Finished Trailer.

Evaluation 4. How did you use new media technologies in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?

We used lots of different technology to be as efficient as possible throughout planning, production and editing.



Panasonic HDC-SD80- I used this camera for mainly still shots which was my main aim when constructing my soap trailer. I thought that the shots needed to be clear and have correct framing. Then I could adjust these shots in post production. I used the zoom option effectively as at times we were filming in small spaces and we didnt want any shadows in the background of shots.




Tripod- The majority of shot types in soaps are steady and you never really see hand held shots unless the producer feels it would be more effective. I feel that my use of tripods has developed as the tripod needs to be positioned in the correct place in every location to really give the audience a clear message of what the soap is going to be about. I feel that i have developed my media skills by being able to adjust all types of shots to reflect a certain meaning to the audience.






IPhone- My iPhone allowed me to record vital information on to my blog from wherever I wanted, this was important as I could take a still image and post it directly on to my blog. For example when i took location photos and developed key ideas without having access to a computer we passed a typical setting and as a result we took a picture and we could instantly upload it to blogger.Then from there I could elaborate on it. I feel that this technology allowed me to speed up the process and still capture vital information. I could get an image on and then explain them on my blog in detail.I have learnt that having 3G has allowed me to show evidence and planning clearly.

Voice Recorder- The use of a voice recorder was important when capturing our voiceover. We have learnt that the quality of the voice recorders is dependent on background noise so we ensured that we recorded in a quiet place so we could give a clear message. We could also create multiple voice overs which we were intending to use. However we decided not to in the end, however we had the choice and the voice recorders gave us more ideas to play with.


Facebook- I found facebook very useful throughout planning and production. I was able to also receive feedback when posting my video on facebook to an open public. I could upload and use photos on facebook which i could then edit in photoshop. As facebook is a social networking site it also allowed my video to be shared to a wider audience. As a result i could receive a lot more critical feedback.





Blogger/Blogger App- I have learnt that blogger is an easy and effective way of recording my ideas. Whether it was on a computer or my phone application. I could upload images aswell as information at any time to ensure that i didn't miss out on any evidence of planning. Also blogger helped me to express my work and the receive feedback from an unknown audience. I feel this helped me because i could sort of see my work from someone elses perspective. Also blogger has allowed me to express my work in more of a creative way. I've used images, text and videos to reflect my ideas in an efficient way. Finally blogger was helpful in keeping work in order and as soon as it was published i could make changes.

Adobe Photoshop- My development on Photoshop has allowed me to create a professional billboard poster and TV listings magazine. I have learnt how to use blending options in an advanced way so that images blend together and feel more as an item. I feel I have developed this into all my work now as when I want to edit an image I can open Photoshop and no exactly what to do. I found it difficult at first when trying to edit my sold sign into shot, however after continuos use of blending options and peristent work I finally placed it in the right position for it to work.

I used Youtube in two different ways. Firstly when researching into conventions of soaps I used Youtube as an internet source of research as I could view documentaries and the making of Soaps. However on the production side I used it to Embed my drafts and receive feedback through the use of Web 2.0. I found it useful as without understanding how to use I would never have got initial ideas as well as critical feedback.



Youtube-

Evaluation 3.What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

The demographic of channel 4 is that a programme:

-Demonstrates innovation,experiment and creativity in the form and content of programmes
-Appeals to the tastes and interests of a culturally diverse society.
-Makes a significant contribution to meeting the need for the licensed public service channels to include     programmes of an educational nature and other programmes of educative value exhibits a distinctive character.

Our first idea was that we would have a scene which introduced as much about our soap as possible. Firstly the character would enter a car. We had the idea that our non-diegetic sound (theme tune) would play as we press the radio button. From there we cut all the bits that are not worth seeing and have a tracking shot of the location. From there we zoom in onto certain characters and give the audience an idea of their roles. At the end we decided to have our character picking up and putting the sign down on the ground then entering his house. We have contacted Peter Lane through our family members and he has agreed to lend us a sign for our trailer.  Our main aim was to try and introduce our target audience to the soap in general by using a character in a similar situation.

 

Research: Questionairre.

1.       Do you enjoy watching soaps?

Yes (9)  No (1)

2.       Would you enjoy a soap directed for a younger audience?

Yes (10) No ()

3.       Do you prefer modern or traditional soaps? Why?

Traditional (3) Modern (7)

People preferred modern soaps as they were more current and easier to relate to.

4.       What time do you usually sit down and what television?

Between (6-8) 4

(8+) 6

5.       Do you watch channel 4 often?

7 people said they did but only for Hollyoaks.

