Technology
Shipwrecked is a TV series on channel 4 and occurs once a year, it uses digital video and broadband internet.
Digital video is used to record the television programmes and the cameras and microphones have to be very high quality to deal with the conditions. The series is shot on pacific, tropical islands so the equipment has to cope with extreme heat, rain, sand and dirt. The internet is used for the channel 4, shipwrecked website; which gives fans more information and unseen video clips.
The technology is replacing older cameras and sound equipment which would not have coped with the conditions. The website is replacing reading about the programme via TV guides and teletext etc. It is relevant and significant because it makes the television programme a lot more fun and more interesting for viewers, and also provides a lot of escapism.
Media Content
The media content involved is the TV series, the website and the trailers
The TV series
The show is basically a reality TV competition between 2 sets of people. At the start there are 2 islands and 5 people on each Island – they are ‘tribes’, called sharks and tigers. Each week there is a ‘new arrival’ and each tribe have 3 days to convince them to choose their island at the weekly beach party. After 5 months the island with the most inhabitants wins (this year) £100,000 to share. The beautiful location (South Pacific) and outrageous characters really hook viewers in, and much like Big Brother, it can become very addictive. This is great for channel 4 (which is probably why it has a lot of reality programmes – e.g. big brother, dispatches, child genius etc) because it means loyalty. The TV series is also shown during ‘T4’, this means that the presenters also get very involved in it and discuss events etc, it also means that thee are sometimes interviews with people who have been sent home or chose to leave.
The website http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/S/shipwrecked/index.html
The website is simply laid out with a white background and turquoise text – themed around exotic islands presumably. This is where Shipwrecked becomes interactive, with features like quizzes – which test your knowledge of the programme and Forums – where viewers can discuss events etc. It also has free, downloadable podcasts – e.g. Campfire confessions from the islanders, it also heavily advertises the show’s Bebo website. It also has a competition to win a holiday. Viewers can access information about all of the islanders and a quick summary of each past week – so if they join the series late or miss an episode, then they can still catch up. One of the main attractions of the website (which is particularly advertised on TV) is that you can view unseen footage and also some of the best clips. There is also a mobile feature – by texting ‘Shipwrecked’ to 83188 you receive a link to a mobile website and you watch clips and read for information on-the-go.
Trailers
The trailers/advertisements for the show make it very attractive. They are heavily dramatised with loud, strong music and they emphasise the beautiful location. They also emphasis the drama of the island and reveal snippets about what will happen in the next week’s episode.
Audiences
Television programmes often have target audiences of a few years under the age of the characters, so the rough target audience of shipwrecked is probably 15-18. All social groups are relevant as the people participating in the programme come from all different backgrounds.
Shipwrecked is a TV series on channel 4 and occurs once a year, it uses digital video and broadband internet.
Digital video is used to record the television programmes and the cameras and microphones have to be very high quality to deal with the conditions. The series is shot on pacific, tropical islands so the equipment has to cope with extreme heat, rain, sand and dirt. The internet is used for the channel 4, shipwrecked website; which gives fans more information and unseen video clips.
The technology is replacing older cameras and sound equipment which would not have coped with the conditions. The website is replacing reading about the programme via TV guides and teletext etc. It is relevant and significant because it makes the television programme a lot more fun and more interesting for viewers, and also provides a lot of escapism.
Media Content
The media content involved is the TV series, the website and the trailers
The TV series
The show is basically a reality TV competition between 2 sets of people. At the start there are 2 islands and 5 people on each Island – they are ‘tribes’, called sharks and tigers. Each week there is a ‘new arrival’ and each tribe have 3 days to convince them to choose their island at the weekly beach party. After 5 months the island with the most inhabitants wins (this year) £100,000 to share. The beautiful location (South Pacific) and outrageous characters really hook viewers in, and much like Big Brother, it can become very addictive. This is great for channel 4 (which is probably why it has a lot of reality programmes – e.g. big brother, dispatches, child genius etc) because it means loyalty. The TV series is also shown during ‘T4’, this means that the presenters also get very involved in it and discuss events etc, it also means that thee are sometimes interviews with people who have been sent home or chose to leave.
The website http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/S/shipwrecked/index.html
The website is simply laid out with a white background and turquoise text – themed around exotic islands presumably. This is where Shipwrecked becomes interactive, with features like quizzes – which test your knowledge of the programme and Forums – where viewers can discuss events etc. It also has free, downloadable podcasts – e.g. Campfire confessions from the islanders, it also heavily advertises the show’s Bebo website. It also has a competition to win a holiday. Viewers can access information about all of the islanders and a quick summary of each past week – so if they join the series late or miss an episode, then they can still catch up. One of the main attractions of the website (which is particularly advertised on TV) is that you can view unseen footage and also some of the best clips. There is also a mobile feature – by texting ‘Shipwrecked’ to 83188 you receive a link to a mobile website and you watch clips and read for information on-the-go.
Trailers
The trailers/advertisements for the show make it very attractive. They are heavily dramatised with loud, strong music and they emphasise the beautiful location. They also emphasis the drama of the island and reveal snippets about what will happen in the next week’s episode.
Audiences
Television programmes often have target audiences of a few years under the age of the characters, so the rough target audience of shipwrecked is probably 15-18. All social groups are relevant as the people participating in the programme come from all different backgrounds.
The audience are using it for viewing pleasure; it is a competition so most viewers probably take sides, and, like most reality TV, it is very easy to feel involved. Set in such a remote and beautiful location it probably provides viewers with a sense of escapism, and possibly also inspires them to take gap years, or apply for the show them. So the benefits it provides are pleasure and escapism for the viewers.
Institutions
The institution which creates and airs the show is channel 4, and it brings them a great deal of benefits with respect to ratings.
Reality TV is very popular with teens and can be highly addictive, this boosts the ratings for channel 4 dramatically – particularly because each week a new persona arrives so viewers try not to miss episodes. The show also gives channel 4 a lot of material for airing because as well as the main show there is also ‘Hutcam diaries’ – a show on during Saturdays, and ‘The third Island’ – which is a new feature of this year in which there is a new secret island.
So the only benefit it brings them is exhibition because it gives them something popular to exhibit
Key Concepts
Shipwrecked is an example of Immediacy, Interactivity, Democratisation, Quality and Time-shift.
Immediacy
The website is a form of immediacy because it can be accessed anywhere at anytime. Fans can see unseen footage or read about the characters and rules from the website whenever.
Interactivity
The website is incredibly interactive but I don’t think that the actually show has ‘red button’ features. The website’s interactive features include; quizzes – test your knowledge and forums – where you can join in and discuss anything.
Democratisation
Anyone can audition for shipwrecked and you apply online through the website – this gives anyone and everyone the chance to get involved. It is also an example of democratisation because it is these applicants which actually create the material for the show – so channel 4 don’t really have much say in the show’s content (other than to censor parts).
Quality
The quality of the equipment must be very high in order to cope with the conditions. The cameras and microphones must be able to withstand intense heat and rain and also a lot of dirt and sand.
Time-Shift
The shows are repeated once a week on channel 4 but you can also see some video clips and all the information on a particular episode from the website. This way viewers can miss an episode but not feel alienated from the programme when they next watch it.
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