AS2: Task 4: Final Ident

Final Ident

My final ident differs from my storyboard, as in order to get good marks to achieve a distinction, I had to display more than one moving component within the one minute. My original idea did not contain Rainicorn as I felt that Jake the Dog would be enough, however after watching multiple other idents, I noticed that often more than one character would be used. In my opinion, I think my ident is great, as not only does it advertise the channel more than once in creative ways, it uses bright colours and eye catching characters for children to enjoy, as well as popular characters. However, some of the shots are unfocused due to the camera being moved slightly accidentally, which could make it seem rushed due to the technical fault. Also, some of the movements aren't smooth so that they don't flow with the rest of the ident, which makes it more amateur (which it is!). Despite it's flaws, I'm happy that I was able to produce a good length and effective ident under a tight deadline and with very little craft skills. 

AS2:Task 3:Pre Production Planning

Product Budget

Location

Risk Assessment 

Costumes and Props

AS2:Task 1/2: Ideas Generation and designing the suite

Brainstorming

When deciding what theme a suite of idents is going to be, it's important to look at all theme options and take into consideration the programmes aired on the channel. Also, a range of ages need to be considered, for example CBBC is for 6-13 year olds, similarly to Cartoon Network, whereas channels like Cbeebies cater for 6 years and under. When choosing themes, it's important not to jus consider 'childish' themes, such as nature, the alphabet and animals etc, but it is important to broaden those ideas further to topics such as space, adventure and the ocean. As a task , we were asked to first choose a children's channel to create an ident for as it meant we were all looking for a likeminded audience together to share ideas. As well as a theme, it is also important to look for the purpose of an ident. This could mean what time of day or year it is going to be used, and what it is trying to teach the child. With this taken into consideration, the ident cannot contain anything that may influence poor behaviour, and it must allow some kind of topic to be explored.

I chose Cartoon Network, as after looking at the selection of programmes on the channel I noticed that they contained humour and subjects that can appeal to a very large audience, from younger children to teenagers. This is interesting to me, so I decided that I would use this channel so that my options for themes were not limited. My first stimulus was a picture of Adventure Time character Jake the Dog dancing to music, and I decided to use him as my main character in the suite of idents.

Proposal 

The theme for my suite of idents is characters with superpowers. This will involve popular characters from CN displaying different powers over a few different idents, including flying, telekinesis and invisibility. With this suite, it is easy to add seasonal themes such as Christmas, Easter and Halloween. I have chosen this theme as I think it is fitting for CN with a slightly more mature and humorous theme for an audience that is aged approximately 6-13 years old. These ages would'nt appreciate themes such as numbers and the alphabet, as that is a learning curve they have already passed. Also, the idea of super powers is intriguing and easy to work with, as there are lots to choose from and some can be used in different scenarios and for different times of day, such as bed time and night time so it serves the purpose of a flexible ident.

• Flying: This ident will start with the character flying through the sky surrounded by clouds. They will then fly through a cloud and grab the 'C' and fly down with it. After flying for a couple of seconds, they will put the 'C' with the 'N', which will now be sat on top of a cloud. This creates the CN logo. The storyboard is shown below.

• Invisibility: The character will be wearing a jacket and boots standing still in the shot. The characters body will then disappear leaving only the face and clothing. The face will then completely disappear, and the 'C' and 'N' will appear as it fades. While the character is 'invisible', the coat and boots will move around and the letters will move as though someone is shaking them. The character will then re-appear. The storyboard is shown below.

• Telekinesis: The character will start by moving the 'C' around the screen without touching it physically. Once it has travelled around the screen in a semi circle, the character will then move the 'N' across the screen without touching it. Once that has done the same, and the letters form the CN logo, the character will then push both of the letters off the screen to end the ident. This is shown in a storyboard and animatic below. 

The animatic should not be so blurry, however due to technical difficulties with a camera and lack of time to improve, this is the only outcome I got for now. Once i have finished more key elements of this task, i will re-upload a more clearer version. 

AS1:Task 3: Understanding the design of a suite of TV idents

What is a suite of idents?