6.       Is E4 a channel that interests you?

The majority of people said that they watched e4 for repeats and also for soap advance. Which meant that they watched Hollyoaks a day in advance.
7. Do all the titles make sense?
Yes (3) No (7)
8. Is there a range of characters?
Yes (4) No (6) most of the people said they would prefer if there was more females.

5 Males, 5 Females, Aged 16-18

My questionairre showed me that the majority of young people would accept a soap which is more focused on teenage life. Some said that they would prefer traditional soaps however the majority said they were cliche and that the storylines were farfetched. Many people said they would rather sit down after 8 oclock as this was the time they had to relax. Channel 4 wasnt a popular channel however most of the males said they would only watch hollyoaks for the attractive female purpose. As a result when creating our soap we are going to take these aspects into account.

We decided to make a few changes as a result:

Changing the title of 'Cultural Differences' to 'Different Conflicts'.

We added a young attractive female to entice a male audience.

Evaluation 2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

Evaluation 1. In what ways does my media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

1.It took us quite a while to decide on a name for a soap however when choosing our locations the street I was filming on was 'The Crescent', I thought the name felt upper class and I wanted to shock the audience when they realised the soap was reflecting the lifes of middle class people. I also thought 'The Crescent' was distinctive and would stand out from all of the current media soaps. Therefore I thought it would be successful to use a different approach when it comes to the name.

2. The choice of settings and locations were very important. I wanted to use as many stereotypical settings as possible, as a result we tried to show a pub and an offlicense. I didn't get caught up in showing them for too long so I decided to show basic glimpses so that the audience can see they are going to be present when the soap starts. 

3. Costumes and props was a difficult aspect to address when filming. I had to be organised and ensure that every character wore the correct clothing, this was to reflect their personalities in the soap and allow the audience to establish an idea of what they are going to be like. I thought that the props in shot needed to be relevant therefore we decided that anything that was not involved would be taken out, so that our frame would only contain what we wanted the audience to see.

4. The camerawork and editing took a lot of thought to ensure that all the shots were suitable to reflect a certain meaning. For example when I used a close up on Kieran's face to show his facial expression and alter the mood. I did this deliberately to allow the audience to understand the characters personalities a bit more. I used smart transitions to ensure that our music fit the style of trailer. I feel I was most successful at showing this when the radio is pressed and the music begins to play.

5. I used a Sans Serif font and I decided to keep the information on the screen to a minimum. I tried to finish my trailer in a similar style to current channel 4 trailers. I did this by fading the name and when it was going to be shown onto the page. Then I wanted the channel 4 logo to appear at the end as this is the last thing that audience will see. I wanted my font style to be distinctive and be seen and people think 'The Crescent' I thought that I would use a formal style to reflect the upper class style which goes with the name, this would continue to emphasise the class status involved, but then create a shocking moment for the audience when they realise they have been fooled.

6. Thinking of storylines was a very effective part of planning as I had many different ideas. My first story is 'exam stress' I thought that this was relevant and would appeal to our specific demographic as they will be going through the same process at some point if they haven't already. Another storyline I hinted at was 'different environments' where we included a shot of a young female behind the bar. I tried to suggest that she would be a matriarch and take a similar role to which Peggy Mitchell took in Eastenders. I also used one more storyline which was 'loneliness' I used this storyline to include an older character so we would have a range of character like in real soaps.

7.  Introducing characters was difficult because we needed to ensure that the clothing, facial expression and pose was all correct to give off the right signal to the audience. I wanted to show the audience there personalities and these 3 aspects were vital. For example when using Tom standing on the edge of the road, his clothes are very ragid and he seems angry for some reason, this signals to the audience immediately that there could be trouble when it comes to this character.

8. Special effects are a huge part of soap trailers so we tried to make the most of what we had to offer on Final Cut Pro. I used a title screen effect to give the reader the name and time and then a transition with a bright light. I thought it improve professionalism and gave our trailer a more appealing factor. I also thought it wasn't something that was going to really jump out but it would be seen and appreciated by the audience.

9. The use of logo was important as we used synergy. I showed the channel 4 logo in the top right hand corner and made it slightly opaque so it didn't draw the attention away from the trailer. I then complimented this by using a larger image of it on the last shot. I thought it would be best to leave the audience with what channel its shown on so that if they miss the date or time they could look out for it in TV listings magazines or on TV guide.I thought it was important to try and use a similar convention of using the logo as important iconography.

Finished TV Listings Magazine and Billboard Poster

This is my finished TV listings magazine and billboard poster. I tired to show as many typical conventions of both pieces to meet the main purpose of informing.

Research into TV Listings Magazine

TV Listings Magazine Research

Bright colours are the main feature in all listings magazine to reflect the major soap storylines for the week. Different shapes and patterns are used in different ways to try and make the soaps seem appealing to the eye. As a result the audience will buy the magazine just to receive soap gossip.

