Delivery Requirements for BBC Alba Promotions

On-air promotion of programmes is imperative to their success in gaining and increasing audience figures. We appreciate your co-operation in ensuring that the audience is aware of your programme in advance and are attracted and persuaded to watch it on BBC ALBA.

This document should contain all of the information you’ll require to deliver a promo to MG ALBA.

Please feel free, however, to discuss any queries you have about the delivery requirements or any ideas for the promotion of your programme. COMMUNICATION THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS IS WELCOMED AND APPRECIATED.

Lisa Annette:

Ishbel MacLennan:

All forms required and visual examples of how promos are dressed with BBC ALBA branding are available on the MG ALBA website: www.mgalba.com/en/productions

GENERAL

  • Programme producers are required to deliver ONE promo PER programme & a selection of clips from programme/series.
  • All promo material should be delivered at least 8 weeks before transmission of the programme, or sooner if possible.
  • All promo content must comply with the BBC Editorial & Technical Guidelines, For full info, visit: www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/dq/contents/television.shtml & www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/
  • As a general rule, promotions should be suitable for transmission pre-watershed. Any plan to vary from this should be discussed beforehand ().
  • Unless otherwise agreed, promos should be 30 seconds duration.
  • Please be aware when selecting material for inclusion in promos that the context of transmission may be different to that of the programme from which it originates :

i.e. an image which is broadcast once within a programme

may have a very different impact in the context of a promo transmitted frequently across a week.

  • All promos should be delivered with:
  • A guide voiceover script, complete with FINAL programme title (see example below)
  • an OMF file
  • a completed Music Reporting Form
  • a Promo Compliance form, signed by the producer.
  • a completed Promo Record Report Form
  • 3-5 minutes of the best clips from the programme (when requested)
  • NB - All promotions will have to pass a technical review. In the case of failure, or failure to conform to any of the delivery requirements in this document, amended promos should be delivered A.S.A.P.

A. EDITORIAL

  • Each submission must begin and end with a straight video cut. NO fades up from, or especially down to, black.
  • All material should be untreated with video effects and graphics (including subtitles). Colour grading, except as this accurately reflects the grade or look of the corresponding programme, should also be avoided.
  • Promotions should NOT feature video from the programme title sequence.
  • Following delivery, all promos will be finished by the addition of the BBC ALBA custom matte transition and information tag-line & graphic. To facilitate this please observe the following technical requirements:
  • The final image should not feature the title graphic of the programme; it should be a stable image (no camera movements); it should last 5 seconds; it should contain a focal point to the right of frame. For an example of the graphic template which covers the end shot please refer to the MG ALBA website.
  • The cut to the final shot should include no dissolves or wipes.
  • The duration of the penultimate image should be at least

1.5 seconds. The final 18 frames of this shot will be covered by the BBC ALBA custom matte transition; therefore they must not contain any material essential to the understanding of the promo.

  • EG a 30 sec promo should be formatted in the following way:

§  Promo audio should finish comfortably at 10:00:30:00

§  Pictures should extend to 10:00:30:18 (18 frames of picture will be lost from penultimate shot when ALBA transition is added)

§  Penultimate shot should be at least 1.5 seconds duration.

§  @ 10:00:25:18 Straight Cut to Final Shot (NO Fades/mixes)

§  End shot should be 5 seconds duration.

B. AUDIO STANDARDS

  • OMF

Submissions should be accompanied with a matching OMF file including a guide mix. This should feature all audio, including voice, background effects and music. The OMF file should have embedded media – 16 bit 48khz WAV or AIFF - with 100 frame handles. All audio must be free from keyframe information and effects.

  • VOICE OVER

If supplying your own Voice-Over for promos, the voice over should be recorded to the highest standard with a large diaphragm microphone in a suitable booth or studio. The audio should be 16 bit, 48Khz sample rate and should be entirely untreated with effects.

C. VIDEO STANDARDS

All video material should comply with BBC Technical Standards.

For full guidelines, visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/dq/contents/television.shtml

Tape delivery

  • All material should be delivered on Digital Betacam.
  • All promotions should be identified and the first frame of picture must start exactly on the minute - 10.01.00.00 or 10.02.00.00 etc.
  • All submissions should be accompanied by a BBC ALBA Promo Record Report form (hard copy & electronic copy) with frame accurate start times and durations.

Tapeless Delivery

  • All tapeless deliveries should be delivered as Quicktime Pro-Res HQ files.
  • All tapeless deliveries should be delivered at least ONE DAY EARLIER than original DEADLINE (THU by 1pm)
  • Promo files can be uploaded to your specific company folder on MG ALBA’s FTP server. For details, please contact

D. VOICEOVER

All promotions should be delivered with a voiceover script in the format outlined in the example below.

Production companies may record their own voiceover, if desired.

In either case all promo voiceovers should end with the following information in the following order:

PROG TITLE

DAY

TIME

CHANNEL (ALBA)

For example : Sanas: Diluain aig deich air ALBA

Voiceovers should include versions for use on the DAY of transmission; the DAY before TRANSMISSION and a generic version naming the TRANSMISSION DAY.

Please note the following naming convention:

§  a-màireach should be used for programming which will transmit before 1900

§  an ath-oidhche for programmes transmitting after 1900

For example: Sanas: a-nochd aig deich air ALBA

Sanas: an ath-oidhche aig deich air ALBA

Sanas: Diluain aig deich air ALBA

or

Sanas Eile : a-maireach aig sia air ALBA

E. SUPPLY OF CLIPS FOR PROMOTIONS

When supplying a promo, producers may also be asked to send a variety of the best clips/scenes from the programme (approx. 3-5 minutes of clips). These clips should be provided on the same tape as the promo and should also have a matching OMF file. Clips should be free from graphics and effects (including subtitles).

F. DEADLINES

A promotion delivered to MG ALBA will be expected to arrive at least 8 weeks before transmission of programme (a reminder will be sent before promo is due).

  • Tape deliveries should be received by 1pm on a FRIDAY
  • Tapeless deliveries should be received at least one day earlier than deadline - 1pm on THURSDAY.

Voiceover Guide Script (Example)

PROGRAMME 3 TRAIL

Duration 30.18 seconds (Audio duration 30 seconds)

IN: 10:00:00:00

OUT: 10:00:30:18

DURATION: 30 seconds 18 frames

TIMECODE / VISION / AUDIO
10:00:00:00 / Maighstir Sgoile agus a Bhean / Clip
Knocking...
Bean:
“Cò tha seo aig an doras mun àm seo den oidhche”
10:00:04:00 / An Strainnsear (still) / V/O
An Strainnsear
10:00:07:00 / An Strainnsear entering house / Clip
An Strainnsear:
“Tha mi duilich tadhal cho anmoch. ‘S e Harris m’ ainm-sa, Tormod Harris”
10:00:12:00 / Maighstir Sgoile (still) / V/O
Am Maighstir Sgoile
10:00:15:00 / Strainnsear, Mgr Sgoile & Bean / Clip
An Strainnsear:
“Nise, tha mi a’ dol a dh’innse dhuibh mur deidhinn fhèin”
10:00:20:00 / Bean (still) / V/O
Agus a bhean
10:00:23:00 / Mgr Sgoile / Wide shot Mgr Sgoile & Bean / V/O
Ann an sgeulachd dhorcha is dìomhaireachd
10:00:25:18 / Final Shot –
Shadows / V/O
Cleas Feasgair, Dihaoine aig naoi air ALBA
Cleas Feasgair, An ath-oidhche aig naoi air ALBA
Cleas Feasgair, A-nochd aig naoi air ALBA