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With this module we shall be looking at a medium most of you enjoy and know very well: television - specifically the ‘soap opera’.
Television is a very intimate medium. The characters are in your living room – a close-up!
The best known of all programmes is, undoubtedly, the serialised drama, often called a ‘soap opera’ or ‘soapie’, because in the early days many had a soap company as their sponsor.
1. Assignment:
Your educator will let you watch a recorded episode of a soapie.
Write down aspects of interest to you while watching the episode.
Watch the video again.
2. Class Discussion:
Discuss the following:
Focus : knowing what the episode is about and how to transmit this meaning more effectively to the audience.
Tension : the ‘pressure’ for response’; this can take the form of a conflict, a challenge, a surprise, a time restraint or the suspense of not knowing. Tension is what works in a drama to assure the audience’s desire to know what will happen next.
Contrasts : dynamic use of movement, stillness, sound, silence and light and darkness.
Consider the following:
how were these elements organised in the episode?
how did these elements function to connect each of the scenes?
how the artistic intention of each actor is served by the use of these elements.
Make connections between your own dramas and the episode you have just seen.
Compare this soap opera to actual theatre:
difference in acting style;
plot complications;
dialogue delivery;
décor;
scene changes.
3. Practical:
A small group of learners must discuss and reach a consensus about the focus (the key moment) of the episode. (This exercise must be repeated with different groups).
Choose a moment in the episode which you feel clearly communicated that focus and recreate that moment.
Present the scene to the rest of the class.
Participate in a discussion exploring the following:
the various interpretations of the scene;
aspects of your own interpretation and your understanding of the episode;
the complex processes involved in creating a scene;
how what you saw relates to real life.
4 Questionnaire:
Complete the questionnaire (copies will be handed out) after the class discussion.
1. Do you like watching television? Why? Why not?
2. Do you like watching soap operas? Why? Name them. Why not?
3. What was the focus of the soapie episode?
4. Did the tension work effectively in this episode to engage your desire to know what would happen next? How?
5. What other choices could particular characters in the soapie have made?
6. Why do you think this episode was written?
7. What does the episode tell us about the situation in our country?
8. What does the episode mean to you? Was it realistic?
9. If you had to choose: would you rather act on stage, on television, on radio, in a movie? Why?
Assessment Chart
| The learners are able to: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Participate actively in a class discussion: | did not participate | made a reasonable contribution | participate well | participated actively and enthusiastically |
| Fill in the questionnaire successfully: | did not complete the questionnaire | completed some of the questions | completed the questionnaire well | successfully and creatively completed the questionnaire |
| Reflect on drama: | did not recognise the criteria of the activity | recognised some of the specified criteria of the activity | recognised most of the criteria specified in the activity | recognised and reflected on all of the criteria specified in the activity |
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