The Magazine consists of 7 photos which is a lot of manipulation in such a short space however it is set out in a way that all the storylines are easily readable.

I feel that when creating my main story introducing my soap I will use a similar approach. My main image will cover over half a page and be used with an appealing strapline in a bright colour. I feel that this will make the story stand out from the rest and transfer the key information straight into them. The main purpose is to inform so I will have to make my soap seem the best out of all the programs on show

Research into Soap Billboard Posters

As soap billboard posters are very rare to find I decided to analyse some other past media students work.

We see a very simple and easy billboard poster which gives you the details on when the soap will be shown on television. Image manipulation is present however I feel that the characters facial expressions are quite odd. On the other hand the background and character placement is successful.

The most important thing is that the soap isn’t advertised as being new and there is no evidence of them intending to connote that. I feel this has to be present otherwise people are less likely to be intrigued.

Logos are used without permission for example Nike Trainers this is important because it could be questioned whether or not they had permission and then problems would begin to occur.

Another positive is the banner and logo they have created. They meet the style and ethos of E4 as the colour and style is similar to what E4 use in the present.

This again takes a similar approach to the other billboard poster by using simple image manipulation. The layout is peculiar however the main information is given. The style is unusual for a BBC One production and the font style is modern. This reflects the target audience which is vital when attracting viewers through advertisement.

The BBC One logo is opaque and difficult to make out at first which is a negative because billboards are usually shown in places where you only catch a brief look. As a result I feel that the poster needs to make the information clearer as it’s not clear if you only took a quick look at it.

Again similarly to the other billboard poster there is no clear statement which shows that the soap is brand new. The slogan suggests it’s a brand new soap however there needs to be more emphasis’ on the word new.

Hollyoaks Analysis

Hollyoaks began airing on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom on the 23rd October 1995. The target audience was teenagers and it dramatised the lives of seven young teenagers who lived in Hollyoaks, a fictional a town outside of Chester.

Awards:

Hollyoaks was the only soap to be nominated in every category at the 2007 British Soap Awards. It went on to win 3 awards at the ceremony: 'Villain of The Year' 'Best Comedy Performance' 'Sexiest Female'. Linking this to our soap we are intending to also use a young female character to attract men and we thought that including a villain of sorts would reflects danger and therefore invite the audience in. 

Locations:

Despite being set in Chester the show is filmed at studios in Liverpool. The Village is a built set at the studios. This displayed to us that the trailer could reflect any location as it could be set elsewhere, Hollyoaks successfully reflects to us that the characters live in Chester although it is filmed elsewhere. This inspired us as we were unsure on where to film, but after seeing this we realised that if we used vague settings these could be adapted and changed in the later proccess.

The Hollyoaks set was also the location for the television series Grange Hill and the school set is now used as Hollyoaks High. Hollyoaks rarely film in Chester due to their mass schedule. Nearly all scenes are filmed at studios in Liverpool.

Sponsorship:

Hollyoaks started of being sponsored by Nescafe, which involved a £9.5 million pound deal from June 2002 until July 2003. In 2005 Wrigleys chewing gum decided to sponsor the program. This was until late 2009. The next sponsor was Nikon this was a key aspect for them and Jeremy Gilbert said: "Hollyoaks provides the perfect demographic to which we are able to communicate the strengths of the Coolpix S3000 camera.

The sponsorships are deliberately used because the target audience are interested in the items. Therefore the sponsors are trying to promote an item which the demographic is interested in.

Eastenders Vs Coronation Street

Eastenders Christmas Special:




9.8 million viewers tuned into the christmas special which was the highest on BBC one throughout christmas day.

Coronation Street:

