My client for the production of this TV drama is BBC 3 (BBC). "At BBC Three we're looking to celebrate what it is to be young and British today, and all our content must appeal to a young, diverse, UK-wide audience." BBC three is a channel (currently only on Iplayer) operated by the BBC. The BBC is the UK's largest public service broadcaster with media influence spanning across all sorts of media products from radio to film. BBC 3 is target at audiences aged 16-34 and they often cover more topical and controversial themes in their productions. However all of their recent productions such as Killing Eve and Fleabag have only been broadcasted online. For detailed research into the BBC and their audience considerations you can see my BBC research post.
What do they want to create?
They would like to create a brand new television drama specifically aimed at 16-21 year olds in order to tempt the younger audiences to watch the channel when it is placed back on TV in 2022. The production budget will be low (£80k-£100k per episode) and the programme must fit BBC3's style and ethos.
What conventions will I need to follow?
There is a detailed explanation of what a TV drama is, their conventions and structure in my BBC research post. I will have to come up with a serialised programme with a continuous plot and episodes that last between 45 and 60 minutes. It should also be relatable for the audience and despite being fictional, be hyper realistic so that the viewers believe the plot could be true to real life. This means the audience will be more engaged and feel that they are gaining from consuming the programme. The series will be heavily character based with lots of detail into their lives. Each character will be opposed by a different one i.e protagonist vs antagonist - the changing dynamic between opposing characters will be the focus when an event disturbs normality (normally villain disturbs hero's equilibrium.) The Villain, The Donor, The helper, The princess, The false hero, The dispatcher and The Hero (Propp's theory) will all be featured. To ensure that it is a TV drama there will be frequent events which disturb normality which the characters are forced to overcome in order to achieve a new normal - and this will continue in a cycle. I will also play into the genre expectations of the audience ie. if the series was a crime drama then I would have to have crimes being committed to satisfy the viewers' wants.
What does the client currently create/show? How will I make it relevant and consistent?
The service produces and streams television and web series aimed at the demographic of 16 to 34-year-olds, with a particular focus on comedy and documentary programming. BBC 3 often approach and represent otherwise under/mis-represented and taboo subjects and groups. Examples include: 'This country', 'Fleabag', 'Young offenders' and Killing Eve alongside a plethora of documentary content which looks at drugs, crime, sexuality etc. When generating my ideas for a BBC 3 drama I will make sure to focus on topics which may not often be broadcasted on 'mainstream' channels - topics such as racism, trafficking, murder etc. Furthermore, I will make sure that my programme follows BBC3's current style, with 45 minute serialised episodes set in Britain (in the brief.) As the brief is to appeal to 16-21 year olds my programme will likely focus on younger people which will make the episodes more relatable and relevant to this TA. In addition, relevant issues will be outlined such as racism and sexism. To ensure consistency, the traits and development of the characters would be mapped out before creating the first episode so that nothing is contradicted or unintentionally confuses the audience.
Who is the audience? How will I make it appealing?
BBC 3 as a channel is intended to appeal to 16-34 year olds and is majority preferred by women according to YouGov. For the programme we have been asked to write up the TA are aged between 16 and 21 which means the topics will have to be even more 'youthful' than BBC3's average content and look at issues that may particularly involve this demographic such as schooling, underage crime, becoming adults etc. The characters will be based off of younger stereotypes/ people - with more modern mannerisms and clothing. To make sure the TA is reached the programme would be advertised on mediums with a younger presence such as Instagram and Snapchat and graphics would be very current and up to date. I have outlined what the programme could include in the previous paragraph and I think these are factors which would both retain viewing and also attract it if advertised right.
What does the audience already watch?
The majority of 16-21 year olds watch TV dramas on platforms such as Netflix, Amazon prime and Disney+ however series' such as 'This country' have drawn this younger 'digital' audience to BBC3 on Iplayer. When I researched into the programmes popular amongst this demographic it appeared that the majority of them focussed on the relationships and tribulations within a group of kids within the age bracket (typically around 16) - series' such as 'Stranger things', 'On my block', 'Sex education' etc. There has also been a rise in popularity amongst this demographic for animated TV dramas/ comedies such as 'Big mouth', 'Paradise PD' and 'Rick and Morty'.
How could I ensure low production costs?
I would look at this animated model as a way to reduce production costs however BBC3's style doesn't involve animation at all and it would be harder to show conflict in certain UK areas/communities in an animated programme. Instead I will ensure low production costs by utilising various other aspects of physical production. The first factor is location - shooting somewhere like London would be very costly in comparison to the countryside as you would have to stop traffic and people etc. This is why I would shoot somewhere like Yorkshire where being in a city wouldn't cause as much disruption, whilst still having a wide variety of settings. Another factor which can lower the production cost is the choice of talent, using actors and crew members who are possibly not well established yet in the industry but still to a good enough quality - this means their rates will be lower. Other aspects such as gear and special effects can also be utilised to reduce the need of purpose built props or rigs as well as possibly overly good quality.
What legal requirements must we consider?
Talent consent must be acquired - forms which grant the producer the rights to feature the actor in the episodes, possibly outlining any risk or challenging moments. Without this the producer could be sued and the episodes unable to air. Location permission must be given to film anywhere especially if roads needed to be blocked etc. in which case the council would be involved as well as property owners. Risks assessments would also have to be done for every location to protect the staff and gear from injury/damage. To avoid copyright issues, obvious logos and promos will not be shown alongside un-owned artwork, songs, sounds and ideas. I must also abide by the 'Official secrets act 1911' and the prevention on terrorism act. This outlines the fact that there should be no wrongful communication of information in my production. I will also have to follow Ofcom's guidance on the protection of under 18s - ensuring that no content unsuitable for younger audiences such as bad language, drug use and sex is shown before the 9pm watershed. To help classify the age brackets of who is safe to watch this film would be the BBFC. The series would need to be age rated (17, PG etc.) Defamation law, employer rights and equal opportunities would also be taken into account and fair representation and opportunities would be shown. Confidentiality is another key factor in the production of any kind of media. Many things must be kept confidential so that other media production companies or outlets can't plagiarise or ruin your media product for the audience.
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