Soap Trailer Conventions

• Focuses on a specific storyline and characters
• Often uses special effects or titles that would not be seen in the actual soap
• Fairly short
• Doesn't reveal too much about the storyline- leaves audience compelled to watch the soap in order to find out more
• Often makes use of voiceovers
• Name of soap, when it is scheduled and the channel it is broadcast on displayed at the end of the trailer

Comparison to full soap opera conventions
Full soap operas involve more than one storyline whereas soap opera trailers focus on one in order to attract audiences interested in that particular storyline. Full soap operas are obviously a lot longer than trailers-most full episodes are around 30 minutes in comparison to trailers which are about 30 seconds, if not shorter. Soap trailers often make use of special effects that would not be seen in the actual soap as they employ a high level of realism. Special effects are used in trailers however, to attract audiences to the soap and make storylines appear more dramatic. Soap trailers also often make use of voiceovers which would not be found in the full soap opera, again due to the level of realism soaps attempt to display.

 

Analysis of One of Last Year's Soap Opera Trailers

This is Valley Hill, one of last year's year 13 soap trailers.


The typical conventions of a soap opera trailer have been followed in that it focuses on one storyline and one set of characters rather than all the current storylines of the soap. This is vital as the trailer only allows a short amount of time in which to entice the audience into watching the soap and so the storyline selected for inclusion in the trailer should be one which has impact.The trailer clearly displays the domestic themes apparent in all soaps so that the audience is aware from the outset the type of programme that is being advertised. Titles are used throughout the trailer to accentuate the themes and issues of this particular storyline, emphasising the drama of the situation. Fades are used effectively to separate each scene but to also show how they link into the whole storyline which may not have been so obvious had each scene just cut from one to the next. I feel that the end of the trailer is the most effective. Fast cuts and diegetic sound build tension and the use of clips from earlier in the trailer lead the audience to realise that any of the characters could be the murderer, thus leaving them wanting to watch the soap in order to find out who it actually was. I feel that the trailer could have benefited from non-diegetic music throughout in order to increase tension and hint at the overall storyline as it is not immediately obvious from the outset and only becomes clear within the last minute or so. The trailer could also have included a channel to make the soap easier for the audience to access.

Scheduling of Soap Opera Trailers

An advert for Hollyoaks was broadcast on Channel 4 at 8.15 in the morning between Big Brother's Little Brother and Friends. It appears that through doing this producers were attempting to attract an audience of 16-30 year olds that would watch these types of programme.