Dissertation

(The Design of) Broadcast Identity

Iain J McCallum

Permission to copy:


Abstract:

Broadcast design, specifically motion graphics for broadcast, is a young industry built on younger disciplines. In comparison to other creative occupations, this area suffers a distinct lack of published material. This project will inform an understanding of the industry as a whole; it's origins, current state, and a potential path for development. In order to full fill this aim research into the history of graphic design, animation, and film has been conducted and presented along with studies of broadcast studios and channel identities. The author concludes with the prediction that the future of this industry does not lie in further creative innovation but in a revolution of structure that shall transform the interaction between creatives and their clients.





Contents:


Introduction
Past
    A condensed introduction to graphic design
    A condensed introduction to film and animation
Present
    Motion design today
    The proposed guidelines
    FuelTV analysis
    KI.KA
    Plug TV
    Reelz Channel
    Sundance Channel    
    BBC One
    Channel 4
    Present conclusion
Future
    A prediction
    Future conclusion
Final thoughts
Appendices...
Bibliography...

Introduction:

There are more than 7200 television channels broadcast in europe alone, and a further 1400 available. World wide the estimated number of existing channels ranges from 15000 into the 'millions'. This drives a need for each station or network to step out from the crowd and draw in an audience already buried under a deluge of media. Creative brilliance is therefore a requirement of channel design, program packaging, promotion clips, and advertising concepts.

In comparison to the disciplines of "classic" design the area between contemporary film and television design occupies a gap in the publishing market. Few literary resources are dedicated to the subject and those that are tend towards specific individuals who are of great influence but do not represent a fair cross section of the industry.

This lack of literature is understandable when the age of the industry is taken into consideration.  Television broadcast began in the 1930s with John Logie Baird's transmission from the Epsom Derby.  Motion graphic design began it's popularity in the 1950s with title sequences by Saul Bass.  Finally broadcast design took hold in the 1980s with Channel 4's Ident by Lambie-Nairn giving the discipline only 3 decades to develop.  In comparison, the cinema is almost a century older and yet Film Studies after nearly 40 years of development as a subject is still a fragile one.  So much so that in 2002 an essay by Lisa Cartwright, a tutor of film studies at the University of Rochester, was published in The Visual Culture Reader (Mirzoeff (2002)) discussing the vagueness of the subject and even questions it's title.  Broadcast design, therefor, is still in it's youth.  Free of constraining traditions it is a fast paced industry demanding equally quick development of high quality work.  In this age of networking, trends flare with unbelievable speed giving rise to constantly fresh and new concepts where anything goes and nothing is taboo. Specialised channels are targeting increasingly defined markets generating an abundance of artistic directions, even the most mundane subjects are presented in an engaging and entertaining manner. "TV Design is creation at the highest level" (Bartholdy (Showreel.01)) 

This study looks to facilitate an understanding of motion graphics within broadcast media and to construct an initial set of creative guidelines to help guide the creative process of any motion designer.  To do this, research has been conducted and presented in three areas: past, present and future (see Appendix C for explanation of aims and objectives).  With very little in the way of history, the 'past' chapter will focus on a condensed introduction to the disciplines from which motion graphics has grown: graphic design, animation and film.  The 'present' chapter shall address the studios of today and form a proposal for creative guidelines.  Examples of broadcast design will form a solid understanding of the productions and their development.  With this introductory understanding of the industry the final 'future' chapter shall look to a prediction of possible advances or changes the motion designer is likely to face in the coming years and how the proposed guidelines may be affected.

Past:

A CONDENSED INTRODUCTION TO GRAPHIC DESIGN

'Graphic design', the broadly reaching term currently used to describe a vast array of work was first coined in 1922 by 'William Addison Dwiggins'. His view of the role played by the graphic designer was somewhat constricted in comparison to our modern understanding. 'Super-printing' was an alternative term he occasionally used. "The printing designers whole duty is to make clear presentation of the message - to get the important statements forward and the minor parts placed so that they will not be overlooked." (Newark (2002)) He is describing the specific discipline of layout. The main aim of this, in his view, was to get the message across in the most efficient and effective way.  This aim holds true to this day and is especially important in the development of motion graphics.  Every element designed for broadcast must come from a consideration of the target audience and how they will perceive the message.

Dwiggins approach, developed through a career of commercial messages, contrasted that of Francis Meynell, a poet and printer who dealt with literature including Shakespeare. In a piece entitled 'With twenty-six soldiers of lead I have conquered the world' Meynells aesthetic leaning is reflected.

"All the heights and depths and breadths of tangible and natural things - landscapes, sunsets, the scent of hay, the hum of bees, the beauty of which belongs to eyelids (and is falsely ascribed to eyes); all the immeasurable emotions and motions of the human mind, to which there seems no bound; ugly and terrible and mysterious thoughts and things, as well as beautiful - are all compassed, restrained, ordered in a trifling jumble of letters. Twenty-six signs!" (Newark (2002))

The opinions of these two men represent "the poles between which the graphic designer must choose a position." (Newark (2002)).  Function versus Aesthetic, an opposition of design philosophies which applies universally to any kind of creative endeavour.  This conflict has generated the more recognisable phrase, now an overused cliché; 'form follows function', derived from Louis Sullivans statement in 1896 of "form ever follows function".  Today we can see an interesting implication of function against aesthetic in the design of two types of networks.  On one hand larger generic channels like 'BBC One' and 'Channel 4' have no defined audience or content.  They aim to please all with a wide range of excellence.  The result is an array of abstract almost vague graphics forming their visual language.  With such diversity of function the form has no clear target or starting point.  On the other hand are specialist channels catering for very specific audiences with tightly controlled content.  A clear form generates a clear message as seen in the graphics of those like 'Reelzchannel' and 'FuelTV'.

