Television: Industries & Audiences

 Thursday 16th November 2023 

 Industries & Audiences 

lo; to research the history, companies & regulators in the Television Industry.

Paper One; section A.

-Three questions on TV extract.

-Two questions on TV in general.

Terminology:

Publicly owned TV Channel; broadcasting that is “made, financed and controlled by the public, for the public. {funded by the TV licence, like the BBC}.

Commercial TV Channel; television companies which make money by selling advertising. {Funded by adverts, like ITV}.

Convergence; making a product available across different platforms, in order to reach different audiences { bringing lots of different technologies together}

Watershed; a time where the age appropriate tv shows are mixed with the tv shows that are not PG. { 9pm - 5:30am in UK}.

Segmented Market;  the process of breaking down and organising your target audiences based on shared characteristics like demographic information, behavioural habits, and geographic location.

Self regulating; A subject matter expert delivers a lecture on communication and journalism in a simple but easy-to-understand manner with suitable examples. {Not regulated by Ofcome}

Franchise;A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. {Licence to use your product to make a different format or show.}

Channel surfing; continuously flicking through tv shows that are being broadcasted without picking one.

PSB; Public service broadcasting is when a media type is broadcasted for the benefit of the public using a remit { licence to run}.

TV Licence; something that people pay for when they buy a tv that funds things like the BBC.

Scheduling; A plan which shows the various platforms on which a company will advertise and the dates, times, durations, positions and types of advertising to be placed on them during an advertising campaign.

Conglomerate; A media conglomerate, media company, mass media conglomerate, mass media company, media group, media institution, or media concessionaire is a company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises, such as music, television, radio, publishing, motion pictures, theme parks, or the Internet.

A) Uk tv was introduced in 1936.

B) In 1965 there were only three tv channels; ITV, BBC 1, BBC 2.

C) 22nd September 1955, at 7:15pm. It's commercial and not funded by TV licence, so it introduced the first TV advertisement. 

D) BBC 1, BBC 2, Channel 3, Channel 4, and channel 5 have to follow the PSB remit.

E) Ofcom regulates UK TV currently.

F) The government used to regulate tv in the 1960's.

G) For majority of the 60's tv had no colour, and had very limited channels ( about 5) where as now, it's all in colour and has hundreds. 

Thursday 23rd November 2o23

Ownership & Regulation

Lo; to explore the ownership & regulation of BBC & ITV.

Ofcom regulates TV and Radio in the UK. 

Ofcom regulates the BBC externally. 

BBC

Our mission is "to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and ent

1. To provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage 

with the world around them.

2. To support learning for people of all ages.

3. To show the most creative, highest quality and distinctive output and services.

4. To reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all of the United Kingdom’s

 nations and regions and, in doing so, support the creative economy across the United 

Kingdom.

5. To reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world.

BBC Values;

We have established a set of values for everyone working at the BBC. They represent the expectations we have for ourselves and each other, they guide our day-to-day decisions and the way we behave.

Our values are:

• AUDIENCES are at the heart of everything we do.
• CREATIVITY is the lifeblood of our organisation.
• TRUST is the foundation of the BBC - we’re independent, impartial and truthful.
• We RESPECT each other - we’re kind, and we champion inclusivity.
• We are ACCOUNTABLE and deliver work of the highest quality.
• We are ONE BBC - we collaborate, learn and grow together.

They MUST broadcast of national importance.

ITV

Six Tv channels; ITV, ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, ITVbe, ITVx.

We have evolved our strategy to ensure ITV is best placed to further capitalise on the opportunities presented by the rapidly changing viewing, content production and advertising environments. Executing our strategy effectively will further strengthen and diversify ITV, create a more valuable future facing digital media and entertainment company and deliver returns to our shareholders.

Our purpose is to entertain and connect with millions of people in the UK and globally, reflecting and shaping culture and building brands with brilliant content and creativity. This is aligned to our 2026 strategic vision, to be a leader in UK advertiser-funded streaming and an expanding global force in content.

Our Social Purpose strategy is an integral part of delivering our purpose and our strategic vision. See our Social Purpose website for further details

Our initiatives to drive growth and future value are clear. Delivering our vision will be achieved by focusing on three strategic pillars:

Expand Studios 

Supercharge Streaming

Optimise Broadcast

These pillars are not independent. They work together – reinforcing each other, creating synergies and delivering value. Being a vertically integrated producer broadcaster and streamer provides us with a real competitive advantage.

