Identifying Opportunities For Producing Speech Based Packages For Radio

Grading:
Identifying Opportunities For Producing Speech Based Packages For Radio



Task 1:
Have a listen to the speech packages above and match each one with a genre, from the list below.
You should also comment on the audience reach; Local, Regional, National, International.(P1, M1, D1)

To listen to the podcasts in full, log on to www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts

Speech Packages can be split into different genres:

Consumer
IE: Price increase of products /services / commodities

Business:
IE: Company acquisitions, mergers, administration. Stocks & Shares

Lifestyle:
IE: Health, Beauty,

Sport:
IE: Sports results and reviews

News & Current Affairs:
Bulletins, In depth reporting, obituary.

Audience:
Local, Regional, National, International.

Task 2:
Have a look at the topics below and decide which genre, each issue would belong to and what the reach and target audience might be.(P1, M1, D1)

1) The Olympics- 2012
2) Alcohol Price Rise - Risen for safety
3) Asda- Where do they stand in the supermarket league tables?
4) West Leeds Council owned gyms- comparisons to national gym chains.
5) Smoking Ban - Have the pubs and clubs suffered? What else has the ban affected?
6) Leeds UTD - History, administration, what's been happening lately.

Task 3:
Decide on a topic for your speech package, you can choose one of the titles above if you wish.(P1, M1, D1)

• Name? Genre? Target-Audience?
  

Task 4:
Choose an example of a professional speech package in your chosen genre and write a detailed analysis....(P1, M1, D1)


Task 5:

Have a listen to the news speech package which is broadcast via this link
and below and answer the following questions.....(P1, M1, D1)



Who is interviewed and why?
Are there any other contributors or correspondents?
Are the interviews as-live, or pre-recorded?
Are the interviews recorded on location, via the telephone or in a studio?

Task 6:
Think about your chosen topic and identify the interview materials you will require to produce your speech package:(P1, M1, D1)

• Who will you interview?
• Other Contributors & Correspondents?
• Vox Pops?
• Where will you record? in a studio, on location?
• As-Live?
• Will there be a telephone interview?
• What is usual for the genre you have chosen?

Generating Ideas for Specific Contexts & Target Audiences

Task 7:
Create a short report focusing on a variety of Radio Stations that broadcast speech packages and provide the relevant information for each station...(P2, M2, D2)

• Target Audience?
• Genres covered by the station?
• National/regional/local station?
• Commercial or BBC?
• Analogue/Digital/Internet?
  
• Speech Packages played in what type of programme? News? Magazine? Educational? Entertainment news? As downloadable podcasts?
  

Example:
Radio 5, is a national radio station that broadcasts nationally. The target audience for the station is primarily adults, between 20 and 50 and the station broadcasts a mixture of genres, including current affairs and lifestyle but specialises in sport.
Speech packages make up a huge part of the content on this station, as it is a 100% speech radio station and are found in a variety of programmes formats, including news and sport programmes.
Radio 5 is a BBC channel, which is available on analogue, digital and the internet with podcasts available to download.

Task 8:
Write a treatment for your speech package, use the template below as a guide to your headings...(P2, M2, D2)+ Is your speech package formal/casual/serious/educational/informational/entertaining?

+ What about the target audience?

What are the social positions of the audience members?

Consider how the following may effect the way an audience interact with a media text and why it is important that media producers are aware of their audiences demographic.

Self image: How does the audience member feel she or he is viewed, as a result of identifying with and even buying into an identity that is linked with a media text, or series of texts?
ie; being a trekky, a goth, an emo etc;

Gender: Does being a male or female mean you are attracted to particular genres?
Are people drawn to texts that they feel their gender should be drawn to?
(For example, men and sport stations)
Who decides that particular sexes should be attracted to particular texts?
Do media producers aim specific texts at specific genders?

Age group: Should age make a difference? Think about the questions stated above and relate them to age..

Family: What is a family audience?
What type of texts appeal to family audiences?
Does such a thing exist in Radio anymore?


Class: What's class got to do with it? (Refer to table below)

Does being part of a certain class mean you are attracted to particular stations?
Are people drawn to stations that they feel their class should be drawn to?
Watch and listen to the final section of the film below.......



Who decides that particular classes should be attracted to particular texts?
Do media producers aim specific texts at a specific class?

Ethnicity: Once again, consider the questions posed in earlier questions when related to ethnicity.

