Evaluation: Use of Conventions

In what whats does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?


The Trailer

Conventional Narrative: An open and fractured narrative it used, sometimes with forking paths to show different perspectives of a situation or event. In Todorov's Theory, a disturbance is always recognised but there is not always equilibrium before this. Usually, only a victim or villain is recognised from Propp's Theory in a soap opera trailer. 

In our trailer, we used an open narrative with forking paths around the main event (Rachel's arrival). The disturbance of Rachel arriving is signified by the change of the non-diegetic soundtrack and juxtaposition, the second non-diegetic soundtrack and the establishing shot and nature, as well as the reactions of several characters. However, we challenged convention narratives by allowing a change in time throughout our trailer, transitioning from day to night. This reflects not only the change in time, but also connotes the effect of the new character, Rachel. As her disturbance begins to appear, it gradually gets darker until she arrives at the local pub building suspense until her reveal. A similar existing product is this trailer for Emmerdale, where the main character causing a disturbance is recognised and reacted to by the other characters in the trailer. This not only mirrors our narrative but some of our shots also appear, such as the girl looking out of the car at 0:20. However, it is night time throughout the whole trailer setting a dark atmosphere from the outset instead of gradually building, as seen in our trailer. 

Conventional Camera Angles: Camera angles vary between close ups, mid-shots and two-shots. Over-the shoulder shots are also used during diegetic conversations. High and low angles are not necessarily used in order to keep the audience feeling engaged in the scenes but may be used significantly to signify inferiority and superiority of certain characters. 
Throughout our trailer, we followed the generic conventions of camera angles using mainly mid-shots and long shots, with a close up of Rachel's feet. However, we also challenged them by including a tilt and a low angle for the reveal of Rachel's character at the end in order to build suspense, connote a strong-minded and dominant character as well as to encourage the audience to ask questions about our soap opera. We also did not use an over-the-shoulder shot as planned due to problems whilst filming and positioning the camera. Had we done this, our trailer may have been more conventional. Below are four examples where we have both followed and challenged soap opera conventions.

Evaluation 

1. Though the location is the same, we challenged the normal conventions by adapting the angle of the camera (left image) into a close up of Rachel's feet in order to keep the identity of her character hidden until the end of the trailer, building suspense for the audience. Also, Rachel is the one causing the disturbance in Mill Lane whereas the characters in the Emmerdale trailer are reacting, denoted through the mid-shot displaying their emotions and body language. However, the framing of both shots includes the door to the pub, as well as the front step and plants. Here, we have challenged a convention.


2. This shot from our trailer (left) also mirrors that in the Emmerdale trailer as both characters are in a car, looking at another character. Mid-shots have both been used as the character looks out of the window, denoting their body language and emotions, but we have used a different angle in order to fit the continuity of our trailer. Here, we have followed a convention.


3. Both of these shots have been used to reveal the identity of a female character, building suspense for the audience and encouraging them to watch the full episode. They are also both close ups, starting on the feet before vertically panning up to the face. We have challenged this convention, however, by using a tilt instead of a vertical pan, creating more of a lower angle. This denotes the dominance of Rachel's character more clearly than that of the EastEnders trailer, but both appears to be menacing and authoritative. 


4. This final shot we have challenged by changing the mid-shot (left) from the Neighbours trailer to a long shot in our own trailer. Not only did this allow us to denote the scene clearer, but also to clearly allow Rachel's character to disturb the scene between the mechanic, Ryan, and Harriet.

Links to trailers:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGXX2ubwoIU
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGXX2ubwoIU
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p4xlLezos0
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB8aRKT5NK0

Conventional Titles: The channel is sometimes displayed at the bottom of the frame throughout the trailer but the final titles include the channel, time and day that the soap opera is broadcasted. If titles appear during the trailer, there are few. The text is also in a simple font and neutral colour.

As an important convention of soap operas in communicating the soap opera's details, we clearly displayed our channel, time and day at the end of the trailer in order to inform the audience. We used a simple, black and white theme font in order to follow the conventions as this also looks the most professional.

Conventional Mise-en-Scene: 

used by characters are minimal and used to set the atmosphere or highlight the disturbance. A non-diegetic soundtrack is used throughout the trailer and a non-diegetic voice-over summaries at the end of the trailer. If the soap opera has a jingle, this will also be used as a sound bridge at the end of the trailer. Lighting is lower in the shots where the disturbance is recognised and higher where it is not, except for when juxtaposition is used. 

In our soap opera, we challenged conventions by using predominantly exterior locations of homes, fields, and a street, except for interior shot of Rachel in pub whereas they would normally include predominantly interior locations. Also, instead of using props to set an atmosphere, we simply used them as signifiers to denote the occupations of the characters - a car for Ryan, the mechanic, and a shovel for the farmer, Charlie Collins. The lighting also decreases throughout the trailer as the day continues which is unconventional for soap opera trailers since they are generally set at one moment in time. 

