Task 1
Stunts and complex physical action aren’t often in soaps, especially in
daytime serials. Such story events often take place offscreen and are referred to in dialogue instead of being shown. This is because stunts or action scenes are difficult to adequately depict visually without complex action, multiple takes, and post production editing. When episodes were broadcast live, post production work was impossible. Though all serials have long switched to being taped, extensive post production work and multiple takes, while possible, are not feasible due to the tight taping schedules and low budgets. Some soaps employ a number of conventions, and many researchers have attempted to list some of the typical characteristics. e.g. , Sonia Livingstone [1990 : 54] believes the common soap opera features include :transmission at regular, frequent times, often daily; predominantly aimed at female viewers , occupying day-time/early evening slots; use of fairly constant and large cast, over many
years, and a faithful audience; cheap production costs, regarded as low
prestige entertainment; concern with daily activities, centred on a small
community and/or large family; simulation of real time and realistic events; interwoven narratives, with overlapping resolutions; 'cliff-hangers' to ensure committed viewing; focus on female characters and 'feminine' or domestic concerns. to give further dimension to these characteristic features, one should also consider Brown's list [cited in Fiske, 1987 : 179/80] : resists narrative closure; multiple characters and plots; abrupt segmentation between parts; emphasis on dialogue, problem solving and intimate conversation; male characters are generally 'sensitive men'; female characters who are often professional or otherwise powerful in the world outside the home; the home, or some place that functions as a home, as the setting for the show.
Task 2
Eastenders had to cut down to 16 actors per episode because of the recession which caused them to cut down the amount of actors acting in one episode and to also had to let such actors leave like Sid Owen, who plays Ricky Butcher, and Danniella Westbrook, better known as Sam Mitchell. They have saved from this, the savings, including a freeze on executive pay and reduced fees for the biggest stars, followed 7,200 job cuts over the previous four-and-a-half years. The annual budget for EastEnders remains a closely guarded secret.
Task 3
The BBC spent an amount of £102.5m last year on six TV soaps – including
EastEnders, Casualty, Holby City and Doctors which they then drop 20% of
overall in real terms in the past eight years.
Task 4
The show eastenders,
got £700,000 on their anniversary half-hour show that was live which happened last year. The corporation bosses have an extra million pound which was over and above costs which was needed to fund the 25th anniversary programme.
The figures reveal in a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) into the way the BBC manages the costs of a continuing drama, also this shows the Eastenders soap will spend around £7 million on cast this year. this information shows the amount spent on the soap is increasing.
The cost of six key dramas, like EastEnders and Casualty, has reduced by a fifth in real terms over the past eight years.
With the audience declining, the NAO study shows that the cost per viewers from the six programmes had actually risen by 9% in actual terms over the same time of periods.