Soap Trailer example: Hollyoaks and Eastenders 'Character/story' trailers

Below are two soap trailers which focus new character(s) joining the soap or a story that revolves round those characters. Soaps often do trailers like this to either advertise the end of a climactic story line or introduce new characters, for the most part their often favourite characters that used to be in the soap and have now returned. I am going to analyse one such trailer for 'Eastenders' and another from 'Hollyoaks'. Both trailers are contemporary so will in turn help me develop my trailer.

Eastenders 'Kat and Alfie' Return Trailer 2010

This trailer is where popular characters 'Kat and Alfie' return to Walford to reclaim the Eastender's pub (The Queen Victoria). The trailer doesn't follow many soap conventions but is simply made for entertainment purposes and to show the audience the personalities of the two recurring characters, as shown in this humorous scene representing a western.The lighting of the scene doesn't seem quite natural and would appear that a slight 'sepia' effect has been added, this may represent 'sand' which relates to the desert where 'western' films are usually set and this is likely used to connote this. The sepia colouration remains through the entire trailer however when both characters stare each other down the colour of their eyes is enhanced.

The mise-en-scene works well in the trailer by using conventional scenes from a western such as people running off or locking their doors. Looking through shutters has been replicated to some peering through blinds as well. The attire of the two characters is also reminiscent of a western. Although the scene is somewhat a western 'parody' camera shots work well to show characters reactions to them and too also show the varying opinions and relationships between cast. Non-diegetic sound is used to emphasise the western music with diegetic sound used only for the character's comments on one another also echoing their relationships.

This trailer compared to Eastender's first is a lot more comical and actually introduces characters. The trailer has helped me to see how action codes such as a character's facial expression have a large effect on representing their character which is addressed in this trailer and which I will put into effect in my own.

The Hollyoaks trailer has a non-diegetic song all the way through and represents a wedding. The lighting is very low key in the trailer which represents the ambiance. Although a wedding which would usually have happy and pleasant connotations here it is shown to be dismal and perhaps evil. The cast is all dressed in black (the usual connotation for a funeral) which may imply that death is going to occur in the soap.

Like the Eastenders trailer (similar to a western) this trailer seems very Gothic and somewhat vampiric which is once again emphasized by the church's Gothic interior and the central character crying blood near the trailers climax. The sound remains non-diegetic throughout  but almost completely fades as the central character looks into the eyes of a man from the crowd, the camera stays fixed on him for a few seconds and the music begins once again. This is the main relationship shown in the scene and implies murder,that this character is evil and scares her. His character shown with black gloves also is a connotation of murder also,he does not wish to be found out perhaps. This trailer is effective in using a full song rather then just a simple melody like a range of other examples, this will help me develop my own trailer and also advise me how to apply music to it.