Production Log

St. Paul’s Catholic College

Center Number: 64770

Candidate Number: 6446

Candidate Name: Syan Magahy

A2 Media Studies

Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media –

Production Log

Evidence of Planning & Research

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Aims and Objectives

AO2 – Assess candidates’ application of knowledge and understanding in evaluating their own work, showing how meanings and responses are created.

AO3 – Assess candidates’ ability to plan and construct media products using appropriate technical and creative skills.

AO4 – Assess candidates’ ability to undertake, apply and present appropriate research.

Brief Chosen

A 45 second – 1 minute 30 second trailer for a NEW Soap Opera

that will be exhibited on at 8:30pm (after Eastenders) that will appeal to a Male and Female audience.

YOU SHOULD research when Eastenders is scheduled (Day – Time)

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Contents

Textual Analysis

Eastenders

- Soap Opera Codes & Conventions- Multi Strand Narrative

Coronation Street

“the home, the family, domestic tribulations and the strong woman, and as such, it has long been said to appeal to the female viewer”

Research

Purpose of a Trailer Multi-Platform promotion Textual Analysis – Coronation Street and Hollyoaks

Deadlines – Production Work

Filming Dates:

Edited Trailer – Complete:

Promotional Poster – Complete:

Promotional Magazine Cover – Complete:

Evaluation – Complete:

Production Work

Director – Roles & Responsibilities? Producer – Roles & Responsibilities? Institution research – BBC Two

Soap Opera Codes & Conventions – Lesson 2

1) What are some of the Codes & Conventions of this genre?

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YOU MUST demonstrate what you already know by completing a “Spider Diagram” of what you know about OR expect from this genre:

2) Codes & Conventions of the Soap Opera Genre

The Soap Opera genre can be categorized by the ‘repeated’ (Steve Neale ) elements of:

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1. Romance

2. Family relationships and/or conflict

3. Focus on working class communities

4. Antagonism and conflict within the community

5. Social issues – crime, unemployment, racism, sexuality, etc.

Eastenders (1985 – Present)

Key information regarding this text:

Exhibited on BBC1 and repeated on BBC3.

One of the UK’s highest rated programmes (6 million viewers on average)

Set in the “kitchen sink” of fictional Walford, East London.

Textual Analysis Task

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye51O8WBVVM&feature=related -

YOU MUST complete the Table below whilst watching the TWO promotional trailers for the BBC Soap Opera Eastenders.

YOU SHOULD aim to identify key examples (Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical) from each trailer that demonstrates your understanding.

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Extension - YOU COULD apply relevant audience theory to explain what impact these key examples would have on the target demographic.

In your opinion, according to Hartley’s Seven Subjectivities, what is the target audience for Eastenders?

Age 15-30 years old

Gender Female

Nationality British

Trailer 1)

What is the Focus of this trailer?

A murder has taken place on the square and there are a number of suspects.

Code&

Convention

Evidence

(Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical)

Impact on the Audience

(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)

RomanceN/A There is no romance shown in the trailer.

Family relationships and/or conflict

Many members of Lucy’s family are suspects for her murder.

This can impact the audience as it shows that there is no love in the family, which is unusual.The stereotypical family should love each other and not suspect they are murderers.

Focus on working class communities

The characters are seen working, for example, Peter is seen with a shovel.

The audience could suspect that he may have killed lucy.“Personal identification” (Katz)

“Multi-Stranded Narrative”

There are many different characters in the trailer all doing different things, leading into the same storyline.

This creates the idea that there are many different suspects for the murder. “Diversion” (Katz) appealing to different groups of the audience.

One of the people on “There’s a killer amongst them” – non-verbal

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‘Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

the square is a murderer.

code creates the idea that it could be anyone on the square. “Inform and educate” (Katz). This relates to the n0n-verbal code as it informs them that there is a killer amongst the people in the square.

Trailer 2)

What is the Focus of this trailer? New characters that have joined Eastenders

Code&

Convention

Evidence

(Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical)

Impact on the Audience

(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)

RomanceJohnny and Danny kissing, after he’s seen with Whitney and encouraged on by his parents.

“Age” (Hartley’s seven objectives) besides there were two males kissing, there was an age gap between them both which could impact the audience as the older male may have convinced him.

Family relationships and/or conflict

“Got a lot of catching up to do, Shirl”

Mick talking to his sister, who he presumably has not seen in years. “Personal relationship” (Katz) instant relationships between the siblings, impacting the audience to feel that instant bond.

Focus on working class communities

Setting – pub. Familiar setting, “class” (Hartley’s seven objectives) working class.

“Multi-Stranded Narrative”

Johnny and his relationship issuesNancy’s relationship with her mum.Linda and Shirley not getting on.

Keeps the audience entertained with many different storylines all tied in together.

‘Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

Shirley not getting on with Linda – could cause trouble as they work together.

