Scheduling Revision

Compare how and why two programmes were scheduled on different channels.

Miranda is a BBC 1 programme shown weekly at 8.30 pm. The programme was commissioned by the BBC, and produced by Nerys Evans (series 1) and Emma Strain (series 2-3). It started off being broadcast on BBC2 for the first two series, however due to it's popularity as well as Miranda Hart's, it became mainstream and the final series was instead shown on BBC 1.

The target audience is predominantly women in their 30s. Because this matches the main character, there is an element of familiarity. When it was shown on BBC2, the audience demographic were mostly categories A and B, however as it grew in popularity more people from groups C - E began watching. Because of this, it changed channel.

They are one at this time because the amount of adult humor is relatively small, however because the the target audience are adults it needs be late enough for them to be home from work. Miranda is shown before the watershed. 

Bad Education was shown on every Tuesday at 10 pm, on BBC Three. It was commissioned by Tiger Aspect Productions and produced by Pippa Brown.

The target audience is older teenagers/people in their twenties. It appeals to both genders. Although main the character is a man, there are principle female characters as well which often means there are jokes directed at both genders.

Bad Education is shown after the watershed because it ca involve quite a lot of trangressive humor. This appeals to the target audience, who at those ages want to watch something that is quite edgy as opposed to a show that is politically correct and 'safe' in it's jokes. 

All three series have been shown on BBC Three. This channel is aimed at younger people so is more likely to be watched by the target audience. There are several other comedy series broadcast on this channel, which are also usually aimed at peeople in their twenties.

Why do audiences watch TV Comedy?

One of the main reasons why people watch comedy, and often TV in general, is that they can relate to the characters. This could be in themselves, or through recognition of others'. 

For example, the target audience for Bad Education is teenagers and young adults, and because the characters are these ages they are relatable. Alfie, the main character usually has good intention but always manages to make bad situations worse. This trait can usually be seen in at least one person from a group or colleagues, but is  still entertaining when dramatized on screen. Building on this element, the characters are consistent in their personalities which works to create a sense of anticipation as they are put in each scenario. Familiarity within content and setting is a sort of comfort to audiences, as they know what to expect so can enjoy the jokes without having to think about the story line- one of the attraction of comedy as opposed to a drama series. Another benefit of familiarity is that the audience have an opportunity to build up a sort of personal relationship with the characters- particularly the ones they can self-project onto. 


In regards to plot, many TV comedies such as Bad Education and Miranda offer snowballing narratives. This is when the situation gets worse and worse- usually due the main character- specifically Alfie and Miranda. Although in theory this technique sounds of it could get boring throughout a series, it allows for spontaneity in the direction of the plot.
On top of this, there is usually a running joke throughout the episode which is incorporated into the scenes. These elements are attractive because they add a sense of surrealism, which adds interest to the on-screen lives of familiar personas. Eventually, however, narrative resolution becomes more appealing because it gives the audience a sense of security in that no matter how bad or ridiculous things get, the events will always be 'resolved' to some degree in the end.

Insitution Research (incomplete)

Institution Research

BBC Channels:

BBCOne, BBCTwo, BBC Three, BBC Four, CBBC, Cbeebies, BBC News, BBC Parliament, BBC Alba.

The target audience for BBC one is universal- it broadcasts a variety of different programmes aimed at different audiences. BBC Two consists of mainly documentaries and reality TV shows aimed at an older audience, although it shows some family-oriented programs such as  BBC Four is documentary based and aimed at an older audience, 30+. BBC Three is aimed at young adult audience, and is mainly reality based series featuring young people, with a few sitcoms. CBBC is a children’s channel which combines drama, reality and some animation aimed at children between 6-11. Cbeebies is aimed at children under the age of 5, and mostly consists of interactive, animated shows.

Most Popular

BBC 1: Doctor Who (drama), Strictly Come Dancing (reality, dance competition), Have I got news for you (topical news quiz, game show), Life Story (documentary), The Graham Norton Show (chat show)

BBC 2: Flog it: Trade Secrets (reality), Long Shadow (documentary), Russel Howard’s Good News (comedy), Wonders of the Monsoon (documentary), QI (game show)

BBC 3: Bad education (sitcom), Junior Paramedic (reality), Traffic Cops (reality), Impractical Jokers (comedy, reality), Some Girls (sitcom)

BBC 4: What do artists do all day? (Documentary), Abba and after (documentary, reality), The Code (drama), When Gothic was Born (documentary, reality), Storyville (reality)

