere that captivate the
audience
Soaps are stories told over an
extended period, with different
characters being featured at
different times
Soap Operas were initially aired
on the radio as oppose to
Television
Soap operas focus their themes
around family life, personal and
sexual relationships, emotional
and moral conflicts and often-
social issues such as rape, teen
drinking and more

5. 5
4. Murder
5. Antagonism and conflict within the community
Eastenders (1985 – Present)
Key informationregarding this text:
 Exhibited on BBC1 and repeated on BBC Three
 One of the UK’s highest rated programs (6mil viewers per episode)
 Set in the ‘kitchen sink’ setting of fictional Walford, East London. It also takes place
in the local area of Albert Square, where the audience is introduced to the
characters and their lifestyle on the Square.
 Birds eye view of Walford, connotes that there are lots of disequilibrium
Textual Analysis Task
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye51O8WBVVM&feature=related -
In your opinion, accordingto Hartley’s Seven Subjectivities, whatis the
target audiencefor Eastenders?
Age 16 and over
Gender Males and Females
Nationality British

6. 6
Trailer 1)
What is the Focus of this trailer?
 To entice and entertain the audience
Code
&
Convention
Evidence
(Verbal, Non-Verbal,
Technical)
Impact on the Audience
(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)
Romance
There was no romance
in the trailer because it
was primarily about the
death of a young girl
and people’s reaction
towards it. Although in
the soap, Max had a
romantic affair with
Lucy. Therefore, Max’s
facial expression of him
looking very upset
connotes that he
grieves for the loss of
their relationship.
Hartley’s seven subjectives – Age – The
audience may feel very shocked at the fact
that Lucy and Max begin to have a romantic
relationship because of the very wide age
gap between them. Max appears to be in his
40’s and Lucy appears to be in her early
twenties.
Family
relationships
and/or conflict
Verbal Code – “You
killed Lucy”, this is a
voiceover
Katz – The Eastenders trailer helps to
inform the audience that something awful is
happening.
 Maslow – Caregivers – the readers can
emphasize on the family conflict and
sympathize with the problems they
have to face.
Focus on
working class
communities
The trailer is focused
around different
working communities
in the East-end like the
picture of Shirley in the
Pub.
Katz – Diversion – The audience can relate to
the disequilibrium of the community and
the reality of the situation
“Multi-Stranded
Narrative”
There was a sense of
multi-strand narrative
because there are lots
of flash cuts.
Maslow – Survivors – the audience can have
an understanding of what the trailer is
about, from the different narratives. Also, it
can help the audience to realize which
people are involved with the murder and
ask how those specific characters shown,
were involved with ‘Lucy’ at the night of her
death?
‘Disequilibrium’
(Todorov)
There is a murder in
Albert Square and flash
cuts are used to
portray, the victims
Hartley – it appeals to all audiences who
enjoy dramatic excitement in a soap opera
trailer.

7. 7
involved with the death.
Death is a
“disequilibrium” that
disrupts the normality
of the narrative.
Trailer 2)
What is the Focus of this trailer?
To introduce characters in Eastenders
Code
&
Convention
Evidence
(Verbal, Non-Verbal,
Technical)
Impact on the Audience
(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)
Romance
There was no sight of
romance. However, Phil
and Sharon both end up
in relationship in
Eastenders. Therefore,
the look that Phil gives
Sharon in particular
could connote a past
relationship.
Maslow – Survivors - It can make the
audience become more interested in
keeping up with Eastenders. Furthermore, it
can sway the audience to make a routine
check into finding out more about Sharon’s
potential relationship with Phil.
Family
relationships
and/or conflict
There is antagonism as
people in the
community stare at
Sharon as she levitates
off the ground.
Katz – personal relationship – As the
antagonists looks up at Sharon with bad
facial expressions. The audience may
sympathize with Sharon because she is a
recent character to just return to Albert
Square and yet the audience can sense so
much potential conflict between Sharon and
residents in Albert Square.
Focus on
working class
communities
There are shops around
in the community,
which makes the soap
opera looks realistic.
Also, the verbal
communication used in
this working class
community is colloquial
“init” because of their
London dialect, which
helps clearly indicate
the location of the soap.
Katz – Diversion - The audience can
immerse themselves from their boring
community to Albert Square, where the
drama always continues.
The clothing used establish that the
characters are from a working class
community, from the use of aprons to
indicate a character is working on a market
or café and their black shoes which indicate
that one of the characters own or work in a
business. The audience can then relate to
the characters and how they live their daily
working life.
“Multi-Stranded
Narrative”
As people give her a
fearful look it shows
that she has
Katz – inform and educate – teaches the
audience that Sharon is going to be a bad
character, especially from the voice-over of

