.

1. 1
St. Paul’s Catholic College
Center Number: 64770
Candidate Number: 6763
Candidate Name: Natalie Warren
A2 Media Studies
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media –
Production Log
Evidence of Planning & Research

2. 2
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)

3. 3
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”
‘Masculinity and Popular television’ – Rebecca Feasey (2007)
- Is this evident and how is this presented to the audience?
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

4. 4
SoapOpera Codes & Conventions – Lesson2
1) What are some of the Codes & Conventions of this genre?
YOU MUST demonstrate what you already know by completing a
“Spider Diagram” ofwhat you know about OR expect from this genre:

5. 5
2) Codes & Conventions of the SoapOpera Genre
The Soap Operagenre can be categorizedby the ‘repeated’
(Steve Neale) elements of:
1. Love
2. Conflict
3. Secrets
4. Betrayal
5. Death/Murder
Eastenders (1985 – Present)
Key informationregarding this text:
 Shown on BBC1 – Availableon demand throughBBC iPlayer.
 On the show’s 30th anniversary, itaveraged over 20 million viewers.
 Appliesto the ‘kitchen sink drama’theory because it depicts the
domestic situations of workingclass Britons.
Textual Analysis Task
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye51O8WBVVM&feature=related -

6. 6
YOU MUST complete the Table below whilst watching the TWO promotional
trailers for the BBC Soap Opera EastEnders.
YOU SHOULDaim to identify key examples(Verbal, Non-Verbal, Technical)
from each trailer that demonstratesyour understanding.
Extension- YOU COULD apply relevantaudiencetheory to explain what
impact these key examples would haveon the target demographic.
In your opinion, accordingto Hartley’s Seven Subjectivities, whatis the
target audiencefor EastEnders?
Age Teenagers/Young adults (16-24 year
olds)
Gender Female
Nationality British
Trailer 1)
What is the Focus of this trailer?
The Week of Revelations – EastEnders 2015 Trailer BBC1
Code
&
Convention
Evidence
(Verbal, Non-Verbal,
Technical)
Impact on the Audience
(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)
Romance N/A
There didn’t seem to be any elements of
romance in the trailer due to the fact that their
aim was to focus on a horror and mystery
theme.
Family
relationships
and/or conflict
Technical: A long-shot at
the end of the trailer is
used which places all
characters within family
units.
According to Hartley, this would therefore
appeal to a family audience. Also ‘survivors’
(Maslow) would want to know what will
happen to the characters and whether they are
going to be ok.
Focus on
working class
communities
Technical: Series of jump
cuts from different
locations.
Audience can ‘personally identify’ (Katz) with
the text as the British audience may recognise
the areas as ones they would like to visit.

7. 7
“Multi-Stranded
Narrative”
Technical: Jump cuts
between multiple
characters
Non-verbal: in different
settings
Technical: Final long
shot of all of the
characters coming
together.
Audience have built a ‘personal relationship’
(Katz) with these characters especially if they
have been watching the show for a long time
and so have a close bond with them, therefore
they’ll want to know what happens next.
‘Disequilibrium’
(Todorov)
Non-verbal: Dark
lighting/setting along
with build-up in pitch of
background music e.g.
baby crying and the gate
banging.
This code increases dramatic tension so
‘survivors’ (Maslow) are left in suspense and
feel anxious to know what happens next and
whether the characters are going to be safe.
Trailer 2)
What is the Focus of this trailer?
Hollyoaks Autumn 2014 Trailer: Featuring #Hollyoaksendoftheline
Code
&
Convention
Evidence
(Verbal, Non-Verbal,
Technical)
Impact on the Audience
(Katz, Maslow, Hartley)
Romance
Verbal: dialogue - “I’m
going to ask him to marry
me.”
Non-verbal: The kiss.
Audience can experience a ‘diversion’ (Katz)
from this as they can escape from reality into
the drama of the character’s love lives.
Family
relationships
and/or conflict
Verbal: dialogue - “He
loves us and we’re going
to start a new life
together.”
This may appeal to young adults (Hartley) who
are starting new lives or starting families as
they can ‘personally identify’ (Katz) with what
the characters are going through.
Focus on
working class
communities
Technical: Jump shots
between various families
and characters.
Audience may be able to ‘personally identify’
(Katz) with the character’s lives or the
situations they find themselves in.
“Multi-Stranded
Narrative”
Technical: Fast-paced
cuts and close-ups of
multiple character’s
faces.
Audience can build a ‘personal relationship’
(Katz) with the characters so they’ll want to
know more about their backgrounds.
‘Disequilibrium’
(Todorov)
Non-verbal: Bride and
groom decorations on
fire.
Technical: Close-up shot.
‘Survivors’ (Maslow) will want to know the
mystery behind what appears to be a disastrous
wedding and how the characters are going to
reach an ‘equilibrium’ (Todorov).

