Entertainment on Multiplatform
Commissioning Executive
Jo Twist - Entertainment and Switch
Sandra Gorel - Event Entertainment
Entertainment Multiplatform Context
The role of Entertainment in the BBC is to bring people closer together, sparking creativity, action and opinion. Both our studio programmes and events have the power to unite big, broad family audiences as well as surprise younger viewers with formats that enable them to see the world in new ways.
The opportunity for multiplatform is to take audience engagement and delight in our biggest shows to a new level, as well as create new entertaining experiences that our audiences can enjoy outside of our TV schedule.
The key strength of multiplatform in this area is its playfulness. We want to use this quality to expand the grammar of TV entertainment, making our output more social, interactive and full of personality. Shows such as Strictly Come Dancing have already started on this journey, creating play-along applications that encourage deeper interaction online during the main show.
The aspiration for Entertainment Commissioning in 2010 is to make this kind of participation more accessible to a bigger audience without detracting from the shared family experience encouraged by our brands on TV.
Development Priorities
- Playful Experiences
- Quizzes
- Games
- Social Viewing and Play Along formats
- Nation Building Events
Playful Experiences
Our main priority is to create simple interactive experiences around our most loved programmes across the TV portfolio. We recognise that developing distinctive cross-platform ideas requires a long lead time, so we want to talk now about initial propositions with a view of developing the strongest ideas into prototypes later in 2010.
All multiplatform ideas in this area should aim to enhance rather than dilute the impact of the linear show. The focus could be on extending the enjoyment of a programme outside of its weekly TX, amplifying appointment to view or creating a legacy after the series finishes. Proposals must consider ways to match the tone / style of programme and how to maximise the audience's relationship with familiar format points or popular talent.
The primary audiences we want to attract are fans of the related shows, but the most successful ideas will also encourage new audiences to explore BBC Entertainment through exclusive content hooks and targeted marketing across BBC Online and external sites.
We're interested in hearing ideas in three main areas:
Quizzes
The BBC has a big legacy in this area, most recently having had success with quiz panel shows such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Eggheads on BBC Two, through to our Lottery shows on BBC One. We want to build on our expertise in this area to re-invent the way we approach quizzes in the digital world.
We're looking for new creative formats that burst with personality, are simple to use and encourage regular play. Key territories for us include: brain tests, entertainment trivia, cultural challenges and leveraging people's passions. Proposals can be tied into one or multiple Entertainment shows across TV and Radio but should also indicate how ideas could be adapted in the future to exist as standalone properties on BBC Online, mobile, IPTV, social media sites or gaming applications (such as the Wii).
One area we're especially interested in investigating is the potential to use the BBC's extensive archive to generate questions or allow for learning journeys within our quizzes. Think about creative ways to unlock the archive around returning brands, known talent or subject areas. We are particularly keen to explore how this might be done with text based programme exclusives / data (such as scripts, prop databases etc), as well as pure audio and video archive assets.
We also need ideas for new flexible technology solutions in this area. Please don't bring us ideas that feel niche; our ambition is to give people the opportunity to challenge themselves, play competitively amongst their own friends or battle against an online community we've built around our content. We're keen to improve on the experiences we offer currently, so we'll also only consider proposals that include mechanisms for meaningful audience rewards (instant results, unlocking new content after each round etc) and provide opportunities for users to record their progress and levels of achievement (collect skills sets, rewards, leader boards etc).
Games
Similarly to quizzes, we'll give consideration to all ideas that use gaming functionality to extend the enjoyment of programmes across the entertainment portfolio.
However in this round we're particularly looking to commission one stand-alone browser based flash game for BBC Switch. We're interested in trialling the use of casual gaming qualities to explore the issues close to the heart of this audience. The first topic we're keen to tackle through this kind of 'playful learning' is the environment. For our younger audiences connecting with others is paramount, so encourage social interaction will be vital. Games such as Café World do this especially well by linking the user's progression through levels directly with their ability to co-opt their friends into participating.
Propositions should consider how to reward repeat usage, ways to adapt the technology to address other issues and how links with social media such as Facebook could help bring new audiences to BBC Switch.
