05 Audience Production

Audience Production

- Language was essential to appeal to a young audience of fun-loving 16-25 years old. In a focus group I organised, I found that swearing would enhance the comedy but is not essential to cause a reaction from them. This meant I ensured that I had a balanced and suitable ratio between dialogue: swearing.

- I wanted to make sure the main idea for the radio show was something that was relatable for the audience so that they could feel a connection with the characters. In the focus group, the concept of University would be interesting as around 80% of the group said it was their 'best time of their adult time yet'.

- Due to the restrictions of an audio-only media product, I ensured that I used music to appeal to the audience. In the focus group, I asked about several artists they would like to hear throughout the pilot episode. I had a huge variety but decided that the genre of recent pop music was popular, thus I used Lizzo's Juice in the background for the dialogue between the character's Michelle and Sebastian. Furthermore, I wanted the audience to feel a sense of nostalgia to enhance the fun loving nature of the audience. I chose Earth, Wind and Fire's 'September', a popular 70's song which around 90% of my focus group had heard before, when I asked.

04 C&C Website

Codes and Conventions of Radio Websites 

 Logo Placement - Logo is often placed in the upper left corner

Masthead- The logo and/or name of the product that the website is advertising

Main Navigation - There is a navigation bar where it takes you to the other linked pages

Home Page - The main page of the website

Text - Used to inform, educate or entertain the audience about the product

Main Image - Used on the home page and the choice of image tells the immediately about the tone of the website.

Multimedia elements - Using other forms of media to shape the audience's meaning/purpose

Social media links - Links that take you to a different social media links that promote the website/product

Fonts - Using unique fonts can appeal to a suitable audience

Colour - Used to make the website appealing and engaging. Could perhaps reflect a mood/atmosphere.

I looked at a range of BBC Radio 4 websites to get a sense of the house style of the channel. Through my research, I discovered the backgrounds are predominately navy blue with a white gradient which matches the colour scheme of the logo, which is placed within the top left hand corner. Image was also vitally important which took up about 1/3 of the page. The picture usually uses direct mode of address to engage the reader.
                                                                           

01 Coursework Brief

Brief 2 - Radio and Online 

You work for an independent media production company. You have been given the task of producing a three minute opening sequence of a pilot comedy programme to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in an attempt to attract a broader audience to the channel and the working website for the pilot show. The opening sequence must introduce the concept of the show and provide an audience hook. The web pages must promote the new comedy programme to its target audience and enable fans to interact with the show.
 Summary of brief requirements:
• Statement of Intent (approx. 500 words)
 • Opening sequence for pilot of a radio comedy: One three minute opening sequence.
• Broadcast channel and time: Content must be suitable for Radio 4 in the late evening comedy slot (weekdays 11pm–11.30pm).
• Number of web pages: One homepage and one linked page.
 • Cross-media production target audience: a funloving 16–25 year old mass market demographic.

There must be a clear sense of branding across the two elements of the cross-media production.

12 Practice Tasks

Camera Investigation

We have 5 different styles of camera in school.

Panasonic Lumix LX7
Pansonic Lumix GH3 and GH4
Canon 550D and 600D
Mobile Phone 


Over the next few weeks, you will need to undertake the following tasks and answer the following questions.

TASKS
1: Change the camera from JPEG to RAW mode and back again.
2: Take a portrait in medium close up using natural light.
3: Take a Long Shot portrait using studio lighting.
4: Find three images online that you really like and try to take a photograph that is similar to each one. NB: You can use Photoshop afterwards.
5: Make a short video in which you ask one of your portrait models three questions.


QUESTIONS
1: Which camera has the smallest focal length (i.e. allows the closest shot)?
2: Which camera allows the best shallow depth of field? IYO
3: Which camera has the easiest user interface.
4: Rank the cameras in order of how useful you think they will be to take stills for:
a) A website
b) A magazine
5: Rank the cameras in order of how useful you felt they were for taking short videos.


Answers

1. Lumix LX7
2. Panasonic Lumix GH4
4). a) A website
Lumix GH4 & GH3
Canon 550D & 600D
Lumix LX7
      b) A magazine
  Lumix GH4 & GH3
  Lumix LX7
  Canon 550D & 600D
5) Lumix GH4 & GH3
    Canon 550D & 600D





Panasonic Lumix LX7

Medium close up ( with natural light) shot

Long shot with studio lighting

Short video

Panasonic Lumix GH3

Medium close up with natural light

Long shot with studio light

Short video                                                              

Canon  550D

Medium close up with natural light

Long shot with studio light

Mobile Phone Photoshoot



Codes and Conventions - Production

Generic conventions of a radio comedy programme

Speech - This is the way the words are spoken, which involves pitch,tone,pace and emphasis used within the voice of the voice actors. Speech can also be used to recognize class, age, gender and perhaps race from the audience's viewing.

