Institutional Context of E4

Channel 4 is a publicly-owned, commercially-funded public service broadcaster. They do not receive any public funding and have a remit to be innovative, experimental and distinctive. Channel 4 works across television, film and digital media to deliver our public service remit, as outlined in the 2003 Communications Act and most recently the 2010 Digital Economy Act.

Channel 4 was launched on 2nd November 1982 with a unique business model, under the Broadcasting Act 1981. They are funded predominantly by advertising and sponsorship, but unlike other broadcasters such as ITV, Channel 4 is not shareholder owned. Channel 4 is a statutory corporation, independent of Government, and governed by a unitary board made up of executive and non-executive directors, who are responsible for ensuring that Channel 4 fulfils its remit and delivers its financial responsibilities. Non-executive directors are appointed by OFCOM in agreement with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. This system ensures they're not-for-profit status; that they are held accountable and that all profit generated by their commercial activity is directly reinvested back into the delivery of their public service remit.

In addition to the main Channel 4 service, which is available on all digital platforms as well as through traditional analogue transmission, their portfolio includes E4, More4, Film4 and 4Music, as well as an ever-growing range of online activities that includes channel4.com, Channel 4's bespoke video-on-demand service 4oD and standalone digital projects. Through its film arm Film4 Channel 4 is also a key supporter of British film making talent.

As a publisher-broadcaster, Channel 4 is required to commission UK content from the independent production sector. We are a major investor in the UK's creative economy, working with around 300 creative companies from across the UK every year and investing significantly in training and talent development throughout the industry.

Channel 4 does not provide a public service, like the police or the NHS, so it does not maintain a list of organisations with which it works in partnership, as typical public authorities may.

However, as a publisher/broadcaster, Channel 4 does not produce its own programmes but commissions them to over 300 independent production companies across the United Kingdom every year. Some of these independent production companies include: 12 Yard Productions, Vertigo Films and Lime Pictures (who make shows such as The Only Way is Essex and Hollyoaks) 

Information Relating To The Legislation Relevant To The Authority's Functions and Regulatory Responsibilities:

The board members responsibilities are set out in the Communications Act and the Remit.

Remit 

Licence

Communications Act 2003

Broadcasting Act 1990

Broadcasting Act 1996

Digital Economy Act 2010

The format is electronic and the there is no cost.

Sources: 

http://www.channel4.com/info/corporate/legal/classes-of-information-1

http://www.channel4.com/info/corporate/about

Checklist of Duties

My roles within our research are:
Audience Research:

• Focus Group
• UK Tribes Page
• Research from Books

Secondry Research:

• E-Mail Producers
• Set up Twitter account for an online poll
• Quote media production books

Summary of Assesment Brief

We work for a hypothetical production company, Silver Lining Productions; they have had recent success with fly on the wall documentaries, structured reality programming and fiction productions. They have developed supporting media for their shows in print, audio and e-media. This company is well known for its work in pushing the boundaries of existing formats.

We have being given the opportunity to prepare a pitch for and up and coming programme. This programme will be targeted at audiences similar to E4’s demographic (15-35) and will be suitable for pre-watershed broadcasting.  We are working in groups of four, creating the opening few scenes to a fictional drama. Our page shall be supported by a three page fan site. We will use our website to promote our programme and encourage as much audience interactivity and communication as possible. Our production materials should be produced to a professional standard.  

Research Plan

Todorov, Propp and Barthes - Skins, E4

Tzvetan Todorov

Equilibrium: It seems like an everyday morning at the main characters house, the main character Tony and he is phoning up his friends organising what they’re going to do in the day.                    
Disruption: Tony gets invited to an upper-class girl’s party but
Recognition of Disruption: Tony doesn’t know anybody who’s going so he tries to gather a group of his mates together to go to the party
Attempt to repair: Tony gets some of his friends to the party
New/Return to Equilibrium: Mid-way through the party Tony’s other friends turn up, after getting into a fight at the party Tony and his friends leave, the end scene shows Tony and his best mate lying in bed, the rest of the family take there usually morning routine again.

Vladimir Propp

Roland Propp

Barthes theory is based on 5 codes that readers use to decode the text:

Action- events which have logical consequences e.g. when food is presented, there is a probability that characters will eat it. 

Enigma- the mystery that audiences are left to decode, and questions raised by the narrative. 

Semics- signs used to express stereotype, objects and sets etc. e.g. spaceships connote sci fi. 

Symbolic Code - which is meaning expressed through juxtapositions and conflict within the narrative. 

Cultural Code - anything from stereotype to pop culture references or even knowledge we know and share together. This is an element very typical of spoof movies.

Skins,E4 Website Analysis

When you first enter the E4 website for Skins the main theme colour for the website is purple, this colour runs throughout the webpage as it’s the main colour you would associate with E4 which helps the audience of the website easily make the link that Skins is an E4 broadcasted programme, the use of purple in the E4 logo is gender neutral; this means there is no gender bias within the channel, this can also be carried over to the programme itself to say that the programme isn’t targeted at any specific gender. The main image (signifier) of the website is two girls hugging each other and smiling, the connotations (signified) for this would be happiness and friendliness which makes the website feel more welcoming and as the two girls in the image seem between the ages of 17-20 we presume that the targeted audience age for the programme is 17-20. The central image may also suggest that skins is aimed for an audience of more girl, over boys. This is suggested by the girly friendship bond, clearly visible in the header. 

As you scroll down the webpage on the left hand side of the screen is a sidebar with the Skins’ social networking links, there is one for Facebook and one for Twitter. Www.kenburbary.com did a breakdown of the US users (gender and age) of the Facebook website and found that over 50 million people between the ages of 18-25 use Facebook and  http://pandodaily.com did the same for Twitter and found out that 31% (the highest per cent) of all twitter users are between the ages 18-24, this shows that the website is using social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to promote new series and to keep fan involved with the series because it is very popular with the target audience for the programme.

The website is well anchored in text, the language used is very colloquial and seems as the words used are words that the target audience for this show would use. Words such as ‘gang’ is used for the group of actors and ‘tele’ is used instead of television are used and just simple things like saying “they’re” instead of “they are” making the text less formal and easier to read. The paradigmatic choices such as the sans serif font make it less formal and give a friendlier overall look to the page; the images are very linear down the middle of the page and are also very colourful grabbing the audience’s attention to the image.    

Questions to Consider

From my analysis I have thought up a few questions to consider:

• Who will be the target audience for my product ?
• How can I portray a certain characterist within a character to make them relatable with the audience ?
• How can I use lighting to portray a characters mood ?
• What locations can I use to make the characters relatable ?
• Who will I use to cast the main roles of my characters ?
• How can I use sounds to portay an atmosphere within a scene
• What costumes can I use to convey a character and make them relatable to the audience ?  
• How can I target a specific audience and make sure they are drawn in to the programme ?