In this module there were few people who didn’t attend and dropped out which was a bit annoying for the team, but apart from that I feel that it was a great group project as the people who were there throughout all had a creative input and put a decent amount of effort in which I think was healthy. In terms of the production I helped to film the UK VT and edited it. I also found the guest for the interview Ade Oyieyo who is a friend of my doing masters on Digital media and culture. Moreover, I did the lighting and some of the camera as me and Jiayan swapped between each other.
Month: May 2016
Blog task 5
Both X Factor and The voice share many similarities, one of them being that they both are singing competitions. However, I feel that these websites have more differences as they’re both owned by different channels which have different philosophies when it comes to presentation and style.
ITV is a privately owned network so they prioritise profit and they therefore have to cater to the needs of the users. In the X Factor website, all the links are singular and linear, kinda like twitter and Facebook. This I think is very good for the site as todays generation are use to scrolling down as we use social media on a daily basis, so navigating through the site would be natural for the users. The prominent colours are the iconic golden and red shades of the show. This reminds the audience that this channel belong to X Factor
Regarding The Voice the red and black on the website denotes the colors of the show. This creates a simple and straight forward feel and like X Factor, reminds the user of the primary colours of The Voice. Moreover,stars and logo at the background is at the trademark of the show and the stars are also one of the selling points for The Voice.
On the X Factor, the users can browse through Latest new, Insider, Finalists, Live Shows, Backstage, The Xtra Factor, Style, Competition, Tour and App. The top bar simplifies it for the user as it shows them a clear direction of where they want to browse. The Voice has the same type of bar with similar links. However, I feel the bar with X Factor looks better since the silver colour connotes prestige and looks more interesting juxtaposed with the plain white colour of the bar in The Voice website
Both sites have the link at the top which directs the users to the app where they can vote for the stars they want through on X Factor or rate the performances of the stars on The Voice. This interaction makes it a lot better and simpler for the audience since it allows them to have a say in the show better compared to in the past where people had to ring and pay to vote. This is a win win situation for both shows since people can vote easier and the show gain better information or more voters.
Both of the sites have the format style of their respective networks. I feel that this is a problem since it becomes more about the channel rather than the show and I think all the emphasis should be on that since it’s what the audience want to look at.
X Factors website looks quite modern and has adapted to the times better than BBC’s the voice whilst also maintaining the ITV feel to it. However, I would change the colours and the format as it all feel a bit too 80s and cheesy because in this generation we’re all too use to that and people all naturally long for change.
If I was to change something about The Voice website, I would make it more interactive and change the layout. BBC want to stick to conventions but really they should get with the times and adapt to the new system because it gets quite boring and confusing to the audience. Also for both shows I would make the top bar where the users can navigate through the site stay visible at the top while the users scroll down. this would save a lot of time for the users as it prevents them from scrolling back up every time.
Task 4 – Health and safety
Analyzing health safety is perhaps the most important thing in a production because this prevents future hazards which could potentially tarnish the entire production. Although a lot of the considerations are highly unlikely it is still important to not take chances because a lot will have to be compensated for because of a little mistake
Risks that have to be considered include:
-Taping wires to the floor
-Not having any liquids on set
-Mini fire extinguisher incase something burns
-If filming out door bring anything that could cover electrical equipment e.g. umbrella
Blog Task 3
In a world where everyones attention is directed to the diverse and limitless world of the internet where viewers can watch what they want and when they want. Inevitably it has created doubts about the longevity of the generic and conventional TV industry. However, I do feel there may be survivors to weasel out of this inevitable doom, but others won’t.
X Factor is one of the most popular shows in ITV and during it’s peak it gained over 17 million viewers. However, since then it couldn’t live up to the heights it reached in the past with an average view count of just over 6 million as stated in an article written in the Guardian. There are certain things that X Factor is known for which makes it unique and more appealing with special celebrities to judge the up and coming artists in the show. It allows the viewers to gain insight into the experience and knowledge coming from the judges. Furthermore, each of them have a style and a personality with Simon Cowell in the past being the rude, strict and brutally honest judge whereas Cheryl Cole was the more nicer, encouraging and supportive character. This makes the show more attractive as the characters are interesting
There is an ongoing competition between the big signing contest, mainly X Factor and the voice and there is always going to be a battle for survival. There are doubts cast over the future of the show as the Voice has become more and more popular ever since it’s inception. And now that ITV has bought the voice from BBC it may be signs that the network has lost faith in the future of X Factor.
