Evaluation Task 1

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


1. The Title - We decided to use the title 'Ferrars Avenue'. The reasons behind this choice are because it is the street name of the area we filmed at, and we thought that naming the soap after the road is common, and another example of this is Coronation Street. The title is also short and easy to remember. The title also sounds modern and keeps in place with our target audience.


2. Camera-work & Editing - The reason I have chosen this frame for camerawork and editing, as in the actual trailer the camera zooms into the window, and there is a fade to black, which ends up in the pub. We attempted to get a feel that the camera was traveling through the window into another storyline, and with this effect we were able to establish this feeling as well as introduce new characters to the scene. We also used this to show that the pub will be one of the popular locations, as it is in other Soaps like Emmerdale.

3. Use of logo - We used the channel 4 logo in the top right-hand corner of the whole trailer, to show our institutional information, as Channel 4 broadcasts our Soap, so we felt it to be important. This also re-minds the audience what Channel to view our Soap on, and the same technique is used by our rival soap, Hollyoaks, and this technique is commonly used in other Soap trailers.

4. Props - The prop that the male character is holding in Frame 6 is flour in a food bag, and we represented it as the drug cocaine. The money is also an important prop in this frame as it gives the audience a clear understanding of what is happening, and it is important because it is a common social issue in teenage life. This prop is vital as it is commonly used by young adults so it is suitable and modern, which matches our target audience, and this prop also plays vital roles in other Soaps, such as Eastenders. The phone could also emphasize secrecy, which is appropriate for the chosen storyline.

5. Special Effects - We increased the length of this text shot, before using a quick cut to the next scene. We did this so that the text message was on screen for a lot longer, so that the information would have been retrieved by the audience, and could help them to understand the problem that is going on, which is an affair.

6. Costumes - Frame six shows one of the characters in the drugs scene, and he is clearly in a hooded jumper. The trousers that he is wearing is dark black trousers, and white trainers. The costume relates to the role he plays, and it is a stereotypical outfit for a drug dealer to wear, and the dark trousers connote that something is not quite right. This costume would be instantly recognizable, and the darkness of the outfits could convey a hidden approach, and connote the fact that something bad is about to happen.

7. Setting & Location - This frame shows the pub that we used for filming. The reason we chose a pub for our proposal scene is because in all of the favorite soaps there is a pub, such as Eastenders with the Queen Victoria, and Corontation Street with the Rovers, and Emmerdale with the Woolpack. In all of them 3 soaps, many different events take place, such as fights, murders, arguments etc. so we thought it would be useful to include. We needed to thoroughly convey this convention, so we wanted the audience to recognize the main settings and get across the point that it is a community, with a standard, local pub.

8. Storylines & Plot - This frame expresses the fact that the two male characters are in a homosexual relationship, as it shows a kiss goodbye. However, the character 'Paul' is facing away from his homosexual partner, which connotes the fact he is not happy in the relationship, and this happens in soaps like Eastenders, when the character Max hugs Tanya, and as soon as it ends, his emotion changes from happy to sad. This frame could also connote the feeling of guiltiness and the characters showing that by not being able to face his partner.

9. Title Font & Style - This frame shows the title of our soap, and how it is at the end of our trailer. The font we have chosen is 'Goudy Old Style', and the reason for this is that we thought it looked like a road sign, and therefore shows synergy. The font & style is also clear to read, and the font size makes it easily visible, and therefore the title we be easily remembered, as the audience get a clear view.