Reflections & Evaluations

Ever since we began this module I have been filled with interest and enthusiasm in regards to producing a format for radio and television. I plan to build a career for myself in this industry and saw these projects and key practice tools for me to get experience of working in a professional manner. The success of last year’s TV programme gave me inspiration and insight towards how I expected this task to go, my expectations were not let down as I was met with many different challenges that I went about overcoming. To get the role of presenter I had wanted was also something that helped me enjoy myself even more and also give the most efforts in during the project.

I have developed as a person during this module and seen how I personally carry out tasks and work towards the team’s vision. My responsibilities within the team were mainly situated around my memory of scripts and being available at all times to rehearse in practices; my time-management skills have improved also. I feel confident to complete all tasks required of me and see how I could fit into this industry as a formats producer, presenter, manager or broadcaster. By achieving the goals I set for myself I can see how to progress on to new ones.

I learnt more about the importance of different roles within a production team and also felt comfortable in the daily working environments; this added to the professional nature of work we were carrying out. My knowledge of media and formats allowed me to provide valuable contributions to the team and I felt that I helped with important decisions. I felt engaged throughout my time in the teams I worked in and also enjoyed the time we spent together. I was able to work with people I had never worked with whilst also being able to work with people I hadn’t; this allowed me to be an active member of the team. The module has been an experience I will keep in mind for very long time, I hope that I can develop the skills I have learnt to benefit the work I carry out in the future.



Business and Modern Broadcasting

In terms of generating income, radio and television find their finds in many varied and different ways. Our radio show could be used as an advertising tool to generate income through sponsorship deals from bigger organisations; most radio formats operate on a low-budget and need to seek support from a benefactor to continually produce their formats or generate a substantial amount of money. Television is seen to be a more profitable module of making big figures as visual representations of adverts are considered more effective than those that consist of only audio. Our Television format could be exported onto a dedicated website and also have big advertising deals, the capabilities are expected due to the larger budgets and production teams. The idea of product placement is something we could apply to both our radio and tv formats with the choices of words being guessed and items in rounds.

Audiences retain a great deal of information they consume, by maintaining their focus and concentration in our formats we could get their interest and also provide merchandise they would purchase. Having phone lines in radio shows is not a major finance tool, but by making a show more interactive on material that is accessible on the web audiences will want to participate and feel involved with decisions being made in the show. The use of guests also allows room for celebrities and emerging acts to be present in our formats, by showcasing popular personalities we could generate revenue from the exploits of those present in our productions.

With the rise of technological advances to modern facilities many forms of media are now accessible on the web. The need to have radio and television ‘on demand’ is a feature that all emerging format producers must consider when creating media. Audiences want to have access to their media wherever they are; we have been able to broadcast our work on the web with services such as Vimeo and YouTube. I believe that the future of broadcasting will be greatly affected by the surge of user-generated content and the need for ‘new ideas’ that differ from the ones that already exist. Our format can work online because of social networking services such as Facebook and Twitter; by having them all linked to each other we can create and interactive space where people consume and take part in our format. We managed to create a website for our television format which is called: ( http://www.wix.com/whoswhoquizshow/whodeedoo )

The Final Day of Recording

The day we had all been waiting for had arrived and it was time to record our final version of Who’s Who. everyone made sure they were in nice an early so we had more than enough time to set up and get the show finished. The first task was carrying the large desks from Graham Sutherland building over to the Ellen Terry TV studio; this was not to difficult as we carried them in twos or threes. There was an air of optimism around and everything seemed very organised whilst we were getting things underway. We had the studio all day and aimed to utilise each moment with rehearsal and recording of various takes; this was to ensure we had enough good takes to use in the editing process of producing our format.

The plan was to record a different segment each hour thus allowing the lineups to come in at different times for their period of screen time; we had 3 different guests for each round and did not want the studio to be overcrowded with more people in the already large group we found ourselves in. The lighting of the studio was a problem as we had still not yet been able to establish a level of light that looked good on camera. After various re-arrangements we were able to finalise on positions for the lights and ready to begin our recording. The set was also causing concerns as the stickers began to peel off the desks; this was rectified with quick adjustments that did not waste a great deal of time. Communication within the team was being tested as issues were raised, we were able to effectively resolve any technical faults and ready to begin the desired recording.

