BBC - People like us : Analysis

 I  had Analysed an individual episode from BBC, which was a programme called 'People Like Us'. The programme  was a human interest documentary, that portrays the lifestyles and desires of certain individuals from a town called Chelmsley Wood.

The BBC presents an impartial prospective of the episode to commit to their Broadcasting restrictions. The restrictions are evolved around presenting a fair protective towards any sort of subject and to demonstrate impartiality and honesty.

The programme 'People Like Us', displays and informs the key people's lifestyles and goals. Presenting their situations and showing their attitudes towards them. The situations



Impartiality (also called evenhandedness or fair-mindedness) is a principle of justice holding that decisions should be based on objective criteria, rather than on the basis of bias, prejudice, or preferring the benefit to one person over another for improper reasons.

Unit 3.1: Research Techniques for the Creative Media Industries Essay

Unit 3.1: Research Technique for the Creative Media Industry

Research Techniques for the Creative Media Industries

The Creative Media Industry revolves around various types of research. The types of research are sectored into different stages of gathering research to be able to collect numerous amounts of selective information.

The Sectored research techniques stages are: Primary, Secondary, Qualitative and Quantitative.

Primary Research

Primary research is first-hand information, which the researcher has independently collected. Primary research can be gathered through numerous methods including, interviews, observations, focus groups and questionnaires. 

Interviews can be structured into three individual ways, Structured, Semi-structured and Unstructured. Structures are used in interviews to make a strategic ideal plan for the interviewer to gather as much information as he/she can.  A structured interview is based up on the certain questions that the interviewer has planned and set in an order, these questions are more likely to be closed questions than open. Structured interviews are structured in a critical, intimidating and aggressive approach. For example Jeremy Paxman, is an English broadcaster and journalist. Jeremy Paxman is a known journalist who used to work for the BBC, he was primarily known for his strategic style within interviews. Jeremy Paxman used the methodology of structured interviews; he used the specific structure for his interviews, because of the interviewees he had to interview, who were the majority of the time, politicians.

Semi-structured interviews are structured in a similar method as structured, but are drawn more towards open questions and can be intimidating.  Semi-structured interviews are also more responsive to exploring an open question and would have the method of repeating a specific question until the interviewer has received the answer they had wanted. For an example of a journalist who uses semi-structured interviews would be Louis Theroux.

Louis Theroux is an English journalist and broadcaster, his signature platform within the media industry is documentaries. Louis Theroux uses semi-structured interviews because of the specific platform which he uses; documentaries would use the methodology of semi-structured, because of the semi-structured, structure which enables the use of open questions. Open questions provide the ability to receive opinionated answers, which is also quoted by Pole and Lampard, Pole and Lampard (2002) “Structural questions which invite the interviewee to explain how things happen”.  (P139)

Unstructured interviews do not use a strategic method of structured and prepared questions. Unstructured interviews are specified in the development of questions and to be expanded through out the process of an interview. Although for the preparation of the interview, the interviewer would have a knowledge and idea of what type of questions to ask the interviewee. An example of an individual which also works within the media industry and uses the method of unstructured interviews would be Oprah Winfrey.

Oprah Winfrey is an American proprietor and hosts her own talk show, where she interviews celebrities. Oprah Winfrey uses the methodology of unstructured interviews, because her topical genre is platform as a talk show which would have the concept of a friendly conversation. Although Oprah Winfrey would have a structural idea and arrangements of certain questions to ask, which she would be able to expand on from the method of open questions.

The advantages of the individual research category can be; the most beneficial advantage of primary research can be the amount of control that the researcher can have, in order to receive a limitless amount of information. The researcher can set boundaries on the topic that he/she would like to observe by choosing the quantity amount of research they are looking to require.

 Primary research can also use and focus on the elements of quantitative and qualitative research; this can also be beneficial to the researcher. Using quantitative and qualitative research can be more valuable than gathering quantitative and qualitative research from authorized information such as, Secondary research. The reason of this, is because of it being Secondary research, the information could have valid results.

