Past Student Soap Opera Trailers

Avenue Springs Promo:

As a whole I feel this trailer is quite effective.

It quite clearly shows the narratives with the different storylines.

Through the Mise-en-scene and the clothing worn by the characters within the piece you see the black hoodies and the body bag in the car this adds a suspicious eerie atmosphere to the trailer showing connotations of death.

The narrative is shown to be murder by the suspicious way the two characters i assume as the audience they are the antagonists throwing the body bag from the back of their car and that the person in the body bag was a protagonist. Another narrative may be use of drugs or depression as there is a mid-shot of pills and water on a table. The camera angles worked well, the mid shots gave us a clear view of the suspicious characters and the use of the long shot sets the scene and shows the location of the forest.
The low key lighting works well in this film opening to set the mysterious atmosphere.

 Also the use of the blue car goes against the connotations of death use of a black or red car would have signified the murder that had occurred however I understand that this could have been difficult to obtain in a student production, but would of looked more effective if was obtainable.

The titles fit well with the conventions of soap opera they are used to a minimum they are at the end to advertise the soap to the audience letting them know when the episode is on and what channel. Also the use of the titles with the questions such as 'what if' add yet another suspicious atmosphere to the piece.

Walthambury Road Trailer:

As a whole I feel this trailer is not effective.

The narratives are not clearly shown even though they had different storylines they weren’t explained enough for the audience to have an idea about any of the characters.

Through the Mise-en-scene and the clothing worn by the characters within the piece you see the a pregnant teenager dressed in a light coloured jumper which connotes she is innocent and then a youth in a dark coloured hoodie  which portrays that he has a dark personality and is an antagonist within the piece, you also see two teenagers in a car dressed wearing stripy jumpers both black and white which shows juxtaposition as the white shows how they are innocent however the black shows a more antagonistic view towards them.

The narrative is shown to be deceit and danger by the way the two characters are kissing in the car you as assume as the audience they are two characters who are having affairs, You see danger through the antagonists throwing the pregnant women to the floor within the shop who was as far as we know a protagonist.

The camera angles worked well, the mid shots gave us a clear view of the two characters in the car kissing and the use of the high angle shot of the pregnant women on the floor with the hoodie above her shows he is dominant over her.

However the handling of the camera wasn’t good especially at the beginning of the piece as the camera is shaky and then zooms into the door of the exterior setting which didn’t look good.

The high key lighting which I didn’t think works well in this film opening to set an atmosphere or interest the audience as they lighting was juxtaposition against the storylines.

 
The titles didn’t  fit well with the conventions of soap opera as there was a lot of writing explaining the tag line and when the episode is on and what channel however they used a very formal font and that went against the look of the soap as they were not dressed or in the right scenes for a formal setting.

I have analysed two soap opera trailers and also a trailer that was made by last year's Year 13s.
I have looked at and analysed these soaps to help me understand how my trailer should be and how the conventions should be used throughout my trailer.
Looking at these trailers has helped me understand how my trailer should have unique and individual style to introduce my soap opera as a new fashionable soap whilst also introducing its characters and the story lines.

A particular convention I would like to use is the Male Gaze Theory to sexualize the female characters in my trailer in order to attract male audience members from the demographic groups C1, C2, D and E.