I felt confident with my script and tried my best to look composed on camera, we took our positions and began with my introductions. We recorded this part first as we did not need the lineups present and it was the most scripted part of the show; this part was fairly simple, we managed to record a some good takes and were ready to move on to the rounds. The first batch of lineups were invited into the studio and we began playing the quiz. Between myself and the contestants we had realised in practices that the show sounded better with some of the responses we had rehearsed; we decided that we would choose the answers each contestant would go with to ensure they didn’t get stuck whilst being recorded. The first round went well, we were able to record takes that were entertaining. I was happy with the way the show was going and looked forward to continuing.

The timings we had planned for our day were being followed and we were able to record each round with little hesitation. Although we had structured ourselves to have an hour per segment we did not use this time effectively when it came to deciding the various shot types, if I was to do this show again I would make sure we were able to practice with the lineups in front of us. I was happy with the way the show had been run and continued to communicate with the rest of the team regarding feedback they had for me in the studio. I had realised that there was a faulty microphone I’d been using which made recording my audio levels quite difficult for those in the gallery. I wanted the show to be successful and carried on with my pursuit of our team being successful.

By the end of the day everyone in the team was tired and ready to finish off with the rounds. We managed to have fun during the day which allowed us to remain cheerful and carry on in our roles. The team was working as a unit with everyone providing suggestions towards how they felt the project was going. Upon completion of the recordings we had been able to complete some good takes of the whole show and were looking forward to how they would come out in the edit. Because of issues with light and sound the editing phase took a significant time to complete, even with the problems faced the end product of what had been produced was at a very good level. Feedback received was that there were a few ‘inside jokes’ that may not have been understood by all watching our show. We felt justified with the product of our work as it had been produced with our target audience in mind. Other comments I received were that my speech was fast and make it difficult at times to understand. I was pleased with my role in the team and saw people enjoying our show whilst also playing along, I’m proud of our format and they way it came out.

Who’s Who Video

Here is the link for our television format ( http://vimeo.com/17785163 )

This is the low quality version, it was very difficult to export the high quality edition on to the internet.

Theme & Set

The target audience for our show was the younger generation, so the colours and mood of our theme needed to reflect this. The initial ideas were to include an emphasis on colours such as green and blues which were agreed to be bright and loud. Having lineups that were anonymous characters was something that we wanted to represent in the graphics and titles, we came up with the idea of having images of silhouettes being active on top of the background. Stan was in charge of the graphics and produced various images that reflected the ideas shared in group conversation. I was pleased with the result of how the pictures and come out and hope that they suited the overall image of the show.

The set was mainly the 3 desks that we had created specifically for the show; we felt the idea of having desks looked better than podiums and went with it. The show’s logo was to be in the middle with graphics on the side desks; these were stickers that had been made. The date for the completion of the desks was the day before our actual recording so we were taking a risk by not practising with them in our rehearsals, the team had instilled their faith in them being completed and felt confident they would arrive on time. I felt that I contributed to the idea process of creating the set and was happy with how it looked on camera. 

Studio Rehearsal(s)

The pre-production phase of our show was almost complete and it was now time for us to shift our efforts towards rehearsing in the studio. We had not yet got the set finished so we practiced our show without it; this was not necessarily a problem as we still had the stools we would sit on so the people on cameras could still get the shots needed. Before we began with the script it was important for us to set up the gallery and studio, audio levels for microphones were tested and the autocue was ready to go up for me to read. Lighting was something that we kept tinkering with as we still had to ensure that the chroma key worked well with it. The team had been working well so far and the anxious emotions had settled. We all knew that it would require the effort from everyone if the show was to go well, all that was left was for us to begin practising.