Year	No. of eps	Eps at No.1	Highest figure	Lowest figure	Eps o/s top 10/20
1977	44	0	16,600,000 28th November	8,564,000 26th December	4
1978	103	8	20,443,000 20th December	9,937,000 28th August	3
1979	83	11	19,500,000 14th March	11,400,000 6th August	5
1980	105	14	19,000,000 3rd December	7,608,000 7th April	2
1981	104	32	20,800,000 18th February	9,345,000 20th April	2
1982	104	36	18,950,000 6th January	10,950,000 4th August	1
1983	104	48	18,450,000 23rd February	10,315,000 26th December	0
1984	105	38	20,449,000 14th November	9,037,000 27th August	1
1985	105	32	21,400,000 2nd January	10,001,000 29th May	1
1986	105	1	22,750,000 18th June (with repeat)	11,350,000 16th June	1
1987	105	1	26,650,000 25th December (with omnibus repeat)	11,900,000 4th May	0
1988	104	0	18,150,000 4th January	8,350,000 15th June	1
1989	115	45	26,930,000 15th March	14,070,000 2nd August	0
1990	157	45	22,830,000 1st January	13,250,000 14th September	0
1991	157	20	21,600,000 20th November	10,700,000 25th December	2
1992	157	27	21,600,000 8th January	12,500,000 26th June	0
1993	157	51	20,730,000 22nd March	12,920,000 28th June	0
1994	157	46	19,680,000 14th February	12,380,000 25th December	0
1995	156	44	19,440,000 9th January	11,610,000 8th May	0
1996	163	45	19,800,000 28th February	9,900,000 14th June	1
1997	209	43	18,030,000 17th November	10,180,000 25th May	0
1998	208	43	20,300,000 18th November	11,150,000 9th August	0
1999	210	25	19,840,000 7th March	11,160,000 18th July	0
2000	216	21	19,060,000 3rd January	10,560,000 30th July	0
2001	224	3	18,140,000 23rd May	8,550,000 10th August	7
2002	223	34	15,010,000 17th November	8,190,000 3rd June	0
2003	248	37	19,430,000 24th February	8,800,000 13th July	0
2004	269	46	16,330,000 16th February	7,080,000 4th July	1
2005	263	47	14,360,000 21st February	7,550,000 27th April	1
2006	258	44	12,600,000 13th March	6,870,000 30th June	0
2007	261	41	13,080,000 15th January	6,870,000 7th September	0
2008	258	28	13,020,000 18th January	6,290,000 15th June	1
2009	260	22	11,460,000 2nd February	5,440,000 12th April	1
2010	263	16	14,100,000 6th December	5,880,000 29th August	1
2011	263	9	11,780,000 14th February	6,110,000 24th April	3
2012 To date	254	10	11,430,000 23rd January	5,930,000 4th June	3

Coronation street didnt rival Eastenders on christmas day however in the last few years the amount of viewers per episode is declining. In 2010 coronation street received its highest viewing figures, however in 2011 and 2012 the viewings have decline.




The decline in coronation street viewers could be effected by many different aspects. Eastenders is shown on a mainstream channel, the timings are different however sometimes there are clashes. This could be when Coronation Street loses viewers as the BBC doesn't have adverts and ITV does. Another point could be that with technology developing more people set up recordings as it is so simple to do. This could effect the viewings hugely as people could be watching the program but at different times to the majority.

Our Individual Roles

Although it was a group piece of work we decided that to be as efficient as possible we would have to address different aspects behind the production.

Basically we sat down as a group and decided what qualities each of us have. We decided that Liam dawson would be Mise en Scene designer because he can easily adapt a shot and make it suitable for different situations. Which we thought would be effective for our soap as there will be many different situations.

Josh Davis was given the role as cameraman as he has the ability to capture a frame which suits the environment and different situations during a soap.

Liam Irons was given the role as editor because he has spent previous time editing to a good quality also he has experience when using the macs.

I was given the role of director to ensure that everyone was doing there jobs to motivate the team and to allow us to create a high quality trailer.

Props

For different storylines we used different props.

New Beginnings
-Suitcase

Exam Stress
-Exam papers
-Newspaper
-Pen
-Calculator

Different Environments
-Beer Mats

Loneliness
-Newspaper
-PhotoFrame

General - A Car, Sold Sign

Script for Voiceover

We started off by deciding on a simple voiceover saying " coming soon to channel 4 " we tried many different peoples voices with a mix of genders. We finally decided on a young females voice as channel 4 tends to use female voiceovers for soap introductions.

When we received feedback from our first draft we were criticised about the voiceover being to vague and not giving off the right information as a result we discussed different approaches.

We used both writing to compliment the voiceover by using our channel 4 logo and text saying " Starts 1st January". We then made the voiceover just displaying the time and the name. As a result we decided to go for, " The Cresent, (Minor Pause) 7:30, New Years Day ".

We felt this was a much more influential voiceover because it gave the audience the information they needed and they would therefore then look out for the programme rather than be unsure on when its going to be shown.

Music

Finding suitable music for our trailer was difficult. We found a numerous number of tracks which we liked however they were copyrighted. As a result we took a bit of a setback. However when splitting up and searching we created a shortlist between tracks with found on www.pacdv.com.

We decided to use the track: New Day Mp3.

Our soundtrack is current and upbeat which is a similar approach to what hollyoaks have used. As a result we thought that it would be appropriate to fitting our target audience.

Treatment Our Main Summary

Our major idea was that we would have a moving vechicle acting as the audiences point of view. We would try to show as many characters and settings as possible to the audience. We thought that a fast paced trailer with lots of cuts and effects would make the audience really sit up and pay attention. As a result we used 4 different storylines which were not entirely clear. This was deliberate as it gave us a chance to create open narratives.