When a major broadcasting company create an ident, it is highly unlikely only one idea is generated and used, but rather a suite of idents. A suite is a variety of different concepts of idents that share the same common theme but show different situations. This allows for idents to stay fresh and entertaining and not tedious to the audience, as well as appealing to a wider audience depending on the nature of the show or time of day and year. 

A great example of a suite is the BBC 'Circle Suite' which has been on air since October 2006 (that's 10 years!). There are 20 idents in total in this suite, 4 of which are unfortunately no longer aired.

'Windows'

This ident from the suite is known as 'windows'. First aired in 2006, windows unfortunately was only aired for 2 years before being taken down in early 2008 due to more modern idents being created for the suite. The ident appears to be family themed, showing adults and children alike having fun and enjoying the area they live in, with the block of flats presenting unity and a peaceful neighbourhood. Fitting with the circle theme, the shape itself is cleverly created using the reflection of sunlight on the windows, which would've been added during post production. Overall, the tone of this ident is bubbly and family friendly, showing a variety of families within the ident, using light and calm background music and a general happy atmosphere. I think this ident would've played during mid afternoon to early evening on programmes which are enjoyed by people of all ages, as the aim of this ident is to satisfy everyone in the room. The length of the ident, which is 31 seconds, allows it to be long enough to enjoy but not too long as to become tedious and boring.

'Neon'

This ident is titled 'neon' and relied heavily on CGI in post production. First aired in late 2007,this ident is still shown in 2016 before more adult themed programmes at night with a risky content, such as Spooks. This is due to it's nightlife atmosphere and possibly sexualised female character with her pin up style and rather large bust. Other than those factors, the ident is also incredibly playful, showing a variety of animals and characters both mythical and real, as well as a brightly lit and ever-moving fairground in the background throughout, so disregarding the adult themes, I think it could possibly be enjoyed by pre-teens but still in the evening. The circle itself is created using a large ferris wheel which the characters all go on, which is both visually exciting and creative. Overall, this has to be my personal favourite ident in the suite.

'Bikes'

This ident is titled 'bikes' and shows a fast paced and risky ring of death. First aired in late 2006, this ident is usually aired before shows which contain suspenseful and dangerous content, such as medical drama Casualty. I consider this to also be a more adult appropriate ident as the activity in the ident is incredibly dangerous and could accidentally influence young children to try this out when only a professional should be. The circle itself is created by the actual ring itself, which is effective as not only is it incorporated but also used as a platform throughout the ident which is incredibly effective to me as to entertaining the audience. This ident is 31 seconds long, which is an appropriate amount of time considering there is a lot of different visuals which keep it exciting throughout, as you could literally blink and see a different scene. 

'Hippos'

This ident is called 'Hippos' and shows some happy hippos frolicking in the ocean together on what looks like a sunny day. The ident was first published in late 2006 and is still aired today before family friendly programmes during the afternoon and early evening such as cooking show 'The Great British Bake Off'. Themed around a family of hippos, the atmosphere is loving and carefree and would appeal to young children and adults alike with these magnificent creatures. Sticking to the suite idea, the circle itself is created by the hippos, which is cute and bubbly and makes this ident unique in comparison to the others I have analysed. 

AS1: Task 2: Understanding limitations on idents

What are limitations?

Idents are made to be eye catching, informative and to ensure many aspects of broadcasting go smoothly, such as brand loyalty and scheduelling. However, when creating an ident it is important to consider the limitations on designs, especially when there are many channels for one company. An example of this would be the BBC, who have 4 television channels as well as many radio and online players. Each logo for the BBC is very similar, however contain small differences to be fitted for the content it airs.

The limitations which are soon to be explained are enforced so that the ident remains recognisable, consistent and still loyal to the company. Slight alterations, which are displayed above are present, however not greatly.

Typography

Typography is the style of font and letter art that appear on an ident or logo. Whether it be bold, italics or even comic sans, each different ident for a different channel by the same broadcasting company must have at least a few minor similarities in order to ensure consistency and recognition at a quick glance.

Although the idents above are from two different channels, they're both from BBC. As you can see, the font style shares similarities with the curvy letters, however the difference is seen in the E's. The lettering in the BBC Three logo is more curved and styalised, whereas the BBC Earth logo is more modern and formal in comparison. Despite the minor differences, the logos are obviously very similar, and both have the original BBC logo above the unique title. 

