News Introduction Analysis

Introduction Analysis

This is the introduction sequence to the BBC news program. In this blog post I will be analyzing it to show the different aspects of the sequence. 

In class we have been looking at the introductions to news programs. We analysed the iconography within these sequences. 
As a result of this we came up with some categories. - Clocks and time - Connotations of technology - Rushing graphics and camera movements - The planet - Satellites - Geographical landmarks and locations - Transparency - Colors - Fast, loud music Within the majority of the introductions contained some of these aspects above. 
BBC news sequence analysis

At the very start of this sequence I immediately noticed that the visuals start with a partial view of the planet. As you can see it is showing a segment of the world which in this case is China and with the capital city 'Beijing' in capital letters. This is one of the world super powers and has great importance. Another thing is the audio. It starts with a drum beat in the background which is often used in the news and especially in the starting sequences, this is because they are trying to grab the viewers attention. 

The coloration of the introduction is all red and white which also relates the the news show itself as this is the color scheme used through the whole show. As we progress through the sequence it is similar to the start except this time it is Scotland and shows its capital city 'Edinburgh'. This city is important because it is closer to home.

This whole sequence contains very fast rushing graphics. We said that the introductions would be rushed and fast paced because they want to get the news to the audience as fast as possible and show a sense of urgency. In this introduction there are lines that are connecting all of these locations, this means that they are bringing news from all over the world.
The graphics bring me onto transparency. We are looking down at the world through these red graphics. This means that they are showing that there is nothing to hide and shows clarity within the news. The next segment is more zoomed out and shows the entire planet as a view from space. The world itself is transparent and shows that there is nothing on this planet they can hide from us. This suggests that they know everything about all the current events. 
Another example of iconography is the use of satellites. In this sequence I think they have are trying to suggest satellites with the use of the circles that orbit the planet. This is them trying to show the use of modern technology that they are using in order to get the news to the audience.
The colors in this sequence are very deep and bold. This is done to grab your attention as does the music. The music fully kicks in at about 5 seconds and contains a change of strong drum beat. All of these things are there to grab the viewer's attention to tell them that something very important is going to happen.

The last shot in the sequence before entering the studio is a shot of the earth. This is shown from space and shows it from the view of a satellite. You could say that this connotes technology and says that they are an advanced high tech industry. From this view  you see the names of capital cities from all over the world connected with lines to show they have the most important news from everywhere. 

Lastly the graphics in this intro contain what seems like an earthquake with the use of the circles. This shows that when news happens it spreads in ripples from the epicenter of the news.

At the end, the intro sequence cuts into two shots of the studio. This means that it rushes straight from a shot of the world into the studio where they are reporting the news. These are crane shots and show all of the people and the technology that they are using to generate the news and distribute it to the public. The use of technology is clearly shown in the mise-on-scene off the studio. In the second shot we see the news reader at her desk surrounded by cameras and screens. This reinforces how high tech the studio is.

The thing that is more important than the introduction sequence is the newsreader themselves. The crane shots dissolve into a shot of the newsreader. The shots shows a young female which is very common in the news. These presenters are not allowed to show any emotion or personality when presenting the news as they need to show neutrality within the way it is shown. Furthermore people who present the news generally speak in 'Standard English'. This means that they do not have any speech problems or have any accent, these people are typically from southern England. Most news presenters are either young females or older males. The presenter is always looking into the camera and trying to address the audience directly as it is very hard to ignore someone when they stare straight at you, this shows a state of importance. As soon as the cameras start rolling on the presenter they are always sitting at there desk ready to tell the world about the news. This shows a sense of preparation within the news but also shows the urgency and importance of the news that they are presenting. This is shown in the earlier shot as it shows the studio all ready with the cameras and her sitting at the desk ready and waiting to tell us about the news.