Poster Analysis

By Leeza Ah-Wan

The hash tag is an example of convergence. People can log onto twitter online and join the discussion about “Who killed Lucy?” Using social networking is effective because due to technological convergence, social media is becoming more heavily used every day as it is more easily accessible. Through individuals talking about Lucy’s storyline on Twitter, ‘hype’ and excitement will be created which will allow Eastenders to draw in more viewers.

The BBC are a well established institution who are known for distributing a variety of great programs. Therefore, Eastenders is connoted as a successful soap, otherwise BBC would not distribute it.

The main image denotes that the main storyline being explored in Eastenders is the death of Lucy Beale. The non verbal code of her serious facial expression and turned body “signifies” (De Saussure) that her ‘killer’ is behind her. However, the black shadow covers the truth and therefore if we want to discover who her killer is, we must tune into Eastenders. The dark shadow is used to connote the mystery Walford is filled with as no one knows who killed Lucy.

An image of the famous Eastenders opening is used and covered by the dark black shadow. The denotation of Walford being masked with a shadow connotes that danger, death and trouble are about to brake out. There are instances of red used on the logo and there is also a red effect used on Lucy’s face. This “signifies” (De Saussure) to those unfamiliar with the show that the two are linked. In other words, Lucy has been murdered in Walford.

The tagline is written in bold and in uppercase connoting it is of great importance, just like the current storyline in Eastenders and therefore individuals need to tune in. The declarative statement ‘Walford will change’ followed by the one word sentence ‘forever’ is effective in creating tension and suspense. An audience will feel as if they almost have no choice but to tune In otherwise they will miss something shocking. The adjective ‘forever’ puts emphasis on the idea that nothing will ever be the same again.

Social networking logos have been used to offer convergence. Promoting a soap using social media is an effective tool. For example, sneak peeks of upcoming episodes and all the latest storylines can be shared on sites such as Facebook and Twitter, so a loyal fan base always have the latest information and can form a “personal relationship” (Katz) with the cast.

As ‘The Ridings’ is a new soap, it was important to incorporate the logo of its broadcasting channel so an audience would know what channel to tune into. Through the BBC Two logo being used, it is connoted that ‘The Ridings’ will “inform, educate and entertain” (John Reith). “Informing”(Katz) an audience on the day and time of which the show airs is important, so there is no confusion about when and how they can watch the show.

The tagline is a rhetorical question which is effective in creating tension. There is an ‘enigma clue’ (Roland Barthes) provided that not all is fair in love and war and some sort of conflict is about to break out as a result. For an audience to discover what this conflict is they must tune into the soap.

Audiences can use their phones to scan the QR code scanner and get all the up to date information about ‘The Ridings’.

The background used for the poster, is one of the settings used in the trailer. The setting of a graveyard connotes death, horror and tragedy. The background is effective as it reveals key themes, even before audiences see the trailer. The images of the two girls

parallel to each other connote that both characters are equally as important as each other. After watching the trailer, the audience are “informed” (Katz) that this is because both the females are working together to seek revenge. The non verbal code of their serious and sinister facial expressions denote that they are not to be messed with and mean business. They are connoted as “strong women” (Rebecca Feasey) as they are dominant females who aim to seek vengeance on the boy who has done them wrong, hence, there is nothing innocent about them.

The soap opera logo uses a simple font with a red backing. The red ‘scribble’ “signifies” (De Saussure) that any love that once existed has now been destroyed and there is only a ‘messy’ future ahead for the boy who has wrong done these two girls, as they aim to seek revenge.

The female used provides a “male gaze” (Laura Mulvey) through the denotation of her red lips and baby blue eyes. She is a typical female whose appearance has been sexualized for the pleasure of male consumers. The non verbal code of her serious facial expression connotes that drama is about to unfold in series 7 of skins. Also, as these three characters have been specifically chosen for the poster it is “signified” (De Saussure) that they play an important role in the upcoming storylines.

The text “informs” (Katz) audiences the reason behind this poster. It is promoting series 7 of skins.

A dark shadow effect has been used behind the faces of the characters. This is used to create the effect they are almost under a spotlight. The blackness connotes danger and trouble. Perhaps it also connotes that the ‘blackness’ of the characters past is catching up with them and in series seven, they will have to face their demons and the truth.

The female in the bottom left is denoted as more scared than the female in the top left, through her frightened facial expression. Therefore, the two characters are presented as “binary opposites” (Levi Strauss). The female in the top left is presented as a “strong woman” (Rebecca Feasey) as she looks more tough and confident, where as the other female looks fragile and submissive. A ‘female’ (Hartley) audience will appreciate that Skins explores the female gender in many different lights, as it allows different women to “personally identify” (Katz) with different female characters.

Many characters feature on the poster to connote that Skins employs a multi stranded narrative hence, numerous storylines are explored.

The denotation of the institution logo “informs” (Katz) the audience of what channel they need to tune into in order to watch Hollyoaks.

The characters running through fire connotes that in the upcoming episodes they will be burned. Explosive drama is about to unfold and many characters will experience pain, suffering, heartbreak and many other negative feelings. The fire also “signifies” (De Saussure) how things are heating up. An example of this would be there’s probably at least one storyline of cheating currently being explored and so the characters are currently in very dangerous situations.

The three females are connoted as more dominant than the males in the poster as they are winning in the ‘race’. Thus, they are represented as “strong women” (Rebecca Feasey). It is denoted that they are able to pass through the fire more easily compared to the males, despite the idea that the male gender is stereotypically perceived as stronger. Many soaps like Hollyoaks now provide the representation of “strong women” to a “female” (Hartley) audience as many female “social climbers” (Maslow) will aspire to be like these characters as they want to be known as empowered women within society.

The text “informs” (Katz) audiences about the date the unmissable run of episodes begin.

After analyzing both this and the Lucy Beale poster I can see that the word ‘forever’ is used a lot on TV Drama posters. This is because this adjective implies a permanent change and soap operas know that a loyal fan base will not miss something so important.

The image is placed in what looks like a frame. Unforgettable photographs are normally framed and so it “signifies” (De Saussure) that whatever is going to happen in Hollyoaks will be extremely memorable for fans.

The characters are naked which connotes vulnerability. They are trying to cover themselves but are not succeeding as the fire burns through them. This symbolizes that in the upcoming episodes, their weaknesses and insecurities will be explored, whether they try to stop it or not.