Branch Corp

Branch Corp is a television series production company. It specializes in non-linear stories in their shows which are chosen through votes, submitted through Red Button Menu’s and Online. They film a number of different endings, outcomes, and continuities.

The idea behind the name and logo is that the story can branch out into different scenarios and outcomes, of which there are

many.

a)

b)

Branch produces horror and thriller programmes. Our target audience differs, as we product horrors and thrillers. The horror series’ tends to appeal to an older audience and the action series’ tend to appeal to a younger audience).

“We are here to bring a new generation of TV where you create your own story.” – The Mission Statement

Branch Corp

c)

Product ProfileBranch Corp makes TV programmes where the audience has a number of choices that are decided by red button/Internet votes. The choices they make would change the story and give them an ending that would be affected by their decisions. Shows that have already found success from us consist of:

Unholy – A TV mini-series focused around the insane and the possessed, based off of real life stories.

Drones – An award-winning TV Thriller series set in the not-so-distant future, where the US Army’s drone fleet has been hacked by terrorists. The Defiled – A TV horror series set in France, focused around the killings of “Visage Sanglant/Bloody Face” An infamous, and yet to be jailed serial killer. The series introduces a new detective each episode, before they are killed off at the end.

d)

IndustryShowtime is a part of Viacom. They were made after Viacom and Warner-Amex

Satellite entertainment merged their channels, Showtime, and the movie channel. Warner Amex was a part of American Express, until they were sold to Time Warner.

Viacom bought a huge share of Warner Amex, and it was renamed to Showtime Networks. In 2006, Viacom changed their name, and are now known as the CBS

Corporation. This means Showtime is a subsidiary to one of the biggest conglomerates in media today, so they are well funded, and have more than enough opportunities to

advertise.

 Shine Limited was Founded by Elisabeth Murdoch, daughter of Rupert Murdoch. As well as Elisabeth owning the company, Lord Alli, a multimillionaire media entrepreneur, and BskyB own part of it as well.They supply programmes for channels like the BBC, Five and Channel 4. They have made reality shows like The Biggest Loser and Masterchef Goes Large. Their longest-running TV series is Merlin. They specialise in genres like fantasy and a little bit of romance. The TV series that was about romance didn’t last long and the fantasy TV series (apart from Merlin) has mixed reviews. They made a series using the supernatural genre; it only lasted 2 series.

Is there space in the market for these companies?There can only be space in the market for these companies if they are creative. The point being, there’s not a lot of space in the market for any company (excluding sequels and spin-offs) because all of the good idea’s have already been taken. People are running out of idea’s. There are only so many things people can write about for a television series.

d) – (Continued)

Baby Cow are an independent UK Television Production company, specialising in Comedy. Steve Coogan and Henry Normal made Baby Cow in 1999, and it was based in Manchester and London. In 2003, they made Baby Cow Radio, and Baby Cow Films. Since 2008, BBC have owned a quarter of the company. Baby Cow have produced a large number of shows, including The Mighty Boosh, and Gavin & Stacey.

Is there space in the market for these companies?

There can only be space in the market for these companies if they are creative. The point being, there’s not a lot of space in the market for any company (excluding sequels and spin-offs) because all of the good idea’s have already been taken. People are running out of idea’s. There are only so many things people can write about for a television series.

e)

Owns:

Owns:

Branch Corp

Owns:

Owns:

Owns:

Owns:

f)

SWOT AnalysisStrengths:• It’s a really unique idea• It hasn’t been done before• It can become viral easily with the voting

system• DVDs would have all outcomes and endings• Hard to illegally download; you would need

all outcomes

Weaknesses:• On TV, the audience won’t see all of the

possible outcomes• It’s expensive to film additional scenes, and

all of them won’t even be broadcast• The same episode can’t be repeated after

it’s aired, because of the voting system

External Threats:• The Recession/Depression• Competition from other independent

companies• If the company isn’t keeping up with

technological advances, they will fall behind, and become yesterdays news.

External Opportunities:• Make more series, expand on them. • Build Bridges with TV channels in hope that

they air our shows• Make Merchandise

g)

USPs We have a very strong and unique selling point for our company. It is a unique idea, because it requires strong audience participation for a fictional TV series. Other shows that use a voting system are things like X Factor, or Britain’s Got Talent – They are all reality TV shows,

but not ours. This means the audience has complete creative control over the show, unlike say, X Factor. (Contestants aren’t under the

control of a writer)

h + i)

Why are we seeking Financial Investment?

Why Invest In Us?We are seeking financial investment because we have a concept for a new show, but it will be costly. The show takes place after an alien invasion. They are insect like creatures, and they're about as technologically advanced as humans in the present day. It's a real 50-50 war.

The characters are great, they're not a bunch of army grunts seen from similar shows. They're just random civilians that just happened to be in the same room when the show starts. One in particular is very well written, he's funny, but quite stupid, and he has a tendency to throw himself into near death situations. The audience are really going to grow to love the characters. However, none of the characters are safe. The non-linear story lines are back, and the audience will be able to vote on the character's actions.

This series can take whatever turn the audience would like to see. We have a REALLY big shocker in the semi-final. A choice a character should make chosen by - You Guessed It - The audience.

Random Question

- What are the strengths and weaknesses of being independent?There are not too many strengths to being an independent company. It does however mean that you manage your own time and money. You don't have a big conglomerate company on your back having too much creative control over you. They can't cancel series because they aren't 'making enough money.' If you weren't an independent company, like us, or Baby Cow for example, you get more funding. You can get more ambitious and professional with your production. You could afford things like better sets, props, special effects, and staff. The other advantage you get as part of a conglomerate is that you get a bigger advertising campaign. Conglomerates tend to advertise their programmes by making them promote each other.