Comparison of the Opening Credits of Two British Soaps

Hollyoaks and Holby City are two very different soaps aimed at very different audiences, this can easily be established by looking at the title sequences in both programmes.

Hollyoaks' opening credits are made to capture the attention of a teenage/young adult audience, it does this effectively by doing it in the style of a photo shoot which is glamorous and all the characters look beautiful. These are the type of people teenage girls aspire to be and teenage guys want to look at and having them all dolled up doing their best poses in little clothing draws the audiences attention, and the camera angles and movement draw the audience in by zooming in on faces then zooming out from one eye to another revealing another beautiful face. It has a range of shots from long shots to close ups, Keeping a fast pace with lots of quick changing shots that lead into each other, and fast paced funky music reflects the youth its promoting. It's flashy with bright crisp non-ambient lighting that makes everything look inviting and upbeat. It has a purple colour scheme which connotes wealth and royalty, this isn't what Hollyoaks is about but it could imply that it has a high status or people that watch this will have status and be watching something important and that its a luxury to see.

Holby City is obviously not aiming at the same audience as Hollyoaks. Like Hollyoaks the titles are very modern with a great use of technology and graphics, but they are presented in a different way, the colour scheme is heavily blue and orange which could connote hot and cold, and how in a hospital things chan change very dramatically very quickly, blue is also a clean colour and is a hospital related colour such as nurses outfits and scrubs. Instead of having the characters one by one looking at the camera connecting to the audience Holby City's opening is close up shots of different hospital instruments which immediately tell the viewer what the programme is about, then it leads on to shots of the characters in action from clips of different episodes, this makes Holby's titles more meaningful than Hollyoaks and shows that Holby City is more focussed on the storyline and Hollyoaks is more focussed on the characters. Also the shots are inside the letters of the title which makes the characters seem closely intertwined with the hospital. The music is combined with the sound of a heartbeat, and it is based around the sound of a heart monitor so the music reflects the genre, and transitions between each clip are in time with the sound of the heart monitor, which makes everything very organised and easy to follow for the viewer, as they can keep up and the titles are like a story within itself it ultimately builds up the tension in the viewer setting them up for the episode that follows.

