Soap opera sub-genres

Realism0 Realism soaps are one of many soap opera sub-genres

0 Realism soaps key aim is make the drama happening on screen seem as realistic, natural and relatable as possible

0 They are set in England

0 Famous examples of realism soaps are: Coronation Street, Eastenders and Emmerdale

0 Realism soaps depict working class life in England to be grim, and can often be descried as ‘kitchen sink drama’

0 Realism soaps will use story lines such as: relationships, friendships, family, arguments, love triangles etc. these issues are relatable to the audience watching it and so create a strong sense of collective identity but also are made to be continuous and so helped to keep the audiences attention and cause them to watch ever episode.

0 Realism soaps will also have a strong regional identity for example Eastenders has a strong regional identity of a typical cockney, Emmerdale has a strong regional identity of a typical farming community and Coronation street has a strong identity of a typical Manchester town. Regional identity is shown strongly through accent but also through the setting of the soap as the soap tends to happen in the same place every episode.

0 Realism soaps paint Britain out be a grim place to live as there are quite dark and quite serious as their main aim is to represent everyday working class life in England.

Examples of realism soaps…

EastEnders: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbglbGMYtoghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnUmT5XTsr4

Coronation Street: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMZkwUgUAHIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcVoNEhhICU

Emmerdale: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNUElyG9HRs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOFoTzGGXCg

0 Mise en scene in realism soaps is highly controlled so that scenes taking place on screen look as realistic as possible

0 Only diegetic sound will be used, this will be characters speaking or if music can be heard then it will be music played by the characters, such as radio being turned on. This is again to make to drama look as natural as possible

0 Natural lighting will be used unless something special/dramatic is happening in that particular scene/episode. Natural lighting will help to highlight the empathise on real life as the scenes will look natural and realistic

0 Editing is simple and straight forward in order to help make the drama on screen seem as naturalistic as possible, this will involve straight cuts and smooth editing in order to make each cut smooth and easily transform into the next one. So the action on screen is viewed as though you were really stood watching the scene in real life

0 There is an element of continuity in the editing, this clip uses natural transitions between cuts and does not use any transition which may emphasise and even exaggerate real life

0 Costumes is kept to simple clothing, this is again done in order to construct the view that the people on screen as the same or similar to those watching the show. The only time characters will be dressed up is if they are ‘going out’ as would be the same for the audience watching the show

Mise En Scene- sound, lighting, costume/all things seen on screen

CinematographyReverse shot so it feels like you are looking in on the conversation.

Close up used to show the emotion the characters face.

Room is decorated with pictures to give it a more realistic feel, also lighten by house lamps also creates a more realistic feel.

Close up shows drama and emotion and the angry face, also a dark background with an over the shoulder shot.

CinematographyOver the shoulder shot, and two shot showing both of the characters involved in that scene.

In natural light giving it a realistic feel.

Medium close up showing the costume and the facial expression.

Face is only half lit because of the lights quite dull as it is an inside scene which is lit by house lights or office lights.

Long shot showing the characters body language to set an atmosphere and give the audience a guess at how the character is feeling.

Two shot close up showing the emotion on the characters face.

Also taken from a side angle which gives the audience a sense of looking in on the characters.

Set in a hospital oxygen mask gives it a sense of realism.

Close up shot also shows the expression on the characters face.

Character being dominated by her surroundings suggesting she is out of her comfort zone, however close up shows the expression and anger on her face.

Low angle shot combined with the long shot suggest anger as the characters face is scowling.

Cinematography

0Crime such as murder, attempted murder, kidnap, rape, vandalism, bullying etc.0Relationships – Pregnancy, love, affairs, fall

outs, feuds etc.0Accidents – Car accidents, fires etc.0General domestic issues etc.0All storylines are realistic and be relatable to

the audience watching the soap

Typical storylines

0 Each soap will have typical characters that the audience can instantly recognise and will understand their role within the soap

Typical characters

The villain

The couple

The unfit parent

The gossip

The drunk

The homosexual

The landlady

The rebellious teen

Melodrama0 Melodrama is a sub-genre of soaps. It is an exaggerated but semi real soap,

so it still tires to relate to the audience but can exaggerate certain parts of the drama in order to make it more dramatic or more comical. It is a mixture of humour, farce and over the top drama, because of this is can be used as a form of escapism but the soap is still based on reality.