The advantages of primary research could be the certain element of type of research being able to collect a various amount of first-hand information, unlike secondary.

The disadvantages of primary research however can be time consuming and could have a great amount of requirements in order to gather the information.

Secondary Research

Secondary research is an authorized evaluation of gathered information for others to observe. The formula of secondary research is based up on source data, which is used within certain resources of; books, websites, authorized surveys & charts and social media.

Advantages of secondary research could be involving; guidance for the researcher to observe, such as the quote of McQueen and Knussen, McQueen and Knussen (2002) “The Scope of secondary data will often exceed what the individual might achieve on their own”. (P26)

Secondary research could also be an advantage for the researcher to gather information that is required for certain resources and material.

The disadvantages that secondary research might have are the fact that the information gathered could stand to be false. One other disadvantage could be, with the use of the information not being evidential and not first-hand information.

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is used through primary research and secondary research. Qualitative research is based up on text based information, including certain methods of; interviews, social media and observational information.  Qualitative research is more drawn towards context other than Quantitative research, which revolves around facts and figures.

Advantages of qualitative research could be the detailed element of the research technique being able to provide opinionated information and a great amount of information.

The disadvantages towards qualitative research could be; the use of the type of research not being able to give factual percentages of information, and with the certain elements of the research being text based information, the information the type of research provides could be difficult for some researchers to acknowledge.

The concept of Qualitative research is initiated with opinionated and context evaluations. The construction of Qualitative research compared to Quantitative research, provides the ability to enable the use of open-questions. Using this method of research can establish the resource of opinionated answers, which can give more unique and responsive answers.

Qualitative research also provides an opportunity to explore and exceed within the gathering of information, which McQueen and Knussen quoted, McQueen and Knussen (2002) “Qualitative research approaches explore and describe, explain and predict”. (P28)

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research subjected to facts and figures, which covers surveys, charts and graphs. Quantitative research is engaged in closed questions because of its method of being able to be quantified in figures. A closed question is a question that is shortened into a yes or no answer, other than an open question, this enables closed questions to be implemented into graphs and charts.

The disadvantage that this research technique may have could be the aspect of the research technique only being able to configure quantified facts and figures.

 One advantage of this research technique can be the element of it being based around facts and figures, can be easy to acknowledge.

Methods and Sources of Research

The methods of the research techniques of primary, secondary, qualitative and quantitative are sectored into each individual technique including the certain stages of research. Primary research covers certain methods which includes quantitative and qualitative techniques, these methods can be; Interviews, observations and surveys.

These methods are used efficiently to enhance and enforce certain information gathered and provide evidential research.

The methods that are second-hand information can be consumed from various methods and resources from; websites, books/magazines and reviews. These individual methods can be confidential for guidance for elements, which cover various topics. Secondary research also is insinuated with quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Purposes of Research

The Purposes of research using these stages of individual techniques and methods are used throughout the media industry to target and recover valuable research of audiences, marketing and products. Companies use these methods to receive and create an ideal product for an audience that exists in the present generation; this product could be evaluated to various amounts of individual products. e.g. The product could be a T.V program which is displayed on a specific channel, let’s say for instance, the program could be ‘EastEnders’ which is scheduled on BBC 1.

For the research of this programme, the distributors would research on the specific audience that would be targeted on this product. The distributors would receive information on individual marketing websites such as ‘BARB (Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board)’.

This specific website ‘BARB’ assembles audience measurements and T.V ratings. This website would give a clear vision on how well the programme is performing, by the numbers of ratings across the country. Gather this information the distributors would observe the ratings throughout weeks to receive a good indication of results.

The reason they would review the results throughout a long period of time is to receive a ratio of figures to indicate which programme is performing the best at the same schedule. For instance the chosen programme ‘EastEnders’ would be comparison to ‘Coronation Street’, because of it being the same category ‘Soaps’.

There are other sectored market research companies that acquire certain categories such as, ‘RAJAR’ & ‘The National Readership Survey (NRS)’.  RAJAR’s audience research revolves around the specific category of radio, RAJAR measures radio for audience in the UK.  As for The NRS, they measure the specific audiences for newspapers and magazines.  

