Mise En Scene
- How many locations? - it's all set along the same street however, we go into at least 8 different locations through the episode; old mans flat, cafe, pub, laundrette, corner shop, market stall, doctors office, family flat
- Real or Studio? - I would argue that the locations are mixed between real and studio, the main street is real location, as this couldn't be done in a studio. Doctors office and pub could be a studio location and the doors are what gives it away as they're at the side where you couldn't see
- Communal space? - Communal space is used in the programme such as the pub, cafe and the market. This is where the characters can meet or we see a number of different characters all through the programme.
Camera & Sound
- Single & multi-camera? - Single camera
- Diegetic or non-diegetic sound? - I would say that all the sound in this episode is diegetic, the main one is the dialogue between characters as there's so much through the episode
Narrative and genre conventions
- Realistic characters or stereotypes? - I feel most of the characters are realistic but the old woman is very stereotypical angry old person, always going on about the old days, always angry and grumpy, etc.
- Acting naturalistic or exaggerated? - Most of the acting is naturalistic, apart from the old woman who goes off on rants which are very exaggerated and also the fight at the end of the programme is exaggerated as well.
- Diversity? - There is diversity between the characters, not just physically and with the different people but also with the personalities, some are lovely, calm and friendly people, others are angry, nosey and moody. Etc.
- How many storylines? - The main storyline is about the old man being found very ill and rushed to hospital and the entire cast goes on about how terrible it is but also that no-ones cared when he was healthy and about. As well we get the lives of other people, the couple that are about the have a baby, the pub owner opening up, etc. There's a number of sub-storylines.
EastEnders first episode (1985)
- Set in fictional London borough
- Initially broadcast twice a week
- First episode attracted 17m viewers
- Storylines set around Beale and Fowler families
- First UK soap to feature culturally diverse casts from opening episode
What is a 'soap opera'?
Serial melodrama primarily dealing with family and emotional issues. They originated in the USA and were originally aimed at housewives. The name actually came from the fact detergent companies would sponsor the programme hence the name 'Soap Opera'. All Soap operas share common codes and conventions
Difference between serial and series: In a serial each episode picks up the story from where the last one stopped. If you have missed the first 2 episodes of a serial you won't know what's going on. Example Game of Thrones and Walking Dead. In the series it's like a collection of mini films so if you miss the first 2 episodes it won't matter because episode 3 will be a brand new story. Example House and Poirot.
Soap Opera - Technical conventions
- Multi-camera
- Limited sets
- Diegetic sound
- Early soaps transmitted live or recorded 'as live'
- HD Technology has required more 'realistic' sets, but also now allows shooting in natural or low-light for additional realism
Soap opera narrative conventions
- Episodic format - typically 30 minutes. Open-ended storylines with episode cliffhangers (to sustain audience
- Repetition - relies on stock characters and locations returned to in each episode
- Resolution - Serial form mean constantly evolving; soap plots may take weeks, months or even years to be resolved
Melodrama? Or soap?
- Pathos (overwrought emotion)
- Moral polarisation
- Coincidence and 'deus ex machina'
- Sensationalism
Common soap conventions
Soap operas will have births, marriages and deaths as well as love triangles and we see a death and the start of a birth in the very first episode of EastEnders. Every soap opera relies on repetition of these stock plot conventions to renew their storylines and characters, and make dramatically relevant to audience
British Social realism:
These are what British soap operas will always have these in them.
- Contemporary - Soaps must have realistic settings and characters dealing with social issues such as drug abuse, mental illness, sexual abuse or violence and HIV.
- Political intent - campaigning issues
- Representation - Under-represented groups become represented, this can be with things like class, gender, ethnicity and sexuality
- Secular - rationality, not religious or mystical
Soap opera - symbolic conventions
Mise En Scene
Classic 'social realist' British soaps rely on communal locus, where disparate characters meet and interact. In EastEnders these are places like the pub, corner shop and laundrette.
These types of characters are always seen in soap operas, even modern soaps will have these character types and we see these in the first episode of EastEnders.
Critical approaches to genre
- Realism - are soaps realistic? Changing forms: 'teen soaps' such as Hollyoaks, soap influence on reality TV
- Representation - Challenge or diversity vs stereotypes; changing social attitudes
- Reception theory - how audiences consume soap (uses and gratification); contract between producers and viewers
Blumler & Katz: Uses and gratification
- Diversion - This is where the audience can escape from their lives for 30 minutes and see this other world.
- Personal relationships - social interaction, either with the fictional characters or through dialogue with others
- Personal identity - audience identification
- Surveillance - Programme informs or challenges our world view on topical or social issues
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