TELEVISION

INSTITUTIONS/PRODUCTION/INDUS

TRY

MULTI-APPROACH / MULTI-METHODOLOGY

• Sociology / anthropology / economics / cultural studies / historiography

• Interest in actual media text varies

• Television Studies in conjunction with Industry Studies always acknowledges the text

EU AND USA

• Televisual beginnings determine interest:

• who takes an interest and of what nature is that interest

• Administrative Research and Critical Research

• USA and UK

• Marxist, Frankfurt School, Political economy

• television and the state OR television and the industry

• How are texts and industry or the state connected?

IN TV

• What is regulated? production/ distribution Copyright

Content (indecency/obscenity)

Structure (business/operations)

Access

• Who regulates it? Government body / industry / citizens / lobbyists

• How do regulations affect the product?

• Commercial Mandate Self-regulation

• USA / Germany / India often nationally defined

MAKING MEDIA

• Overhead costs

infrastructure maintenance – electricity, staff,

buildings, administration

• Planning

optioning rights, pre-production, casting / screen

tests, pre-prod staff

pilot–production (and post-production) sets,

costumes, image corrections etc.

• Production

workers, talent, staff, skilled labor (above-the-

line, below-the-line)

• Marketing / Distribution

Ads (TV, Cinema, Radio, Online, Magazines),

infrastructure broadcast/cable, DVDs, trade shows

TELEVISION DEFICIT FINANCINGUPFRONT – FIRST RUN – SYNDICATION / DVD RELEASES

• Studios

Sunk Costs Risk is with the studio, so are the gains

• Large corporations

Shows optioned by the networks/corporations, they

carry risks and would receive the spoils

• Independent financing formerly consisting mainly of the

producer-funding / self-funding high budget (micro

budget around $500,000)

digitization of media opens a realm of possibilities

SALES PERSONNEL PROMOTERS

• Hierarchy of product leads to corporate, main, and re-distribution

differential promotion

• Regional concerns in content determine decisions on trading/sales practices

• International trading requires “trust” due to unpredictability material like formats have lower risk = easier sale

• + volatility = +people involved in decision process web

• Possible effect for viewer agency

PROGRAMMING

WINDOWINGClassic Current

Time Slot Shifts -- Upstream Time Slot Shifts

Syndication Delayed branded online releases

DVD Digital second tier release

Syndication

DVD

--- Downstream

Build excitement in viewers

Ensure maximum profits (problematic in digital realm)

per capita revenue per window

potential audience size per window

potential for downstream consumption

time until loss of influence on consumers

vulnerability to illegal access Disaggregate ?

REMEDIATION AND TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING

FORMAT DEVELOPMENT• Paper First:

• Program Titles

• Target Audience

• Suggested Scheduling

• Length, running order outline

• Brief outline

• Detailed synopsis

• Illustrations, Presenters

• Budget and Set design/music/look

• Merchandise suggestions

• Further income ideas

TRIAL AND ERROR

• Show Reel

• Studio Pilot (budget friendly Office Pilot)

• Some shows have up to six pilot-attempts

• IPR and copyright agenda

• Broadcast Development 1 phase ends, but format, due to its nature,

develops while travelling

DISTRIBUTION 1• Franchising more important than programming (differs from most fictional

programming)

• Franchise brochure or Format Bible is thus what is sold:

• Production and broadcast notes

• Revenue (income streams)

• Includes off-air recordings to further understanding of format

• Post-scripts

(Scripted and Un-scripted formats)

DISTRIBUTION 1 CONT’D

• Budget Information

• Audience Ratings and Demographic

• Sponsors and Advertisers

• Marketing package

• Interactivity merchandising, convergence opportunities in transmedia etc.

• Notes on streamlining production/post-production/marketing/organization etc.

SHOW / FORMAT / TV BIBLE –RODRIGUE : “THE TRANSFER OF EXPERTISE IS ONE THE MOST

IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE FORMAT BUSINESS.

DISTRIBUTION 2 CIRCULATION

• Distribution in the hands of mostly releasing networks

and producers

• Rights sold with base-price (signing fee), PLUS percentage of revenue

“Pop” Idol brings in 20% of Winner’s Earnings to devisor of format

• Local markets often have to pay twice

depending on the format generation

How much freedom to change is provided?

CIRCULATION

• 5 markets

a) national territories GER / FR / J 20,000$/episode

b) Western Europe / Australia 10,000$

c) Russia / former Eastern Block 1,000$

d) Uruguay / Turkey / PR China 250$

e) UNITED STATES most expensive, more than others combined (maintain these rights separate from any other deal)