There's no denying soap operas look strikingly different to primetime dramas, for instance, which especially lately are beginning to resemble movies thanks to increasingly large budgets and even bigger stars agreeing to take part. As Showbiz Cheat Sheet notes, soaps have a distinctive visual look that's so specific it's got a name: the "soap opera effect." Back in the day, budgets on these shows were so miniscule that they had to be filmed in lower quality. However, even with major, modern advances in technology and bigger budgets, soaps like "Days of Our Lives" still retain this classic look.
It was originally achieved with a layer of petroleum jelly smeared over the lens to give the footage that dream-like glow. Likewise, smaller sets required lighting to be adapted accordingly, while soaps being filmed on videotape, which was cheaper and easier to work with, and often broadcast live also affected the visuals. Video's higher frame rate gave a hyper-realistic feel to the footage, too.
Nowadays, everything is shot on digital, but the frame rate remains the same to retain that classic soap opera feel. To keep production costs down, the same lighting and filming tricks continue to be employed, including lighting the entire set to allow actors to move around more fluidly so fewer takes are required. Hence how soaps can be shot quickly, but still retain that slightly otherworldly glow. And really, who are we to argue with 60 years of history?
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