1. Television Idents
Natalie Lynch

2. Learning Outcome 1 - CRITERIA
Design & Purpose

3. Learning Outcome 1 - INTRO
• In this section you will discuss and explain the overall issues
regarding the design and purpose of television idents. You are to
respond to the questions set in the template. You are encouraged to
add extra slides where necessary and add images to illustrate your
points.
• You should use your notes to help you formulate your responses,
based on the following areas:
• Design: density of information; space and time; screen tempo; interaction
with viewers; information-led; entertainment-led
• Purpose: identity; branding; marketing; packaging and re-packaging;
scheduling; segmentation within scheduling

4. Purposes Q1
• Outline the core purposes of television idents [e.g. branding/identity for a
channel, conveying the channel’s personality, retaining viewers, informing
viewers, segmentation of broadcasting]
• There are a few main purposes of television idents for a channel. One of
the main ones is to give the specific channel a unique identity / brand.
The idents are used in order to represent what genre / type of
programmes are shown on the channel so that the viewers are more likely
to be attracted to watch. Idents are also used in order to indicate what
the channel is about and again, who it is for. Usually, the idents will
feature voiceovers that introduce the programme that’s coming on next,
so that the audience is more likely to stay tuned in for longer if they know
in advance what is going to be shown.

5. Purposes Q2
• Explain some of the developments in broadcasting that have led to type of
channel branding and use of idents we see today
• Channel branding is really important recently as competition between
channels has grown massively. The use of idents represents the
developments and the growth of channels as it keeps up with the modern
technology. This including more advanced visual effects and quality. It is
all used to help a channel stand out and gain and/or retain their viewers
as much as possible.
• Previously, original television idents were things such as mechanical
models which were filmed beforehand, rather than shown live on the
channel. This is a huge contrast to what we see today, something which is
graphically constructed and can reflect a channel’s own particular genre.

6. BBC1
The current BBC1 idents were created with the idea of showing different groups of
people coming together. The word ‘Oneness’ is presented towards the bottom of the
screen, in contrast to the last set of idents which would show the logo in the center, and
then fades into the BBC One logo. The font used is very simple and used over the top of
the clip, which is good as it’s easy to read and doesn’t add too much distraction from the
main focus. The whole idea for this set of idents was to embrace and reflect the diversity
that is in Britain today. The groups from each ident show more of a mature audience but
also include a few younger family members, which therefore indicates and reflects upon
the programmes that are aired on the channel.
The voice over used across all of
these BBC One idents is basic
and soft, which is played over
no soundtrack throughout the
duration, making it easy to
follow and more slow paced
overall. These set of idents
contrast with those from ITV,
who’s idents feature voice overs
with a range of various accents
and show just a glimpse of
people’s every day lives and
their activities.

7. BBC2
In BBC 2’s idents, they all feature
just a number ‘2’ that has been
designed or presented in a
different way. The use of motion
graphics is present as the ‘2’ is
imposed into a normal clip and
brought to life or made to move as
if it were an object. When
audiences watch this, most will
automatically recognise that it is
there to represent the BBC 2 brand, however the logo for the channel is still present
somewhere in the screen. Colours used within the idents are all quite mixed, with
some using darker colours and one main brighter colour to create contrast as well
as the same using brighter colours against naturals. This makes the ‘2’ stand out a
lot more on the screen and draws attention to that. With the programmes aired on
this channel being slightly more progressive than those on BBC 1, the idents need
to represent this – the reason why they’re more creative and interesting with a bit
more going on. Comparing to the older BBC 2 idents, these ones incorporate the ’2’
within the background, whereas the older ones used the ‘2’ to create a window into
a bigger picture, both ident suites being highly successful.

8. ITV
ITV’s most recent idents reflect upon what the
British public do everyday; ranging from jobs /
careers to things and activities in and out of the
home. The camera movement is either still or
very slow, giving the overall clip a slower pace.
There’s not a specific colour pallet, however the
colours that the ITV logo are shown as always
match the colours from the shot. This could
possibly reflect how the programmes shown on
this channel are suited to each particular
audience member. Linking to the audience
relation within each ident, the voiceovers used
in each one features a different accent which
shows that they have more of a diverse
audience. Each ident is taken in just one long
shot which focuses in on a specific thing, this
could relate to what programmes are aired on
the channel.
In contrast to ITV’s idents, Channel 4’s idents consist of shapes that form the number ‘4’, whereas ITV
incorporates the same colours from the background image within the logo when it appears on
screen. The logo from channel 4 stands out a lot more in contrast to ITV who’s logo blends more with
the background, giving the indication that the idents shown clearly represent the programmes aired.

