Week 5

This week we got into our groups for our game show assignment, and thankfully, my team member (and now director) Kiara already had a clear concept in mind: Budget Buddies—a game show based on grocery shopping and the cost of ingredients. I was assigned the role of vision switcher, which I’m actually excited about since it’s something I haven’t tried before. Because vision-switching can’t be rehearsed until we’re in the studio, most of my preparation will involve supporting my group members during the pre-production process and making sure I understand the run sheet and flow of the show inside-out.

Our group has been actively communicating through a group chat and regularly updating each other on our progress. Jess has been busy designing all of our on-screen graphics, and multiple team members have been refining the script and run sheet to make sure everything runs smoothly on shoot day.

In relation to this, Holmes (2008) discusses the idea of a quiz or game show’s “repertoire of elements,” a concept we’ve been keeping in mind throughout our planning. These elements include the setting (a stylised studio space), characters (our host and 2–4 contestants), narrative (a clear, goal-oriented structure), iconography (visual cues associated with the game show genre), and style (the overall visual and narrative structure of the show). Understanding these components has helped us stay on track and build something that feels genre-appropriate while still being original. As we move closer to production day, I’m becoming more aware of how each team member’s contribution shapes the final product, and how important it is to stay communicative in a collaborative environment like this.

It’s been great to see how this theory from class directly connects to what we’re producing, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all comes together during the taping next week.

Reference/s:

• Holmes, S., 2008. Quiz Show, Chapter one: Genre and the Quiz Show, Edinburgh University Press.