Analysis Of The Brief

Monday 25th February 2019

Analysis Of The Task

The initial phase of this documentary is to recognise that a Task Analysis has to be completed, the format of which allows the compilation of several evidential elements – research, format, group dynamics, planning, legal aspects, ethics, etc.

Elements required:

¡Content, package and hour long show.

¡Decision on radio station.

¡Requirements of radio station.

¡Group workings.

¡Planning

¡Health and safety

¡Ethics

¡Legality

¡Costing’s

¡Hardware/software requirements

¡Each separate stage of the task needs to be covered.

The documentary will be between 6 to 8 minutes in duration and will be included as part of a one hour radio magazine programme to be broadcast on Boom Radio at a later date (TBC), along with several other course participants. The process in the production of this documentary, and subsequent inclusion and participation in the Magazine Programme, is similar to that of the work undertaken for the short documentary (Male Suicides in Scotland) in Semester One.

The task assessment will involve being part of a group consisting of several classmates who are undertaking the same task. The group, who will meet regularly, will commence the task by deciding what type/style of radio station will be necessary to allow a seamless programme featuring content that is applicable for the type of programme. There will also be a theme to the show that will focus on both individuals topics and collectively suitable for all documentaries produced by the group. It will be necessary for the group to identify the need for an executive producer who can oversee the project, whilst also retaining an autonomous role to allow each group member the opportunity to undertake the task for themselves. A collective decision will be necessary by the group to determine who this executive producer will be.

It is at this stage that the meat is added to the bones of the documentary – planning, research, and delivery suitable for the chosen radio station. The radio station chosen has to fit in with the style of documentaries chosen by the both the individual and group – target audience, suitability & availability of guests, as well as the topic being relevant to match the needs of the radio station.

Once the groups have been decided it will be necessary to formulate ideas for the documentary package I wish to present as part of the full programme. I will analyse the brief given to decide what style of programme/documentary I would like to compile, taking into account what the rest of the group are also formulating for the programme to prevent any duplication. This idea will be pitched to both tutor and rest of the group for suitability for inclusion and relevancy – the suitability and quality of the documentary can determine positive outcome and feedback regarding the completed project, thus it is important to ensure that this phase is completed positively and in a timely manner collectively.

The next phase of this project is the actual compilation of the documentary with time parameters of 6 to 8 minutes in duration. This has to fit into the full one hour Magazine Programme, allowing also for other audio sections such as station idents, group discussion, station contact details, and any invited studio guest input, along with each group members played documentary.

The topic of my documentary is still, at this stage, to be decided but it will have to be follow a particular format no matter what topic is chosen. It will include at least 3 interviews with suitable and relevant individuals – individuals who have been thoroughly researched and deemed suitable for inclusion. Their availability and willingness will also determine if they can be included in the documentary. The use of Vox Pops is also available, although not necessary, and would add to the authenticity of the documentary topic by getting general opinions  from others not deemed professionally connected to the subject matter or specifically targeted for an interview.

I would also like to use music, either as a content focus, or for bedding purposes, to fill the audio range being broadcast during spoken word in the documentary. I feel it will enhance any spoken word at any given time as  long as the music is not too loud and contains lyrics that may be unsuitable and irrelevant. Is is best practice not to include music with lyrical content being played as bedding music whilst spoken word id being delivered at the same time. The amount of music used should be minimal – even with a music based documentary, and should only be in the forefront to provide some point of reference for the listener.

It is my intention to present the documentary myself, also utilising music and other possible sound effects where applicable. The documentary will also include the interviews and possible Vox Pops. My research will be thorough and relevant as any information broadcast requires to be evidenced based, accurate and factual. My research will be recorded in my Blog on a regular basis to allow a linear record of accountability and practice undertaken for producing the work necessary.

Once I have decided on my documentary idea, I will present it (through a pitched Powerpoint presentation) to both the group and class for comment, critique, and ultimately suitability to be included in the Magazine Show.

