Planning

Treatment:


Idea outline:

In detail, my idea is to create a multi-camera production based around the mini-games that where created and produced by the YouTube influences called Rooster Teeth. The mini-games, dubbed 'GO!', where uploaded on to the Achievement Hunter YouTube channel which is owned by the Rooster Teeth Productions (located in Austin, Texas). Achievement Hunter was created by Geoff Ramsey and Jack Pattillo in July 2008 - Geoff and Jack are two members of the Rooster Teeth Productions and also the most recent of their YouTube channels, Let's Play (created in February 2015). 

My idea, originally created by Geoff Ramsey, is to have individuals in teams of one or two, race against each other to build, create, convince or answer as many tasks or questions that they can - for example, "You have 20 sheets of paper, two tooth picks, a wad of blue tack and 10 pieces of sellotape. Your task is to create the tallest tower with using only these resources, BUT the tower has to stay standing free of your touch." The teams will have a certain amount of time to complete this task, the teams that manage to do this will be scored on having the tallest tower, teams with towers that fall will be disqualified - all teams will receive scores (no matter the height) but the taller the tower, the bigger the score. There will be other mini-games like this, such as card games, question rounds (trivia such as, what is the name of the main singer in the famous rock band Queen?), origami, and Pictionary. 

Elements:

In my production, I am planning on using at least three LED studio lights to try and reduce as much shadow on the green screen as I can - this is important as it means when I come to syncing the footage together in post production I can ultra-key the green screen and add a cityscape for the background. This idea came from looking at other late-night shows/ game series - such as Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Late Show with James Corden. 

What about cool or warm lighting? Looking at this reference chart for lighting, it is more likely that I will use between 7000 - 7500 K (Kelvin) - also known as Cool White - as it is a nice, average cool colour that is efficient at lighting up a set to reduce shadows.

I want the set to look like Late Night game shows as this is what I am aiming my final product to look like, late shows are very good examples of a well put-together, relaxing, formal set that looks professional - it is also very common for an audience to look for the classic skyline, desk and stage set up as it is the usual conventions of a late night show. 

The shutter speed for this piece will be 25fps (1/50 of a second) as this is the average shutter speed used in recording, it also means that the camera will be able to pick up natural movement of the subject and the footage will not be choppy.

Equipment:

I will need at least 3 cameras for this production, two will be focused more on the activities the guests will be participating in - this means that they wont be locked off at a specific position or angel and may pan left or right depending on whether the guests are in frame or not. The last camera will be directly in between the two table that are set up for the activities; this camera will not be aimed at the tables but instead locked off directly at the green screen, this is where the presenter will be stood introducing the guest and games.

       I will need enough of the LED studio lights to sufficiently light up the studio and reduce as many shadows on the green screen as possible, the lighting will be cool (around 7000-7500 K) as this is a usual aspect on the majority of late night shows and game shows.

      

The green screen in the studio will already be up, however, due to the fabric of the green screen, it has started to fold in places, making it harder to ultra key and causing shadows in places that are hard to get rid of. If this constraint arises before the production, I will see if it is possible to replace the fabric green screen with sleeker backdrop - this backdrop doesn't have as many folds which means it will be easier to key.

Props, setting and costume:

Similar to Off Topic, I plan to have the guests to be allowed to wear whatever casual clothing they would like, this is because the show itself is supposed to be fun and present a comfortable environment on to my target audience. 

The props that I am going to use are two tables that will have crafting appliances on such as sellotape and paper. There will also be a lectern for the guests (or potentially a presenter, depending on whether or not I have enough guests and crew members) to stand behind and read the rules of the games. It is possible that a stopwatch will be needed for my production, however, if one is unable to be provided or I do not have one accessible to me then I will try and buy one beforehand or use a stopwatch/audible timer on my iPhone instead - this way I can screen record my iPhone’s countdown and sync it with the visuals in post-production and have it displayed on screen for the audience to see.

Another prop that I will be using is my cue-cards. These have the rough script on them, as well as the points and question round. These would be very useful to me because I am nervous camera and am likely to forget what I need to say, these cards will allow me to keep track of what is going on and what I need to do next. It is also useful as it means that I can add up the score before the end of the production.

Contains and limitations:

As I identified in my research, multi-camera productions require a fair amount of space to operate the cameras and other equipment (e.g. lights, microphones) as well as needing plenty of crew members to operate this equipment, meaning that I will need more people that just my friends I would like as my guests - this could cause a limitation to my production as it means that it will not be the best quality of work I can aim for. There is potential a way I can overcome this limitation however, I can ask students from a different class if they are able to help operate the equipment which means that more people with keen eyes will be able to help me.