Throughout the twentieth century an ebb and flow between form and function characterised design movements.  The decorative design of Art Nouveau preceded Bauhaus philosophy.  After a time modernism gave way to postmodernism, a reaction against impersonal blandness in favour of personal expression and variety. Now, in the wake of globalisation, the tide is turning again with a 'modern' take on 'modernism'. Currently the most visible and influential force is Apple with a design philosophy being driven by Jonathan Ives and his aim to refine until there can be no more refinements.  Finally, there are those that believe the future lies with more evolved and complex design that shall reflect the increasing awareness and education of audiences.  

A CONDENSED INTRODUCTION TO FILM

The 19th century saw the development of many basic instruments that played with movement and, in a loose sense, animation.  Zoetropes, magic lanterns, flip books and other similar innovations were the initial players.  The content was predominantly hand drawn simple shapes, eyes moving to watch an object float across the view or a bouncing ball.  With photography also making it's appearance the combination of the two in experiments was inevitable.  Most examples of 'moving images' were looping scenes, their length increasing up to Edison's Kinetoscope which held 20 seconds of film.  The development of these looped presentations was cut short when photography became motorised allowing longer narratives.  It is at this point that film and animation splits, or rather - hand crafted techniques were seen as an inferior technique and disregarded.  "Twentieth century animation became a depose try for nineteenth-century moving image techniques left behind by cinema." (Mirzoeff (2002))  This divide defined the characteristics of film and animation throughout the 20th century.  Animation was a purely fictional medium and made no attempt to move outside this definition.  Film on the other hand was seen as a presentation of the 'real', "truth 24 frames per second" - Jean-Luc Godard.  Every effort in cinema was geared towards removing any hint of production techniques that would betray deviation from 'reality'.

Animation developed into an art of character performance.  Gertie the dinosaur, a 1914 animated show by Winsor McCay, is one of the earliest examples of a character the audience can empathise with.  Of course it is here that Walt Disney makes his appearance, through his career he takes animated characters from small sideline entertainment to the red carpet with followings that could rival the top hollywood stars.  Perhaps the most important and relevant contribution of animation from this period is the development of the 'Twelve Principles of Animation' (outlined in Appendix D).  A conceptual toolset specifically for character performance but worth learning for any motion graphic artist today.

As mentioned before film developed around the idea of accurately recording and presenting reality.  But, as would be expected of any statement, there was opposition to this view by those who saw film as an art form.  In an academic context, film studies began importing applicable ideas from disciplines such as literature, linguistics and psychology.  The subject continues to grow and evolve up to the present day.

Both disciplines independently developed techniques and tools to improve quality, speed of production and costs.  Any new form of technology or innovation was gladly incorporated leading to the 1990s shift towards computer media.  By this time the scale of a films effects had begun to reflect in it's success creating a spin-off 'mini-genre' of short 'The making of…' documentaries.  Clearly portrayed the extent to which the 'truth' in cinema is manipulated was no longer a thing to be avoided, instead it was a source of pride for the studios.  It is also through this shift that the division between film and animation vanished.  Live action film became as much a raw material and hand drawn characters, both requiring refinement in post production along with painting, image processing, 2D animation, 3D animation and compositing.  Animators and cinematographers again share common ground.  "Bourn from animation, cinema pushed animation to its boundary, only to become one particular case of animation in the end." (Mirzoeff (2002))

Present:

Today there appears a misconception that the mastery of software is in its self a mastery of graphic and motion design. Technical advances have overtaken and are leaving behind the basics of shape, line, colour and typography. "The computer has revolutionised the design process. It has made the act of designing easier, and in many ways it has improved the way we design things. Yet in other respects it has made design more formulaic, and it has standardised the act of designing" (Shaughnessy (2005)) The seemingly limitless potential of technology and the problems which accompany it increase the need for an understanding of design fundamentals. "The availability of technology and the advances in imaging and production techniques will not cover up what is essentially a bad design" (Hashimoto (2007))

Every design discipline, from the classical to the modern, makes up a landscape through which a creative must make his way. A designer working in the broadcast industry must also, considering the convergence of technology and design tools, "command a baffling array of professional abilities that include, among others, the typographic chops of a print designer, the motion and timing smarts of an animator, the stylistic rendering talents of an illustrator, the narrative skills of a writer or editor, the music sensibilities of a composer and the cinematic and live action directing abilities of a film maker." (Cooper (2006)) A second implication of this convergence is in the format of the design product. It must possess a flexibility that will allow cross platform application. These challenges constantly test a studios ability and are becoming an increasingly crucial factor in its success.  As a result, broadcast and motion graphic studios boast ever more diverse collections of creative talent.