The media industry uses target group methods such as, the Demographics and Socio-economic groups to distribute their products. The Demographic grading is created by ‘The National Readership Survey (NRS). There are other surveys that are used to target their audiences such as, ‘British Market Research Bureau’ and ‘Target Group index’.

There are other companies that also have their own separate research surveys that use similar methods like NRS. The specific survey that the National Readership Survey created involves a sectored table that indicates each working class from unemployed to higher management. Companies’ uses these tables to specify which audience their product will target.

Bibliography

McQueen and Knussen (2002) Research Methods for Social Science, an introduction (P26 & P28).

Prentice Hall. London.

Pole and Lampard (2002) Practical Social Investigation. Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in

Social Research (P139). Prentice Hall, London.

Documentary Research: Qualitative & Competitor Analysis

'A Farm for the Future'

Competitor Analysis

Codes & Conventions

• Introduction
• Location
• 1st Presenter
• Voice over
• Opinionated/Prospective
• Cut-aways
• Factual Images
• Journey structured
• Context
• Quantitative Information
• Key people - Presenter's story, Farmer and Geologist. 

Documentary Research - Secondary & Qualitative

Research Techniques for my Documentary

Secondary & Qualitative Research  

Albion Farm
Albion Farm has been an on growing farm since the early 1900's. Since then it was owned by a family known as the Hirst family. It had been Ernest Hirst who bought the farm in the early 1900's, from a relative.

Albion Farm produces products such as; Beef, Lamb, Pork and eggs.

The Farm has bread a Welsh Black Cattle herd since the 1970's, which is now one of the largest herds of naturally polled welsh blacks in the country. 

Over time the Farm had been supplying free ranged eggs to shops all over the local areas.

Ernest’s son Sidney, his wife Lilian and their young son David then took over the farm.

Lillian sold eggs at the farm door for many years, until the shop opened in September 2007 and she still lives in the farmhouse.

Sidney and David built up the herd of pedigree Welsh Black cattle, which was established in 1970.

On the farm are also Lonk and Gritstone breeds of sheep which are pedigree polled Dorset and Dorset Horn sheep which Annette and David began in 1985.

Address:
Albion Farm Shop
Oldham Road
Delph
Saddleworth
OL3 5RQ

Albion Farm produces products such as; Beef, Lamb, Pork and eggs. The Farm also buys and sells products from different Farming Markets, within a range of products from various meats to fruit and vegetables. 

The Farm has bread a Welsh Black Cattle herd since the 1970's, which is now one of the largest herds of naturally polled welsh blacks in the country. 

All the female cattle have been bred from generations of the original cattle and only replacement bulls are bought in when new bloodlines are needed. At present there are three bulls used on the herd, Idloes Viscount, Cathedine Domino and a son of Idloes Viscount, Albion Karel.

All the animals that are on the farm are all polled, including the Cattle and Sheep. The term polled; is the being of an animal that is naturally horned, but has genetically been dis-horned, through selective breeding.

Natural polling occurs in cattle, yaks, water buffalo and goats, and in these it affects both sexes equally; however in sheep, both sexes may be horned, both.

On the farm are Lonk and Gritstone breeds of sheep which are pedigree polled Dorset and Dorset Horn sheep.

The Poll Dorset is a short wool, sheep that was developed in Australia between 1937 and 1954 with the aim of breeding a true Dorset type sheep without horns.

Dorset horn sheep were established in the 1891. Dorset sheep are the only sheep breed that can breed all year round, and have unique horns.

Lonk sheep has good conformation for a hill breed, and is also a horned sheep, while the Derbyshire Gritstone sheep have no horns.

The Derbyshire Gritstone has a thick coat and distinctive black and white markings.

This was the website I had used to collect and implement my research for my project.

http://www.albionfarmshop.co.uk

I had gathered information from the 'Farm shop' page
http://www.albionfarmshop.co.uk/farm-shop/

I then went on to recover more information which resolved around the 'Farms History' and 'Starting up'.