Advertising; Our family of channels and ITVX ( and previously ITV hub) drive significant advertising revenues from the ability to deliver mass audiences and more targertered demographics on broadcast television and addressable advertising at scale. This funds out investment in there content budget. 

Commercial Partnerships; We work with advertisers and advertising agencies to provide unique and innovative commercial and creative partnerships and sponsorship opportunities that extend beyond pure spot advertising. 

In the UK, we generate subscription revenue through ITVX Premium (previously ITV Hub+) and BritBox UK which is also now part of ITVX Premium. Internationally, we deliver subscription revenue through our joint venture with the BBC, BritBox International, which is in the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa and the Nordics. We also monetise our consumer interactions through competitions, live events and merchandising.

We earn pay revenue from platforms in the UK by licensing our HD channels and from our online streaming services.

We produce original content commissions for broadcasters and streamers (in the UK and internationally) from our production bases in the UK, the US, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Spain, Israel and the Nordics. We have a diversified customer base, selling to free‑to‑air broadcaster, pay TV operators and global streamers.

We own the rights to a significant catalogue of programmes and formats that we sell and license to broadcasters and streamers internationally. The strong global demand for content provides a significant opportunity for us.

"Love island" is the most popular TV show, before that was "I'm a celebrity", then "Britain's Got Talent."

Itv can do this when BBC can't because ITV have to make money, when BBC is awarded money anyway. For example; in between Britain's got talent, it cost half a million to get an advertising slot, because BGT is a popular TV show which then makes the advertisement worth more money. 

BBC has to show variety, to meet their remit, where as, ITV has a choice in what they show because they can target what works, and a specific age and target audience that will get them more money. 

Thursday 14th December 2023

 TV Audiences 

lo; to explore how audiences consume TV dramas and the appeals.

How can we watch Tv in modern day?:

-TV

-Players

-Netflix

-Online

-Streaming

-Phones

-Ipads

-Live

-Recorded 

-Computer

People still watch TV Live because;

-You can interact (call in, voting etc.)

- You don't have to avoid spoilers.

- You can watch it in the moment, while it's trendy to watch it first hand.

- No one watches it before you do.

- Joining social media groups and communicating while live ( second screening.)

- You can watch something at the exact same time as someone else so it almost feels like you're watching it together. 

Theory - The Active Audience.

-There are two types of audiences; active which is engaging and being involved, and passive which is being in the background.

- A passive audience will just accept and believe everything a media text tells them, they believe everything and are easily led and influenced, without question.

- An Active audience will interact with a media text and make decisions about what to believe and accept into their mind. They question somethings and interpret meanings in their own ways. 

For example; if you were an active audience, you would read multiple stories and then make your mind up instead of being a passive audience who would read one story and believe it immediately without questioning a thing. 

The audiences now are more active than they used to be in the 1960's because there are more than one story, for example channel competition; there only used to be 3 channels now there are hundreds that you can interact with, there are more than one message being told now. 

Second screening exists where you can talk to people and share opinions.

Social media exists which can be shared and things can be discovered and shared more easily  than being published in the papers in a hope to be read by people who will easily believe. 

Scheduling

-Scheduling means deciding when to put certain shows on.

-You need to make sure that you schedule something on tv when the target audience will most likely be watching. 

-Scheduling is massively important to BBC & ITV, competitive scheduling can benefit the main channels as it ccreates publicity. 

-For example; thy will shedule  BBC's Strictly results at the same time as Im a Celeb's results. 

-Peak viewing time is 6pm-10:30pm

-Audience ratings are measured by the broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB).

Watershed

-Overseen by OFCOM, between 9pm-5:30am.

-Between these hours, anything can be broadcasted that is not sutible for children between the ages 0-15 years old. 

-Rated 18 Tv cannot be shown pm.

- Rated 18 material includes sexual content, violence, graphic or disturbing imagery or language. 

-The watershed is a guide line to protect elderly people and young people from watching things that may upset of corrupt them. 

TV Drama

- A serial TV drama is by definition any television drama that is organised into a series of episodes ( as opposed to one-off dramas). Normally, a series has between 3 and 12 episodes. A serial has a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode-by-episode way. Tv Drama's normally follow main story arcs that span an entire season; they often contain complex narratives. 

