Evaluation

I think that overall this module went quite well and I found it to be the hardest this year.

I think that working in a group of 14 people was quite a challenge as group meetings had to fit in with everyone’s schedule as well as having to keep all members updated with set suggestions etc. I think that the group got on quite well but there was just the issue of people not turning up to studio practises or getting themselves involved which I felt really took its toll on those who were doing the work as they had twice as much to do. The groups enthusiasm was really high to begin with and everyone had so many ideas but as the weeks went on, I felt that people were beginning to become bored and left it to others.

I think the outcome of the groups effort has gone really well and I really look forward to seeing the programme as a finished product. Our programme has met the module guidelines as it is made up of the following:

• A studio based interview (talk with the T-Rex)
• A demonstration item (Kite making)
• A performance (puppet show)
• A topical debate (Is watching television or going to play outside better?)
• A title sequence and programme graphics (which the group have at the start/end of the show)

It is 20 minutes long and would be broadcastable pre-watershed as our target audience is children so I think that the group have done well with this factor. I think that the content in the programme is relevant to our audience as well as being informative and entertaining at the same time. I think that the use of having a ‘T-Rex’ in the studio to question him makes learning about animals a lot more fun and the best way for children to learn is without actually realizing as they are more likely to take the facts in.

Overall I feel as though I have had to do more than the role that I had been allocated due to others not doing their role properly. I have thoroughly enjoyed my roles as floor manager and set design and realized that set design takes a lot more hard work than I had originally thought but luckily as soon as we put the set up in the studio, it looked great and the group didn’t have any major problems with it apart from the sheets being creased which was soon resolved by the group ironing it. I have learnt a lot on this module in relation to studio, equipment, broadcast, television roles and dealing with members who didn’t seem to be getting involved which I simply resolved by openly speaking to them. I found that this really resolved matters and made the other person feel a lot more comfortable.

I think that having the weekend with the PDX10s really made me realize how much I had actually learnt and really built up my confidence. I also appreciate the amount of hard work that producers and programme makers have to go through in order to create the programmes that I watch daily as they have to find constant news and events, keep to rules and restrictions and find guests that will attract their targeted audience to the programme. Although I have found this module to be a hard one, I have thoroughly enjoyed the ups and downs of the process and feel as though I have grown as a person.

 

Programmes upgrading

 This article on broadcastnow reveals that a new network has been bought in order to be able to produce BBC1′s Holby City in HD.

This relates well to the module question of how programmes can improve to ensure their continuity as new technology is coming out so programmes are competing with it. High Definition hasn’t fully been grasped by all television programmes yet so I think that this is quite a big step to allowing programmes to be watched in such a high quality.

The rest of the module questions completed

What are the limitations of magazine shows?  How can they be improved to ensure they continue?

There are many limitations to magazine shows just as there would be with any other programmes. One of the main disadvantages that stands out to me is the standard studio format that has to be consistent in magazines shows as it limits how adventurous the producers can be due to having to stay in a set area although this can have a lot of advantages also. The programme being categorized as a magazine show itself comes with a lot of responsibility as the structure of the show a lot of the time contains two presenters; male and a female, celebrity guests and the use of updated news and gossip. The duty to have to constantly find recent news and events happening around the world and the country in order to give these shows something to talk about is another limitation because the programme makers may struggle to find daily interesting and beneficial news that would entertain their targeted audience. With magazines having such a specific audience, it makes the editorial fairly limited as it has to fit in with the programmes audience demographic to ensure that they hold the audience’s attention throughout the whole show as well as having to be on target with the interests of their audience.

The most common magazine genre that I find to be most broadcasted is ‘entertainment and lifestyle’ because this is the genre that seems to attract a lot of viewers as they can relate to a lot of the content that’s in the show.  I also think that this genre is easiest done within a studio format. I think that magazine shows are very limited with the genres that they can create and use which has a lot to do with what the majority of audiences like to watch. Programme makers and producers use B.A.R.B to help with their research into this.

In the past, programme makers have made subtle changes to shows in order to improve them some of which can be seen below.

This is a clip that I found off YouTube which shows what ‘The One Show’ used to be like in 2006.

This is ’The One Show’ now in 2010.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00sqjt5/The_One_Show_07_06_2010/

There are clear differences in the show from 2006 and now in the present, some of which are the changes in the opening title and it’s music, the format and structure of the show (the presenters are stood up to introduce the show which has changed to the introduction of the present show as they now introduce it whilst sat on the sofa), the obvious change of new presenters, the 2006 show isn’t as colourful and vibrant and the show begins differently as the 2006 version shows a VT of what’s coming up whereas the 2010 version goes straight into the programme. A lot of these changes are common in other magazine programmes also but recently programme makers are beginning to take more risks with their content.

