E4 and their Target Audience
E4 is a television broadcaster in the UK, owned by the public but managed by the Channel Four Television Company. The channel started as a subscription service in 2001, before being made free to air for the public in 2005 (2008 for Sky's satellite subscription service). The channel regularly broadcasts many US imported shows, including:
- The Cleveland Show
- Smallville
- Veronica Mars
- How I Met Your Mother
- Rules of Engagement
- The Big Bang Theory
Previously, E4 also held the rights for Friends, before it was bought by Comedy Central in 2011. The channel also broadcasts UK entertainment programmes including:
- Misfits
- The Ricky Gervais Show
- Shameless
- Hollyoaks
- Made In Chelsea
- The Inbetweeners
The Inbetweeners holds the channel's record for most watched programme, pulling in roughly 3 million viewers for every episode of its third series in 2010. Very much in line with this programme, E4's primary target audience is teenagers and young adults, a demographic aged roughly 15-35 and psychographic of working classes and lower middle classes. Their favourite programmes on the channel are likely to include How I Met Your Mother, Hollyoaks and - of course - the Inbetweeners. The secondary target audience would be a slightly older demographic, those aged roughly 35-45, who fitted into the primary target audience in earlier years, and enjoy replays of some slightly older shows such as The Ricky Gervais Show and, previously, Friends.
E4's management company Channel 4 also broadcasts multiple other channels. Aside from Channel 4 itself, 'More4' and '4Seven' broadcast mainly replays of other Channel 4 programmes, primarily Come Dine With Me. 4Music is another channel, launched in 2008 which broadcasts chart music with their videos.
Analysing E Stings
An E Sting is a 10 second ident which is aired before and between programmes, with its main purpose being to remind the audience what channel they are watching. The E Stings are produced by members of the public in an open competition on E4's website. Sixteen of the entries are short-listed every year, and aired on TV to allow the public to vote for the best E Sting.
This E Sting, from the 2015 competition, is a computer animated comedy, made for the teenage demographic due to the humour. The E Sting consists of several sloths celebrating over some decks, and eating a giant E4 shaped leaf. I liked this E Sting because it was funny, and the animation style really stands out with its high quality look, and plenty of details throughout.
Another 2015 E Sting proves that they don't all have to be animated. 'The Cat Goes Out' is made with live action footage from the perspective of a cat as it looks at its bowl of milk before leaving through the cat flap. Anyone could be the audience here (because cats don't have a specific audience themselves!) but its manly focused at the 15-35 demographic due to the lower quality in filming and evident low budget. I enjoyed it because it was different to many of the others but also interesting because of the POV shot.
'Admiral Beard' is a comedy stop motion E Sting, also made for the 15-35 demographic. It consists of a sailor and his boat getting sunk into the sea when pushed into the E4 logo. The animated figures are knitted, including the E4 logo, but also features a human hand which briefly breaks the fourth wall of stop motion animation. It was enjoyable because it was different because I haven't seen animated wool before, and also funny due to the hand scenario. In addition, the stop motion is incredibly well done , the sailor sinking is particularly impressive in my opinion.
This E Sting, from the 2015 competition, is a computer animated comedy, made for the teenage demographic due to the humour. The E Sting consists of several sloths celebrating over some decks, and eating a giant E4 shaped leaf. I liked this E Sting because it was funny, and the animation style really stands out with its high quality look, and plenty of details throughout.
Another 2015 E Sting proves that they don't all have to be animated. 'The Cat Goes Out' is made with live action footage from the perspective of a cat as it looks at its bowl of milk before leaving through the cat flap. Anyone could be the audience here (because cats don't have a specific audience themselves!) but its manly focused at the 15-35 demographic due to the lower quality in filming and evident low budget. I enjoyed it because it was different to many of the others but also interesting because of the POV shot.
'Admiral Beard' is a comedy stop motion E Sting, also made for the 15-35 demographic. It consists of a sailor and his boat getting sunk into the sea when pushed into the E4 logo. The animated figures are knitted, including the E4 logo, but also features a human hand which briefly breaks the fourth wall of stop motion animation. It was enjoyable because it was different because I haven't seen animated wool before, and also funny due to the hand scenario. In addition, the stop motion is incredibly well done , the sailor sinking is particularly impressive in my opinion.
Planning & Preparation
To prepare for producing my own E Sting, I have been experimenting with different types of animation. First, I produced my own versions of early animation techniques including a Thaumatrope, Zoetrope and Praxinoscope.
In groups, we produced a Lego stop motion animation; our one featured a brick character getting kidnapped in a hovercraft!
My E Sting
For my own animation, I will be using card cut-out characters and objects to provide movement in a similar style to early episodes of South Park. It will tell the simple story of a man who sneezes on the bus, producing the E4 logo with his phlegm.
You have planned a response to a specified brief that takes into account thorough and in-depth research into the client and the targeted audience. You have conceptualised an idea that is fit for purpose and that would appeal to the target audience. You worked independently and to professional expectations.
ReplyDelete