Production Research: Broadcast - Resources (Personnel, Talent, Finance, Suppliers & Facilities)

Resources:(Personnel, Talent, Finance, Suppliers and Facilities)

Firstly, discussing 'Personnel' when searching online for availability of Personnel I came across a website known as 'Bluefin Television'. Bluefin TV offers an equipped 2-man camera crew for the lowest price of £900, Equipped-Crew as well as Dry-Hire rates are negotiated depending on the following:

Length of day	The usual is 10 hours with responsible breaks included.
Short Days	We offer discounted ‘half-day’ rates if the day is under 5 hours.
Buyouts	We offer ‘Buyout’ rates for 12, 14 & 16 hour days.
Length of Shoot	Discounted rates for a guaranteed number of shoot days / series.
Travel	We offer discounts for travel days.

As the documentary overall is on a low budget I feel using the 2 man camera crew will save sufficient time as well as money if anything were to break it would be their equipment. Also as they are providing top quality cameras I feel this will bring the competitive edge within the documentary. 

Secondly, 'Talent' by using the search engine 'Google' I was able to come across a website called 'peopleperhour' within the website I was able to find an experience voice over artist who would suit the needs for the documentary. A voice over artist which I saw was called Baz.J. When looking over his portfolio I can see that he has done some amazing work and would be suitable for my production. He charges £10 an hour and when comparing to other artists he is much cheaper and offers similar experience. I feel using a voice over artist will allow the documentary to be more professional. 

Finance:

When searching online for estimates on how much documentaries tend to afford, a website in which I came across was 'Wind and Sky Productions'. In the USA, dollars the lowest budget to start for a documentary film making would be $1000 per minute which is finished, however this can differ from time to time. With the website in which I came across it recommends using $2000-3000/ finished minute. Even a simpler film can cost a lot more but this would be due to the fact it shares more elements. 

4 points in which can influence the cost of a film:
- The actual level of the quality in which is desired
- The scope and scale of your story: how many locations, how many events, how many people?
- The quantity of third party material required.
- The level of editorial control you need.

Suppliers:

- When searching for packages online before finding a 2man camera crew I came across a website called 'Mediadog'. Mediadog offered a Shooter Kit which involved a Canon XF305 Camera, Tripod, 2 Radio Mics and lights with an additional fee of £28. From the list of offers in which they have the cheapest bundle was starting from £120 per daily rate and £365 for a weekly rate. 

As previously mentioned I have done research before and for the 2man crew which I mentioned within Personnel they will be bringing their own equipment which will fully help with the production of 'Socialist' (Documentary). 

Facilities:

- In terms of facilities the Beacon School own a media suite which allows me to utilize the AVID Software for the editing stage of my documentary. The school also offers a booth in which voice overs can be recorded within the add to the documentary. Extending equipment from the 2man crew, the school offers a vast range of equipment such as camera, tripods, voice recorders, boom poles, wind shields, mics, green shield and much more. This helps myself and 'FiveStar' as we are on such a limited budget. 

References:

Orange!, Everything. "Bluefin Television | Camera Crew Hire". Bluefintv.com. Web. 4 Feb. 2016.
http://www.bluefintv.com/broadcast-camera-crew-hire/

"Hire Baz J. On Peopleperhour". PeoplePerHour.com. Web. 4 Feb. 2016.
https://www.peopleperhour.com/freelancer/baz/voice-over-artist/1068013?referrer=freelancer

"How Much Does A Documentary Cost To Make?". Wind & Sky Productions. Web. 4 Feb. 2016.
http://windsky.com.au/how-much-does-a-documentary-cost/

"Shooting Kits". Mediadoghire.com. Web. 4 Feb. 2016.
http://www.mediadoghire.com/kitdeals

Production Research: Broadcast - Costs (Locations, Logistical Support, Viability & Placement)

Locations:

  

The location in which I most likely be filming in would be the Banstead Lavender Fields and or Banstead fields near the park. The reason for choosing these locations for shooting the documentary would be as it would be the best surroundings to be in while interviewing the public. The images above show the natural feel of and purpose of the filming and will also be interviewing adults as to do their views and opinions on the matter relating to teenagers in Banstead and the social activities on offer to them.

