Structural Features Content Analysis Project

DATE: August 18, 1997

CODING MANUAL: PROGRAM VARIABLES

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Identify program(s) to code by consulting either the list of Reliability Programs or the list of Individual Coder Programs. Follow the instructions on that list. If you have questions, contact Cheryl.

2. Take the tape to the graduate editing room (first floor Annenberg -- the access code is 125).

3. Choose a VCR/monitor based on the following list of priority (i.e., use the first VCR/monitor on this list that is not already being used):

Bench 3 - Left monitor

Bench 3 - Right monitor

Bench 1 - Left monitor

Bench 1 - Right monitor

Bench 4 - Left monitor

Bench 4 - Right monitor

Bench 6 - Left monitor

Bench 6 - Right monitor

Bench 5 - Left monitor

Bench 5 - Right monitor

It may be necessary to reserve VCR/monitor(s) for the time you will be using them. There is a reservation sheet posted outside of the room.

4. Turn on the monitor and the VCR. Before inserting the tape into the machine, copy from the tape label the information requested at the beginning of the coding sheet.

5. Insert the tape into the machine and move to the point in the tape at which the program begins.

6. Make sure you are familiar with all of the Guidelines for Using the Video Equipment, General Rules, and Glossary of Selected Terms listed below and the complete Glossary (a separate document). Reread them as necessary.

7. Complete the coding sheet CAREFULLY; read and reread the DEFINITIONS and NOTES in this coding manual for each question as you code. If you have questions contact Jennifer.

GUIDELINES FOR USING VIDEO EQUIPMENT:

1. Remove or reapply labels that are falling off of tapes, as they may damage the tape player.

2. The "Reset" button is on the upper left or upper right corner of the machine. Use this button when the coding sheet instructs you to set the counter to zero.

3. Do not keep one image paused on the screen longer than necessary. If the machine is kept in pause mode for a certain amount of time, it will stop automatically to avoid excess wear on the tape, and you will risk losing the exact starting point for coding.

4. Use the knob to "jog" and "shuttle" through the tape. DO NOT USE THE "FAST-FORWARD" OR "REWIND" BUTTONS unless you are finished coding. These functions are more likely to strain the tape and cause "slippage" in the time-counter. Also use "Pause" rather than "Stop" -- again, this lessens the risk of straining the tape and of losing the exact starting point.

5. Avoid switching directions (forward to reverse) suddenly or repeatedly switching from "jog" to "shuttle" modes.

6. As you move slowly through the tape, you will notice horizontal lines that serve as dividers between frames. Keep in mind that a frame is complete only when those dividers are not visible. When looking for a complete frame, move the knob slightly forward or back until the divider disappears.

GENERAL RULES [READ AND REREAD THESE OFTEN!!!]

1. If you can not easily decide how to code something, first reread all of the relevant DEFINITIONS and NOTES in the coding manual, then reread these General Rules to see if one or more of them applies. If you still can not easily decide how to code, CONTACT JENNIFER SNYDER AND DESCRIBE THE GENERAL PROBLEM - DO NOT DESCRIBE THE SPECIFIC PROBLEM; DO NOT CONSULT ANY OTHER CODER(S). If you can not reach JENNIFER, write a complete description of the problem/issue and staple it to the back of the coding sheet. Note the problem on the appropriate space of the coding sheet.

2. A formal feature (including a credit, graphic, id logo, program segment, etc.) begins with the first frame in which the feature appears in a complete, "normal," "faded in" image and ends with the last frame in which the feature appears in a complete, "normal," "not faded out" image. Unless specifically instructed to do so, DO NOT CODE VARIABLES THAT OCCUR IN TRANSITIONS between one image and another or an image and a blank screen - instead move the tape forward past the transition.