Designer / Director studios are becoming increasingly common.  They hold an advantage of knowing what is not only achievable but whither the creation of an effect is more economical in production or post-production.  Also, the breath of talent now contained within studios and their creative networks removes many constraints on the availability of technical skills.  It is clear that the expansion of both a studio's and individual's creative skill set is a direct result of technological advance.  This progression heralds many implications, not least of which is an increasingly savvy audience demanding higher quality broadcast material.  The challenge of motion design now, more than ever before, almost solely lies in the conceptual development.  This involves making a series of choices that will lead to a target audience perceiving the intended message.  For a motion or broadcast designer it is these choices, faced on a daily basis, that will define the success or failure of a career.  

Through out the literature review conducted for this project, no single document was found to outline these choices or the skills required by motion designers in order to solve them.  Is it the intention of this dissertation to satisfy that need and propose an initial overview of guidelines for motion design.  These have been drawn from a historical review of the disciplines from which the industry has grown, primarily animation and graphic design.  It is hoped that they shall help inform and analyse the decisions made by motion designers in the development of a design.


The Proposed Guidelines

The first set of elements to consider have been drawn from the film industry and cover the underlying concepts of narrative and presentation in a motion graphic piece.  As a result, film criticism seems a natural starting point for the development of guideline criteria.  The advice published by Dwight Macdonald in "Dwight Macdonald on Movies" has been selected for inclusion as, in the opinion of Bernard F. Dick, "Macdonald's guidelines are among the best that a contemporary critic can offer a student of film" (Dick (1998)).  They are as follows. 

"(1) Are the characters consistent, and in fact are there characters at all?

(2) Is it true to life?

(3) Is the photography Cliche, or is it adapted to the particular film and therefore original?

(4) Do the parts go together; do they add up to something; is there a rhythm established so that there is form, shape, climax, building up tension and exploding it?

(5) Is there a mind behind it; is there a feeling that a single intelligence has imposed his own view on the material?"

(Macdonald (1969))

As is true of any set of guidelines these may not be applicable to every example under analysis or development.  Particularly, in this case, the second question which Macdonald goes on to highlight as being frequently redundant. 

The second set of considerations come from graphic design and are concerned with the perception and appearance of visual elements.  The specific elements under scrutiny at this point are colour, line, shape, texture, layout, and typography.  A detailed study in their perception has been conducted and formed into a series of laws by thinkers within the Gestalt school of thought, specifically John W Cataldo.  These laws describe the influence of visual elements with reference to equilibrium, closure, continuation, similarity, and proximity.  Each law has been explained in Appendix C.

The third and final set of elements are the are the 12 basic principles of animation developed by Walt Disney's 'Nine Old Men'.  Their aim is to aid in the creation of a more believable animated performance and, although not a necessity for every animator to know, are extremely effective in their function.  The principles are laid out with the details paraphrased from Frank Thomas & Ollie Johnston's "Illusion of Life" in Appendix D.  In brief they are as follows; squash and stretch, anticipation, staging, straight ahead action and pose to pose, follow through and overlapping action, slow in and slow out, arcs, secondary action, timing, exaggeration, solid drawing, and appeal.

Additionally to these three 'sets', and this particular quality is one important for every piece of design: the overall impression.  From a new viewers point of view, what information might be perceived from the motion graphic.  The analysis of this quality is a skill, or habit, required of every designer universally.  It is the ability to step back and remove one's self from the details of work to take in the thing as a whole.

Two more elements that must be taken into account but cannot be covered in the scope of this study are the quality of rendering and the sound, both music composition and effects.  The quality of rendering is a matter of talent and practice.  It's judgment is up to the individual and is a discussion best held in a philosophical and psychological context.  Although, the conclusions may be best summed up in a quote from Denis Dutton, a modern philosopher of aesthetics, "We find beauty in something done well".  The musical composition and sound design of a motion graphic piece is a subject beyond the expertise of the author.  It must be noted that this subject is not one of little importance.  In the creation of motion graphics the sound design is deserving of attention and development at least equal to that of visual design.

With these values in mind, a number of examples of motion design in broadcast have been gathered and discussed.  These examples should also highlight any areas in which there can be improvement in structure or definition.  

Fuel TV - be the trend

Aimed predominantly at a young male audience Fuel TV is the broadcast equivalent (or extension) of a teenage boys bedroom wall; posters, art, girls and other forms of self expression plastered everywhere.  As a part of the channels ethos young talent is given opportunities both in front and behind the camera.  The aim of this exercise is to discover new artists, designers and athletes and bring their passion for their own specific culture into the production process and visual aesthetic.

One of the main concerns of the team behind the channel is retaining a 'trendy' image, a big pitfall they must avoid would be the perception that the channel has become a 'sell-out'.  To avoid this pit fall and achieve their aim the programming and design must embody the specific culture they are broadcasting without giving the appearance of a marketing-plan driven by profit and viewing figures.  They must portray a passion and dedication to being a part of the culture rather than a description of it.  One of the pearls in targeting a trend orientated market is the risk of your audience turning on you.  The youth of today is tuned in to an extent beyond anything their parents could have imagined.  As a result, they can be quick to move on and avoid anything that becomes labeled as 'lame'.