0 Melodrama soaps are generally set in England but can still be linked to American fantasy as both can be used as a form of escapism

0 Storylines are generally similar to those of realism soaps, as melodramas are still meant to be relatable to the audience, however storylines and plots may be exaggerated or more far fetched in order to make the soap more dramatic

0 Melodrama soaps key aim to provide the audience with soap opera which is linked to real life but also serve as a form of entertainment and escapism

0 Melodrama’s generally have a strong regional identity as the action tends to take place in the same town/village, however in some melodrama’s characters may have different accents as they have travelled from another town in order to live in where the soap is set.

Examples of melodrama soaps…

Hollyoaks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5Ddhrw516ohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO3VlauXYLAhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbr4pEzZOTo

0 Melodrama soaps will occasionally use non-diegetic music in the background, this will usually be used to add to the drama, either make a scene more intense or comical, but generally diegetic sound will be used to help the soap have a more realistic quality

0 Costumes will generally be reprehensive of the audiences watching it, however some of the characters may always looked dressed up/more glamorous, especially some of the female characters. This is so that it gives the audience something to aspire to but also something to look at, as they may watch the soap in a sense of escapism. Women appear hyper feminine with made up faces and walk around their homes well dressed in heels, this is not what would happen in reality

0 Attractive males appear in clothing which accentuates their features, for example, tight fitting shirts

0 Lighting will generally be kept to a simplistic level, however hi-key/intense lighting may be used in order make a scene more dramatic or comical, extensive lighting may also be used in over exaggerated scenes, such a fire or murder

0 Editing will be simple in order to make the drama look realistic, however fades may be used or other editing techniques in order to add tension to the soap and make it more dramatic.

0 High key opening titles are often used with abstract backgrounds representing personality traits of characters, this makes the opening titles dramatic and memorable

0 Villains and femme fetals – villains often appear in dark clothing, femme fetals often wear red lipstick and other striking clothing which is usually a deep red colour connoting danger

Mise En Scene- sound, lighting, costumes/all things on screen

Cinematography Cinematography for melodrama is very similar to that of realism soaps, this is because melodrama soaps are just like realism soaps but they are over exaggerated fro dramatic effect in some parts

Over the shoulder close up is used, this allows for the audience to see the facial expressions of the character but also allows for the audience to feel involved with the conversation they’re seeing on screen

High angle long shot is used, this gives the impression that the character is being dominated by their surroundings, that they are lost in their surroundings. The high angle is also used in order to make the character seem smaller enforcing that they are lost and alone within their surroundings

Extreme close up is used, this shows the audience clearly the facial expression of the character without the background being seen. This pulls all the focus of the audience onto the character in the frame

CinematographyHigh angle mid shot, this shows the audience the character so they can clearly see their facial expressions but also the high angle is used to show the audience that this character is looking down and is of a higher status/has more power than the other the character they are looking at The use of the high angle also makes the scene more dramatic as it adds tension.

Low angle mid shot is used again to show the characters facial expressions and part of their surroundings. A low angle is used to the opposite effect of a high angle as it shows that the character is being looked down on also that they are being watched by another characterA low angle shot adds tension as it shows that the character may be being watched without them knowing and so adds tension and makes the scene more dramatic

Close up of the shoes, this is so that the audience are focused solely on the shoes It adds drama to the scene as it creates the sense of a gang or a group of friends all walking together and could mean a party, or something more dramatic such as a fight

CinematographyMid shot is used in order to show the main character stood in the middle but also the two characters behind him, this is done to show the facial expressions and the clothes of the characters, therefore telling the audience that they are at a weddingThe main character is in focus centring the audiences focus on him whereas the two behind are out of focus, this makes the scene more dramatic and will cause for the audience to want to know why the other two characters are out of focus

Long shot is used to show all the characters in the scene and their clothing, is so that the audience can see all the characters and again the costumes allow for the audience to make the assumption that they are at a weddingThe shot is also similar to a photo that would be taken at a wedding and so makes it seem realistic and linked to real life

Extreme long shot is used to show that the characters are being dominated by their surroundings, this adds drama as it shows that the characters are out of depths and so makes the scene more dramatic The effects on the long shot of the flash and bits of dust are also typically melodramatic as the drama has been exaggerated and so is making the scene more dramatic

0Crime such as murder, attempted murder, kidnap, rape, vandalism, bullying etc.

0Relationships – Pregnancy, love, affairs, fall outs, feuds etc.