CBBC: The Next Step (drama), Wolfblood (fantasy, drama), Friday Download (reality, chat), All at Sea (comedy, drama), Technobabble (reality)

Cbeebies: Minibeast adventure with Jess, Boj (animation), The Furchester Hotel (puppets), Dinopaws (animation), Topsy and Tim (live action)

BBC News: Click, The Film Review, World Business Report, China’s Billionaires Club, Dateline London

BBC Parliament: Prime Minister’s Questions, Politics Europe, The future of the Political Interview, Select Committees, America This Week

ITV Channels:

ITV, ITV 2, ITV 3, ITV 4 (all channels are connected to +1, which broadcasts the same programmes an hour later)

Bad Education Research

Bad Education Research Scribd

Evaluation of my Magazine

How effective was your research into similar magazines and relevant target audiences. What did you learn from your research into these two areas? In what ways did this shape the creation of your magazine?

To begin the research process, I looked at a combination of existing film magazines, as well as photographs, images and motifs that catch my eye.

I found a number of interesting covers, past and present. I found that as a rule, retro magazines such as such as ‘Motion Picture’ put a larger focus on bold, eye-catching colour schemes and an ample amount of anchorage text. By comparison, modern covers rely more on catchy headlines and simplistic imagery to captivate prospective readers.

 

I wanted to combine both of these ideas, because although the unconventional format of minimalist covers such as ‘Super 8’ (pictured above) by company Little White Lies is very intriguing in the hand drawn but also computer-pixelated appearing art, if you weren’t familiar with the featured film it wouldn’t necessarily be clear as a film magazine.

On the other hand, the Premiere magazine showcases a well known film star as it’s key image, as well as many other big names in the anchorage text. The colour isn’t interesting, but works to create a professional looking cover. 

  What creative decisions did you have to make at the different stages of your magazine production? How did your magazine change as your work progressed?

The first thing I thought about was the colour scheme. I’ve always had an interest in colour combinations and how they clash or blend, so this was quite an important step for me. I used the website Colour Lovers to look for inspiration, as well as my prior research. Many pages and too many lessons later, I had narrowed my selection down to three combinations:

I chose these three palettes for different reasons. I’ve always been drawn to monochrome with a pop of colour in fashion and art, so it seemed like a natural choice. Also, I went with this colour scheme I could use a black and white photograph, which I tend to favour over saturated colour. However, as the design process continued I decided I wanted a cover that appealed to a predominantly female target audience, as it naturally would be easier to adapt conventions.

Also, I spent quite a lot of time experimenting with different fonts, both on the cover and the contents page. The title was fairly easy- many of the modern music and fashion magazines had bold, simplistic font- less common in magazines from my chosen genre, but work well nonetheless. For the rest of the cover page, I chose a few different, but similar fonts to subtly highlight different pieces of anchorage texts. I saw this technique used particularly in the Empire magazines, and although it isn’t something you notice straightway, it helps to add a professional finish and is effective when you’re only using to colours for the text.

Below is part of my main planning slide, where I have gathered font styles I liked and explored how they look together and with examples of anchorage text.

 How closely does your magazine follow the forms and conventions of existing magazines? Gives examples of real magazines you reference.

My magazine cover is inspired by lots of different conventions from various film magazines. In addition to the usual title, key image, anchorage text and barcode- evident on magazines from this genre ranging from 2013 to the 1970s, I have an insert of a row of stills from (at the time) up and coming movies, made to look sort of like a roll of film. I took this idea from the Empire magazine below. 

My contents page is also based on an issue of Empire. I liked the idea of the top third of the page being occupied by another still, because it adds interest and gives basis for a colour scheme.

     How successful is your finished magazine? What are its strengths and weaknesses?

I think overall my magazine successfully follows the forms and conventions of the others from its genre. I don’t think it looks professional, necessarily; however it is identifiable as a publication about film and the film industry. For strengths, I’d say the colour schemes for both the cover page and the contents page work well, as the blend with the key images but also stand out and are clear to read. I think the layout of my contents page is simplistic, bold and not fussy.

As for weaknesses, some of the fonts used on my cover page don’t look right. This is mainly applicable to the bottom right hand side of my anchorage text- where the subheading sort of disappears into the key image, as does the following quotation. The title on the cover page could do with resizing as well, when I was constructing the magazine I didn’t want it to be too bold and overpower the rest, but on hindsight the lettering would look better if it was thicker.

Magazine Project

The front cover and contents page for my theoretical film magazine, 'Feature'. 

Film Poster

My final film poster for the media project, an imaginary action/fantasy film called 'Dealers'.