A study of Fuel's design has reviled that there are no set rules by which the graphics are brought together, instead there is more of an intellectual aesthetic that is followed.  At times tough, 'official fonts' are used but these only seem to appear when part of a graphic element that also contains the FuelTV logo.  Rather than a strict rule set by the channel, this is most likely a result of what might be considered 'good design', the use of a recognisable logo and typeface throughout creates a visual unity within specific elements.

The graphics are influenced largely by street art and generally have a raw appearance giving rise to the thought that these visuals could have been produced by fellow 'free-thinking' viewers.  This is intended to reflect a DIY attitude prevalent through many of the sub-cultures covered by the content of their shows.  Not all the viewers will aspire to the same visual aesthetic, but they will mostly share a desire for 'freedom of expression'.  FuelTV organises itself as an environment in which this expression can take place, it's rough and whacky approach contrasts the slick and sophisticated graphics of many other stations.  This air of being 'alternative' will act as a strong force of attraction to their target group.

The visual aesthetic of FuelTV is the most diverse of the case studies.  A brilliant example of this is there 'Signature Series, of 100'.  100 collaborators, artists, athletes and anyone willing to be creative, designed and produced (with the help of the broadcasters in-house team if necessary) an ident for the channel.  The only rule to be followed: 'there are no rules'.  As a result there are opposite extremes of almost every graphic element throughout the channels design, an approach that appears to be working well.  The lesson, it seems, to be learned from Fuel TV is design to become a part of your audience and their environment rather than an addition to it

Plug TV - a sense of fun

Plug TV is a channel aimed at predominantly male 15 to 34 year olds, and aims to be a generic, slightly crazy, alternative to other channels.  The programming is made up with cult films, series and music shows in an attempt to draw in an audience looking for something a little different and sometimes controversial.

The design philosophy is loud and fun, a result of confidence in the founding team by the owners, the RTL group.  RTL is one of the worlds largest broadcast production companies through ownership of a great number of smaller organisations, some of the more recognisable shows they are responsible for are 'The X Factor', 'Pop idol' and 'The bill'.  The whacky design aesthetic of Plug TV is surprising when considering that the RTL group is an organisation driven by profit.

The visual design of the station forms a universe with a diverse range of characters and graphic environments which interact in small humorous scenarios.  These create more of an attachment to the channel, a viewer can feel empathy to the characters as opposed to graphic shapes used by other networks.  As the content evolves so does this surreal world.  In a similar way to Fuel TV the visual style is defined by an abstract concept, rather than a set of graphic rules, which allows for an incredible variety and constant innovation.  The similarities do not end there, each have an almost identical target audience and cultural awareness although separated by the Atlantic.  This provides an interesting comparison of approaches between a US and EU broadcaster.  Fuel has opted for an aesthetic based on 'freedom of expression' that comes across as taking itself slightly more seriously than Plug which characterises itself as 'deranged', 'cuckoo' and 'nuts'.  Interestingly the baseline 'Complement PLUG' translates as 'Completely PLUG' and aims at creating a phrase that effectively means 'Completely nuts'.  The design studios sense of fun comes through strongly in their designs making it hard not to love what they produce, "After all, everybody has a twisted side." (Bartholdy (2007)) - Sven Mastbooms (Creative director of seven)

KI.KA - divide and conquer

KI.KA is a German public service children's channel with an aim to inform, educate and entertain.  Thanks to the combined input of ARD (a joint organisation of germany's public service broadcasters) and ZDF (an independent public broadcaster) the channel boasts some very high quality and varied programming.  

The visual aesthetic is built on a very simple idea - collage.  Objects from daily life are used but not the stereotypical things associated with children.  The creatives try to be surprising in their choice with an aim to inspire the imagination of viewers.  This works with the channels aim to inspire self-confidence and positive values in the young audience.  Social, emotional, and cognitive development is encouraged - not brand awareness or products.

The programming is aimed at an audience of rapidly developing youngsters.  To deal with the speed at which kids 'grow up' the target audience has been divided into three categories:  pre-school, school age and pre-teen.  Each has it's own variation of the KI.KA aesthetic broadcast at specific times.  As a viewer matures they will progress from one section to another allowing the channel to be a part of their lives for longer.

The youngest 'pre-school' programmes have a very simple and paced mode of address mainly presented in a light yellow and sunny colour scheme.  School age graphics are based on a blue pallet.  Pre-teen idents and presentation move into bright pink and also play with more action and humour.  The colour scheme appears typical of design aimed at children - bright and vivid.  Although the use of collage brings together much variation through the graphics there is always one clearly dominant colour.  This is not necessarily always one of the colours specified for each of the three age groups, further variation seems to be acceptable within the design remit.

Amongst this colour graded collage the information must be clear and concise for children to understand.  This is achieved with large font size and highly contrasting colours used in the writing.  The typography reflects the collage aesthetic with a ransom not effect that tends to restrict variation within soft sans-serif fonts.

The design is clearly taken seriously with the involvement of research institutions and studies to inform and back up the choices made.  As a result the design philosophy is a successful one, and has been proven so.  Their logo, even amongst pre-reading age children, is easily identifiable.  Taking heed from scientific research is evidently a logical thing to do.

