Typical conventions of soap opera trailers
The storylines in soap opera trailers are always hinted at and not shown in their entirity; this helps ensure that audiences remain curious and watch all episodes rather than just find out what is going to happen from a trailer and then maybe skip certain episodes. The storylines in trailers are also quite big and theatrical; trailers arent shown for just ordinary episodes, they are normally for murders, marriages or a popular or well known character returning or leaving.
Quite often trailers only feature a few characters who are central to a particular storyline and don't show all of the others. This is because the trailer gives the viewer hints at what will happen in the actual episode and so the audience feels like they are more involved because they are trying to work out what is going to happen. This goes against the idea of the "hyperdermic needle theory" where audiences are passive and don't participate in the program, they just sit back and accept whatever is given to them.
The conventions of a full episode differ slightly. Quite often an episode will feature several different storylines at once, normally making use of "real time" where a soap doesnt skip out huge sections of time. Having several different storylines going on at once is a good way of keeping audiences interested and improving viewer ratings, because there is more going on.
Also, most typical epsiodes won't all be extremely theatrical, and will center around more mainstream things, or things that viewers can relate to. If a soap has explored a certain storyline that they think will have affected people in the audience, a telephone hotline number is often displayed at the end.
Tuesday 31 August 2010
Last Years Soap Trailers
St Andrews Road
This is one of the Soap Opera Trailers from a group in the year above me at school. I have been watching and analysing this in order to aid me in the production of my own trailer.
I think that the music used is very appropriate for a trailer; because it is advertising a new soap opera, it doesnt have a theme tune that audiences recognise yet, meaning that they had no limitations on what sort of music to chose for the trailer. I think it works so well because it has a fairly fast tempo which instantly grabs the viewers attention. As the drama in the trailer increases, so does the tempo and the volume of the music, and at the end when you see the shot of someone laying unconscious on the floor with the pills near them, the volume and pace both decrease, connoting that something bad has happened.
There are no voiceovers in the trailer, but because of the titles, this doesn't affect the piece at all; there are titles saying what channel and time the show is on at the end, and titles throughout the trailer itself giving hints about what will happen in the soap opera.
The storylines featured in the trailer are very in keeping with the idea of a soap opera; homosexuality, suspected drug abuse and relationship problems. However, the trailer is more like a short film or episode than a trailer because the whole story is shown, not just hints or few selected parts. Because of this, they havent entirely followed the conventions of a trailer and so I will try and ensure that my group manage to do this.
Although the main story is shown in completion, there are several parts of the trailer where a storyline is only hinted at. The shots filmed in the wooded area with the bottles and cans all over the floor and the mobile phone arent entirely clear as to what they relate to, which is far more like a trailer. This is good because it is intriguing to the viewer and makes them want to watch the soap opera to find out what it all means, and they are then likely to start watching it regularly.
This is one of the Soap Opera Trailers from a group in the year above me at school. I have been watching and analysing this in order to aid me in the production of my own trailer.
I think that the music used is very appropriate for a trailer; because it is advertising a new soap opera, it doesnt have a theme tune that audiences recognise yet, meaning that they had no limitations on what sort of music to chose for the trailer. I think it works so well because it has a fairly fast tempo which instantly grabs the viewers attention. As the drama in the trailer increases, so does the tempo and the volume of the music, and at the end when you see the shot of someone laying unconscious on the floor with the pills near them, the volume and pace both decrease, connoting that something bad has happened.
There are no voiceovers in the trailer, but because of the titles, this doesn't affect the piece at all; there are titles saying what channel and time the show is on at the end, and titles throughout the trailer itself giving hints about what will happen in the soap opera.
The storylines featured in the trailer are very in keeping with the idea of a soap opera; homosexuality, suspected drug abuse and relationship problems. However, the trailer is more like a short film or episode than a trailer because the whole story is shown, not just hints or few selected parts. Because of this, they havent entirely followed the conventions of a trailer and so I will try and ensure that my group manage to do this.
Although the main story is shown in completion, there are several parts of the trailer where a storyline is only hinted at. The shots filmed in the wooded area with the bottles and cans all over the floor and the mobile phone arent entirely clear as to what they relate to, which is far more like a trailer. This is good because it is intriguing to the viewer and makes them want to watch the soap opera to find out what it all means, and they are then likely to start watching it regularly.
