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1. St. Paul’s Catholic College
Center Number:64770
Candidate Number:6192
Candidate Name: Dayle Alex Latham
A2 Media Studies
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media –
Production Log
Evidence of Planning & Research
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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 BBC 3 at 8:30pm (after Eastenders)
that will appeal to a Male and Female audience.
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3. Contents
Textual Analysis
Eastenders
-
Soap Opera Codes & Conventions
Multi Strand Narrative
Coronation Street
“..the home, the family, domestic tribulationsand 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: Wednesday 23rd October 2013 0800 – 1200 hrs
Edited Trailer – Complete: Friday 14th February 2014
Promotional Poster – Complete:Friday 14th February 2014
Promotional Magazine Cover – Complete:Friday 14th February 2014
Evaluation – Complete:Friday 14th February 2014
Production Work
Director
Producer
Institution research – BBC Three
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4. Soap Opera Codes & Conventions – Lesson 2
1) What are some of the Codes & Conventions of this genre?
Similar setting
Similar plots
Good and bad
characters
(Bad vs. good)
Codes and
conventions
British actors and actresses
London location
Beautiful young women
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5. 2) Codes & Conventions of the Soap Opera Genre
The Soap Opera genre can be categorized by the ‘repeated’
(Steve Neale) elements of:
1.
Connotes a domestic setting – the contrast with epic and
melodramatic forms of high cultural products.
2.
Setting: domestic, anti – romantic, empirical and secular
contemporary world.
3.
Plot and narrative setting: episodic and shapeless.
4.
Characterisation – realism, domestic, social and sexual aspect
of life.
5.
Themes and issues: social class, mobility, gender relationships,
desire and transgression.
Eastenders(1985 – Present)
Key information regarding this text:
First broadcast – 19th February 1985
Each episode repeated on BBC3 at 10pm
There were initially two episodes of the soap each week
Textual Analysis Task
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye51O8WBVVM&feature=related 5

6. 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.
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
14 - 60
Gender
Male and Female
Nationality
British and American’s
Trailer 1)
What is the Focus of this trailer?
The theme of action and revenge is highlighted dramatically, the sound track by
Johnny Cash – “God’s gonna cut you down” – fits immensely well and has a symbiotic
relationship with the media text.
Code
&
Convention
Evidence
Impact on the Audience
(Verbal, Non-Verbal,
Technical)
(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)
Family
relationships
and/or conflict
Katz– Personal Relationship – a social use of
information in conversation, allowing the
audience to have a companionship with the
dialogue.
Tanya, Max and Bradley Katz – Diversion - this is an indicator of how
“Dirty little secret”
routine is altered and set of course,
normality is about to change to reality for
some of the actors/actresses.
Focus on
Markets located
throughout the Albert
Romance
Max and Stacey “I love
you”
Maslow – Social Climbers – there are social
climbers amongst the audience and
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7. working class
communities
Square
characters on screen, as they’ll use the
market to get new and nicer clothes, to have
a social standing/ fit in to the community
they are apart of: Albert Square.
Stacey and Max
“Multi-Stranded Stacey and Bradley –
Narrative”
being tracked, and
portayed through
several different shot
types: tracking, ots, cu,
pov.
“Dirty little secret” –
used as a narrative to
‘Disequilibrium’ enlighten the audience
(Todorov)
of what is to commence
in the episode/series.
Katz - Surveillance –tracks max going
through, showing a mortuary casket open,
his brother then disappears from the frame
– highlights that Max is going to have several
factors effecting him, and preventing him
accomplishing any set ideas or goals, for
example cheating on Tanya with Stacey.
Maslow – ‘Explorer’s and viewers who would
want to find out more about the dirty little
secret. This scandal and intrigue is common
place in the genre it seems.
Trailer 2)
What is the Focus of this trailer?
Max’s secret comes out and all is revealed.
Code
&
Convention
Evidence
Impact on the Audience
(Verbal, NonVerbal, Technical)
(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)
Romance
Stacey dressed
provocatively
Family
relationships
and/or conflict
Max and Tanya
Bradley
Jack
Focus on working
class communities
Stacey dressed as a
maid.
Bradley as a security
man.
“Multi-Stranded
Narrative”
Shows multiple
people:
Max, Stacey, Tanya,
Bradley and Jack.
Katz- ‘Diversion’ Stacey’s offensive
behavior is off-putting from the real
dispute at hand.
Hartley- ‘families’ can relate this to
the situation and how they would be
feeling. There for it also links in with
Maslow’s ‘Caregivers’ as they would
feel remorseful for Tanya, plus
Bradley.
Katz- ‘Diversion’ they are playing
different characters compared to
normal which is making it more
fantasized than real life, ‘personal
identification’. Individuals with these
jobs or alike can narrate how people
are regarded stereotypically.
Hartley- ‘Family’, ‘gender’ and ‘age’
are all affected. Bradley and Stacey
are younger than the other three and
are seen as underneath them as they
are still lacking adolescent
behavior’s and traits. Max, Tanya and
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8. ‘Disequilibrium’
(Todorov)
Verbal song:
“Sooner or later
gonna cut ya down.”
