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.
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