Colour 

The key accent colour, which can apply to the background or the typography, must be the same for a variety of idents played on the same channel. This basically means the overall colour scheme should not vary greatly in order to ensure consistency, recognition and to limit confusion.

The idents above are from BBC One and E4, and both show a clear colour scheme that is consistent in each channel logo. In the BBC ident, there is the discrete yet impacting use of the colour red, whether it be prominent like in the top logo of a garden scene, or more subtle like the ring of red in the bottom logo. No matter how it's used, it's highly likely every BBC One ident you will see ,until BBC One rebrand in the future, will use the colour red in some kind of way. The same with the E4 ident, which contains a vibrant and stand out purple. Although there are differences to the logo themselves, with the top one being animated out of white flowers and the bottom of UV purple lights, both are surrounded by an area vastly covered in purple decor.

These both use specific colours also to create associations. Now the theme has been placed, when asked to think of a colour and it's relation to an ident, there is now a connection. Other examples would be CbeeBies and yellow or Scuzz and grey.

Aspect Ratio

The aspect ratio is the ratio of the width to the height of an image or screen, according to google. When an ident is played, the aspect ration must remain the same each time as not to jar the audience. All HD idents must be presented the 16.9 widescreen format so that the image doesn't become warped and unrecognisable, as this would ruin the purpose.

Adhering to the desired tone

An ident must keep to the tone of the nature of the channel so that an appropriate audience is attracted and aware of the content. For example, a childrens television ident may be bubbly and bright, whereas a heavy metal channel would be loud and dark in comparison. All ident tones must varie in some way to not only ensure originality, but also so the audience know what to expect.

.This ident is a fan made ident, however it is incredibly similar to an official ident.
.Created by EvIFX.

Even at a first glance, it is clear that these idents have been made for completely different audiences just by presentation of typography and colour. The top ident, which is for metal music channel scuzz, uses harsh and dark colours and bold spiked writing which reflects the aggressive nature of the music and videos that are played there on a daily bases. The one below is an official CBeebies ident which uses vibrant and soft typography so that the young audience is excited and focused on the ident. 

Duration

An ident needs to have a specific duration in order to avoid tedious watching and to ensure scheduling can be stuck to. When an ident is filmed, it usually is around 45 seconds to a minute so that it can be cut down for 10 second idents when needed and extended for the full film when ahead of scheduling. Also, a continuous ident that is slightly longer can be looped and cut for however it is needed. 

Above is the 46 second version of BBC ident 'The dog display'. This long version of the ident shows a clear loop at the end which can be cut and extended for however it is needed, like when an announcement is being made. The super long version is used when scheduling is way ahead or a long announcement is being made that can't be cut. 

AS1:Task 1: TV Idents purpose and opportunities they present

 What is an ident?

A television ident is a short animation of a channel logo which appears before and after programmes and ad breaks in between. These animations are on screen for approximately 5 seconds to 45 seconds, depending on the voice over announcement or where the animation is placed around the episode. The first popular indent was on BBC 1, which back in 1953 was the only channel available on British television. This iconic indent was nicknamed 'The batwings' for its unusual shape, and it was this indent that began a whole new form of advertising and brand identity.

The ITV indent has evolved greatly over the years, and some of them even show scenes which reflect popular culture. They're recognisable as they commonly use a moving back ground set into a full screen format with the logo transparent but visible over the top. It is also recognisable by the voice over which presents ITV, so people with bad eyesight can recognise it better rather than searching for the logo. 

Identifying the channel.

The most common use of the logo is to remind the audience of the channel they are watching, but also to give the channel an identity. Without an ident or any kind of logo, when a watcher tunes in to a programme it would be impossible to know which providing channel they are watching from, especially on a television which does not include a TV guide or labelling upon channel changes. The BBC logo in particular is recognisable as all idents share the common theme of a circular structure; this means that before the channel name is even presented a regular watcher would identify the channel instantly.

