Poster Reaserch

As part of the project me and my partner have to create a 'poster' demonstrating an advertisement of our soap opera. We have decided on a billboard as a more specific type of poster. Billboards demonstrate various major story lines coming up on a programme. Billboards are an expensive method of promotion so would only be used on key upcoming story lines. A billboard is a very localised method of advertisement and in order for one to be effective it needs to be very eye catching, striking and able to instantly put the message of the billboard across. The reason for this is primarily billboards are mostly viewed by people in cars etc and view them passing by.

Channel four and all its associated channels are great users of billboards in order to promote their up and coming story lines. A statement photo is used with brief text is used to ensure the purpose of the billboard is conveyed. The Hollyoaks bright color scheme used before immediately signifies and hints to the audience of what it entails. It signifies danger and almost a warning with a hope of catching the audiences eye.
The first Skins poster uses a a natural photo with little editing which signifies the attempt of realism. With again, very little text the producer is trying to convey as much information as possible through a statement photo. There is a wide variety of things happening in the photography which intrigues the audience to want to know what the programme is about.

TV Trailers

TV Trailers have become a massive part of promoting soap operas up and coming story lines. They have become more and more advanced over the years in order to keep up and appeal to the current times target audience. They are primarily used as a persuasive technique to the general public. Stereotypically they tend to be very dramatic and exaggerated of what is actually coming up. New technological advancements that have been introduced have become the primary factor of the changing and development of TV trailers.

In the past, like the one shown below, form the first episode in 1984, shows a very basic and short trailer, promoting the time of the programme, which didn't involve much information about the newly started programme. In the present time this trailer isn't very appealing however in the past when first issued it would have been up to date and stereotypical to what TV trailers were in the specific era. However the TV trailer show above shows an up to date representation of a stereotypical TV trailer. It involves famous characters, more in depth story lines and information which comes across as more appealing and informative to an audience.

An present day trailer may be focusing on soley on one character and its up and coming life story. Their target is to make the audience realsie the storyline and what the soap actually is without any 'old fashioned' voiceovers to create as much realism as possible. This includes for long running soaps like Eastenders, Hollyoaks and Corrination Street, using famous familiar characters and easily recognisable communal places eg; pub, shop, a street or a schoole ect. Long running soaps like; Eastenders, Corrination Street, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks have a huge fan base ranging from all ages. Some of viewers have watched the shows for 20 or more years and the programmes have become a part of their life and watch them religiously.