Through my research into soap opera trailers, and the conventions of such a media product, it was important to ensure that I followed the conventions correctly, therefore making my own product look professional and completed to industry standard. I had to look into the different ways soap opera trailers were unique and recognisable, ensuring that my own piece looked like a soap opera trailer and not a film trailer.
There are many ways in which my soap opera trailer conforms, develops and challenges the forms and conventions of real media products. The product itself is very closely influenced by the many trailers I have uploaded onto my blog, in particular Broadchurch and more generic soap opera trailers such as Eastenders. I have tried to incorporate the main conventions such as the soap being placed in a main setting, the use of main protagonists to guide the story (i.e. the detective), however in ways my trailer challenges such conventions as I only focus on one main character at this point, as although the soap will be based around the police station as a whole, his character is the most diverse and integral to the journey of the plot. I have followed Todorov's narrative structure partly, in showing how there has been a disruption to the equilibrium, and the journey the detective goes on to solve it. Another commonality featured in my trailer is the use of cliffhanger endings as found in all trailers to entice audiences. The ending dialogue of the detective 'it's you' implies that the kidnapper will be someone he and the audience knows, and by his tone this suggests the news will come as a surprise. This will therefore continue to reel in audiences, making them intrigued and impatient to find out who has committed such a crime. I have developed media forms and conventions by using new techniques and edits to create a more unique effect to my own personalised trailer. In conforming to existing soap opera products I also had to ensure that I used the right shots and pace for the trailer, using dramatic climactic music and faster paced collaged images to in keep with the atmospheric tension that my piece needed to convey. This builds up anticipation for audiences, and through audience research I found that this was something many of the samples picked up on. Another key element of conforming to such media products was ensuring I ended the trailer just right- this being with the advertisement for the broadcasting station the show will be aired on and the name of the show, along with its sponsors. To do this I used industry standard software, along with emulating one of the most popular broadcasting stations signature logo and advertisement. With this in mind it made my piece look increasingly professional, with audiences being able to visualise the types of other products this show would be featured with. As well as the iconic imagery continuing to draw audiences in. I also added a male voice over to this iconic image, stating the name of the show and 'coming soon', again emulating industry standard pieces. Using this iconic imagery, I was able, on photoshop, to manipulate the lettering of the logo, changing it from the infamous 'ITV' to 'IPV' therefore although seeming similar, I wasn't breaking any copyright laws. I also used subtitles during the ending of my piece, thus developing the storyline more and again adding tension such as my previous examples have done in their trailers (i.e. Broadchurch). Another convention that I conformed to was the need for character backstory's to make audiences more emotionally connected to the characters on screen. To introduce this properly into the trailer, I added a few shots of the detective drinking from a hip flask, showing his alcoholism, as well as the shot of him opening a locket which features his wife and step daughter. These images should then intrigue audiences into believing the detective has a troubled background, and making them sympathise with his journey and story.
Challenging such media conventions was the use sub-genre this category fell into and preconceived notions regarding them. Normally, such crime shows as mine wishes to emulate, would only be aired as a TV drama, therefore coming on in series a few times a year. My soap opera would differ from this as although it is crime based, it will be a long running show, being on weekly (various days in the week) such as Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Eastenders. In such ways I have also developed on the conventions already in place for TV dramas, and adapted them to the conventions of long running soap operas. With such a sub-genre being so popular nationally and internationally, I felt that this type of show was long overdue, this view being adopted by audiences too.
By conforming, challenging and developing these soap opera conventions I have managed to make a professional looking product, in keeping with the main conventions of the soap opera genre, however adding unique twists to the storyline and sub genre so as to make my piece more personal and individualistic.
There are many ways in which my soap opera trailer conforms, develops and challenges the forms and conventions of real media products. The product itself is very closely influenced by the many trailers I have uploaded onto my blog, in particular Broadchurch and more generic soap opera trailers such as Eastenders. I have tried to incorporate the main conventions such as the soap being placed in a main setting, the use of main protagonists to guide the story (i.e. the detective), however in ways my trailer challenges such conventions as I only focus on one main character at this point, as although the soap will be based around the police station as a whole, his character is the most diverse and integral to the journey of the plot. I have followed Todorov's narrative structure partly, in showing how there has been a disruption to the equilibrium, and the journey the detective goes on to solve it. Another commonality featured in my trailer is the use of cliffhanger endings as found in all trailers to entice audiences. The ending dialogue of the detective 'it's you' implies that the kidnapper will be someone he and the audience knows, and by his tone this suggests the news will come as a surprise. This will therefore continue to reel in audiences, making them intrigued and impatient to find out who has committed such a crime. I have developed media forms and conventions by using new techniques and edits to create a more unique effect to my own personalised trailer. In conforming to existing soap opera products I also had to ensure that I used the right shots and pace for the trailer, using dramatic climactic music and faster paced collaged images to in keep with the atmospheric tension that my piece needed to convey. This builds up anticipation for audiences, and through audience research I found that this was something many of the samples picked up on. Another key element of conforming to such media products was ensuring I ended the trailer just right- this being with the advertisement for the broadcasting station the show will be aired on and the name of the show, along with its sponsors. To do this I used industry standard software, along with emulating one of the most popular broadcasting stations signature logo and advertisement. With this in mind it made my piece look increasingly professional, with audiences being able to visualise the types of other products this show would be featured with. As well as the iconic imagery continuing to draw audiences in. I also added a male voice over to this iconic image, stating the name of the show and 'coming soon', again emulating industry standard pieces. Using this iconic imagery, I was able, on photoshop, to manipulate the lettering of the logo, changing it from the infamous 'ITV' to 'IPV' therefore although seeming similar, I wasn't breaking any copyright laws. I also used subtitles during the ending of my piece, thus developing the storyline more and again adding tension such as my previous examples have done in their trailers (i.e. Broadchurch). Another convention that I conformed to was the need for character backstory's to make audiences more emotionally connected to the characters on screen. To introduce this properly into the trailer, I added a few shots of the detective drinking from a hip flask, showing his alcoholism, as well as the shot of him opening a locket which features his wife and step daughter. These images should then intrigue audiences into believing the detective has a troubled background, and making them sympathise with his journey and story.
Challenging such media conventions was the use sub-genre this category fell into and preconceived notions regarding them. Normally, such crime shows as mine wishes to emulate, would only be aired as a TV drama, therefore coming on in series a few times a year. My soap opera would differ from this as although it is crime based, it will be a long running show, being on weekly (various days in the week) such as Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Eastenders. In such ways I have also developed on the conventions already in place for TV dramas, and adapted them to the conventions of long running soap operas. With such a sub-genre being so popular nationally and internationally, I felt that this type of show was long overdue, this view being adopted by audiences too.
By conforming, challenging and developing these soap opera conventions I have managed to make a professional looking product, in keeping with the main conventions of the soap opera genre, however adding unique twists to the storyline and sub genre so as to make my piece more personal and individualistic.
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