Individual project treatment

STAR RADIO’S SEARCH FOR A STAR
FORMAT: TALENT SHOW
PLATFORM: VIDEO PODCAST & RADIO BROADCAST
LEGNTH: EIGHT MINUTES
PRODUCER: MICHAEL HUCK
DIRECTOR: MICHAEL HUCK
WRITER: MIKE HUCK
TALENT: KATEY BROOKS




CONCEPT
The UK’s Indy music scene is thriving, growing from strength to strength popular amongst today’s youth and dominating the charts. Search for a Star is an exciting alternative to Pop Idol and exploits today’s 360 degree media world by utilizing Video Pod cast, mobile phone platforms, FM radio and the internet via social networking sites like Myspace, Youtube and Facebook. Search for a star exploits the use of these sites by using them to find the acts, for example on Facebook the acts with the most fan members take part in the program, in this way the public are the true judges.
With artists like the Arctic Monkeys, The Hoosiers and The Horrors who’s rise to fame was in no small part due to internet downloads and networking sites the potential with this genre for audience participation is huge. Voting for an artist can be done either via phone, email or text and to give you some idea for potential profit margins; in 2004 Pop Idol generated £2.5 million from text messages alone.
Live performances from Search for a Star will be will be broadcast on network radio and streamed from the website as video Podcast. Extra content will be available at a nominal fee for download directly to PC or mobile Phones.
RADIO
Radio stations broadcast search for a star on shows like Star Radio’s “Sunday Music Live” in a twenty-minute segment. The artist performs two songs and is interviewed by the presenter. Trails play between songs encouraging listeners to vote and the various ways that they can do this including via the website as the whole segment is being simulcast live.
VIDEO PODCAST
The Podcast features interview excerpts and the song being voted on by the public.
The opening credits show a time-lapse sequence of the stage crew setting up for the performance. As we fade to black the Logo “search for a star” appears on the screen along with the artists name, cut to the artist sat in a chair (think big brother) answering questions about herself (musical inspirations etc…) to a presenter off camera (This part of the film uses jump cuts giving the interview an edgy contemporary feel). Finally the artist introduces her song as we cut to the performance using TV static.
We fade up from black to see the artist sat at the front of the stage with soft lighting giving it an intimate feel. Graphics run across the screen giving voting details, which fade away leaving the viewer to watch the performance. As the song finishes graphics once again appears on the screen showing voting details before fading to black. (See attached storyboard for visual representation of video)
BUDGET & PROFIT OPPORTUNITIES
The radio show is syndicated and as such paid for by stations taking part that will also host content and voting details on their websites. We will however provide promo and trail kits for their use. The only outlay for the video Podcast is the equipment and location (TV studio) for the shoot. Broadcast Media students will be used as members for the production. In this way we save money and help the community.
This multi platform format has the potential not only to be a success on the Star Radio network but also could be franchised and rolled out to radio stations across the UK commercial radio network. Similar ideas such as GCAP’s “Music Week” have achieved great results in this way.