Focus on a Soap Opera - Eastenders

What types of characters are presented?

In Eastenders there is a variety of characters ,there are several cultures and ethnicity's presented.In Eastenders there is a lot stereotypes for example the homosexual guy christian who is presentedas being quite feminine when that in fact is not how all gay guys act.In Eastenders there is a definite social hieracy as there are several dominant characters who have the power to tell the characters with a lower status what to do for example Ian Beale treats everyone as if they are below him,and he is notorious for being a pompous businessman.

What settings are frequently used?

'The Queen Vic' is the main setting used as it is the local pub it is the one place you see most of the characters together.'Masala Queen' is also a frequent setting it is the Masood's and the Beale's catering company kitchens.Also the cafe ,the laundrette and the mini -mart are frequent settings used in the soap.Most of the domestic action takes place in the house or apartment of the person it concerns.

What issues are raised?

In this episode the issue of infertility was raised,as Jane cannot conceive but wants to have children with her husband ,the situation is very emotional for the character which may have an effect on those who are in a similar position.There is also a issue of a question of sexuality. Syeed who is confused about his sexuality kisses Christian who is gay, they have been having a fling for a while despite Syeed being engaged to a woman.This is controversial topic as usually homosexuality is shown from the offset,it is unexpected for someone straight to turn gay especially on a TV soap.

How many story lines take place in the episode?

There are five story lines that took place within the episode but only three were pursued.The one that was the most interesting was Syeed and Christian being caught in the alley way by someone anonymous who witnessed their passionate kiss.The audience know the person is anonymous and the point of view shot was used to display this.

What is the nature of the story lines?

Most of the story lines are presented as going from light hearted fun to a saddening end.And all the story lines are left on cliffhangers to engage the audience ,this ensures they watch the next episode to find out what happened.

Is music used?
The title sequence at the beginning is accompanied by the Eastenders theme song ,and there is also occasional quiet diegetic music to create an atmosphere in the locations such as the pub and cafe.The absence of Non-diegetic gives us as sense of verisimilitude because in real life we do not have music accompanying the dramas in our lives.

What types of shots are predominantly used and why are they used?

The most frequent shots used in Eastenders are close ups ,mid shots and over the shoulder shots.The over the shoulder is used when presenting another character,when Peggy is the pub and she is talking to Joel about the customers this shot is used.The close up shot is used quite frequently alongside the mid shot to show character's reactions.There is an occasional two shot used for example Christian and his boyfriend are presented in a mid shot this is to show the intimacy between them.The only point of view shot that is used is at the end by the mysterious person who witnesses the kiss between Syeed and Christian.

How does the programme achieve verisimilitude?

The programme achieves in giving the audience a sense of realism with the use of asynchronous sound .When something dramatic happens the background noises (ambient sounds) are still present and heard.The use if these sounds make the programme seem real because in everyday life you are certain to hear a car or bus pass by it's a part of reality.

What pleasures do the audience get from watching this programme?

One of the most satisfying pleasures viewers get from watching the soap is the use of dramatic irony the audience know things that the characters are unaware of ,so awaiting in suspense for it to be revealed keeps the viewer interested and entertained when it is finally revealed.Also at times the soap can be quite amusing ,there are humorous elements which makes watching it fun .The light hearted fun that is displayed is mirrored by real life so it puts us as an audience in their shoes and makes it possible for us to laugh at ourselves.

Denotation/Connotation reading of skins posters

Characters
The young boy is lying under the water in the bath,he looks really pale and gives the impression that he may be dead or it the middle of an attempt to kill himself.The poster suggests he may be the main character in the programme and it also hints at a potential storyline.

Additional Props
The props beside the bath are all things that you usually find in a bathroom,this suggests the sense of realism in the programme.The toiletries give the impression that the programme tries to get as close to reality as possible


Settings
The setting in this poster is in a bathroom.this is made clear from the sink and bath.The walls look damp and the whole atmosphere is dark and gloomy it has a very negative feel towards it.The character fits in to this environment,which says a lot about him ,he may be a dark and dangerous person.


Interior Design
The layout of the poster allows the audience to learn more about the character and their role ,this poster sums up that the character is trying to kill them self .The image clearly shows the boy's underneath the water still as if he is dead.

Colour
The darkness of the room is what creates the dark and gloomy atmosphere,there is no colour on the poster except from the advertisement details and the E4 logo.This create a negative mood and suggests that the programme is based upon several negative events.


Lighting

The absence of colour is replaced by the artificial light that shines onto the boy in the bath.The lighting enhances the main focus of the poster and it suggests that the atmosphere is rather creepy as only a little bit of light brings it to life.

Characters
In this poster there is a girl in her underwear ,who looks quite reckless as she is surrounded by several teenagers half naked in a peculiar bedroom.The main focus is on the girl which suggests she may be a main character.


Additional Props
The only visible props in the poster is the lamp which is placed on the bedside table,the bed and picture hanging above the lamp on the wall.The props are all things you expect to find in any normal bedroom expect whats inside the bedroom is not normal at all.


Settings
The setting of this poster is a bedroom,which several adolescents are in accumulating the space in an extraordinary manner,The positioning of the characters in this glum bedroom gives the sense of a disorientation of their lives (The chaos is reflective of their personalities).


Interior Design
The layout of the poster is good at portraying the chaos and mayhem that teenagers get up too.They are all over the place which makes you intrigued as to how they got there and what their original motives were.


Colour
There is not much colour used in this poster ,but the simplistic colours accompany the implied wild nature of the teens.It shows that although they are wild their clothes and the atmosphere says something different.It raises the theme of seeming and appearances ,it seems peaceful but in actual fact its not.


Lighting
The room is lit up by a lamp this shows a brighter atmosphere and creates an ambient mood,despite the chaos the atmosphere created by the gentle touch of light brightens up the whole room and the whole poster.


Conclusions
In these posters the way in which this teenagers are being portrayed is quite gruesome although it is not a common thing for a teenager to drown them self,it still happens so in a way it raises awareness of an unusual occurrence.The representation is negative as death and suicide cannot be anything more than negative its an awful thing to think about let alone look at.The promiscuity implied by the other poster would also raise alot of concerns as underage sex is pretty much a taboo in society.


The responses from the audience regarding these posters would be very controversial and could cause quite an uproar the explicitness of their nature would cause concerns for parents as well as elderly people or adults of a mature age ,especially parents they would not want their children to be subjected to such a powerful statements made by the two posters,the idea of censorship would be considered,The two themes represented in this poster are the two most unspoken about or euphemistically spoken topics :sex and death.