A second limitation would be if one of the people I have lined up for my guests or crew was to not show up on the day of filming, this would mean that there will be a odd number of guests and crew, potentially resulting in the production being understaffed and cancelled. A 'plan B' of a guest leaving would be to only have two guests going head-to-head and doing the games or, if there isn't enough crew members then again, two guests will go head-to-head and the other two guests would become crew members to help out. This is a similar aspect to Off Topic as all the crew members are also potential guests on the podcast as the talk show is made by a group of YouTubers.

Budget:

If I was making this game show legitimately, thinking about the price of a professional studio - which can be anywhere from £30,000 and up, including building the set (which can be very expensive), along with cameras and equipment and getting cast and crew - a budget can be anywhere between £40,000 and millions depending on the professionalism of the piece. Having a game show with a budget of £100,000 would be great for my idea. However as I am unable to spend money like that one a production at the moment, I will only be using the vicinity's and equipment provided me to - I will buy the props that the guests will be using though, which means that my budget is no more than £10.

Pre-Production Documents:

Risk Assessment:

My risk assessment allows me to be aware of any potential risks whilst filming on a set - it also details who could be at exposed to the risks, while simultaneously underlining how likely it is to happen and what steps to take in the event that it does happen. 

Location Recce Form:

My location recce presents all details about the filming location on one document. It allows me and others to see the important information about the location, such as accessibility in the event of a fire, transport needed if equipment, props or people are needed on the set and it also states whether or not permission is needed to film in this area. Permission to use the studio and equipment is needed, the date and time of use needs to be booked in advance and relayed on to the Springboard.tv team who are in charge of the studio and are reliable for lending filming equipment to college students on the campus.

Assets:

This first graphics card is one that will be used when split-screening between footage from two different camera’s. For example, the footage of the two contestants on my show racing to be the first one to complete a challenge, or one of the contestant and one of the presenter.

Similar to the previous card, these next two examples are showing one camera’s footage but also promoting the social media’s related to the program - all of the social media links are pretty self-explanatory as they all follow a similar name to the title of the game show, On Your Mark!, which is displayed in the bottom of the screen so that when the audience joins the video they are aware of what they are watching. 

This last card I created was in the event that the contestants play a video game - the box in the top right-hand corner was for the ‘face-cam’ of the contestants. This means that the audience can see who is speaking and playing the game at any given time but they can also clearly see the video game that they are playing. I do not think that I will be using this last card as I do not intend for any of the challenges to have a screen recording of a video game or for the challengers to be asked to play a video game, however it was a potential idea that I wanted to put into view and allowed me to explore my Photoshop skills a little more.

Finally, a screen that I do not need to create a border for is when the footage will span across the whole screen for moments such as the opening and ending of the production.

Outline script:

(The opening will be read by Holly Ward, however, depending on the amount of crew members/guests that show up on the day of the shoot, it is possible that Ward could be a contestant or a presenter) 

(CAMERA FADES FROM OPENING SEQUENCE TO THE SET, MEDIUM-CLOSE-UP OF HOLLY WARD)

Holly Ward (with enthusiasm):        Hello, and welcome to On Your Mark! A show all about challenges, problems and timing. Let’s meet tonight’s players.

(CAMERA ZOOMS OUT INTO A MEDIUM SHOT OF THE CONTESTANTS AND STAYS AT THIS SHOT. THE OTHER TWO CAMERAS WILL HOLD A MEDIUM-CLOSE-UP AT THE TWO DIFFERENT ANGELS UNTIL THE GAMES BEGIN)

Holly Ward:                          First up is [first contestant].  [Contestants name] has been my friend for just over a year, or at least that’s what [they] keep telling the police anyway.

And our second contestant is [contestants name], a person who has actually been my friend for a year and a bit... or at least that what I tell the police when they find me at [their] house...

(Or, if there isn’t enough crew/guests then instead of the second contestant introduction it will be: And our second contestant will be me, as we could not afford anything better.)

Holly Ward:                          If this is your first time watching at home or you’re playing along with us then the aim of these mini games is to be the first one to create whatever the challenge asks of you, in the time you’re given, to the best of your ability. (Small pause between information). Your creation will then be judged on how accurate, complicated or imaginative it is and points will be assigned with these points in mind.

(CAMERA WILL CHOSE BETWEEN SHOTS OF THE PRESENTER AND THE CONTESTANTS DURING THIS EXPLANATION, THE TWO CAMERAS ARE KEPT AT MEDIUM-CLOSE-UPS)

Holly Ward:                          We will play three rounds, each will be explained before the timer begins. That being said, the first round is easy. There is two decks of oversized playing cards laying on the tables opposite each other, your task is to create the biggest free-standing house of cards with your deck. The person with the most cards in their house will receive the most points.

The only rules are, you can only use these cards and the house be freely standing and stay standing once the timer is up.

