Evaluation Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Section 1: Using Conventions

As evidence that our media product uses media conventions, I have selected 9 frames from existing soap opera trailers and compared them to 9 frames from our final media product. I have chosen to use this method as it allows an effective visual comparison that is convenient for spotting similarities.

Screen shots collected from various trailers

(click to enlarge)

1: These images were collected from the Eastenders trailer that introduces the characters Kat & Alfie into the soap. The images show a tilt of the female character from her feet up to her head. Neither a low or high camera angle is used, suggesting that a crane may have been used to gradually elevate the camera whilst keeping it level. The tilt continues for a duration of 10 seconds, which creates suspense leading up to the reveal of the female protagonist. 

2: This is a screen shot from Emmerdale 'Judgement Day' trailer. The shot used is a close-up of a female protagonist in a car, and is used to capture the character's facial expression. In the trailer, the car is slowly driving past another female protagonist who looks at the female shown in the image. This shot is the second frame of a shot-reverse-shot sequence. The reason this camera angle is so effective is down to the reaction of the female protagonist going hand-in-hand with the brief encounter between the characters that is caused by the moving vehicle. The low-key lighting coincides with the effectiveness of this shot.

3: This shot was also collected from the Eastenders 'Kat & Alfie' trailer, and uses a combination of an over-shoulder shot and a two shot to show 2 female protagonists staring at another character. The expression on the characters' faces and the distance between them suggests that the character they are looking at has interrupted a conversation and caused a disruption. The shot is significant as it denotes the interaction between the characters of the soap, and demonstrates the types of relationships and emotions the programme would involve.

4: Image number four is from the Eastenders 'Judgement Day for Max' trailer, and is conventionally situated at the end of a soap opera trailer to feed the viewer information about the episode and soap details. In this case, the shot type used is a bird's-eye view of the soap location. This shot is significant in the trailer of a soap opera as it concludes the content of the advert.

5: These images were also taken from the Eastenders 'Judgement Day for Max' trailer, and denote a tracking shot of a male protagonist walking. This fact that the camera is following a particular character denotes that they will play a significant role in episode advertised. The low-key lighting creates an ominous atmosphere, which goes hand-in-hand with mysteriousness of the character.

6: Picture number six is from the Emmerdale 'Judgement Day' trailer, and uses similar semiotics to image five. Like picture five, the lighting is low-key and a tracking shot is used to follow the protagonist. The significant difference between the 2 shots is that number 6 shows where the character is heading and the environment around them.

7: This establishing shot is from the Neighbours '45 Second Promo' that advertises the soap's move to Channel Five. The shot is used to highlight the location and setting of the soap opera. An important feature of this frame is the use of natural lighting, which coincides with the natural greenery shown in the scene. This camera angle is significant as it allows the audience to understand the type of lifestyles the characters live, and how they are influenced by the location they live in. The area the soap is set in could also contribute towards the establishment of a connection between the soap opera and the audience.

8: Picture eight is also from the Neighbours '45 Second Promo', and shows a mid-shot of a male character working under the bonnet of a vehicle. The shot is used to briefly introduce the character from the soap through what he is doing. In this case, the character is introduced as being associated with cars or having an interest in cars. This type of shot is significant for trailers advertising new soaps as it provides information about the characters.

9: This shot was collected from the Eastenders 'Mitchell Sisters' trailer, which advertises the introduction of the characters Ronnie & Roxy Mitchell to the soap. Image 9 is a screen-shot taken from the trailer of 2 male protagonists reacting to the characters' arrival. The shot type used is a two shot, which extends into a close-up of both characters' faces. The shot is used to show the reactions of these particular characters to the new characters of the soap. In this case, the male protagonists respond positively, and carry excited and lustful facial expressions. In turn, their responses imply that the new characters will bring excitement and romance to the soap.

After discussing the importance of these shots used in existing soap opera trailers, I have extracted 9 frames from our G324 soap opera trailer Mill Lane, and paired the two sets of images together using their numbers (eg. image 2 from the Emmerdale trailer will be compared to image 2 from our Mill Lane trailer).

Screen shots collected from our G324 soap opera trailer

(click to enlarge)



1: The similarity between the two sets of images is the type of camera movement. Both shots use a tilt to reveal the female character from her feet up to her face. We chose to use this shot as it not only informs the audience that a new character is being introduced to the soap opera, but that their arrival is significant to the programme and will have an impact on the story lines of the soap. The only part of this shot that we developed was revealing the character's face using a low angle. We agreed that using a low angle made the antagonist appear more superior, giving her a powerful and daunting edge. 

2: Shot number two is an important part of our trailer as it uses a close-up of the antagonist. Like image two from the Emmerdale trailer, the character is shown through a car window frame. Another similarity is the use of the camera angle, which is to highlight a particular facial expression. In our case, the antagonist is winking at a male character through her car window. We chose to use this shot as it shows the female antagonist interacting with another character of the soap in a positive light. The flirtatious manor of the gesture and natural lighting juxtaposes with the trouble and disruption she brings to Mill Lane, but also tells the audience that her promiscuity is another one of her negative characteristics. Overall, the happy encounter between the characters reflects badly on the female antagonist.