Soap Trailer Analysis No. 3
Coronation Street, 28.02.09
This is a trailer for Becky and Steve's wedding day on Coronation Street, taken from www.youtube.com
Non Diegetic music is used throughout the trailer to create a sense of irony; the song used is "My Lucky Day" for a wedding episode set for Friday 13th. The non diegetic voice over at the end adds to this irony when it states "Friday 13th; the perfect day for a Coronation Street wedding.." The music makes use of a 'big band' which sounds very jolly and gives the a hopeful feel, which contrasts the voice over. The voice over also states the date the episode will be aired and the channel it is on. As well as this, the ITV logo is prominent on the screen throughout.
The storyline the trailer is based around is that of a wedding, quite a typical soap opera storyline. The characters shown in the trailer are those whom the episode will center mainly around, which gives the audience a hint at what will happen and who it will involve or affect. A linear narrative is used, because it shows the storyline go from A to B although an ending is obviously not shown. It also vaguely resembles a narrative because many different parts are shown, almost as if they are all separate but they in fact linked by the forth coming wedding.
Other than the ITV logo at the bottom of the screen, titling is not used until the very end of the trailer, where the name of the soap opera, the date and their sponsor is shown, with the familiar background from the programs title sequence. This reiterates what soap opera the trailer is for, as well as gaining publicity and recognition for the sponsor.
A variety of camera angles are used throughout the trailer; the very first shot is an over the shoulder shot, which shows exactly what the character is seeing. This helps the audience feel instantly that they are involved in the program. Close ups are used to show all the little details that go into a wedding, like laying the tables and icing the cakes, which provides a sense of normality, and puts the viewer at ease. Mid shots are used to show the various characters getting ready and is a good way of showing how they're feeling because as well as seeing their facial expression, their body language can be seen too. A close up of the figures on the cake is used, perhaps to contrast the fact that you never see the real couple together, and this can be seen as foreshadowing what is to come. A zoom is used on a sign on the cake saying "Good Luck" which implies that luck is needed, and that something will go wrong during the wedding. This is also implied because constantly throughout the trailer, signs of luck are made, or written.
The costumes throughout the trailer are all formal attire, as is expected at a wedding. The brides dress, however, is not the traditional white, and is pink instead. This can be seen as connoting that not all is as innocent as it seems. It can also be seen as a signifying problems because pink is made up of white and red - red is a colour often associated with death, and so by wearing pink, it is a slight hint that something goes wrong. The room the bride is getting ready in is entirely in white or other very pale colours, which gives a sense of purity and naivity, which makes the viewer feel worried on her behalf, because the signs are all there to indicate that it isnt her 'lucky day'.
This is a trailer for Becky and Steve's wedding day on Coronation Street, taken from www.youtube.com
Non Diegetic music is used throughout the trailer to create a sense of irony; the song used is "My Lucky Day" for a wedding episode set for Friday 13th. The non diegetic voice over at the end adds to this irony when it states "Friday 13th; the perfect day for a Coronation Street wedding.." The music makes use of a 'big band' which sounds very jolly and gives the a hopeful feel, which contrasts the voice over. The voice over also states the date the episode will be aired and the channel it is on. As well as this, the ITV logo is prominent on the screen throughout.
The storyline the trailer is based around is that of a wedding, quite a typical soap opera storyline. The characters shown in the trailer are those whom the episode will center mainly around, which gives the audience a hint at what will happen and who it will involve or affect. A linear narrative is used, because it shows the storyline go from A to B although an ending is obviously not shown. It also vaguely resembles a narrative because many different parts are shown, almost as if they are all separate but they in fact linked by the forth coming wedding.
Other than the ITV logo at the bottom of the screen, titling is not used until the very end of the trailer, where the name of the soap opera, the date and their sponsor is shown, with the familiar background from the programs title sequence. This reiterates what soap opera the trailer is for, as well as gaining publicity and recognition for the sponsor.
A variety of camera angles are used throughout the trailer; the very first shot is an over the shoulder shot, which shows exactly what the character is seeing. This helps the audience feel instantly that they are involved in the program. Close ups are used to show all the little details that go into a wedding, like laying the tables and icing the cakes, which provides a sense of normality, and puts the viewer at ease. Mid shots are used to show the various characters getting ready and is a good way of showing how they're feeling because as well as seeing their facial expression, their body language can be seen too. A close up of the figures on the cake is used, perhaps to contrast the fact that you never see the real couple together, and this can be seen as foreshadowing what is to come. A zoom is used on a sign on the cake saying "Good Luck" which implies that luck is needed, and that something will go wrong during the wedding. This is also implied because constantly throughout the trailer, signs of luck are made, or written.
