Evaluation question draft 2 (edited)

How did you USE, DEVELOP, or CHALLENGE codes and
conventions of real media products?

Social realism is created Use of low key lighting to Large number of
so the audience can relate make the soap seem more characters to allow
to the characters gritty and lifelike. When parallel
situations and misfortunes outside real daylight is used narratives, and for
developing a connection instead of lighting equipment storylines to combine
between character and to create realism. to keep the audience
audience. interested.

Storylines run
Characters wear continuously, overl
normal apping one
casual, everyday Social Realism another.
clothing. Props and Conventions Close ups to show
settings are made
realistic to represent characters emotions
daily life. and feelings.

A dilemma in each Position camera as Social realism has a
episode to keep the fourth wall, to create the mainly working class
audience interested feeling the audience are audience who enjoy the
and entice them to in the room with the everyday drama that
watch next week. characters and immersed people in their own
in their emotions. position encounter.

How does your soap USE, DEVELOP or CHALLENGE codes or
conventions?
How does my soap conform to the conventions?

Title Card Over the shoulder shot Medium Shot

Two shot medium close up Extreme close up Reverse of Shot

conventions?
How does my soap conform to the conventions?

I used the conventions of social realism to guide me when filming my own
soap. The opening scene was filmed in an alleyway in Manchester to give
the soap a working class complexion. It illustrates that the characters are
realistic and the audience can easily empathise with the storylines.

This shot was
filmed using real
light to emphasise Minimal make-
the “gritty” feel of up and casual
the soap, and to clothes help to
relate to the real create realism.
life situations
characters face.

conventions?
Similarities and differences between my media product and
existing media products

Over the shoulder shot

Medium shot

Close up

conventions?

Similarities Differences
Both Soap‟s are set in Northern Quarter is aimed at a
Manchester. younger target audience than
Coronation Street.
Both use shot types typical of the
genre e.g. extreme close ups to Music is used to reflect the mood
show emotion of the characters and storyline in
Northern Quarter, to keep a
Both have a consistent group of
younger audience interested.
characters.
The age of the characters.
Stereotypes are shown through
clothing to represent personality. Channel, and programming i.e.
time of day Northern Quarter
Quick edits between storylines
would be aired around 10pm.
keep the audience interested.
Same socio- economic
group, similar dilemma‟s and
problems.

conventions?

The main difference between Northern Quarter and Coronation
street is age. Coronation street includes a greater range of
age groups in its casting, which means it attracts a wide
audience as people relate to characters of a similar age.
Whereas Northern Quarter actors are contained within a single
age group, meaning only an audience of specific age can
relate to the social problem‟s and dilemma‟s of the soap‟s
characters. This challenges the generic codes and
conventions of social realism, although in an indirect way.

conventions?
Challenging conventions
Challenging codes allows soaps to go against their own
conventions, this is to keep the audience interested and engaged with
the soap. Northern Quarter does not directly challenge any of the
conventions of the social realism genre.

The Hollyoaks Enchanted Forest advert, premiered 21st of
may 2012 directly challenges typical soap conventions.

Characters are wearing animal The fairground mise en scene is
masks to represent relationship‟s created to make Hollyoaks seem
between them and their personalities. both playful and youthful.

conventions?
Challenging conventions

Hollyoaks used the The trailer is
enchanted forest to challenging as the
challenge the normal codes and conventions
conventions of the of Hollyoaks do not fit
programme. Normally an enchanted forest, it
Hollyoaks trailers would is unusual which is
be on the location of what attracts the
the soap and would audience as they do
show storylines of the not expect it but are
characters in parallel interested to know the
edit’s conforming to relationship between
the conventions of the narrative of the
soap drama. trailer and the
characters storylines.

conventions?
Main Ancillary Conventions

I researched soap magazines to help me understand their codes and
conventions before creating my own ancillary for Northern Quarter.

There are two main types of soap magazine...

“trashy” “sophisticated”

conventions?
Main Ancillary Conventions - “trashy”

Vibrant colour to
Large title to draw
create “ordered
attention.
chaos” effect.

Many photographs to
“2 weeks revealed”
interest reader and
shows magazine is
show different
value or money.
storylines.

Use of question and
exclamation marks to Lots of sub-headings in
create urgency and bold font to attract
rhetorical questions attention.
to include audience.

conventions?
Main Ancillary Conventions - “sophisticated”

Date of release and Restrained colour
barcode also create a scheme to create a
quality and trustworthy quality product, red
product from a well highlights the
established brand. important features.

Number of small
One large dominating
features down the left
image with one large
hand side of the page
title to keep the
keeps magazine
magazine simple and
subtle and
professional.
professional.

Large masthead which
Star gives eye contact
extends over the
to the reader, creating
edges of the page
a personal
creating brand
connection.
recognition (BBC).

conventions?
Main Ancillary Conventions

After researching Soap magazines I decided to model my ancillaries on
the more sophisticated style. This was because I believe the social
realism genre is better reflected in a simple professional product
rather than a cheap and „trashy‟ magazine.

Poster Ancillary Magazine Ancillary

conventions?
Poster Ancillary Conventions

The photo I chose to use is very I used a photo containing all the
similar to this particular „Skins‟ characters, reflecting the differing storylines.
poster, it includes all characters. A grey background portrays the “gritty” feel of
The closer to the camera the the soap and a simple heading keeps the
character , the more important poster neat and professional. The BBC Three
they are to the main storyline. logo in the top left hand corner creates brand
I used this technique when recognition and audience trust in a high quality
arranging the photo for my product. The day and time of the soap is
poster. included so the audience can quickly see when
and where the soap will be played.

conventions?
Magazine Ancillary Conventions

The title for both my soap magazine
and Radio Times are similar, the
simple colour and font creates a The simple list of features
high quality product, and both on both my magazine and
mastheads stretch the width of the Radio times creates a
page. restrained colour
scheme, the features are
different colours to attract
attention without being
obtrusive

Both photo‟s are simple and give eye contact to the reader to create an instant
connection. The simple background for my poster reflects the “gritty” reality of the
soap and like Radio Times creates a quality product.

conventions?
Challenging Magazine Ancillary Conventions

To challenge the conventions of
the “sophisticated” Radio Times
magazine I used a number of
secondary images of Northern
Quarter to attract the audience
further. This use of multiple
photo‟s is a convention of the
“trashy” style of magazine, but
demonstrates that careful use of
one such element can maintain
the professional appeal.

conventions?
Challenging Magazine Ancillary Conventions

I believe my magazine challenges the conventions of both the “trashy”
and “sophisticated” styles by combining elements from both to create
a magazine with an interesting mix of codes. This supports the
professional look of the magazine and creates a quality product that
retains audience interest.

+ =

Evaluation question draft 2 (edited)

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