Showing posts with label D. Factual Programming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label D. Factual Programming. Show all posts

Saturday, 20 June 2015

Nature and Purposes of Research in the creative media industries

Primary Research

Primary research is research that you go out and collect yourself rather than source some of somebody else. This can be conducted in various ways such as interviews, observations and surveys.

For primary research I conducted interviews and also sent out questions via Twitter to gather information. I decided that observations would not really be useful for what I wanted to make and find out so decided to stay clear of this instead focusing on the other areas of primary research. For the interviews I spoke to knowledgeable people in the sector I was making my documentary on and got their input and asked them questions about my ideas to see if they were viable and if so to see if they were useful ideas.

Some examples from my project were using face to face interviews and recording what was said to then look back on and pull information from. As well as this I sent out some surveys to see what people wanted to see from a documentary looking at a local charity, this was extremely helpful as I didn't want to include content that people didn't want to see. As well as this I sent out some tweets on Twitter to see what people wanted to see and how they would want to see a video based on a local charity constructed (length,pace etc.)

Secondary Research 

Secondary research is the collection of already existing research instead of creating your own which would be primary research. 

For my 3 minute wonder I wanted to gain some inspiration from already existing 3 minute wonders so I looked across the internet for already existing ones. From these I then watched them to see how they had been constructed and what kind of tone they sent. This was important for me as I wanted to see exactly what 3 minute wonders were about and gain inspiration from parts. As well as this I also looked at some newspapers to see how charities were written about in print media and then saw if I could translate that into video form. 

For my secondary research I used both YouTube to find past 3 minute wonder videos and also newspapers to read about charities and see if the format could be translated into video form. 

Quantitative research

Quantitative research is a more data heavy style of research that provides evidence of what people think from a analytical point of view. 

To gain quantitative research for my 3 minute wonder I used the data that came from my primary research and then extracted the numerical data from this. This gave me an idea of what people wanted in a numerical format. Another way I conducted quantitative research was by looking at view counts  
on YouTube and seeing what made a successful documentary in terms of views especially in the charity sector. 

This is one of the most viewed documentaries on YouTube so I looked into why it was so popular and why it had such good reviews. This was because the documentary was so well made and explored something that hadn't been before. This gave me ideas of how to shoot my documentary and the content to include in it to keep people engaged, I also wanted to be able to show the real story and interesting people as this is what engaged me with the popular documentary on YouTube.

Qualitative research 

Qualitative research is a type of research where thoughts and feelings are recorded rather than numerical data. This is usually conducted in smaller samples and it looks at the relationships people have with certain things. In this example it would be the feelings and relationships that people have with media consumption. 

To conduct qualitative research I sat down with people and talked to them about my idea and what they thought of it, from this I could see what they thought of it and was able to collect their thoughts and feelings about the idea. Another way I did it was by asking for thoughts and feelings of the idea on my questionnaire and this was also a great way to produce qualitative data. 

To conduct this research I used my primary research and designated questions in this to extract qualitative research. To do this this I placed questions in there that would be able to capture the thoughts and feelings required to produce qualitative data. I also used interviews to be able to see the thoughts and feelings from people when talking about documentary ideas and I could see this first hand. 

Data Gathering Agencies 

One example of a data gathering agency is BARB, these compile TV statistics for the United Kingdom. They were founded in 1981 to take over the previous system which went by the name of JICTAR which was complied by ITV. The way BARB works is approximately 5000 households in the UK (11,500 people) have a box in their home which records what they are watching and who is watching it. This is then recorded and each box represents approximately 5000 people. This means that the end result is very much a representative result but BARB do say that their results are pretty much accurate. BARB figures are hugely important as it gives the TV producers feedback on what shows are working and what are not and also means TV channels can sell advertising space on their channel - viewing results are important as this determines the advertising attractiveness of the channel. 

IMDb is a data publishing website that provides a lot of information for films such as box office incomes and user reviews. This means you are able to keep up to date with how movies are performing with near enough live statistics and you can also compare to see if the money made in the box office directly relates with the user reviews. 


Box Office Mojo is also a website for movie statistics but provides much more detailed statistics. Where IMBd are much more user based and rely on their users to compile their data for them. Box Office Mojo go out and find their information on their own. Both are great websites depending on what kind of content you are looking for. 


Audience and Market Research 

There are many different methods used to research your audience and market. One good method of seeing what your audience is like is through the method of audience profiling where you group your audience into certain categories such as race, occupation, education etc. You can also look at demographics and see what grade your audience will be in, this varies from A grade workers who are in higher management right the way down to grade E which is the unemployed and students etc. 



Once you have looked at the consumer you can then look at the market and more research is needed for this. To do this you need to look at the market that you will be working in and see how that market is made up and where there is space to enter the market. You can look at market trends and market segmentation to see how you can promote movies and TV programmes and some companies even use SWOT analysis which is strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to an idea. 

In my audience and market research I made sure I researched what other factual programmes were out there and if there was room for mine to enter the market. I didn't want to make something that was already out there so I researched it using market segmentation as this allowed me to cut the whole market down into sizable chunks to research. 

