Blocking Update | Development ~ SP

As the script changes, and as the quiz adjusts, it means I have to re-adjust and potentially change the blocking of each sequence. As I've changed them, I've added a few more elements to help visualise the show, and to help prepare the setting up of the equipment and the seating.

After going through the script and deciding what shot each camera would do, I decided to make the blocking images a bit more detailed and have a little box of what each camera would be showing and what will be going on in that particular scene. By doing this, it would help me visualise the show a bit better and also, when I put it on our group google drive folder, everyone else can see the pictures and understand what will potentially be going on during the show.
I say potentially because I know that this will change eventually during rehearsals and possibly even before then, so I'm expecting changes to be made.

Then, from a result of me and Laura (the Vision Mixer) getting together and looking at the potential shots we could have in the show, the cameras were given colours. This was just to help us separate each of the cameras shots, so when it comes to directing and the actual show, it's quicker for me and Laura to look down at our scripts and know which camera comes first.

I then decided to add the set colours to the blocking images just to keep the continuity there which would then make blocking the show easier for me.

At first I added the shot numbers and types the cameras would be doing in order of what was on the script, which I thought was useful for the camera operators to know. However, updating the rest of the images, I didn't know for definite which camera was showing what shot and when, so I decided to leave that out and just stick with the info I had on the images before. 

I also added an image of where the audience will be sat as I thought it was important for us to visualise that along with the set as well. In the Producers original design, there were a couple of rows in front of the track and dolly, and I quite liked this touch as it means the audience won't be distracted by the camera in front. However this could all change when we get into our rehearsals.

At this point in the production, round 3 was changing into something different. This was due to the results of the test shoot which was done previously. As I wasn't sure what round 3 was going to be yet, I decided to leave that out and move straight onto blocking Round 4, which I could now visualise in my head.
There had been a lot of discussion as to whether the table of boxes would be at the front of the set, at the back of the set, in front of the contestants, behind the contestants and so on. After a lot of thinking and talking with the producer about this, I have decided to put the boxes at the back of the set to one side.

This decision was made because it is easier to get some good camera shots with the placement of the boxes in that position. The contestants will be visible for the audience and the cameras, and so will the boxes. The host will be walking behind the table and lifting the boxes up so he isn't in the audiences way and the cameras way as well.

Once Round 3 has been decided in terms of content, I will block that and add that to the drive for everyone to see.
I am aware that this blocking will change during rehearsals, so I am prepared to move things around if we need to.

Initial Ideas Meeting | Development ~ PP

After deciding that I wanted to do a commission for the Guildhall museum, Laura gave me some contact details and I was able to contact the person that I would be working with for this project.
I arranged a day to meet up with Rachel, the Guildhall Project Coordinator for the '100 Objects that made Kent' project, to talk about some of her initial ideas, and to get a rough outline of the days I would be working on the location.

When going to the Guildhall, I met Rachel and Jeremy who are the workers I will be liaising with throughout my whole commission. They were both very nice and very open as to what my decisions on the video or videos were. Due to them having two different commission ideas, we went through both and I mentioned merging the two together, but when talking about the ideas individually we realised that it would actually be quite difficult, so that idea was scraped.

100 Objects that made Kent

When discussing this commission, Rachel showed me a website that aided me in seeing all of the objects in this scheme, but also seeing the specific objects that are in the Guildhall museum. 

We walked through the museum and found the majority of these objects so I knew what they looked like and I could visualise it in a video context. When going through the objects I saw a few interesting objects that I could choose for my subjects in the videos. Instead of deciding what objects I wanted to make a video of straight away, I decided to do some research on the three different objects I had my eye on. This research will aid me in my decision but also throughout the pre-production stages when writing a script and visualising it. 

These videos would roughly be maximum duration of 5 minutes, and it will be targeted at children mainly, so they can show the videos to schools and such.