The costumes throughout the trailer are all formal attire, as is expected at a wedding. The brides dress, however, is not the traditional white, and is pink instead. This can be seen as connoting that not all is as innocent as it seems. It can also be seen as a signifying problems because pink is made up of white and red - red is a colour often associated with death, and so by wearing pink, it is a slight hint that something goes wrong. The room the bride is getting ready in is entirely in white or other very pale colours, which gives a sense of purity and naivity, which makes the viewer feel worried on her behalf, because the signs are all there to indicate that it isnt her 'lucky day'.
Soap Trailer Analysis No. 2
Neighbours Plane Crash Trailer 2005
This is a trailer for Australian Soap Opera Neighbours, leading up to the plane crash episode, where many of the characters were killed, taken from www.youtube.com
Titles are used all the way through the trailer, and are used to build and create suspense. The titles are simple sentences normally split into two parts, and although the choice of wording is almost "cheesey" paired with the music and extra diegetic sound, it does capture the audiences attention very effectively. The titles are white against a completely black background, which means that the viewers eyes are instantly drawn to them. It can also be seen as connoting that very few will survive, the dark being the percentage who die and the white being the few that live. The titles at the very end say what the episode is (20th anniversary) and the name of the show, but doesnt give the name of the channel or the time, other than being "next week". However, the word "Neighbours" enlarges and moves further forwards, reitterating what show the trailer is for.
The non diegetic music at the start of the trailer sounds quite exotic, especially when paired with the visual of the cabin crew on the plane. The music is instantly stopped and replaced with extra diegetic screams and loud noises after the title saying "next week" comes up, which indicates how quickly the storyline will change. The only time the screams are paused is when the pilot says "Ladies and gentlemen, adopt the brace position now" which means that the audience has to take note of this, because there is nothing else to distract them. The absense of the screams also implies that death is iminent.
The first two camera shots are calm and steady, and clearly show the happiness of the characters involved. As soon as the music stops and the titles start to change and mention the plane crash, the shots become unsteady and all are close ups of peoples faces. This is effective because it shows the panic and fear of the characters and involves the audience because it feels like they are right alongside them.
The transitions between shots are very quick, giving the effect of a montage; the speed mirrors the situation spiralling out of control. The flickering of the lights eluminates some people and throws others into darkness, which could indicate which characters die and which survive, or it could also be seen as showing who the innocent are. The establishing shot shows two of the characters on the plane, the man being in a white suit which seems very glamourous and the woman who is impeccably dressed and with her hair done. After this, you only see people wearing life jackets, which shows the contrast between the two scenes.
The trailer can be seen as following Todorov's theory of narrative because of the state of equilibrium at the start, which is followed by a disruption (the plane crash). This is recognised and there is an attempt to save the situation (the pilot telling them to take the brace position and them all putting on life jackets) but because it is a trailer, the viewer doesnt know whether the equilibrium is restored until the watch the episode.
This is a trailer for Australian Soap Opera Neighbours, leading up to the plane crash episode, where many of the characters were killed, taken from www.youtube.com
Titles are used all the way through the trailer, and are used to build and create suspense. The titles are simple sentences normally split into two parts, and although the choice of wording is almost "cheesey" paired with the music and extra diegetic sound, it does capture the audiences attention very effectively. The titles are white against a completely black background, which means that the viewers eyes are instantly drawn to them. It can also be seen as connoting that very few will survive, the dark being the percentage who die and the white being the few that live. The titles at the very end say what the episode is (20th anniversary) and the name of the show, but doesnt give the name of the channel or the time, other than being "next week". However, the word "Neighbours" enlarges and moves further forwards, reitterating what show the trailer is for.
The non diegetic music at the start of the trailer sounds quite exotic, especially when paired with the visual of the cabin crew on the plane. The music is instantly stopped and replaced with extra diegetic screams and loud noises after the title saying "next week" comes up, which indicates how quickly the storyline will change. The only time the screams are paused is when the pilot says "Ladies and gentlemen, adopt the brace position now" which means that the audience has to take note of this, because there is nothing else to distract them. The absense of the screams also implies that death is iminent.
