Unit 32: Designing Idents

Assignment 1

LO1 Analyse the purpose and design of idents

.

Task 1.
Introduce the purpose of idents either as a Mind Map / Diagram or an opening paragraph Illustrating the purpose of TV Idents.



Task 2.
Focusing on a BBC3 idents from above  or ones of your choice provide detailed examples that illustrate your explanation of the purpose of idents - so the following model will apply:

• POINT - describing/stating one of the purposes of idents. And then...
• EVIDENCE - giving detailed examples from the BBC3 ident (above) to illustrate your... explanation of your point
• EXPLAIN - this is your chance to explain why the purposes of idents are so important and how the channel uses them to their advantage in order to appeal to their target audience (in lots of detail) 

Focus on providing detailed examples covering mise-en-scene, camerawork, soundtrack and editing to illustrate the purpose of idents; AND focus on using lots of subject terminology.


You need to cover all the following purposes of idents (POINTS) in your analysis (see help under this list):

• to express channel's identity
• to brand the channel
• to market & promote the channel (by appealing to the target audience in a way that makes the audience stand out from other channels - as they are in competition)
• segmentation (to break up programming) AND to provide information to the audience (i.e. what's on next)
• to rebrand the channel to keep them 'on trend' & up to date look for examples of rebranding (Dave is a good example)
• All of the above are basically to keep the audience interested, i.e. appeal to them. You should make sure you focus on this when analysing ALL the purposes.

The first 3 points (identity, brand AND market & promote) are focused on how the channel uses idents to express its IDENTITY, in order to appeal to the target audience. You need to keep reiterating identity and appeal to audience.

• to express channel's identity

(400 words)


(point)

A major purpose of TV idents is that a channel can create designs that express their identity in a way that will appeal to the target audience and complement the programmes it shows.

(evidence and explain)

A detailed analysis of how BBC3’s identity is expressed through the design of the ident, and what BBC3’s identity is and how it creates this identity in order to appeal to the target audience. YOU SHOULD BEGIN BY SETTING OUT WHAT YOU THINK BBC3'S IDENTITY IS - choose 3 or 4 adjectives that best describe their identity.

This should then be a detailed analysis of the design of the ident focusing on the mise-en-scene and the soundtrack of the ident, and how they clearly show BBC3's identity (the adjectives you have chosen) -  using terminology and constantly explaining how the m-e-s and sound create a young, ‘cool’, vibrant (and other adjectives - fun loving, exciting…) design, expressing the identity of the channel. Explaining how the aim is to design the ident in a way that provides entertainment and uses this as a key way/technique to appeal to the audience. How do the separate parts of the m-e-s and soundtrack create the identity and why does this appeal to the target audience?

mise-en-scene: props & settings ----- costume & make-up ----- body language and facial expression ----- colour and lighting

soundtrack: music - some analysis of the volume, pace and tempo of music (and how it is in sync with the visuals/mise-en-scene - i.e. how the two work together to complement each other) and also focus on the terms diegetic and non-diegetic sound

• to brand the channel - (appealing to the target audience through design which makes them stand out from other channels - as they are in competition)

(400 words)


(point)

a further way to express the identity of the channel is branding - through the visual brand (i.e. the design and the ‘look’) of the BBC3 logo and how this logo embodies the channels identity

(evidence and explain)

-firstly analyse the design (visual look) of the BBC3 logo - pink, lower case, ‘handwritten’ font, curved looking and how each part of the design you analyse will appeal to the younger target audience, as it expresses a brand identity teenagers can associate with

-secondly explain how the design of the logo embodies/represents the channel’s brand identity; use quotes (key words and phrases) from the commissioning page to ‘prove’ this (innovative, groundbreaking, new…modern) never afraid. Explaining how the channel itself considers this to be its identity and how the logo creates this brand identity for the young target audience to associate with. The pink colour (loud) and neon look suggest this, in addition it makes it stand out within the ident - as it is the brightest part, and it makes BBC3 stand out as they are the only BBC channel with such a bright logo/brand image (‘stand-out’ comedy is another quote from the commissioning page).