Documentary on the Building of the Museum

Before visiting the museum I thought this commission was based on the museum itself, but after talking to Rachel and Jeremy I found that the documentary was on the building not the museum. This wasn't a problem as I found that topic quite interesting, however, it did mean that I couldn't merge the two ideas together.

Jeremy took me around the building and showed me different parts of it that showed left overs of what the building used to look like. There was a lot of research involved and a lot to cover, so when talking about the video I found the duration would be around 10 minutes long. This video will also be targeted more the older generation, but ultimately, if I decide to do this video, I can decide who I target at myself. I probably would target it mainly at the older generation as I'm not sure children would be able to sit and watch a video for 10 minutes.

Rachel and Jeremy didn't have any specific ideas as to how I would create these videos, as long as they reached the target audience. They also don't have a brand that have I have to stick too in terms of font type and size, however I do have to add a Medway council logo.

I'm leaning more towards doing few videos based on the objects as I prefer creative filming and editing aspects rather than documentary. I found the research of the building very interesting and I think I would enjoy the process, however the other commission seems more suited to be as a person and it would suit my time schedule as well. 

I'm going to look into all of the objects that are at the Guildhall museum and do some research on the ones I am thinking of filming for the commission.

Guildhall Museum | Research ~ PP

Before meeting with my contact for the museum, I decided to go there and do some research on the museum itself. As I've never been to the museum, I thought by going there it would help me visualise things better, and also it will help me when discussing the project with my contact.

Within the museum there are roughly six different segments that show different times in history. There are rooms that show the history of Rochester castle with a little room on the side that allows children to interact with the museum's history.
There is the Court Hall which is where court sessions used to be held, with portraits of important people of that time. The hall holds important jewellery and different objects that the mayor and other government workers use to wear on special occasions. There are also little objects here and there from the same time period.
There is a section dedicated to the River Medway, including people who worked in that sort of department and different models of ships and from across the years.
Opposite this section is a 'Hulks' exhibition that has information from that time period, from the ships that held prisoners along with the interior that is close to matching what it would've been like on an actual hulks ship.
Further along, in a separate building, there is a Charles Dickens section where they show some of the old objects that Dickens used to own, while also showing a little film about him. In that same building there is a little section on the Dickens time period and what the towns people would've looked like around those days.

The museum itself is actually quite interesting, and even though it's fairly small, there is still a lot of history specific to Medway. All of the objects and sections of the museums are all packed with history while also keeping it child friendly as that is what the museum is used for most.
By visiting the museum and seeing what sort of things they show, it will help me with knowing the tone of the museum which will then aid me with the tone of the video I will be making for them.

Deciding Shots | Development ~ SP

As rehearsals get closer, myself and Laura, the vision mixer, decided to get together and look at the script to get a rough idea of the different shots that we might have for each segment of the show.

Previously, I had looked through the script and very roughly noted down some potential shots that might work well. However, this was very rough and definitely needed some developing, which is what Laura and I did.

We started off by having two copies of the script printed out, one for her and one for me. I knew the type of shots that I wanted, I just needed to know when they were each going to cut. As me and Laura talked about the different shots, we made sure to think about alternative shots, which in turn helped us develop the blocking of the sequences, as well as the camera positions.

As we went through the script we ended cut marks where the shot should be cut, however we only got round todoing a few pages. This was useful to me as I knew the type of shots I wanted before would work and also I developed some more ideas for the rest of the show.
When I went home I decided to keep working on the shots and managed to have a rough idea of what the whole show would potentially end up looking like in terms of shot sizes for each camera. Due to knowing what camera was doing what shot, it gave me the knowledge of what camera would be more challenging and that meant I could start deciding who would be on what camera.