3. DO NOT reset the timer to zero unless the coding sheet specifically instructs you to do so.

4. All audio/video content is either PROGRAM or PROGRAM INTERRUPTION. All PROGRAM content is ACTION unless it is one of the following: BEGINNING PROGRAM THEME or MISCELLANEOUS PROGRAM-RELATED ELEMENTS (which are defined specifically in variable 3 below). If you cannot determine how program audio/video content should be classified, consider it to be program ACTION.

5. DO NOT use audio to determine beginning and ending points for variables that involve durations - use only the video image.

6. For all program coding variables the content being coded must be at least 1 full second (30 frames) in duration. This means that a credit, credit sequence, action before/after a credit sequence, theme, music, program interruption, MPRE, etc. must be at least one second long.

7. For variables in which hours, minutes, and seconds, but not frames are requested, round to the nearest second: if the frame number is 15 or above, round up to the next second; if the frame number is 14 or below, round down to the previous second.

8. ALL elements of a program or program segment must be interrupted ("go away") in order to code a program interruption or end of program segment as having occurred (i.e., that a new segment has begun).

9. Content that is animated should be coded just as live action content is. For example, camera movement, camera shot length, music, special effects, sound effects, etc. all can exist in animation, even if they are created in a different way. Therefore, all general rules and notes that apply to live action also apply to animation.

10. If there are two or more separate pictures (simultaneous video pictures) on the screen, code variables in the individual pictures unless a response option "Simultaneous video pictures" is offered or the definitions and notes for the variable instruct otherwise.

11. If the screen contains only ONE picture and it does not occupy the entire screen, code occurrences within that picture.
Images can naturally contain other images (as when a television is shown in the background) -- these background images should not be considered separately.
In cases where two pictures appear in the same space on the screen (e.g., in music video when two different views of an artist are shown, overlapping each other), if one of the pictures appears to be dominant, code only that picture. If neither picture is dominant, DO NOT consider changes in the individual pictures to apply to the overall image.

12. For transitions other than cuts (e.g., fades, dissolves, wipes, etc.) consider the end of the first shot to be the last frame during which a completely unchanged, normal image appears; the next shot begins on the first frame during which all indications of the transition are gone and a normal image appears; all frames between these two constitute the duration of the transition.
Unless specifically instructed to do so, DO NOT code variables for images during these transitions.

GLOSSARY OF SELECTED TERMS [READ AND REREAD THESE OFTEN!!!]

(A separate document contains a complete glossary)

Frame - an individual photograph on a video tape; when a tape is played at normal speed 30 frames are shown in rapid succession during every second, creating the illusion of motion.

Image - the contents of the entire viewing screen.

Picture - a self-contained, bordered representation of objects, entities, etc.; there may be more than one picture in a given image.

Program - traditional unit of television content; typically 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes in length.

Program interruption - one or more non-program segments shown during the airing of a program (e.g., a break that contains commercials and station identification).

Response option - a specific value among a set of exhaustive and mutually exclusive values that the coder selects when coding a variable by placing an "x" or a number in the appropriate space on the coding sheet.

Screen - the physical border that encloses the image on a television set.

Segment - uninterrupted portion of one programming element (e.g., advertisement, promotional announcement, public service announcement, station identification, unscheduled news bulletins, etc.).

Variable - an operationalization of a concept that varies, with an exhaustive and mutually exclusive set of values represented by response options. Also referred to as "item" or "question".

CODING SHEET 1:

PROGRAM VARIABLES

Date of coding: ______________

Name of coder:_______________________________ Date of entry: ______________

NOTE: Code each complete program

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Sampling information [Copy from tape label]

PRoGRaM#: __ __ __ TAPE#: __ __ __ __

Recorded on: MOnth: __ __ DaTe: __ __ YeaR: 9 5

DAY of week:

(1.) Sunday _____ [1]

(2.) Monday _____ [2]

(3.) Tuesday _____ [3]

(4.) Wednesday _____ [4]

(5.) Thursday _____ [5]

(6.) Friday _____ [6]

(7.) Saturday _____ [7]

Time: HOUR: __ __ AM / PM (circle one)

CHANNEL: _________

PRoGraM STart time: Hours: __ __ Minutes: __ __ AM / PM (circle one)

[DEFINITION: This refers to the time the broadcast began, NOT minutes into the 2 hour tape on which the program was recorded]

__________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Duration of program?

_____ [1] 30 minutes

_____ [2] One hour

_____ [3] 90 minutes

_____ [4] Two hours

_____ [5] Other (How long in minutes? __ __ __)

FULL QUESTION:

What is the duration of the program?

DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES:

Program - traditional unit of television content; typically 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes in length

NOTES:

· Short (i.e., less than 5 minutes) segments are not programs (e.g., CNN news updates at the top and bottom of each hour are not programs)

· Do not subtract duration of commercials (e.g., code half hour shows as 30 minutes).

· If part of the program has been preempted (i.e., not shown) code the duration only of the part of the program that was aired; round up or down to the closest minute length; use the Other category if needed (e.g., if a football game runs over its scheduled time period into the time period for the following program and the program is "joined in progress" code only the portion of the program that is shown).

__________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Genre of program?

Comedy

_____ [01] Situation comedy (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [02] Other (Describe/Title:______________________________________________)

Drama

_____ [03] Medical drama (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [04] Crime/legal/mystery drama (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [05] Science fiction/fantasy/horror (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [06] Other (Describe/Title:______________________________________________)

Serial

_____ [07] Daytime soap opera (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [08] Prime time soap opera (Title:______________________________________________)

Movie

_____ [09] TV movie (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [10] Theatrical film (Title:______________________________________________)

Informational/educational

_____ [11] Local news (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [12] National/international news (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [13] Documentary (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [14] Magazine (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [15] Reality program (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [16] Instructional program (adults) (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [17] Other (Describe/Title:______________________________________________)

Talk

_____ [18] Celebrity talk (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [19] Political talk/com-

mentary/interview (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [20] Theme/topic show (Title:______________________________________________)

Promotional

_____ [21] Infommercial (Product:______________________________________________)

Miscellaneous

_____ [22] Live action children's

educational program (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [23] Animated children's

educational program (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [24] Live action NONeducational

children's program (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [25] Animated NONeducational

children's program (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [26] Game show (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [27] Sports event (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [28] Music video program (Title:______________________________________________)

_____ [29] Other (Describe/title:______________________________________________)

FULL QUESTION:

What is the genre of the program?

DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES:

Comedy

[01] Situation comedy - actors portray characters, usually a family. Has a regular cast. (e.g., Full House, All in the Family, Seinfeld)

[02] Other - including sketch comedy, standup comedy, political comedy, etc. (e.g., Mad TV, Saturday Night Live, At the Improv)

Drama

[03] Medical drama - dramatic story in medical setting (e.g., ER, Chicago Hope)

[04] Crime/legal/mystery drama - dramatic story in criminal and criminal justice setting, including pursuit, capture, punishment of criminals (e.g., Law & Order, Matlock, Murder She Wrote, Columbo)

[05] Science fiction/fantasy/horror - dramatic story in "fantastic" setting (e.g., Star Trek, Liquid TV, Hercules, Tales of the Crypt)

[06] Other - including family drama (e.g., Little House, Dr. Quinn, Touched by an Angel) and westerns

Serial

[07] Daytime soap opera - daily serial drama airing in morning or afternoon (e.g., All My Children)

[08] Prime time soap opera - weekly serial drama known specifically as a "prime-time soap" (i.e., not just any drama that continues its storylines from week to week like NYPD Blue) (e.g., Dallas, Dynasty, Melrose Place, Central Park West, Knot's Landing, Falcon Crest)

Movie

[09] TV movie - a film made specifically to be shown on television, with pauses pre-designed for placement of commercials; do not count a special 2-hour "movie" episode of a regular series (e.g., "In a special 2-hour Matlock movie..." in this category.

