Advances in technology

Soaps: advances in technology, codes and conventions. On Coronation Street

Codes and conventions of Coronation Street - throughout different years

The typical conventions of soaps consist of

Storyline conventions.

• Bisexual/homosexual love not being accepted - in the early episodes
• Engagements
• Secrets
• Different views and opinions
• Prison
• Bar fights
• Gossip
• Hierarchy
• Pubs / particular meeting place for the community
• Arguments/Shouting
• Lying
• Problems
• Stereotypes

Technologicial conventions.

• Theme tune (sound)
• Dialogue (sound)
• Non-diegetic/ diegetic music (sound)
• Over the shoulder shot (camera)
• Close up shots in theme tune (camera)
• Shot reverse shot (editing)
• Dialogue (sound)
• Different cultures (mis-en-scene)
• Establishing shot (camera)
• POV shot (camera)
• Medium/Long shots (camera)
• Cross cutting (editing)

• stereotypes

I have looked at codes and conventions in 3 episodes of coronation street from different years (1960, 1987, 2011) the differences between the three are clearly shown through the codes and conventions down below.

Coronation street - 1960

This is the very first episode of coronation street, as you can see there is no colour due to the lack in technology in the time it was filmed. The shades are very gloomy, which portray sadness, poor, depressing, plain, and may even lead some viewers thinking that the area "Coronation Street" is a rough, working class place, filled with people without jobs and money. Also the intro to the clip is a tilting shot, which is the only shot in the intro. As the episode goes on you can see that the main shot used is a medium shots, and the cameraman isn't changing shots frequently, each shot lasts a while. and also the first few minutes show only women actresses which may be telling us who they have aimed this soap towards, which means there target audience is women aged 30 - 50. The women are wearing similar clothing which may be showing a sign of conformity.

This is an episode of coronation street from 1987, straight away you can see a massive improvement in technology from the first episode, as the episode has colour, better sound quality, establishing shots, crane shots, tracking shots, and close ups, the first episode didn't have any of those advantages. After the intro, the first shot has codes to try and tell the audience the two characters are in a pub, as there are draft taps, alcohol bottles stacked, glasses on a rack and an old wooden bar. Most of the shots are filmed when the characters are in the pub which is representing them as lower class or common people. Also most characters have pint glasses in their hands which is an icon for a lower class punter. Sound effects aren't shown clearly in this episode, but in similar episodes of coronation street and other soaps sound effects would be used mostly in violent or very physical scenes, for example a bar fight, car crash, house fire. Also most of the characters are a similar age about 40-60 which yet again shows who the directors target audience is, but with a difference as there is more of a balanced gender, where as the first episode was mostly women.

Coronation street - 1987

Coronation street - 2011

This is the third episode i chose it is the most recent episode out of the three, this episode shows how technology has advanced enormously as in the intro they use CGI - (computer generated image) of birds flying at specific times and enhanced colour which could also be CGI. the sound is much better in quality.

Between 1960 and 1968 street scenes were filmed before a set constructed in a studio, with the house fronts reduced in scale to 3/4 and constructed from wood. In 1968 Granada built an outside set which was not all that different from the interior version previously used, with the wooden façades from the studio simply being erected on the new site. These were replaced with brick façades, and back yards were added in the 1970s.

Between 1989 and 1999 the Granada studio tour allowed members of the public to visit the set. The exterior set was extended and updated in 1999. This update added to the Rosamund Street and Victoria Street façades, and added a viaduct on Rosamund Street. The majority of interior scenes are shot in the adjoining purpose-built studio.

In 1982 a permanent full-street set was built in the Granada backlot, constructed from reclaimed Salford brick. The set was updated in 1989 with the construction of a new factory, two shop units and three modern town houses on the south side of the street.

In 2008, Victoria Court, an apartment building full of luxury flats, was started on Victoria Street.