Based on the workshop we have had so far, when rigging the equipment I could kind of tell who felt more comfortable on what or at least I could see what the camera people were potentially more interested in.
My first initial thought for the camera operators was:

• Ellie on Camera 1
• Cheyenne on Camera 2
• Troy on Camera 3 which will be on the TRACK and DOLLY
• Saskia on Camera 4
• Josh on Camera 5 which will be on the JIB

I haven't made a definite decision on these positions yet, and I know that during the actual rehearsals of the show someone might want to do something else.

I think going through the script and picking out some shot types that I might want to use was a good idea and very useful as I could see what camera was doing what and also it helped me visualise the whole show a bit more. This would aid me in the blocking of the show, however I know that during rehearsals all of this might change, but it's good to have a starting position.

Round 3 - Test Shoot | Workshop ~ SP

Before going into the studio, and weeks before the rehearsals of the show start, Helen wanted us to get into our groups (the VT group, the Graphics/Promo group, the Production group) and create a test shoot. This would help us when looking at the different shots we may decide to use, the blocking of the scenes/segments and how it will be edited.

The VT group were to do test shoots for their VT's, the Graphics/Promo group were to do a test shoot for the trailer of the show, and the Production group were to do a test shoot for a part of the show that might be challenging to shoot.

The Production group consisted of me (the Director), Imogen (the Production Manager/Floor Manager), Sam (the Assistant Producer) and Josh (the Producer). Since there were only four of us, it meant that, as director, I would decide what shot I wanted to do, how we were going to do it, but also it meant that I would be filming it as well. This is due to the other three acting as the host and the contestants. 

Before shooting, we looked through the script and my initial blocking ideas, and decided that we would trial run either Round 3 or Round 4. This is because these two rounds are probably the hardest to block. We ended up deciding that Round 3 was the best one to trail, as Round 4 still wasn't a clear visual for me in terms of blocking.

So when it came to shooting, I had the blocking images for Round 3 and we moved a few things around in the lecture room to suit our test shoot. The different shots I did was a LS of the Host & Contestants, a MCU of each of the contestants, a BWS of the whole scene, and a handheld CU of the boards.

When shooting all of the shots except for the handheld camera. Looking back when editing we decided that those shots weren't useable and it was actually really hard for me to film it due to not having enough props in the test shoot. I knew as soon as I had shot the CU that we wouldn't be able to use it because I knew it was a very good shot.

For the editing process, Josh edited it and I directed the shots that I thought would work best in that particular moment. Due to time restrictions, the sound wasn't perfect, but that's ok because it is a test shoot and it was really just to see whether this round would work well in the show.

When getting some feedback from the group they said that it was a bit boring, and considering it is the third round, it needed to have more movement and more excitement to it. The way the shots all went together looked good, it was just the round itself that people thought needed to change. There were a few suggestions, like making the contestants run to the board, which was actually an original idea at the beginning of the development of the show, but there were quite a few cons for this idea.

Josh had to think about what we could do to the round to make it more interesting, and whether we should scrap round 3 and come up with a new idea for that round. 

Overall, doing this test shoot was actually really useful and as we realised that maybe Round 3 should be something different, and also it should be something fun as it is nearly the last round of the show.

Masterclass 1 (With Del) | Workshop ~ SP

For our first workshop with Vision Mixer & Studio Director, Del Brown, we got into a few groups to accommodate the amount of cameras and we tested our knowledge on the cameras and shot sizes. We then also went into the gallery and learnt about vision mixing and did a few test runs.

For the first half of the day, we put ourselves into small groups and worked on the cameras. To start off we made sure the cameras were all set up properly and that the tripods were where we wanted them to be in terms of height. We then took turns on operating the cameras so we all had a chance to experiment, and someone else in the group stood in front of our cameras to be our model.
Del called out different shot sizes and we were to create those shot sizes on the camera and making sure it is in focus. Del then went around once we had done that and checked them to see if they were good. He did this for a few shot sizes like "MCU (Mid Close Up)", "MS (Mid Shot)", "LS (Long Shot)" and many others.
He then called for a "CU (Close Up)" and an "ECU (Extreme Close Up)" of an accessory the model had in their hand. This meant that we needed to physically move the tripod and the camera so it was right up close to the model and the object they were holding. This was useful to test as it meant we had to repo quite quickly which is something that will probably happen in our show, but it's also very common in the industry itself.
While we were on an ECU, we experimented with the gain on the camera and the focus point as well. Increasing the gain meant that the image was brighter but it also added a lot of noise which made it look like it was bad quality. We had learnt about gain previously, but it was useful to experiment with and to see.

