In a Soap trailer, the editing needs to be fast paced, with at least 3 story lines to introduce social issues and characters. However, in the actual Soap, I think the editing used is quite simple, with the use of editing techniques such as cuts. Cross-cutting is also used in Soaps, such as in Eastenders when Archie Mitchell died, it showed a range of different characters removing gloves that were similar to the unknown killers. The sound of needs to be edited in perfectly as well. This is vital in Eastenders, as when a cliff hanger happens, the well known 'doof doof' sound at the beginning of the Soaps's theme tune.
Mise-en-SceneCostume - Costume is important in the Soap genre, as it can often represent the characters personality and background. For example, the character Zainab in Eastenders often wears an Islamic dress at special occasions, which gives the audience an understanding of her beliefs, which could also challenge social issues.
Lighting - The lighting in Soaps often comes from the outdoors, as many of the scenes take place there. However, when the characters are inside, whether it be in houses, or pubs, the main source of light comes from windows or house lighting etc.
Make-Up - There are different types of make-up that are used for different types of story lines or characters in Soaps. For example, the character 'Amy' in Emmerdale wears a lot of make-up, and so does the character 'Alicia' in the same Soap, but this could be stereotypical as she works as a bar-maid. Make-up can also be used for scars or cuts, such as the time when Ian Beale became homeless in Eastenders.Setting - The stereotypical settings and locations in soaps are pubs, houses, garages, parks etc.
Camera
Simple camera-work is used in soaps, such as:
Close-ups - used to show emotion
Extreme close-ups - used to focus on a certain prop or an example could be zooming into a characters eye.
Mid-Shots - Shows the character and their stance
Long-Shots - Shows the character totally and the background
Some of the more complex camera-work in soaps are tracking shots, and this was used perfectly in a recent episode of Eastenders, when Bobby Beale went missing, and one of the characters were being followed through the market square. Panning shots are also used a lot in soaps, and they are mainly used to show a setting. On the Emmerdale 40th anniversary special, the camera panned around the murder scene, showing the weapon and the victim, to remind the audience what had happened. Crane and establishing shots are also used to set the scene. In the title sequences of Eastenders, the camera starts of really high, and slowly zooms closer and closer, to show where the Soap is set.