9. Channel 4
Channel 4’s idents are a series of clips
which involve a number of shapes
however the very occasional ident that
briefly tells a story. This breaks up the
continuity within the suites however also
creating something more interesting to
look at every so often. The ‘4’ being
created in the more basic idents is a
signature feature that is recognised by
most people, hence why most of these
idents are short and only last a few
seconds.They are more abstract idents and don’t
give much away about the channel’s
identity, however the more abstract ones
indicate that the channel is made up of
many different pieces, potentially
mirroring that it’s made up of various
different programmes to watch. The
colours are all bright and uses a
contrasting colour with the logo
compared to the background. In the
realistic clips, the colours are all similar
and from similar colour groups, possibly
to make the focus more upon the story it’s
trying to tell.

10. Channel 5
Channel 5’s idents all tell some sort of
the story with the main focus being
revealed in a group of 5. Being the
newest channel out of the ones shown,
it is more creative and aesthetically
pleasing when watching the ident back,
with the clear theme of objects /
people / things in 5’s. The colours are all
bright however slightly softened and
muted, which works when creating
contrast with the ’5’ things on screen.
The channel’s idents are a lot more
family friendly and appeal to a wider
range of people, conveying that it’s
more of an open channel and not just
targeted strictly towards a certain
demographic. The idents are also a lot
memorable and likely to be
remembered. The groups of 5 will
remind people what the whole idea of
the ident is, which is to promote and
bring people in to watch Channel 5.

11. Learning Outcome 2 - CRITERIA
Opportunities and Limitations

12. Learning Outcome 2 - INTRO
Opportunities and Limitations
• This section concerns the opportunities and limitations of onscreen
graphic representations. This section should expand on the points
you made in section 1.
• You should consider more closely the audience and requirements on
the broadcaster to engage with their audience, discussing how they
may have successfully/unsuccessfully achieved this.
• Think about the discussions and examples from the lecture [some
points to consider will be listed in the PP for the lecture]
• Add slides to expand your points and definitely add illustrative stills,
etc!

13. TASK 2 - Learning Outcome 2
• Select 2 different channels to look at, each of these channels should
be aimed at different audiences [for example, E4 and BBC4 or CITV
and BBC1, etc].
• You should:
• Outline the style and design of each set of idents [include examples]
• Comment on the visual elements, such as colour, font, imagery, motion and
composition, for each suite of idents
• Explain how each suite supports it’s intended audience
• Consider the restrictions or challenges in trying to develop a brand/ident
package for the selected channel’s audiences
• Compare the sets of idents, what characterstics are similar or different?

14. Some starting points
• Which channel uses this ident?
• How long is the ident?
• What are the sounds used within
the ident?
• What is the content of the ident?
• Was the ident created using
animation or live footage?
• Who is the target audience for
the ident?
• What are the
settings/characters/props used
for the ident?
• How does the ident relate to the
TV Company?
• How is the TV Company
advertised?
• What are the good points about
the ident?
• What are the bad points about
the ident?
• Is the ident effective? Why?
• Does the ident have a hidden
message?

15. Q1 • Outline the style and design of each set of
idents [include examples]
• When comparing the idents for BBC1 and CITV,
the main noticeable difference is the colour
pallet. For CITV, the colours are bold and
bright, which reflects upon their audience,
which is children and younger viewers,
comparing with quite a soft and subtle pallet
from BBC 1, which is aimed at more of a
mature and older audience. CITV’s idents
feature a computed generated graphic, which
is inserted and animated against a real life
background, which clearly indicates it’s a
children’s channel. This compares to BBC 1’s
idents, which show a group of people doing
something they all like and have in common,
showing more of a reflection against the type
of programmes that are shown on the channel
as well as who might watch it.