8. 8
Multi-stranded narrative
A Multi-stranded narrative can be defined as…..
Several narratives running at the same time with multiple characters and locations.
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.
EastEnders 11th June 2013 Full Episode
Code & Convention Evidence Impact on the audience
 Multi-stranded
narrative
Technical: Multiple cuts
between different
character’s storylines.
Audience is able to build a
‘personal relationship’
(Katz) with the characters,
as they may be able to relate
to them or their families.
 Family
relationships
and/or conflict
Verbal: dialogue - “You’re
uncle Max is having a hard
time.”
Verbal: dialogue - “I thought
you were my friend.”
‘Survivors’ (Maslow) may
feel sympathetic to the
character of uncle Max.
Audience may be able to
‘personally identify’ (Katz)
with the theme of betrayal.
 Focus on working
class communities
Non-verbal: Closing of the
local surgery.
This code may ‘inform and
educate’ (Katz) the audience
of social issues.
 Disequilibrium’
(Todorov)
Non-verbal: Phil giving
Shirley a lot of money.
‘Survivors’ (Maslow) may
assume that the money is
for something dangerous,
perhaps illegal, and want to
know what he has asked her
to do.
 Romance

9. 9
SoapOpera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson3
Textual Analysis
According to Rebecca Feasey in ‘Masculinity and Popular television’ (2007), the Soap
Opera genre tends to focus on:
“…the home, the family, domestic tribulations and the strong woman, and as such, it has
long been said to appeal to the female viewer.”
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.
 Home: Ending of the scene with two men entering the house.
Carla apologizing for burning down the flat.
 Family: Multi-stranded narrative focused on the loss of family/break-up of family.
Family unity when Jason showed support for his mother and her friend.
 Domestic tribulations: Carla & Leanne arguing in the street.
Simon bearing the bad news and running to the others.
Carla telling Norris to say what he wants.
 Strong women: Carla telling Roy that they need to leave after he takes a sip of his
drink.
Women are always the ones to break the news to other characters.

10. 10
Code & Convention Evidence Impact on the audience
Rebecca Feasey (2007)
Ideology:
1. Home Verbal: Carla apologising
for burning the flat down.
‘Caregivers’ (Maslow) may
sympathise with her
situation and hope that the
situation gets resolved.
2. Family Technical: Jump cuts
between the multi-stranded
narrative, of the break-up of
a family.
‘Survivors’ (Maslow) will be
interested in the conflict of
the characters and whether
it will be resolved or not.
3. Domestic tribulations
Verbal: Carla and Leanne
arguing in the streets.
Since the show is aimed
towards families and young
adults (Hartley), the
audience may be able to
‘personally identify’ (Katz)
with the theme of family
arguments.
4. Strong woman Verbal: Carla telling Roy
that they’re leaving after
he’s had only a sip of his
drink.
Appeals to a female
(Hartley) audience as they
are presented with
representations of various
strong women.
 “Multi-Stranded
Narrative”
 Family
relationships
and/or conflict
 Focus on working
class communities
 ‘Disequilibrium’
(Todorov)
 Romance
 Other Themes &
Issues represented:

11. 11
SoapOpera Codes & Conventions continued – Lesson4
Textual Analysis
1) What is the purpose of a trailer?
The purpose of a trailer is to give viewers a preview of a programme or film that is going
to be released in the future to then encourage them to watch it.
2) What are the benefits of Multi-Platform promotion of a media text?
 It encourages creative branding solutions
 Integrated content across various platforms
Ultimately, some form of Convergence is 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)

12. 12
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)?
The symbols for males and females are included in the ident. This could connote that the
aimed for target audience is for both genders and teenagers and young adults through the
use of the colour scheme.
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

13. 13
Binary opposition of the non-diegetic music
The non-synchronous sound of the background music contrasts with the non-verbal code
of the prominent colour black as it is an upbeat tune with a voiceover saying “white
wedding”.
Symbolism of the non-verbal code of the tear
The black tear could symbolise destruction and sadness, which illustrates that even
though a wedding is supposed to be a happy occasion, in reality it appears to be the
opposite.
Representation of Pregnancy
Near the beginning of the trailer, there is a close-up shot of her bump, which could
connote that perhaps, the only reason this wedding is happening is because she is
pregnant which may have caused the “disequilibrium” (Todorov) in the text.
Other examples that would impact the audience
The non-verbal code of the other character’s facial expressions illustrates their
disapproval towards the bride and the wedding.
Production Work
1) What is the role of a Producer?
To oversee all aspects of the production across three stages: pre-production, production
and post-production, to manage everyone involved and ensure everything is in place in
order for the text to look fit for purpose.
2) What is the role of a Director?
Oversee the creative aspects of the production and to direct people in front and behind of
the camera.