0Accidents – Car accidents, fires etc.0General domestic issues etc.0Drug/alcohol abuse 0All storylines are generally realistic but parts of

the storylines/plots may be exaggerated to make the drama more dramatic or comical

Typical storylines

0 Each soap will have typical characters that the audience can instantly recognise and will understand their role within the soap, some of these characters will be exaggerated due to help create a sense of escapism

Typical characters

The villain

The homosexualThe hunk

The nerd

The blondeThe glamorous one

The romantic

The femme fetal

The ‘she’s not from round here’ one

Scripted Reality 0 Scripted reality is a fairly new type of soap opera sub-genre0 It is based on the lives of real people, and instead of actors real life

people carry out real life scenes that could happen to them 0 Cameras and recording/lighting/sound crews will follow around the

characters on a day to day basis, following their lives and recording what happens

0 Some of the scenes however will be scripted and created in order to add entertainment value to the show

0 Scripted reality shows follow the same people and are usually set in specific places or on specific famous families

0 Scripted realities can be used as a form of escapism as they show the audience how generally the ‘other half’ live as the people in scripted realities are generally wealthy

0 The people in scripted reality also tend to be quite young, as so they appeal to a younger audience who can possibly relate to some of the issues the people in the show are going through

Examples of scripted reality soaps…The only way is Essex:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX7eENeraGchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLW3_Ieckm4

Made in Chelsea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BiunLu6Xf4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sprSMdXK1MY

Keeping up with the Kardashians:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFLyGwb1Nuohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AStGvP5MC74

Mise En Scene- sound, lighting, costumes/all things on screen

0 Natural lighting will be used in most situations as the cameras are following people on a day to day basis, however some extra lighting may be set up for scripted scenes in order to add more tension/drama or make it more comic

0 Non-digetic sound may be used when characters are doing one to ones with the camera, this is to make the show more interesting and the music may match the type of character on screen, helping to convey what type of person they are. The type of diegetic sound used will vary dependent on the type of programme, for example ‘Made in Chelsea’ will use different sounds to ‘WWE Wrestling’

0 Set in the same place each time, the settings are linked to the type of people in the show as they have certain stereotypes of people who live in that area and so those in the show often live up to those stereotypes. Creates a strong sense of regional identity

0 Use of interview screens/added in back drops can be featured heavily as it allows the audience to have a one to one with the character from the show, creating a sense of privacy between the audience and character

0 Costumes can vary and tend to represent the character wearing the clothing, however females often appear to be ‘made up’ so that they look glamorous and wealthy, making those watching the show aspire to be like them. The men are often dressed in suits or shirts again to make themselves look more attractive and wealthy, the men in scripted realities may also wear subtle makeup to make themselves look more attractive

0 Editing is simple with no real enhancements to the footage, just simple straight cuts that lead the action into each other or to a interview

0 Graphics/titles and trailers will be made using graphics and heavily using effects, this is so to make the show seem more exciting and make the characters seem glamorous and the world they live in exciting and full of wealth

CinematographyLong shot is used to show more then one character, but also the settings in which they are in and their costumes. This allows for the audience to identity the characters but also what type of scene the characters are in, whether a scripted or natural scene

Close up is used to show the characters emotion, it also allows the audience to focus solely on what that character is doing/saying. A close up may also be used in order to create more tension during a scene, to add comic value or make a scene more emotional

Extreme long shot is used to show a collection of characters, may be used during scenes such as a party as it allows the audience to see a whole view of the party, but also see how lavish and glamorous the characters lives are

CinematographyExtreme long shots may also be used to show a change of location of something significant is happening in the show, such as something/somewhere romantic

Over the shoulder shots are used to show a strong empathise between the relations of the two characters on screen, by allowing for both characters to be seen it creates a strong sense that they have a close relationship. Relationships play a key role in the storylines of scripted realities

Close ups can also be used to highlight a key moment in scripted reality, as they can dramatic effect to an important part of the scene. They also help to increase the glamour and wealth of the characters lives

CinematographyMid close up is used to show the characters clothing and the background, often used during interview shots as it allows for added graphics to be used but also allows for the audience to see the added in background. And creates a sense that the character could be sat talking to them directly, creating a sense of privacy between the audience and character

Establishing shots may be used in order to show the audience where exactly the show is being set, helps to tell the audience which characters will be first featured in the show but also could give them a hint as to what to expect depending on the location and how often they watch the show

0Relationships- cheating, love triangles, arguments, engagements, break ups etc.

