Name: Victoria Bellairs
Candidate Number: 6069
Centre Name: Aquinas College
Centre Number: 33435

SOAP BRIEF

SOAP BRIEF:

A promotion package for a new soap opera, to include a TV trailer, together with two of the following three options:

- a listings magazine front cover featuring the new soap;
- two hyperlinked web pages (with video extract) for the soap’s website;
- a poster for the soap.

Final Trailer - Park Avenue

Front Cover Final Draft

How we reacted to 'audience feedback'

Myself and Catherine Tansey attempted a second draft of our ancillary Front Cover. I think the changes we made helped us achieve the conventions of a TV Magazine. We used the colour YELLOW to accent the magazine more and make it stand out. We took out borders that covered the characters face and inserted the name of our soap under the soap star. Finally we added the price to make the magazine realistic.

Final Billboard

How we reacted to 'audience feedback'...

Myself and Catherine Tansey attempted a second draft and adjusted our billboard to fit our soap criteria. We made our E4 strap using the 'E4 Style Guide'. This gave us the chance to measure where the logo should go. We also used the correct font and edited the photo on photoshop to help the billboard look better. 

Question 1: USE, DEVELOP and CHALLENGE

Question 2: How effective is the combination of your Main and Ancillary texts?

Question 3 - Audience Feedback

Question 4 Continued...

DSLR Camera

At College, we have 2 Canon EOS 550D DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera's. My group used a DSLR to shoot the passage way scene as it was the most steady and clear camera for quick edits. I also used the Canon too shoot all my ancillary shots on the green screen. 






Green Screen

During the photo shoot for our ancillaries we decided to use the green screen as a background so that it was a block colour that would contrast with the characters and not give them a shadow. This made it easier to edit on PhotoShop. We also used extras to help the image like reflectors and lights.












PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint is useful for presentations, including text, videos, hyperlinks and clip art. I used powerpoint as part of planning to annotate existing Magazine Covers. I also used it for my evaluation question 1. It is smooth and presentable which is why I used it.

PhotoShop

                                                                                 After uploading the photo to the computer, Iimported it into Adobe Photoshop and used the background eraser tool so Beth was left in the picture. After using this I then used the Brush tool to smooth off the edges, then the eraser to remove any small green particles and then I used the burn tool around Beth's hair so no grey was left and it looked realistic.

Question 4: Technologies in Research and Planning

Blogger

This is the blogger dashboard where I can view, edit, share or delete my posts. I find blogger very productive and easy to work as you can adjust times and dates to rearrange the order of your posts. You can also re-post old posts, leave others in drafts so you are able to edit them at another time.

YouTube

This is the YouTube upload page. I have learnt how easy it is to upload your videos and then embed into your blog. Either drag and drop or click to select from finder / my computer. Whilst the video is uploading you have the chance to change the name and add tags to your video so its easier to find on the search bar. You can add a description and set your video to public or private. After the video has been uploaded, you can process it to make sure of no copyright infringement. After that a link will be given so you can enjoy your video online.

Twitter

Whilst uploading drafts of my Trailer and Ancillaries onto Blogger, I used the social networking site 'Twitter' to share my products and ask for feedback on them. This helped me to constantly communicate with my teacher in a quick and easy way. Twitter was the best way to do this as it also gave me the chance to communicate with my group which I worked with. They had they chance to see my work and also feedback on it. 



SlideShare

I used SlideShare to upload Publisher documents too asPDF's and PowerPoints too, in order to embed them onto my blog.  

Question 4 - Screen Recordings

iMovie, GarageBand, KeyNote

Trailer Feedback

Positive

• The music fits in really well with the trailer
• I like the edits and camera angles they help tell the story very well
• Order is great and music works well
• Good variety of shots and soundtrack works well
• A good use of steady and handheld shots to add to the tension.
• The soundtrack used helps create suspense and links to the storylines used.
• The edits make the trailer look professional and the audience is left wanting to watch more.
• The transitions work well and the music fits in very well with the story
• The order and soundtrack tell the story really well and create a lot of suspense
• There is also a really good variety of shot types.
• Really good story line thats easy to follow
• Music helps create tension and makes audience want to watch the show as it is intriguing

Negative

• Make the characters voices louder over the music
• If you want put the E4 logo in.
• Make sure the backing music doesn't drown out the dialogue to much
• You just need to make sure the characters voices are louder so we can here them more clearly
• Just make sure that the characters voices can be heard clearly over the soundtrack and add a title
• Dialogue could be louder
• In some scenes make the dialogue louder over the music so it is clearer to the audience
• Dialogue is hard to hear at time so make music quiter in the background

I have learnt that the music is clearly a distraction to audiences so I need to reduce the level of the soundtrack and increase the volume of the actors voices. I also think the audience appreciated the soundtrack as it fit well with the mood of the scene. The order has also benefitted them as they have said they are able to understand the storyline clearly. I could also add the E4 logo.