REELZ channel - simplicity specialised

ReelzChannel is a specialist broadcast about movies but does not show any movies.  Instead it's content is made up from the world surrounding film production; behind the scenes, reviews, interviews etc.  Their target audience are adults, 18 to 49 year olds, who enjoy films and are interested in further knowledge on the subject.  In the past century movies have grown to become an integral part of our culture and lives.  They provide a conversational platform with which individuals can connect, share and debate interests and experiences. Reelz provides further insight to this 'platform' and so is a source of natural interest for many.

The design aesthetic is a fairly simple and clean one.  Superfluous elements are eliminated leaving only that which contributes information or emotion.  There are no 3D graphics and very little in the way of textures of patterns.  The shapes are simple and the colours are bold.  Sharp, highly contrasting sans-serif fonts are used throughout the graphics in keeping with the main logo although, as with any rule, there are occasional exceptions.  The over all effect this builds is a simple, clean and fairly loud one.  This strict adherence to simplicity creates an environment within which design development must be accompanied by complex and creative thought processes, otherwise the design runs a risk of being catastrophically dull.  For Reelz this is avoided with idents tend to take film clichés and give them a ironic twists or play with them in a visually entertaining way.

Being a specialist channel there is more of a defined message or identity that much be conveyed.  Films and 'the movie business' form a clear focus throughout the graphics.  For general channels with a larger target audience there is less definition as shall be seen through some of the following studies.

Sundance Channel - distinct clarity

The Sundance Channel is a spin off from the Sundance films festival and holds the same values although a separate organisation.  Entries to the festival are usually included in the programming of the channel alongside a diverse collection of films, documentaries and original shows.   Sundance provides a platform for independent creative voices and looks to show the challenging and the unconventional.  The tagline running through many of the idents is 'For a change'.  The audience is less defined than other channels but are described as sophisticated: "We think that they are open to arresting, innovative communication on all levels, including design." (Bartholdy (2007)) - Sarah Barnett (SVP Branding, On-Air & Creative Services, Sundance Channel).

The channels design is very clean, free from clutter, predominantly 2D with occasional 3D manipulations giving further depth.  Most of the design and production is undertaken by the small in-house creative agency with larger outside studios pitching for the bigger projects.   The design team, in looking for an authentic way for design to work, has a very minimal use of shapes.  Plain blocks of colour form strings across the screen, occasionally one of these blocks frames a key image or piece of footage.  There is a sub section within the overall graphics package dedicated to environmental programs.  This uses, unsurprisingly, green as its key colour with illustrations of plant life growing out from footage of built objects.  Interestingly, although most other channels seek ways of standing out, this is the only channel, of these case studies, that uses a serif font in its logo.  A very small detail that does set it apart.  As is shown by the overall aesthetic of this channel, sometimes the simplest form of communication can be the most effective.

BBC One - Going in circles

BBC One is the flagship channel of the BBC, it aims to creatively enrich the lives of the public through entertainment, education and information.  They have six public purposes set out in a Royal Charter; "sustaining citizenship and civil society, promoting education and learning, stimulating creativity and cultural excellence, representing the UK, it's nations, regions and communities, bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK, delivering to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services." (BBC (2012))  The channel provides individual services for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England - the visual identity is virtually identical through each service save the name of the country below the main BBC logo.

Since the first broadcast motion graphics began appearing in the 50s BBC One has been using the circle as it's central emblem.  This has an almost endless list of connotations being the most prominent of the primary shapes.  An appropriate choice for the oldest channel within Britain.  In the context of the BBC design it is used to represent 'togetherness'.  This refers to bringing families together as well as the British public and extends to all who may be a part of it's audience.  In terms of the graphics, everything comes together around the circle and in many cases all the elements become the circle.  Generlly these elements are live action, or photo real effects, of people in surreal situations that form the circle.  Occasionally animals are also involved.  These bizarre scenarios must interconnect the widely varying material broadcast by the channel and so do not refer to any specific mood, genre or subject.  The circle and logo are the only consistent elements along with connotations of collaboration and 'togetherness'.

In 2006 BBC One had its own font developed by 'Fontsmith'.  This gives an almost subliminal recognition of BBC One graphics even without specific branding.  The most notable point about the typeface is the circular nature of the 'o' exterior which reflects the circle theme running through almost every ident design.  A very powerful sense of recognition is achieved when this is combined with the red signature colour of BBC One.  Add a circle in any guise and the three block BBC logo and the elements making up the visual language are complete.  This is one of the simplest and most effective graphic strategies employed by any broadcaster.

Channel 4

Channel 4 is a publicly owned UK broadcaster but does not receive a share of the licence fee like the BBC.  It's primary purpose is the fulfilment of it's public service remit:  "The provision of a broad range of high quality and diverse programming which, in particular: a) demonstrates innovation, experiment and creativity in the form of content and programmes; b) appeals to the tastes and interests of a culturally diverse society; c) makes a significant contribution to meeting the need for the licensed public channels to include programmes of an educational nature and other programmes of educative value; and d) exhibits a distinctive character." (Channel 4 (2003)).   Over 300 production companies receive commissions from the channel, a far greater number than any other british broadcaster including the whole of the BBC.  There are several channels broadcasting alongside the flagship service, E4, More4, FilmFour, and 4Music all of which are now free to air.