0 family issues- not getting along with parents/siblings0Friendships- falling outs, arguments0Obtaining a object of desire 0Rivalries- between different groups, both male & female 0Going out- partying, meeting new people, living

excessively 0All storylines, although possibly relatable to the audience,

are often exaggerated in order to make the characters lives look and seem more glamorous. This is often because scripted realities often show a look into the lives of ‘the other half’, the richer and more privileged

Typical storylines

Typical characters

The gossip

The girls man

The confident lad

The chubby one

The confident girlThe one everyone trusts

The blonde

The thick one

American Fantasy 0 Based on unrealistic storylines, highlighting the dreams of

American society such as: wealth, fame and romance 0 Often includes extravagant costumes, hair and makeup0 Often have exaggerated storylines, which tend to pull on the heart

strings of the audience and make them want to watch more 0 American fantasy soaps are mainly used as a form of escapism as

the storylines, characters and action is very exaggerated 0 They show a unreal, enhanced world 0 Used purely as form of entertainment 0 Often comical in nature as they provide pure entertainment 0 Large contrast with British soaps as American fantasy soaps

show life to be about excessive and so the soap isn’t very realistic, whereas British soaps are supposed to represent life for everyday people, not the very wealthy few

Examples of American fantasy soaps…Ugly Betty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fzp06MEsghIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXv4OwJf4A4

90210:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC74twDMh-ghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4C9Z-hyt18

Mise En Scene- sound, lighting, costumes/all things on screen 0 Costumes are greatly exaggerated, they are often very colourful and bright so as to draw

attention to the characters wearing them0 Characters are often dressed glamorously, with the women being all made up and wearing heels

and the men in suits/smart clothing. This is to create the vision of wealth and glamour that these people have

0 Designer brands are often featured or worn, so as to give of the impression of being ‘classy’ but also individual

0 Usually filmed in large famous cities, such as LA and New York. Cities that are known for wealth, fashion, and large expensive houses. Helps to add to the fantasy of the soap, as the characters are ‘living the dream’

0 Makeup is usually worn by the characters at all time, but is generally done in a way that is subtle but classy. To give the characters a sense of wealth and looking ‘perfect’

0 Props may often be used, such as expensive sports scars, expensive accessories and house hold items

0 Non-diegtic sound will often be used and added into the editing process as added sounds can be key to the soap as it helps to convey added messages and increase dramatic tension, comedy, romantic scenes etc.

0 Added lighting will often be used as so to create a soft orange glow on most scenes, giving the view that life is all rosy and perfect. However dark lighting may be used to create tension and used for dramatic effect

0 Editing plays a key role in American fantasy soaps as it is often used to add effect to scenes/the episode

0 Editing is used to emphasise the storyline within the scene, for example a montage of characters reactions many be used after a major event. This is to create more drama and entertain the audience

0 Flashbacks may also be used, this is flick back to emotional memories which will be relevant to the current storyline, this is also done as it pulls on the audiences heartstrings and allows them to feel emotionally connected to the character on screen

0 Camera movements such as tracking, panning and zooming are use to exaggerate storylines and establish the location of the scene, as the soap will often not take place entirely in one place, although it will have a ‘home setting’ which is familiar to the audience

0 Time Dilation (unusual handling of the passage of time) such as when a single story day can takes weeks of episodes to play or out or international travel can take place in just minutes in a story line is often used in American fantasy soaps. It adds to the sense that the soap isn’t based on real life and helps to increase the sense of escapism audiences will feel watching the soap

Editing

Cinematography High angle long shot is used to show the audience the surroundings that the characters are in. but also the use of the high angle shows the audience that the character in the middle is being pin pointed, this angle helps to add tension and drama to the scene

Close up shot is used to show the characters facial expressions, it allows the audience to know exactly what the character is feeling. This may be followed by a montage of close ups of other characters in order to show the difference characters reactions to a certain part in the scene

Tracking shot is used in order for the action to flow as one single movement, as well as giving the audience a live action aspect to what they are watching.

CinematographyMid close up shot is used to show more than one character, it also allows for the characters costumes to be seen. A mid shot is often used to show the audience the relationship between the two characters as they have to be stood quite close in order to fit in the frame, suggesting to the audience that the characters have a strong relationship

An over he shoulder shot is used mainly during conversations, as it allows for the audience to know who the character is speaking directly to, it also allows for the audience to view the other character from the same view point and angle as the character with their back to the camera

Cinematography

A zooming in shot is used to create a sense of closeness between two characters, it adds romance to a scene and leads the audience to believe that something roman tic is about to happen between the two characters, such as they may kiss. This shot can be key in American fantasy as it can also be used to add tension to a scene or comic value

0 Storylines for American fantasy soaps are often exaggerated and emotional, this is so that it keeps the audience wanting more but also provides the audience with a true sense of escapism

0 Affairs 0 Death/near death 0 Drug/alcohol abuse and addictions 0 Sex 0 Abductions 0 Murder0 Crime 0 Family problems 0 Medical emergencies 0 Mental health issues 0 Accidents- fires, car crashers etc.

Typical storylines

Typical characters

The homosexual

The geek

The blonde

The ‘ugly’ one The hunk

The alternative one

The ‘bitch’

The business woman