TV PRODUCTION: REALITY TV
Reality TV Project
Love it or hate it, Reality TV is a huge business. Millions of people turn in to watch strangers—famous or not—survive, hunt ghosts, cook, get catfished, or just act “famous.” Editors, writers, and producers spend much time capturing people being “real,” and then mold an exciting TV program out of it.
You are going to do just that, and use the very same techniques they use to create a show that will draw in viewers,
In a group, you and your classmates, outside of classtime, are going to create one of the following:
-A Ghost-Hunting Show
-A Kardashianesque Reality Drama/”Docu-Soap”
-An In-depth Cooking Program
NAME______
PARTNERS:
TYPE OF SHOW:
BRAINSTORMING SPACE:
TV PRODUCTION: REALITY TV
Option A: The“Ghost” Hunt
Using multiple camera angles, shot composition and techniques- you are going ‘ghost’ hunting- and your segments will be part of a themed show about ‘paranormal activity’.
From SyFy’s “Ghost Hunters” to Travel Channel’s “Ghost Adventurers” and dozens more- modern cable television is filled with programs about ‘ghosts’ and the ‘paranormal’. Now it’s your turn to use the same techniques they do to make a show that will draw in viewers and make them believe that even the most ordinary places are ‘haunted’.
Assignment:
You are to take an ordinary setting like an attic, basement, bedroom, house, wooded area, hotel room, etc. and make it appear to be haunted.
To do this effectively, you will need to create a convincing back-story with actualities (sound bites) to reinforce the story, planning of multiple camera angles and professional video shot techniques and post production to make it all seem believable.
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GUIDELINES:
- SEGMENTS MUST BE NO LONGER THAN 7 MINUTES.
- ALL SEGMENTS MUST BE PLANNED OUT USING AT LEAST 2 STORYBOARD SHEETS SHOWING COMPOSITION, NOTES AND BLOCKING.
- ALL SEGMENTS MUST USE THE FOLLOWING LIST OF SHOTS AND TRICKS:
- 2 CAMERAS USED SIMTANEOUSLY TO GIVE THE LOOK OF A GHOST HUNTER AND SOMEONE CAPTURING THE GHOST HUNTERS IN ACTION
- LONG SHOT
- ALLOWING FOR SHADOWS, SOMETHING BREAKING LIGHT AT END OF HALLWAY OR OPPOSITE SIDE OF ROOM
- LEADING ROOM
- SHAKY CAM
-“SPECIAL EFFECTS”
TV PRODUCTION: REALITY TV
Option B: The Over-the-Top Docusoap
Using multiple camera angles, shot composition and techniques- you are going to create a show in the style of the “docusoap” (think Jersey Shore and Kardashians)- and your segments will be part of a themed show about ‘reality’.
From E!’s “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” to TLC’s “Cake Boss” and dozens more- modern cable television is filled with programs about people dealing with their lives—and the drama within them. Now it’s your turn to use the same techniques they do to make a show that will draw in viewers.
Assignment:
You are to take an ordinary setting like an house, wooded area, office, etc. etc., and create a situation where three and more people have to “keep it real”—in the style of a docusoap.
To do this effectively, you will need to create a convincing back-story with actualities (sound bites) to reinforce the story, planning of multiple camera angles and professional video shot techniques and post production to make it all seem believable.
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GUIDELINES:
- SEGMENTS MUST BE NO LONGER THAN 7 MINUTES.
- ALL SEGMENTS MUST BE PLANNED OUT USING AT LEAST 2 STORYBOARD SHEETS SHOWING COMPOSITION, NOTES AND BLOCKING.
- ALL SEGMENTS MUST USE THE FOLLOWING LIST OF SHOTS AND TRICKS:
- 2 CAMERAS USED SIMUTANEOUSLY TO CAPTURE THE SAME EVENT FROM TWO ANGLES (CAM CAN OCCASIONALLY BE IN THE SHOT)
- LONG SHOT
- INTERVIEW SEGMENTS COMMENTING ON WHAT IS HAPPENING
- WHAT IS HAPPENING FROM MULTIPLE ANGLES
-PROPS
TV PRODUCTION: REALITY TV
Option C: The Cooking Show
Using multiple camera angles, shot composition and techniques- you are going to create a show in the style of the “cooking program” and your segments will be part of a themed show about ‘food’.
With a history that goes back decades, modern cable television is filled with programs about food—from competitions to travelogues to old-fashioned cooking shows. Now it’s your turn to use the same techniques they do to make a cooking show that will draw in viewers and make them hungry.
Assignment:
You are to go to a kitchen and guide the audience through a recipe, step by step.
To do this effectively, you will need to create or find an appetizing recipe, planning of multiple camera angles and professional video shot techniques and post production to make it all seem delicious.
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GUIDELINES:
- SEGMENTS MUST BE NO LONGER THAN 7 MINUTES.
- ALL SEGMENTS MUST BE PLANNED OUT USING AT LEAST 2 STORYBOARD SHEETS SHOWING COMPOSITION, NOTES AND BLOCKING.
- ALL SEGMENTS MUST USE THE FOLLOWING LIST OF SHOTS AND TRICKS:
-2 CAMERAS: ONE FOR THE COOK TO TALK TO, AND THE OTHER TO SHOOT ALL THE DELICIOUS FOOD!
- LONG SHOT
-CLOSE-UPS
-PREPARED DISH AND RAW INGREDIENTS TO COOK ON THE SPOT
-FOOTAGE OF PEOPLE EATING IT