Second screen telly: BBC Fusion

Second screen TV is the current industry buzz word and producers are thinking up of ideas that go beyond linear programme making. Producers’ roles are also changing in which they are having to understand and really think about the multi-platform and dual screen experiences of their audiences. BBC Academy through BBC Fusion recently organised Fusion Second Screen Summit, Fusion to Screen, where the current dual screen main players gave their points of view, case studies, pitfalls as well as available technological opportunities that they know of.

Below is the blog post from the Academy:

If you’ve ever sat and fiddled with your smartphone or laptop while ‘watching’ TV, you’ve experienced the wonders of second screen technology.

The question is: what were you doing with that second screen? Whether it’s tapping out an email, doing a bit of internet shopping or replying to a friend on Twitter, the chances are that your activity rarely has anything to do with the programme currently being displayed on the TV screen in your lounge.

Admit it – you were distracted.

And, unfortunately for conventional programme-makers who are keen to keep people’s eyeballs firmly focused on their latest piece of work, this potential distraction is only going to get greater. The statistics show that smartphone take up is on the rise, and that the big screen in the corner of the room is going to have to fight even harder for the attention of the people sitting in front of it.

Simply making arresting content is a start. But there is a another way, known variously as dual screen or synched second screen, where, instead of being in competition with other devices, TV works with them to create something unique.

This was the subject of the ‘Second Screen Telly’ Fusion Summit which aimed to explore the opportunities, challenges and new formats of two-screen TV viewing

Hosted by the BBC Academy at its headquarters in White City, the day-long event (#fusion2screen) was attended by both BBC staff and a large proportion of the companies already making second screen a viable reality.

So what can be done to unite TV and second screen? Anthony Rose, head of Zeebox and former head of BBC iPlayer, summed it up neatly while on a panel discussing the ‘state of the art’. In his view, there are four uses: as an interactive programme guide where you can find different programmes to watch; as something to keep you entertained while you’re watching a show; as a remote control that can alter what’s on the main screen; or as a means to buy something that is currently on screen, either in an ad or via product placement.

Speaking on the same panel, Tom Williams of BBC Vision described how the BBC is getting involved with the second. He revealed that two play-along quizzes which synchronise with broadcast programmes are currently being developed and will be revealed later this year.

Simon Brickle from Monterosa was positive about the use of bespoke second screen applications in relation to TV shows. He said his company’s research suggested that people actually pay more attention to what’s on TV when using accompanying dual screen apps – not less. He said that second screen could also act as a “magical funnel” to channel passive TV viewers into active online users of any related online content.

It was clear throughout the day that most speakers believed that, far from being a passing fad, second screen is set to shake things up in the world of TV. Rose said that the ability to click and buy what is on screen would mean the reinvention of the world of TV advertising in the next few years. Richard Morris of Ex Machina reckoned that whole new formats could be created to take advantage of the technology.

His colleague Jeroen Elfferich described how this was already beginning to happen with Netherlands interactive gameshow Intuition, which used Ex Machina’s PlayToTV platform and was, he said, the first such show to be created specifically for second screen.

Unsurprisingly, the gameshow has proved a popular choice for associated apps with game mechanics.

Remarkable Television’s David Flynn described the process of creating The Million Pound Drop and Bank Job – two shows which used second screens to integrate a strong interactive element. He said the key to their success was that they took an existing viewer impulse – e.g. “I can do better at answering the questions than the people on TV” – and made it an achievable goal thanks to synched second screen.

He described how Million Pound Drop had evolved from a simple game dynamic mocked up in his company’s offices with a cardboard box and a stack of pound coins.

The tasks required of him as exec illustrate how his role changed to incorporate the second screen aspect of the show. During the live broadcast he would oscillate between a more conventional TV role and one that included the online component of the game. He explained that during the development process he had to work closely with digital developers who had different timescales and demands to those usual in TV.

The need for execs to broaden their skill-sets to understand both digital and traditional TV domains was emphasised by Mark Sorrel, games guru from Somethin’ Else. He argued that, if a company was going to produce a game to go along with its show, it should strive to make it just as polished as the finished programme for TV.

The focus wasn’t just on gameshows, however. Three BBC speakers – Dan Biddle, Chris Sizemore and Steve Herrmann – discussed how second screen could be successfully used with dramas, live news and across the BBC’s educational content with the new Knowledge & Learning product.

BBC Future Media head of audiences Holly Goodier argued that second screen is an old idea in a new environment, and that the corporation could learn much about its successful application by looking at the success of its Red Button service.

Social media was also scrutinised. As a natural use of the second screen, there is plenty of potential to engage with audiences – as Andy Littledale of SecondSynch illustrated with his statistic that 40% of UK tweets at peak time are about TV programmes. The question is how, or indeed whether, to harness this.

Whatever it focuses on, it’s clear that second screen is a burgeoning phenomenon that isn’t going to go away anytime soon. To make the most of it, keeping audiences engaged with the programme and not flicking to their Facebook profile takes innovative content which demands a variety of skills – from conventional TV making, to digital design, to game mechanics.

Few people are going to have them all. But, as awareness of what it takes to make second screen grows, so surely will the success of its application.

For videos from the event, visit the BBC Academy YouTube channel.