To benefit us in widening our knowledge and potentially expanding on our new TV soap trailer ideas, we took part in further trailer research. We watched two trailers of two very popular successful TV soap operas - Eastenders and Coronation Street.
Eastenders
This trailer is based around the festive season of Christmas day. The audience are shown all of the different characters in short quick shots accompanied by Christmas theme "cheerful" music to set the mood and atmosphere. It is ironic how the trailer begins on a high showing all these characters sitting round the table with their family, smiling and laughing of ordinary shots in juxtaposition along side the end shots of drama and misery where the cheerful music disappears into dramatic drum beats and the audience are left with an answered question.
In these shots almost suddenly the warm, cosy, bright colours turn to darkness emphasising the grief of what is about to happen in the soap. Throughout the trailer there are close-up shots of the characters showing their facial expressions. The narrator voice also leaves the audience on edge, it comes from no-where and sounds like a slow mysterious voice stating "the truth is out" drawing the viewers in even more. This trailer is representing family and community base life intending to target a wider range of audience. Narrative enigmas are used consistently as a sense of illusions in the audiences mind. It contains drama, secrets, gossip and lies all of which are essences of a good soap.
Coronation Street
The second trailer we analysed was Coronation Street. Similarities could be seen between both of these trailers using traditional forms and conventions. Likewise to Eastenders the trailer was made to attract a wide popular audience. Immediately from the first few shots we gather what the occasion is that is happening on the street - a wedding. However although weddings are usually associated with lots of happiness the viewers can sense tension. There is emphasis on "luck" which is juxapostioned with the happiness of the wedding day. There are varieties of different shots of leading up to the preparation of the wedding - the cake being iced, flowers being arranged and so on.
Though it is odd there are many superstitious signs, for example "Good Luck" is represented and shown in different forms - sprayed on the car, placed on the cake and even a character crosses her fingers. Whereas on any other wedding day you are usually told "congratulations" rather than "Good Luck" which is as if they are expecting and waiting for something to go wrong. Where usually it is the characters that are left unaware of what is coming ahead this time it is us the viewers that are asking questions, why do they all look so anxious? As the trailer comes to an end the voice of an a narrator "Friday 13th, perfect for a Coronation Street wedding" both emphasizing the superstitious side as Friday 13th is often related as a bad luck day with a twist of humour.
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