STUDIO PRODUCTION: PREVIOUS UCA STUDIO PRODUCTIONS (RESEARCH)

With so many different types of Studio Productions available and so many different ones already being done on our Course over the years, I decided to watch through all the previous Studio Projects that have been done to see what has and hasn't been done.

The Pub Game - 2011

The Pub Game is a Studio Game Show which joins in the classic pub games you get in the pub into a studio game show. With 2 teams going head to head to win the Golden Pork Pie! The teams are staff from pubs, in the episode they're two pubs from Maidstone.
To start off the show, we're shown a VT of the pubs that the teams come from each. The manager of the pub who is also the team captain is the one showing us around and then we are introduced to the team members before going into the first round.

Round 1
The first round starts off with a quick fire general knowledge quiz, adapted from the classic 'Pub Quiz' you can get at your local pub. Each team has a bell, taken from the classic 'last orders' bell you use to get in classic pubs. if answered correctly the team gets five points. It's a very interactive round which the audience watching can also interact with as they can try and guess the answers.

Round 2
The next round for the show is 'Guest Game' where the presenter says that different to pubs that have a guest ale, they have a guest game, so each episode would have a different game for this round. This episode has the classic student game 'Beer Pong' and one member of each team has to try and throw a ball into as many cups as possible before the time runs out. The winner is the team with the most balls in cups.

Round 3
The next round is 'Blind Drunk' this is a very comical round where one member of each team will be placed in the middle of the set, blind folded and then their team mates have to guide them around a twister style board on the floor with different drinks on them. The trick is that they've been spun around a few times so they're dizzy.

Round 4
This is the final round of the show and is called 'Last Orders'. It's taken the first round and brought back but with a different twist to it. Now the teams have a chance to win 10 points with every correct answer but if they get an answer wrong they're 'barred' from the pub and can no longer answer questions in the round. Making the final round much more challenging.

At the end of this the scores are released and the winning team is announced. With the Presenter then thanking everyone and giving the outro for the show and then the credits are released.
The show is very original. It's fun to watch with clear themes throughout it. The funny gags of the classic pub themes and the set make it a great programme. Highly enjoyable game show and really original idea.

Unsigned - 2012
The next show produced by UCA TV Production was much different and VERY original. This show is 'Unsigned Live' and is a band show where we get 3 bands to come onto the show and perform. What's original about this is the idea that they will travel all around the country to do this as the presenter says 'This week we're in Maidstone in Kent' but also that the bands playing in the show are undiscovered and haven't been signed onto any record companies (Hence the name of the show) which makes this stand out from Music Performance shows such as Later With Jools Holland as it's going for something different. As well as the idea of changing location.

First Performance
When the show starts, we get introduced by the presenter with some onscreen graphics as well. We find out that our presenter has a background in Radio as well. He introduces the band and they perform their song. Throughout the performance, we get a mixture of shots and movements to cover the band. It's almost like a music video but live. Keeping the performance interesting and showing different members of the band in mid and close ups and then cutting to a wide every now and again to show the entire band. Once the band finishes, the presenter comes back in and we get the lead singer to introduce the band members to the audience and cameras. Once this is done we go to a VT showing the band in their everyday life and why they've chosen to be in a band. We see the importance of music for them but also what they do in their normal lives. This almost connects the audience because it's showing them as normal people.

Second Performance
We move over to the 'Acoustic Stage' for the second performance. So here we've gone different and we get an acoustic set now. With this part, we've had a different set, nice low lighting with some bottles hung up. Change of scenery for a different style of music. The editing here changes as well, previous band had hard cuts between the shots to work with the music. Acoustic band we get shots mixing together and flowing better, working with the smooth song and music. With extreme close ups on instruments and the lead singer, giving a much more in-depth feel for the shots. Once the first song has finished, we get a small interview with our presenter and the lead singer. Learning about the band and their current status with their music and when they might be touring. We then get another performance from this band, again with the mixture of cuts and mixes, different to the last band where we only got one song.
Once the band finishes their second song, we go in with another VT, this time with another presenter called Jess. Here, she has traveled around the city that they're in (Maidstone) to find out the current music scene. We get a mixture of interviews from the public and GV's of the music scene around different pubs and venues showing the Unsigned talent around the city.