Production Research

There were many different factors that would determine if my idea was viable or not from a production point of view. First of all my location needed to be researched to see if it was ok to record at. After completing a few recces and assessing the best options I found my location as this was the best suited and safest for what I wanted to do.


In terms of costs I had this covered but I did research a few different ways of financing. I knew that the college could fund some expenses if needed and I also looked at some different grants that can be given to young creators and also the channel 4, 3 minute wonder  fund which helps first time directors with producing short 3 minute documentaries. Luckily though I didn't need any money to finance my 3 minute wonder due to me having all relevant equipment. 

The final thing that I needed to research in terms of production was personnel that would be a pivotal part in the production of my 3 minute wonder. I had to make sure I was in regular contact with the people in my production and also keep them in the loop with what was happening. Luckily the two people that were pivotal in the production of my 3 minute wonder were both very co-operative and helped a huge amount, this made my life very easy. 



Sources: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_research
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/
http://www.imdb.com/
https://www.youtube.com/?gl=GB
http://benjaminfoundation.co.uk/home

Thursday, 30 April 2015

Research For Documentaries

Initial interview with experts experts/key persons 

When I first had the idea to showcase the work of a local charity and include a case study of one of their clients I decided to go and talk to someone I knew who worked for a charity. We discussed that it would be very hard to find someone who was good in front of camera and also be fine with sharing their story. After coming up with an idea for a video and agreeing that the video would be kept private when uploaded on the college YouTube channel it was then all about finding a case study. We eventually succeeded when a lady called Debbie came forward and was fine with being filmed. Me and Chris went to see Debbie before filming to talk about the idea of the film and she was happy to do it, it was also clear that her communication skills were good as well and spoke clearly and with an energy.

What are the current laws on filming in public?

Currently in the UK if you wish to film in public places you need to gain permission of the appropriate council or local authority. These authorities are responsible for public buildings, land and roads and parking.

Police need to be notified if you plan to use special effects, explosives or fire arms (including replicas) in any public place. As well as this is if you're looking to portray the police in your film you will need permission to do so of the police.

Filming on public roads can also be a problem and permission of the police and highways agency will need to be gained before you can do any filming in these places. These authorities will need to make sure that filming will not cause danger to yourself or others. They also state that stunt co-ordinators should be used if stunts are being carried out on public roads.

The laws that will effect me most is the rights and clearances surrounding stores and restaurants. I will be filming my documentary in a cafe so this will be relevant to me. If filming within a store or restaurant you need permission to show the chains name or trademark and also written permission to film within the store.

If you film outside a store or restaurant you do not need permission to film the name or trademark however if the film being made puts the store/restaurant in a negative light then legal proceedings may be taken.

Finally permission is not needed to feature members of the public faces in film as the copyright of film shot in public lays with the filmmaker.

I filmed inside and also outside the cafe and obtained full written permission and the owner was more than happy with everything. The film also puts the cafe in a positive light so I risk no legal proceedings.

Some information sourced from: http://weareukfilm.com/

Am I risking infringement of the Ofcom broadcasting code? 

The first part of the Ofcom broadcasting code looks at protecting the under 18's. Due to this documentary being for channel 4's 3 minute wonder it would be before the watershed thus meaning a lot of this section will be appropriate. After looking at this section of the code none of it will be infringed, it focuses mainly around violent behavior, drug use, sexual behavior and offensive behavior. Of course an interview about a charity alongside a cafe helping the local community will not include any of the above so this section of the code is adhered to.

The second section of the Ofcom broadcasting code is all about harm and offence to the viewer. Once again my documentary doesn't go into anything that could be taken offensively. One of the parts within this section also looks at hypnosis and epilepsy, there is not going to be anything in my documentary that could cause epileptic fits and there isn't going to be any hypnosis either.

One of the sections in the code that I can connect with most is section 7 which looks at fairness. This is all about whether the subject of the programme is being treated fairly and knows exactly what is going on. Here is what I will do to make sure I abide by this section of the code:


  • Tell the interviewee exactly what the questions will be and if they don't want to answer them they don't have to. 
  • Explain the nature of their contractual rights.
  • Tell them the nature and purpose of the programme 
  • Tell them about any significant changes to the programme if made
  • Be given the chance to preview the programme 
By following all of the above it means I am able to abide to section 8 of the Ofcom broadcasting code. 

Finally section 8 looks at privacy and this is going to be one of the most important parts for me as the subject I am filming about is sensitive to the interviewee and regarding a topic that is occasionally talks about sensitive subjects for others. Once again I will be taking actions to make sure that the privacy section is correctly followed to protect the people in my documentary. 

  • All filming must have permission from the appropriate person 
  • Person being filmed has the right to stop at any time 
By following the above I will once again be able to correctly follow section 8 of the Ofcom broadcasting code and make sure privacy is met. 



Do you need to consider libel or defamation?