3rd Draft Trailer

2nd Draft Park Avenue Billboard

Second Draft

First Draft link

Youtube link for first draft is http://youtu.be/-ZBQWyJyZPw

Final Soap Mag FC Draft 1

Myself and Catherine Tansey worked together on our ancillaries. We started by both drawing a plan of the Billboard and Front cover, we then added our best ideas together to come up with a final plan. My role was to focus mainly on the Front Cover doing editing and text.

Kennedy Grove Billboard 1st Draft

Rejected Images for Ancillary

   

    This image was rejected because the lighting wasnt right. The right hand side is too shadowed and it makes it unable to see all of the characters face and body.

    This image was rejected because it has too much background in it. We planned to have a MCU of the character for our front cover and this didnt fit our criteria planned.

 

     This image was rejected because the audience are unable to see Beth's face. Her hair covers her eyes so it is hard to understand the mood of the image. Also the lighting's too dark and it has caused shadows on the right side of the photo. This can make the editing process on PhotoShop uneven.

First Soap Draft

Flat Plan of Magazine Front Cover

 

We worked as a group also to plan our front cover. Together we came up with ideas e.g. who was on the FC, the subheading and the Mag name. My role was to draw the plan.

Flat Plan of Billboard

 

We worked as a group planning the billboard. We brainstormed ideas and together drew up the best version of them as we could.

Rejected Shots

Shooting Trailer

Through the day of filming our final trailer we used Twitter to communicate with our teacher and other students, this included taking photos and tweeting them to update them on our progress.

Filming Time Schedule

This timetable is important because everybody in our group needs to know when and where they have to be and at what time. By sticking to the schedule it will be easier for everything will run smoothly and we will use our time in the most efficient way. It will also mean that w all of the clips that we need to film will be done. 

Above is a copy of the new time schedule that I made:

Actors, Costumes, Location and Props

Actors

Me = Beth

Catherine = Sasha

Alex = Eli

Sam = Joe

Beth = Jade

Steven = Mark

We made a list of character names to choose from. I have highlighted our final names chosen. The reason these are our final 6 names are because 'Social Realism' is based on realistic life events so our names used had to be more common names as it would fit with our genre. 'Eli' is our only un-common name used, this is because he is portayed as Sasha's (Catherine's) concience and he is just the voice in her head telling her what to do. Hollyoaks is more working class characters so names had to match there social status.

Sasha, Eli, Calvin, Warren, Louise, Sarah, Anne, Mark, Steven, Joe, Beth, Anne, Jade, Sally.

Costumes

• Casual Jackets
• Cheap Handbags
• Black Clothing - for Sasha as she is a goth.
• Hat
• Smart Dress - for Jade as she is a working woman.
• Red Coat - to portray evil.
• Smart shirts
• Flat pumps
• High heels
• Watches
• Glasses

Locations

- Manchester Piccadilly Gardens

- College

- Catherine's House

- Alleyway by College

- Back Street in Manchester Piccadilly

Props

- Pregnancy Test

- Envelope

- Phone

Hollyoaks Poster

Hollyoaks Poster from VictoriaBellairs

We made this Hollyoaks poster as a paractice draft before we made our real trailer billboard. It uses E4 branding, sponsorships, the website and quotes. All these converge with the media and the episode being advertised.

Hunger Games Trailer Analysis

Hunger Games Timeline from VictoriaBellairs

I made this to analyse the stages of a trailer. This helped me as it gave me indication on the order and what content to include in my own trailer.

American fantasy soaps from VictoriaBellairs

'Why are Soap Opera's so Popular?' ANALYSIS

• The TV genre 'Soap Opera' originated from the American radio serial dramas of the 1930s.
• There is arguements about how the undemanding nature of a soap opera can be seen as a contributory factor to the genre's popularity. e.g. if a person decides to begin watching they do not have to look through all past season just mearly have to catch possibly the 2 previous episodes to know whats going on.
• However, some argue that soaps can sometimes be demanding if it takes time to watch or if you need to drop what your doing and pay attention. Most significantly, soap opera's concern with the everyday lives of everyday people and their problems, big and small, appears to be one of the main reasons why this genre is so popular.
• The genre's popularity also stems partly from the viewer's need, after the events of the day, to find out what happened in e.g. Coronation Street, Albert Square or Summer Bay that same day. Due to this, the viewer can often gain pleasure from the notion that everyday life in the soaps is 'real' and on-going just as our lives are.
• It is normally important - espescially in British Soaps - that humour is brought into the script to add another entertainment factor and makes it more pleasureable to watch. e.g. part of the success and popularity of Coronation Street has been due to, "the mixture of social realism of the North and the language of the stand-up comic.
• It alse can be argued that soap opera owes part of its popularity to the fact that its viewers enjoy forming this kind of participatory 'relationship' with the characters, and also like to identify themselves with the plots and characters.
• It is because of this formation of parasocial relationships, that enables soap opera viewers to gain pleasure from being able to relate how a certain character feels or behaves in particular circumstances, maybe because they themselves having been in a similar situation, or having knowledge about the subject in hand.
• Soap Opera's are also popular due to the pleasures offered by the points of identification offered by the characters. We want to watch and discover what happens to those specific characters locked into that specific network of relationships.
• Soap opera can also be popular because of its continuity, regularity and familiarity. Soap opera has been labelled as a 'ritual pleasure' which offers reassurance in its familiarity and longevity, its predictable familiarity of life being the main force which pulls us in.
• Finally, a familiar theme tune also creates popularity for Soap Opera's because the 'jingle' is known to make viewers confirm to the settings of the soap. The theme tune also makes it known to the audience as a trusted brand so they - to show brand loyalty - take time out to watch.

