The document discusses television channel idents, which are short advertisements that introduce upcoming shows. It defines idents and explains their purpose is to inform viewers about shows in an entertaining way. Key points include:
- Idents are typically 20-30 seconds and include the channel logo, show information, and a theme to match the channel's brand.
- Conventional features of idents include voiceovers, logos, show times, and themes to link shows and engage viewers.
- Examples are given of Disney XD Christmas idents that use winter themes, colors, and shapes to match the season.
- Different channels like MTV and BBC take varied creative approaches to their idents within time and
3. What is an Ident?
An ident is a small/ short advertisement that informs the audience about the show that is about to come on.
It’s like aTeaser for the show which is almost like a introduction and/or transition into the program. Idents
are short videos around 20 – 30 seconds long.A sponsor could be put in a place of an ident too in order to
inform the audience who is the sponsor of the show/ program which is a marketing opportunity. An ident is
also video that creates and shows not only the ideology of the institution and that channel but it also shows
their audience the conventions of their institution by creating the brand identity through they own type of
an ident which is unique and specially made to that institution. Idents also have their own suite which is a
theme of the ident which creates that ideology of the channel by including different shapes, images,
transitions and sounds which will link to the audience that that channel is appropriate to. Furthermore a
suite is also including the theme of the ident by including aspects of the season that the ident is being made
in during the year. E.g. Christmas idents during winter, Sunny idents during summer time etc.
4. Conventional Features of an Ident
While seeing channel idents we have some conventional features which is basically things that we expect
to see and hear in the ident as an audience. In and ident we expect to hear voiceovers that tell us about
what program is on, at what time and a teaser that interests us to the program that also makes us the
audience to stay on that channel to watch the program.The ident should also include the logo of the
brand, channel number that this channel is airing at and each ident should have a theme that not only links
to the time period we currently are at but also it should have a theme of the show that is about to come up
too. In this way not only the institution is entertaining and informing the audience for the upcoming show
but it also shows them on what channel they can find these types of programs. In this way, institutions will
gain brand image and brand loyalty within their audience.
6. Contextual Analysis of My Chosen Ident
The idents I’ve decided to analyse are the Christmas idents used on Disney
XD.The ident used has included the theme of Christmas and winter by
including really bright colours like white, green and light blue and it also
showed shapes and objects that link with Christmas and winter. It included
Santa hats, gingerbread mans, Christmas trees, ice and stars. Although
the video on the left has different idents they are all pretty much similar
and have the same non-diegetic sound used on all these idents which
gives the brand loyalty to their audience as they will recognize the channel
by the sound used and the logo which is recognizable.The shapes and
how dynamic the transitions are on the idents show that their audience is
mainly young teenagers aged from 9 or 10 years+. All idents in the video
apart from the last one are entertaining idents whereas the last ident
shown is an informative ident too because it tells the audience what
program is going to be next. As previously states, these idents clearly
show the theme of winter and Christmas because of all the shapes,
objects and colours used which makes the audience think about winter
and Christmas.
7. Comparing and Contrasting Different Choices Made
by Each Channel
Mtv decided to have their idents have renders around their logo
and channel name. Mtv included different objects do a circle by
either falling, rotating, moving, bouncing and changing shapes in
order to entertain their audience for a little while before the next
program comes on. BBC one does the same thing with their
idents but their idents have more of an interactive ident as they
have hippos swimming under water and just swimming until the
point where they make a circle around the BBC one recognizable
name. Both companies include a circle shape around their
channel name with various things however, Mtv is doing a simple
interactive ident by just having different shapes or objects
making that circle whereas BBC one uses various of animals,
objects, people and things in order to make their idents more
creative and interactive than Mtv.
9. How BBC used Marketing Opportunities within their
idents?
BBC one used a marketing opportunity in their ident in a
very creative yet unusual way. Instead of using a new made
ident which is specially made for this type of marketing,
BBC one decided to use their old but known ident with an
interruption scene of a doctor from DoctorWho series. In
this way BBC one didn’t only advertise a show that is aired
at their channel, but they also made a very unusual but
catchy ident which people definitely will remember because
of that one little but effective change that BBC one done to
their old bike marathon ident. Another thing that BBC one
done correctly in this ident is the fact that there was
commentary which talks about other shows that will be
aired on other or the same BBC channel. All these things are
an advantages as not only BBC one made one of their
known idents to become even more remembered which
made their marketing opportunity be worth their time and
money but they also appealed to their audience directly
with a informative commentary.
10. How do Idents Create an Opportunity to appeal to
theTarget Audience and Create Brand Loyalty?
Idents create an opportunity to create a brand identity that appeals to the target audience with
suites.This is as suites create a good relationship and recognition within the institution and their
audience to stay on a channel within their institution. It is done by having idents that have different
themes which appeals to different audiences that the institution is targeting at.They will include
things that their audience will mostly see or do in order to attract them to their institution and
make a brand loyalty by having an ideology on their channel which will make their audience
recognize their channel all around the world.
11. How did BBC create corporate identity which adapts
to their target audience?
BBC created a corporate identity by having different
suites on their different channels within the institution.
BBC made each of their channels unique as each of their
channels is shown differently thought the use of
different ideologies in their idents and suites.
Furthermore, each of their suites are using different
shapes, colours and images that not only suggest the
ideology of their channels but they also show and attract
the appropriate audience though including things and
colours that appeals to that target audience.
12. Limitations to Idents within theTime and Design
There are plenty of limitations to idents that need to be taken into consideration when
making a new ident for the channel. Short amount of time for screening is a limitation as you
need to know how to please the target audience with limited text, how to include the
institution’s logo in the ident and it has to appeal to the right target audience which means
that you have to use the ideology of your institution while making the correct ident. Another
limitation is very obvious as the ident has to be unique compared to other institutions which
will make your ident to stand out compared to other institutions.You also need to know
whether or not you want the ident to have a theme and if so that theme needs to be appealing
to the correct seasonal theme or event so the audience will think of your ident during that
event or season. Also the other limitation of an ident within the seasonal theme is the use of
colour and objects that link to that particular theme. In this way you are making branding and
tone of the ident correctly to the theme. Furthermore, the fact that the ident needs to interest
the audience by giving a teaser of the program, it could be seen as a limitation to the ident as
these information/ teasers might include spoilers for the program which would mean that
instead of making people want to watch the program on your channel they will just leave as it
got spoiled for them. However, if the ident that you want to be informative then the problem
isn’t just spoilers but lack of information included in such a small period of time is also a
limitation.