Wednesday, 29 April 2009

quiz show trailers

In light of actually looking at this years exam questions, in question 4 you have to design the storyboard for a quiz show trailer... so i have tried to find a selection for you:

Weakest linkk (PC edition)



Chris Moyles quiz Night (C4)

Tuesday, 17 March 2009

quiz history

quiz history:

Quiz reps: you get me blud

Quiz Audiences : some slides innit

Sunday, 15 March 2009

quality quiz spoof

Taken from the mitchell and webb look sketch show: Numberwang... how many quiz show conventions do they successfully spoof ??

Wednesday, 4 March 2009

Some videos about game shows!

My god this guy looks weird !!! but he knows a lot about game shows which you can use in your exam about quiz shows..err.. i think.. anyway watch them but if you get annoyed at his voice then stop !


Game Shows: How important is the set design on game shows?


Game Shows: All About Game Shows

Saturday, 7 February 2009

IN THE EXAM YOU MUST.....


ANALYSE !!!! Say why stuff has been done .. do not just describe how quiz shows work and what happens ... we all have eyes we dont need you to describe the shows back to us.. Your job as a media student in the exam is to explain why the set looks like it does or why the music is like it is ... ANALYSE ANALYSE ANALSYE !!!!

Mention some historical changes of Quiz shows but also recent changes to do with New Media Technologies...

Identify the conventions of a 'pure' quiz show and discuss elements that would fit the conventions of a Game show.

Talk about AUDIENCES: U & G theory, demographics, popular quiz audiences, scheduling.....
Talk about REPRESENTATIONS:.... of the contestents / presenters / Prizes / beauty.......

Remember you can also answer in any format you like, os if you dont like writing long essays dont answer the questions with bullet points and diagrams if you want...

And... Students who can CONFIDENTLY DISCUSS CERTAIN ELEMENTS AND EXPLAIN HOW AND WHY THEY APPEAL TO AUDIENCES WILL GET AN A !!!

Some Classic Quiz show moments


Mastermind


Who wants to be a millionaire


University Challenge


15 - 1 (my favourite!)


Weakest link (with WWF wrestlers!)

Practical Tips: treatments + Storyboarding



Ok so the exam paper is not out yet but its almost definately going to be a storyboard and a pitch for a new quiz show that they will ask you to do for question 3, (and then explain how it reaches a particular target audience for question 4).

So.....

Dont all do Urban / Street . London gangsta quiz shows !!! be mroe original than that !!

As long as you can justify how your show meets the target audience (and why you have chosen that audience), then you can do anything you like really.

Be in role in your treatment, basically sound like you work for the media production company they set out in the exam. Keep a fairly chatty style.

You donthave to write lots fo questions but you do have to think about the DEGREE OF DIFFCULTY and how the rounds of questions might change as the show progresses.

You can design a specialist knowledge quiz show (sports / music etc) but again as long as you have justified this decision.

TARGET AUDIENCE : You must give clear explanation as to why you made your choices and how these attract your particular audience. The layout of the set / the titles / theme tune / contestants / question rounds / prizes etc etc WHY DID YOU choose it to look the way it does ?

INSTITUTIONS: what channel is your quiz going to be on? (and why ?)
Maybe its not going to be on any channel maybe you have thought about NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES and the internet ?? is that better for your taregt audience ?

Anyway if you still have questions or any otehr tips please comment...
Skeeeeen !!

Tuesday, 22 April 2008

some other stuff: Exam technique

As the exam is split into 2 days of 1 and a half hours each day do questions 1 & 2 on the first day (45 mins each) and then do 3 & 4 on the second day (45 minutes each)!

That may sound obvious but it is amazing how many students each year dont divote the same amount of time to each question, they are worth the same amount of marks each so it makes sense to spend the same amount of time !

I know the storyboard involves drawing but as long as you get things in the right perspective then you should be fine ! on the storyboard you get as many marks for the information around the sides as you do the actual picture (so make sure you have the correct shot type, timings, audio etc) . Also dont spend loads of time colouring it in !!! you dont get extra marks for this !! Practice completing your storyboards in 40 minutes at home before the actual exam ..it helps trust me !

Ok, if there is anything else you are worried about or want to ask, then comment below

safe

Wednesday, 9 April 2008

Basic exam technique: how to blag it



Right then , here is my absolutely top secret 'how to make the examiner think you are a badman when actually you are a wasteman' guide to crusing the exam ........

1. You must mention as much media terminolgy as possible : You have to talk about the 4 key areas: AUDIENCES, REPRESENTATIONS, LANGUAGE, and INSTITUTIONS, if you havent talked about something in each of these areas in your 4 questions then you need to big time !!!!!

its not as hard as it sounds, instead of saying " like the ideas in dis quiz is all about family innit" say " the dominant ideology running through my quiz show is one of the modern day family"

For a full list of terminology you could use see the links on this site


2. Use lots of examples to back up your points ! Try and show the examiner that you have actually seen lots of quiz shows.

3. In the practical sections (Q3 & Q4) try and be creative and original : dont just make a quiz about innercity london kids who listen to grime and RnB !!! everybody will do that BE ORIGINAL and examiners love it !!!

4. Question 4 will ask you to evaluate your ideas so really sell what you have done and evaluate them along the 4 main areas of media studies . But also criticise them a little bit or evaluate some problems you might face , that shows good analytical skill, and definately complare them to existing shows or ideas form otehr media you have.


5. This may seem obvious but when the exam papers come out on Monday 27th of April you have 2 weeks until the exam, so use the days wisely do work on the answers, write out exam style answers that me and miss can check and tell you where to improve !!!

6. Storyboarding : NO STICK MEN !! and make sure you draw people accurately as you can (e.g no round heads, and no one standing on the bottom line of the frame !), and check that what you have drawn actually matches what shot you have said it is (dont draw an eye covering the whole shot and the write Medium shot) ! You should all be fine !

7. Bring theory into it: Try and mention at least Todorov (equillibrium - narrative), Any representational theory (laura mulvey - male gaze etc), and any new technology theory (mcluhan - global village etc). If you can bring this sort of thing in you could be getting excellent marks !! (see me for any help with this, and look at my main blog page for links about all of this)



OK then if you can do all that you are on you way to being a media legend, good luck bruv !!