Once everyone had a go with that challenge, we started a new challenge, this was testing our skills on changing the zoom while also changing the focus on the camera. The model stood in quite far away from the camera and we were to show them in a MS. They would then walk towards the camera and stop a little bit away, and we were to stay in that MS while the model was moving.
This was quite tough as you had to make the zoom changes as smooth as possible and most of the time it was quite jumpy.
Then once we had done this, we tried the same thing but changing the focus as well. This was even more difficult as you had to change both the zoom and the focus at the same time and it had to be as smooth as possible as well. This task was very challenging, but it was also quite enjoyable to try. With a lot of practise this sort of move would become a lot easier and lot less challenging, but obviously since it was our first proper go at this, it was difficult.

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Then for the second half of the day we went into the gallery and learnt about the vision mixing desk and being a vision mixer. In a previous lecture with Del we went into the gallery to take a look, but it was there that he taught us the positioning of the fingers on the desk. We used this information in this workshop as we were to vision mix a piece of music.


He gave out a few scripts that would be timed with live music. This would usually be rehearsed before hand and the director wouldn't need to call the shots as the shots are all scripted, unless changed in post production. The shots are all timed along with the beat of the music.

On the script it would say something like '1 BAR', and normally there are 4 beats in a bar. What this means is, you have to count 4 beats and cut to the next shot, as that previous shot is only live for 1 bar.

In order to know when to cut to a new shot, you have to follow the script and follow the beats that are presented on that script.



Usually in this environment, for live music shows, the director would quietly sit there and let the vision mixer and PA do their jobs, as the directions are all in the beats of the music.
We all took turns trying this with scripts in front of us and playing along to music at the same time. I personally really enjoyed this task as beats in music is something I've been taught previously, but also I love anything to do with music. Cutting along to the beats seemed like quite an easy task but when you actually went to do it, it was quite easy to lose where you were in the script.
On my first try I did lose myself somewhere in the script, so I tried again and the second time I managed to get through it with following the script correctly and counting the beats at the right time.

Overall, all of the tasks we did within this workshop, both morning and afternoon, have been really useful and I've learnt quite a lot that I didn't know. We did some very challenging tasks but it was good to try them out and it was enjoyable at the same time.
I think having Del with us in these workshops is really helpful as he knows what it's like in the industry and he has been teaching us and telling us what it will be like for us in this industry when we leave uni.

Adjustments So Far | Development ~ SP

At this point in the production, quite a few things have been adjusted and changed in order to make this show better and a group project.

Set Design

The first thing that adjusted was the set design. The original design that Josh came up with looked like a late night talk show rather than a movie quiz show. So instead I suggested that we have a red curtain with gold glitter, meaning the colours of the show would be red and gold. The podiums have changed to gold glitter as well, just to make it look more glamourous. The theme of the show is now Glitz and Glamour, like an award show.

Original Set Design

New Set Design

We also met up with the CATF team at UCA, and pitched our idea to them. At a later date they will come to us with some ideas, and we will come up with a final set design that they will build for us.

Logo/Graphics

As part of Ellen and Nisserin's jobs, they were to create a logo and some graphics for the show. Since Josh had already made these, it gave them a sense as to what he wanted them to look like and the tone he wanted them to have.
They both made a new logo which gave them a starting point to creating the graphics of the show, like the lower third and more.
The new logo looks more glamorous and glittery, and also it gives off a better movie type theme. When you look at the logo, you can clearly see what the show is going to be about and what the look of the show will be.