Although the script had been finalised, we had not yet decided on who our 2nd contestant was or completed choosing who would be in the lineups; this was a problem as each practice was different, we had to improvise the responses and get people from the team to ‘sit-in’ to help the rehearsals go as smoothly as possible. Discussions within the team had to be considered as Charlie our contestant was going to be guessing her answers, we didn’t want to give anything away to ensure that her responses were as real as possible. We later decided that Adam Davies our website designer was not active in the studio and had a charismatic enthusiasm to being a contestant, his personality worked well with mine and Charlie’s; the group were in agreement that it would be good to have him as the other contestant and were happy that this had been sorted out.

The script was easier to practice with everyone present in the studio and I began to feel more confident when speaking; it had been noted that I did not portray my eccentric personality on camera. I was determined to be enthusiastic and excited about the show because I was the presenter who the audience would familiarise with the most. It was not that I didn’t enjoy my role but I found it hard to remain cheerful and animated throughout rehearsal of the script. Learning the script was something I had to master because I aimed to know it word for word, ensuring that the auto cue was only there as a last resource in practices. I was happy with the feedback I received and carried on with my attempts in practice. The gallery sound was something that required close consideration as our voices were all different and went up and down at different levels.

The use of cameras in the studio was quite effective as we had set them up in a way that allowed their to be focus on those that were talking whilst still being able to return to an overall shot of everyone in the studio. As we continued practising we realised that the show would look better if we added a variation of shot techniques; this was something that could not really be achieved as we were using graphics in the background. The cameras had to remain fairly static whilst the gallery took the shots, we understood that it would be difficult to move them frequently when interchanging so it was encouraged that we took breaks in our speech to help the editing. Each time we rehearsed we managed to note something different that could be change or slightly altered; this did slow down our finalising of the finished product but also was beneficial as we felt with each change made we improved the content of what was being produced.

The plan was to record the show in segments  and then put them all together in the edit, the idea was not one we all agreed with but it was clear that we would be able to practice in an efficient manner if it was broken down. The only issue that occurred was discussion of whether or not the show seemed progressive if we did not shoot it all in one long take. By continually rehearsing the rounds separately it became apparent that the contestants would know the answers as I revealed them; we had to decide if this was a good thing because it was either we got used to this so they could have practiced responses or it was that we changed the answers each time ensuring they had to guess their answers. In most quiz formats I have watched the host reveals the scores at the end of each round, we decided that we would record this separately and apply graphics that matched the scores of the chosen rounds. The rehearsals had gone well and we had a clear idea of how our show would look when it came to the final day.

Script (TV Show)

Here is the script for our TV show ‘Who’s Who’:

As presenter of the show I had significant input in the creating of the script. I worked with the producer to devise something that sounded entertaining yet comfortable for me to say. We went through a few draft copies of the script so at times I had to forget the lines I had learned and replace them with the revisions made; this was okay because in most instances I had the decision of what I preferred saying. The team also used the script to establish timings and see how the show was ordered. I also had to work with Kirsty our Autocue controller as she had the script on the computer, she had to get used to my speed of speech to ensure I could follow the script as it was moving.

Running Order (TV Show)

Here is the running order for our TV show ‘Who’s Who’:

This was the guideline that our production team followed, I would say that we did quite well in practices to keep to it. Everyone in the studio knew what they were doing at any specific time which help us feel more ordered when rehearsing the show.

Final Idea: ‘Who’s Who’ (TV Show)

The time for our group to practice in the television studio was nearing so it was vital that we had finalised an idea to take in for our rehearsals. Everyone had continued to provide input towards what they believed would work well,  after some deliberation we finally came to the decision of what we would be producing. The show was to be based around a segment of the ‘identity parade’ found in the popular BBC2 programme Never Mind the Buzzcocks. We intended to apply a twist that was different to the show’s musical approach. Our aim was to have contestants guessing who from our line up owned weird objects, was the person in a funny video and the mystery identity in an altered photograph.

The show is not completely different to our initial idea for a quiz format as it still is based around contestants having to guess the answers based on their preconceptions of what they see. We decided to go with this option as we felt that the rounds were easy to play-a-long with and felt that they linked in more with each other; this is important as the audience are meant to be engaged throughout their watching of a television programme. The tagline we had produced for our show was that it was ‘the quick quirky quiz show that questions the credibility of the status quo’, this was a very catchy yet appropriate phrase as it allowed us to aim the show’s content in a direction that met what we said about it.