Here is an article that I found about ‘Jeremy Clarkson Gloryfying Speeding’. The producer has clearly included this factor into the Top Gear programme to entertain viewers and keep them on edge whilst watching the presenters do these crazy stunts. This risk factor in itself is a big improvement to shows as these risks wouldn’t have been taken in the past due to strict rules and regulations.

http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/BBC-under-fire-for-Top.5476898.jp

Although this isn’t relevant to magazine programmes, this article also shows just how far programme makers will go in order to create something new and original.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4643056.stm

A suggestion to ensure that magazines keep their popularity would definitely be to keep presenters updated (if the audience is around their 20s then so should the presenters), to keep experts visiting on shows to help viewers with their problems as it enables them to relate to it, keep the audience involved – phone ins, websites and competitions and to keep on top of technology as they will be a huge factor in the future to come.

Consider other sources of distribution for magazines type shows?

Other distribution methods could be some of the obvious ones such as live streaming or YouTube but after doing some more in-depth research on future technology I was able to find some interesting ideas.

The iPad

The Ipad contains over 2,000 applications and is a portable device that allows you to access the internet, read books, watch films and many more. This device is in between a laptop and an iPhone. Due to it’s practical size, I think that this would be perfect for allowing viewers to watch their favourite shows whether their on the train, on an aeroplane or even in bed. A programme application could be downloaded specific to the programme such as ‘Top Gear’ which would only work with the Ipad technology

Notion Ink Smartpad

This device is very similar to that of an Ipad and will include many of the features as above. ‘It will also be a superior e-reader for digital books, newspapers, magazines, and a portable Web TV’

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2010/01/01/ten-technologies-2010/

Only time will tell what future technologies will be made available to us that will enable us to watch television programmes without the use of our stand-alone televisions at home.

Recording Day

I was so nervous this morning so I sat and went through everything in order to reassure myself that we had covered all the areas possible. I made a checklist of the things that needed to be done such as the repetition of words to be taken off the autocue.

When I arrived, the group members had gone straight to the job of setting up the studio and had done a great job of it whereas others just stood around and watched. The talkback was set up quickly and the sheets were being put up onto the boards. After putting the sheets up, everyone agreed that the sheets had been creased again and it was visible on the camera so we had to iron the sheets quickly which took around 20 minutes. I think that putting up the set took up a lot of our time but once we had it up everything from then on was fluent.

Overall we did 4 run throughs and our last happened to be the best. The presenters were very enthusiastic throughout the show and the kids were confident and great. The only technical difficulty that we encountered was the sound as the quality of it hadn’t been great throughout the first two runs but we soon managed to resolve this with the help of Shelley. Abdiaziz managed to label each of the microphones so that he would know when to turn the levels up or down.

After the recording, we put a lot of our set props in the storage room to enable other students to use them if needed. I feel relieved to have completed the recording and I cannot believe how 2 months of hard work could be over in just a day. I feel that the recording of our show went well and I look forward to seeing it.

The day before the live recording

Myself, Kayleigh and Rosie have all been keeping contact over the last couple of days to ensure that we cover everything such as paper documents to be completed, more props to be bought and how the overall show will run on the day.

Kayleigh has been organised and has split us up into teams for the live recording tomorrow so that we each know what job to do to help set up the show.

I’ve got groups together to cover the roles when we are first setting up!
So as soon as we get into the studio you do your role as fast as possible, and once you’ve finished that you can either help others or do other things that are needed. We should be aiming for around 15 mins set up ideally as we now have a longer session …to practise more!
Ok so the groups are…

Floor- Stuck down tight and firm

Rosie

Leanne

Mica

Set, Background and Props

Yasmin

Faye

Bashir

Talkback and Gallery set up

Kay

Aaron

Ebenezer

Settee and table

Andy

Alex

Lighting

Chris

Boom Mics and Sound

Kat

Abdiaziz

I think that Kayleigh has done well to put everyone into groups as this will ensure that everyone is kept busy as well as organised and will help to save time.

Our recording session is from 1:00 – 4:00 tomorrow so I have taken out the equipment from 12:45 – 4:15 to give the group plenty of time to set up and pack up.

This is the following equipment that I have booked out:

• 3 x Rifle mics
• 1 x Stop watch
• 3 x Table tops stand
• 3 x Rode blimps
• XLR x 5

The group have been debating on whether to use tie clip mikes or not but due to the risk of them possibly rubbing on clothing and creating excess sound as well as the group being unsure of how to connect it to the studio, I suggested to use 4 rifle mikes instead, two of which will be placed on each side of the set. I think that this will pick up enough sound with a high level of quality.

