The document discusses television idents for different channels and their design and purpose. It analyzes idents for BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5. For BBC1 and BBC2, it notes their simple, calm designs reflect their universal audiences. ITV idents link to shows or time of day. Channel 4 idents are abstract and engaging to match their diverse shows. Channel 5 idents lack a clear identity. It compares opportunities and challenges for BBC1, which must be inclusive, versus Channel 4 appealing to younger audiences. The document evaluates Channel 4 as having the better, more unique idents.

1. Television Idents
Ben Clayton

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 broadcasing]
Television idents are used to create an image for a channel which helps us as
viewers to remember them for what they look like so if you are channel surfing
and you scroll past and notice an ident it can remind and sometimes get you to
stay on that channel (the channels identity). The ident will relate to the type of
channel it is such as BBC 1 which has a clear slow shot and just a single or few
shots making it easy to follow and understand, this is because they have a
universal audience being quite young and older so by making it not difficult to
understand with brief information then it helps retain the viewers. If you then look
at a channel such as CHANNEL 4 then they have a different audience due to the
shows they have on the channel so they have very engaging and active idents as
the audience they have connect to a more abstract and challenging ident to
understand which they do by using lots of shots with fast editing and more visuals
so the viewer has more to take in and absorb.

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
When TV was first introduced there was not hundreds of channels to choose from
but only the one. Starting in 1936 BBC 1 was the first channel on the TV which
meant that there wasn’t a need to have the best ident as there was not
competition of comparisons of channels. It took till 1955 for ITV to be introduced
as a rival which meant the first competition. Later on BBC was added in 1966 with
4 in 1982 and 5 in 1997. this created a big change in the TV industry as there were
now channels too choose from and idents were now needed to create character
for the channel so people can choose what they like and can remember what they
like by identity (imagery and video with unique colours for the channel e.g. BBC
uses reds and simple video shots). Now we have moved further with over 70
channels just from free view along with other packages such as SKY, VIRGIN and
other companies which can now allow you to have hundreds of channels. But to
the major channels everyone sees (BBC, ITV, CHANNEL 4 AND 5) they need to have
unique idents to represent them selves by so people can remember them for
whom they are such as BBC with there more simple showings on the channel
getting a universal audience makes there idents slower and calmer with less
editing and a simpler message when sent across in video and audio in the brief
information. This channel couldn’t be compared to a channel such as Channel 4
showing completely different shows grabbing a completely different audience
which means they have a different style within there ident which is shown as they
have abstract faster with lots of editing and visuals and when a message is being
shown in some of there longer idents which are almost like short movies the
message they are sending or showing within the visuals can be more complex and
harder to understand but there audience is more about that style of visual rather
than a BBC style which could be quite slow and boring for them.

6. BBC1
• Describe the current BBC1 ident design. How does this reflect the
brand/identity of the channel? Why do you think have chosen to
do this? How does it compare to other channels
BBC 1 have got very simple idents with soft and calm viewing for the
audience always with clear briefing information over the top for either a
message or what is upcoming next on the channel. They have a very big
budget to work with when making these but like always with there idents
they are simple and easy going as there isn’t loads needed to be spent to get
there audience to realize what they are watching and if they want to or not
as they know what there audience is and have for a long time so have been
working on it to make it pristine.

7. BBC2
• This about the design and style of the BBC 2 idents we discussed,
what do they represent and how does this reflect the channel?
Like BBC 1, BCC 2 has a very chilled ident collection as they have long shots with
little editing so that again the audience has a very easy time watching it as the
audience will be very similar to the BBC 1 audience. The theme for the idents
design is that they have 2 differnet places being showed within the same image
one within the foreground and the other in the background. The background is
being shown through the number 2 which links to 2 areas being shown. The things
being shown are either fun or everyday things which can easily make the audience
have links within what is happening within the ident. There is also regional voice
over whom has a soft relaxing voice which impacts what you are seeing more.

8. ITV
• Considering the ITV idents we watched, what does this say about the
channel? How does this compare to BBC1 or Channel 4? How have the ITV
idents changed since the versions we watched? Why do you think this is?
ITV have gone for a different take on there most recent idents making them more
interesting with slightly more happening within them but very similar to the BBC 1
idents and this is because they have always been rivaling with very similar audiences
Idents before certain shows link with a show or link with the time of day / weather
which is shown in an ident with snow on the ground but bright in day time which
linked to the timing of the day and weather of the ident being played. For linking to a
show one ident was very dark and the audio info over of the lady talking about the
upcoming show was saying how the next show was some form of tense action thriller
which makes the audience connect to what is coming and help make the audience
stay to watch.

