Conventions Found in Trailers Compared to Full Episodes

Conventions found in soap opera trailers:

• Large amount of jump shots
• Short length
• Smaller amount of characters shown
• Only large action is shown
• Music behind the trailers
• Singular narrative

Example of a Soap Trailer:

I have found this clip as it follows most of the conventions found in trailers. It is a good example of the type of trailer that we should make as it is clearly a trailer and is not in any way like an episode.

Conventions found in soap opera episodes:

• Full length
• Larger amount of characters shown
• Less of a soundtrack
• Smaller storylines are shown
• Storylines broadened
• Slower editing
• Different narratives

Example of a Soap episode:




This is an episode from Eastenders. I have chosen this episode as it also uses the conventions that i have found out. This is not a special episode so it shows how episodes run most days.


I have found examples of a soap episode and a soap trailer from the same soap opera. I have done this so the difference between them is obvious as the style is the same as it is from the same makers.

Listing the differences enables our group to see what is included in trailers and how they differ from episodes. A common mistake is the mixture of both styles, this takes away the edge from the trailer.