[10] Theatrical film - a film made specifically to be shown in movie theaters, with no pauses pre-designed for commercials (e.g., Die Hard, In the Line of Fire)

Informational/educational

[11] Local news - regularly scheduled broadcast, typically live, of news gathered from various sources and presented by local station (e.g., Action News, Channel 10 News).

[12] National/international news - regularly scheduled broadcast, typically live, of news gathered from various sources and presented by national (e.g., NBC, CBS) or international (e.g., CNN) news organizations.

[13] Documentary - one topic examined, often concerning history or nature (e.g., Nature, The World at War)

[14] Magazine - multiple long form (5 or more minute) stories, either tabloid or traditional formats (e.g., Hard Copy, 60 Minutes, 20/20, 48 Hours). NOTE that magazine programs may seem similar to talk programs, but magazine programs typically (but not always) go out of the studio for a story, do not feature an audience, and do not have guests who come to the studio.

[15] Reality program - typically use cinema verite to capture or re-create real-life situations, often without a regular cast (e.g., Cops, 911, Stories of the Highway Patrol, The Real World)

[16] Instructional program (adults) - programs that offer the viewer a step by step explanation of an activity or task (e.g., This Old House, Julia Childs, Graham Kerr, ESPN exercise shows)

[17] Other - programs that don't fit in any one of the other categories (e.g., Good Morning America, Today, CBS Morning News). This also includes news programs with stories too short to be a magazine program but on a specific type of story such as entertainment news (Entertainment Tonight, Extra, Showbiz Today) or sports news (ESPN Sportscenter)

Talk

[NOTE that talk programs may seem similar to news magazine programs, but talk programs typically (but not always) stay in the studio for a story, feature an audience, and have guests who come to the studio.]

[18] Celebrity talk - a program that features a regular host or hosts with guest(s) that are primarily entertainment and sports personalities, does not have a unifying theme throughout a particular episode. (e.g., The Tonight Show, The Late Show, The Late, Late Show, Regis & Kathie Lee, Late Night with Conan O'Brien)

[19] Political talk/commentary/interview - conversations that usually deal with political topics where the guest(s) and his/her expertise are the focus (e.g., This Week with David Brinkley, Face the Nation, Meet the Press, Larry King, Charlie Rose)

[20] Theme/topic show - a program that is centered around a particular issue where the guests are brought in to facilitate the discussion, the host serves to stimulate discussion and/or moderate between the guest(s) and the audience (e.g., Montel, Oprah, Donohue, Rolanda, Jenny Jones, Sally J. Raphael, Geraldo)

Promotional

[21] Infommercial - an advertisement that is longer than traditional commercials (usually 30 minutes) and uses techniques to appear to be a genre other that an advertisement, such as a talk show (e.g., exercise, makeup, hair loss, etc. on cable)

Miscellaneous

[22] Live action children's educational program - program designed primarily to teach children; contains specific provision of information, knowledge, facts, advice, etc. aimed at children; live action only (e.g., Sesame Street, Barney, Mr. Rogers, 3-2-1 Contact, Electric Company). This does NOT include programs that happen to contain moral messages but are not specifically designed to teach children specific things (e.g., most situation comedies contain messages such as "Respect your parents" and "Be honest," and "Captain Planet" shows superheroes who fight pollution, etc., but these are designed more to entertain than to be educational).

[23] Animated children's educational program - program designed primarily to teach children; contains specific provision of information, knowledge, facts, advice, etc. aimed at children; animated or primarily animated only (e.g., Richard Scary's Storybook/Storytown). This does NOT include programs that happen to contain moral messages but are not specifically designed to teach children specific things (e.g., most situation comedies contain messages such as "Respect your parents" and "Be honest," and "Captain Planet" shows superheroes who fight pollution, etc., but these are designed more to entertain than to be educational).

[24] Live action NONeducational children's program - program designed primarily to entertain children; live action only (e.g., Power Rangers, The Muppets, Clarissa Explains It All, Are You Afraid of the Dark?)