Libel or defamation is where you harm somebodies reputation through communication and exposes them to public hatred. For my documentary there isn't really a topic being talked about that could cause arguments or hatred so I am not too worried about libel or defamation. Despite this I did think about it and will take some steps to making sure libel doesn't occur. The first step I will take will be running all of my questions by Debbie (interviewee) first so she can make sure that none of them would put her in an awkward position or in a bad light. After doing this I will start the interview and tell her at any point if she felt uncomfortable with what she was talking about she could stop and the footage would not be included in the documentary. Finally during the edit I will send her a draft edit so she can run over everything to make sure defamation is avoided. Taking all of these steps into consideration means that libel or defamation should be avoided and everyone will be happy with the documentary produced.

Some information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation

Looking at channel 4's viewer trust guidelines

The first point I found very interesting is that their employers cannot be made to feel pressured to create hype or deliver results at the expense of the truth. As television channels are judged on viewership it surprises me that on no occasions can an employer feel pressured to deliver results, I would have thought that executive producers would have encouraged employees to deliver viewing numbers at whatever cost, it's pleasing to see that this doesn't happen and reminds me that when making this that the truth takes priority over anything else.

Another point that could affect my production is point iii in the channel 4 viewing guidelines which states all facts must be correct even if it comes from the interviewers mouth. Channel 4 see this as one of the most important parts of their viewer trust guidelines as without fast-checking the content some could be factually incorrect.

Due to my documentary being based mostly on one interview, section iv in the channel 4 trust guideline booklet is hugely important as it talks about editing interviews. It says that in the edit you must be conscious not to distort the truth or mislead viewers. With this in mind when editing mine I will make sure that the story that the interviewee presents is correctly portrayed and not distorted, that way the viewer will still have full trust in my work.

In section v of the viewer trust guideline it talks about hoaxes and not to take everything at face value. It states that it's possible to be hoaxed by a contributor as they may want their 10 minutes of fame. I hadn't thought of this before so will certainly conduct some research to make sure everything is as they said before I start filming. By carrying out these procedures it will mean I won't be fooled and the Channel 4 guidelines will be met. As I'm going to be doing mine about a local charity I can't see there being any hoaxing involved but you can never be too safe when it comes to the Trust guidelines.

Information sourced from: http://www.channel4.com/producers-handbook/c4-guidelines/viewer-trust-guidelines


Sunday, 22 March 2015

Research : 3 Minute Wonder

A 3 minute wonder is a short segment, usually educational, that goes in between programmes on channel 4. It gives first time directors a chance to showcase their work on a large television network and helps them get their foot in the industry. Channel 4 offer the directors that produce 3 minute wonders £4000 for their work and also provide assistance through the process. 3 minute wonders are broadcast every weekday at 7:55 pm and usually are usually based on serious topics although Karl Pilkington was featured on these 3 minute wonder where it was humour based.

The main aim of a 3 minute wonder is to help new directors showcase their talent and hopefully break into a competitive industry. 3 minute wonders are also a fantastic platform to distribute opinions via a big platform and enlighten people with different viewpoints. 3 minute wonder concentrate on highlighting issues that are not in the public eye as well, example of this include domestic abuse or synesthesia.

Topics are usually based on serious issues that aren't in the public eye. For example one of the 3 minute wonders are about a group of girls who are dressing in a retro style from East London, this wouldn't be a viable news piece for news outlets or have enough substance for a full documentary so it works really well with the 3 minute wonder segment. It gives a small segment of television to people who want to distribute something that is important to them in a documentary genre.

King Of Laughter

This is one of the favourite 3 minute wonders that I watched mainly down to the 'feel good factor' it had. This is all about Belachew Girma who simply laughs a lot and wants to get other people laughing as well as he feels not enough people are happy anymore. I loved it because the 3 minute wonder felt real and it felt like we were living a day with the man himself. The camera angle used was also really realistic as the camera was mounted to his body making the walking movement feel more natural.

From King Of Laughter I have learnt that people enjoy spending time with people that are happy and there are not enough happy people gracing the streets of our world. I also learnt that laughter is incredibly infectious and if you laugh for long enough eventually the person in your company will join you. King Of Laughter has a fairly humoerous feeling to it but a deeper meaning surfaces when you look into it, it's a story about making people happy and bringing a smile to peoples faces even if it is for a split second.

I would say that King Of Laughter is a observational documentary as it's an unobtrusive construction of Girma's life and the filmmaker is simply a bystander. As well as this King Of Laughter is is non judgmental and presents a completely transparent record of his day. It's completely up to the audience what to think of Girma and this is another reason why we know it's an observational documentary.   

Last Supper

This 3 minute wonder severely contrasts King Of Laughter and is very hard hitting with a clear story with no humour what so ever. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed it but for differing reasons. The whole 3 minutes was presented of a prison inmate on the phone talking about his last supper and coming to terms with it. It was very moving and the phone call gave it an extra edge as it made you think about just how disconnected he was from the outside world. The visuals were also nicely shot as well with a harrowing last image of the last supper he will eat, one scoop of ice cream.

I have learnt from this that you can feel sympathy for death row inmates if they are portrayed in the right way. The inmate in this 3 minute wonder seemed to show genuine remorse and talked about how his family have not done anything but will be punished due to his actions. It taught me that is death row really the correct way to punish criminals?

I would say that Last Supper fits into the category of an observational documentary as it allows the audience to make their own minds up about what to think. The inmate simply speaks to the camera in a very raw fashion with limited editing which allows the 3 minute wonder to create a feeling of realness that the audience can connect with.

