Research: '24 Hours in Police Custody'

'24 Hours in Police Custody' - Brand Creation 

I have researched the new police (crime) documentary on Channel 4 as it is an interesting example in how a brand can be created for a documentary. The show '24 Hours in Police Custody' is from the makers of '24 Hours in A&E' which is evident as the phrase '24 Hours in' has been used again but to create a different series, creating a 'brand'. 

Below is a textual analysis of the Channel 4 webpage for the documentary series. Looking at Channel 4 briefly, I have come to realise that they often make a 'profile' page for their documentary series, which includes information about the programme, for viewers to read. This enhances audience gratification as they can find out more about the series if they enjoy watching it, which increases their "involvement". 

(This is an example of an ancillary product - a webpage/profile) 

Below I have annotated the above photograph in more detail to look at how the documentary is represented. I came to the conclusion that if a viewer saw just the photograph, (since it has been used in multiple articles - shown below) it could be mistaken for a drama or crime series rather than a documentary series. This feature however, also helps to build a brand image as the participants, who are 

Online Reviews

Another feature which increases the "brand" / "image" aspect of the documentary series, are the many review articles.

1. The Telegraph Online Review 

This is an extremely positive review, as the documentary series has been rated "5 stars" and has been labeled as "masterful". A review like this, on a popular & widely read online news website has a strong change of increases audience interest & moreover may introduce the documentary-series to viewers who had not before heard of it. 

2. The Guardian Online Review

The title article hints at the series 'brand' as it suggests that it has "the same set-up" as '24 Hours in A&E' suggesting to viewers that the idea base is similar. However the journalist has deemed this documentary "even better" which will attract viewers, especially those who watched the A&E series before. 

Trailer

What I find interesting is the way that the trailer presents the documentary, since in this documentary trailer, the codes and conventions of a crime drama are again observable (like in the photograph above). Some of the features below, contribute to the genre:

• The "ticking clock" sound effects 
• The low-key/chiaroscuro lighting 
• The title sequences - plus  the language used, for e.g. 'questions' asked
• Close-ups & extreme close-ups   
• Music in background - fast-pace, dramatic

Newspaper listings of the documentary before it was first aired on Monday 29th September...