Interviews
Once the VT ends, the Presenter has moved over to another area of the set with 2 couches. Here we have the Presenter interviewing 1 member of each band, we also are joined by a member of another band who is performing after the interviews. The programme slows down here and we learn more about the bands experience in performing and why they do what they do. We also learn what their opinions are of Maidstone and it's music scene. We get basic and simple shots here with a simple shot reverse shot going on with the interviews, cutting between a wide and close ups for the 3 interviewee's on the couch. Once this has finished we go into another VT with the Presenter Jess and it's about the next band coming up which is the Soundcasters. This is an interview but also unique as it's about an event which the Soundcasters had as well as learning why they came together as a band.

Third Performance & Outro

The final performance is how the show is finished. The Presenter thanks the audience and gives us the Outro, naming all the bands and then thanking the final band who play out one song. Towards the end of the song we get the credits rolling up the left side of the screen.

This show looks like the most complicated that UCA TV Production have done. The set firstly is made up of 3 different parts. Each different to the other. Camera work is complex as I can imagine they still only had 5 cameras for this. There's a lot of moving and re-positioning involved with a set like this. I can see the biggest challenge would have been sound. We've got clear audio from the Presenter and the audience but also balancing the sound for the bands would have been a real challenge. The the show is really well put together and an original idea which can appeal to a wide audience.

Teach 'Em a Lesson - 2016

In 2016, Wez Dunne pitched and produced the first Children game show for the Studios. 'Teach Em a Lesson' is where the Presenter and his assistant takes the teachers and puts them into the students position. With a audience of School children as well, this was a very challenging Studio Production as it was with an audience of children. However, it's a very comical and entertaining programme and very original.

Lesson 1
The show starts with the introduction from the presenter and his assistant. Mockingly shouting in the 2 contestants as if they were students. They are seated at their desks and then the show begins with a basic history knowledge test. This is where the contestants will hold up a sign to say whether or not the fact is true or false. Making this easy for kids to follow along with at home and the questions aren't too difficult either but as a true or false game, theres a 50/50 chance to get it right on a guess which is better for children.



After the first round, the final question is what leads us into our first VT of the show. From the question we learn that Castles used to be made out of woods and then we go into a VT where the 'Teachers Assistant' has travelled to Rochester Castle in Historic Rochester, Medway. The VT is fun and light hearted to entertain the viewers and audience. With the presenter telling a legend about a ghost that haunts Rochester Castle and we see someone walking past in the background to add humour and entertainment.
Lesson 2
The second round of the show is a lesson on memory. This is where the players will be shown 2 VT's and be asked a series of questions to see what they can remember from the VT's. Firstly, having a VT 'go back in time' to 1585 and we see a conversation between the Queen and her servant. The VT brings humour and although not correct, it isn't important since a children's show is meant to bring entertainment to children and this section is just for that. Once the VT ends, the contestants are questioned by the Presenter to remember parts of facts from the VT, testing their memory. This is repeated for the second VT.

Break Time

The next section brings in every child's favourite time during school which is the break time. This is a very comical and lively section where the contestants will actually get up and move around the set. After the presenter, comically, makes them march, he tells them that this round involves them to run around the set and get as many of the giant props and put them into a bag before the time runs out. The section is much more active and gives the camera department a real challenge with getting the shots as this couldn't have been planned, it would as 'as directed' and would have been decided during the show which shots to cut to as the contestants could go anywhere on the set so even the cameras would struggle to find the shots.

Lesson 3
Before leading into Lesson 3, we are introduced to another VT which is where the teachers assistant of the show, goes to the Primary School where the audience members come from. Here, we see the students opinions of the teachers that are on the show. Through the VT we get the first proper interaction with the students who are sitting in the audience.