Karl Pilkington - Holidays

There is something about Karl Pilkington's simplistic way of life that I find incredibly engaging. He has made his living by being almost negative yet people laugh at him, it's something I've never really come across before. I think it's down to his brutal truth and simple look at things that connects people to him. Fame hasn't seemed to effect Karl and that's evident in this 3 minute wonder of him talking about holiday's. I really enjoy this because of the 'chatty' nature of the 3 minute wonder and really does sum up the average holiday. I enjoy Karl Pilkington's work anyway so a 3 minute wonder with him in it is a great combination for me.

I learnt from this that as long as the person in the 3 minute wonder is interesting the editing or production doesn't have to be extravagant in any shape or form. This is pretty much a webcam video yet due to the subject being interesting it has allowed the audience to engage with the piece. I also now take a different look at holidays, thanks Karl...

This Karl Pilkington 3 minute wonder is very hard to place in a documentary format as it doesn't really fit with common documentary guidelines. I would say that this is most like a expository documentary as you could argue that Pilkington is the voice over and all of the facts and arguments are provided by Pilkington. It's also made up of direct representation and objectivity due to Pilkington's truthfulness.


3 Minute Wonder Proposal

Brief Outline of ideas? 

1) Airing the thoughts of football fans on football ticket prices. Why are football tickets prices so much when recent television deals have pumped over £5 billion into the industry. Every football fan attending games could have their ticket paid for  with the new deal, so why are the FA driving away fans when they could bring the next generation through?

2) What football means to you? Travelling to different grounds and getting the thoughts of the most committed fans out there who put their team before anything else. Lowestoft, Kings Lynn, Great Yarmouth?

3) A look at the Benjamin foundation and the work they do. A look at a local charity and the fantastic help that they give children who are struggling with certain situations. 

First Idea - 'Not just a game' 

The genre and format of the documentary will be an interactive documentary as I'm looking to present some parts of it to link sections together. I think I would prefer this to doing an expository documentary as I don't want to limit myself to just doing a voice over. The way Louis Theroux presents his documentaries is something I have looked closely at and the way he builds a rapport with his interviewee is key and will produce the best answers that way.

The genre of my idea will be sport/personal interest. The reason I want to make this is because I hear too many people call football 'just a game' yet I have seen so many people engulfed in the world of football and it's almost a culture to some people. I want to showcase the fans that think football is more than just a game and try and change some peoples thoughts on it, maybe understand that football fan culture is a way of life for some people. Of course the genre will be sport, due to it's obvious link with the 'beautiful game' - football.

Who would be my target audience? 

This documentary is going to be targeted at football fans as this is what the documentary is based on. This will be my primary audience as they will be able to connect with the documentary the most and will have the most interest in the subject. As well as this though I want a secondary audience which will be friends and family of football fans who think 'it's just a game', I want people to see what football can do for people and that to some people football really is more than a game. I feel by making this my secondary audience it will engage another demographic.

Stereo typically football fans are based in the D-C2 demographic table as football is still a game for the working class. This means that my target audience will more than likely be predominately this demographic. Despite this football is such a diverse game that both my primary and secondary audience will more than likely be spread across the demographic table.

The phycographic of my documentary will more than likely be reformers and resigned. Now I know these two phycographics are the complete opposite but here's why. My primary target audience will be reformers who want freedom from restrictions due to their connection with football and their alternate lifestyle. On the other hand my secondary target audience will be resigned as they will be set in their ways about football 'just being a game' and I want to change their viewpoints on this.

What's the aim of my documentary? 

Throughout this task I hope to give people a voice through the platform of documentaries and prove to people that football is a culture to people. I know this as I have experienced football all of my life and have met many incredible people who live and breath the game, but some people just don't get it. I hope to meet the real football fans and give them a chance to explain why they devote their lives to football. I also think it will be great fun to make.

Where will you need to film? 

I am aiming to film at a few local non-league grounds and then at Carrow Road as well. I will need to travel to capture interviews and get various shots to make this documentary.

Who will I need to be part of the production? 

I am looking to present the documentary on my own and also put the whole thing together on my own, I am looking to manage with just a tripod to capture clips of me presenting but if that doesn't work I will rely on a friend to take control of the camera while I present the short clips of me linking parts together. I will also need interviewees to take part in my production which I will hand pick from the various contacts I have.

Some example questions? 

I will obviously need some more time to refine the questions but here are my initial ideas for questions.

When did you first realise you were addicted to football?
What is it about football that you love?
How has football helped you in life?
Do you have any crazy stories from football?
What would you say to people who think football is 'just a game'

What equipment will I need to produce my idea and do I already have it?

Most of the equipment I need I already have. This includes the following

  • DSLR camera 
  • Tripod 
  • External microphone 
  • LED light
  • Memory cards 
  • Editing software 


One piece of equipment that I may need to invest in is a lapel microphone for the presenting parts of my documentary. I do have ways around this though which includes using the microphone on Apple headphones to record.

What is my proposed budget for this documentary? 