In a similar way to the programming, the graphic packaging for the channel is produced by a great number of different studios.  This creates a diverse range of styles and ideas to satisfy the huge scope of the target audience.  The remit, several design guidelines and history of the channel play important roles in keeping a unified appearance to the range of idents.  Unity is also held onto through the supervision of outsourced work by some core talent that has worked with the channel over an extended period of time.  These are the creatives behind the current design which splits the logo in two referring to the channels ability to present many perspectives on any issue.

Like BBC One, Channel 4 has has it's own font created and tends to stick with a limited range of colours.  The most recognisable feature is the 9 block '4' icon designed by lambie-nairn in 1982.  This has become a design icon that has stood the test of time with its core concept left intact even through 30 years of the channels development.  The design of the channel, unlike many other business organisations, does not under go large overhauls of it's image.  Instead there is a gradual evolution of the graphic elements, always guided by the remit but changing as the content and demands of the audience change.  With the reliability of channel 4's popularity and the unchanged core logo the most powerful tool for the designers is the brands recognition.

Present conclusion

Throughout these studies several examples of approaches to broadcast design have been explored.  BBC One, Channel 4 and Sundance are all tending towards an abstract and fairly clean look while Plug, Fuel and KI.KA have opted for a busy, loud and colourful approach.  Additionally Fuel has grounded itself with a raw, handmade aesthetic. Finally ReelzChannel has taken a more literal approach made possible by its specialist nature.

The common factor across all seven channels and their design philosophies is the concept lying at the core of their visual identity.  They have chosen not to use a strict set of rules to govern or restrict inappropriate use of colour, line, shape, texture, narrative or other purely visual elements.  Instead, the channels have opted to create their own sets of loose guidelines to be followed by the creatives.  These guidelines, although generally of a conceptual nature, help keep a sense of unity through the visual solutions, but it seems the 'personality' of each channel has a more powerful effect in playing this role.  With a clearly defined set of values and aims followed by a network, the creative can find an appropriate mood, tone and concept for each design.  From there the correct visual choices should become more apparent.  This may seem an abstract concept without much baring on the physical process of design and development but has been clearly applied to each of these seven channels and contributes to their success.

Of course, there are examples of practical graphic rules employed through some of the visual languages.  The circle is almost always present within the BBC One idents, Channel 4 uses its bespoke typeface almost exclusively and KI.KA does tend to stick with it's colour system.  These rules certainly play a big role in achieving a recognisable language but they are not the defining structure, each rule can be broken so long as the result holds true to the fundamental values of the channel.  

It should be noted that the examples of motion graphics in broadcast design presented above are of the highest calibre.  The creatives involved in their development have the experience and confidence to proceed without a generic set of guidelines, as proposed in this dissertation.  Instead, it is suggested that the main beneficiaries would be those without such extensive knowledge and skill.  As for the guidelines themselves, the second set derived from graphic design are the most consistently applicable and relevant.  The first set, from film theory, are also of great use although a greater level of interpretation is required.  Finally, the third set of animation principles are almost ignore in the discussion of motion design.  Although, they still remain a key element of success.  Their lack of visibility is a sign of the skill with which they have been applied.

With the proposal of motion design guidelines based in research of the past and review of the present, it is only natural that to consider any direction in which they may be developed, a loose prediction for the future of the industry must be hypothesised.

Future:

With the combined availability and capability of software, hardware, and computing power, there is virtually no limit on what a designer can create for on-screen presentation.  This removes any practical limitations for the creation of a design leaving only the brief as a set of conceptual guidelines.  Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, the number of people with access to high level tools has now increased dramatically.  Anyone with artistic ability, even those who somewhat lack it, can create virtual products and designs comparable to a longstanding professional.  Finally the global network connecting these individuals allows a new effect, or movement, to begin taking hold.  This phenomenon has been termed 'crowdsourcing' by Jeff Howe with his article "The Rise of Crowdsourcing" for Wired magazine in June 2006.

Crowdsourcing is an online, and occasionally offline, distribution of problem solving and production to an undefined public.  Outsourcing, although similar, differs in that it distributes to a specific entity.  A website like iStockphoto can be considered a form of crowdsourcing.  Users may upload photos, videos or audio files to be bought and used almost anywhere without royalties for an incredibly small fee.  This type of organisation was the next logical step from user-generated content sites and is partially responsible for swinging the market away from professional stock media portfolios.  The next step has an even greater potential of affecting creative professionals and the way studios work.  

InnoCentive is described as 'the research world's version of iStockphoto'.  Corporate R&D departments may post a problem that needs to be solved.  This makes it available to any individual of the general public.  Anyone with an interest is invited to find a solution.  With this particular example fairly substantial rewards, usually between $10,000 and $100,000, are offered for the most successful entries.  R&D costs are driven down and the number of researchers increases by several orders of magnitude.  This example should make clear the possibilities of crowdsourcing for a broadcaster or motion graphic studio.

With the example set by InnoCentive a crowdsourcing broadcast design studio does not seem such a far flung idea.  Fore runners of it's existence have been design competitions held by the likes of e4 or SkyArts.  These events result in a pool of completed entries only as adventurous or complex as each competitor.  To harness the latent talent throughout the 'crowd' for a single purpose as opposed to playing the crowd against it's self would generate results far greater then any individual could achieve.  Enter 'The New Kind' a sci-fi web series airing in August 2012, in production at the time of writing this dissertation.  Peter Hyoguchi, the creator, has gathered some of the formidable talent behind films such as Star Wars, Avater and Hugo.  These pros supervise the work created by a 'crowd' of anime enthusiasts.  Since the project entered production a year ago, the spring of 2011, roughly $1 million of assets have been created free of charge.  Being a web series the show is also planned to be free to air.  Money will be made by charging $1 to watch an episode a week ahead of schedule.

