AS1: Task 3: Understanding the Design of a Suite of Television Idents

Understanding the Design of a Suite of Television Idents

What is a "Suite" of Television Idents?:

A suite of television idents just simply means that a channel creates a whole group of idents for that specific channel. For example, the BBC has created a suite of idents for its channel and this is demonstrated through other channels from the BBC, such as "BBC one", "BBC TWO", "BBC three", "BBC FOUR" and so on. By having one theme per ident, it helps to maintain brand identity.

A suite of television idents creates a variety for viewers as they are able to enjoy more shows and become interested and discover new programmes.

BBC Channels:

BBC one:

Throughout the years, BBC one has created and developed new idents that involve a circle and the channel stays with the colour red. BBC one has kept the theme of having a circle and this is demonstrated in the ident shown opposite. This ident portrays women standing in a circle and the inner circle is coloured red and this helps viewers to understand that they are definitely watching their favourite programmes on BBC one. By doing so, they can distinguish between channels.

As demonstrated in the picture, the ident represents the time of year in which the BBC have chosen to broadcast it. We can see that there are flowers scattered across the ground and this could represent the seasons; spring and summer. This can enlighten viewers as this time of year often sets a mellow mood creating happiness. This ident would've most likely been broadcast during the daytime due to the vibrant colours that are present.

As I have mentioned previously, spring is represented here and this ident could demonstrate gardening programmes due to the surroundings. Therefore the target audience could be senior citizens.

BBC One is mainly an information based channel that broadcast programmes such as BBC News, however it is also an entertainment led channel as quizzical shows are broadcast through lunch time, such as "Pointless". These programmes cater to an adult audience or senior citizens because children/teenagers will still be at school during these hours and won't be able to see the shows.

The suite conveys the ident to be calm due to the women travelling round in a circular motion - again relating to BBC One's theme and this is shown as the inner circle appears around the BBC One logo.

The shorter version of this ident would be broadcast in preparation for the next programme to begin, however if there is a slight delay the longer version of the ident will be shown instead. The ident is roughly one minute long and the short version's duration is roughly 25 seconds long.

BBC Two:

Like, BBC One, BBC Two has a similar theme. As demonstrated in the ident, the number 2 is plastered on the outside of a circle (the circle is the same theme presented in another way). BBC one and BBC TWO have used the same theme but they are represented differently and this is shown through the use of colour. BBC one's theme colour is red and mostly, BBC TWO's theme colour is turquoise.

This ident may be appealing to viewers because it is eye catching. This ident spins round and round and could indicate that a film might be starting soon (example of a film reel).

BBC Two is a mostly information led channel and this is made evident through programmes such as the "University Challenge". Going back to my previous statement of a film reel, the ident could also suggest that a documentary is about to begin (hence why I stated that BBC Two is an information led channel).

Just like BBC One's programmes and some idents, BBC Two's programmes and idents are intended to be shown during the daytime to cater to older audiences. This is because the channel are broadcasting programmes and idents suitable for a much older target audience. They could most likely be broadcast during the winter month, due to the fact that more people will be indoors due to the cold weather and would be least likely to travel.

The design is effective because viewers definitely know what channel they are watching due to the multiple 2's.

Just like BBC one, the duration will roughly last the same amount of time of 25 seconds.

BBC three:

BBC's themes have always been connected and BBC three has its logo placed on a round shaped object and so this stays with BBC's theme of having a circle - once again this demonstrates how BBC Three relates to the theme, but yet is portrayed differently.

I believe this ident is appealing to viewers because of its vibrant colours. This ident is consistent with the colourful theme and demonstrates the late night theme of late teen/adults shows at a certain time.

This ident is for entertainment purposes. This is evident because the ident appears to be exciting due to its colours and busy surroundings and through this, viewers can note that the channel may broadcast exciting new programmes and would most likely want to visit the channel again.

BBC Three was discontinued on television (and is still available online) in 2016, however programmes would be broadcast from 19:00/7:00pm all the way until the early hours of the morning. Programmes such as "Family Guy" and "American Dad" are popular shows among teenagers and young adults and would be broadcast almost every night, each year on BBC Three, however the shows appeared to be viewed more on weekends due to more people being at home during its broadcasting hours. BBC Three was clever here as they were able to gain a large audience for these popular programmes and broadcasting this ident guaranteed viewers to believe the comedic programmes would commence. Therefore I believe that this is an effective ident as it is eye catching and engaging.

This ident entitled "Purple World" lasts for 20 seconds. This provides the announcer to introduce the next programme with efficient timing.

BBC FOUR:

With this ident for BBC Four, it is evident that the circle theme is discontinued here, however we can see that the ident belongs to the BBC because the font style shares a striking resemblance to the other idents, so therefore the theme is kept but is just styled in a different way.

The ident is appealing to viewers who appear to be senior citizens due to the background being covered in books. The ident demonstrates a woman travelling from one end of the book shelf to another and is a possible indication that she is inside of a library. Younger viewers may find this ident and channel to be dull and would most likely want to watch something that appeals to their age group, thus why thus ident and channel appeals to those who are older.

The ident is information led a this is demonstrated trough the presentation of books. This proves that the channel broadcasts informative programmes that supply viewers with more knowledge.

As I have stated previously, the channel and ident appeals to an older audience. This implies that the ident may be broadcast during the day time when children/teenagers and adults are at school or work. Seniors who are retired may spend their time watching this channel during the day, yet since they are retired, they would have the most free time all year round and would be able to view this ident on their screens.

The duration of the ident is 20 seconds and this is ideal for announcing the next programme. With every ident, the shorter version would be broadcast yet there is always a longer version that would last roughly 1 minute. The longer version would be broadcast if a programme is running behind time.
The designs for the suite are effective and demonstrate how each colour stands out in every ident. The BBC have made sure to portray vibrant colours throughout each ident in each channel. The suite also demonstrates that the channel can either be intellectual or entertainment based.