Sub Genre:

Examples;

-Crime drama - The Rookie

-Period Dramas - Bridgeton

-Teen drama - Pretty Little Liars

- Medical Drama - Greys Anatomy

-Science-fiction drama - Handmaids tale

-Fantasy Drama - Vampire Diaries

- Political drama - The Crown

Two Set Texts:

The Avengers - Lighthearted spy thriller from ITV - 1965

Cuffs - Police procedural with comic elements from BBC1 - 2015

Thursday 11th January 2024

Do now - What was happening in the sixties?

-Elvis presley

-The Beatles

-My dad

-JFK

-Marilyn Monroe death

-Strikes

-Martin Luther King Assassination

-Civil rights movements 

- Economy rebuild

- Viennese War

-Legalisation of Contraceptive pill

- Homosexuality Legalised

- Visit to moon

- Polyester clothing produced

- Hippies

- Hallucigenics seen as fun and trendy.

- Spike in the recreational drug use.

- Gender roles ( women began wearing trousers and working).

- Pop art. (Andy Warhol).

- Fake lashes

- Big hair

- Short hair

- Extravagant make up.

-

The 1960's 

Lo; research the social, historical, and political context of The Avengers.

1. Civil Rights movement

2. JFK Assassination

3. Labour party was elected over Conservatives.

4. Racial Segregation was abolished.

5. Nelson Mandela was arrested.

Social & Political Context:

-The most famous bands in the 60's were; The Beatles, The beach boys, & The Rolling Stones.

-The labour party was in control of the country, Harold Wilson was in charge.

-In the 60's Illegal drugs were popular in a lot of cultures, amongst younger generations.

-Both the Cold War and the Vietnam war were both happening in the 1960's.

-In the 1960's they were protesting about, freedom of speech, Civil Rights, and women's rights.

-The contraceptive pill changed women's lives in the 1960's; which led to a spike in the sexual freedom, and experimentation in the younger people in the 1960's.

Cold war took place in the 1960's; it was a political tension between the USA & The Soviet Union, it lasted from 1945 until 1991.

Nuclear threats against countries involved weapons that could destroy an entire country and the entire country population which the rest of the world feared as it could start a nuclear war and could be the end of earth.

Espionage are government spies.

Thursday 18th January 2024

The Avengers ( 1965)

Lo; research the TV show the Avengers.

1. ITV

2. Adult target audience, and older teenagers.

3. 7th January 1961

4. 6 seasons

5. 21st April 1969

6. £56,000

Patrick is John Steed.

Diana Rigg is Emma Peel.

The town of no return:

Narrative:

Characters:

Social & Cultural Context:

Audience appeal:

Thursday 25th January 2024

Do now:

-Bar scene.

-Pretending to be a teacher

-Six seasons.

-ITV tv series

- Two spies

-Fencing

-Young woman

-Older man

The Avengers - The Town of No Return

LO; to explore the narrative, characters, and appeal of series 4, episode one.

Stereotypes

Male fisherman - chunky sweater, lobster pots, and fishing hat.

-England always raining - "It looks like rain"

-Classic gentleman, dressed in plain suit, looking smart and business formal.

-Wealth; top floor apartment in the city, modern.

-Misogny - male hitting females behind. 

-Female vs male; woman just as rich and the same class as her, she's less powerful than he is.

-British stereotype; drinking afternoon tea on steam train. 

Male VS Female; Female - teachers and headteachers

Men - School inspectors, pub landlords. (outranks women)

-anti-stereotypical - she's driving, but stereotypical because she is driving wrong and he corrects her. 

-Girls have a fight that is hair pulling and cat fighting, but boys have been fighting with punches and throwing each-other around.

-Girls look the same, boys look different.

-Boys are always in charge, women just follow. 

Thursday 22nd January 2024

 The Avengers - Extract Analysis 

lo; to explore elements of media language and practice how to analyse an extract.

Media Language

-Sound

-Editing

-Camera Work

-Mis-en-scene

Camera Work:

What could you be looking for?

1. Camera Movement

2. Camera Angles

3. Shot Type

Terms to know & Understand:

-Long, mid, medium close up, extreme close up, and close up shots.

