Inordertofit two broadcasters my show will need to pay significant attention to its branding. Fortunately the two networks I have chosen (Channel 4 and SBS) are very similar platforms in terms of their style and content. A lot of the shows branding and style is defined by its content. Channel4areknown for providing alternative content and covering areas that other broadcasters don’t offer as much of. The network also has a strong focus on “the arts” and has had several successful documentary series before such as “Artists In Residence”. This already helps my show to fit in, sinceitlooksat two performing arts schools, and its different areas. The show will be structured in to two distinct halves (to allow for the add break both networks have) withasignificantamountofsetupinthefirsthalf, which will reach a peak just before the add break encouraging audiences to continue watching. Both networks (SBS in particular) have a very strong focus on “people” (or characters), and as suchtohelpan audience connect with the shows ”people” as the network would want, I have limited the amount of contributors that will be featured in each episode. While previous shows had up to six characters per episode, they suffered in audience retention due to viewers becoming overwhelmed with content and struggling to make a strong connection with characters on screen due to the lack of time spent with them, which is why I will only cover a maximum of four contributors per episode. 

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SBS hasbuiltupastrongbrandover the yearsforprovidingmore serious, grounded/down to earth content very similar to channel 4. I fully intend for my show to back up this brand. Since it is an observatory documentary and not constructed reality (which other shows have been criticized for in the past) it will be following the real life events that take place in both performing arts schools and crew will not intervene or set up any of the storylines/events that develop. To completely ensure this I have chosen to use a fixed camera rig, which will decrease the strong presence camera crews can have, and encourage more natural behavior from contributors. By having mostly remotely operated camera’s contributors will be less likely to“playup” tothecamerasincetheywontevenbeawarewhichonesarerecording. The range of contributors I have chosen will also work well with the Channel4/SBS brand as I selected them all whilst carefully considering each broadcasters remit. For example “The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect Australia's multicultural society".

This show serves to provide both education and entertainment to audiences. It will provide an invaluable insight in to just how the world of performing arts functions in a small rural community, what is involved in attending these schools and just what happens in classes. It will also fulfil the entertainment part of both channels branding since following real people in such a creative environment is guaranteed to result in some amusing stories. The exercisesand processes that take place in classes, the interactions between contributors with such varying personalities and the relatability of contributors as they go through exams, rehursals etc is bound to entertain audiences. The fact that these two performing arts schools from two different countries will be collaborating with one another will also fulfil the multicultural aspects of SBS’s branding and at thesametime fit within Channel 4’s branding goals to achieve “culturally diverse content” and ”have a strong focus on creativity”.So by having a documentary series that covers a creative and niche topic that doesn’t receive a great deal of attention form other media. And by shooting itfrom an observational non constructed point of view, with a strong focus on a limited number of real contributors that audiences can connect with I am confident that the show will fit with the branding and style of both Channel 4 and SBS.

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To ensure my show also fits the branding of Channel 4/SBS I have prepared some example images that could be sued for several purposes. The best intended use for the aforementioned work would be as promotional materialfortheshow,advertisingitsexistence and informing people when it will be shown. The designs I have prepared are based on existing channel 4 posters (as channel 4 has more prominent promotional branding thanSBS), Channel 4’s brand is known for its distinctive use of slightly muted colors, tending to avoid the primary colors where possible in its material. My posters are no exception to that branding choice and deliberately use colors similar to what is currently used on the channel 4 website. The posters feature one/two subject(s) since Channel 4 likes to keep its branding quite minimalist, providing only the necessary information 9usually the name of the show and when it will be broadcast) and my images follow suite. The work created could be used as physical posters and or billboards (which are channel 4’s most utilized forms of promotion), as well as digital artwork. This artwork could easily be placed on both Channel 4’s website and SBS’s giving the show that much sought after online presence, forming the digital advertisement that both platforms are known for. In keeping with the brand you will also find character/contributor profiles on this website that would feature online as part of the interactive experience Channel 4/SBS like to offer with their shows. Speaking of interactive experiences there is also a logo that I have created, which not only helps theshowdefineit’s own recognizable branding that would be advertised across the network (and feature in every episode), but would also be paired online (as a small emoji resembling graphic) with the hashtag I have created for the show “#ATWAS”, that viewers could use on sights like twitter when discussing the show. The use of this hashtag and paired logo/graphic would further the promotion of the show, widening its audience reach and creating it’s own recognizable branding that people would begin to associate with the show and the channel. 