Going into lesson 3, here, the tables in the set have been taken out and replaced with a box. This section keeps the lively energy going as the aim is for each contestant to act out historical icons with props in the box, the teaching assistant has to get the correct answer for the contestant to get a point. Each contestant gets a different list to try and act out. At the end of the lesson the points are all added up and the winner of the show is announced.

The show is then rounded off by the Presenter with a final goodbye and the credits brought up.
This is one of the most original and challenging Shows that UCA has put on. Not only is it aimed at children, but the audience and some of the contributors for the VT's were also children. Making this both entertaining but keeping with the theme of 'teaching a lesson' would have been difficult and gaining permission to film at a school with kids would have also been challenging.

The Big Movie Quiz - 2017

The last Studio Production which was produced by UCA TV Production was 'The Big Movie Quiz' Produced by Joshua Jones. This was the 3rd game show to be produced and related to the course very well as it was all about films. The programme is a quiz show, where all the topics relate to films in some way. This went for a more teenage/young adult audience, different to the previous year which aimed at children. The show has 2 contestants go against each other to win the Golden Clapper Board.


Round 1 - "Say Hello to my Little Questions"
Each round is named in reference to a film in some way. All have puns or gags in them. The first round is a knowledge round where the 2 contestants will have to buzz in and try and gain points. This scene also uses onscreen graphics, having the contestants try and guess a film title but a mixture of emojis being put up on the screen. The round is a simple way to start the show. Quick round which allows the audience and viewers to join in at home as they can also see if they know the answers to themselves.

At the end of the round the scores are given out and then the presenter moves on to the next section. The round does have the presenter having banter with the contestants and making cheesy and funny jokes related to films, keeping with the theme of the programme.



Round 2 - Audition Fails
The rounds are introduced by the presenters but then also by a short graphic, which says the name of the round and fits with the branding of the title sequence and the entire show.
This round is where we see the first VT of the programme. The VT shows an 'Actor' which the presenter knows called Norman trying to audition for a part. The VT is intended to bring comedy as the VT has been made so that the actor is terrible and silly.
The round is a memory test and the contestants then get asked questions about the VT. Each one answered correctly is given a point. Once the round is over, the scores are given and then the presenter is 'informed' that the actor from the previous VT has sent in a trailer for his new film. The VT is then played for the viewers. This is allowing for a set change in the studio.

The VT's main intention is both entertainment and comedy for the programme but the main role for this VT was for the set change which comes with the third round.







Round 3 - American Pie in your face
This round is where we've had a set change and we get more of a 'physical' challenge for the programme. The challenge is again, a question round but with a twist. The contestants are both given a pie in face machine which may fling cream into someones face as you click them, it's a popular little game which you can buy. The Presenter will ask each contestant a question and if they get it right, a wheel with numbers between 1-4 will be spun and whatever the wheel lands on, is how many times the other contestant needs to clip the pie machine, if the contestant gets it wrong, they will get the number for themselves.

I found this round very complicated, although very entertaining there was also the issue in the programme of the pie machine not working correctly, however, this is always a risk doing live TV. Anything could go wrong.

After this round finished, there is again, another set change needed. So the final VT is brought in which is all about Movie Trivia. This makes sense for the programme and each week could have different facts. There is always so much you could add in that VT. The VT is the Presenter in different locations around the Maidstone Studios giving the trivia.

Round 4 - Box office line up
When the VT ends, we go into the final round of the programme, we've had the final set change which have removed the tables and stands from the set and brought in a big board. The aim of this game is to start at the bottom of the board and work up, guessing if each film had grossed higher or lower than the previous film. The contestants would do this individually which also makes this round different from the others as they would always go head to head. The round goes through both contestants and then once it has been finished the scores are rounded up and the winner is announced and given the Golden Clapper Board.

Summery
There was 2 programmes I didn't cover as I couldn't find a version online to review, both of which were chat shows. But overall, UCA TV Production have done many different studio productions so finding something new and different may be a challenge. However, I'm seeing 2 types that haven't been done properly. Reality Chat show (although haven't seen the ones they've made) and a studio sitcom such as The Big Bang Theory.