-Establishing shots. {Beginning of scene, establishes where they are}.

-Low angle, high angel, canted angle, or Ariel shots. {Used when something is not right}

-Point-of-view shots. 

-Camera movement: tracking, steadicam, or crane shots.

-Hand-held camera. {Where the camera moves a lot, being held by the camera man}.

-Shallow focus and focus pulls. {focus changes but the camera stays in the same place}.

 1. Camera panning, between them both. {Hand held}

2. POV; flicks between them both, facing them in a silent conversation.

3. Shaky camera showing she is in danger.

4. Long shot showing the three villains coming down the stairs, emphasising the danger of the situation. 

Mise-En-Scene:

What could you be looking out for?

1. A high key & low key lighting (Light vs Dark lighting)

2. Location & Set

3. Costume & Make up

4. Props

5. Casting & Performance style 

6. Blocking { The composition of elements within the shot.}

1. The two characters outfits juxtapose their settings, showing them as lavish and rich compared to poorer people who live in an urban area compared to the city.

2. Props like the dart board, the hanging plane and old decor, giving a rustic run down feeling to the place, however giving a warm and cozy feeling to the look, making it look like a pub rather than a bar. This is using stereotypes of the old bars that are thrown around England even in the modern day. 

Editing:

What could you be looking out for?

-Shot/reverse shot

-Juxtaposition

-Non-community editing

-Crosscutting

-Fast-paced editing

-Transitions: dissolve, wipe, fade.

-Post-production effects

Graphic Match- when they change scene using objects that look alike for example in The avengers; the gas mark fades into the skull on the grave to switch scene. 

Thursday 29th February 2o24

The Avengers: Extract Analysis Continuation

Lo; to explore elements of media language and practice how to analyse an extract.

What to look out for in editing:

-Juxtaposition

-Graphic match

-Montages

-Cross cutting

-Speed of editing

-Transitions: dissolve, wipe, fade

-Post-Production effects; green screen & CGI

Cutting on action - the movement that is happening is being cut while the action is done.

Cut away- cutting to something else, like flashbacks, and noticing specific objects.

match cut/graphic cut -  visual math between the scenes.

Two different Elements in The Avengers:

1. Cutting back and forth between the blacksmith and Joan, as he tries to burn him with 

They have used cut away in the scene between the blacksmith and Joan. This shows the two point of views and makes the fight between the two characters seem a lot more action packed and cool. 

Sound:

-Music

-non-diegetic - ony audience hears.

-diegetic - if you were in scene you can hear it.

-Sound effects

-Sound bridge

-Voice over

-parallel sound

-Contrapuntal

Look out for the sounds that they really want you to hear; for example bowler hat of metal in Avengers. 

They use diegetic sound when they use the organ piano to be dramatic, it is a low ominous sound, that fits the scene as they are clearly in a church, during a supposed choir session. The betrayal and synthetic role juxtaposes the setting they are in, as he is lying in one of God's many homes. This technique connotes that something bad is going to happen later of through the foreshadowment of the music that is playing in the scene. 

Thursday 7th March 2024

Extract Analysis

Do now:

1. Camera Work, sound, mise-en-scene, and editing.

2. Two examples for question One.

3. Five Marks.

Lo; to explore extract based questions and how to answer them efficiently.

How was camera work used to create meaning?

- The camera work in the extract was used to create the feeling that it was a conversation although silent, by the camera panning between the two characters, for example when the black smith was holding the flaming horse shoe, it showed the burning horse shoe right next to John Steads head. This could be used to create a tension building situation that makes the audience fill with anticipation and surprise, wondering what might happen next because of the tension building shot. 

Paragraph structure; try using DEL to help structure your idea.

Describe; the technique and what it shows.

Explain; support with specific evident - how has media language been used to contract this meaning ( connotations).

Link; to the overall context/ meaning of the scene/audience reaction. 

2. Analyse how far the extract creates tension.

In your answer your answer you must analyse: 

-The aspects of the extract and use examples to support your analysis.

-Judge how far these aspects create tension.

The short extract creates tension by having the first part of the five minutes, as a silent exchange between the fake blacksmith and John Steed. This creates tension because the scene is made up of purely just glances and actions making the sounds from the scene all non diegetic, and the music added over the top of the scene. The tension drops eventually as the music fades out and John and Emma have an important conversation, despite the jokes that they make, making the scene not only informal but seem less serious, however, listening to the conversation they have as it switches to the next scene, they are talking about how each of them have uncovered part of the enemies/ bad peoples plan. 