The first two camera shots are calm and steady, and clearly show the happiness of the characters involved. As soon as the music stops and the titles start to change and mention the plane crash, the shots become unsteady and all are close ups of peoples faces. This is effective because it shows the panic and fear of the characters and involves the audience because it feels like they are right alongside them.
The transitions between shots are very quick, giving the effect of a montage; the speed mirrors the situation spiralling out of control. The flickering of the lights eluminates some people and throws others into darkness, which could indicate which characters die and which survive, or it could also be seen as showing who the innocent are. The establishing shot shows two of the characters on the plane, the man being in a white suit which seems very glamourous and the woman who is impeccably dressed and with her hair done. After this, you only see people wearing life jackets, which shows the contrast between the two scenes.
The trailer can be seen as following Todorov's theory of narrative because of the state of equilibrium at the start, which is followed by a disruption (the plane crash). This is recognised and there is an attempt to save the situation (the pilot telling them to take the brace position and them all putting on life jackets) but because it is a trailer, the viewer doesnt know whether the equilibrium is restored until the watch the episode.
Soap Trailer analysis No. 1
Eastenders Christmas Trailer 2009
This is a trailer for a Christmas episode of Eastenders centred around the mystery of "who killed Archie?" taken from www.youtube.com
Sound is used to attract the viewer in this trailer; the use of the non diegetic music gives the audience a false sense of security because it is a simple piece of music they know very well. By using chimes and a Christmas song, the piece sounds very soft and peaceful, and is at a fairly slow tempo; however as the trailer goes on, this starts to feel slightly sinister, especially when paired with the extra diegetic voice overs saying things like "I'm going to kill him." By using voice overs, the audience is able to find out exactly what each character is thinking; the use of a re verb on the voice overs gives the impression that you are hearing the characters thoughts rather than words. The music slowing down can be seen as representing the end of Archie's life which puts the viewer on edge slightly, because they know that the mystery is finally going to be solved.
Titles are used throughout the piece effectively; within the first couple of seconds, the BBC logo appears at the bottom of the screen which reminds viewers what channel the program will be on - this both aids the viewer because it means they won't miss the program, but it also helps the television channel gain more viewers. At the end of the trailer, the time and date of the program is shown with the channel again, which ensures people definitely know when and where they can see it. The titles are bought up in a red font, which can be taken in several different ways. Because of the time of year it is, it can be seen as being very festive, especially against the snowy scene it is placed on. However, red also signifies death and blood, and so once again reiterates the fact that you will finally find out who killed Archie.
The establishing shot is of the "Queen Vic" pub, the most famous and well known part of Eastenders. By doing this, audiences are instantly aware of what program this is a trailer for, and are more likely to pay attention. Over the shoulder shots are used to show the reactions of characters, in the case of Stacey, she looks panicked and worried; because of the type of shot it is, the audience feel involved because it feels as if she is looking directly at you. The use of tracking gives the impression that someone is watching and following the characters, which is almost uncomfortable because the viewer worries for the characters, and creates a sense of unease. The way that two of the characters appear out of the shadows or from behind trees imply that something malicious and devious is happening, and increases the suspense that the trailer is creating for the audience.
The narrative of the trailer has the feel of being a fractured narrative, because the audience is constantly trying to work out who the killer is. It can also be seen as being fairly episodic because the shots throughout the trailer don't appear to be linked, other than the fact that the audience knows that one of them killed Archie.
The use of Christmas decorations and the non diegetic music gives a very naive and peaceful feel to the trailer; this is a stark contrast to the nature of the storyline in the trailer, and so the audience is instantly caught off guard. Phil's face is shown half in darkness and half in the light when he says "I'm going to kill him" - the light implies that he still has a sense of goodness to him despite what he is saying, which makes the audience wonder whether he really does act on his word. Sam Mitchell is dressed entirely in black; black is often used to connote bad things, death and evil, which makes the audience consider her as the possible murderer. However, her blonde hair questions this, as often in television, producers use small blonde women as innocent and vulnerable people. Janine wearing a red dress and with her hair up looks very glamourous, and red is often seen as being both sexual and representative of death.
This is a trailer for a Christmas episode of Eastenders centred around the mystery of "who killed Archie?" taken from www.youtube.com
Sound is used to attract the viewer in this trailer; the use of the non diegetic music gives the audience a false sense of security because it is a simple piece of music they know very well. By using chimes and a Christmas song, the piece sounds very soft and peaceful, and is at a fairly slow tempo; however as the trailer goes on, this starts to feel slightly sinister, especially when paired with the extra diegetic voice overs saying things like "I'm going to kill him." By using voice overs, the audience is able to find out exactly what each character is thinking; the use of a re verb on the voice overs gives the impression that you are hearing the characters thoughts rather than words. The music slowing down can be seen as representing the end of Archie's life which puts the viewer on edge slightly, because they know that the mystery is finally going to be solved.