Future conclusion:

Given the enormous savings offered by such a production model it is hard to see any other ways in which not only the broadcast design industry will proceed but many other industries able to utilise 'the crowd'.  The concluding statement of Jeff Howe's article gives a perspective on just how much cheeper crowdsourcing actually is.

"Gupta turns his laptop around to show me a flowchart on his screen.  "This is what we were paying $2,000 for.  But this one," he says, "was authored by one of our Turkers [a crowd sourced employee]."  I asked how much he paid.  His answer: "Five dollars." (Howe (2006))

Final thoughts:

It remains to be seen how and even if this future could affect the development of the guidelines set out here.  What would seem apparent is their increased importance in a world more susceptible to the fragmentation of design studios.  These are considerations to be taken up by any who would seek to use and improve what has been proposed.  It is hoped that the contribution of this study will aid the creative development of any interested individuals and therefor, in a small way, the industry as a whole.

Appendices: 

A    Explanation of the aims and objectives:

1. Review and evaluate literature on graphic design and design theories

Motion graphics has it's roots in graphic design. Understanding these theories is a necessity for the coming analysis stages. It also stands in for the lack of design theory based on motion graphics, being a newer medium there is not the same depth of knowledge available.  This is initially covered in the research proposal. The literature review section serves as an introduction to graphic design and the various types of thinking, some example guidelines developed from theory, and styles over the past hundred or so years. In the dissertation further research focuses on motion graphics and broadcast design completing an introductory journey from primary symbols to the case studies in the next section.

2. Investigate and analyse examples of motion graphics in channel idents

Up to this point there is only an explanation of the theories and historical context for motion graphics. This section will ground the theoretical discussion in reality with examples showing how design is applied in a practical scenario.  Seven channels have been selected, two generic national ones, two aimed at youth culture - one US and the other EU, a children's channel, and two specialist focus channels. The study of these examples provides insight into various approaches to broadcast design.  The knowledge gained in developing this section is invaluable in it's application to the final practice stage of the honours project, both in developing bespoke idents and in creating fictional channel identities within which to place the idents.

3. Conduct practice based research in the techniques used to create motion graphics.

Both the preceding sections concentrate on conceptual design, from theories to practical development. The final requirement for a designer is technical knowledge. This is essential in realising a design concept, without this knowledge there would be not physical product.  A designer with a larger toolset will not be forced to compromise as much as the man with a smaller set. As a result, this section will explore a large range of techniques through a number of media tests. Each test will contribute a new skill and technique which may be used in the final section. Typography, stop motion, photography, particle effects, motion tracking and illustration are some of the areas covered.

4. Create and critically evaluate a broadcast ident using motion graphics and its associated techniques

This is the focus point for each of the three preceding sections. The theory informs the concept, the case studies inform it's development and the media tests inform it's realisation. The results will stand as an exhibition of the combined knowledge and understanding gained from this project.  Three broadcast identities have been developed to allow a variation in approaches (See Appendix B for the three channel descriptions). With these three identities in place idents will be produced for each, driven by the three sections. These idents are the final showcase pieces.

B    Three channel descriptions:

MONDO is a channel dedicated to the 'epic'. Action / adventure, science fiction, fantasy, extreme sports - be it a series, film or live event: Mondo will showcase anything that has 'huge' effects, story or achievement. Drawing together a surreal mix from blockbusters to viral independent 'web film', behind the scenes stories, and ground breaking events Mondo provides a constant 'wow' to it's target audience of 20 to 30 year olds, predominantly men.

PULSE is an entertainment channel focusing on the playful side of life with a streak of daring. Shorter programming tending towards 10 and 20 minute shows invigorate the channels schedule and fit the culture of todays fast moving youth. Series, reality, game, and award shows are mixed in with entertainment news and reviews. It's lighthearted and silly nature stands in contrast to an increasingly busy and stressful world. The target audience is primarily the younger generation: 15 to 24 year olds. The name was chosen for it's strong visual and metaphorical connotations.

ARISEN is a channel dedicated to unveiling truth behind controversial issues, activities and events throughout the world. It creates a platform from which the voices of ordinary and independent people can be herd, specifically those directly affected by the subject under discussion. ARISEN aims to remain un-influenced by differing viewpoints and to present a non-biased outlet of information so that viewers may form their own opinions free from pre-conceptions. It is comparable to a news channel but delves deeper through a programming slate of documentaries, short (factual) films, educational and discussion shows. The audience is primarily made up by well educated, open minded individuals between the ages of 20 and 49 although suitable for anyone with an interest in the current and controversial who is willing to hear more than one side to a story. Reason for the name: 'Arisen' was chosen as a name to represent the hope that a sometimes blurred truth will always become apparent.

C The laws of the Gestalt school of thought

The first law: equilibrium. It describes the tendency of cognitive processes to simplify the perception of an object. Moving its constituent parts towards an equilibrium. It is similar to the second law of thermodynamics with objects tending towards a state of higher entropy.