Logistical Support:

A few companies in which I have come across while using the search engine 'Google'. They stated that they would supply security for all equipment, as well as arrange transport, housing, delivering vehicle, client security etc. All of the above would be crucial if you were filming a high budget film. However, as I cannot produce a documentary with a high budget this isn't ideal and is not specifically necessary. 

Viability:

Another important purpose of production research is to demonstrate that your planned product is viable, workable.

Is product financially available?

- Within my research I was able to find the prices in which it would cost to present my documentary using the BBC commissioning document and also took a closer look on using YouTube to present my documentary. To produce my documentary through TV advertisement would roughly cost around £20k to £200k this would depend on the duration of the documentary. Whereas if I were to use social media such as YouTube, it would be free to present my documentary but it requires myself and ‘FiveStar’ to own a YouTube account to be able to present videos for a long duration. I took my research to the company I work for ‘FiveStar’ and the option which appeals more to them would be the YouTube option, but knowing that this may not get many views they are aware that they may need to put some money into advertising it through the use of adverts.

Do you have necessary skills to undertake the production process?

- Due to working with the company ‘FiveStar’ I have gained the basic knowledge which is required to produce a documentary. We have basic editing skills due creating several different videos during our media course in Year 11, A-levels. One of the most memorable videos created was a music video which was created by myself. The skills in which I feel are required for the documentary are basic; being organised, knowing how to operate a camera, taking the right shots, being able to edit, as well as being an efficient as well as a good communicator, other skills which are necessary with helping bringing the documentary to success. Even if I haven't been taught to the extent of a professional, I have decent sense of direction on how to edit as well as direct based due to projects recently conducted. 

Do you have the right equipment and technology available to you?

- Within the sixth form I attend they offer a vast amount of equipment of offer when it comes to camera’s and editing softwares such as iMovie and AVID workstations. The majority of the cameras within the school produce high quality videos and the fact that I have access to them often allows me to feel comfortable when it comes down to using them as I have used them several times before. This will save time when it comes to the production as I will not need to use another camera which could be time consuming to get the grips of using it. The AVID media composer is a software which tends to be used by professionals within the media industry for top quality edits. However, due to it being within the school area and apart of the schools property I am able to work with it for free. This will save sufficient funds once the documentary has been approved by 'FiveStar'. Other equipment in which I have access to would be tripods, lighting, sound recorders and boom poles etc. All of the above equipment are the legit core elements of a successful documentary. This allows me to feel empowered in the way that with the right equipment I will be able to shoot 'Socialist'. 

What help and support will you require?

- A software in which I have used more than AVID would be iMovie, an idea would be to stick with what I am already used to using but as I have encountered the brand new editing software known as AVID Media Composer I have gained some important knowledge on how to use this and I will it will grant the competitive edge in which will help with the success of the overall documentary 'Socialist'. If I were to struggle with using the AVID Media Composer I would be able to receive help from a year 13 student who has previously used AVID in their productions. When it comes down to talent and sound recordist I may require assistance but as this would be efficient it would save money as well as time by doing it this way. 

Have you got enough time to produce the product?

On the other hand, I believe that the overall production of the documentary would take around 5-7days to produce and also having roughly the same amount of days in which to edit the doc. which would give me roughly 10 to 14 days in total to be able to produce the documentary which is a short period of time but if done correctly it would be effective. Using the search engine 'Google' I dug up some research in which I felt relevant to where the documentary would be filmed and this is spoken about in 'Locations' as I feel it would be the perfect atmosphere and background to what the documentary should feel and what the audience should see. The end production if any problems arise or just simple changes are required, 'FiveStar' would allow me spare time to enhance the work and add more detail until it completes the vision required. 

Placement:

The target audience in which I wish to distribute my film towards would mainly be focused towards adults; parent's carer's mostly. This would be due to the fact that I feel parents will show most interest into the life of Teenager's. Showing the documentary through TV advertisement has been approved by 'FiveStar'. FiveStar is the company in which I am working for. Due to FiveStar not having a large budget, this means that it may be easier to sell the documentary through DVD's and online advertisement. Within my research I came across a document showing prices for various BBC commissioning placement types. Based on research found within BBC commissioning I was able to find a ranged price to produce a documentary which would be between £20k and £200k. This would depend on the duration of the documentary. As the budget is quite low, I researched other methods of distribution as follows:
Cinema:
- I could potentially distribute it through cinema chains so that people would pay to watch the documentary, but the factors of this would be that this would only be relevant towards Banstead and the fact that its an expensive process to undertake. However, if it was advertised towards Banstead citizens it would be a very important impact of research for my distribution as this way I would be able to get the target audience in which I want.