We will have Iona and Cameron in tomorrow to be present in the show which I think will add a lot more enthusiasm as well as make it clearer of who the target audience is. My main concern is that we have not practised with the children in the studio yet so I think that we may have to do a small amount of improvising to enable the show to fit in well altogether. The group have had a long discussion about whether to have the kids in the kite making demonstration as this will be the first time they would have made the kites so a few members thought that it may be a bit risky as it could go wrong whereas others have said that it could be turned into a joke and would make it fun. As it’s in the script, the group have come up with the finalized decision to keep the children in the demonstration and for Bashir to have the kite already made at different stages.

The following printscreen shows the groups discussion about the kids joining in with the demonstration:

A problem that I think the group have faced throughout this production is that we haven’t thought about the kids being present when creating the script as the group know they will be but it isn’t that evident in the script. It is too late to change anything now as the presenters have rehearsed the script.

The original plan for the show with the kids:

• Title
• Introduction with kids
• Sandwich making VT
• Fact File
• Interview with T-Rex, kids joining in
• Competition
• Kite making demo with kids
• Debate with kids
• Performance
• Credits

The current plan:

• Title
• Introduction
• Sandwich making VT
• Fact File 
• Interview with T-Rex
• Competition
• Kite making demo with kids
• Debate with kids
• Performance
• Credits – presenters and kids dancing

I think the kids are a lot less involved and I feel as though we are not taking full advantage of having them in the studio but it is too late to change anything now as the assessment is tomorrow. They are in a lot of the VTs so the group may be able to get away with the current running order.

I am hoping that tomorrow will go well and the equipment and set will be done quickly so that we can start recording as soon as possible. I feel quite confident that everything will go as planned as everyone knows what their role is and what they should be doing. I think the aim is to do as many run throughs as we can do enable us to have a variety of tapes to choose from as our best.

I am bringing in more barbecue sticks for the kite making demo as well as some kites that I made a couple of weeks ago to give Bash the opportunity to show the different designs that are available to make.

Quick talk with an 8 year old

Over the weekend I went away with my family. Two 8 year olds came with us so I thought I would make the most out of this opportunity and find out more about what they liked to watch. One of them said that she liked to watch Tracy Beaker and the other said Coronation Street and Emmerdale which I was really shocked by because at their age I stuck to CITV and CBBC and watched programme such as ‘My Parents Are Aliens’. This shows how much the generation has changed. I think that the group made the right decision to tone the age range down to 6 – 7 year olds because at this rate they still like to watch quite childish programmes.

Last studio practise

A few of the same group members did not turn up to the meeting again but the group were still able to do a run through.

We fireproofed the set and ironed the background sheets to get the creases out of them which really improved the look of the set.

Faye then selected the pictures that she thought were the best and I put them on orange coloured card so that they would stand out from the white sheets as Shelley had previously advised. I also used masking tape this time instead of pins to hang up the pictures onto the sheet which worked and looked a lot better. 

Rosie has managed to successfully organize the ‘table team’ t-shirts which look great as well as to purchase several more black sheets for the flooring. The group have also decided to buy another two white sheets now as we have decided to keep the background boards as they add shape to the set. As there are different coloured images on these boards, they are seen through the sheet so by doubling up the sheets it will enable us to cover as much as those images as possible.

The presenters were a lot more enthusiastic whilst presenting today and I can see that they are a lot more confident with their script as they are able to repeat their lines without the constant guidance of the autocue. I have given the kites resources to Bash to enable him to make the kite at different stages throughout the next couple of days before the live filming as it will enable him to show what he had made previously incase he was running out of time through the show.  

We managed to have a run through using the VTs which went really well and Andy got the hang of the VT operator very quickly. Aaron has been able to add a slider effect where an arrow goes across the screen to change from the VT to the studio which adds a fun transaction in between. We have decided to have the presenters dancing with the children at the end of the show whilst the credits roll to end the show in an upbeat and fun manner.

I felt that the run through went smoothly although there were some technical difficulties with sound but Abdiaziz soon resolved this once he had learnt how to operate the VT sound accordingly. I think that the group are prepared for the live filming on Friday although I am concerned about the attendance of certain group members and whether they’ll show up and know what they’re doing on the day.

The group have sorted the majority of the contents for the group folder and have only a few sections to add in until it is complete.

Group practise with set and lighting – 28.05.10

Chris, Mica, Rosie, Kayleigh and Faye arrived at my accommodation at half 8 this morning in order to help me to carry the set to the studio. As the cutouts were very delicate, we had to make sure that the wind did not bend them the opposite way.

Once we arrived at the studio, it took us around half an hour to set up the set and the equipment. I positioned everything as I had planned in my set design sketches. Due to the big boards being up from previous groups, we had to use them today in our practise.

When carrying out the puppet show VT, the lighting wasn’t very good as the printed image on the box wasn’t visible so I loaned out Dedo lights to help solve this problem. It helped a lot but during the editing of the VT today we found that the camera had shown the image to be a lot lighter than it actually was so Alex used the editor effect to brighten the image which improved the footage.

