Task One - Understanding the purpose of television idents and the opportunities they present

A television ident is important for many different reasons. Having a specific ident allows the channel to be identified by the audience, if it is effective then they are likely to remember it. It also allows the schedule to be organised and acts as a break, or segmentation, between programs which means the audience are unlikely to miss a program. It is used to tell the audience what is coming on next. In addition it is also helpful when regulating the channel, for example BBC Ones programs start at specific times such as half past or on the hour, therefore there is time in between that needs to be filled. This is when the ident can be helpful as it keeps the channel regulated, allowing the programs to start at their allocated times. Having an ident also gives the channel or program an identity, which can then be used for things such as merchandise and when the channel is off air, for example BBC Three created a specific ident relating to the 2012 Olympics to promote the event and ensure everyone tunes in to watch it, and also to inform people who may not be aware that the Olympics will be starting soon. 

As television channels are no longer restricted to one country, having an ident means that the channel has a brand that is known in many different countries. It also helps with consistency. Brand loyalty is also ensured with an ident as it allows the audience to become familiar with it and the style of the channel. An ident can also be used to identify a particular program or show and that a certain program belongs to a channel, for example the BBC have a specific ident for The Voice to show that this particular program can only be seen on that channel. Throughout the ident they have the narrator talking to tell the audience what is coming on next, but in the background we can still hear the upbeat music to advertise The Voice. The purpose of this is to make sure the audience are aware that the program can only be seen on that channel. 

As well as identifying a channel, an ident can be used to provide the audience information about that channel and the type of programs shown on it. Setting the right tone for the channel it is on is important as it helps to keep the audience engaged. The tone of the ident has to be appropriate for the audience members who are likely to watch it, a channel for kids should have fun and interactive idents whereas a channel for an older audience may be more factual, for example the ident for Cbeebies is filmed in a style that will be appealing to younger audiences. The music used for it is cheerful and you can hear children laughing and playing in the background, as well as added sound effects of the plants growing and the rainbow. They can also be used to promote a large event or a new series of programs, for example Sky created a specific ident to promote the Drama and Romance genres available to the audience. They achieved this by using different settings and landscapes which represented the different genres. For example the ident starts with green grass and characters who appear to be wearing Victorian clothing, which represents the idea of drama, it then goes on to a winter landscape with fairies and a pirate ship. For each element there is a specific type of music playing in the background, when the ident is focusing more on romance the music is gentle and slow, but when the main focus is drama the music gets faster and more upbeat. However, if the ident's purpose it to appeal to an older generation then they are likely to change it. An example of an ident which appeals mainly to the older audience is BBC Four's ident of a woman organising library books. By having a librarian and books in the idea it means that older people who enjoy literature are likely to stay engaged on the channel. The way in which it is filmed is also appealing as it is done through the use of a split screen, when the librarian goes one way she comes in another, and when she puts a book in one place, it comes out somewhere else, making it intriguing.