Online:

- I feel online would be the way to go in the distribution of the documentary as through YouTube it would cost nothing and people can share this to other social media websites such as FaceBook etc. This way I would be able to reach my target audiences as there are teenagers and adults(parents) who do use social media. This research would be effective as I would be able to gather responses at a fast rate. 

DVD's:
- Another way in which I could potentially distribute my documentary would be by DVD's. By using this I could distribute the DVD's to local schools within the Banstead/Surrey area and this will educate the young minds who live within the Banstead community and to grow the views of everyone to see that there should be more activities offered to teenagers within the Banstead community. 

The type of placement in which I and 'FiveStar' will be using is broadcast this is due to the fact that we want to be able to broadcast on a level in which will reach the entire community to inform of the minimal activities offered to their sons/daughters whatever age, even though the focus is teenagers. 

References:

Web. 3 Feb. 2016.

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/site/tariff_prices_for_independents.pdf 

"Everything You Need To Know About Uploading Videos To Youtube". MakeUseOf. Web. 3 Feb. 2016.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/everything-you-need-to-know-about-uploading-videos-to-youtube/

"How Much Does A Documentary Cost To Make?". Wind & Sky Productions. Web. 3 Feb. 2016.
http://windsky.com.au/how-much-does-a-documentary-cost/

Web. 3 Feb. 2016.
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/site/tariff_prices_for_independents.pdf 

"7 Indie Film Digital Distribution Companies You Can Submit To Online | Production Music | Royalty Free Music For Videos | Music For Websites". Danosongs.com. Web. 3 Feb. 2016.
http://www.danosongs.com/blog/7-indie-film-digital-distribution-companies-you-can-submit-to-online/

"Documentary Films". Filmsite.org. Web. 3 Feb. 2016.
http://www.filmsite.org/docfilms.html

Market Research (Advertising Placement & Effectiveness)

Advertising Placement:

- An example of a brand in which teenagers tend to be most into would be Sports Direct. 

However, as Sports Direct is a well known brand I would need to be granted some form of special permission in order to be able to do this I would need to ask 'FiveStar' to expand my budget in order to pay for it to be within my documentary. Therefore to be able to resolve this I have chosen to therefore opt out onto a local product which everyone loves and is aware of that will fit my budget. I feel that this will be effective to have in the documentary 'Socialist' as it would be recognised more by the citizens within the Banstead community as well as therefore making the documentary popular just from that. Areas within the Banstead area which wouldn't have been affected by product placement, would be places such as the Lavender Fields and  also places like the J. Golding local shop. In addition to this, to be able to publicise 'Socialist' I would be able to air it on a public broadcasting system which would be free and easy to handle/ use to distribute it through. 

Advertising Effectiveness:

I am directing a short film which is based upon the social activities within the Banstead area and due to the lack of them teenagers may/ are resorting to crime due to boredom. In order for my film to become recognisable I have been studying the effectiveness of advertising and the key elements which follow for films which come under any specific genre to those people who are attracted to that genre. When searching on an online search engine such as 'Google' I was able to come across 'The Nielsen Advertising Effectiveness theory' this states the ways in which reaching success possible "Who is it reaching, how is it resonating, and the consumer reaction across screens". When looking at films which fall under the genre of documentary, social-realism tend to be less viewed/ favoured as they don't really get recognised due to its popularity within the viewers, new comers, and budget sometimes due to seasonal film genres. Making my documentary popular can be utilized through the use of social media such as Facebook and Instagram, this would be because it has the ability to reach a huge number of people and the fact that it would be free is a bonus as it saves some of the budget. 

