The past week

This week we've been focusing on soundscapes. A soundscape is a collection of sounds that are supposed to create images in peoples minds. They were first discovered in the 1970s in Canada with location recording for archive and research purposes on analogue tape,and have since developed from this. The attempt with soundscapes is make them realistic and then transform them - so almost make them impressionistic. Mike gave us the details for our next project - making a soundscape. We need to come up with a title, structure and what affect we intend to have on our listener.

We also had a little role play session in which we got to be "Matt's Media.com" production team. This was a good exercise and we all brainstormed ideas for a half hour radio programme on the recent scandal with Sienna Miller launching legal action against the dreaded paparazzi. We all came up with some good ideas and could of created a very decent half hour programme! I found a particularly interesting website called "Celeb4aday" in which you can pay up to £3000 to have 6 paparazzi follow you all day,a bodyguard,limo,publicist,glossy front mag cover MyStar,question time with the paps and yes, a cd with your photos on. It just doesn't get much better ...





On Friday we had probably one of our last guest speakers come in to visit. Top dog Paul Appleby who's an Executive Producer with BBC background came in to talk to us.Paul is leaving the BBC and entering the 'Interactive Broadcasting' world freelance soon. He also gave Susan her first job as researcher! Paul's worked on famous nature programmes such as the 36 part series Planet Earth, and in his 25 years of experience has always looked at the relationship between people and the environment and people and animals.

In 1989 he was a series producer - which meant he did a lot of organising things for the programmes he worked on - making things work. He then became an executive producer which involves looking at other peoples work and commenting on it. An executive producer is close to the commissioners and channel controllers and is a final overseeing influence. They are often involved with getting projects commissioned in the beginning stages and sometimes with finding funding for the project.

Paul was a great speaker and was obviously very passionate about what broadcasting is all about - the audience. He has a real enthusiasm for getting close to his audience and being at the front of the leading edge - with either communication with the audience or the technological side.




A few questions from the time we spent with Paul:


How soon can you get information from BARB?

Pretty much overnight, by around 11am and I always check them. It's a 1st touch judgment on whether the programme will work or not. But I will be upset if I wanted 5 million viewers and I only got say 4.
Paul also mentioned how with the introduction of Interactive Broadcasting you can't tell who's watched by page view - however in the future data crunching will become more advanced. Also how audience data is KEY for predicting how good a programme is going to be.



How do you think technology and Interactive Broadcasting is going to develop?

Everything will be web based - at the click of a button you will be able to get what you want there and then. The point of broadcasting is to get stuff across to people, and then they use it. That sense that the piece of information is now theirs and they can actively use it.

Paul mentioned in the future he wants to be using films as a way of getting messages across. In the future everything will be visual - text is a blip and in 200 years time we'll think what was text all about!





What happens with the process of Ofcom if your material offends anyone - do they directly contact you?

There are always ways around Ofcom regulations. Such as a lot of dramas that start at 9 o clock now pre-warn you if there's going to be swearing,sex or violence so that covers them as the audience know that it's coming. It's a lot more sophisticated than it used to be. There are also forms and checklists you need to submit before to avoid getting in trouble. However unfortunately people can get upset - for example the word "evolution" we've used in our programmes, you have to be very careful using that - I have written many letters of apology as you have to listen to what your audience want, they deserve your respect as they're your audience after all.
He also gave us a link bbc.co.uk/guidlines/editorialguidelines/forms - to show examples of the forms that need to completed.

His 2 main points for us to take away with us :
1. Involve your audience
2. Get experience in everything!