Studio Production: Researching TV Shows for inspiration
Since I have a brief idea on some of the different genres of shows I might choose for my final idea. I've decided it would be a good idea to find shows that are in a similar genre and see what elements they include in their show. This will allow me to better understand how a show is created.
Concept 1; - 2 groups of friends against each other battling it out to see who knows the most about each other
This idea originally came to me as I remembered a kid's show called "Best of Friends". It was hosted by Otis, Rani and Abs from CBBC and the show used games of chance to determine who would go first and take part in which tasks. They tested the friendships between kids and the result was very entertaining at the time of watching because groups of friends would go in head first with the task as a group and come out not so pleasantly with each other.
That for me was a format that provides many possibilities to expand on because you can put friends through a multitude of situations and it adds entertainment if they don't quite make it out the same way they started.
What I also liked was the use of chance to decide who goes next. The kids would pick out a sweet and whoever had the blue tongue after sucking the sweet would be up. This is a good idea but I think in order to make it much more brutal between friends you could have them choose between each other.
When trying to develop this idea, I must think about what tasks I could have on the show as it would be an "as live" studio production and not on location.
Being able to work on "Ultimate Brain" really gave me insight onto how important it is to get the research right for the tasks since it was mostly science based. Since it was a show where groups of kids from a school would be put into a team which played against celebrities of various ages to complete the tasks in the fastest time. I thought it was a really good formula to look at because it gives lots of room to expand on with different themes etc. It is also studio based so I know that it is possible to conduct tasks with groups.
What I noticed about Ultimate Brain is the use of the central host and his sidekick. They are very distinct due to costume and the difference in personalities. The set also fits the theme really well as the whole idea is supposed to be about a monkey who is a mad scientist and has his own lab. The theme is carried through out and the games fit this scientific theme. This really showed me the importance of branding and making sure you know your theme as it creates a strong, proficient show. If I chose to expand on this idea/ formula, I would need to have a distinct theme and central character. Something that hasn't been done before.
The Cube
When looking at The Cube, its interesting to see how it differs from ultimate brain because instead of relying on a distinct central character and a side kick, they have a host who is somewhat "normal", dressed in a suit and tie and is solely focused on the cube and what happens inside it.
What sells this show is their tactical use of graphics, camera angles and slow motion cameras. What I love is it's not used in an "over kill" way, it is needed in order for viewers to grasp the task better and to see what the contestant is only able to see. Below is the perfect example of this as Mo Farah had to press the cube as soon as the blue box changed colour.
A show like this is very interesting because it relies solely on the games being played. This further brought to my attention the importance of knowing what my focus will be. If I chose to go down the challenging game show route I need to know if it is possible to actually pull off this type of show. This requires a lot of research into if the games would actually work. Shows like The Cube are already in their own league due to the high production value and new challenges created. It would be a very difficult thing to make a show solely based on the tasks if we simply do not have the equipment available to bring the show to life. This has already ruled out that style of show for me as it wouldn't be possible.
Concept 3; - A dating game show where a group of friends choose the date for their single friend and in the studio show, the single friend plays a series of games and answers questions to choose the perfect date. A test of friendship as well as the compatibility of individuals
I thought of this idea with elements of Meet the Parents in mind as well as Street mate as the element of surprise is always a good theme that allows a lot of expansion.
Street Mate (1998 to 2001)
What I liked about this show is that anyone would be picked randomly from the street and you don't know if the person chosen will get along with the other person. This show is good but in my opinion as it gives room to interact with a multitude of characters and personalities. There aren't a lot of variables to make the show different in each episodes a way because it's the same hosts every time. If I was to develop my idea, I would want to make it so different people are choosing for different people each time so its another element of surprise. This allows you to get to know another set of characters.
I also had in mind "Meet the parents"
Because of the talking nature and questions asked, I think it's a great starting point. The show in itself is a great idea because it completely turns the idea of dating on its head as usually meeting the parents is what comes after the dating stage, not before. So it is quite difficult swaying from an idea that is already so established, hence why I want to mix a few different elements in for this idea. It is interesting to notice that dating shows usually require the use of a charismatic host as well as guests. For my idea I would have to go through extensive searching for the right people to feet the charismatic nature of it. I am still unsure about what tasks I would ask them to complete or what questions I would ask but I would probably make use of the VT's by having pre done interviews.
Next Steps;
- show ideas to Helen
- Continue to develop chosen idea.
Comments
Post a Comment