Start

This flow chart shows the opening of the first episode to the new soap opera and this highlights some of the storylines which will run throughout the soap and how they can be portrayed in a trailer. A soap opera episode normally features many storylines.

Sam could be holding his girlfriends hand but receiving texts from Maisy at the same time.

One of the characters (Sam) throws a moving in party to open the new soap.

Tyler could walk into the shot and look Marcus up and down.

Tyler confesses to Lucy (Sams girlfriend) his feelings towards Marcus which is overheard by the owners of the pub.

Tyler could grab Marcus by the hand whilst walking past

Maisy (girl in the affair) finds the flyers for the party in the local caf whilst having a coffee with Marcus (homosexual character).

Hands out invites in the village to everyone except the girl he is having an affair with.

Maisy dresses up nicely for the party. Kacey (pub owner) whispers to Tyler that Kacey could nudge Tyler as she walks she knows his secret. past to hint she
knows. Camera could use a two shot of Tyler and Marcus with Kacey mocking them. Maisy can wear a nice dress and heels in the trailer to show she is attending a party. Red to connote death/anger.

Party begins. Everyone except Maisy turns up to celebrate their arrival in the village.

Tyler begs Kacey not to tell anyone on one condition Which is that he sets someone up for her.

Maisy makes an entrance to the party and Sam watches as she hints to him that she will tell Lucy his secret.

Maisy could have a mark on her face questioning the audience with Who did it? Sam could be seen hitting Maisy in a flashforward. (This shows content of trailer).

Sam drags Maisy out of the party where they fight and he accidently hits her.

Soap Operas use an open narrative so each episode can continue to the next smoothly and continuously. Verisimilitude is used and this helps the audience relate to the characters and storylines as it is realistic. Soap operas may use Todorovs theory of narrative which starts with a state of equilibrium, some form of disturbance, a recognition of this disturbance, an attempt to repair the disruption and back to a state of equilibrium. I have incorporated this up to the 3rd stage of the theory in this opening episode. The trailer will be continuous and show storylines without giving too much away to the audience so they are intrigued to find out more.

There is no end to the flow chart as it uses an open narrative and continues.