Old Logo Design

New Logo Design

The graphics team have also made the emoji questions which will appear on screen for the contestants to see.
These are some examples:

Style Bible

Before meeting up with the CATF team, the graphics team created a style bible which has everything from the colour combinations to the set design to the lighting placement and a few picture examples to go along with it.

This style bible will help the CATF team with knowing what style, tone and sort of branding we want for our show. The colour scheme will help them with knowing what colours to use and also it helps the VT editors and graphics team with keeping the consistency of the show going throughout everything.

Social Media

Along with the graphics, Nisserin and Ellen are in charge of promoting the show, so they created some social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter. They will be sharing photos of behind the scenes and other important information that the viewers might want to know.

Script/Running Order

After Josh's first draft of the script, myself, the production manager (Imogen) and the assistant producer (Sam) went through the script and added a few suggestions that could be made, like shortening a few sentences to make it less wordy.
Josh took some of our suggestions on board and decided to change some of the jokes in the script. The questions for each round are in the script and the dialogue in between is in there too. The script will change a lot throughout this process, but so far it's at a good place with knowing the basics of the layout of the show.

The running order has been changed a few times in order to separate time a little better. One thing that had to be switched around was the timings of the Host's introduction and the contestants entrance. After talking to Helen, we mentioned to Josh that the contestants entrance and talk should be longer than the host's intro, so he decided to switch these around. He also changed the running order to suit what was in the script as well.

Rounds

Through some group discussions, some of the rounds have been changed slightly. Round 4, instead of just one contestant being on the set, the second contestant will now also be on the set during this round.
Originally, after round 3 one of the contestants would leave the show and the other will go on to complete round 4. However, if the contestant doing round 4 didn't complete it, the other contestant would come in and carry on from where it stopped to win the show. The group discussed this and we found quite a few negatives about this format, so a new alternative was suggested.
Now, after round 3, the contestant with the most amount of points will do round 4, however the other contestant will be on standby on set just in case they get a chance of winning the show.
We found this was a better way of doing the round, and also it meant we could experiment with a mastermind lighting and have spotlights on the contestants to add to the tension in the round.

VT's

Josh decided to change one of the VT's into a live segment of the show.
There was a VT called "I ain't afraid of no host" and the content of it was the host scaring the contestants in their auditions. Josh had said that he didn't particularly like that VT anyway, and in terms of filming it wasn't very practical. So instead he created the idea of the host going into the audience during the live show.
In between round 3 and 4 the host will go out into the audience and ask them what their favourite film is, then they will go around to the crew and ask them the same question. At first the thought of the host going into the gallery was there, but after discussion it just wasn't very practical in terms of sound and timings. 

Contributors

It was decided that the host and the contestants would be comedians, however when myself Imogen and Sam were talking, we thought it would be better if the host was a comedian and the contestants were funny but were mainly film buffs. This would make more sense as the show is all about the contestants proving that they are the ultimate movie fan, which means they need to have a love for movies.
The search for the host is being done currently, and we want someone who feels comfortable in front of a camera and will also be happy to ad-lib a few things during the show.



These are all of (most of) the changes that have been made from the original idea, and there still might be some changes that will be made later on. So far, I think everyone is happy with the show and their roles in the production.

Blocking | Research/Development ~ SP

As part of my directors job I have to block out each of the different sequences, so the camera operators know where they will be standing, and also so everyone on the set knows where they need to be at certain times during the production.

Before doing this, I decided to do some research to help me. We explored blocking in the first year during the directions unit, which has helped me when knowing the basics of blocking, but I wanted to look into it a little further.

Within blocking there are 5 main steps in order to block effectively.