• an ident is the main way/tactic that TV channels have to market & promote the channel

(300 words)

(point)

This part is the opportunity to continue mentioning brand and identity but with the focus on how the ident is the channel’s main opportunity to market and promote themselves to the target audience through their USP (unique selling point)

(evidence/explain)

The USP, in the case of BBC3, could be considered as: NEW, FUN, LOUD, young, “never afraid”... (and various other adjectives); continue to explain how the logo is a major part of the promotion as it helps create the USP. In other words they use idents as the main place to promote the brand identity of the channel. Your evidence here would be to reiterate certain phrases and keywords from the commissioning page and to give other examples of the m-e-s and soundtrack you have not yet analysed from the ident.

However to conclude I would criticise this tactic of idents as marketing and promoting a channel - because advertising and marketing - for most products does not take place on the product itself, in other words how effective is marketing and promoting yourself on your own channel? (branding exists on the product you are marketing - i.e. logo/brand on trainers etc - but promotion and marketing is usually presented somewhere else to make you want to buy into a product - perhaps this is the reason for some channels - Viva, Comedy Central, Food network putting less and less effort and money into producing TV idents...)


Unlike the first 3, this point is about how the other key purpose of idents is less about identity (& entertainment) but about breaking up the programmes and providing information - but still in a way that is appealing to the audience. You need to keep reiterating information and appeal to audience

• segmentation (to break up programming) AND to provide information to the audience (i.e. what's on next) in a way that continues to appeal to the target audience

(400 words)

(point)

Start by discussing that as well as expressing the channel’s identity another purpose of idents is segmentation and providing and information to the audience - explain how this is in some ways a major part of what an ident is for, in other words they are used to break up programming (maybe more important for channels with no adverts than others…?).

(evidence and explain)

Analyse and explain how the information is provided to the audience, using detailed examples of quotes (and the humour involved) from the continuity announcer on the voiceover…. (it may help here to briefly compare BBC3 to BBC4 or BBC1 and how they are more formal and less ‘funny’ i.e. the voiceover is an extension of the identity - loud, fun...). Focusing on how this is another way to appeal to the target audience - by the humorous, sarcastic tone of the voiceover; and of course that the knowledge of the next programme is something that will appeal to the audience and keep them watching (if they are part of the audience for the programme).

Try to be a little critical in your thinking here - introduce that segmentation and providing information is maybe more important than to market through entertainment. Because telling you what is on next (and later on that night) may be a better way of appealing to you than trying to entertain you - especially as you watch TV for the programmes so will be more likely to continue watching BBC3 because a programme you like is on next - and are not really going to carry on watching just because you like the ident.

Clearly explain that the point is to literally tell you what is on next and later - to inform you and hopefully keep you interested and ‘hooked’ into continuing to watch the channel. However be critical again - why provide this information when we have this everywhere else (TV guides on screen and in papers/magazines/online). Are idents starting to look like they are a little bit pointless….? You could spend some time here assessing whether you think this.


This point is about how the other key purpose of idents is about changing or ‘refreshing’ identity through rebranding the channel - hence identity, brand AND market & promote are important again but you are considering how they have been changed in order to create a new identity and target audience.

• Rebranding

(4-500 words)

Rebranding is where you discuss the changes from BBC3’s idents between 2003-8 and the Kick, Step and Turn ident (2008-13), you should have substantial notes here to help your analysis


Task 3.
Focus on the BBC4 ident and illustrate in even more detail the purposes of idents - using the BBC4 "Library" ident as your example. While doing this you need to begin making comparisons between the BBC3 & BBC4 idents focusing on the different identities and target audiences of the two channels.
The comparison of BBC3 and BBC4 is simply for you to analyse BBC4 - in a similar way to BBC3 focusing on the design of the ident and how BBC4’s identity and brand/logo markets and promotes them very differently than BBC3 as they have a very different target audience. Remember to provide evidence and explanation of this from the m-e-s and soundtrack of the ident as well as from the commissioning page - where very different phrases and keywords are used as the audience and brand identity are very different. There is an audio recording to help you with this also:



Use the following links from the BBC commissioning page to help you define the target audience and to define the channel's brand identity:


BBC3:http://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/briefs/tv/browse-by-channel/bbc-three/

BBC4:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/briefs/tv/browse-by-channel/bbc-four/

Task 4. 
Introduce the Uses and Gratifications theory and explain how this can be applied to your idents - using both the BBC3 and BBC4 idents as your exemplification


Task 5.