Religion: Why must producers be aware of the different religous denominations that are present in their target audience?
How might the glorification of sex and violence be received by certain factions of different religions?
The media often tackles the difficult task of representing religion and people who are intrinsically linked by religion, why is this a risky process?

Education: Does your education play a role in the way you receive and interact with media texts?
Do media producers shape texts to be aimed at educated, or less educated people?

Location (geographical & local): Is where you live important in the eyes of media producers?
If so why?
Is it linked to gender, family, age, class, ethnicity, religion, education, wealth, politics?
The world is a smaller place because of the advancements in technology, how does this effect the make-up of audiences and all of the categories above?

Researching, Selecting & Evaluating Appropriate Factual Content

You should now be comfortable with researching in an appropriate manner......

• Qualitative
• Quantitative
• Primary
• Secondary

Task 9:
Carry out the relevant research and document the techniques you have used....(P3, M3, D3)

You should have examples of the following.....

• Primary qualitative research: interviews with people who are involved with your topic or are in a position to make a relevant comment on your topic. This may form some of your research + material for your final product
  
• Primary quantitative research: questionnaires that help you gather statistical information.
• Secondary Qualitative information: Comment or interviews from television; radio
  stations; books; newspapers; magazines.
• Secondary quantitative research: Statistics from television; radio stations; books; newspapers; magazines.

Task 10:
Complete the appropriate health and safety paperwork which can be found on....(P3, M3, D3)

Media Share....Sixth Form......Year 12 Radio........Speech Packages......Health and Safety Paperwork.

Preparing and Producing Speech Packages

Task 11:

Produce a voice over script incorporating a cue sheet, with timings.(P4, M4, D4)

Task 12:
Produce a professional sounding speech package using the relevant technology.(P4 M4, D4)

Task 13:
Evaluate your product....(P4, M4, D4)

Production : Evaluation : PartcofPD

Purpose :
What was your original aim?
Did you actually achieve your purpose? Your own opinion.
Now ….you must gather audience feedback by playing your package to a group of people from your target audience. You should then write under the following headings :

Audience
What did they say? Did they enjoy it? Did they take your preferred reading…. Or an oppositional reading? Use words like “primary target audience….. uses & gratifications theory”

Representation issues.
Did you give positive messages… or negative …. were you biased?
Did your package only include boys/girls or both?
Were different ethnic groups included in your plans? If not, why not?
How did your music track add to the mood of the piece?
Were the locations appropriate to the package? Why? Why not?
Was the language appropriate for your target audience?
Was it realistic when compared to a similar professional product?

Technical issues
What were the levels like? Voice? Music? Background?
Did you cut off anyone’s voice when you edited the piece? If you did, how could you solve this next time?
Was the microphone work o.k.? Why? Why not?
Was there enough variety to keep your audience interested?
Was your editing o.k.? Have you used single track editing or multi-track editing?
Have you used sound effects? Why? Why not?
Have you used any actuality in your piece? What was it?


Conventions/Narrative
What do you think was typical of this genre? Make a list.
What would be the same in a similar professional product?
Do they have any advantages over you?
Features of good narrative include........ enigma.... , equilibrium, disruption, resolution, hero, villain.... did you use any of them?
Would you regard your story as single strand or multi-strand?


Own performance... self evaluation
Did you learn any new skills?
How do you think you did? ..... strengths?.. weaknesses?
Were you a good team member? Why? Why not?
Did you argue or were you prepared to listen to the opinion of others?

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Internal Verification

Teacher of unit: James Burkinshaw

Signature: BK

Internal Verifier: Chris Jackson

Signature: JA

Aim of assignment:
All assignment tasks are clearly stated and supported by research material.

Learning Outcomes:
Very clear to the students, who will also use the syllabus to guide the content of their work.

Are the criteria addressed in the tasks?
Fully. The tasks are devised in detail to allow access to all grade levels.

Is is set at an appropriate level?
As above. Depth of response will allow differentiated grading.

Does it use the right language?

Yes. The language used is in keeping with the work of the department and draws on the specialist language we use in the subject.

Is it presented clearly?

Yes. The work is set out with exact guidelines and is accessible by all levels.

Date of internal verification: September 2008. C. Jackson

Any other comments..... The development of the pgsmedia website will be an enormous help to our students who can access the units freely to allow individual programmes of study.