25/01/07 – Skins

Skins is a relatively new addition to Channel 4’s line up and also utilises the Internet. It is a show about a group of teenagers in
London and their individual lives as they come of age. What is different about Skins that I have not yet mentioned is that on it’s website, amongst the other common features, is your chance to watch ‘unseen mini episodes’. They claim it is for the ‘Skins community’ so they are obviously adopting the philosophy that they have created this already. But it is interesting that they are producing these mini episodes specifically for online viewing. In one respect it attracts any avid fans to log on. They also promote the show using Myspace where you can watch past episodes, meet the characters on their own pages, read logs and so forth. So far the Skins network as collected more then 25,000 friends so their community is valid.

Skins the show is nothing new, but the way it positions itself is. Tapping into youth culture, the Internet and Myspace allows its audience to get involved and feel apart of it. Similar to the Dubplate Drama without the moral message running through it, Skins has been positioned to attract a certain audience and its promotions are clearly working.

Unseen episodes  and clips are clever and add to the series without invading on network time nor adding to its network costs. They also act like vlogs or video diaries giving you a deeper insight into the life of its characters. The most useful point is its use of Myspace to promote itself and build an audience. This I would intend to use in my major project. I currently have a Myspace page but it is geared up towards myself and not my films and my intended production company. So I really need to revise the contents of the page and use it more as a showcase of my films and the ethos of what mt film aspirations are.