1. Block - this is where you determine where the talent will be stood and what actions they will be doing and where. This is also where you set up the camera positions in order to get the best shots. 
2. Light - This is where you decide where the lighting spots will be and what needs to be lit. The cameras may be adjusted slightly based on the lighting set up, but these first few steps will help create the best shots in terms of camera positioning, lighting positioning and talent positioning.
3. Rehearse - This is where you test what you have just prepared with the talent on set to see if everything works out the way it should, and you can actually see what it looks like on the cameras.
4. Adjustments - This is where the lighting or the cameras or even the talent will be adjusted if they need to be.
5. Shoot - This is where the actual scene will be shot.

https://www.nyfa.edu/film-school-blog/the-5-stages-of-blocking-a-scene/

Within a studio production, this is still the same process however there are some differences. In our experience, we will block the different sequences of the show and work out where the cameras should be and where the talent will be stood for each round.

Then we will rehearse with stand ins to see how the framings of each camera looks and make adjustments along the way. Then we can rehearse with the actual host once we get them into the studio. Then once all of the blocking and the camera shots and positions are set in stone, we will have the lighting department come in and work out where the lights should be in terms of what we want. This might cause a few changes in terms of where the talent stands but hopefully it shouldn't be too drastic. 

There are a few different blocking methods that can be done. One is blocking from the gallery, after briefly going through everything on the floor, and work it out as you go along. There is also a method called 'Floor Blocking'. Within this method, the director works out all of the blocking on the studio view and sees the camera positions and can see the shots on the monitors on the floor. The director will use the intercom to give instructions to the Vision mixer to see the different shots. Using this method will help the director see where all of the equipment is in relation to everything, and also it will get the crew working with each other and everyone having some opinions on the blocking of the show.

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When it came to me blocking the scenes for our own production, I decided to look through the script first and get an idea as to how the different shots would potentially look. I noticed, when reading through the script, that it was broken up into different sequences, so I decided to block each sequence within the script, even though some of them would potentially be very similar to each other. 

At first I found it tough picturing where the cameras would go and what the scenes would look like in a blocking sense, so I used photoshop and created a diagram to help.

The second and third sequence have two potential blocking ideas, depending on whether we are going to have the autocue or not. I have blocked out both potential ideas, however I am going to focus more on the idea of not having an autocue as we there are quite a few ways as to how we can work around that.
Round 1 & 2 are very similar in terms of how it is blocked as the host and contestants will be behind the podiums throughout each round. However, Round 3 & 4 are both very different compared to each other and the first two rounds. Some of the props will be taken out and new ones will be put into place onto the set, which will be done by the floor manager and the runners that we assign.

I found that blocking Round 3 and 4 were quite tough in terms of knowing where to put the cameras and in relation to where the props will be on the set.

Due to where the Producer originally wanted the boards to be positioned, it meant it was harder for the cameras to get good shots. I stuck with the cross shooting ideas and had Camera 1 & 4 cross shoot to the contestants, and Camera 3 would be on a LS. Then Camera 2 would be handheld and would get some CU's of the board.

I'm not sure if this will work, but we can always try it out and see.

As you can see, Round 4 was a round that I wasn't sure on how to block.

There were many thoughts on where the boxes would go, as originally they were in the centre of the set, however this would potentially affect the positions of the contestants.

I will think more on this round as I want to block it in the best way possible.


As the weeks go on, the show will change and no doubt the blocking will change, meaning there won't be a definite blocking image for each round until we actually get into rehearsals. I just want to do these images to help me visualise it and also to help the others in the group visualise and know roughly where everything will potentially be.

8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown | Research ~ SP

This show is quite similar to The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, and it's quite similar to the tone and vibe of our tone. So I have decided to do some research on this programme to help with our show.

Obviously, where this show is a spin off of a day time show, the set design and the concept of the show is more suited to an afternoon timed show. However, there are quite a few differences in order to suit the evening time spin off.

