Worksheet 6-My TV game show

Aim: To explore the importance of the formats, questions and prizes

 

PITCH SUMMARY – OUTLINE THE MAIN FEATURES OF YOUR OWN TV GAME SHOW:

My game show is called: Beat the Pleb

The Target Audience is:

Age: 12+    Location: Studio in Norwich   Ethnicity: N/A    Gender: Both

 

Demographic: C1-A

Psychographics – Reformers and Aspirers

 

The contestants will be: A panel of celebrities and one regular person who has very good trivia knowledge.

Demographic: C1-A

Psychographics – Explorers and Succeeders

Host – who will I audition and why? 
Jack Whitehall, because we need a well-known celebrity that will react comically to the knowledge of the “Pleb”, and the ignorance of the celebrities.

 

Any other use of celebrities?

A panel of 4 B-list celebrities with one well known one as the team captain is set up.

What type of games / questions / rounds will you have?

There will be a selection of trivia questions which are catered towards the “Pleb” winning, and making the celebrities look ignorant. They are asked and the first to buzz in with the correct answer wins a point. If they get it wrong the answer passes to the other team. If they get it wrong, then no-one gets points and the next question is asked. This is round one. In round two there will be a team based game for the celebrities, where they have to compete as a team against the “Pleb” e.g. they have to dodge the “Pleb” firing eggs at them from an egg cannon for a minute. Whichever side wins gets 5 points. In the third round, the “Pleb” answers questions for points whilst the celebrities compete in a team based task for points. The final round has a random one of the celebrities go head to head with the “Pleb”. There is a random, completely pointless task that they have to complete to earn a massive 15 points. This gives the trailing team a chance to redeem themselves. It could be anything from who can drink a litre of undiluted orange squash the quickest, or scoop the most baked beans out of a tray into a bucket using their fingers. The team with the most points at the end of the show wins. The “Pleb” will win £5000, and the celebrity team gets £5000 for a charity of their choice

Woeksheet 5 - application forms

The Cube

1. The producers are looking for people who are outgoing and stick out from the crowd. This can be seen where it asks the contestant to write what they would do with the prize money, and they state that most people say they would pay off their mortgage but they want to hear something different.

2. Can you expand on the funny / interesting / amazing facts about you?

    What makes you unique from the other contestants we have?

    Could you show us one of your special talents on air?

3. The producers for The Cube want to make sure that everyone has an equal chance of getting in, but those who are more able at taking part in the activities shown on the show, will obviously have more of a chance to get in. They make sure of this by asking about your age, a photo of you, if your family have taken part in any other game shows or won a considerable amount of money recently, and if they have been in another series of The Cube. They obviously also want unique people to take part, which is what I stated earlier.

4. The demographics The Cube is aiming for is B to E. I think this because it has a very wide target audience but it doesn't have many viewers watching the show who are very upper-class or in higher management.

5. The Cube's psychographics are aimed at aspirers, explorers, reformers and strugglers. This is because it has a wide target audience bur not many people who are in higher management or older people would watch the show.

Ninja Warrior UK

1. The producers are looking for people who are fit and athletic that would be able to tackle the game show. This is seen where the application form asks the applicant a lot about their athletic lives.
2. How often do you do a sport/exercise?
    How long have you been involved with the clubs you mentioned?
    What is your weight and height?
3. They want contestants who will stick out from the crowd, but they must also be able to complete the course. This means they'd typically be looking for younger contestants who are fairly fit.
4. I think the target audience for Ninja Warrior would fit into B to E on the demographic scale. This is because a lot of people enjoy watching this type of game show and wondering if they would be able to do it themselves.  I don't think people in higher management would watch it because it is a show that is very light-hearted and not intellectual.
5.  I think the same sort of people who watch the cube would watch this show because they are very similar.