 The orange board seemed to go well with the set so the group have decided to keep these boards for the actual show but to use the blue screen background for the other side of the set as there are only 3 broads that are coloured orange. The presenters wore their t-shirts today which everyone thought that it looked great!

I was really pleased with the set and it was great to see everything come together. I could see that everyone’s enthusiasm had lifted also which was nice to see as the group began to work together well. As usual there were several people missing again from todays practise even though they are aware that the live recording for this module is only next Friday.

The black throw over worked well with the demonstration section as the bright coloured objects placed on it was immediately visible. A problem that we encountered that Shelley also noticed was that the children’s drawings we’re fading into the background too much due to them being white so she suggested that we placed the drawings on coloured card which we will go ahead and carry out. The group like the idea of placing the drawings on orange card in order to help relate it to the show.

When the group did a run through and the presenters carried out the interview with the T- Rex followed by the competition, the presenters had to walk straight across the other set which myself and the others thought that it looked unprofessional. As I had designed for it to be two individual separate sets, I didn’t think that it worked well for them to walk across to it so the group had a discussion with Shelley and she came up with the great idea of carrying out the interview in front of the set above (demonstration area) and then as the competition section comes to an end, the presenters could call their ‘table team’ where two people who are dressed in black with ‘table team’ written on their backs to drag in the table. The ‘table team’ would then smile and wave at the camera and walk off. This idea saved the group from having to re-arrange their scripts and running order.

I felt that the run through went very well today although our VT’s need to still be completed to enable Andy to have a practise. The presenters need to become more confident with their script and to learn as much of it off by heart as possible to enable them to look elsewhere but the autocue. A comment that Shelley made today was that the presenters needed to be more enthusiastic but I think that this will come once the scripts are learnt. The camera operators need to offer some more shots because today the shots were late but this was due to them getting used to the presenters moving along with our new set. Bash had a practise at the kite making demonstration today which didn’t go to bad but he will continue to practise over the weekend to ensure that he does it at the correct pace so that he finishes on time. Due to a last minute resource, I used pins to hold up the images onto the sheet but next Tuesday I will use masking tape that is looped to hold the paper onto the sheet which I am hoping will work. We also discovered that we needed to buy another black sheet to go on the flooring as one wasn’t enough. As the sheets had been folded in my bag for a while, we also found that the sheets were creased quite badly and so I will be bringing in my travel iron on Tuesday along with Kayleigh who will bring in towels to allow us to do this in preparation for Fridays recording.

 

The costume looked great on Chris and he played the part really well so everyone is delighted with the choice of using this costume.

After this practise, myself, Kayleigh, Alex and Mica went down to the editing suites in order to completely finish the VTs. Myself and Mica was able to finish the sandwich making VT whilst Alex and Kayleigh captured the puppet show and edited it. I started to gather all of the footage al together onto one timeline so that it would be ready to export it onto the tape. As Leannes boyfriend was unable to create the music for our show, I had the idea of contact the music producer that I had met to create one for us but then Kayleigh had the idea to look at Soundtrack pro and we found a great ‘beach boogey’ which we thought would fit in well with the show.

I feel as though today has been very productive and we have been able to add improvements to our set due to our practise today.

Improvements to the puppet show

I cut the bottom part of the box out to allow the presenters to comfortably fit their arms under the card. I also stuck the story at the back of the card and left gaps in between each line to enable Faye to add in her own dialogue. I am hoping that the puppet show VT will go well tomorrow and that the presenters will find the box easy to use.

More editing

Myself, Kayleigh and Alex spent the day in the editing suite today to continue the rest of the editing.

Alex had previously managed to start the ‘sandwich making’ VT and had cropped the boom mike out of the footage which was a great start to progressing through the editing stage. I completed the animal VT and added the graphic endings to the VTs that we have so far. Kayleigh was able to find a sound of children cheering on soundtrack pro which would fit in perfectly for the opening title of the show. We encountered some problems due to clips being of the wrong format which Alex sorted out by changing the file type on his laptop.

Some of the members of the green group kindly helped us with finding a countdown clock and gave us some advice with it which I found to be very helpful. I have added the clock at the beginning of the sandwich making VT. Tomorrow myself and other members of the group that would like to join are going to complete the sandwich making VT, the puppet show VT, what’s coming up on the show along with all the clocks added to it and graphics.

I feel as though today went very well and the three of us got a lot done. I am hoping for the group to have completely finished all of the VTs tomorrow so that Andy can start practising with them in the VT operator.

As I was in the editing suite, I was fortunate enough to bump into a music producer who has offered to help with the music of the show if Leannes boyfriend is unable to do so. I showed him the graphic that we will be using and he gave me his email to enable me to send the graphic to him. I will use this as a back up plan incase all else fails.

I am looking forward to having a run through with the set tomorrow as the group will finally get to see how everything looks like put together.