References:

"Sportsdirect.Com – The UK’S No 1 Sports Retailer". Sportsdirect.com. Web. 2 Feb. 2016.

http://www.sportsdirect.com/

"Advertising Effectiveness | Ad Spend | Nielsen". Nielsen.com. Web. 2 Feb. 2016.

http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/solutions/advertising-effectiveness.html

Market Research (Competition & Competitor Analysis)

Competition:

With competition I will need to comprehend my rivals in the way to enable me to enhance my work so that I can be better. Shows like 'Educating Essex' which is shown on Channel 4 shows an insight of teenagers and what goes on in their mind while in a school community. This is a documentary style series so it allows us as the audience to be able to understand the kids within the school and their opinions and views on how they see their surroundings. With this it allows the audience to somehow relate to how the students perspective shares theirs. With this information I feel will help with the success of the documentary and I will be following this approach but in a different way.

The Competitor Analysis:

Within the documentary I and 'FiveStar' will be showing the overall regional outlook rather than a national outlook. Potentially meaning that the documentary would be a more in depth version compared to others as the location in which it is being shot in is a location in which I know in and out. Also due to the fact that the budget is minimal and our documentary will be completed on a small budget this will give the privilege to explore the locations in more detail to therefore have a lengthier duration compared to professional directors. This would be due to the fact that as Banstead is a semi-small area there aren't many locations in which filming can take place. 

The things in which 'FiveStar' and I could do better than professionals would simply be that we are going to be portraying the teenagers in a may that is more natural, this would be based on the fact that there is a specific age group in place and we are aware and understand the generic conventions in which are needed to be followed. 

When looking at competitors I can see the things in which we will just do as equally well. For example we will be portraying the typical phases of what exactly the teenagers are going through but also expressing it in a different way/ style. The actual visual of the film will be the same as it acquires the generic conventions in which documentaries are required to obtain to secure success. This shows that although the documentary 'Socialist' would be on a low budget meaning camera's will not be top quality among other equipment, however at the end of it we will be sharing the same overall outlook. 

Some things in which Educating Essex may do better than I and 'FiveStar', due to them probably having more experience naturally around the cinematography field it means that they may have more knowledge in terms of being able to utilize special techniques that we haven't yet been exposed to. 

Although there are major differences in the field of budget, this shows the differences between a professional and an amateur director. We wouldn't be able to share the same privileges or even have the options to take that a professional director would have to them. Budget also affects everything when it comes down to producing/ making the film. For instance, we wouldn't be able to do the same as their crew as they would for a feature based film this would be due to the fact that our film is based around a low budget meaning that we wouldn't require any higher technicians due to budget restrictions. Locations, settings, based on the minimal budget which was spoken about before this has not enabled myself and 'FiveStar' to explore these specific areas. To be able to adjust and do what we can we will have to make do with what is available and suitable in regards to ensuring success to the documentary 'Socialist'.

References:

"The Definition Of Competition". Dictionary.com. Web. 1 Feb. 2016.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/competition?

"Educating Essex - All 4". Channel4.com. Web. 1 Feb. 2016.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/educating-essex

Market Research (Product Market)

Product Market:

Conducting product research in the market is a helpful technique as it ensure us of the audiences views and opinions. With this it is about identifying the key issues and how to avoid expensive mistakes. Market research is what already exists and how I can compete with it to ensure success. 

So what is the purpose of conducting research in the product market?
- The purpose of this is to be able to comprehend your client's needs and aspirations/ opinions as well as making your production open for your customers. To gain the understanding of your customers you can do things such as Q&A's, graphs and even surveys to be able to enhance your product to then develop it around your customers opinions in which way would mostly appeal to them. This is also for when it comes to choosing the film name. Product Market is essential as it allows you to find the right selling point. 

Film Names:

- Banstead Endeavours
- Social Activites in the Banstead Area
- Socialist
- Gone with Banstead
- Social Outings (Banstead)

Which of the names would appeal to you the most to make you want to see the documentary more?

After conducting a vote for which name in which would attract the audience to see the documentary more, the majority of the audience had went for 'Socialist'. Smart marketers tend to form competitive research in an effort to better understand the products and services, pricing models and better value propositions in which they are up against.

References:

"What Is Product Marketing? Definition And Meaning". BusinessDictionary.com. Web. 1 Feb. 2016.
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/product-marketing.html