Music - Music is used in many ways in Radio. It can create a mood,tone and/or set a scene within the sketch/programme. With radio, without the visual element to this form of media, music is very important to engage with its audience.

Direct speech - Used to tell the audience an opinion on a subject/matter or to gather a better understanding of the other presenters/characters. Normally used by the main presenter/protagonist of the programme.

Sound - Sound is again used, like music, to set the scene or show the setting within the programme.

Ambience - Uses music to describe how a character is feeling.

Silence - Used as an "awkward silence" to create a comic effect.

Aural Signposting - The way of establishing the location at the opening of a scene. This is created by effects, spots or FX.

Narration - a presenter/character will explain what is happening in a sketch whilst the scene is actually being performed.

Use of fades - used when changing a scene or to show distance within the speech in the setting.

Characterisation - used to develop the characters in the sketch to connect with the audience so they are amused and engaged with the narrative and characters.

Chronological development - development of story happening in order of when they occurred.

Intertextuality - to shape a texts meaning by using another text.

Flashback - to recreate a humorous memory of a presenter/character.

 Titles & Credits - to introduce the programme. The credits normally include:
- Character/Presenters
- Voice over artists
- Name of show
- Name and number of episode & series

Laugh Track - used to encourage the listener to respond personally to the comedy within the programme. A laugh track also adds to the intimacy of a radio programme.

Narrative Structure - the story that is being told has a clear structure so it is clear and the listener can clarify what is going on in the plot.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06bhk9h - programme

https://youtu.be/l7weowW8oUA - sketch

https://youtu.be/Nq8RFUAIC68?list=PLpJKfw5T0Zt8AlqQIFFtwz3Jjp7Y-sJEj - programme

https://youtu.be/2HcWsU26lX8?list=PLdUGA0NFIvcDhpKGVjfFS2_4qRGSFTRtR - sketch

https://youtu.be/kHFOmRwU2CE?list=PLlEjGntW09h9qvRYBDi4f5BO5nFiyxcuV - programme

https://youtu.be/fZX_UlEx5Hw?list=PLbtBdqD6DNvn5Efh8ft31DBB00NO52tOo - programme

https://youtu.be/8cS40aNDxqw - sketch

https://youtu.be/5yFVX6ANrfo - programme

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p01zfsfb/comedy-shorts-channel-m - short sketch

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p01zftk8/comedy-shorts-meera-syals-playback - short sketch

02 Statement of Intent

How do you intend to use the four areas of the media theoretical framework to communicate meaning and meet the requirements of your chosen brief? (approx. 400 words)

Product 1 (Radio Show)

I intend to produce a pilot comedy radio programme that will be targeting an audience of fun-loving 16-25 year olds. To appeal to this audience, my narrative and representations are present will be humorous and engaging. In my audience research, I had many responses for concepts that they would classify as being ‘fun-loving’. University was a popular choice from much of the older range of my audience with some younger audience agreeing, which acted as a stimulus for my product. My radio show will represent at least 2 social groups which will provide humorous characters and for the my audience to relate to. I will use the generic codes and conventions of the set brief such as humour within my dialogue to construct representations of gender and class. I will also use fast paced editing with a range of SFX to keep my audience engaged throughout. I will include uplifting music at the beginning of the radio show to establish a clear fun mood, which will appeal to my audience. I will shape the narrative of the show to hold pluralistic views of having a strong, lower class woman as the protagonist, appealing to the female proportion of my audience. 

Product 2 (Website)

I will be designing my website to promote my radio show. For my website research, I held a focus group meeting to ask about certain items they would like to see on a radio website. This allowed me to think carefully about what will appeal to my target audience to be equally engaging and entertaining. I want the website layout to be intriguing, clear and conventional to other products I have researched which will be evident in my positioning of typography, colour and choice of fonts. I will also use numerous original pictures to help the audience give a sense of what the characters would look like to relate to the representations.

For the audio-visual element of my website, I will include a blooper reel which will heighten the comedy aspect of the show. It will also give a behind the scenes look at the production of the show which will be engaging. I will also have a Q&A discussion with the voice artists of the programme so the audience can engage informally and almost relate to the performances.

How do you intend to link your media products to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of your media production? (approx. 100 words)

I intend to create a convergence between my product and radio show by recording short videos which introduce the characters whilst performing direct lines from the pilot. I will also apply this idea similary to the 'Meet The Cast' section of the website'. I also want to have a secret piece of dialogue within the radio show where the listener could be directed to the website.