3: Image three uses a two-shot to show two characters having a conversation. At this stage of the trailer, the conversation has been interrupted by the female antagonist. We chose to use this shot as it denotes the disruption the new character introduces to the soap upon her arrival .This shot is successful as the camera angle used is able to capture the characters' facial expressions and body language, which in turn tells the audience about the relationships between the characters and what kind of story lines the soap would entail. We also used this shot to demonstrate conflict between the characters in the trailer.

4: To follow conventions, it was important that our soap trailer included information about the channel and time our soap would be aired. We chose to follow the white-on-black theme as the wording is clear and easy to read, whilst the black background creates a sense of drama and mystery. The reason this frame is an effective part of the trailer is because the amount of information provided is minimal and simplistic, keeping the audience informed but intrigued.

5: Like image five from the Eastenders trailer, we have chosen to use the conventional combination of low-key lighting and a slow reveal. We also chose to include some features in the background that give away the location of the shot. The reason we chose to use this shot was to create a sense of inferiority in our audience members. By tracking the antagonosts footsteps and avoiding the reveal of her face, the viewer associates the character with dominance and control. This shot is effective towards the end of the trailer as it coincides with the low-key lighting, as well as what the audience has learnt about the antagonist throughout the clip.

6: Shot number six is an important part of our trailer as it shows an over-shoulder shot of the antagonist driving into 'Mill Lane'. We chose to use this shot as it signifies a turn of events for the soap opera, and clarifies her arrival to the area. We also chose to use this shot as by using an over-shoulder shot of the character, the viewer is looking at 'Mill Lane' through the antagonist's perspective, which gives the audience the idea that this character is significant to the soap.

7: To follow conventions, we have incorporated an establishing shot of the Mill Lane area into our soap opera trailer. We made sure to use natural lighting in our filming to create a sense of peacefulness and tranquility, which reflects in the natural, rural environment. We chose to use this shot for the same reasons pointed out when describing image seven from the Neighbours trailer: to allow the audience to relate to the characters' lifestyles, and how they are influenced by the area they live in.

8: Image eight denotes a male protagonist working under the bonnet of his vehicle alongside a female protagonist. We chose to use a long shot for this frame as opposed to a midshot as the colour of the car holds connotations of romance and love, which reflects the relationship between the male protagonist and the female antagonist. We chose to use this shot as we found that showing the characters' hobbies and interests is an important part of introducing the characters of the soap to the audience.

9: This image is similar to image nine from the Eastenders trailer in the way that the shot type is used to denote the facial expressions of a particular character. Because we used a two-shot previously in our trailer, we chose to use a shot-reverse-shot to make the character reactions the focal point of this scene. This shot is significant to this trailer as it demonstrates how the characters interact with each other, and how the events of the trailer will affect the soap opera. This is important in our soap as it allows our audience to predict what type of story lines and relationships will unfold.

In our G324 soap trailer, we incorporated semiotics and elements of mise-en-scène into our product in accordance with conventions. We had an understanding of how important these qualities are when filming from our experience when making our Preliminary Task and G321 Film Opening

(click to enlarge)

An example of our trailer using semiotics conventionally is the colour of the cars. The female antagonist, Rachel Mannings, is seen driving a black car, which holds connotations of death and evil. We also see a male protagonist, Ryan Parker, working under the bonnet of a red car before he meets Rachel. The colour red connotes love and romance, which foreshadows intimacy.


Another convention we ensured to follow was the use of a voice over and titles scene. Through watching numerous existing soap opera trailers, our group understood the importance of this convention. It is conventionally situated at the end of every trailer, which can be proven in the following clips:

  

- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Section 2: Challenging Conventions

As a group, we felt it was important to challenge a particular convention for the benefit of our trailer.


The lighting in our trailer is inconsistent, and gradually transitions from natural lighting to low-key lighting throughout the trailer. I have collected screen shots from our Mill Lane trailer and 2 other existing media texts at 10 second intervals to demonstrate the differences in lighting.

(click to enlarge)


The purpose of using inconsistent lighting in our trailer was to establish a correlation between the key of the lighting and the length of time that the antagonist spends in Mill Lane. The message this effect sends to the audience is that the antagonist brings disruption to 'Mill Lane', and that the longer she stays in the village, the more havoc she causes.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Section 3: Developing Conventions

The convention we developed for our G324 trailer was the consistency of the music. Soap opera trailers tend to play the same piece of non-diegetic music throughout throughout the text. This can be proven in the 3 soap opera trailers embedded above.

We have chosen to develop the convention of music consistency by starting our trailer with one non-diegetic music piece, and changing it to another through the use of a sound transition.

The thought process behind this effect was to begin with a slow-paced, rural music piece before Rachel's arrival to reflect the peaceful and relaxed environment in which the soap is set. Then, as we see the antagonist driving into 'Mill Lane' whilst slapping her radio, a static white noise acts as a transition that transforms the slower, old fashioned music into a more lively, fast-paced music piece. 

The reason we decided that this was a development of a convention as opposed to a challenge is because we are not defying the use of non-diegetic music in our piece, but adapting the consistency of the music to our narrative plot. The reason we chose to develop this convention was to symbolise the changes that the antagonist will make to Mill Lane through the change in the style of music, which in turns affects the atmosphere of the trailer.