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When discussing the shows branding it is also key to mention that the show will be partnering with a sponsor. Namely Qantas airline. An Australian based airline that is not only one of Australia's oldest and most recognized air travel companies. But is also a leader whenitcomes to flights between the UK and Australia. Flying more passengers than any other airline. As such it makes an excellent sponsor for the show. The company will feature at the beginning and end of every episode, as well as the start and end of every commercial break. Giving the company significant exposure and association with this compelling international documentary series. The sponsor will get a short sequence that shows their logo and other company associated images, paired with a short narrated massage giving key positive information regarding the company and its flights and the fact that it sponsors the show. Audiences will begin to see qanats as a part of the shows branding and will associate it with this international series, expanding its customer reach and offering positive reinforcement for the company. Pairing with this company will also make sense since the money they provide in return for the sponsorship will feed back in to the travel costs and arrangements for crew and contributors, crew especially who will be traveling between the two countries throughout production. Makingiteasierandmoreviableforcrewtotravel at short notice without blowing all the budget money.

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To go in to more detail about style and visual approach, as previously established to get the most authentic, informative stories and accurate representation of life in these two schools this will be a fixed camera series. I have spoken many times before about the parallels between this show and shows such as Educating Essex and 24 hours in A&E. Since, although on a larger scale, both of those programs utilized the same fixed camera set up that I plan to use. The vast majority of cameras on the show will be wall or ceiling mounted and will transmit a live feed back to the gallery allowing the director to see a vast array of angles and change between them at any given moment. Viewing most of the contributors from high angles will grant the “fly on the wall” feel that the show will be recognizable for. Therewillbecameras positioned in all areas of the room, so although they may be some distance from contributors there will be a camera that is able to see their face at all times, and thanks to the lenses on each camera we will be able to get decent mid shots or even close ups of key contributors, whilst still beingabletopullouttoawiderviewwithoutanycontinuityissues.

I have prepared several diagrams that detail the layout of each location and how the cameras will be placed I each room to achieve the most coverage. Naturally there will be more camera’s in performance areas than say seating areas, but this way we can ensure we track a contributor as they move about the space as if it were a tripod rig. Despite the positioning of the fixed cameras it will seek to emulate a very similar visual approach to educating Essex, with episodes mostly consisting of mid shots, that capture each of our contributors in their day to day activities, changing angles (even if only slightly) fairly often as they move about the space. The more active the contributor the more long shots will be used to maintain the sense of actuality and observatory, reminding the audience that we are simply a fly on the wall, here to learn about the lives of these people. However during moments of tension, excitement or drama the director will ensure that we cut to significantly more close up’s to frame the emotions and reactions on the faces of the contributors. Due to the active nature of classes as well, many of the episodes (depending on the contributor, class, and stage) will be made up of two shots as contributors react with one another, be it rehearsinga scene/dance or teaching a class, there is going to be constant interaction. Which is why it again makes sense for the show to use a fixed camera rig, since we can transition between shots and camera angles at a moments notice without having to wait for crew to move.

It is at this point that I will also bring up two other shows that had a significant influence on the style and visual approach of this show. The 2013 series School for Stars, and the 1974 documentary The Family. Both were observatory documentaries that followed their contributors through their daily lives in their respective areas. School for stars took place at London’s biggest performing arts school and followed a series of students through their school year. It was very contributor focused, and despite the vast array of students at the school chose to focus on the stories of a select few, giving usalargeamountofbackground information on them and filming them not only in school but in their homes (something I found very effective). Thecamera work was mostly handheld but interestingly there was not a great deal of movement involved the crew would usually assign themselves to a position out of thewayandusethe zoom of the camera to maintain mid shots and track contributors.

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This use of mid shots fed in to the construction of my series, and helped affirm why a fixed camera set up would work. The Family series was a very authentic series that followed the lives of a working class family in the 70’s and showed the hardships they faced, never intervening even if someone was in distress, choosing instead to use a lot of two shots and close ups that highlighted the emotions felt by contributors. This was a very powerful choice and demonstrated just how much greater the emotional and educational impact of observational documentary is over constructed reality. Theuseofhandheldcamerawasaninteresting choicebutnotsomething Icouldfullyevaluate sincefixedcamerariggingwasnotviableatthetime, so would not have been a considered option when planning the show.

 

There will be a few parts within my show that will use slightly differentcamerarigs. For dance and performance sequences I have commissioned the use of several ”go Pros” that will be placed on stages or dance banisters to capture unique yet effective close up’s and additional angles during these sequences (which serve great significance to a contributors story), theyprovidea view that a fixed cameras could not and will enhance the story telling of theshow.Theotherexceptionto the fixed camera rig will be during ”diaryroom”interviewscenes.Atsomepointin the episodes our contributors will be taken out of their fixed camera ”sets” and will partake in a short interview that provides background detail and or further exposition to their story. This will take place in a dedicated room usingamoretraditionalcamera,locked ontoa tripod, for an effective viewing angel that audiences will appreciate as it enhances their connection with the contributors, in a way a fixed camera interview may not. This is a visual approach tool that I picked up on in all the above mentioned shows and found it particularly effective. (this set up will also be used toobtainadditional footage from contributors houses).

An array of reference images that further explain the visual approach that I have detailed here can be found on thispage and around thesite.