The title is the name of the company Verve House. I think that it is quite a clever name to use because of the word - house within the title. It brings everyone in and creates a union and a feel that everyone is 'under the same roof'. The word Verve according to the dictionary means "vitality: an energetic style". So in other words it means an energetic house or busy house. This sums up the soap because the characters are drawn together by this mid-point which is Verve House. It sums up what they have in common and what they are going through: the recession causing them to make quick choices. If looked into it deeper, the idea of having coffee: being alert and ready but then get tired quicker because of the caffeine.. The name is a good choice overall.
However, most soaps are named after the area which it is in for example, EastEnders (east London). Verve house does not unit a community but rather forms one. I think it successfully represents an individualistic society and draws different people together who do not necessarily have to be living in the same street. Verve House houses other staff other than the office employees. The caretakers, receptionists and more extra people.. But they still form a 'House'. It unites the audience with the characters also and welcomes them into the house because they are both experiencing the economic depression.
Setting:
Verve House is set in North London. I beleive it is a realistic portrait of London, i have seen programmes where foreigners come to England, especially London assuming that the United Kingdom is a fairytale-like place and then being smacked with the truth when they arrive. The setting is a realistic representation of London within the working world. There are vans and cars parked in front of the office which make it look really industrial, however when you walk in it has classy offices. It is a good contrast i beleive as it merges two styles together, middle-class and working-class. And that is what i wanted to acheive. London is a indicidualistic multi-cultural society and i think it is good to show how differences can become an identity of a place i.e. London. The recession is what unites them if you set aside the status of individuals.
Costume/Props:
As we were filming in offices we already had the props which we needed to acheive office effect. However the additional props which were vital are the coffee cups, ashtray, cigarettes, different outfits for the boss. The outfits of all actors had to be smart and suitable for the workplace to add to the realism. The coffee cups were a way to show how stressed the boss was and that maybe she had been lacking in sleep. The ashtray is quite important to show how much she was smoking. The clothing changed to show that it was different days and that the 'firing' process was stressfull and time consuming. The change in clothes is not a filming error. The aim of the changes were to stress the audience and to make sense of the situation. Smoking within the trailer in the office could be argued that it is unrealistic, however it does show that she is high in status, powerful and stressed. It also shows she is independent and brave. The boss also has a headscarf which is quite important to show her spirituality and also, to confront stereotypical ideas of the muslim community. I think it is a big issue today about the prejudices of islam and has caused a national fear.
Camera work/ editing:
The editing is the main eye catching thing about this trailer. The aim of the cutting camera work is to show a build up and routine of the boss's stress. The ashtray building up, cups building up, the pace of the music all suggest as though she is losing her mind. The variety of fast paced shots suggests what the boss is feeling and suggests how alone she feels. The fast shots also show how the characters feel from being fired but only a glimpse. The camera shots are just for the boss to show how she feels, alot of the time people hate their bosses but we were trying to emphasise with her. As it is a new soap being introduced it is quite long for a trailer compared with EastEnders:
However this could be because most people know who the characters are in Eastenders and this trailer may fail to attract NEW audiences.
Narrative:
Other soap operas may show gritty reality to the audience but they fail to show the emoitional psychological part of it. They may accessorize their storylines with emotions for the audience to feel but jepodises the character of the person going through the stress, usually by skipping to a different storyline.
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