EASTENDERS TEXTUAL ANALYSIS.This is an example of an Eastenders promo trailer. Promotion adverts are used to entice the audience to watch the TV soap opera. Unlike film trailers, soap promotion trailers are much shorter and use special techniques, to grasp the audience’s attention. Straight away the audience can understand that this is a type of trailer, due to it being conventionally pieced together, for example, the length of the trailer and quick changes between shots.
The promo is filmed during the evening as the set is fairly dark, with the car and the famous Queen Vic in clear sight. The square is shown as the main setting for this Eastenders promotion, maybe hinting that this is where the two characters will eventually reunite. The shot quickly changes to the person who the trailer is focusing on, however, as an audience we can’t tell straight away who it is. Seen in the shot are two women looking in the car, trying to see who this person is. The conventions used here are once again trying to entice the audience, to carry on watching the promo. The camera techniques used are almost trying to make the character look like a famous person. Codes and conventions such as mise-en-scene elements and sound are present in this trailer. The music and camera angles are working together here, to create an atmosphere of mystery, curiosity and anticipation, as the natural human reaction is to want to find out more. The lighting is dark and dingy and is making it impossible for you to establish what is going on at first. Digetic and non digetic sound are present in the promotion, for example the actual background music, the sound of the moving vehicle, the dialogue and the voice over. Followers of the soap opera would remember the original character of Ricky; however, the viewers automatically associate Ricky with his wife Bianca. Although, it’s not until the very end of the trailer that Bianca finally appears, causing further anticipation for what’s in store for these two characters. Bianca is renowned for her feisty nature, which instantly recognisable as she screams her famous saying/catchphrase “RICKYYYYYYY”. As the glass of the Queen Vic shatters due to the screaming of Bianca’s voice, the music gets increasingly louder, causing the atmosphere to heighten. The voiceover creates a massive effect when pausing before saying “and so is she”, as the audience would be on edge wondering if Bianca was returning. Finally, we then cleverly see Bianca’s reflection in a big piece of the shattered the glass. The shattered glass could be an insight that their marriage is broken and they are no longer together? From this 40 second trailer, the viewer’s anticipation has been heightened by this clip and are left wondering how Ricky and Bianca are going to return, what has happened, where have they been. The trailer has left more unanswered questions and is encouraging you to tune in and watch the return and reunion of these two very popular characters of the soap. For people who do not watch the soap, they may wonder what all the hype is about, it may even encourage them to watch this soap opera for the first time. However, they may already have some experience or knowledge of these characters from their previous long standing appearances in Eastenders. I believe this Eastenders promotion would 100% entice the audience and cause anticipation waiting for the characters to return into the square. Even if the audience are not a big fan of the soap, I still believe this trailer would be a brilliant way of getting someone to watch it, due to all the codes and conventions used. |