When I was mind mapping my ideas I decided to go with the theme of numbers and seasons and I chose to create an ident for the kids channel CBeebies. Before I decided on the theme of numbers I mind mapped a selection of different ideas such as construction, action figures and the theme of different animals. To create a successful ident for CBeebies there has to be certain aspects involved to make it enjoyable for the children. There needs to be images and sounds that are repeated throughout to engage the children, also making it interactive for the children. For example by adding in certain sounds, such as animals, the young children are likely to understand them and join it. There also has to be a range of exciting images to keep their attention throughout.
My first idea was to create a Christmas theme incorporating the numbers within the countdown to Christmas. I originally decided to use the 12 days of Christmas song and create the separate items in the song. I then decided to create a different Christmas theme but use the numbers as a countdown on an advent calendar. I chose Christmas as one of my main ideas as children enjoy everything associated with Christmas which means they are more likely to keep watching the ident throughout: again I can incorporate certain images, such as presents, as I know it will be successful and can be enjoyed by the target audience.
My next theme was to use Halloween as a theme and incorporate the numbers by counting down the days to Halloween. My original plan was to use characters such as vampires and witch's to make it slightly scary but also child friendly to avoid scaring the children as the target audience for CBeebies is young children normally between 0-7.
My final idea was to have the CBeebies blob's as numbers and start the ident with them in the wrong order and then move around until they were in the correct order. This idea is suitable to be used throughout the year as it can be adapted. For example my final ident was beach themed whilst still using the theme of numbers. It can also be shown at different times of the day because I mind mapped an idea for the night time as well as during the day. This is helpful as it gives the channel more choice.
When a channel want to design an ident they don't create just one ident but rather a suite of idents - this is a range of different idents that all link together and have the same theme. This allows for the idents to be more interesting and entertaining and having one single theme enables the channel to be identified easily.
A good example of a channel that has a suite of idents is the BBC. They created the 'Circle Suite' which included a range of different idents that all had a similar theme but were different. The first example is the 'Dog Display'.
The theme of this suite is a dog display with the circular image at the end. This type of theme appeals to the viewers as it is family friendly as many families have pets or know someone who has a pet. The use of the dogs makes it lighthearted and enjoyable for everyone, from children to adults. This type of ident is more entertainment led and not near anything serious. The structure of the ident starts with a range of shots of dogs doing different things and then cuts to a birds eye view which shows the dog creating a circle which is left on screen for a long while. This type of advert is most likely to be shown during the day rather than at night due to the nature of the advert. The ident lasts around 16 seconds which allows it to be entertaining and not tedious.
The next example from the BBC 'Circle Suite' is the Kites.
This ident also contains the circle image but is most likely to be aimed at the elderly audience rather than everyone. The tone of the advert is active and friendly and shows the cold and windy weather and is likely to come on in the afternoon as thats when many shows that are for elderly people are shown. The same theme of the circle is used but this time it is created by the kites rather than the dogs in the previous ident. Having this suite shows how the channel can adapt to different types of audiences but also be interesting. This ident lasts around 17 seconds which makes it more enjoyable and not tedious, similar to the dog display ident.
The third example of an ident from BBC's 'Circle Suite' is the Moon.
Like the previous idents, this one also incorporates the circle image but in a very different way. Instead of creating a circle with various objects they have chosen to use the moon. This targets the older, more sophisticated audience as it is likely to be shown at night time rather than during the day. The tone of the advert is peaceful and calm which is appropriate for the time of day it is shown as children are more likely to be in bed. This again shows how the channel can adapt to entertain everyone rather than a specific group of people. This ident is also short like the other two previous idents, which is important as at that time of night people are probably going to be tired from the day and may not want to watch an ident that lasts to long. This ident has the same structure as the previous idents but the circle is completed by the final piece of moon inserted.
Finally, there is the Wallace and Gromit ident which targets a different type of audience.