Similar to 'The Big Fat Quiz of the Year', once mixing out of the title sequence, they start on a wide shot that is moving upwards. This is definitely something I want in our show, and my idea for the first show, coming out of the title sequence, is to the same movement on the same sort of shot. Within this wide shot, you can clearly see the set and the different people involved, like the host and the contestants and so on, but you can also see the first few rows of the audience. To recreate this look in our show, I will have to think carefully about the audience seating arrangements in order to see a few of them within a wide shot, but also trying not to get the camera operators in the shot as well. This could be quite difficult but with practise I'm sure we would make it work.
They also had CU singles of each contestant and a LS of all 4 contestants which is similar to what shots I am planning for our show. I want a CU single of each contestant and the host, while also having a LS showing the whole set, the host and the contestant.
On some of the CU singles, they do a zoom in towards the talent. This is clearly a directing choice but I don't really like this aspect and I don't think it would suit our show too well.

The director of this show is Simon Staffurth. He is also known for directing a celebrity special episode of 'Take Me Out' in 2016, a couple of 'BBC Music Awards' in 2015 and 2014, 'Popstar to Operastar' in 2010 to 2011, 'Hole in the Wall' in 2009 and many more.
Staffurth's direction style is quite similar to Mick Thomas, director of 'The Big Fat Quiz of the Year', in terms of going to wide shots when the audience claps and cutting to the different CU shots of the contestants.

The tone of the show is quite humorous, but also has that hint of education due to the concept of the show itself. For our show, there will be some education in terms of the contestants thinking of answer and finding out things that the audience may not have known, but in terms of the concept of our show, the humour aspect from this show mentioned will be added to our own.

I think this show will be used somewhat in terms of inspiration for our own show, and when making decisions I will think back to this show and how it is done through Staffurth's direction.

TV Show History | Research ~ SP

Before going into the production stages of our show, I thought it was a good idea to do some research on the history of TV shows and they developed throughout time.

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The first game show to ever air on BBC was called 'Spelling Bee', it was broadcast in May 1938, and it was transmitted live from the BBC studios at Alexandra Palace. The concept of the show was the panel of guests were asked to spell a series of words, and it was hosted by Freddie Grisewood. There wasn't really much to this show, and when television service returned after closing down during the Second World War, this show, along with others, were largely forgettable.

The first game show that made quite an impact on television and still remains known now is called 'What's My Line' which ran on the BBC from 1951.
It was still a simple panel game show, however, it ran in numerous different versions on two different channels through to the mid 90s.

In 1955, it was decided that the government would release a new commercial station called ITV. Having this meant that some game shows would be shown in some parts of the country but not necessarily all of them, a situation which still happens in the present day. Along with the commercials came the advent of prize fund, meaning TV shows could incorporate contestants winning prizes within the show, leading to the game show 'Take Your Pick'. This show was the first show to offer more prizes, following with 'Double Your Money' which offered £1000 as a top prize.

In the mid to late 50s, Britain went a little bit quiz show mad, and the game show fever reached its height in 1958 during the autumn season. A few hit shows during that decade were 'Criss Cross Quiz', 'Dotto', 'The 64,000 Dollar Question', 'Concentration' and 'Twenty-One'. A lot of these shows were imported from the USA, a tend which slowed down in the 1970s. Celebrity panel games were also broadcasted such as 'I've Got a Secret' and 'Tell the Truth'. A key theme in the mid 1980s onwards were stunts and practical jokes which were first shown through the shows 'People are Funny' and 'Make Up Your Mind'.

The BBC decided to introduce a second BBC channel in 1964 which aired 'Call My Bluff' which was the channel's only game show.
In the 1970s, 'Ask the Family' and 'The Generation Game' aired on screen. While the US formats of games shows had been replicated and copied in Britain throughout the 50s and 60s, a European format was beginning to take shape and become successful in the the UK.
In the Early 1980s, the advances in technology allowed larger-scale projects to become feasible. Shows such as 'Top of the World', 'Treasure Hunt' (the first ever action game show, and the first to use helicopters) and 'Ultra Quiz' took their contestants to places a UK game show never had before.