Considering I have most of the things I need I would expect the budget to be around £10, this would cover travel expenses and match ticket fees. If I was to invest into a lapel microphone then another £20 may have to be added onto that budget

Final Idea - 'Benjamin Foundation' 


After discussing my ideas with Ellie I come to the conclusion that I am going to produce my 3 minute wonder on a local charity, The Benjamin Foundation. I wanted to create something a bit different to the normal 3 minute wonder and wanted to show the fantastic work that the Benjamin Foundation do in my documentary. I also wanted to step out of my comfort zone a bit more and produce something that I've never done before rather than producing a football related video that I do every week in my own time. I think it will benefit me as a video maker a lot more and I'm also looking forward to showing people that might not know about Benjamin Foundation what they do.

The genre of my documentary will be educational as I will be informing my audience about the work that the Benjamin Foundation do. I am looking to present/voiceover some parts to add information about their work and add an extra element of educational depth to the 3 minute wonder, my main aim is to inform the audience,

My target audience is going to be a large spread and probably crossing over different categories. Due to me producing my 3 minute wonder on a charity rather than a niche subject I can't guarantee who will be watching my work, neither do I really mind, it would be great if all walks of life watch it. If I was to choose on  a socio-economic grading it would be a a B grade. This is because these be be middle class people who may be able to have an influence on the charity by helping with donations and more than likely not been helped by the charity before. In terms of lifestyle grading this doesn't matter so much but I would probably go for a mainstreamer as this will mean I will be going at the majority of the population and this will mean I have the most chance in educating the masses.

As I have said earlier I really just want to produce a heartwarming documentary and show the good work that local charities are doing for the community. Also, I want to learn about the charity a bit more myself, I have been involved with their managing director a while and we have worked on various projects together so this will be another learning curve for me. Not only that but I hope to produce something that the Benjamin Foundation will be proud of and correctly show what they do in this 3 minute wonder.

I am expecting to film in two locations. One of them will be a cafe in Great Yarmouth which will be a case study of someone that the Benjamin Foundation have helped and the other will be their new office in Norwich where I will be interviewing their CEO and managing director in the ribbon cutting of their new office,

I will need a few people to be part of my production. I will be interviewing 3 different people who will all have different viewpoints on the work the charity does and how it helps them. These will be interviewees and also act as experts. In terms of producing the documentary I will not need any help as I'm doing everything on my own, that includes all aspects of production.

Some example questions may include: 

- What has Benjamin Foundation done for you?
- In what way does the Benjamin Foundation work differently to others to provide more individual support?
- Where would you be today if it wasn't for the Benjamin Foundation?

Questions for staff

-What are your main aims when supporting someone?
-Did you ever expect to see the Benjamin Foundation grow to the size it has today?
- What made you want to devote time to the Benjamin Foundation?

Most of the equipment I need I already have. This includes the following

  • DSLR camera 
  • Tripod 
  • External microphone 
  • LED light
  • Memory cards 
  • Editing software 
The proposed budget for this production will be £5, should should cover transport costs. 

After discussion with both Ellie and Josh we have decided that my Benjamin Foundation is the better idea and this is the one I will pursue,






Wednesday, 11 March 2015

Introduction To The News

The news broadcast I watched was Sky News from 10:05-11:15am on Monday 9th March.

In this hour time frame there were a lot of different stories covered with the lead story being about the government creating more free schools in the country with a live debate and also a news story all about it. There was also a live broadcast covering Ed Balls' talk all about Labour's plans and this was a lengthy section covering about 10 minutes in total. These larger lead stories were connected together by smaller stories which have less information and less significance. These included stories about a new solar panelled plane and a Harry Potter memorabilia museum which has just been opened up. The lead stories are normally the ones which effect the most people and then are filled by smaller stories so people don't switch off and get bored.

At the start of every news story there is a starting sequence which includes visuals accompanied by some audio. These normally last around 10 seconds and will be placed at the start to signify the start of the news. These are used to connect people with what they are about to see and makes people relate with what they are watching. For example the Look East starting sequence uses local landmarks so people can relate with the news. If someone sees something they know about, it makes them want to listen and take note of. Local news is much more personal than national news and this can be seen in the starting sequence. Another thing that is done in the opening credits is the use of dramatic music to make the start of the news seem urgent, when this music comes on people know that the news is on even if they're not looking at the TV and the way the music fades out the end signifies that the news is about to start. Another feature that makes up the starting sequence is the graphics that are used. The circles that move about during the opening sequence all put emphasis on the local attractions and eventually finish with the circles having a similar shape as the east coast solidifying the fact that this is a regional news program focusing on the east of England. The circular shapes also feel like they bring everything together in a way that connects all of the east of England attractions ready for the news to begin. The colour scheme is red and white which is the colours of the BBC meaning you differentiate the BBC  news from ITV for example. These small differences in colour schemes can make big differences when it comes to making connections with the news, when you see red and white you will automatically know it is part of the BBC news solely from the colour scheme.

Some information learnt from: EN Media BTEC Blog



Video: YouTube

As you can see above there are local landmarks used to engage the local viewers and make them feel part of the 'community' they are reporting on. This is much different when it comes to the national news which has a much more formal opening sequence and uses London landmarks as this is the business capital of England which makes the whole thing feel a lot more important.