This final ident also shows the circle imagery but in a different way to the previous idents. The circle is created by the character on the sleigh going round the slopes. The target audience for this type of ident is likely to be young children as it is animated and the characters used are from a well known TV show. This ident is specifically shown around christmas, which again emphasises that the target audience is younger children as they are likely to be excited for christmas. However, older people may also enjoy it as they may remember the show from when they were younger. This ident is longer than the previous ones but just as entertaining.
Overall it is clear that designing a suite of idents is helpful as it allows for a range of themes and each can be adapted to different audience members. All of the suites that I have chosen all have the same structure and all end with the circle image at the end. The themes are all different but can be linked easily and each can be used at different times if the day and appeal to different audiences.
Television idents can be good for TV channels but they also have many limitations. Things such as typography, colour, aspect-ratio, adhering to a desired tone, and duration need to be considered carefully in order to make a television ident work effectively.
The first limitation to a television ident is the typography. Many channels have their own signature design for their idents which means that typography is kept to one specific design. For example the BBC idents all consist of a large font. This allows the channel to be recognised by the audiences easily and keeps confusion to a minimum. For example BBC One use the theme of a circle in all of their idents and the colour red is their trademark. Likewise BBC Two is mainly green, BBC Three is purple and pink and BBC Four is black. However, the limitation is that design plans lack in choice, meaning that the style of the ident may eventually become dull and tedious.
Colour is also another limitation when designing television idents as many channels have their own signature colour that audiences recognise them by. An example is the E4 ident which is identifiable by the colour purple in all of their idents. Similarly, channels such as CBBC and CBeebies have their own colours as well. Having a specific colour means that audiences can easily recognise channels, similarly to the idea of having the same typography. This means that there is limited choice on what the design could be without changing the ident too much as the colour has to be kept the same throughout to avoid any confusion. Also there are many different meanings for colour in society and the designer must take this into consideration. Additionally they need to make sure that there are no bright colours or flashing lights when creating the ident as this could affect audience members who suffer from epilepsy. Although there are limitations overall having a specific colour is a positive aspect as the association with a channel and a colour will stay in the audiences mind. For example E4 is based around the colour purple so audience members who know that will associate this colour with the channel when they see the same colour used for another logo.
Another limitation is the aspect-ratio. This means that all programs, adverts and idents must be delivered in 16:9 widescreen, meaning that the image must fit the 16:9 screen both vertically and horizontally without distortion. This is less of a limitation compared to aspects such as the typography and colour. This is because the majority of the population own a widescreen TV that is made to fit an image of 16:9 onto it, nevertheless it is a limitation as there are some members of the population who do not own a widescreen TV or one big enough to fit the image on without distortion. This means that the image will constantly be too big for the screen and some of the image will be cut off.
Adhering to a desired tone is another aspect that has to be taken into consideration when making a TV ident as the ident must be suitable for the audiences likely to watch it. An example of this is the BBC Four idents which are created to keep the audience engaged with the scheduling of programs. BBC Four show programs that are normally aimed at the older audience and include drama,suspense, and documentaries, therefore an ident must be created that appeals to the target population. There are, however, limitations to this. For example the creators of the ident must do a lot of research in order to create an ident that they know will appeal to their target population, but they must also make sure that it is different from the channels other idents to ensure that the audience don't lose attention.
Finally the duration is also a limitation when making an ident as the timing has to be correct to fit into the time slot given. Many idents shown on TV are cut down to around 30 seconds to ensure that the audience are kept entertained and at the same time advertising the channel. It is important that the ident doesn't last too long as that is likely to become tedious and dull, for example the CBeebies cannot be too long as the target audience is young children between 1&6 and they are unlikely to sit and watch an ident that lasts longer than 30 seconds. However, the duration isn't only a limitation but can also be a good idea., This is because the break between different shows allows the audience to have a short break before continuing on with what they are watching, meaning they are more likely to stay engaged with what is going on and be entertained at the same time.
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.