Any work for broadcasting requires the necessary legal checks and prevention of defamation, etc. This will be assisted by my tutor checking the work I have prepared, recorded and produced as being suitable for broadcasting.

It is important that this linear evidence also features a pre-prepared script that allows structure to both documentary and actual show – with the show script evidencing the structure of the show regarding cue points, and timings allocated for spoken word in the studio, etc. It is a vital component for the show to run more smoothly, and more specifically, on time. A new part of the brief for this task is the inclusion of a live studio guest to feature at some point in the live Magazine Show. This will prove quite a challenge in that the time allocated for this guest will have to be strictly monitored to prevent running ver, etc. It will be helpful to prime the guest with what they will be asked to prevent any stalling in their responses, and they can prepare an answer prior to being live on air. This will assist also with the running timings of the show. A live phone interview can be used as an alternative to a live guest being in the studio, but this may complicate matters regarding keeping control over the timings during the programme, as well as reliability in the sound quality for the programme, etc. It is also easier to monitor potential responses rom somebody when they are in your presence rather than at the end of a phone line where unpredictability can occur.

For the Hour long program

As mentioned earlier, the hour long Magazine Programme will comprise of various components, mainly the completed documentaries of all the presenters in that group, a live guest, as well as station idents. It may also be decided that various songs may fragment the spoken word to allow for a more diverse show.

The show is be broadcast live on air on Boom Radio, in a similar format to Semester One show. A script will be produced by the group with agreed timings, content delivery, inclusion of idents, and any other necessary points. It will be necessary for all group members to adhere to the script – with guidance given to the studio guest prior to their segment – and close monitoring of times will be vital. Hitting timing markings will be the responsibility of all of the group in their executive producer role. The script will be shared with each member having a copy for reference and guidance, and to allow suitable policing of both the script and timings.  Although there will be shared responsibilities during the programme, I will be assertive in my role as executive producer when checking timings, etc, to make sure the programme runs as smooth as possible from the start to the finish. The production of the script is a vital part of this process and a full understanding by all the group will be required.

It will be vital also to ensure that the audio being broadcast is at its best – setting microphone levels, making sure that all documentaries are pre-prepared with suitable compression and normalisation to an excellent standard – checking that the output levels are not too high during the broadcast will be important to prevent for distortion. It will also be necessary to ensure that the programme is recorded both on Audacity (Via PGM Mix on Synergy) and on the BUTT system when going out live.

I will be participating in presenting part of the hour long show, as well as taking the role as executive producer for part of the show to facilitate the smooth running of the show, and to negate any possible anomalies where possible – have a plan B in place should something untoward or unpredictable occur.

Once the show has been completed, and the show has been extracted from either Synergy or Butt – it will be uploaded on to Mixcloud for marking and further listening opportunity. This will also help with evaluation of the task in the groups, assist with providing feedback from tutor and evidence for SQA purposes.

Throughout this full process there will be regular group meeting held to discuss and monitor progress, recognise, acknowledge and deal with any problems occurring and also provide an accurate record of work undertaken with the relevant responsibilities designated where applicable.

In Summary:

This task requires plenty of planning, record keeping, monitoring,  and applying necessary actions through group working by participating in active group discussions at preplanned meetings. There is a definite need for both autonomous and group working that will ultimately allow the successful production of a personal documentary that will then be part of a collective Magazine show along with others in the group. The communication required to facilitate this is dependent on the collaboration of all the group as a team, and allowing for change at a late stage should any anomaly arise that requires action to change the format of the show. As this is the Formative Graded Unit it is important that all the group participates equally and commits to the process, as their actions has an effect on the other members of the group. I definitely include myself in this philosophy. It should also be a pleasurable leaning experience, something I hope occurs. I also hope that this will be an excellent learning experience that will allow me to learn new skills, as well as enhancing current ideasI have about this project.