Conventional Editing Style: Shot durations are short, generally lasting between 1 and 5 seconds maximum so not much is given away. Transitions of razor cuts, dissolves and fade-to-blacks are used throughout following the typical trailer style.

As an important convention in order to keep audience engaged, we ensured that the shots lasted no longer than 5 seconds in order to keep the pace of the trailer and follow the generic editing style of soap opera trailers. We also used fade-to-blacks between each scene and razor cuts throughout. An existing trailer with a similar editing pace to ours is this trailer for EastEnders.

Conventional Sound: A non-diegetic soundtrack is used throughout the trailer with a non-diegetic voice over at the end of the trailer stating the name of the soap, time and channel it can be viewed.  Diegetic conversation is often used to encode and communicate to the audience the story lines of the trailer, rather than a non-diegetic voice over. 

Throughout our soap opera trailer, we used a non-diegetic soundtrack but we challenged the use of it through the use of two in order to connote the equilibrium and disturbance in our trailer (Todorov's theory of narrative). It began slow paced with a low pitch in order to connote the peaceful and relaxed setting of Mill Lane. The use of foley effect of the radio being tuned when Rachel's character hits it, along with the transition into a new non-diegetic soundtrack with a higher tempo and pitch helped to connote a new character, Rachel from the city, entering an old area. It was also in the genre or style of dance, which is also unconventional as it juxtaposes with the more serious story lines and themes, as well as the calm countryside setting. However, as a group we felt it was more effective in reaching a younger target audience and also denoting that a lively character of Rachel Mannings was interrupting the peaceful countryside.  

The Magazine Cover


Conventions: Use of a large, main image to go with the main cover line (1/4 of the cover) and lots of smaller images and cover lines of different characters. It will also include selling points such as a cheap price and extra features, like discounts, so that audience feels like they are getting more for their money. The colour scheme is bright to connote the themes of our soap opera (e.g. pink to highlight text and connote love and yellow to connote happiness or alarm). Text is of a bold, bubbly font to grab the audience's attention and no gaps or space is left. The left 1/3 of the page is used to include important information and key selling points and the magazine name is catchy, short and relevant to soap operas.


We kept our magazine cover conventional by using a bright colour scheme of red, yellow, black and white in order to catch the eye of a potential consumer, as well as connoting excitement, anger, danger and themes of relationships and romance. We also have used a key selling point of "2 weeks revealed" but have kept the price unconventionally high in order to reach an older target market, connoting a good quality magazine. The barcode, magazine title and main cover like has been used in the left 1/3 of the cover, as well as the main image and cover line taking up 1/4 of the space on the cover. The magazine name is also short and catchy and the font is bold.


The Poster


Conventions: A use of bright colours to grab the audience's attention as well as large images and minimal text to inform the audience quickly. Also, there is a use of colours that connote the target audience and themes (e.g. pinks for relationships and blue for youth). The channel, the time and day the soap opera is broadcasted is displayed clearly, as well as a tagline to inform the audience quickly and keep the poster to the point. An iconic logo for the channel/broadcasting company should be used to reduce text. 


Our poster is also conventional as it uses minimal text, except for the tagline and incorporates a logo for the channel name. The time, channel and days the soap is broadcasted is also clearly displayed and the poster is predominantly images. The colour scheme isn't bright with the background characters in sepia to connote that they are old and traditional, where as Rachel is new and exciting. This is unconventional but necessary in order to convey our message and emphasise the tagline.  

Conventional Characters: According to Propp's Theory of Characters, a successful story or narrative will include the seven characters of the hero, villain, princess, false hero, donor, dispatcher and the helper. Since we only encode the state of equilibrium, disturbance and recognition of the disturbance in our trailer, poster and magazine, not all of the characters will be established. As a trailer, it is necessary to keep some information hidden for the full episodes. Therefore, encoded information about these characters must be used in order to keep the audience intrigued.  From the combination of our soap opera trailer, magazine and poster, these characters have been encoded according to Propp's theory:

- Villain: Rachel Mannings

- Princess: Harriet Collins

- Hero: Ryan Parker, Charlie Collins

- False Hero: Edith Jones, Jennifer Ward, Barry Brooker

- Donor: Unknown

- Dispatcher: Unknown

- Helper: Unknown

Some of the characters have remained anonymous in their role of the narrative until the recognition of the disturbance in Todorov's theory of narrative. This holds the audience in suspense and encourages them to ask questions and try to decipher the encoded information, therefore to watch the soap opera to see if they were right. These were recognised through the camera angles used in the trailer and their interactions with other characters, as well as their positioning on the poster and their costume or any props. As only a promotion for a new soap opera, we did not push the boundaries or break conventions regarding the characters and Todorov's theory of narrative in order to conform with the generic conventions of trailers.