Having read an article in the Guardian non-linear viewing now takes place on PVRs, where people skip through ads. This proves the discontent people have watching adverts. For the BBC, not having any adverts is one of it’s selling points therefore I feel there is degree of uncertainty for the broadcasters to just scarp the license fee.
However, In a world where people would rather subscribe to Netflix and Amazon Prime as it contains more content and payment is simpler, it has become hard for the BBC to compete so it is perhaps a safe option to scrap it and make profits through advertisements like ITV and Channel 4. Furthermore, considering that over 400.000 households’ approximately avoid paying the TV license highlights the failure of this method. Advertisements would surely prevent this.
However if I was to pick a side it would have to be for BBC to keep the TV license since BBC still generates a large amount of income from shows such as Doctor Who and Top Gear. They also recently sold The Voice to ITV and will gained large profits. This proves how BBC can consistently produce popular programs and I think that it’s their way of competing.
One problem that television faces today is that it’s struggling to compete with the world of the online media. ‘87% of Consumers Use Second Screen Device While Watching TV’ according to an article by adweek.com, highlights that the world is heading towards that direction.
One thing that could improve the second screen experience in my opinion would be to allow the viewers to watch the backstage on their phones while the live show is going on in the screen. This would give the viewers an extra window to see through while they’re watching the main show.
Furthermore, a good improvement would be if the show allowed viewers to connect the tv screens to their phones kinda like how Spotify and and YouTube does it so that if someone wants to go to the toilet for example they can watch the program while their in the toilet.
The TV channel could create accounts for people so that they could record the shows on their phone and it’s saved in their account. so when they finish their jobs they can go back home and watch it. This would be an upgrade on-on demand as it sometimes takes a while for the show to be uploaded on the channel. This would assist the TV industry as Netflix and on demand websites are ‘killing the TV industry’ according to an article an article in the guardian website.
References
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/nov/09/the-x-factors-future-on-itv-in-doubt
Top Gear and Graham Norton show comparison
Top gear and The Graham Norton Show are both magazine tv shows and share a lot of differences and similarities. One of the things that both shows have in common is that they both have live audiences during their shows. However in top gear you can see the audience in all the shots whereas in Graham Norton show the audience are always behind the camera. Graham Norton has gone for a more conventional route whereas Top Gear includes the audience and tries to create a more inclusive show where the audience fully get to experience the content of the show.
Another similarity is that both shows have funny and witty presenters with Graham Norton known for a lot of his sexual jokes and Jeremy Clarkson for his humorous personality. However, the thing that makes Top Gear isn’t Jeremy Clarkson as the two other presenters Richard Hammond and James May are equally as liked. Graham Norton on the other hand is fully based around him as it’s also named after him.
Both shows also invites famous celebrity guests, however they both use them differently. Graham is more focused about the guests what they’re promoting and they also gossip or have general interesting conversations. They put a lot of emphasis on a humorous interaction. On the other hand Top Gear focuses slightly more on cars although they do have humorous exchanges with the guest however they’re mostly related to cars.
Another thing is that Graham Norton show don’t play any VT’s compared to Top Gear which plays a series of them in one episode. Graham Norton show is more dependent on the quirky and witty personality of Graham Norton whereas Top Gear relies a lot on the VT’s and the fast cars they’re promoting.
Another difference between the two shows is that Graham Norton mainly targets British audiences so it mostly consists of British humor. On the other hand, Top Gear has really wide reach and generates a lot to the news channel because there are a huge amount of people that are interested in cars so naturally it would have a big audience.
The One Show
One show is the main magazine television show in BBC and launched in 2006. The content of the show is mostly things British related e.g. people stealing energy in British neighborhoods and acting schools in London.
In One Show there is always a guest promoting their latest or movies etc. for example James McAvoy came onto the show to promote the latest X-men film. during the show he talked about the set and the atmosphere and they showed behind the stage footage him getting his head shaved while face timing his director. throughout the show James McAvoy came across as funny and charming. This is effective because it persuades the audience to watch the film.
The set looks very comfortable like a living as there are sofa and tables, kinda like a chat in a living room. This works as it may reflect the environment the audience is in, therefore it makes for a show which is nice and relaxing to watch.
Furthermore the presenters have good chemistry as some moments look improvised rather than scripted. Sometimes the after introducing the show the presenters will talk to echoer and smile and laugh. This makes it more positive and energetic and makes the audience feel more engaged. In addition to that, whenever a presenter is talking the other one is always looking at the camera and nods and smiles. It’s important as it makes it look more natural and maintains the positive atmosphere.
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