When Channel 4 launched, the show 'Countdown' aired helping to launch the new channel. In this show, Carol Vorderman, was hired because she had "beauty and brains" and she was casted as the show's 'vital statistician' meaning that hostesses were still being used as objects rather than actual humans to an extent. And in 1983 the show 'Blockbusters' aired and was deemed popular due to the factor of students being contestants.

Shows such as 'Family Fortunes' and 'The Price is Right' in the mid 1980s, and relationships were put to the test for the first time in the game show 'Blind Date' hosted by Cilla Black. As the years went on more TV shows were experimenting with different genres such as sports, family competitions, while staying with money based and question based shows. In the late 1990s cooking shows started airing such as 'Masterchef' and 'Ready, Steady, Cook' drawing more attention to a bigger variety of target audience. This was followed by the well-known 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' which started to broadcast in 1998.
Different formats such as the 24/7 format formed in the 2000s. One of the shows that follows that format would be 'Big Brother' which added more of a reality TV style.
More recently, you still see the same formats that they used years ago, while also being introduced to new ones, and game shows usually use the same formats as each other.

Big Fat Quiz of the Year | Research ~ SP

To help me with getting an idea as to what the shots of the show will look like, and to aid me in deciding on the different shots to get for our show, I watched 'Big Fat Quiz of the Year' as it has a similar style to what our show will ideally be.

The tone of this show is the wanted tone of our show, so it was important that I watched an episode or two to get a feel for the sort of vibe our show will reflect.

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Big Fat Quiz of the Year

When watching this show, the first thing I noticed was that they only use about 13 different shots and the majority of those shots are very similar in size and framing. They have about two/three different variations of wide shots that are seen from different angles of the set, they also only use one shot of the host which is a mid shot. This shot is quite tight on the host and his podium, so he fills the page while still having some background to it. The cuts are also quite quick, which is something that I want our show to have.
The cutting of our show will be quick, and the different shot sizes and purposes will be quite similar to the ones in this show. For example; they use a wide shot of the set and the audience when the audience are heard laughing or clapping, and this is something I want to add to our show. I want our audience to be seen in one shot for our show, but I don't want any close ups of them because I think they can be quite awkward and also there isn't any interactive segments with the audience, so you don't really need to see them.

Before and after VT's they show a wide shot of the set once they've mixed out of them. I really liked this idea as it gives a nice transition from video to studio and it isn't too direct, which it would be if it mixed straight to a CU of the host or contestants. Also where the audience is clapping it adds to the wide shot they have used. This is also something I will add to our show as I think it will suit it nicely.

The director of this show is Mick Thomas. He is also know for directing 'Friday Night with Jonathon Ross'. The type of shows that Thomas usually directs seems to be comedy shows or at least very chatty humorous shows. Some might be panel shows or interview shows, but they all have the same sort of tone and style.
I like Thomas' direction style as it has the same sort of structure for each show, but there are still moments were he pushes boundaries or he makes decisions based on the situation.

The tone of the show is very humorous, as I have mentioned, and it has a very clear bold approach. The humour can vary from clean humour to the opposite, but I think that only works due to the contestants being comedians or well-known celebrities. For our show, we won't be able to get well-known celebrities as our contestants, for an obvious reason, so that tone of the show may not reciprocate, but still have the ability to make the show somewhat humorous. This can be done through the choice of host, the choice of contestants, but also the dialogue in the script and any ad-lib moments that the host could potentially do.

The lighting of the show is also very vibrant and there's a mix of different colour choices in the set design and the lighting. This is something that might be bought into our show, as we decide the colour tones and the colour palette.

I think this show will be used quite a lot as inspiration for our show, as I like little aspects of the show and want them for our own show. Throughout the process of the development of the show, I'm going to keep this show in mind.