9. Channel
• What do you think about the Channel 4 ident designs? How do they
reflect the channel’s identity? What do they convey about the
channel?
I feel channels 4 most recent idents have been there best with them being obscure
and engaging with abstract and challenging visuals for there audience to work out
which works really well for the channel as they have an audience which is
watching them for the diverse strange shows and by making there ident like that
helps there audience connect and stick to watch there channel. Although there
has been change within there ident they have kept there most unique aspect of
there logo of the 4 being obscure with sharp edges which has been shown within
the ident but not stated so obviously but noticeable as you already know what it
looks like since they have used it since it began (1982). I also feel that they have
managed to keep the same designing of the idents modern and up to date making
it easier to enjoy automatically for the audience.

10. Channel 5
• What do you think about the Channel 5 ident designs? How do they
reflect the channel’s identity? What do they convey about the
channel?
I think that Channel 5 have a nice set of ident designs but they do not reflect on the channels
identity very well as they are quite random with no link apart from the link to the number 5
as the theme of the idents are people are seeing something in multiples of 5 such as five
rainbows or 5 dogs. I feel that channel 5 can not make an identity for its self and is looking at
what other channel idents look like and trying to fit in with them so they can look more
relevant. I think the idents slightly reflect on the channel as they view shows which used to
be played on other bigger channels but loss there popularity but had enough audience to
keep on screen just with a channel that isn’t as big which means if they take shows from
other channels they must have some same audience which could be why Channel 5 feel the
need to copy and look similar to other channels.

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. BBC 1 & CHANNEL 4
The BBC 1 idents are single shot, live footage events of groups
of people taking part in activates around the country with on
screen text in basic font telling where about they are which can
be to try link viewers with what they are seeing as it could be a
place they know or live making it feel more personal and
connected to the channel already. They have been designed to
be basic showing only what they need to getting a very easy
going watch. As there audience is universal they need to make
idents which are comfortable for everyone and by making them
simplistic by keeping the camera single/few shots and clear
visuals to show what is going on then they are going to have
the widest possible audience they can without it trying to try
focus on a certain age group. The Channel 4 idents are multiple
shot, live and animated footage of abstract 3D objects which
have the same shapes as there logo which can be recognized
without actually knowing until you see it create the logo and
then it triggers why they seemed familiar. This is a method of
trying to get the audience to think and almost interact with the
ident which can make it less boring too watch. They have used
2 colours per ident which work well and are vibrant making it
very eye catching for it too appear on screen if someone was
flicking through channels it could look more appealing. There Is
motion within the 3D objects on some of the idents for
Channel 4 that show time in the way they are moving which
would then be played within real time at the same time to link
the ident to when it is being watch by the audience which is
giving useful information to them but without being shown as
boring. The channel 4 has programs being quite diverse and
more of a challenge to watch and this gives there audience age
group from 16-34. they have managed to make the idents work
for there audience by taking what they show and putting
aspects of it into the visuals such as the curiosity into first
seeing them and what is actually happening within the ident
and the modern look they have made by making it abstract
giving the modern feel which can connect with the younger
audience.

15. Issues and challenges faced.
BBC 1 have many restrictions as they have a universal audience which means all
people from being a kid to an elderly person from all ethnicities and cultures. This
means that they must make sure it is family friendly and is never offensive and be
welcoming. The BBC also has the challenge of making it not too boring as they
want to try keep it family friendly without ruining it for the older audience too.
They have also made a majority of idents that are day time themed and could
have had some night themed ones so that they could be played at specific times
of the day to have more relevance with the audience watching at the time.
Channel 4 has the challenge of trying to please the slightly younger teen audience
as well as the adult audience with such difference in the shows from earlier in the
day to later gives a broader audience (shows more adult friendly on night) and
trying to balance it so that it can be enjoyed by quite a different group all together
can be difficult as the set of idents will be played throughout the day.

16. My opinion on the better set of idents.
I think that Channel 4 has the better idents with more success as they
have chosen to go for a set of idents unlike there previous and going
for a more unique approach. Unlike BBC 1 whom have chosen to go for
a similar style as all there idents which makes it seem instead of trying
to advance and trying to make a style or differences to make it stand
out they have gone for the safe choice which is seen by too many
channels now.