Homework: Case Study 5.1

Ian Pike says that Hollyoaks usually cuts from "something very heavy and thought-provoking to something utterly silly and light-hearted in a way that no one else does". The scene from Christmas eve 2006 that I have found does this; the opening scene of part two is a conversation between 2 new mums who have been kept in hospital for doing 'something' which then cuts to a scene where friends are having a meal and talking about Christmas. The transition occurs at 46 seconds. 

Here is the storyboard that I created for the scene change:

Many micro-elements have been used in the transition between these two scenes to bridge between the heavy and light storylines. One notices that in the lead up to the transition many fast jump cuts and over the shoulder shots are used to mirror the pace of the females' conversation. These shots are very similar to one another and the mood of the scene relies heavily on the actors expressions to set the serious mood of the scene. The dialogue fits with the transitions and each time a jump cut occurs a new person is talking - so their turn taking is mimicked in the editing, dialogue and shot type. 

In the transition at 46 seconds there is a further jump cut to an out of focus restaurant wall with twinkling lights and piano music. At this point the dialogue also starts and the female in pink is heard talking despite not being able to see who she is. The camera pans to the left in an establishing shot and the camera gradually focuses on the table. The camera continues to track round in a 180 degree ark to reveal everyone's faces at the table. This stops at 1 minute and 4 seconds when there is a mid/two shot of two of the females. Essentially, the mood bridge from a bare, dull and depressing looking hospital room to a bustling restaurant is made very clear by the use of lighting, colours and editing. Essentially, the emotion of the actress in the hospital is conveyed in the editing; cold and sharp, quick and fast. The lighting change in the restaurant makes the room look warmer and more inviting, which is in stark contrast to the bare hospital. Even the colours of the character's clothes make the restaurant seem more friendly because their clothes are colourful - reflecting their happy mood. Again, this juxtaposes the worry/anxiety that the new mums might be facing - especially if they've done something "wrong". 

It's a typical soap convention to go from an out of focus shot to gradually focused whilst panning/tracking because it draws the audience in to the action in the setting. The fact that the dialogue and non-diegetic sound also began before the camera had got to their table is also typical of a soap and makes it seem as if the audience are entering a conversation as opposed to interrupting one. So the atmospheric establishing sound makes the place seem busier than the hospital; the hospital had no other sound within the soundscape other than the talking which conveys the seriousness of the storyline.