Soap Opera Presentations

Soap Opera Presentations Notes from catherinetansey

Practise Front Cover

Rejected Images

I rejected this MCU image because the flash was shown to be too bright and made the photograph look un-professional and not making it good enough for a front cover image - the flash was too bright and made the characters look unnatural and gave a harsh shadow.

I rejected this MCU photograph because the set of which it was taken is reflecting onto the characters bodies e.g. the green screen on the white top. This makes another un-professional image as it is giving the characters a green tint and therefore could not qualify to fit Front Cover conventions.

This MCU was rejected because the photograph was taken on the wrong setting and not close enough to the characters leaving too much negative space. Also, the light isnt bright enough which is the main reason as to why this image is out of focus and again cannot qualify to go on the Front Cover.

Flat Plan First Mag

Soap Analysis

Soap analysing from VictoriaBellairs

A2 Media Hollyoaks Trailer

Hollyoaks Trailer Analysis

• Sponsored by Nikon - They believe young people live life through their phones/cameras. This is connecting with the audience of young people.
• Title Card is shown introducing the soap. Neon Colours used suggest the exciting features
• The scene begins with a 2 shot of Mercedes and Paul. Paul is domiating 2/3rds of the screen. This is reflecting what sort of state their relationship is in.
• Mise en Scene of a house/flat because of a picture in the background, white light from a window.
• Paul is in focus - his face, eyes and body are trained on Mercedes. He says, "nothing you do can push me away" suggesting he is crowdy and obsessive.
• Mercedes is in soft focus - hair hiding face, eyes facing down to the floor and body turned away. Displaying negative body language.

• Edit to different location - establishing shot of a kitchen. Mise en Scene of tiles and cabinets.
• Mercedes is now dominating the frame with Jacqui in the background, her face showing she is concerned.
• Yellow light from a lamp/kitchen light is soft and implies safeness contrasting with the harsh daylight in the earlier shot.

• Edit to a new scene outside of the narrative bubble.
• Pauls P.O.V shot of Mercedes and Riley.
• Mercedes narrates and says "I've never seen a man so obbsessed with me"
• This reflects as it shows him watching so proving a point of Mercedes statement.

• Music beats in a heartbeat tempo creating tension and suspense in the audiences point of view.

• The scene cuts to a Close Up of Jacqui as she says "Scary" implying she has a growing fear for Mercedes and Pauls relationship.

• The scene begins quick shots from Reece and Jacqui at the bar as he says "the girl needs help"
• These words create a bridge from the bar to office in quick shots.
• Jacqui crawls suggesting she is somewhere where shes not supposed to be and the scene cuts to quick shots of her looking in the draw in CU and then a fearful face shown in a reaction shot.
• Office Mise en Scene use desks, clock, intray, filing cabinet and blinds.

• The location changes to Mercedes on a bed and an Extreme Close Up of '5 missed calls from Jacqui' this suggests urgency.
• Over the shoulder detail shot let the audience know what the character can see without P.O.V.

• Edit to another 2 shot of Mercedes and Paul with Paul again, dominating the frame. He shows an intense stare at her and is positioned above her showing his status.
• The audience are unable to see all of Mercedes face so she appears vunerable.
• After Paul says "I love you" he demands the same reply from Mercy again showing she is weak.

• The scene edits back to Jacqui as she says "Its Mercy shes in danger" with Mise en Scene of her in hospital with Nurse Costumes and green walls.
• Next shots skips to her running towards a door in a flat building - Mise en Scene of grey corridor and plants.
• Audience then expect Mercy and Paul other side of the door.

• The clip ends before Jacqui gets to the door making the audience unaware of the next thing thats about to happen. This keeps them hooked and wanting more so they will watch episodes.
• This clip focuses on one storyline - dominating storyline.