Social Viewing and Play-Along Formats
This year both The Apprentice and Strictly Come Dancing experimented with software to enhance their real-time entertainment formats. For this reason we're only interested in hearing about innovative ways to push the boundaries of exiting technology, or editorial ideas for creating rich and intuitive experience for fans.
Ideas should predominantly be liked to existing programmes on BBC One and Two. The focus should be on connecting fans during the linear transmission (either via red button, mobile or online) and ways to encourage them to actively participate in the action. In the past we've successfully extending 'fan joy' with play-along, sing-along, predict and compare formats but most recently opportunities that offer instant gratification around key format points have worked particularly well (i.e. predict how the Strictly judges will vote using virtual paddles). Proposals could also consider how to offer some exclusive content that would enable fans to be in the know amongst their friends.
There is also the opportunity to develop a small number of new programme ideas with interactive applications wrapped around them. With these ideas involving the audience through social play must be absolutely integral to the creative concept. Think about how we can inspire, facilitate and reward audience interaction and how access to well known talent might encourage people to join in.
Nation Building Events
Within Entertainment the BBC covers a modest number of events each year which aim to unite the whole nation around a specific charitable cause or cultural celebrations. By combining our TV broadcasts and regional activities with multiplatform these moments can be made bigger and even more rewarding for a broad range of audiences.
There are two types of Entertainment events which require support from multiplatform: Fundraising events (Children in Need, Comic Relief, Sport Relief) and Cultural events (Eurovision, T in the Park). Although support for each type of event will differ in its focus, we're keen to use the strengths of digital platforms to build anticipation leading up to all events and extend their impact and enjoyment during and after the main moments.
For fundraising events we specifically want to celebrate the efforts of the public and inspire people to do more. We're interested in ideas that support linear programmes by giving the public a forum to share their experiences and contributions, galvanising audiences around a collective desire to raise money and encouraging more great fundraising ideas.
Eurovision is the only cultural event that we're looking to support this round. Proposals should consider how to build on the existing website to help facilitate more of a shared experience and make the audience feel part of the heritage of Eurovision. Bring us ideas that make use of mobile, social media and IPTV functionality to tap into the vibrant, party atmosphere created by Eurovision to fuel the audience's excitement and enjoyment. We're also keen to use archive content to bring the most iconic moments to life, playing up the drama and spectacle this event has provided over the years to help build anticipation before the linear show.
Multiplatform Entertainment Tariffs
Big brand programme enhancement: 60-100k
Online, of the web format: 20-50k
Scripted, original shortform: 1-2k per minute
Reversioned shortform: under 1-2k per minute
Pitching Guidelines
When you're pitching to us, we need you to be able to tell us:
What is the idea?
Ideally expressed succinctly - think elevator pitch.
Who's it for?
Which audiences will use it? Is it aimed at giving new experiences to existing audiences, or bringing in new audiences?
Why will they use it?
What needs, desires, interests, predilections or problems will motivate people to use it?
Why is this something the BBC should do?
Think about our strengths, public purposes, strategy, previous successes/failures and what the wider market is doing (or not doing). What is it trying to achieve?
How will people know it's there?
What will make this idea cut-through? Think about calls to action from TV, PR, marketing, search engine optimisation, links from other sites, viral promotion, etc.
How will people find and share it?
How do we ensure it is findable and accessible? Will web users be able to link to it, embed it, talk about it & promote it to their social networks? Do you intend to make the content available to other sites or services to reach wider audiences?
How will we know what people thought of it?
Consider if we should establish some form of dialogue with the audience. That might be through email, ratings, message boards, or some other mechanism..
What are the key skills & expertise required to deliver?
Does the team pitching the idea already have the skills and expertise required (editorial, technical, design, production)? If not, have you identified potential partners (internal BBC teams, external suppliers, strategic partners)?
Is there technical scoping / proof of concept work required?
And if so, do you have an estimate of how long that will take / how much resource?
How much will it cost?
Consider both initial set-up costs and ongoing costs and maintenance.
 Download the full list of Multiplatform Development Priorities
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