LO5: Contingency Plans

Contingency Plan: Equipment
If there was an issue meaning that we wouldn't be able to use Sheffield Live's facilities to create our programme, we would firstly approach our college and ask our teachers if could possibly use the equipment the college has to create our programme. If this is not possible, we would secondly have to purchase the equipment ourselves using the final equipment list I created. The latter option is not ideal as we would have to source a budget to purchase the items. Alternatively, if the issue at Sheffield Live meant that we couldn't use their facilities on the day we selected, we will simply re-arrange to use their equipment at a more appropriate date. That should not be a problem because I allocated a full week to the recording stage in the production plan I created, and I made sure we had additional time before our deadline in the event of any problems occurred at any stage. 

Contingency Plan: Presenters
If there was an issue meaning one or both of our presenters or even our interviewees were unable to attend a recording session then we would simply re-arrange the session onto a different day when everybody made sure they would be available. However, this should be avoided because we would ensure to have good communication with all parties and would avoid planning these recording sessions on days that people would be less likely to be able to attend. If an interviewee dropped out of the programme at short notice, we would ensure to have previously planned alternative content for the show to replace their section just in case. If a presenter dropped out of the programme all together, we would have a temporary presenter take over their position in the show until we secured a permanent replacement. 

Contingency Plan: Broadcasting Times
If there was an issue with our broadcasting time, we would simply re-arrange the time we would like for our programme to be broadcasted. However, the proposed launch date is Friday 1st May. There is a strong possibility that Sheffield Live wouldn't be able to give us our preferred slot, as we would like our show to be broadcasted during the 'Aaj Ki Shaam' weekly Friday night slot from 7pm until 9pm, between 'Talking Balls' and 'Da Beat Down'. That is why this contingency plan is particularly important. We would ideally still prefer an evening slot between 7pm and 9pm because this is most appropriate for our target demographic, therefore we would ask Sheffield Live if there were any possibility of our show being broadcasted alternatively on either a Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday night. However, our show would still have to replace an existing programme as Sheffield Live's broadcasting schedule is almost fully booked up and the only free air time would be inappropriate for our audience. If all else failed, we would change the format of our programme and make it a podcast, so that our audience could access it at all times online, instead of being restricted to a weekly airtime slot. 

LO5: Final Budget & Equipment

To create our product we will need several resources and pieces of equipment. If Sheffield Live were not able to provide us with this equipment, below is a list of items we would purchase. All of the items listed have been assessed in terms of not only price but quality, because if we were to purchase them then we would want our items to last a while.

- Samsung Full HD 23.6" LED PC Monitor = £149.99
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/desktop-pc-monitors/monitor-projectors/pc-monitors/samsung-ls24d590-full-hd-23-6-led-monitor-22070271-pdt.html
We need a PC Monitor in order to view our software and to create an online presence.

- Seagate External 2TB Hard Drive = £59.99
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/data-storage/hard-drives/desktop-external-hard-drives/seagate-expansion-external-hard-drive-2tb-black-16787143-pdt.html
We need a hard drive in order to save our content and run our software.

- UHF Wireless Microphone System (x4 Radio Mics & Headsets) = £379.95
http://www.electrosupplies.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=16598&src=2&gclid=Cj0KEQiA99qnBRDnrYCkt4ClzZABEiQAvqPaLOnGkpPCkRlPUbnP8FDzKgagNae_ixKElXwmXgQd9SgaAjCS8P8HAQ
We need to have at least four microphones to be able to create content and record interviews with several different people at the same time.

- SanDisk 64 GB Memory SD Card = £22.95
http://www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-SDSDB-032G-B35-Class-Memory-Change/dp/B002G12OBO/ref=sr_1_6/279-9808561-3439148?s=electronics-accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1425473682&sr=1-6
We will need SD cards in order to store our content.

- Eight Channel Mixing Desk Console = £165.00
http://www.getinthemix.com/production/alto-live-802-8-channel-2-bus-mixer-.htm?gclid=Cj0KEQiA99qnBRDnrYCkt4ClzZABEiQAvqPaLBAmJxPzGPOO5xk2fzMOPgYwQglPpDoLNdlRO_dfF7waAuWK8P8HAQ
We will need a mixing desk to edit and assemble our programme.

- Audacity Software = £0.00
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
We will need Audacity in order to assemble and edit our content for our show. 

- APC Power Cord Kit = £91.11
http://www.comms-express.com/products/apc-power-cord-kit-6-ea-c19-to-c20-90-degree-1-8m/?gclid=Cj0KEQiA99qnBRDnrYCkt4ClzZABEiQAvqPaLMc8m7wsC-gQkITrSedgDVJJ_S8NSgoMQQPRHBaNVZYaAhpf8P8HAQ
We will need various different power cables to hook up our equipment.

- Computer Desks (x2) & Chairs (x4) = £259.60
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/80213074/
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/50212486/
We would need computer desks and chairs in order for there to be somewhere to place our equipment and in order to create our content in comfort.

Grand Total = £868.99

Radio Advertising

Source: http://www.radioadvertising.co.uk/costs​ 

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According to the above resource, a local radio station should charge approximately £500 for a thirty second radio advert for a week-long campaign. Alternatively stations such as Hallam FM charge around £1500 for a thirty second advert. This is because Hallam FM is a regional radio station, as opposed to Sheffield Live! FM which is a local community radio station. Therefore, due to its format it is not allowed to make a large profit as it exists to serve the local under served community instead of purely operating to make a profit. 