16. Q2
• Comment on the visual elements, such as colour, font, imagery, motion and
composition, for each suite of idents
• In BBC 1’s idents, the composition of the subjects within the shot changes
throughout. Although the background image remains still and no camera
panning takes place, the people within the shot all begin spread out, to then
eventually come together and represent the whole ‘Oneness’ suite. The font
used by BBC 1 is formal and flowy which links to the more mature audience, it is
also shown in white, which continues the more muted and calm colour schemes
that are shown. Imagery used for this set of idents includes things that are taken
up by people every day, which a lot of people in their audience will be able to
relate to.
• For CITV, the font is bulky and incorporates the C from the word within the
graphics shown. This is to emphasise that it is part of the ITV family but for
children. The font is in the colour every time with generally contrasts with the
rest of the bright background, making it clear what channel is being watched.
Each ident includes a small snippet of sound, making it more interesting and will
catch the attention of the viewer if beginning to lose interest.

17. Q3
• Explain how each suite supports it’s intended audience
• BBC 1 supports it’s intended audience by featuring different clips of activities
that they’re most likely to be attracted to and take part in. The camera
movement is very simple and subtle. All the idents feature the same concept
which shows continuity within the channel and the programmes featured.
• CITV’s idents consist of a lot more movement and bold imagery. It attracts the
intended audience from the very beginning by using the graphics that clearly
stand out from the background. It’s quite artistic and replicates something that a
child may draw or come up with themselves, inspiring them to be creative too.

18. Q4
• Consider the restrictions or challenges in trying to develop a brand/ident
package for the selected channel’s audiences, write them down here:
• The similarity of content between BBC 1 and other channels may cause
challenges during development. They will need to ensure they retain their own
personal brand during production while still aiming to reach the widest
audiences that they possibly can. For example, BBC 1 have created the
‘Oneness’ brand which can be noticed as individual to them and stands out.
Another restriction that both BBC 1 and CITV may face is finding the suitable
graphics or music that fits with the audience that they want to connect with but
at the same time, one that is also suitable for the content of the channel.
• A restriction that CITV and other children’s channels will face in particular, is
keeping the ideas fresh and up to date so that they still attract the largest
audience possible. Younger viewers get distracted more easily when watching
television, so therefore ensuring that the idents keep them interested is a vital
part when creating an ident.

19. Q5
• Compare the sets of idents, what characteristics are similar or different?
• For BBC 1, the logo appears towards the bottom of the screen, slightly off
center, and remains there for the entirety of the ident sequence. This is different
from that of CITV as for their ident suite, the ’C’ is incorporated into the image
on the screen and the ‘ITV’ part of the name travels across the screen in some
way in order to emphasise that it’s the children’s section but still remains as part
of the ‘ITV’ brand.
• Another difference is the pace of the idents. Both channels seem to have slower
running motion, however when the logo is introduced, there is a significant
difference. BBC 1’s logo appears slowly and has more of a smooth look whereas
CITV’s logo is a lot more fast paced and links to the image somehow.
• One of the main differences is how BBC 1 uses real life imagery where as CITV
uses more computer created graphics.

20. Q6
• Which set/suite of idents is the most successful in your opinion? Why
do you think this?
• I think both idents are just as successful as each other because
they’re both aimed different audiences. BBC 1 is very successful with
attracting more mature and adult audiences whereas CITV is
successful with attracting the younger audiences. If comparing CITV
for a channel such as CBBC, then I’d consider CBBC to be more
popular however there is still some slight differences between the
audiences in terms of specific ages. BBC 1 is successful in the fact is
has become one of the most popular channels on TV. It features
different activities that the adult audience will most likely to be
attracted to and it also might encourage them to start something
new. CITV is successful at keeping its audience engaged which is
generally harder to do with younger viewers.

21. Q7
• What other issues do you think producers need to consider in their
production of onscreen graphic representation? This could be to do with
duration, for example when continuity announcers are used, appropriate
content, the issues of viewer generated content, etc?
• The channels will need to take into consideration the content of their idents
during different times of the day. For example, CITV may produce an ident
for later on in the day, which will be more relaxing and slow, encouraging
more of a bed time theme. On the other hand, BBC 1 will need to consider
their content of the idents after the watershed time, as the theme of
programmes on the channel will change and will be suitable for adults,
therefore the idents need to represent this more.
• Both channels will need to have a range of diverse accents and ethnicities
shown through the continuity announcers, as well as both male and female
announcers. This will represent the wide audiences that are the targets for
both channels, not just a very specific demographic.
• Duration of the idents will need to be a suitable length and is very important
to think about during the production process. The ident shouldn't be too
long as people will begin to get bored of them however but they need to be
long enough to indicate what kind of thing is broadcast on the channel.