Sky Idents

Write up the analysis of an ident of your choice in detail focusing firstly on the design:

Use these 4-5 (points) to structure your analysis of the Sky One ident:

• Is there any humour or is it a straight/serious (i.e. not funny) ident - i.e. what mood does the ident express? Why?
• How empty or busy is the ident? Is it an active or passive ident? In other words is there lots to watch and focus on, or just one action/activity that you focus on? What is the effect of this?
• What is the speed/tempo of the ident? Why?
• Is it entertainment-led or information-led? In other words does it provide you with a lot of information? Or is it just trying to entertain you? What is the effect of this?
• You should also discuss this ident in terms of the Uses and Gratifications theory

The below design elements are your (evidence and explanation) for your points:

• Mise-en-scene (Lighting & Colour, Props & Settings, Facial Expressions & Body Language, Costume & Make-Up)
• Logo (including the font and typeface and colour)
• Animation within the ident
• Soundtrack (music and sound effects)

Sky Idents

To finalise your analysis of the Sky 1 ident you need to refer back to the purpose of idents (i.e. refer to how the design elements and the overall design reinforce the purposes of idents).
Do this by focusing on the 3 following purposes AND making comparisons between the Sky One ident and the BBC3 and BBC4 idents we have already analysed:

• market and promote (see e.g. quote below)
• branding (compare logos and brand identities)
• provide information and keep the audience interested (voiceover on BBC3 providing info - whereas on Sky 1 there is none - but the animated 24 and the character from the programme in the ident provide the info)

e.g. "Sky 1 promote and market themselves very differently to BBC3 - Sky are promoting themselves through making a dark, tense, realistic (as it is filmed and not animated) ident with the actual star of a major programme (24) rather than an animated, fun, silly, and 'loud' ident. Sky are also using a high quality (high production values - i.e. expensive) American TV programme to help promote themselves which means their brand identity is improved, whereas BBC3's ident is actually quite cheap and is not directly linked to the programme that follows."





Assignment 2 To understand opportunities and limitations of onscreen graphic representation

OPPORTUNITIES & LIMITATIONS
 Success and Failures in Onscreen Graphics
A. 
(write about 2 idents for this part - 1 niche and 1 mainstream) 
min. 600 words

The first 3 opportunities & limitations we will focus on are:

-Audience
-Budget
-Time spent making the ident (and amount of staff)


Your point will be one of the below - and you need to focus on an ident for one mainstream and one niche channel for this part:

(point)

• The design of the ident is limited by the target audience - if the ident is for a niche channel, this can then limit the budget and the time spent, or the amount of staff, designing and producing (making) the ident.

• If the ident is for a popular mainstream channel, this can then offer an opportunity to spend a lot of money and have a high budget - resulting in more time spent, and more staff working on, designing and producing (making) the ident.

• BBC1 use idents as an opportunity to set a tone where they attempt to appeal to all, to a wide audience (hence the term 'mainstream') 

(evidence) (explain)
Your evidence is you discussing examples from:
i - the design of the ident (mise-en-scene - colour, props etc) proving the ident as low budget (cheap/basic looking) for a niche audience (focuse don one genre/type of programme)
ii - and the viewing figures you have found from BARB (proving the channel is niche/mainstream based on the amount of people viewing).

Which you then need to use to help you explain how the ident’s design (i.e. how good or bad it looks) is related to the budget, time, amount of staff spent making it - and how whether the channel is niche or mainstream can affect the amount of money spent and therefore the quality of the ident.

