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.