1. Q1. How did you USE, DEVELOP or
Challenge codes and conventions of
real media products?
Laura Marshall

2. Mise en scene. Make up is used in soaps to show
Costumes used to identify the class, what kind of soap it is. For example
status and moods of characters. little make up is used on soaps like
Location and background reflect the Eastenders to make it look realistic
type of characters and their class. where on scripted reality soaps like
Made in Chelsea, their makeup is
Conflict between characters is always full and perfect so show
shown by the body language their wealth.
and facial expressions of
characters.
All soaps use extreme close ups to
show emotions on an actors face
Soap during a main storyline.
Conventions
Importance of Scripted Reality Multiple story lines at once to
keep the audience
The locations and scenarios engaged, although in Scripted
are set-up by the shows Camera Shots Reality, there is usually one
producers, the interaction Close ups main story line going on.
between the cast is real. The Establishing shot
characters usually have a lot Two shot
of money, or like to appear Medium close ups Soaps are usually on all year
that they have a lot of money. round but Scripted Reality soaps
not and are on at different
times through the year.

3. Using forms of conventions
The Hollyoaks logo uses the genders signs Just by looking at this advertisement for
and also is written in blue and pink which Made in Chelsea it is clear the characters
stereotypically pink is a girls colour and are wealthy by the clothes they are
blue is stereotypically a boys colour. With wearing and the props in the set. The
them putting the two colours together it props may also be showing that the show
looks like they are trying to connect both being named ‘Made in Chelsea’ is a spoof
genders, showing the soap is for males of the catchphrase ‘Made in Britain’ . The
and females. With the font they have characters shown are attractive young
used it looks stylish and modern, which and look like they are wealthy, hinting
aims the soap at an age range of 15-30. what the show is about, which attracts its
audience as they aspire to have that
lifestyle.

4. Using forms of conventions
As we decided our trailer to be a Scripted Reality
we took inspiration from Made in Chelsea. But
we decided to name our soap ‘Northern
Rock’, as we our from Manchester, which is in
the North of England, and we filmed around
Manchester.

5. Use of locations and props.
Location is a key part in any soap as it shows the
sub genre of the soap. For example if a soap is We have filmed some of our trailer in Piccadilly
filmed in a greasy spoon cafe, the sub genre train station to use the conventions of a Made in
would be realism. As we were filmed a Scripted Chelsea trailer which is also filmed in a train
reality soap with the conventions of Made in station. It also shows the wealth the characters
Chelsea we wanted to show wealth and places are portraying, as in soaps such as Coronation
which looked middle class. To also show Made in Street, characters can sometimes be seen by
Chelsea conventions we filmed some of our shots leaving on a bus.
in Manchester, to show where it is based, just as
Made in Chelsea films around Chelsea and has
shots of familiar landscapes in Chelsea.
To make our trailer look like a Made in
Chelsea trailer we used props such as big
bags, and the costumes the characters are
wearing, for example blazers. The make up
the characters are wearing are also just like
the Made in Chelsea characters. By the
characters wearing big bags, blazers and
their make up well done it shows that they
are from a wealthy background and can
afford to wear items that people from a
working class background may just wear
on a special occasion.

6. Location 2-’cafe’
To also show the middle class image we were trying to portray
with our soap we filmed at one our houses in different rooms
to show different locations. For example we used a kitchen to
show a cafe like Costa coffee.
Therefore the locations enhances the
wealth of the characters and their
middles class background and portrays
the characters laid back approach to
the wealth that they have.
Coffee cups to show
Over shot camera shot used
audience they are at a
to make the audience feel
cafe.
like they are in the shot
watching it as it happens.

7. Storylines.
By adding different storylines in our trailer
it not only meets soap conventions it makes
the soap and trailer more interesting and
makes the audience want to know what is
going to happen next.

8. Storylines.
Mine
Other soaps
In my soap I decided to have a
Another storyline i decided to use in my
story line where a character is
trailer was best friends arguing as one
leaving and the best friend wants
had stabbed another in the back about
to them to stay and an ex
a boy they are both interested in and
boyfriend wants them back.
the boy has to chose who he wants.