Journey Distance

From Stalybridge (Where I live) to Saddleworth (Albion Farm)

Albion Farm Shop

Oldham Road

Delph

Saddleworth, Lancashire OL3 5RQ, United Kingdom

Albion Farm - 01457 874366

I had contacted the Farm shop and requested if I could produce a Student Documentary on the Farm. They replied with the statement of, 'The person that can give this permission is not here right now. But we will get back to you'.

I had called the Farm Shop multiple times and waited for them to get back to me. They did not call me back, which gave me the idea that they are not interested.

 I then thought to withdraw from the idea of the project; and search for another idea.

Gathering the out come from the distance of travel and the lack of permission I then felt that I should dismiss this idea for my Documentary project.

Documentary Research - Primary & Quantitative

Polljunkie Questionnaire

I had created a Questionnaire using 'Polljunkie', I created a questionnaire to provide information on evaluating an Audience for the specific topic of the Documentary. 

I received a total of nine responses, with providing five individual questions that would influence an idea of how well the topic would do as a documentary.

9 Responses overall  | 5 Questions Overall
_________________________________________________________________________________

Question 1.) 

Do you think farming is more difficult in the British Economy, in this present day?

88% Yes. | 11% No.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Question 2.)

Do you think this topic for a Documentary would be interesting?

88% Yes. | 11% No

________________________________________________________________________

Question 3.)

Out of a scale of ten, what would you give this idea?

6.22 of 10

_________________________________________________________________________________

Question 4.)

Does farming interest you?

88% Yes  |  11% No

________________________________________________________________________

Question 5.)

Out of these two types of farming, which one do you find the most interesting?

Sheep Farming  |  77%

Crop Farming  | 22%

Results: Polljunkie Questionnaire

Video Editing & Film Techniques - Jumps Cuts, Match Cuts and Cut-aways

Video Editing & Film Techniques: Jump Cuts, Match Cuts & Cut Aways

This video contains certain Editing and Film techniques including, Jump Cuts, Match Cuts and Cut-aways.

Jump Cut; A Jump cut is a sequenced cut that has jumped ahead within the same shot. Jump cuts are used to skip the long duration within a scene, to make the film carry on its fluidity.

Match Cut; Match cuts are used within a sequence shot, Match cuts are also used to split up a shot to make it more confutative and interesting. Match cuts are used to cut out some of the duration of the shot as-well as Jump cuts.

Cut-Away; A Cut-away is a shot that is implemented within the middle of a shot, the cut-away shot would display an object, person or environment based around the previous shot.

Panorama Analysis

Panorama

Codes & Conventions

The Panorama Episode that I had watched was a Documentary based on a fundamental school, in England. The Documentary used observational footage of the schools day-to-day life.

The observational footage that was displayed included arguments involving students and teachers. This would be evidential to the prospect of the enforcement of the documentary’s message.

The Documentary uses a variety of fact and figures that are explained within a voice over, covering the qualitative & quantitative research of the schools factual information.

A Female presenter, performs the voice over in the documentary, to include the relative tone towards the certain subject that is being covered. The voice of a Female presenter comes a cross as a more warming and caring vibe. Which would be more fluid with the certain subject other than a Male presenter’s voice.

The Males voice would be more immerse in a documentary about War, Geography or Vehicles.

The documentary also uses sequences and cut-aways in a fluent and efficient way.

They use the majority of cut-away in the sections of the voice over within the documentary. They collaborate both cut-away and voice over to create an overview to explain the facts and figures.

One of the main elements that was used in this documentary, was interviews. The interviews that Panorama imported in their documentary, included key people of the subject.

The key people that were displayed in the interviews came down to the Head Master and various teachers that had bonds and guidance's towards the students. The documentary also had shown interviews of students, that had disabilities or had been bullied and students that had problems with learning and more loud mouthed.

Panorama had interviewed these certain people to create an understanding of what the school is about and it's learning, and focuses on the opinions of the students and teachers to obtain different perspectives of each sides of the fence.