Unit 32 Designing Idents for Television

Limitations - Aspect Ratio If the ident is created at a 16:9 source and is shown on a 4:3 monitor, black bars will appear at the top and the bottom of the screen, cutting off what could be essential parts of the ident.  If the ident is created at a 4:3 source but it shown on a 16:9 monitor, then black bars will appear on both sides of the screen. Therefore, producers must conduct extra research on its target audience and what television sets they own as creating an ident that is not entirely view-able to its target audience will be not only pointless but a waste of time and money as it will not send out the message that the channel wants to send out. 

Limitations - Size The most frequent width vs height ratio on newer televisions are 16:9, whereas older televisions have less space. This impacts the types of idents producers can create as it is pointless creating a particular type if the audience are unable to view it. Channels that appeal to the older generations such as BBC One can be an example of having to ensure idents fit within a smaller screen, as it older viewers may have older television sets. Therefore BBC One must focus on keeping all text towards the middle of the screen so that those with older televisions are still capable of viewing them.  Channels that have a younger target audience may differ to this, as younger viewers are more likely to have updated televisions. This means that they have enough television quality to view different types of idents on larger screens, therefore producers will be able to come up with different ways of arranging their ident so that it fits the entire screen. 

Limitations - Colour The type of colour a channel uses does not only identify its target audience - it is also for the ability for it to visually appeal to anyone watching it. If a channel chooses to use bright colours it must be careful that it does not use any colours that may cause eye strain, making it difficult for viewers to look at what is on screen.  Here is an example from CBeebies, as although it contains bright colours (the blue and pink backgrounds) it still has bright yellow blobs that stand out, leading viewers to focus on the screen. This is effective as CBeebies' target audience is young children, therefore they will be drawn to brighter colours and the bright, moving characters. 

Limitations - Resolution Not every TV ident will appeal to every viewer at home. This can all depend on what kind of television they own; producers can invest large amounts of time and money and it still may not have the same impact on all of its viewers as their type of television can impact this entirely. 

Limitations - Typography External agencies employed by institutions are limited to ‘house fonts’ used by that company. An example of a company not being able to change its font is Disney, as on every single Disney product and production there is a particular font that is only used by Disney. This makes Disney and unique to its audience as everyone will know no other company can use that particular style of font.  Disney's blue castle ident is famous on all of its productions, therefore here is an example of this particular font being different to the 'Pictures' text underneath; any member of the audience who sees that font style will think of Disney, therefore increasing brand reputation. Therefore, Disney cannot use any other type of font as it goes against their logo.  

Opportunities – Encouragement of Brand Loyalty Idents have an opportunity to encourage brand loyalty via repetition and audience involvement. The greater the involvement the greater the chance the institution has of securing their loyalty. This can include social interaction via social media. 

Opportunities – appeal to target audience This is an example of Disney Channel reaching out to its audience by showing their target audience’s favourite characters (from Lizzie McGuire to That’s So Raven) which appeals to all of the target and drawing their attention. Bright colours and light backgrounds are still included in the idents, therefore appealing to Disney Channel’s target audience of young children and teenagers.