Blog Task 6: Listen to at least one (more is better!) of the following masterclasses and write an analysis of the discussion you’ve heard.
HOW TO PRODUCE A QUIZ SHOW
One of the first questions asked in the podcast was “What makes a good Quiz show?”. Apparently a good quiz show has got a clear identity and simplicity. It should be straightforward and unmistakable. The show shouldn’t be too complicated to watch and the lesser the needed explanation, the better. Another factor is the audience participation and the fun factor. The audience should be able to guess along the contestants (for example via an app) so that they can feel part of the show, even though they’re just spectators. Watching and participating in the show should be entertaining and fun. Also the sense of jeopardy plays a key role in a successful programme. Why should the viewer care? Why should the contestants play? There needs to be some kind of danger, an understanding that the stakes are high.
The process of creating a quiz show begins with the initial spark, an idea that eventually becomes a short but explaining logline. It should be clear, in only one sentence, what the show is about and what’s special about it. The next step is to develop the idea further, considering all the possibilities. How many rounds will there be? Are there rounds? What kind of people do I want to participate? What kind of presenter do I want? What about the money? How will the money be represented? It is important to think about it and then decide. During a run through of the show it should become clear which aspects of the show work well and if it feels good.
When it comes to selecting contestants, the ideal contestant would represent the tone and identity of your show. For example, if your quiz show is quite funny, you’d want to have funny contestants, not gloomy participants. Since the variety of the quiz shows considering their tone, there is no universal, perfect contestant. It is also crucial to think about the fact that people and their characters can change in front of the camera and they might be entirely different. You want people that are comfortable in front of a camera and don’t notice it as much. Another important thing is to keep the faces fresh, meaning to get as much new contestants that haven’t been on other shows as possible. The reason is simple: often people believe quiz shows to be live (even when they’re not), so having the same person on two shows simultaneously (what shouldn’t happen, but still can) will confuse them.
In the making of a quiz show, a lot of people are involved and there are people who only care about finding and creating questions, or who research people and try to find new places to look for possible contestants. To me that was a very interesting aspect as I never truly thought about the amount of people you need in order to work on a TV programme.
The tips given during the programme were helpful as well. It is important to always try to find something new or different in order to keep things exciting. Also is it necessary to adapt to the modern technology and trying to include it, instead of ignoring it. Audience participation is crucial and modern technology can be used to enhance the viewers experience during the show. Another thing will try and consider for the future show is to make sure that the presenters get the best out of the contestants, as mentioned in the podcast. The chemistry between presenter and contestants is really important and can make a difference!
Last but not least, useful tips to get into the TV business:
Country of origin: Germany, Switzerland, Austria Genre: Game Show, Late Night Show Equivalent: You bet! Running time: anywhere from 2 1/2 to 3 hours (since it is live, other tv programmes are scheduled accordingly or even get cancelled)
was allegedly the most successful Saturday television show in Europe.
About the ‘watching figures’
The most successful Wetten…dass? episode aired on 9th February 1985 and had 23,42 million viewers.
During the 90s, 60 to 70% of the people watching tv, watched Wetten…dass?
After Gottschalk’s departure and the time when Markus Lanz was presenter, the watching figures sank rapidly.
The least successful episode aired during Lanz’ time as a presenter and only had 5,48 million viewers.
Wetten…dass? was a mix of game and talk show. The show centered around bets resulting eventually in the Wettkönig (king of bets) after each show.
The show featured a range of different, ordinary people, claiming that they have a special talent or an ability. They would then often bet strange things such as “I bet I can recognize 30 songs by watching the rhythmic breast muscle jerks of two people.”. A Wettpartner (partner), who was usually a famous guest or international star would then say if they think that the contestant is going to win the bet. If they were wrong, they needed to pay their “betting debt” (for example washing dirty clothes of a city, take pictures with children, sing a song in German etc.).
Apart from the different bets inside the hall where the show took place, there were also Außenwetten (bets that are held outside), often involving an additional presenter to perform a task involving part of the city from where the show was streamed. Often the bet and the “debt” were presented at the beginning of the show and throughout the show there were some updates on the status of the bet. At the end of the show the results were shown and the loser of the bet (either the presenter inside or outside) had to pay his debt.
Apart from the bets, Wetten…dass? also featured stars performing one of their songs live on stage and some chatting with stars on the infamous couch.
What made Wetten…dass? so interesting were mostly the bets. They featured a wide range of common people – from children to elderly people and were often breathtaking and astounding. The audience played a huge part in the show, as they were the ones who decided via phone calls, which contestant they liked best and who wins the title of the Wettkönig (bet king) along with a prize. Some lucky caller also had the chance to get a prize as well. When it came to the bets that were held outside, people on the street played a key role. Famous guests and star acts also made the format more entertaining.