Video: YouTube

As you can see above this opening sequence is a lot more formal and this reflects in the way the news is presented as well. The national news is more about them telling you the news rather than the local news being a community which you can connect with on a more intimate level.

The presenters who were on Sky News while I was watching were Colin Brazier and Jayne Secker. These were middle aged people of the opposing genders. This is a pretty common make-up of a news show and is the consensus across most news programmes. The reason this is done is so both sexes can connect with the stories being broadcast and so there is some mixture.

Presenters are the face of the news and link all of the stories in to some kind of narrative. Without the presenters it would be hard for the viewer to watch the news as it would be a dis-connected sequence of VT's. Presenters link the news together and give a brief outline of the story before the people on the vision mixers play whatever links to what the presenters have just spoke about.

There are many skills required for newsreaders but the most important of all if being able to read off the teleprompter which their script will be placed on. This is what their scripts is being placed on and if they lose track then stuttering will look un-professional on the transmission. It is also important that the presenters are able to cope with lots of people talking in their ears through their earpiece. This includes people from the vision mixer, the person controlling the teleprompter and also the news editor, it takes a lot of skill to take all of them conversations on board and stay professional and read the script correctly. All news readers are also dressed smartly as well and this is a key part of their job, dress is important as they are the front line of the news station and need to look the part.

News ordering is the order in which the news is presented on the programme. Normally the news will start with the lead story which is the longest and most relevant piece of news that day. The following bits of news that day will then be ranked in terms of interest to the audience and aired in that order.   It will then go onto a roundup of the news which will be smaller segments of news that can be almost combined if they're too short to run individually. The news roundup stories usually have similar significance and are grouped into categories. Examples of these categories may be sport, national news or international news. Usually the news will then end with a "And Finally" piece which is a less significant, normally funny piece of news that will be a light hearted way to end the news.

The list of stories likely to appear on the news is called a running order and this often creates a lot of debate into which pieces of news will feature on them days. The final running order is down to the progamme editor who will finalise it for the broadcast.

The first news headline on the running order is called the 'lead story' and this is the piece of news that will have the most relevance and interest to the audience.

It is very important to be able to act quickly on the news because it's so unpredictable. It is also very important to be flexible as the running order will more than likely change throughout the day due to changes in the news. If you are unable to think quickly then the news will leave you behind.

A slow news day is when there isn't much news to report on. On days like these the news pieces on the running order may be slightly less significant and may be repeated a lot. A fast news day is the opposite when there is a lot of news to report on and running orders may be packed.

Some Information Above Learnt From: Huw Edwards - BBC Presenter

News values are different factors that make up where a news story is placed in a bulletin, Galtung & Ruge made up these factors after researching how the news was ordered in international bulletin's. Galtung & Ruge found that there are 12 different factors that determine where a piece of news is placed and these factors are what the audience are looking for to keep them engaged.  The 12 factors are as follows.


http://mediaknowall.com/gcse/news/news.php?pageID=values

Information sourced from: Media Know All 



Video: YouTube

The news bulletin I will be using to find G&R news value example will be a BBC World News bulletin that can be seen above.

1) Rebels in Mali seize a government held town as France insist military intervention will only last a week. This applies to negativity, recency, continuity, size. This story was the lead story on this bulletin mainly due to it applying to a lot of the factors of G&R's news values.

2) Humanitarian crisis in Syria. This applies to negativity, recency, expectedness, exclusivity.

3) Biggest gathering on earth which takes place in India. This applies to simplicity and uniqueness,

4) Tour of new BBC broadcasting house.This applies to exclusivity, simplicity, currency.

5) Golden Globe winners. This applies to closeness to home, recency, simplicity, elite people, personality, size

6) Duke and duchess having a baby. This applies to size, elite people + nation, personality, uniqueness, continuity.

Information sourced from BBC World News

All of the above stories have most of the factors from the G&R news values which put them high up the news ordering. All of them have differentiating factors as well as a mixture is incredibly important to keep the audience engaged. 
The story is about a family of 3, soon to be 4- the Chowles. This family have been struggling to pay their mortgage repayments and soon after they took out their mortgage, the government have vowed to help with interest rates which will then help with repayments. The story is about the struggle the Chowles family face and what may lay ahead for them if they continue on this downward spiral.

The story involves Mr & Mrs Chowles, their child, a council worker and also the narrator. These are the main subject of the story and the story surrounds them. The council worker is a minor person in the story and is only seen interviewing Mr Chowles to show action is being taken to find them new accommodation. The narrator in the news report is there to give information on the Chowles' situation and creates a narrative of the story, he basically links the whole thing together to create a well rounded story. Finally the young child is there to create a different angle to the story, there to create a sympathetic feeling for the family and show that the situation they are in is not ideal for the young child.