Personal identification (Katz)

Multi-stranded narrative

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A Multi-stranded narrative can be defined as….

- Telling a story from more than one person’s point of view.- Telling multiple stories about multiple characters in an open narrative

episode for example.

YOU MUST deconstruct the 10-minute extract from Eastenders and identify where the following elements are presented to the audience:

Multi-stranded narrative Family relationships and/or conflict Focus on working class communities ‘Disequilibrium’ (Todorov) Romance

YOU SHOULD write down x1-2 examples for EACH of the elements above that are presented.

Code & Convention Evidence Impact on the audience Multi-stranded

narrative- Sharon being attacked- Phil/Shirley’s

discussionIan and Rainie

- Builds suspense

Family relationships and/or conflict

- Mick helping Johnny – “alright son”

Shirley’s difficulty with her son

- ‘Caregivers’ (Maslow)‘Diversion’ (Katz)

Focus on working class communities

- Colloquial language – “allo”

‘Personal identification’ (Katz)

Disequilibrium’ (Todorov) - Sharon unconscious - ‘Diversion’ (Katz)

Romance - Ian and Denise – broken down relationship – low key lighting-

“Personal relationship” (Katz).

Soap Opera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson 3Textual Analysis

According to Rebecca Feasey in ‘Masculinity and Popular television’ (2007), the Soap Opera genre tends to focus on:

- Promote and advertise a product, for example a film or TV show.

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- Inform the target audience about the film, TV show, or other media product.

- Creates buzz about the product.- Serves as a marketing tool.

1) – Do you agree?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8_ApPT6isY (First 5 minutes)

Next Page - YOU MUST deconstruct the opening 5 minutes of a sequence from the popular ITV Soap Opera Coronation Street (1960 – Present) to identify examples of where this ideology is presented to the target audience.

YOU SHOULD also try and identify, to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the genre, any Codes & Conventions associated to the Soap Opera genre

Code & Convention Evidence Impact on the audience

Rebecca Feasey (2007) Ideology:

Rebecca Feasey (2007) Ideology:

1. Domestic tribulations – “two sittings for breakfast” – Deirdre

2. Deirdre sat in the middle – strong female.

3. Anna telling Faye to go to school – strong, dominate female.

“Multi-Stranded Narrative” - Deirdre and family.Anna and her daughter Faye.

Family relationships and/or conflict

- Family at war.Anna’s personal troubles affecting family life.

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Focus on working class communities

Anna washing up – ‘personal identification’ (Katz)

Disequilibrium’ (Todorov)- Carla

Funeral – Tina’s death

Soap Opera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson 4Textual Analysis

1) What is the purpose of a trailer?

To make you want to see the program, it allows the audience to grasp the basic concept of the program without giving too much away about the story. This then makes the audiences want to tune in to watch it and to find out what the cliffhanger is from what they have watched in the trailer.

2) What are the benefits of Multi-Platform promotion of a media text?

A wider audience Easy to access for the audience

Ultimately, some form of Convergence important when promoting a text to the target audience.

3)

Textual Analysis –

Next Page - YOU MUST make notes on the following areas when deconstructing this sequence from Coronation Street:

Multi-stranded narrative Character dilemmas ‘Personal Identification’ (Katz)

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Repetitive “Good Luck” shows to the audience that everyone is hoping it will go ok. – Multi-stranded narrative someone saying good like which impacts on the audience that something isn’t right, they shouldn’t get married.

Wedding – character dilemmas a wedding should be a happy moment for people, everyone in the trailer is serious.

Symbolic voiceover at the end: “Friday the 13th, the perfect day for a perfect wedding” – personal

identification, the audience can identify that the irony of the word perfect and the irony on the wedding being on a cursed day isn’t going to turn out right.

Characters looking at each other in doubt – multi-stranded narrative, different stories throughout all the characters at the wedding, there are all different stories, which can link to the bride or the wedding.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/hollyoaks/4od

The above link will take you to some of the latest episodes of Hollyoaks.

1. What are the connotations of the ident for the popular Channel Four Teen Soap Opera Hollyoaks (1995 – Present)?

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- Boy Vs. Girl – teen problems (romance)- Younger audience (promiscuity) –conflict- Viewpoint on both gender roles – self discovery

Next Page - Hollyoaks – “White Wedding Trailer” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu2sW-r9Vb4

2. YOU MUST make notes on the following areas when deconstructing this sequence from Hollyoaks:

Binary opposition of the non-diegetic music Symbolism of the non-verbal code of the tear Representation of Pregnancy Any other examples that would impact the audience

Production Work

1) What is the role of a Producer?

Oversee all aspects of the production across 3 stages pre-production and post-production. Manage everyone and ensure everything is in place in order for the text to look fir for purpose

2) What is the role of a Director?

Oversee the creative aspects of the production direct people in front and behind the camera

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