Countdown

1. The producers are looking for anyone from the public to take part in the game show.
2. Is there anything out of the ordinary about your children?
    Where were you brought up? What University or apprenticeship did you take?
    What makes you different from the other contestants?
3. They want people who will have similar IQ to the people in the target audience
4. I think this would fit in the A to C2 range. This is because the questions are normally a higher standard and people watch it so they can test themselves.
5. This would fit in the reformers, resigned and succeeders. This is again, because the show are looking for people who can answer the questions.

Worksheet 4- Game show hosts

Role of the host

Qualities of a good host

Game show hosts are professionals who are the on-screen personalities responsible for successfully running a game show on television. As hosts, their work primarily involves introducing the mechanics of the game to the players who will participate in it and the audiences who are in the studio as well as those watching from their television screens all over the country. Chris Kamara He is a Football Pundit who commentates on matches on Sky sports. He has only done one gem show which has been ninja warrior and it has been broadcasted since 2014.

Handsome Charming Smart Intelligent Humor Audience Acknowledgement

History of game shows

The BBC began the world's first high-definition, regular TV service from London in 1936. It wasn't until two years later that any form of game show appeared. In fact, the very first game show ever shown was very possibly the worst ever which was the spelling bee. All the contestants had to do on the show was spell words so you can see why this could be named as one of the worst TV game shows ever.The first game show whose name still means anything to anyone is What's My Line?, which ran on the BBC from 1951. It was another simple panel game, nevertheless it ran in numerous different versions on two different channels through to the mid 90s. The programme was the first US import of a Goodson and Todman show - many more were to follow.Probably the tone of the 70s is best described by two words - Benny Hill. The politically incorrect comedian and countless other suburban sitcoms were having the fun over on ITV. In response, the BBC provided a stern alternative for proper, upstanding middle-class families in the form of Ask the Family. Families were also featured heavily in 1971's the Generation Game, which was to have its heyday in the mid 70s.School children of the 80s were being introduced to a range of new gaming influences, not least the mighty Dungeons and Dragons fad which in turn inspired arguably the first ever adventure game, called The Adventure Game, funnily enough.The impact of Millionaire was huge. All of a sudden, everyone in the formats market wanted to talk to anyone with a British accent. 

Game Show- Worksheet 3

Type of Lighting	Effect
High-Key Lighting	It is shown as upbeat and lifting and this is shown on the host to make them look superior
Low-Key Lighting	Is shown when the person comes out the silhouette and shows mystery
Spotlighting	To highlight the contestants  and cut out the audience to create mystery
Back Lighting / Silhouetting	When the person who was on the film was trying to be guessed by the other contestants this was shown and this creates a tense atmosphere
Colour filters	Throughout the show the colour filter changes to create a uplifting atmosphere for the crowd
Floor Lights	They are changed from colour to colour to create a sort of mystery to see who will win the show
Neon strips	This is used as the floor lighting to make a happy but tense environment
Changes in light	There is only noticeable change when the silhouette is revealed and the floor changes colour to bring the attention to that part of the show

Game Show- Worksheet 1

 

