Professional Pre-Production: Package Creation & Results

From early in the term, I decided to begin the creation of my website and start adding each feature after the completion of each area. For example, finishing my broadcasting channel research and decisions, then soon after adding them to my package etc. This allowed me to stay on top of my work and complete each part of the package while it was fresh in my mind.

Overall, I have mostly continued with my initial plan for my package, with some features being removed and some added, and the format that it's presented on has changed. But the end result is extremely insightful and supportive in looking into every area of my miniseries creation.

Package Features

Synopsis: This section includes the series' pitch & logline, alongside the final series synopsis, and all final episode synopsis. Giving the reader descriptive and clear information on the series' plot.

Broadcasting Channel: This includes researched information on international co-productions, BBC One and AMC. And the ways that The Identity is well suited to the channels. With channel and television series example images.

Schedule & Run Times: To give clear representations of the series being made for these channels, exact run times are presented for each episodes in chart form.

Characters: Supported by many suitable character images, short bios and in depth character profiles are presented professionally for all characters to portray their exact personalities, lifestyles and appearances.

Cast: These pages tell the reader who each actor and actress is, about their previous work, and why they're suitable to their characters. Along with professional photos of each cast member.

Crew: This section is made up of researched role descriptions to provide information on each crew member's job and importance in the production, crew bios, previous work, written and image portfolio examples, and why they're suited to the production. Alongside images of the crew where possible.

Locations: This page consists of all location types from the start to finish of the story, discussing where and why they're used, their themes and their colour schemes. With a large amount of image examples.

Visual Style: These pages include a researched definition of visual style, and very descriptive definitions and examples of all themes, cinematography and lighting that would feature in the series, with how, where and why. With many images to support this.

Editing Style: Similar to visual style, these pages include a researched definition of editing style, with very descriptive definitions and examples of all colour grading, cutting and pacing, and editing techniques that would feature in the series, with how, where and why. Alongside many example images and videos.

Branding: This section explains the importance of branding in the series, along with the fonts that were used and the series' finalised logo - with where, how and why, alongside colours, styles and sizes per series element (such as promotional posters, website etc.). Also, a personalised colour chart is presented with an explanation to how and why it used in each element. With example images of each area.

Concept Images: These pages discuss how and why my concept images are useful for the series' visuals and promotions, along with featuring all five concept images individually, with in depth descriptions and their original images to accentuate the end results.

Marketing: This section is one of the largest, with descriptions of The Identity's marketing style and the broadcaster's effects on marketing. With pages on the promotional images created, with how and why they were made, alongside where they're used, and the original images and the final images. The next two pages are on the series' BBC One and AMC marketing, with researched information on their conventional promotional styles, and detailed descriptions and images on the BBC One trailer and website, and the AMC website, posters, billboard and bus advertisement.

Opening Titles: This page features researched descriptions on the uses of opening titles and their common features, along with explanations of my opening titles' length, features, visuals, themes, editing style, sound and why it's suited to the production. And most importantly, the page features the opening titles video itself, able to be viewed on the website, and key image stills from the video.

Together, every one of these features provides all of The Identity's important information and visuals that I have envisioned and created.

The Advantages of Creating a Website

Initially, I intended to create a hard copy book as my package. But when considering other options, and reviewing my past work, I realised that creating a website was a much better option for me and my project's elements.

By using a website to present The Identity's package, I was able to use my previous knowledge and experience in creating websites to contribute to it's professional look, and a smooth, unproblematic creation of the site. The website also allows for access at any time for anyone simply with an internet connection - something that is unavailable with a book. And lastly, and most importantly, the website allows for interactivity and accessible visuals. With my project being one that is extremely visual based, the ability to use an unlimited amount of images and visuals that can be enlarged, used in galleries and slideshows, and viewed as many times as required, greatly supports my project elements.

Above & Below: An example of the website's interactivity and visual elements. With the contents permanently at the header of the website, the site is easy to use. Along with the home page consisting of all contents of the package with professional and supportive aesthetics and images (the images consist of relative themes of London, Philadelphia, travelling, loneliness, and identity).

Above & Below: An example from Promotional Images, Marketing. This represents how the website allows for not along descriptions, individual images and a large image. But that the smaller images can be clicked on and enlarged through website tools (below).

Above: This part of the Opening Titles page shows the video presented and constantly available for the viewer, as opposed to having to watch a hard copy of it instead.

Finished Package

The finalised website package for The Identity has a large amount of information, visual content and professionalism. Below are descriptions of how and why each element was added to the package...

Firstly, the overall layout of the website was decided when creating my very first page, Broadcasting Channel. When testing a number of tools, fonts, colours and layouts, I decided on using one block colour as the cover page, consisting of blue, black and white in particular orders across all pages. I then decided on my branded fonts (which are explained in my Branding post), and decided to create an article/column style of text layout and simple middle-of-the-page text, separated by simplistic lines, depending on appropriateness for content. When deciding on backgrounds, I wanted them to alternate in a similar way to the block colours, but remain consistent throughout the website. I decided on textured black and white backgrounds to achieve this.

In terms of speech, I wanted to consistently avoid saying words such as 'I' or 'my', in order to keep the package completely professional. All text consists of professional speech, with researched quotes from professional sources and cast members (all research can be found on my journal, with referencing links). I feel that the quotes on certain pages adds to this stylish, high quality approach.

I also found that something that adds to the high-end and entertaining style of the website is using tagline for every page, providing brief descriptions on what the viewer is about to read. I think this is informative, unique and draws the reader in.

Lastly, by using images and videos that I carefully selected from my blog, along with more of these that were carefully selected specifically for the package, I made sure that every single visual element included in the pages were highly supportive of the content surrounding them, and appealing for the viewer.

Below are three examples of the above. The Broadcasting Channel page is an example of everything just discussed, the Synopsis page is an example of the continued use of these elements, along with the argument that the stylish layout makes a page aesthetically pleasing to look at even without images or videos, and the Visual Style section is another example of my layout, speech and quotes...

Reflections

On reflection of my package work, I think that the amount of time and effort that I put into presenting a high-quality website has shown through. I think that the package is easy to navigate around, provides extensive amounts of information across all areas of the series and is enjoyable to view due to it's branding, images and videos.

With so much opportunity to change and develop the website, there isn't anything that I would change, as when those opportunities have arisen, I've been able to do so with ease. I think that the package achieves all content from this journal without unnecessary areas included, greatly improved professionalism, and large quantities of improved on and newly added content and visuals.


Here is the finalised website package for The Identity...

www.theidentitytv.wixsite.com/home