[25] Animated NONeducational children's program - program designed primarily to entertain children; animated or primarily animated only (e.g., X-Men, Rugrats, Scooby Doo, Mutant Ninja Turtles, Animaniacs, Loony Toons, Tiny Toons)

[26] Game show - features contestants who participate in an activity with pre-determined rules in order to win prizes (e.g., Jeopardy, Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune)

[27] Sports - broadcast of a sporting event, including any athletic competition (e.g., "American Gladiators"). This includes only sports events, not sports news programs.

[28] Music video program - a collection of videos showed under a program title showed in 30 minutes increments usually has a V. J. (e.g., Big 80s, 8-Track flashback, Video P.M., Alternative Nation, 120 Minutes, Yo! MTV raps)

[29] Other - programs that don't fit in any one of the other categories (e.g., breaking news, awards shows, beauty pageants, variety programs [a combination of singing, playing musical instruments, magic, comedy, videos, etc], etc.).

NOTES:

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Go to exact beginning point of program. NOTE: The beginning of a program is the first frame that involves the specific program.

Set timer to zero.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Number of miscellaneous program-related elements at beginning of program?

_____ [x] elements

FULL QUESTION:

How many miscellaneous program-related elements are there at the beginning of the program?

DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES:

Miscellaneous program-related elements (beginning of program) - elements that (1) come before the first frame of simultaneous audio and moving video action that occurs before any beginning credit or credits in the program, (2) are distinct and separate from theme and action in that BOTH audio and video change completely when the element begins and BOTH audio and video change completely when the element ends (with the exception of silence-to-silence; see the Note below), and (3) fit into one or more of the following categories:

i. Text and/or audio messages that indicate program sponsors, the nature of the content (e.g., warnings of violence or nudity) of the program, "presented by" messages, or a dedication.

ii. Production company information (related only to the current program) presented through use of text and/or graphics, and in most cases audio (see Note below).

iii. Contact instructions for program-related information, transcripts, or tickets.

iv. Program bumper - a very short segment that identifies ONLY the program in progress and provides a buffer between a program segment and commercials or other types of program interruptions (e.g., after each 5-7 minute segment of Star Trek: The Next Generation, a program bumper is shown containing the blue logo for the program on a star-filled background with the signature orchestral melody of the show). A program bumper can not identify any program or set of programs other than the specific program in progress.

All three criteria above MUST be met in order to code any portion of program content as a miscellaneous program-related element.

NOTES:

· There is one exception to the requirement that both audio and video must change as a miscellaneous program-related element begins and ends: if the video changes when the element begins and when it ends but the audio remains silent (either before and during the element, or during and after the element, or both), the element should still be coded as a miscellaneous program-related element.

· Do NOT code contact information provided in infommercials as miscellaneous program-related elements; in this genre contact information represents program action.

· If someone connected with a program is the spokesperson in an advertisement for a product or service, unless the product/service is a video or transcript of the program itself, the advertisement is not a miscellaneous program-related element but a segment in a program interruption (note that this means that even if a product being advertised is one that is shown during the program the advertisement can not be coded as a miscellaneous program-related element).

· A program bumper must identify the specific program in progress and not identify any other specific program or set of programs. It may also mention the station/channel/network that is presenting the program (i.e., “Stay tuned for more of Bigger & Summers on Lifetime Cable” is still a program bumper), but it MUST mention the specific program (i.e., “This is Headline News, a Turner Cable Network” and "We'll be right back after these messages" are NOT program bumpers because neither one identifies a specific program [Headline News is a station/channel/network, not a program]). In ALL cases, a program bumper is part of a program and not a program interruption.

· A program bumper can occur at the beginning of a program (e.g., "Next, the Oprah Winfrey Show"), as long as there is no interruption between this and the next program audio/video action.