Titles are used throughout the piece effectively; within the first couple of seconds, the BBC logo appears at the bottom of the screen which reminds viewers what channel the program will be on - this both aids the viewer because it means they won't miss the program, but it also helps the television channel gain more viewers. At the end of the trailer, the time and date of the program is shown with the channel again, which ensures people definitely know when and where they can see it. The titles are bought up in a red font, which can be taken in several different ways. Because of the time of year it is, it can be seen as being very festive, especially against the snowy scene it is placed on. However, red also signifies death and blood, and so once again reiterates the fact that you will finally find out who killed Archie.
The establishing shot is of the "Queen Vic" pub, the most famous and well known part of Eastenders. By doing this, audiences are instantly aware of what program this is a trailer for, and are more likely to pay attention. Over the shoulder shots are used to show the reactions of characters, in the case of Stacey, she looks panicked and worried; because of the type of shot it is, the audience feel involved because it feels as if she is looking directly at you. The use of tracking gives the impression that someone is watching and following the characters, which is almost uncomfortable because the viewer worries for the characters, and creates a sense of unease. The way that two of the characters appear out of the shadows or from behind trees imply that something malicious and devious is happening, and increases the suspense that the trailer is creating for the audience.
The narrative of the trailer has the feel of being a fractured narrative, because the audience is constantly trying to work out who the killer is. It can also be seen as being fairly episodic because the shots throughout the trailer don't appear to be linked, other than the fact that the audience knows that one of them killed Archie.
The use of Christmas decorations and the non diegetic music gives a very naive and peaceful feel to the trailer; this is a stark contrast to the nature of the storyline in the trailer, and so the audience is instantly caught off guard. Phil's face is shown half in darkness and half in the light when he says "I'm going to kill him" - the light implies that he still has a sense of goodness to him despite what he is saying, which makes the audience wonder whether he really does act on his word. Sam Mitchell is dressed entirely in black; black is often used to connote bad things, death and evil, which makes the audience consider her as the possible murderer. However, her blonde hair questions this, as often in television, producers use small blonde women as innocent and vulnerable people. Janine wearing a red dress and with her hair up looks very glamourous, and red is often seen as being both sexual and representative of death.
Trailer show time
Trailers are often shown at prime times, when the biggest possible number of people will be watching television. This is because it gains access to a larger number of viewers, and so is more likely to gain new audiences this way. On BBC1, trailers for a big soap opera episode are shown very regularly in the lead up to the sheduled showing, especially before and after the program is on. This is because those who are most likely to watch the trailered episode will be watching the normal episodes too.
Tuesday 24 August 2010
Purpose of a Trailer
Soap Opera trailers are often used to advertise a particularly big or important storyline where the producers are aiming to get more viewers. In this situation, the time that the program is on will always be mentioned, to ensure that they get viewers and the channel it is shown on, even if these things are always the same. By repeating this, it promotes both the show itself and the television channel.
They are also used to introduce a new soap opera. For this particular kind of trailer, the producers have got to appeal to their target audience in a way which ensures they get the audiences attention. Because all the characters are unknown at this point, trailers often show the new characters in a way that grabs attention, be it through shocking clips or making them very likeable. This can be seen in the launch trailer for Hollyoaks in 1995; it is very simple, where the characters introduce themselves, but by making it humourous, audiences would instantly be drawn to it, especially teenagers who it is clearly aimed at.
They are also used to introduce a new soap opera. For this particular kind of trailer, the producers have got to appeal to their target audience in a way which ensures they get the audiences attention. Because all the characters are unknown at this point, trailers often show the new characters in a way that grabs attention, be it through shocking clips or making them very likeable. This can be seen in the launch trailer for Hollyoaks in 1995; it is very simple, where the characters introduce themselves, but by making it humourous, audiences would instantly be drawn to it, especially teenagers who it is clearly aimed at.
Group Research
As a group, we researched the most common conventions of a soap opera and produced a short piece of film that conveyed what we found out. We chose to film this in the style of a soap opera to be in keeping with what we were researching.
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