Research: Launch trailers for soaps

1985

We looked at EastEnders very first trailer, only 13 second long, consisting of a variety of quick paced cuts showing what is evidently a street in London, due to the big red buses.  The removal lorry which drives past has the 'EastEnders' logo across the side of it, representing the fact that it's a new soap.  The quick paced cuts  fit in time with the well known theme tune which is still played today.
In contrast to this, the Hollyoaks trailer broke the stereotypical soap opera image as well as the verisimilitude as the actors and actresses are shown to be on set and filming, aware that it is not reality and talking about their character roles.

  
1995

Research: Soap title sequences

Both of these title screen are iconic and attract their target audiences in different ways.


EastEnders has it's iconic drum beat at the beginning of the title sequence, known as the 'duff duff's', alerting its audience that the programme is starting.  The tune is fairly repetitive and keeps a simple pattern making it easily recognisable and catchy.  The shot of the Thames is famously known and therefore a good representational image for a soap based in London.

Compared to EastEnders, the Hollyoaks theme tune and title sequence is a lot more modern and evidently aimed at a younger target audience.  The music has a strong guitar beat and the camera shots are fast paced and choppy, showing all the characters and their personalities through props, which is a great contrast to EastEnders simple pan outwards.

Research: Soap settings

Soaps are often set within a small community, with a well known regional identity, where everyone knows everyone else and gossip is easily passed around.  These locations have typical meeting places within the community which are easily recognisable to the audience as being from that soap.

• Private conversations between fewer characters and more personal socialising e.g. families or partners: characters own homes.
• Public meeting places for socialising and sharing news of local events within the community: Local pub/cafe, market square, park, corner shop, laundrettes.

EastEnders Queen Vic and Laundrette

Research: Stock characters

Every soap has stereotypical characters which portray certain stereotypes which the public audience can relate to themselves.  The costumes of the characters are very important as it is what enables the audience to distinguish one character from another, as well as giving an insight into their personalities.

Matriarch: The 'motherly' figure who knows everyone and is always there for advice when problems occur
Bad guy: The dominant male that everyone knows not to mess with. Usually middle aged, strong build and dressed in dark clothing connoting strength and danger.
Independent woman: Almost a bit like 'the bad guy', she's feisty and not be be messed around with.  She knows what she wants and tends to get her way.
Bisexual: Facing all the tough decisions, problems and up and downs that come with liking someone of the same sex.
Young ditzy female: Stereotypically blonde, girly girl who isn't the smartest around but gets on with the majority, apart from when it comes to potential competition.
Rebellious teenager: Societies typical view of a teenager; always up to no good, not doing what their told and just wanting to have fun.
Young couple: Usually facing some of life's biggest problems and trying to battle through it together.

Hollyoaks bad guy: Warren Fox


EastEnders bad guy: Phil Mitchell


Both characters, even though from different soaps, are middle aged, strong build and dressed in dark clothing.

Realism of soaps

British soaps tend to reflect social issues and it's debated whether this is for better or for worse, because the issues tend to be fairly negative.  The issues tend to be in the news, therefore they are significant to society, but even so, they produce conflicting responses from audiences. Some of the issues are ones which are unfortunately always around and always being discussed, such as alcoholism, teenage pregnancy and abortion, drugs, crime, single-parent families, domestic violence, rape, child abuse, bullying, depression and mental illness and internet pornography. Soap operas have a tenancy to try and reflect as many of these issues in their story lines as possible.

One obvious thing which makes soaps unrealistic is the fact that there are no brands within the homes or local shops of the characters, this is because the BBC do not have the rights to use product placement.  Although, saying this, since 28th February 2011 programs made for UK audiences have been allowed to contain product placement so long as they comply with Ofcom's rules. Props are acceptable as the difference between product placement and the use of props is that the TV channel and program-maker don't receive any payment for including the props. They either pay to use them or get them for free, rather than being paid to include them, which would be product placement.  When asking for a product the actor/actress will tend not to use brand names, for example, they would ask for 'cola' instead of 'Coca Cola' or 'Pepsi'.

Products which can't be placed:

Cigarettes

Alcohol

Food and drink that is high in fat, salt, or sugar.

Gambling

Medicines

Baby milk

Weapons



Something else which isn't very realistic within Soaps is the fact that when two or more characters are arguing they don't tend to overlap, for the obvious reason that this enables the audience to hear every word and follow the argument easily, but even so still making it unrealistic.

The fact that soaps are up-to-date and current makes them seem more real and closer to reality.  Technology being used by the characters, such as mobile phones and laptops, are usually up to date, and the clothes which they are wearing are ones which are currently in fashion.  As well as this, the music which is played within some soaps, Hollyoaks for example, tends to be modern and the type of music which their young target audience would listen to.

Are soaps dumbing down or do they reflect social realism?

There is an argument that soap operas nowadays are 'junk TV' due to the fact that they are easy to follow and are limited in stimulation of the mind. Although, others have said that they are examples of realism, reflecting the society they depict by tacking social issues head on in a dramatic form.

Negatives:

• They do not demand any intellectual activity on the part of the viewer because they are 'easy viewing'/
• They trivialise social issues.
• They are ridiculously far-fetched due to the incredible number of incidents which are constantly happening to a small minority of people within a small community.
• They encourage us to see life in very simple, black and white ways.
• The tabloid press focus so heavily on events in soaps that people lose sight of the distinction between reality and television, characters and actors/actresses.

Positives:

• They reflect the society in which we live in and encourage us to reflect on our own lives and attitudes.
• They can be seen as social documents as watching a soap from an earlier time period can serve as an historical document.
• They are hugely popular due to the fact that they are relevant to the lives of the audience.
• They depict ordinary people, different genders, and people from different ethnic backgrounds in a positive way.
• They deal with issues such as euthanasia and homosexuality in a responsible and positive way, leading us to be more enlightened in our views.

How does this extract from EastEnders demonstrate soap conventions?

• Naturalistic, high key, lighting - both inside (characters houses) and outside (the market)
• Editing - only using hard cuts throughout 
• Camerawork - mostly mid-shots
• Ongoing narrative is evident, for example, family conflicts - teenager skiving school, habit.
• Location - popular, social meeting places where the characters can mingle, for example, The Queen Vic.
• Sound - diagetic, apart from the theme tune at the beginning and end.
• Character representation - Typical teenager, skiving school.

                                                  -Young mum, trying to do the best for her daughter.

  
 

Background information on the BBC

The BBC is a British public service broadcaster with its main responsibility to provide public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
It is the largest broadcasting company in the world, founded on the 1st January 1927, running ten national TV services providing entertainment, news, current affairs and arts coverage for the whole of the UK.  It operates under a Royal Charter and its work is funded by an annual television licence fee which is paid by all British households.

As well as being able to watch channels such as BBC One, BBC Three, and CBBC live, since 2008 all BBC channels have been available to stream through the website using the BBC iPlayer.

The BBC has ten national radio stations, six stations serving the BBC regions and several others covering local regions around England, as well as a website including news and a broad archive.

Uses and Gratification

• Diversion (entertainment)
• Surveillance (information)
• Personal identity (identify with character/situation)
• Personal relationship (social)

My magazine front cover

Research: Television magazine front covers