Although the show revolved around betting and bets, it’s the variety of the bets that caught the viewer’s attention. From children performing incredible things, to animals doing unbelievable tricks – there was a bet for everyone. It was common to talk about the show at work or in school. Wetten…dass? became like a Saturday evening event people enjoyed with their friends and family.
Different live acts by well-known stars (Michael Jackson, Elton John, Katy Perry, Adele, etc.) delivered a musical break from the bets or the talking.
When chatting with the stars it was common to show a sneak peak (or exclusive) trailer of their upcoming films.
Most people in Germany associate Wetten…dass? with Thomas Gottschalk,
who has been the longest-serving presenter of the show (over 20 years).
His charisma and humour was one of the many reasons why the show was so
successful. Children of the 90s grew up with him being the “Haribo man” as he was the face of German Haribo adverts for 24 years. He’s a popular figure in both, radio and TV and his ‘cheekiness’ and extraverted clothes made him stand out in German television.
He was the one to make Wetten…dass? truly famous and a lot of people stopped watching the show after his resign, as the show got worse with the new presenter.
The driver of the show is definitely the countdown for the bets. We never knew if the contestant will actually be able to fulfill his bet. We like them, because they are normal people, not polished tv personalities. Everyone could perform on Wetten…dass? if he or she had an interesting or extraordinary bet to offer. That’s why we care about the contestants and want to see them succeed…or lose.
Throughout the show there are different prizes to win, children doing the Kinderwette (children’s bet) got a special prize, often things like a trip to Disneyland, a meeting with their idol, or things they wished for in general.
The Wettkönig, chosen by the audience on the other hand, wins a brand new car and is presented with the keys (the car is in the studio, so the winner can drive it immediately).
The set of Wetten… dass? usually stayed the same. It was recorded in a huge hall, divided in different areas (audience, presenter + guests, space for the contestants, platform for musicians). There was a wide, beige coloured couch and a glass couch table on a little platform, where the (special) guests sat while chatting with the presenter. Next to the platform was an area where the contestants performed their bets. The area was always decorated according to the theme of the bet.
Although Wetten…dass? streamed from different cities every time, the set design remained the same. An huge exception were the summer specials. Often streaming from Mallorca, the set design was usually beach and summer themed. The ground often consisted of sand instead of a solid floor.
In general everything looked modern, polished, elegant and expensive. There were countless spots and especially in tense moments the spots were moving around, flashing and almost dancing.
Apart from the title and ending sequence the show featured several kinds of graphics. There were ‘flashback’ clips, showing a specific moment from older shows. At the end of each show there were graphics showing the contestants, highlights from their bets as well as the poll and the results, which determined the winner.
The death of the show has an exact date: 4th December 2010, when (then) 23 years old Samuel Koch was severely injured and later became a quadriplegic during a bet. After that the show was never the same and a dark shadow hung over it. Gottschalk found it hard to entertain the people after the accident, what led to his resign a year later. Gottschalks successor was quite unpopular and a lot of people felt that the show got worse and worse with him. Only two years later the show got cancelled.
What might have improved the show is to ban risky bets or tighten the safety measures.
Another way to make the show more exciting could be a quiz round among the guests and the presenter. Instead of chatter the presenter could ask his famous guests questions about the country or city that hosted the current Wetten…dass? episode. This could be more interesting to the audience.
Our second lecture was about the relation of places and space and how people and light influence different spaces, as well as how spaces can convey emotions. We went outside to explore the places near Ellen Terry and in in Coventry and take pictures with our mobile phones.
While taking the pictures I wasn’t only discovering the city, I also tried to find interesting shadows and patterns shadows make. It was also good to see, how people behave in certain spaces, the speed of their motions and the impressions they convey through body language.
The connecting task was to film 6 ten second clips and to put them into a short film that conveys an emotion through the use of space, people, light and colour.
I chose to convey the feeling of loneliness and isolation. The very distinctive red coat draws attention to the character, who gets overlooked by everyone else. Since red is the ‘colour of attention’ I thought it would be interesting to associate it with the opposite instead.
On Tuesday I went to the NFTS “Big Shorts” Festival at the Odeon Theatre in Coventry. There the audience got to watch 8 award winning/ nominated short films made by students.
I found the short films truly brilliant, inspiring and sometimes I felt like I just watched a feature film, instead of a short piece (which is good!!). It was astonishing to see what students with a good and interesting story can do.
It is hard to say which film I liked the most, as each piece of work had it’s own charm. But “Miss Todd”, “Abuelas” and “Head over Heels” definitely swept me off my feet. The three shorts were animated and I loved the effort and creativity expressed in the story. Especially “Abuelas” had a very unique way of telling a difficult story by using playful animation and bright colours.
Denise Likomeno 