Evaluation Question 2 - Annie Penn

Question 2: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

I think the combination of the trailer with the promotional texts was very effective. I feel confident about this effectiveness because as a group we closely studied how producers have created media forms in the past to induce an interest in their product.

The sink scene links well with the blood on the hands because the styles are very similar with a dark theme. Originally we had been torn between two styles of posters, one with the ribbon entangled in the hands and the other being our final idea. The reason we chose the blood on the hands poster is because the bold red contrasts with the hands and the black background and it shows the sinister side of the asylum whilst drawing people in. This poster gives an insight as to what is to come from the soap, hinting towards Ava's back story where she had tried to kill herself. For this scene we were taking into account Barthes' Enigma Code as it creates a sense of mystery due to the audience not knowing whose hands they are in the poster and not knowing who is committing suicide, it is only suggested to the audience, this shows we have been influenced by the Hermeneutic Code.
The logos in each of the bottom corners tell the audience that it is available on both television and online meaning it will appeal to a younger and older demographic. Overall the combination of the poster with this scene is effective as from our audience feedback we were told it is intriguing.

Our TV listings front cover meets the conventions desired and the headline is bold and stands out to the audience while it does not distract their attention from the entire page itself. The palette is filled with primary colours meaning they are appealing to the eye and its not an explosion of colour that would cause a headache. Even though our poster is a dark representation it still works well because it shows both sides of the asylum and will attract a wider audience.

The scene with Lexi and Jeffery is suitably paired with the TV listings front cover, as the storyline covering their relationship is portrayed throughout both types of media with subtle hints towards the dark nature. We chose to display different styles in the poster and magazine cover because they represent two different characters within the soap, the TV listings shows Lexi and Jeffery while the poster shows Ava's attempt at suicide as if her blood is on someone else's hands meaning someone else is to blame.


From our audience feedback it became clear that the hints towards a forced relationship, between the demanding boss and the innocent worker, was not too obscene for showing and that instead it made them want to watch the soap to see what happens. We were also told that it looks like something you would see next to all of the other TV listing magazines, especially with the bold headlines and insights to other shows that would be featured in the magazine itself. This shows it is effective as the magazine cover is inviting to the audience whilst the trailer itself is drawing in their attention to make them want to watch it.



The recurring emphasis on "come on down we're going crazy" throughout both the ancillary texts and the trailer makes it clear to the audience that the soap is set in an asylum which is an unusual and unique setting for a soap opera and this links all three products together even though the colour scheme may be different for each of the ancillary texts.

There are many theories that helped us as a group to develop these products for example Propp's stock characters helped the representations and stereotypes of each of our characters and made it possible to develop a clear aura that would surround them in each of the scenes and ancillary texts, for example Jeffery is our super villain in the soap therefore with our song we chose a specific lyric to play whilst he walked in. Similarly, to show he has a higher authority over Lexi he is always seen as taller than her whether it was from using low angle shots with the two of them, or whether it were for the TV listings where Lexi is looking back on him cautiously while he has lust in his eyes.

This feedback shows how well the audience reacted to our trailer and emphasises the fact that our products were successful and conveyed our initial intentions of setting a soap opera in an asylum.

Even though there are comments telling us how we could have improved in some areas because it is an asylum we felt as a group that increasing the grotesque factor would only prevent our product from being a soap opera, especially seeing as it needs to be realistic and in line with logical verisimilitude.

Overall I feel there is good synergy between our main product and ancillary texts as we have followed the brief to create realistic products compared to existing products and to create what would gain a strong audience for a new soap opera.