The people in the story are represented as a family who are struggling with settling on the house market, the news story wants the viewers to feel sympathetic for them. They are portrayed in a way where they have been unfortunate with certain events and they can't help with the situation they are in. The opening shot is of Mr Chowles slipping on the ice walking towards his house, this first shot shows that he is not having the best of luck and connotes that he is on a slippery slope. The news story is actually about the government releasing a statement saying that they will decrease interest rates which will help with mortgage repayments, the Chowles are a case study of this recent news. The Chowles missed out on this government initiative and now find themselves in £6000 worth of debt with the bailiffs moving in soon, it was very unlucky that the Chowles didn't wait for this initiative as things would have then been much different. Thew news story concentrates heavily on what has gone wrong for Mr & Mrs Chowles rather than what has gone well for them, Mr Chowles also states how through 'ill health' he can no longer work which proves that he is not working for a reason and adds to the sympathetic element. Mrs Chowles is also captured in a very emotional state and her voice trembles on a few occasions, her dialect centers around 'never doing it again' and it shows that the decision she made was a bad one. They are represented as a family who have been caught up in a capitalist system where the working class find it tough to live interdependently.



Image: Google Images 

I didn't feel much sympathy for Mr & Mrs Chowles mainly due to some of the factors that made up their story. The fact that the Chowles' are having another baby despite being in all kinds of financial trouble does not make sense to me. There may be a very valid reason that we are not aware of, but the fact that the news story included this information about another baby on the way does not help with me feeling sympathetic for them. Despite this the fact that they were actively trying to make their lives better and not resting on their laurels did help me connect with their story on an emotional level. It's never nice seeing a young child in a struggling family but Mr & Mrs Chowles seemed genuinely moved by what they were going through and they were seeking help and working hard to change their situation. The way the news story captured their active work ethic and included some background information certainly helped with me feeling sorry for them. It's also very unfortunate for the Chowles' that the timing of the government initiative came at the time it did which really didn't help. Overall I had mixed feelings about the Chowles' case.

The story was narrativised to help the audience follow the news story. The news story was made into a narrative with the use of chronological ordering. The first shot of Mr Chowles is him walking up to his house over a snowy setting to help the audience realise where the story is set. This shot also gives the narrator time to give some information on the Chowles family and also the government initiative which this news story is reporting on. The next shot is of the Chowles's playing with their young child, not only does this help add the new person into the frame but also gives the audience watching an idea of the situation. This shot also includes some background information about how they got into the mess they currently find themselves in which helps to educate the audience. The rest of the news story is then adding information to the mix and the journey they are taking to try and get back into a decent financial situation. By making the narrative based around the chronological order of their journey it helps the audience follow the news event.

Information sourced from: ITV news archive
Mr & Mrs Chowles Video From: ITV news video archive

The broadcast I found was Malala's story that the BCC created.


Video: YouTube

This is a story about a 16 year old girl who has had to move to Birmingham with her family because of Taliban attacks. Malala spoke out about girls having the right to go into education when she was 11 and then the Taliban attacked. Malala is one of the most influential 16 year old on this planet thanks to her willingness to try and get girls into education in her home country of Pakistan.

The main subject of this news story is of course Malala but there are also other people in this story. Her family is included and so is some footage of the Taliban who caused Malala such pain. Malala's family is also included in this news story as they had to flee the country for their own safety alongside Malala. Their is also a news reporter who narrates and also interviews Malala and her family.

In this story Malala and her family are represented as good people who are trying to create change in a country that desperately needs it. The news story only gets one side of the story- that being the side of Malala and her family so of course they will be portrayed as good people. The news reporter also uses words like 'influential' to describe Malala but still thinks she is a 'normal teenager'. On the other hand the Taliban are made out to be ruthless extremist killers which is a common theme throughout mainstream media. Although this is probably true, the BBC do not allow the Taliban to give their thoughts on this incident so they can manipulate how people see the Taliban on their own accord.

I did feel sorry for Malala and her family and also an element of pride. The fact that there are 16 year olds out there trying to create positive change is pleasing to see as the youth of today are usually portrayed in a very negative light. It's also great to see that people are looking up to Malala and respecting her work as what she is trying to do is an incredibly important cause- in this day and age everyone should expect to be given education, no matter where you live. I also felt very sorry for Malala's family who have had to go through this whole aw-deal with Malala and move half way across the world due to the danger they were facing. The Taliban on the other hand recieve a feeling of pure hatred from me. The extremist group make me feel sick about the actions they carry out and to me none of their work seems logical in any way to me. The fact that they shot a 16 year old in the head for campaigning about education sums them up- sickening. Of course these feelings are enhanced by the way the BBC create the story but in general I would have thought that most people have a similar feeling to me.

There was a narrative in this story that was created by the BBC. The story starts with Malala and her family sitting in a park talking about their experiences and on a fairly light hearted topic talking about the weather England has to offer. As the story progresses so does the seriousness of the talking points as it ends on what she thinks of the Taliban and she sends a message to them, a big move from her weather talk at the start. To help the audience follow the story there were also voice-overs accompanied with shots of her in her home country of Pakistan to move the story along in a chronological manner.


Image: BBC News 

Information sourced from: EN BTEC Media 


Bias through selection and omission. 

An editor can express bias by choosing or leaving out a certain news items. For example if a news company want younger people to be but into a bad light then they could leave out positive stories about the youth of today and put in a negative story about them.