· A promotional or other message about a program about to begin is part of the program as long as it does not mention any other program and there is not a program interruption (e.g., station id, etc.) between the message and what would normally be considered the beginning of the program. To determine whether a promotional message is part of a program or not, use this rule as well: If the message could logically appear outside of the program in which it appears, it is not part of the program itself.

· Because it is difficult to reliably code the duration of sounds, a program should be coded as beginning at the first frame at which the image is fully faded in, even if music or other sound begins prior to this frame and even during frames that contain only a black screen.

· A beginning miscellaneous program-related element must come before any simultaneous audio and moving video action, so a beginning miscellaneous program-related element can come after a program theme (which by definition is not action).

· Different episodes or even the same episodes of some programs are shown one after another in a repeating cycle (e.g., every half hour on Headline News is a new episode; ESPN Sportscenter is repeated immediately after it first airs). Be careful to code each program or repetition of a program, separately. If it is difficult to determine where one episode ends and the next begins, consider the end of the first episode to be immediately prior to the beginning of the repeating material (of course, exclude program interruptions).

__________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Beginning credits sequence?

_____ [0] No [SKIP to 5]

_____ [1] Yes

FULL QUESTION:

Does the program contain a beginning credits sequence?

DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES:

Credit - a text message that specifically identifies an individual or company and their role in creating the program, including actor(s), host(s), guest(s), producer(s), director(s), writer(s), caterer(s), key grip(s), chauffeur(s), hair stylist(s), etc. (e.g., "Produced by Joe Smith"). The title of a program/series or the title of a specific episode of a program/series should also be considered credits.

Credits sequence - a series (two or more) of different credits, either in the same image or a series of images.

Beginning credits sequence - credits sequence that appears at or near the beginning of a program, including credits during a program theme.

NOTES:

· Audio messages only don't count as credits.

· Text on the screen during program segments that contains only words and phrases that are part of the program itself (e.g., host or news anchor/reporter identification, or reinforcement for ideas being discussed in program), rather than specific information about individuals or companies that CREATED the program, should NOT be counted as a credit (it is text, however, and would be coded in the timepoint variables regarding text).

· When a person (e.g., in an infommercial) who is hosting a program appears on the screen with a "hosted by" text message, that message is a credit because it identifies the person's role in creating the program. If the message only contains the person's name it serves to identify him but not his role and is not a credit. (This rule does not apply to people shown in program themes and identified by name because the combination of their picture and name is meant to indicate that they are featured actors/stars in the program.)

· Credits can appear during program action and during a program's beginning theme but CREDITS CAN NOT APPEAR DURING ANY MISCELLANEOUS PROGRAM-RELATED ELEMENTS (e.g., PBS underwriter/sponsor acknowledgment or production company information, if they meet the other criteria and are classified as miscellaneous program-related elements, can not be coded as containing credits) .

· A title that appears at the beginning of a program, even if it appears repeatedly, should not be coded as a beginning credits sequence unless it appears with at least one other credit.

· A title and subtitle in one image should be coded as just one credit, but if the two appear separately (in different images, and NEVER appear together) they each are separate credits (e.g., if the main title appears and disappears and then the subtitle appears in the image, the title and subtitle are each separate credits; for Star Trek: The Next Generation, first the words "Star Trek" appear alone, and then the words "The Next Generation" are added so that all five words are in the same image; because the title and subtitle do appear together, there is only one credit).

· A subtitle may be part of the title of the program (e.g., "The Honeymooners" and "The Lost Episodes") OR the subtitle may be the title of a specific episode of the program (e.g., "CBS Tuesday Movie" and "Star Wars") OR the subtitle may be the title of a specific story within the specific episode (e.g., an animated program that has separate titles for each of three stories shown during 30 minutes, in which case only the title of the first story is a subtitle that should be coded as a credit).

· A credit does not stay on the screen for extended periods of time (e.g., an identification logo or a telephone number to call during a telethon are not credits).

· A credit can be text that is part of a graphic or it can be an object in the image itself (i.e., something that is not superimposed).

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