Micro/Macro Analysis of Max's Death

The scene begins with a shot of Tom running after his action man, the camera tracks him keeping him in the centre of the screen showing his importance within the scene and that he is the centre of both the audiences and Max's attention. There is diagetic sound of a car engine revving in the background hinting at what is about to happen. There is the non-diagetic sound of a heart monitor playing faintly in the background which combined with the threatening rev of the engine indicates that something fatal is about to happen, the heart monitor sound also gives an intertextual reference to hospital dramas such as Casualty. There is also non-diagetic music playing faintly in the background, which includes a fast paced beat to build up suspense and indicate action.
The following shots leading up to Max's death are a collage of extremely short shots that connote and reflect the confusion and chaotic feeling of what's happening. The first shot following the introductory shot is a two shot of Max and OB, the camera shoots them through the thick black bars of a fence which could indicate entrapment and vulnerability.
The next shot cuts to Neil in his car looking downwards indicating he is guilty. Max in view from Neil’s window but he is out of focus, this represents Neil’s state of mind and his confusion, his thoughts are unclear, and it also indicates that Neil’s unclear thoughts are going to end in some way with Max.
Shot 5 cuts to Tom in the middle of the road picking up his toy. The lighting is very roseate and bright and colourful including the green of the bushes and the red of the parachute which shows Tom's state of mind in contrast to Neil’s which is clear, simple and happy, almost perfect. The red of the parachute could connote danger - a warning sign to Tom or Max?
Shot 6 cuts to Max realising Tom is in danger and begins to run. The shot is a head on shot with Max running straight towards the camera emphasising his urgency. The music in the background begins to fade in, it grows louder and the sound of the heart monitor becomes more clear and distinctive as the situation becomes more critical.
It then cuts back to a long shot Tom walking innocently along the road with nobody around him, the long shot makes Tom small on the screen making him seem very alone and very vulnerable.
As Max screams “Tom” the sound of the car revs loudly and it comes across angry and threatening emphasising the sense of danger. It also indicates what’s about to happen. This then follows with an areal view of the car swerving around the corner with a screeching sound that makes it come across powerful, threatening and dangerous.
The shots that follow use the shot/ reverse shot technique to show the action from two different points of view and show status and vulnerability. It begins with an over the shoulder shot of Tom as he has turned round to Max once he realises he is calling him, Max is running to him in the background, it then cuts to a shot of Max running from behind, then cuts back to a shot from in front of Max wrapping himself around Tom and pushing him out of the way, this shows Max is very protective over his brother and Tom is safe around him. But then it cuts to Max pushing Tom to the floor and staggering back into the road using the same long shot as was used when showing Tom walking alone along the road, this clearly shows the change in Max’s position from the hero to the victim as the long shot makes him seem small, alone and very vulnerable. This is the only point where Max seems susceptible to danger and in that single moment the car comes into view at speed hitting him into the air, Max goes flying and the fact that the camera catches all the action and detail shows the brutality and the extent of the drama and the action. It makes the shot also very uncomfortable to watch in order to try and make the audience feel as much as possible like OB does when he see’s the accidentand seem as unpleasant and difficult as a true real life accident would be. This gives a very cliché message which is along the lines of being in the wrong place at the wrong time can change the entire course of your life… or even end it there and then!
After the incident the speed of shots becomes a lot slower, it almost creates the feeling that time is almost standing still but not quite. In the first shot that follows cuts to OB, the camera zooms in ever so slowly on his face to capture his reaction, the slow zoom reflects OBs thoughts, as he takes time to realise what’s happened. Once he does realise he automatically calls after Max and runs for him, this shows him as a strong, compassionate character that isn’t afraid of what’s happened, he is caring of his best friend and wants to have some control over the situation and try to help. This shot is followed by a shot of Tom’s action man floating to the ground in slow motion which is ironic as it reflects Max especially as he is seen through Tom’s eyes. It represents a heroic character falling, also it falls into the road and hits its head on the curb which is similar to Max’s death, it also shows that nobody is indestructible, action man won’t be coming back from this one and neither will Max. Also during this shot the non-diagetic sound of the heart monitor and dramatic music fills in adding to the feeling of tragedy. This also then cuts to a shot of max laying face down on the ground in a similar position to action man backing up the similarities between the two. In this shot it also zooms in very slightly and slowly as if it’s all in slow motion and unreal. It then cuts back to OB running to Max at half speed as well, it seems as if he can’t get to him quick enough when along with the heart monitor sound every second counts at this point and time is the most precious thing and he can’t get there fast enough, the half speed makes every moment tense and very dramatic.
It then cuts to an areal view of Neil which makes the audience look down on him showing clearly to them that he is in the wrong. This if followed by another shot of Max, but it zooms in on him a lot quicker this time as if reality is catching up again, it also shows that it’s Neil’s fault as it shows Max as the outcome of his action. This is also shown as it cuts back to Neil in areal view as he staggers out of the car coughing and spluttering as if he is the victim. The camera spins out as people rush into view to help and assist Neil. This is ironic as he is not the victim; he is the ‘bad guy’. The camera movement reflects the confusion of the situation and in conjunction with the rush of people into the shot it indicates a rush back into reality from the detached bubble he was in inside his car. The use of areal views on Neil could also connote that he is having an out of body experience or not in control of his actions.
At this point the representation of the characters become very stereotypical as all the action is passed and the story is now completely about the reactions and representation of each of the characters. It begins with OB, as he immediately takes the situation under control shouting orders like “Call an ambulance now”, this shows he is strong as a man should be. From the point where he cradles Max in his arms he is always the person who is higher than the rest, his head is always above Stephs, Toms and Maxs portraying him as the solid reliable male. Steph is placed beneath OB as she looks up to him for support and control, but Tom is positioned beneath her as he is a child and see’s her as the mother figure therefore looking up to her.
OB is seen as a typical guy who doesn’t let his guard down or his feelings show even when Max is on his death bed, instead he does what any other ‘typical guy’ would do during a serious situation and try to make a joke of it for instance when Max tells him he loves him OB replies with “Don’t be gay”, even though the audience can see from his actions and expressions that he loves and cares for him.
When Steph first comes into the scene she is perfect in every way in her wedding dress she looks beautiful, almost angelic but as soon as she realises it’s Max on the ground she automatically bursts into hysterics, she screams his name in a high pitch and the sound of her heels against the ground as she runs to him shows her as very feminine, she collapses by him in fits and cries to OB for support and assurance. But during this everything she does still seems perfect for instance the way her hair is made up around her tiara and her pure white dress forms a perfect semi-circle around her makes her seem almost like an angel. This is made even more apparent when as she appears the music turns very heavenly and virtuous.
Tom doesn’t say much but he is at Max’s side looking confused yet upset about the matter, its clear he doesn’t quite understand the situation as much as the adults but he is upset because his brothers hurt. He lays his head on Max as if he wants to hold on to him and stop him from going anywhere.
Max isn’t gory and bloody as it would ruin the perfect picture, instead he is portrayed as a fallen hero, or a fallen angel with his body positioned out neatly along the floor and his head propped up by Stephs white dress. He doesn’t look in pain or torment, he looks peaceful, and there is no disruption in the entire shot (2:25 on the clip above), everything is picture perfect with the tidy grass, the neat suits and the beautiful dress. You don’t see the ruined wreck of the car but in that shot you do see Neil right at the edge completely separate from the group of innocent characters with his hands over his head and his body facing away from the others. He is dressed all in black which seems appropriate for the situation as black represents death and all that is bad in contrast to the white of Stephs dress that surrounds the group. There is an obvious contrast between the two in that shot.
In the final shot before it fades to white the camera spins out from a close up of the four together to a long high shot of them then tilts up through the trees where the sunlight is breaking through, this represents Max leaving his body in peace and heading towards heaven, it’s very tranquil and leaves the viewer mourning the character but not feeling particularly sad as they can see he is peaceful and going to a good place.
The white screen finally fades in to a camcorder shot taken by Max’s friend Tony at the reception of Max telling him what love is. This emphasises the happiness that was and the sadness that now is, and leaves the audience with a simple yet wholesome statement from Max that shows him as a beautiful, perfect character that died happy and contempt as he had found his true love but was also a normal guy that was just taking each day as it comes, and he left the world feeling the way he was shown in that final clip.