Research on Soap Opera

By researching other different soaps like Eastenders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks, I am able to use the conventions from real soaps and interpret them into my soap trailer, especially when creating my characters and locations.

All soaps use many different characters, like teenagers, middle aged and the elderly, so the target audience has somebody to relate to. Research shows that audiences of Soaps like to be able to relate to characters. This is because Soaps are entertaining, where the audience switches off and is able to relax due to gratification from others issues and problems within the soap. The audience is able to create a ‘parasocial relationship’ with characters where they take pleasure from being able to understand how a certain character feels or behaves in particular circumstances, due to themselves having been in a similar situation or having knowledge of the subject. It is said that audiences develop a ‘personal identity’ by being exposed to many different realistic issues, allowing audiences to form their own opinions, attitudes and reflect on their own lives.

Theses are they types of characters I will have to mirror in order to make a successful relatable soap opera:-

Eastenders-

Coronation Street-

Emmerdale-

Hollyoaks-

 

Therefore it is no surprise that soaps are constantly addressing the issues of relationship breakdowns, births, deaths, affairs, adoption and fostering, murder, law breaking ect. The reason for this, is that the audience in some way are able to relate to storylines. Soaps appeal to a variety of people, as characters as based around ordinary, working class characters, where storylines express realism. For example within Eastenders storylines like HIV, illnesses such as Bipolar Disorder, affairs, death, domestic abuse, marriage, homosexuality and religion have been addressed throughout the years.

There are many typical characteristics expected from a Soap Opera. For example there will always be an:-

·         Established location. For example in Eastenders it is Albert Square, Walford, London which is made up from houses, flats, number of small businesses, a pub (The Queen Vic) and a street market.  Coronation Street is set in Greater Manchester town of Weatherfield. The street consists of houses, pub (The Rovers Return) and corner shop, garage and a factory.

·         A community where everybody knows either other.

·         A few meeting places which are clear to the audience and most of the social interaction occurs in these places. For example the Queen Vic pub and café in Eastenders and Coronation Streets it is places such as the Rovers Return Pub  ect.

·         Proximity:- This is a factor of where nobody ever goes far away from the established location.

·         Established well know characters where there is a emphasis of families and the fact that characters often have ‘skeletons in their cupboards’ whereby secrets are revealed in many different ways.

^^ All of these help to create social realism for the audience

Soaps also have narrative conventions for example:-

·         Soaps are ongoing.

·         Several interweaving storylines involving different characters, where new ones are introduced where they become developed, whereas others come to an end or are left open for future storylines.

·         Where episodes are left on a cliff hanger.  

·         Audience also gain gratification when dramatic irony is created.

Soaps are mainly dialogue therefore soaps consist of characters talking to each other. Realism needs to be created for the audience, by making the camera as invisible as possible, there is a eye witness effect created. Camera Shots consist of:-

• Establishing shots (gives the audience a sense of location but can also take us from one storyline to another)
• Over the shoulder shots
• Two shots
• Mid shots
• Close up shots
• Extreme close shots

Editing

Within soaps editing is very simple which helps to promote realism. But it can, at the same time be very complex as it needs to take the soap from one storyline to another in a natural way.

Sounds

The sounds within soaps is diegetic, again this helps to promote realism. The only sounds included are conversations, background noise and music being played in the background.  Linking on to this the also the theme tune of the soap, as it plays a major role for soaps. Not only it is recognisable for the audience, but also gives a clear indication when the programme is starting. ß Only non-diegetic device used in soaps

Lighting and Mise-en-scene

Lighting needs to look natural and realistic to represent the real world. This is the same with mise-en-scene, as costumes, interior and exterior design, props, layout and shots all help to promote stereotypical characters and the realism of the soap.

Representation

Soaps need to include many different characters, where they need to be relatable for the audience and represent society. Therefore different genders, ethnic backgrounds, sexual preferences, ages, occupations, opinions, incomes and family backgrounds need to be included. 

Social issues are reflected within the storylines where different opinions are created. But soaps many play on conflicts between people, where audiences pleasures come from taking the sides of different characters.

Soaps and Women

Many people argue that soaps are more appealing to women due to domestically focused storylines. However, soaps are argued to be ‘polysemic’ which means they offer a variety of interpretations or meanings, where they are enjoyed differently by different viewers. 

Soap opera are often aimed at family audiences because of the use of families in the actual soaps. Soaps are based around families and the relationships within them. It is from here where narratives are made from the problems either from inside or outside the families. Therefore by researching the different families in soaps helps to show how important they are because it means that targeted audience are able to sit down with their families to watch soaps. Here are different examples of families in existing soaps operas:-

Eastenders-

Coronation Street-

Emmerdale-

Hollyoaks-

Therefore it is important to contain a family element within soaps, not only to create realism, but it allowed audience members to relate to particular characters, storylines and issues.