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.
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.
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.
A high angle establishing shot at the beginning of the trailer shows the setting in which the scene is taking place. Many viewers will be familiar with the iconic Queen Vic pub and will immediately recognise that the trailer is for Eastenders. The pub superficially signifies leisure and the sense of having a good time, but for those who are aware of the many unpleasant events and serious issues that have taken place inside, it's inclusion within the trailer will have a rather different meaning. The scene takes place and night and therefore is is very dark presenting the character in the car as sinister. The girls staring into the car as it passes also suggests that the character is of high importance. As he gets out of the car, the camera pans upwards to reveal the character's face and those familiar with the soap will be aware of the character's importance and the build up that preceded this revelation will fall into place. Shallow focus is used during the close up of Ricky's face, again reinforcing his importance. Another high angle is used together with two long shots in quick succession as Ricky walks through the marketplace, showing his clear recognition for the setting which will be reflected in the audience in their recognition of his character. This type of editing and camera angles is more likened to film cinematography than that of a soap, presenting Eastenders as a dramatic and serious programme, perhaps contradicting previous stereotypes of soaps. Until this point in the trailer, low level non-diegetic singing with reverb can be heard building tension. As Ricky stops outside the Vic however, this music fades out and a voice over is heard stating 'He's back' furthering the film-like presentation of the trailer. Suddenly someone is heard diegetically screaming 'Ricky!' from inside the pub as all the windows smash and Ricky is knocked the ground in slow motion shown from two different angles. This section of the trailer is reminiscent of an action film rather than a soap and perhaps suggests that the return of these two characters will have dramatic consequences for Eastenders.
The two younger characters within the trailer wear dark coloured clothing suggesting a sinister situation surrounds them. Their attire, as well as the non-diegetic music that is used within the trailer can also be classed as complying with the ‘emo’ stereotype a subculture often thought of as 'dark'. In contrast the boy's parents wear white and green clothing respectively, giving connotations of naivety and of life. This naivety could link to the mother's voice over 'Maybe he doesn't want our help.'This line suggests that she does not understand her son, again shrouding the character in mystery. For this reason, it seems that this trailer is attempting to attract a younger audience to the soap by using young characters and a subculture they can relate to, whilst dealing with the very complex issue of mental health. A fade to black is used between each scene, giving the audience a short taster of specific sections of the storyline so that they are given sufficient enough information to be attracted to the programme, but that not too much is given away that the plot of the episode is revealed. The fade to black again reinforces the idea that the storyline is sinister. In the middle of the trailer, graphics are used with the words ‘With friends like this, who needs enemies?’ This question will play on the audiences mind, making them want to watch the soap in order to find out who this ‘friend’ is and what they are like. Flames are superimposed over a close up of the boy’s face connoting anger and effectively revealing his emotions to the viewer. Editing techniques are also used to distort the boy’s face into that of his ‘invisable friend’, subtlety hinting at his mental health issues. The trailer hints that the storyline will have a psychological basis, which we can assume will attract an active rather than passive audience, perhaps more specifically an audience looking for gratification by identifying with the character and his issues. At the very end of the trailer, a voice over asks the rhetorical question ‘How far can Newt run from himself? , again enticing the audience to watch the soap in order to find out the answer to this question. The trailer ends with the name, date and time of the soap being displayed on screen and being reinforced by a voice over. This gives the audience all the information they need in order to access the soap.
The trailer begins with the camera tracking the character as he walks suggesting that he is of high importance and that his movements have significance. The scene is very dark, giving the character a sinister and mysterious air. He wears a white coat and shirt connoting innocence. As he leaves the alleyway,a figure in shadow appears at the opposite end of it, An editing effect is used whereby the figure suddenly appears at the front of the shot and the audience is aware that this is the same character that has just left the shot.The characters clothing directly contrasts that of what he was wearing at the beginning of the trailer, wearing a black coat this time. This effectively presents the two contrasting sides of the character's personality, the black coat representing the darker and more malicious side. The editing used in this section also presents the darker side of the character as inhuman as he seemingly appears from nowhere. Throughout this section, a low level non-diegetic drone can be heard, building tension and reinforcing the sinister situation. The scene then cuts to a mid shot of the two 'sides' of the character, the darker side in the back of the shot in shadow and the 'normal' side in the front of the shot. This presents the 'normal' side of the character's personality as the real side, as being placed further forward, it is more prominent. The shot then cuts to an extreme close up of the character's eye with an image of the 'dark' side of his personality superimposed into it. This suggests that this side of his character is innate, and something that he cannot escape from. This is reinforced when the scene cuts to a long shot and the 'dark' side runs into the 'normal' side of the character and an effect is used whereby is seems as though the dark side dissolves into the normal character, becoming a part of him. The scene then cuts to a close up of the character's face as an effect is used to flicker between the 'good' and 'evil' sides of his personality, eventually ending with the character wearing the black coat and raising his head to look sinisterly directly at the camera. A voice over during this section states that '...life on the street can be murder' employing the use of double meaning to hint at what is to come within the episode but also suggesting the impact this character's issues has on other characters on the street. The trailer ends with the title of the soap (although the abbreviation 'Corrie' is used rather than Coronation Street and the subtitle of 'The Nation's Street in order to connect with the audience they are attempting to attract) the channel it is shown on, the sponsor and the soap's web address so that viewers can access more information. The voice over reiterates the title and channel of the soap to reinforce this information to the audience.
The purpose of a soap trailer is to employ effective techniques to grab the audience's attention making them want to watch the soap. The trailer should raise questions from the audience that can only be answered by watching the soap. Trailers can also introduce characters or plotlines, giving the audience a taster of what is to come in the programme. Trailers should be inticing but should not reveal too much about the progamme so that the audiene is still inclined to watch the soap. By watching the programme, the audience should also be made aware of the day, time and channel on which the soap will be shown, in order to make the programme easily accessible.