This logo would also be used off air in media such as billboards, newspapers and online in order to advertise their company further and invite in a larger audience, especially if the logo is shown alongside a screenshot from a new or existing series. Without this identifiable logo, people passing and readers wouldn't know where to go for said programme. As well as this, an ident also ensures brand loyalty and gives TV series a platform to air from frequently. For example, during popular BBC series Eastenders, the BBC indent plays before and after the show in order to ensure that all episodes remain their property. However, as television deals became more complex and convenient, catch up TV meant that some broadcasters lost their loyalty. Eastenders is aired at specific times 4 days a week, and before March 2016 a re-show was aired on BBC 3 until the channel was removed. Now, in late 2016, the re-show is played on a channel called W, meaning that Eastenders loses some of its BBC loyalty. 

Re branding can sometimes be an issue to popular television channels, as it means they are now changing their identity to fit a more modern audience. Children's television does this often in order to stop their young audience growing bored or the same indent becoming tedious. CBBC change their indents usually when a majority of old shows end and new shows come into air to stay fresh and fitting to the time:

Scheduling and Segmentation. 

As well as providing an identity for the broadcasting company, indents are also a clever way of ensuring a schedule is consistent, as well as breaking up long programmes to include adverts. 

Channels such as the BBC and Disney Channel (pre 2012) use indents in order to replace the break which adverts provide, giving the viewer time to make tea or go to the toilet etc.

 This indent also ensures that a television schedule is not broken so the general public aren't out of touch with the times of their favourite programmes. For example, on live programmes such as The X Factor Finals on ITV, it sometimes occurs that the show will run over its designated air time due to voting and technical complications; to make up for lost time, the broadcasting company may miss out a set of adverts and replace them with an ident and a sponsor ad instead. So, instead of having to sit through a whole set of ads, you may see a short ad like the top picture, followed by the indent:

Setting the tone with an identity

An ident is likely to be the first thing a viewer will see when switching over to a new channel, therefore it is important that the tone is set properly. For example, during certain seasons many television series fit around the occasion and air episodes set on dates such as Christmas day for a realistic feel. In order to set the mood before the show begins, the indent may be slightly altered and themed around the season. 

The ident above is from adult humour channel Comedy Central, where shows such as Jackass and South Park are aired. This is their Christmas indent which is usually followed by some kind of Christmas comedy special of feature film. After seeing the logo shaped as a Christmas tree, the aim is to make the viewer feel more festive and thus enjoy the programme more.  The channels identity is now shown as playful, which means any show that is aired there is likely to fit under a comedy genre.

Despite seasonal indents, a common every day indent must also be appropriate in showing the channels identity. Without a fitting indent, the tone cannot be set and therefore it is unsure what to expect the channel genre, whether it's comedy, soap, music or film. Kerrang! music TV was launched in Spring 2001 after the music channels success on radio. Over the 15 years, the channel has seen many idents which vary in colour schemes, duration and mood. However, all share the same guitar riff and logo on screen, with 2016 seeing a fresh and new animation which sets the angst rock, pop punk and metal mood.  This mood is a reflection of the channels identity, which is a place where heavy and non-mainstream music is played and 'outcasts' can enjoy music. 

Many broadcasting also alter their indents slightly to fit a specific type of channel they provide. For example, the BBC sports indent is completely different to an  average BBC 1 indent, but still shows the BBC title. Other than this title, the colour scheme and format are different so that each new channel is unique to the next so no content is confused. 

Packing and Re-packing series

At certain times of the year, new and existing series will appear or make a comeback to a broadcasting company. In the lead up to the first episode, the broadcasting company usually produce both a teaser trailer and a unique ident in order to excite the audience. Also, during or before the programme begins, the ident will be played in order to remind those who have just tuned in what is about to play,especially on an important or highly anticipated episode. 

The ident above is for ITV exclusive series Dancing On Ice which only airs once a year and for a limited time as it is a competition. Due to it's popularity, idents like this are common in the lead up to the first episode which is important for anticipation but also to show what content is played.

The second ident is from BBC One and shows a birds eye view of Albert Square, which is the setting for series Eastenders. Usually before an important or story developing episode is played, this specific ident will appear along with unique piano music so the viewer knows what they're about to watch is classed as special to the BBC.