You have 30 seconds. On your mark. Set. Go!

(30 SECOND COUNTDOWN BEGINS. CONTESTANTS DO THE CHALLENGE. THE CAMERAS ARE FOCUSING BETWEEN THE CONTESTANTS AND THE HOUSE OF CARDS BEFORE THEM)

(IN THIS ROUND, IF BOTH CONTESTANTS MANAGE TO HAVE A FREE STANDING HOUSE OF CARDS THEN THEY BOTH RECEIVE 3 POINTS. IF ONE PERSON HAS MORE CARDS THAN THE OTHER, FOR EVERY 2 CARDS MORE, ANOTHER POINT IS ADDED ON TO THEIR SCORE. IF ONE OF THE CONTESTANTS’ HOUSE FALLS BUT THE OTHER STAYS STANDING, THEN THE SUCCESSFUL CONTESTANT RECEIVES 5 POINTS AND THE UNSUCCESSFUL CONTESTANT RECEIVES NONE. IF BOTH HOUSES  FALL THEN BOTH CONTESTANTS RECEIVE NOTHING)

Holly Ward:                          Time’s up! (Pause to allow the contestants to step away from the tables, enough time to judge how if the house’s stay standing) Let’s count how many you’ve gotten. (Each table is visited and the number of cards used is counted). The person with the most cards is [contestant name] (or: as [contestants name]’s house was unable to stand freely [other contestant] gains the points. Or: neither of you where able to complete the task so no points will be given this round). 

(THE POINTS RECEIVED WILL SHOW ON SCREEN IN POST-PRODUCTION)

Holly Ward:                         Well done, those points will be added to your final score. What did you two think about that round? Easy?

Holly Ward:                         Ok well, this one will hopefully be a little more difficult. It has two parts, your first task is to create an origami crane. If you don’t know how to create one, that’s fine, the aim is to try and get it to look as close to crane as possible. The closer you are, the more points you’ll get. There is a piece of paper on each of the tables for you to use. You have 30 seconds.

On your mark! Set. Go!

(30 SECOND COUNTDOWN BEGINS. CONTESTANTS DO THE CHALLENGE. THE CAMERAS ARE FOCUSING BETWEEN THE CONTESTANTS AND THE HOUSE OF CARDS BEFORE THEM)

(JUDGES THE ORIGAMI AND GIVES POINTS BASED ON HOW ACCURATE THEIR FINAL ORIGAMI CRANE IS. Maximum of 5 points)

Holly Ward:                        The second part of this task is to further test your paper skills. You will have 2 and a half minutes to make the tallest, free-standing paper tower with limited resources. On your table, you have 15 sheets of paper, 10 bits of sellotape, a small wad of blu-tac and a pair of scissors. You can use these resources however you like, but ONLY these resources.

You have 2 minutes and half. On your mark! Set. Go!

(TOWERS HAVE TO BE FREE STANDING. THE TALLEST TOWER WILL GAIN THE POINTS, MAX 10 POINTS. IF THEY ARE THE SAME HEIGHT THEN EACH WITH GAIN 5 POINTS)

Holly Ward:                         Our last game is a little different. This is a questions round, and could be used as a comeback to gain points. For each correct answer, you will be awarded 10 points. We don’t have buzzers so to answer question, you have to be the first to high five me - please don’t try to break my hand, just a tap will do if you’re quick enough.

1. What is the eighteenth number in the English Alphabet? (R)
2. Who played Neo in The Matrix? (Keanu Reeves)
3. Name the three primary colours. (Red, yellow and blue)
4. What is the most watched UK TV programme of all time? (Eastenders)
5. For this question, the person with the closest answer will get the points. If you get it right then you will receive double the points. How many Earths can fit in the sun? (1.3 Million)
6. What was the first toy to be advertised on television? (Mr. Potato Head)

Holly Ward:                        That’s the last round! The score is [x] and [x]. Congratulations, you win... I don’t know, a chocolate bar or something. 

Holly Ward:                        Thank you for joining us tonight, goodbye for now.

(FADES OUT, CREDITS ROLE AND OUTRO MUSIC)

Crew List:

Storyboard:

As my production is mainly based on the actions and reactions of people under pressure, I am unable to create a full storyboard of my production due to the mystery of how people will react, what footage we will obtain and where people will be stood. Because of this I have created a single 8 slide storyboard to show the introduction sequence (the presenter explaining the games) as this is most likely to be accurate up until the mini games begin - from there, it is unpredictable.

Equipment List:

This is the equipment list that I have booked out for my production. It lists everything that I have used, such as 3 cameras and tripods, tie mics and lights. These are all essential to my production as it means that using this equipment I am more likely to get a good quality, professional-looking final piece.