3. Analyse & Theoretical Framework

-15 Marks

-Three points

-Introduction & Conclusion

-Make a judgement; a lot, somewhat, or not a lot.

3. Analyse how far type Question

How far does the extract create a stereotypical representation of men?

The extract creates a very stereotypical representation of a dominant and saviour kind of man. This is shown when John is always the one to save Emma Peel, and it is never the other way around. This is stereotypical especially for the 1960's, this is because although women now had more rights, the misogony still stayed and the genders were still far from being completely equal.

Thursday 21st March 2024

Do now:

-Women had less rights, men had all the rights. 

-Being Gay was not legal until 1967, even then it was frowned upon. 

-Hippies were all the rage, 

-people were still very racist.

-Technology is much more advanced. 

-You had to be there to watch tv as it aired, with no way of recording or streaming it in the 1960's.

-Much more diversity across tv. 

 Television in the 2010s 

lo; to explore the context of the 2010s and the effect on TV shows and audiences.

In 2010, the equality act was passed meaning any discrimination was illegal. Britain was a much better multicultural country; for example, attitudes towards sexuality were far more accepting. 

Thursday 18th April 2024

Do now:

- Female power positions.

- Diverse race & sexuality.

- Less stereotypes across the characters & their backstories, compared to "Avengers."

- Modern use of casual language

- Multicultural cast.

- Gender equality; woman with rights, more women as main characters. 

Cuffs & Audience Appeal

Lo: to analyse the appeals of TV drama.

The Hero - PC Jake Vickers

The Villan - The Chief Super Robert Vickers

The Donor - Ryan Draper

The Helper - Ryan Draper

The Princess - solving crimes or arresting the criminals 

The Dispatcher - Station Officer

The Princess' Father - Robert Vickers

The False Hero - Ryan Draper

Personal Identity

Information

Entertainment

Social Interaction

P- Being able to relate to someone in the series.

I - The way the police respond to crime and treat serious crimes.

E - Personal drama; and background exposition showing their personal lives, and bringing their drama into the series, like Robert Vickers affair, and Jake's relationship.

S - Discussing the show with your friends.

1. Stronger roles of Women; Jo in charge; high power, holds a press conference. Women being more competent and faster at running and such.

2. Jake is openly gay and easily accept, change in attitude towards masculinity, seen as good. Single dad, helping with homework, brushing his young daughters hair, traditionally seen of a mothers job, not a father. 

3. Jo Muffet, conducts a lot of power, subdues strong men, and is physically strong herself.

Donna is represented as a strong independent. 

Thursday 25th April 2024

Do now:

Explain how The Police were represented in the Cuffs Episode we watched:

In the episode of cuffs that we watched as a class, the police were presented as disrespected and lacking authority, clearly overpowered by the citizens of Brighton, and had no control or power over the people they were there to detain and keep control over, constantly letting criminals and crimes slip through their fingers. 

Jake is represented as a younger and more privileged character, never really facing any prejudice, and being able to skip what every one else has to do, he is a nepo baby, being given special perks and abilities and lenience because he is the super attendants son, which can be seen as being spoilt and perhaps assumed that he isn't very knowing of the real world, because he has been babied, however, he does prove himself despite his mistakes, saving his partner from being killed, without hesitating, showing loyalty and dedication to not only his job, but also the people who may not like him, showing that he is selfless and cares about the people around him. 

Felix is represented as an introvert, who prefers to be by himself. He does not have a partner and clearly likes his own company. He is portrayed as a genius, as he works out crimes by himself, and knows how to deal with situations without escalating them any further. He is very kept together and is always in control, never letting any one else have the upper-hand over him. He is seen as a reverse empath, meaning he doesn't really express his emotions to that many people, people assuming he's cold, because he's not the most social person, due to his isolation. 

Ryan Draper

- He holds power: clearly respected and above his peers, due to mentoring.

Changing Attitudes: Multiculturalism

Ethnicity differences exist and and opnly accepted by most people.

Black Police Officers 

Racism still exists in Britain:

The racist man who tried to murder the young boy due to his ethnicity/race.