LO5: Production Plan

To complete our first episode by the deadline of Friday the 1st of May 2015, Danielle and I will both contribute by completing different roles. The roles we have assigned are:

1) Researching Discussion Topics & Scouting for Bands
Who will do this: Becky & Danielle
Duration of task: 4 Weeks

The first steps towards producing our first episode will be; thoroughly researching the discussion topics that will be debated on the show, scouting for local bands and listening to their music, checking out new releases and tour dates and generally ensuring that we have sound knowledge about every topic we cover on the programme. As a presenter of the show, I need to especially be aware of things that are happening in the Sheffield music scene because I will be talking about it. This task would approximately take us four weeks; from Monday the 23rd of February to Friday the 13th of March.

2) Creating Scripts & Other Planning Materials
Who will do this: Becky
Duration of task: 2 Weeks

In order to create the content for our programme, we must first plan the running order of our show and what will make up the content. I would carry out this task as a presenter of the show because I need to know what it is that I'm talking about. Due to the fact the show will be pre-recorded, all of the content must be created and assembled before broadcast. For this task I must write scripts, plan discussion topics, contact bands regarding interviews and organise studio music sessions and discuss using their music. This task would approximately take me two weeks, as I am simply refining and finalising what I have researched in the first few weeks. This task would take us from Monday the 16th March to Friday the 27th March. 

3) Pre-recording the Content
Who will do this: Becky & Danielle
Duration of task: 1 Week

This task will take both of us to complete because Danielle will need to set up the recording equipment while I am recording the content, both on my own and with bands, guests and interviewees. We will record our content at Sheffield Live where they will provide the equipment we need to produce the programme. Due to all of our planning in previous weeks, this task should be our quickest and should only take us one week from Monday the 30th March until Friday the 3rd of April. 

4) Assembling & Editing the Programme
Who will do this: Danielle
Duration of task: 2 Weeks

To balance out the workload, Danielle will do the majority of the assembling and editing of our programme as I spent time creating the scripts and other planning materials. This task will involve editing out all of the mistakes, making sure the show flows well and generally finalising and editing the programme to a high standard and quality. This task should approximately take two weeks and would take us from Monday the 6th of April until Friday the 17th of April. 

5) Creating & Maintaining an Online Presence
Who will do this: Becky

In order to be able to promote our programme, we will create an online presence across several social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. This presence will act as a platform that will allow our listeners to contact us with their opinions and ideas and let them interact during discussions. I would spend time creating these pages from Monday the 6th of April while Danielle edits the programme. There is no end date for this task as our online presence would have to be maintained for as long as we run our show.

By completing the final edit of our programme on Friday the 17th of April, this will allow us time to re-evaluate if any changes need to be made to the show before broadcast as we would have two weeks until our deadline of Friday the 1st of April.

LO5: Reflection on Pitch & Feedforward Sheet

Reflection on Pitch

What I think went well in our pitch was the fact that we presented fairly confidently and articulated our ideas quite clearly. I think the majority of the feedback we received from the presenter of Sheffield Live's Soul Casino, 'Stevlor', was positive and constructive. Our presentation was aesthetically pleasing and had a fair balance between written information and visuals. 

What we could have done to improve our pitch would have been to come across as if we had thorough and sound knowledge on the topics and genres covered by our ideas. To do this we should have alluded to more examples of local bands (for 'Sheffield Underground Sounds') such as Monoking, The Wired and The Bone Lab. The presenter also suggested that we make sure to brief the bands we interview beforehand and make sure we have some decent questions to ask them and that their answers are likely to be interesting. Examples of these questions include: What will you guys be getting up to after you've finished your tour? How does your City inspire you? Where is your favourite gig venue and why? 

For our 'Local Voice' idea, we should have provided other examples of varied and interesting subject topics. After this feedback, we realised that 'Sheffield Underground Sounds' was our best idea, as I know a lot about the local music scene and could confidently talk about it live on-air, whereas I don't know a lot about social, ethical and political issues in the local area and therefore wouldn't be able to write the script for 'Local Voice', let alone present it. Another problem we found with 'Local Voice' would be our live phone ins, as they would be incredibly difficult to regulate and we could struggle with legal and ethical issues if any offensive language or opinions were shared with our listeners. 

Overall I think our pitch was quite successful, the Sheffield Live presenter didn't really give us as much feedback as some of the other groups (I've interpreted this as a good sign that he thought our ideas were pretty sound instead of thinking they were a train-wreck not worth the breath) and I think he preferred our first idea, 'Sheffield Underground Sounds', which is great for me because I would be far more passionate about that as a product. 

Feedforward Sheet

LO4: Witness Statement for Sheffield Live Pitch

Witness Statement

LO4: Our Pitch

LO4: Tutor Feedback & Feedforward Sheets for Mock Pitch

Feedback Sheet

Feedforward Sheet

LO4: Questionnaire & Peer Feedback from Mock Pitch

Questionnaire & Peer Feedback

The data from our questionnaire showed that more people preferred our “Sheffield Underground Sounds” idea because it would be interesting and there is a gap in the market for it. Our classmates thought that the most effective part of our pitch was the detail that we went into. The main criticism for our pitch was the way that our presentation was quite text heavy and it wasn’t always easy for people to read. Nearly everyone agreed that our audio clip was appropriate for our pitch. The majority of people said that we could improve our pitch by using less text on our presentation and more visuals.

In order to deliver a more successful pitch to Sheffield Live, we will consider the feedback from our peers by making our presentation more aesthetically pleasing by adding more pictures and summarising our text into easy to read bullet points. 

LO4: Pitch Resources

Prezi Presentation for Pitch
Sample Script for Pitch 

Sample Audio for Pitch ​