Jack are all in suits. Stacey (female)
seen as a challenging female. The
men are seen to be tougher and more
significant. Tanya is emotional.
Categorizes are shown here.
Maslow- ‘Survivors’ want Max to live
but the lyrics connote that something
is certainly about to occur which will
distress Max.
Multi-stranded narrative
A Multi-stranded narrativecan be defined as…..
Telling a story from more than one persons point of view. Telling multiple stories
about multiple characters in an Open Narrative episode for example.
You MUST deconstruct the 10-minute extract from Eastendersand 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
Multi-stranded
narrative
Family relationships
and/or conflict
Focus on working
class communities
Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)
Romance
Evidence
Lauren, Michael and Lucy
Impact on the audience
Katz – ‘Understanding of
community’ because it is
showing more than one
persons point of view in
the community, it is set in.
Max and Tanya argue: “when
were you apart of this
convo?”
Café  Lucy, market  Peter
stalls
Max, Michael, Kat and Alice–
Relationship troubles, Kat
confronts Michael about
Alice, Max and Kirsty and
Tanya.
Alice  love sick.
Tanya still loves Max
Hartley’s relates to family.
Katz – personal
identification
Maslow – shows them being
social climbers, working
towards a goal.
Maslow- ‘Caregivers’
sympathizes with Tanya
because Kirsty ruins their
relation and Alice’s
innocence.
Maslow- ‘Caregivers’
because Alice has been
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9. worked by Michael and has
an untrue sense that he likes
her back, and the audience
feels for Tanya, for her
heartbreak.
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 women and 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)
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:
1. Female comes up with suggestions on what to do, which is anti-stereotypical but
at the same time common place in the Soap Opera genre.
2. Family problems  David, Gail, Kylie and baby – dealing with the idea of a baby in
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10. the family, an everyday thing for young parents in Britain, which in turn helps
establish a ‘Personal relationship’ (Katz) between the viewers and characters.
3. ‘Did I ask for your opinion?’  Michelle – ‘Strong female’ character trait and
something a male audience may not come to expect as being stereotypical in terms
of the female genders representation.
4. Men scared of women  Steve, Michelle – overpowered by the female.
5. Michelle speaks over Steve– showing a gender role reversal, as she is more
dominant and over powering than him, which is unusual for the audience, as
stereotypically, the audience would believe the male is more dominant than
thefemale.
Michelle, Steve, David and Fast paced cuts – POV
Multi-stranded
Kylie
shots
narrative
Family
relationships
and/or conflict
David, Kylie, Gail, Nick,
Michelle and Steve
Focus on working
class communities
Pub Burden
Disequilibrium’ (Todorov) ‘I don’t like surprises’
Romance
Kylie: ‘how much I
appreciate you’
Hartley- ‘Families’ are
affected by the difficult
family situation exposed,
where you feel like you
have to help out your
family.
Katz’- ‘Personal
identification’, people can
relate with the
complications confronted
here.
The pub is a ‘community
home’ for the working
class society, to be a
burden to a place of that
hierarchy reveals how low
that person is.
Instantly the audience
know she isn’t happy.
Reveals how much Kylie
appreciates the other
character on screen,
highlighting the theme of
romance.
Soap Opera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson 4
Textual Analysis
1) What is the purpose of a trailer?
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11. To promote and advertise the episode before it is shown on T.V. to inform, provide
clues. Marketing.
2) What are the benefits of Multi-Platform promotion of a media text?
Broadcast  shows audiences watching the channel.
E – Media  younger, broader audiences, viral, cheap and easy.
Ultimately, some form of Convergence is important when promoting a text to the
target audience
3)
Textual Analysis –
You MUSTmake notes on the following areas when deconstructing this sequence
from Coronation Street:
Multi-stranded narrative
Character dilemmas
‘Personal Identification’ (Katz)
Steve looks worried. Becky has a drink.
Non – verbal  good luck  good luck  Eileen crosses her fingers
Liz and Jason look at each other  Roy and Haley happy for Becky
Multiple characters involved in the wedding
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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)?
Males vs. female.Boys vs. girls. Clear genders divide. Pink before blue  female first,
strong, main.
Hollyoaks – “White Wedding Trailer” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu2sWr9Vb4
2. You MUSTmake 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
Wedding is bad. Death, unwanted pregnancy  bump looked fake, everything fake –
big issue – oversized bump.
Judgmental.
“It’s a nice day for a white wedding” – not a nice day all in black.
“Shotgun” – (answer to pregnancy before marriage).
“What have you done?”.
Black tear little hope, betrayal.
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13. Production Work
1) What is the role of a Producer?
Over see all production aspects across 3 stages, manage everyone.
2) What is the role of a Director?
Over see the creative aspects of the production. Direct people.
3) Institution research –
You MUSTresearch the institution that your trailer will be exhibited on.
Launched February 9th 2008
Replaced BBC choice
Target audience  16-34 years old age group
Focuses on new talent and new technologies
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