The second law: closure. If a graphic figure is left incomplete, there is a desire to close it. This stems from closed areas as having a higher perceived stability. Incomplete or broken graphics portray instability, even hostility.

The third law: continuation. A straight line can appear to extend past its physical constraints and a curve can form the image of a circle where one is not drawn. A common employment of this concept is the dotted line. It is also related to the stroboscopic effect of animation.

The fourth law: similarity. What is perceived by the eye is constantly organised into patterns. Objects of similar size, shape, colour and direction will be grouped as one entity. This law is closely related to the fifth.

The fifth law: proximity. When objects are arranged in close proximity they will, again, be grouped as one entity. This law draws from a general gestalt principle that the character of an object is partially dependant on its surrounding field or context.

D The 12 principles of animation

1 Squash and stretch

Think of a bouncing ball, when it is impacting the floor it compresses or squashes, just as it leave the floor (it's fastest moment of travelling) it can be interoperated to stretch.  This increases the sense of weight and movement.  It is important, with realistic animation, that the object retains it's volume.

2 Anticipation

A kind of pre-movement.  Imagine throwing a ball, you first reach back with your arm before launching the ball.  Before you jump you will first bend your knees.  These movements build anticipation of an intended movement. 

3 Staging

Similar to layout in graphic design.  The purpose of staging is to direct attention to a desired area of a scene, this will show the audience what to pay attention to and can be useful in making sure a subtle but important detail is not missed.

4 Straight ahead action and pose to pose

These are two different techniques in producing the frames of animation.  Straight ahead entails drawing out the frames in order, this is more difficult but creates fluid movement more appropriate for action scenes with dynamic movement.  Pose to pose involves setting up specific poses and is more suited to emotional scenes.  With the introduction of computers, pose to pose is used throughout as is gives further advantage for planning, composition and organisation.

5 Follow through and overlapping action

This refers to the variety of movement throughout a characters body.  Different limbs are likely to move at different rates and different times.  If a character sits down his hips will finish their movement first followed by the torso, shoulders then arms.  This principle also refers to the movement of cloths, if loose they will take a frame or two to catch up with the characters movements.

6 Slow in and slow out

If you imagine dropping a ball, initially it's movement will be slow and accelerate towards the ground.  between bouncing and the top of it's bounce this change of speed will be inverted, initially fast and slowing to the top of the bounce.  This applies to most movement and creates more realistic motion when applied to a character.

7 Arcs

Most (natural) objects tend to follow a arc in their movement.  projectiles will be affected by gravity.  limbs are attached to joints around which they rotate.  The faster the object the wider the arc and vice versa.

8 Secondary Action

A movement that is not part of the main action.  This give more life, detail and interest to a scene.  It is also important to ensure the secondary action emphasises the main movement rather than distract from it.

9 Timing

Similar to slow in and slow out but taking into account the emotion or mood of the scene and what is trying to be portrayed by an action.  A crazed, hyperactive chipmunk may have short, fast erratic movement whereas a chilled out turtle will have slower more fluid movement.

10 Exaggeration

A tool for emphasising a scene.  Were animation to follow reality directly it could come across as dull, emphasising the speed, path or squash and stretch within movement will remedy this.  It is important to keep exaggerations proportional to each other to avoid confusion.

11 Solid drawing

This covers several concepts.  First, in classical animation, the animators ability to draw.  Specifically the ability to understand three dimensions and the consistency of volume when moving through the third dimension.  This also covers 'twinning' - the effect of both sides of the body mirroring each other, either in movement or appearance (this is generally a bad thing).  It has been noted that although animators working in a digital environment will benefit greatly from an understanding and ability to animate classically.

12 Appeal

This is the interest a character hold for the audience, akin to charisma.  Readable faces and poses will allow the audience to understand the character and interest will grow (assuming the character has a well constructed personality).

E    Examples of companies 'pushing boundaries' and similar claims:

"Belief (company name) pushes creative expression"

"Buck has passionately explored new frontiers in television advertising and broadcast network promos."

"In part, Flying machines success can be attributed to its holistic approach"

"Fuel Europe takes a holistic, integrated approach to the creation of communications for Volvo, abolishing the traditional separation of Above-the-line and Below-the-line by thinking through the line in creating integrated communications programs."

"Scarygood - a blend of logical and lateral thinking.  The head and the heart. Or as we like to say, a controlled explosion."

"An advertising so interrupting, so daring, so fresh, so engaging, so human, so believable and so well focused as to themes and ideas that, at one and the same time, it builds a quality reputation for the long haul as it produces sales for the immediate present."

"Recognising that the process is often more rewarding than the end result is just one of the ways design house Loyalkasper distinguishes itself from the creative herd."

"It is the love that we put into out work that stirs an innate level of consciousness beyond the rational that we like to call our touch of magic."

"We create cutting edge graphics."

"Our hope is to do work that engages people emotionally so that others, by looking at our work, can participate in our process."

"For Stringer, Gomez and the rest of the Shilo team it's all about pushing the limits of design-oriented production and forging new perspectives in storytelling process."

"Stardust is a motion graphics company pushing the creative boundaries of design"

"We find the cultural truths about, or intersections between, product, consumer and business."

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