Task 2a - Production Research

• What factors make up the budget for a radio advertisement campaign?

When creating a budget for a radio advertisement campaign factors which should be considered is the producer him/herself considering how much money will be spent on the advertisement; studio hire, agency costs etc. One factor which is apart of the the budget for a radio advertisement campaign would be; music royalties which is gaining permission of an artist to use their music otherwise it is known as copyright. There are many ways in which a person can go about to do this; which are mechanical, performance and print. A mechanical license would be that you have permission to reproduce, however the royalties are paid to the artist and the writer and publisher based on numbers of sold. An Performance license would be of one which enables a blanket license which gives permission to broadcast/ perform live but again with a mechanical the royalties are paid to the artist/ writer and published based on the number of sales. A print license would consist of the royalties being paid to the writer and publisher based on the sales of the sheet music. The final license which can be obtained is a Synchronization license, which allows songs/ music to be reproduced in a television program, film, video, radio and commercials as background music. Another factor which should be considered in terms of an radio ad would be the voice over. A voice is over is basically, the voice which speaks within the advert over your chosen music bed. In terms of the price of an actual voice over it would vary depending on the person who is doing your actual voice over so to speak if he/ she is a celebrity then the amount of skill and experience held within the advert would make it stand out. Hence why there is a fee for 'voice over' within the U.K there is usually a 'paid by the hour' fee which is also known as a "Basic session fee" not only is the person who does the voice over but the fee for it but also where and when the recording will be broadcast, and where the audience is able to hear so because of this the actual artist is entitled to a 'usage fee' in exchange for certain limited rights to use of their voice, a 'buy-out' fee will be paid which is also another form of royalty. A buy out is another agreement whereby the voice receives an additional fixed fee in return for releasing the rights to his or her voice. I.e if a celebrity records an advert for a phone, they will be paid BSF and a buy out in return for the rights to use that recording perpetuity.

Traffic and scheduling and billing is another factor which goes towards the budget for a radio advertisement campaign. In terms of 'traffic and scheduling' it basically means when the advertisement is played e.g. during 'drive time' which is the most popular yet expensive time for an advert to be played but would again have the most affect towards the audien ce or the advert could be played within the section 'graveyard' which (from the name) tells us that there aren't many listeners in this time slot.

• What is a music bed, and what the three types?

A music bed is basically music which is integrating in order to enhance success of the advert which will initially increase the sales of the product which is being advertised. When using a music bed, it is usually an instrumental of the original song (if one with lyrics) so that when a voice over is added it does not mix with the music bed which would initially confuse the listener. There are three different types of music beds, which are live music, library music and production music. Live music is basically recorded with speech using a live band and a single musician. Library music is often copyright free, allowing the producer to use the song without having to fill out any forms etc. Production music, is again like library music usually copy right free or sometimes created within the house through the usage of different apps for example garage band. 

• Why would you use a music bed rather a pop song in your radio advert?

When creating a radio advertisement the usage of a music bed is usually necessity so that the advert does not sound bland. In terms of the music bed used it ranges in terms of the style of the radio advert for example if it is a comical radio advert then a pop song is usually used however if a serious informative advert then it is usually an instrumental music bed used. In terms of using a music bed it is better to use one rather than a pop song due to it not only being cheaper but easier.

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of producing your radio advert using only the production facilities at; the radio station itself and an external production house.

The advantages and disadvantages of producing a radio advert, within a radio station would be that the creation of the actual advert if left to the professionals does not take that long and usually costs around two to three hundred pounds. The commercial production rate includes scripting by a trained copywriter, licensing music and Equity Voice Overs for broadcast on one radio station. When creating a radio advert if done within a local radio station the script writing is usually free on the basis that they produce the commercial however if you would prefer the script to be produced elsewhere then you are most likely to be charged the same rate of an produced advert. The copyright of the script remains the property of the radio station therefore if you were to produce it elsewhere you run the risk of being sued. Many radio stations have a dedicated studio for commercial production, or sometimes they're apart of a group with centralised facilities.These type of studios welcome guests to come and see commercials be created however if you were to ask to view your own commercial they will charge an agency rate, and the studio may charge you studio time because your involvement can slow the process down which may lead you to end up paying three or four times the commercial production rate you would have been charged if you had left it to the procedures. 

The advantages and disadvantages of producing a radio advert, within a production house there are usually a limited number of employees and cannot afford to employ writers and producers for their smaller local clients. This is where production houses offer a service. Although the quality can vary from the very good to the horribly bad. Some disadvantages which include within a production house would be that some houses do not use experienced radio writers, the writers are often completely isolated from the client with no contact. A production house can also be isolated from the radio station and so less aware of the need for commercials to sit well within the station brand. Although this is not true in every case and there are some people who, because the price of technology is so much many have lead to creating their own radio advertisements within the comfort of their own home using their p.c's etc. Within a production house, there are usually more experienced people as well as equipment to assist you I.e. a studio consisting of a Mac, equipped with pro-tools and logic a P.C running adobe audition or Cubase. A voice booth and even a broadcast studio.

• What facilities are available in college for recording and creating your advert?

The facilities which are available in college for recording and creating an advert are the radio studio and the mac areas where we are able to edit/ create the advert as a whole.

• What are the studio facilities, requirements and limitations in terms of the following?

In terms of the studio facilities, within college there is an actual radio booth which allows us to have a space whereby we can record and create our adverts within a socialised and beneficial environment. This meaning that when creating your advertisement you have facilities which you can use to edit and create your advertisement. For example, when recording within a classroom you have a constant background noise however when working within a studio you are able to create an advert which has no background noise because you are not only within a studio but using a professional microphone which cuts noise which is not needed. In terms of time, you must book the space of how long you want to use the room. So long as you book your time space, you can use the space however you like. So long as your time does not interfere with other users, then it is fine. This would also come under time management, that you are able to finish a set amount of work under a particular set of time. In terms of audio hardware there is a variety of appliances for example, the microphone, speakers, computer, control panel etc. The software which is used within the studio is the application 'Reaper' whereby it is quite simple to use therefore, when recording/ editing it is easy to adapt however there are technicians within college whom help with situations such as these however if they are not available there are also 'How-To's' on 'Youtube'.