The structure of the quiz was that it would have 3-4 rounds, each with an emphasis on contestants guessing who they thought was the person in the lineup; we wanted to have 3 people in the lineups for each round and understood that we would require 9-12 guests for this to happen. Round 1: Who owns it, this round would have a very strange object that was brought out by myself, we would joke about the line-up and how one of them could have possibly came into ownership of the item. Round 2: Guess who did it, in this round we would play a VT of someone in an embarrassing video and blurred their face out, we intended to play with the idea of mystery and put masks on the lineup so contestants had more to joke about when they were guessing their answers. Round 3: Guess who is in the video, this round was similar to round 2 but we intended to show footage of the lineup of when they were at a younger age (a baby) and see if the contestants could see any resemblance with who stood before them. Round 4: Mystery round (Guess who is in the picture), this round was to have an image of someone in the lineup that had been zoomed in or altered so it was unclear to distinguish.

The scoring for the rounds was simple, for each correct answer the contestant was awarded a point; they would be encouraged to compete against each other and respond differently thus enforcing one of them to inevitably be wrong when answering the question. Each round would last no longer than 1:30sec and will be edited ensuring they do not go on for so long, if time allows it will include all four rounds in our video and if not we can select the best three to use. Although the show is only 5-7 minutes in length we have planned our show to be the beginning of a longer television programme; our video would start from the intro and end for the commercial break.

It was decided that the set would consist of three desks, one for the host and each contestant. The desks would be made individually but would join together, creating the image of a table in the shape of a halved hexagon. The vision from our set had taken influence from TV shows such as: Nevermind the Buzzcocks, Would I lie to you and Celebrity Juice; we understood the theme of our would be natural and calm colours so the way the desks looked was important. The objects, images and videos would be gathered and created within our production team. The VTs were homemade videos which had already been shot so all we would need to do to them was apply a border and themed introduction to the footage. The graphics would consist of silhouettes of people emphasising the mystery and theme of Who’s Who. Lighting is very important in the studio, we intended to have a distinctive focus on the presenter, contestants, line up and set whilst also making sure that the combination worked well with the graphics. The music would be of an uptempo beat that had a base with a bit of kick behind it, the jingle we decided to go with sounded good with the show’s visual elements.

Brainstorming… Mindmapping ideas (TV Show)

The group had managed to set up a Facebook page where we were able to share ideas and post information about how the project was developing. We had not yet established what type of quiz we would be creating and felt the need to sort this out quickly. The main ideas people were interested in doing were situated around music, politics, books or movies; these ideas were interesting but we didn’t believe we could create something that would be entertaining for a larger audience. The general agreement between the group was that we were going to be producing something of a comical element; comedy is a genre that is favourite amongst our group, we looked forward to the prospect of being able to work on a project everyone would enjoy doing. An idea that sprung out of conversation was the idea of stereotypes and how people always judge one’s character through their initial first impressions. Other contributions we discussed were themes such basing the show on the idea of ‘the unexpected’, to have completely random segments that contestants had to guess what was happening. 

The idea of a social network is something I have not seen represented in television very often, our target audience was mainly the younger ‘student generation’ who are very frequent users of online networks such as Facebook. The idea that caused a lot of interest was the way in which we as people can be classified as ‘very nosey’ and always seen to be observing the lives of other people in judgement; the option of ‘liking’ people’s status’ and pictures is a tool used daily which has become habitual in daily use of the internet. Referring back to the element of comedy, it is quite clear to see that various audiences in society are fond of people having mishaps and mockeries made of them. ‘Have you been framed’ and ‘Outtake TV’ are television shows that present humour at the expense of others, to transfer a format like this into a quiz was something that would take careful consideration if we were to perform it successfully.

After we had set out what the initial ideas were we decided to shift our thoughts towards how we would structure the show and what it could possibly look like. The things to consider were how many contestants we wanted in the studio the type of rounds that would played. The set, visual elements and sound would be decided last as they all needed to fit the theme of the show which had not yet been decided. Overall the ideas we have come up with are very strong and the team feel very capable of executing each and anyone one of them upon deciding which one will take forward for production.