Focus group

Soap trailer
Emmerdale


1. What do you like about this trailer and why?
- You don't see what happens at the end which makes it dramatic. You also don't see who gets run over and possibly hit by the train which makes me want to watch it to see who it is.
- It keeps cutting between one scene to another which builds up tension. This is also split up with the titles over the story which prolong the drama making it more tense.
- The use of the titles put over the story match in with the video which helps make the storyline make sense and gives you a good grasp of it. Not watching it before, it helps you to understand that they are all four friends so would be concerned about what it happening to each other.

2. What do you think could be improved with the trailer?
- It could have more narrative to it, to give me detail about what is happening. Although it is quite mysterious (which is good) there isn't much dialogue to explain what is going on apart from the dramatic music.

3. Does the trailer make you want to watch the soap/follow the storyline? Why/why not?
- The trailer is very dramatic and does make me want to watch it. It looks like it would be a good episode.
- I have never watched Emmerdale before but this trailer does make the soap appeal to me. The cliffhanger ending makes me want to watch it to see who gets hit by the train and what happens prior to it in the build up.
- I don't think I would watch it because it appears to involve an all male cast which doesn't really relate to me as a female audience.

Magazine cover
'What's on TV'

1. What elements most stand out on the cover and why?
- 'DEATH PLUNGE!' because it's the biggest thing on the page. The bright yellow with the bold black outline makes it the first thing that catches your eye on the page. The colours remind me of a 'hazard' which makes the storyline in the soap seem that there is going to be a big danger- or indeed death- for someone in the soap.
- The smaller teasers frame the main image. This makes it very ordered and easy to read. They all stand out clearly as it is not very cluttered.
- The colours are coordinated with what it is advertising. The red and yellow of 'Autumn shows' fits in with the colours associated with autumn. The icy blue fits in with 'Prince Harry's Arctic trek!' and make it seem quite wintery.

2. What do you not like about the magazine cover and why?
- The image shows Ryan and Whitney from EastEnders looking fairly happy and cheerful. This does not fit in with the text that says one of them is going to have a 'death plunge'.
- I don't like the 'What's on Tv' logo in a box. It looks a bit out of place and not very professional.
- Apart from the 'DEATH PLUNGE!' the rest of the cover sort of blends in with itself. There are lots of colours but this does not mean that they stand out as much as the bright yellow.

3. Would you pick up the magazine if you saw it in a shop? Why/why not?
- I would pick this magazine up in a shop because it advertises a range of different programmes and soaps, all of which look to have interesting main storylines.
- The magazine colours and large pictures are very eye catching and bold. The word 'DEATH' on the cover would attract me to pick it up because I would want to see who would be involved.
- Because the main article is clearly EastEnders I would not be tempted to pick the magazine up. I do not watch EastEnders and the other teasers don't stand out as much as the large picture does.
- Being a teenager the magazine wouldn't immediately grab my attention in ta shop. Most of the soaps and programmes included seem to appeal to an older generation of audience, and that makes it not for me.

Soap poster
'Hollyoaks'

1. What do you like about this soap advertising poster and why?
- The way the people are shown in fire is an interesting way of showing them. It makes you think that the storyline is advertising that a fire will 'change Hollyoaks forever'. It really catches my eye.
- I like that there isn't much writing on the poster and the main focus is the fire and the characters. It clearly shows the five characters that will be affected by the fire in Hollyoaks.
- The bright orange fire at the for-front of the picture really stands out against the black background. On top of this the white block of writing is really highlighted.

2. What would you improve about the poster?
- Apart from the fire, there is not much of the story given away. This doesn't make me interested in watching the soap as I want to know a bit more.
- The writing on the poster is not very big and doesn't really show off the time and day it is being shown. If it was bigger I think that I would notice it more.
- The '4' on the right hand side of the poster seems to be unnecessarily large and covers half of one of the characters shown. The '4' logo would go better if it was nearer to the main text.

3. Do you think this poster advertises the soap well and makes you want to watch it?

- The obvious storyline is put across by the poster. You can see that fire will be involved somehow and the five characters that will be involved.
- The poster doesn't really pull me in as a new viewer to Hollyoaks. It doesn't explain what the soap is fully about and who it is aimed at. From what is shown I don't think it would appeal to me.