B.
(write about 3 new idents for this part - 2 more niche and then BBC1or another main Channel)
min.

Now we need to focus on how idents are an opportunity for the TV channels to:

• target the audience by setting the tone (or the mood) of the channel so the ident will appeal to the audience (will keep them interested in watching) AND keep brand loyalty

niche - Dave, E4, Film 4, 4 music, BBC3, MTV are good examples of niche channels that set a specific tone or mood and that have a strong logo that acts as the visual brand

i - Find some evidence of the identity/brand image of the channel (e.g. BBC3 "Never afraid to try new things") and target audience (e.g. BBC3 16-34 "young in spirit") of the channels by going to the channel's 'commissioning' pages to help you do this (this pinterest board will help you with this also: http://uk.pinterest.com/samo72/idents/)
ii - AND give detailed examples from your idents of how they create this mood/tone and brand image/identity through the mise-en-scene and soundtrack

• Compare channels that are inventive in their design of 'on-screen text' in their logos with those that are quite plain and argue that their graphic design is limited

A limitation is that they are restricted in length and cannot be too long as the audience will get bored and frustrated waiting for the next programme to start



Provide examples to back this up from at least 2 idents from different channels -giving the timings of them. Make sure one of them is very short (5 seconds) and explain that idents cannot be too short so that the continuity announcer cannot speak over them to provide us with the necessary information (i.e. what is on next); sometimes though (as you will have noticed) they are really short and do not have a voiceover at all (remember these are 'entertainment-led' idents).

On the other hand some idents are just about providing us with this information, including on-screen text listing programmes (known as 'information-led' idents) and these are longer. Provide one example to back this up from some of your idents (some e.g.s provided below).
Film 4 information-led ident (at the bottom of the page advertising 'Elektra' & 'The Big Lebowski') :
http://theident.gallery/film4-2009-misc.php
Film 4 information-led ident ('Young Sherlock Holmes' & 'Sexy Beast' between 0:57 and 1:22):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2QETEqf3rQ'Bravo' information-led ident (advertising 'World's Strongest Man:2009':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgPrbPmjR2w&list=PLF24C434EDB90282A


(point)

• However the short length of idents is also an opportunity for the channel to be creative and find ways of expressing their identity, via the logo and a USP, in a very short amount of time

Detail how the channel need to find quick/simple visual jokes/puns or other strategies to express their visual identity/USP in their idents. Explain how the USP - expressed in the idents -  is a strategy used to appeal to the audience and keep them watching.




Finally idents are an opportunity 'Pushing' the technology, and rebranding to keep up to date.

(point)

• A final opportunity is for the channel's to use idents to keep the look of the channel, its visual identity, up to date, by pushing the technology (i.e. keeping up to date with technological advancements in camera technology, 3D, CGI and animation), which, some channels, do every few years when they rebrand 

(evidence) (explain)
They need to use ever developing technology (technological advancements in camera technology, 3D, CGI and animation) to keep the look of the channel up to date. Give detailed examples of recent rebrands for this - such as the BBC3 2013 rebrand - and explain how this is a definite improvement on the previous idents, which looks more professional and more technologically up to date. Otherwise the audience will see them as out of date or old fashioned - so the rebranding is about keeping your audience watching and continuing to appeal to them through your channel's idents (you may argue on the other hand that people only turn on the channel to watch the programmes and do not really care about the idents - remember they are not the reason we watch TV).

Finally you need a summary


Which Idents are successful and why ?


 look at the criteria

D1 and D2: when discussing design and purpose of idents, and the opportunities and limitations for designers,learners will justify points made using supporting arguments or evidence, will develop ideas critically (ie,compare, assess and discriminate) and draw out of an example precisely what it is about it that exemplifiesthe point it illustrates. Distinction grade learners might make statements such as, ‘BBC2’s current idents often feature holes or portals in things that are in the shape of the number 2. Things like an opening in a tent or a stencil creating a shape in chocolate on the top of a cup of coffee suggest things that people associate with leisure time and fun activities. Also featuring a hole or something you look through suggests you are seeing the world through the number two as if you are looking through the two to see the real picture – a quality people would then associate with BBC2’ Technical vocabulary will be secure and used correctly and confidently at all times.