8. 8
background conflict
with some of the
characters.
“there is a storm coming”.
‘Disequilibrium’
(Todorov)
Everyone looks in
shock at Sharon. This
indicates that her
arrival may be a big
problem for one of the
characters.
Hartley – It can help entertain the female
and male target audience. This can link to
Todorv’s “Disequilibrium” because of the
storm and hurricane that indicates a
disruption in the working class community
Multi-stranded narrative
A Multi-stranded narrative can be defined as…..
 Telling a story from more than one person’s point of view, – (stereotype/
anti-stereotype). Telling multiple stories about multiple characters in an
“open narrative” episode, for example – (stereotype/anti stereotype).
Code & Convention Evidence Impact on the audience
 Multi-stranded
narrative
It goes from Johnny’s
story, to Shirley’s story,
and then back to Johnny’s
Keeps the audience
captivated
 Family
relationships
and/or conflict
The sister and Father rush
to support the son. Also,
another non-verbal
conflict is that Sharon is
on the floor.
Let’s the audience know
that Sharon will soon be
saved and that Johnny’s
family have a strong
relationship.
 Focus on working
class communities
The setting takes place in
the pub, as well as the way
there is a sense of non-
verbal codes of slang.
The audience can relate to
the characters’ dialect
Disequilibrium’ (Todorov) Sirens appear and also
there is an establishing
shot of Sharon on the
floor.
Engages the audience and
keeps them interested
 Romance Phil and Shirley having a
heart to heart
conversation
Keeps the audience
emotionally detached and
entertained.
SoapOpera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson3
Textual Analysis

9. 9
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, is 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. Strong Female Orders boys around It can make the female audience
entertained to watch it more
2. Dominant Shouts up to the child Makes the young adult
audience feel more
intrigued to watch the soap
since the confident character
presented
3. Stereotype Cleaning up the dishes Helps the audience to personally
identify with the specific
Character.

10. 10
4. Mother puts a Tells the daughter, Helps motherly audience
Strong front for the child. “Don’t worry about it”. in relating to having a
grown conversation with
their child
5. Motherly figure Motherly figure asks Audience can sympathize with
Who offers support the daughter that “what the two characters.
She is thinking about”
“Multi-Stranded Narrative” One of the characters was telling Tracy that his friend
was innocent for a crime that was committed. The
other narrative was shown when the mother tells the
daughter about the financial issues.
 Family
relationships
and/or conflict
Mother telling the daughter about the financial issues,
while trying to keep confident.
 Focus on working
class communities
The supermarket is a setting
Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)
Tracy says “keep your mouth shut”
There was mention of a funeral so someone has died.
 Romance There was no sight of romance but from the non-
diegetic dialogue of “she is innocent” connotes that the
fact this character is sticking for this woman means
that he is in love with her.
 Other Themes &
Issues represented:
The stereotype of the motherly figure finishing off the
dishes help housewife audiences to personally relate
to the specific character.
SoapOpera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson4
Textual Analysis
1) What is the purpose of a trailer?
The purpose of a trailer is to promote and advertise the show before it is released
on air. This is likewise with a new movie.
2) What are the benefits of Multi-Platform promotion of a media text?
 It helps to grab a mass audience.
 Easier for the audience to access
Ultimately, some form of Convergence is important when promoting a text to the
target audience.

11. 11
3)
Textual Analysis –
 “I’m lucky” - Verbal Code
 Personal Relationship – The women can sympathize with the feeling if getting
married.
 Narrative Structure is normal
 Multi-Stranded Narrative – A couple is getting married and through different
camera shots, we can see how other people react to this through the non-
verbal codes of facial expressions.
 Wedding
 Romance/ Chemistry - Male and Female character outside the ‘Rovers’
 In the trailer one of the female characters gave a big sigh. This connotes that
she is worried something will go wrong.
 Technical code - Shot Reverse Shot – Steve is jealous and is infatuated with
the young and beautiful bride.

12. 12
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)?
 The connotations of the indent could symbolize that the soup targets teenage
boys and girls because of the antagonism between each gender. The indent
shows this through the connotations of pink and blue writing that
demonstrates that stereotypically, pink is a female’s color and blue is a
male’s color. Since it is used to create one word, the ident is for male and
female teenagers.
Next Page - Hollyoaks – “White Wedding Trailer” -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu2sW-r9Vb4
 The dark atmosphere, mixed with the soundtrack connotes that bride’s
wedding will be a wedding from hell
 The tear connotes that something not just bad, but disastrous will happen at
the wedding.
 “Shot gun wedding” very quick solution to a problem. The verbal code of the
song lyrics connotes that maybe the bride is forced into getting married in
order to solve a solution.
 The black tear could resemble the way; the bride sees the wedding as
something dark and monstrous.
 The drop and shatter of the dolly could resemble the way the bride has lost
her innocence

13. 13
 The technical code of slow motion character movement as the male
antagonist waves his hand with a black glove could symbolize the way there
is conflict between the two characters.
 The facial expression on the antagonists’ face wearing the glove changes as
the bride walks past him. The connotations of this shows that the male
antagonist and devious.
Production Work
1) What is the role of a Producer?
 Oversee ALL aspects of the production across the 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 of the
camera and behind.

14. 14
3) Institution research –
 It’s a British broadcasting corporation so it is based in the UK
 Launched in 1964
 It was BBC’s first channel in color
 In June 2nd between June 8th, BBC reached 3.2mil viewers
 The aim for BBC Two is to launch ambitious and factual programs