Generic Convention	Game Show 1: Family Fortunes	Game Show 2:Ninja warrior	Game Show 3:Weakest Link	Game Show 4:Pointless
Set in a television studio. Set design often includes a podium behind which the contestant stands.  Light is often an important element of the mise-en-scene with lights dimmed or spotlights used to heighten dramatic tension.	Yes as the colours are warm and illuminated	There is a set and It is a challenging obstacle course where the contestants need to get past	Podium for the host. Podiums for the contestants surround the host in a semi-circle. Lighting is bright and harsh, colour scheme is dark colours, then light where the contestants are. Makes the contestants feel like they’re under pressure, causing them to make amusing mistakes	Each pair has a podium on one side. The assistant has a podium like a desk. The main host stands Slightly to one side between the assistant and contestants. Warm colours. Purple and orange.
The host is sometimes a key element of the show and is often someone whose ‘A list days’ are over; a TV star from a different TV genre; a comedian.  The host often holds cards as an aide-memoire for introducing contestants. Traditionally the host is male, accompanied by a ‘glamorous assistant’.	Yes – Vernon Kay- Popular UK host- Conventially handsome	There is no real host but for every country there is a different commentator	Anne Robinson. Witty, sharp. Cold/cruel to the contestants. Harsh features, but not ugly. Well spoken, with harsh annunciations.	The main host is charismatic and ask the questions. He is there to make the show interesting. The assistant is clever and is there to make the facts seem reliable.
Contestants apply to join the show and vary in age and background.  They are selected because they have something about them, which will help make the show successful or are selected at random. Contestants are sometimes selected from the studio audience.	The contestants  are family based – suits prime time slot- wide representations- celebrity sells	They are usually very fit people who train to be on the show	Contestants are regular people from lower demographics and psychographics, so people with less general knowledge can relate to them, and people with more general knowledge feel cleverer	Pairs with varying professions and personalities to relate to all audiences but usually more middle age and older people as more people of this age watch the show.
The games can vary from physical tasks to practical or puzzle-solving tasks -	No	Yes and this is the obstacle course	No games	No games
The questions (if it is a quiz/gameshow hybrid) can vary depending on the target audience.  They are usually set independently. Contestants usually know what type of questions they’ll be asked; often start easy and get harder. Technology has increased the way audiences and contestants can see & respond to questions.	They asked in a survey and the contestants  say what they think was said the most- main stream questions	No questions	Starts with simple trivia questions that become increasingly more difficult as the prize pool increases and the rounds get higher.	Questions with multiple answers. All answers are allowed if they are correct. The more obscure answers get fewer points.
The prizes can be large e.g. cars and holidays or small e.g. a glass bowl. Sometimes the prize is the title of being the champion. Usually even the losers go away with something even if it just the experience.	Money to charity – charity sells-	Money to the contestant who completes all three stages in the quickest time and who doesn’t get eliminated	In daytime episodes, the maximum possible winnings are £10,000; in primetime and special celebrity charity episodes, the maximum is £50,000.	You get a trophy and money. The amount depends on the episode
Gimmicks or catchphrases are often used to make each show original and become part of the national consciousness.	Our survey says- Relatable quotes such as when Bruce says nice  to see you to see you nice	There isn’t any real catch phrases apart from the countdown at the start	“You are… The Weakest Link”	The group with the least points win.
Music often used first as a catchy theme tune and then as mood music to increase tension or to signal different parts of the show.	Up beat - catchy	The opening music is Japanese like as the stereotypical ninja	Dramatic intro music to build anticipation. Dramatic music when something important is about to happen.	Up beat music in the intro. Tense music increasing in pitch after an answer to build tension

 

Homework-Game show research

1.The Uses and gratifications theory is a theory by Blumer and Katz. It states that different people watch television and movies for different reasons.

There may be somebody who will watch a romantic comedy so that they can put themselves in the shoes of the characters and feel love. Somebody may watch Breaking Bad so that they can join in with social conversation relating to that topic. It may be said that you would watch a television for escapism so that you forget the stress or normal life.

Ninja Warrior

2.a) The format of the game show is contestents try to beat a challenging obstacle course and if they beat it they proceed to the next round.

b) The objective of the game is to get passed all three stages and reach the final stage and how to win that is by grappling up a huge rope to get to the top in time. If you manage to do this you win some prize money

c) The contestants all have normal class people but they are usually strong, fast and clever people so they can get past the course.

d) T`here is no real game show host appart from a narrater who talks about the course and how well the contestants are doing.

e) The opening credits are all CGI and has a ninja swinging from building to building in Tokyo 

f) The reward for winning the show is $25,000. Who creates the broadcast is Production9 and how they fund the show is by putting advertisements halfway in between the show.

g) There isn't a exact number of views which Ninja Warrior gets but because of its popularity it has had a lot of spin off shows

h) What we need is contestants, an obstacle course and cameras so we can air it on tv. What will happen is we recruit the 100 best applicants and put them to the test in our obstacle course. Once the participant has completed the first course he will proceed on to the next. When he completes the second course he will go onto the third and once they completes the third they proceed to the final where they have to struggle up a rope o get to the top.