Within a given story details can be ignored or included which means the audience can look at the story in the way the producer wants them to. News producers can edit the story as much as they want to make the audience see the story in a different way to what they would if the full story had been included.

A good example of omission is the way pitch invasions have been looked at in the FA Cup. When non-league team Warrington pitch invaded it was described as 'this is the reason why we love this beautiful cup competition' but when Premier League side Aston Villa did the same it was described as 'a return to the dark age of football hooliganism' it was exactly the same act but different parts were included in the story to change the viewers opinions.

Warrington Town
Warrington's pitch invasion was a joyous and exciting occasion.
Aston Villa v West Brom
Aston Villa's was a return to football hooliganism.

Images: Google Images
Information sourced from: EN BTEC Media Blog

Proof that there is bias through selection and omission.

Bias through placement

Television and radio newscasts judge the first stories to be aired as more significant than the ones that come later on. For example if there is a local murder this would probably be placed further forward than if the murder was half way across the world, despite it being the same crime the fact it's brought further forward in the programme makes it seem more important and is bias.



The above news bulletin is a good example of bias through placement as the first story is about a 2 year old dying while the last is about trainspotting. This proves that people think the first stories are the most important.

Video: YouTube

Bias through headlines 

The headline is often the only thing that the audience read or listen to so it's often the most important part of a news story. Headlines are often used to create excitement when it's lacking in the piece to create excitement around the story. Headlines can also create emotions around the story and can influence for example a hospital headline could be portrayed in two different ways, to make the patient seem like the victim or the hospital itself. For example 'patient dies in pain as hospital staff don't attend when in need' or 'hospital staff overworked as NHS wage drops'. The way a headline is created can create bias about the story itself.

Picture: Natural News 
Information sourced from: Media Know It All

Bias through shot selection and camera angles

Camera angles is another way in which news companies can present bias through. One good example is some visuals can flatter someone or instead make them look unpleasant. This can be used if you want to portray someone in a certain way. Camera angles can also be used to give people power or not, a low angle looking up to someone will give them power while on the other hand a high camera angle looking down will make them look weak. A long shot with a lot of background could make the subject looked engulfed and lost in a busy world while a close up could make them seem happy and focused or have the opposite effect to show raw emotion up close. Another way is what visual sources you include in the VT, you can include some parts and leave out other to create a manipulated narrative. A news company may decide to include condemning footage and choose to leave out footage that may praise the subject in order to put the subject in a bad light, this can of course be done the other way around as well. To conclude the inclusion or exclusion of shots is hugely important and can decide whether a subject is made out to look good or bad. Camera angles are also hugely important as well as they decide how things are framed.



Pictures: Google Images

Bias through names and captions

Names and captions can be used to create bias. For example the job title someone is given can make them look powerful. An ICT assistant could be given the name title 'Lead manager in computer technology at University Arizona' by making someones job title sound a lot more fancy it makes them look powerful and more important. If this was was a debate for example the other person may be given the name 'ICT technician in local school' despite having pretty much the same job. Another good example is if the news company want to portray someone they could use the term "ex-con" even if they served a minor offence 20 years ago, or describe someone as a terroist rather than a freedom fighter.
A good example of this in real life is if a news company wanted to put Bill Gates in a bad light they could describe him as an "ex-con and accompany it with his mug shot. Or if they wanted to put him in a good light they could describe him as the 'worlds richest man' with his company in the background.


Pictures: Google Images 
Information sourced from: Wikipedia 

Bias through use of language

This is closely linked to the bias through headline section. This is about whether positive or negative tone is used and when words with a particular connotation can strongly influence the viewer. A voice over may use negative language to create a negative connotation or they may use positive and uplifting language to produce a positive connotation. This is also true with headlines that may be affected with the language that is used. For example the language below connotes a feeling of pain and sadness onto the first two stories, death and injury are repeated 3 times in the first 2 stories to connote negativity rather than hope which could be connoted if 'hope' and 'recovering' for example.



Video: YouTube

Monday, 9 March 2015

What Is The Presenters Role On Tv?

Normally on the news there are two different genders which is a younger female and a slightly older male. This is so there is a differing viewpoint and everyone can connect with them in some way. Sex appeal may also be brought into consideration so some people who wouldn't normally watch the news may be attracted to do so.

Presenters are the face of the news and link all of the stories in to some kind of narrative. Without the presenters it would be hard for the viewer to watch the news as it would be a dis-connected sequence of VT's. Presenters link the news together and give a brief outline of the story before the people on the vision mixer's play whatever links to what the presenters have just spoke about.

Presenters also give viewers someone to connect with and tell the story in a way which everyone can relate to. Their language isn't too complicated but mature enough so it doesn't come across childish.

Stories are linked by the presenters who give brief description on what story is about to come up to give the viewer some idea of what visuals they are about to see. They read the scripts of the teleprompter which they would have rehearsed before the show they can anticipate what is about to come.

The tone of the presenter changes depending on what story they are presenting. Their tone will not be the same for a Taliban bombing compared to a parrot who has learnt to sing the national anthem for example. Usually presenters dress smartly as they don't want to look scruffy representing the news channel they are the front line of - the news is pretty serious so smart dress is important.