Six interesting things about making a quiz show for community TV - October 16, 2014

On October 16, Hope and Robin represented The Couch on a pilot show for community TV, MQ by Chai Junction. Filmed at the RMIT Studios, it was a fascinating experience for both those who participated, and those who watched. We also learnt lots of cool stuff, like…



1. The number of people involved

If you were to make and film a quiz show, how many friends do you think you'd need to help you? One to be the host? One to operate the camera? One to manage the audience? What about controlling the lights? Who is going to monitor the audio? So, that's five? But wait! What if you want two hosts? And, you’ll probably want at least two cameras? And then, if you want an overhead camera, who controls the crane? And now that you have multiple cameras, who is controlling the edits between cameras?

As Shirley said, "The studio was a buzz of activity, a set with the contestants sitting behind desks, audio technician checking contestants’ microphones, a floor manager directing the TV crew, camera people focusing on the set, two people hosting the show, it was full on. "

Robin also mentioned it wasn't only those in front of the camera who were feeling shy. "Everyone, including the audience and the staff, tried to work as a unit. Maybe some of the people were students practising the stuff; one guy was so nervous just putting the microphone on me!"

And of course, you better not forget the make-up artists, because...

2. Everyone is wearing make-up, all the time, and it is continuously applied

Not only our female host, but everyone in front of the camera, including the guys, were wearing make-up.

"First time had make-up on," Robin revealed. "A bit funny and weird! I had no idea about make-up, but I spent decent amount of time at home to clean it up."

To keep everyone looking their best on camera, they had two make-up artists there. Not only did they do the make-up for the hosts and contestants before filming, but they were kept very busy during the production.

"The two make-up artists were sitting up the front of the audience. Then, during every break, they would rush out and add fresh layers to everyone!" Andrew revealed.

And they had to be quick though, because...

3. The breaks in filming are precisely timed

When the hosts said they'd take a break, we all got to talk and enjoy a rest ourselves while all the video crew went crazy making small, almost imperceptible, changes.

"There was a lot of discussion between various TV crew, getting the lighting right, rehearsing lines by the hosts, positioning of the cameras correctly; the evening was never boring," Shirley said.
And then, after what felt like the average 2 minute commercial break you'd get on TV, we would be cued by the floor staff to begin our applause.

The contestants would also be using the break time to chat to the other teams because...

4. All the contestants are friendly to each other

"While watching the show, I couldn't help but wish Robin and Hope would triumph, with the other teams tasting bitter, crushing, possibly humiliating, defeat," said Andrew. "Just like watching any competition, you can’t help but support a side and feel excited by their wins and losses.”

But watching the contestant teams during the breaks, it was clear they all were very supportive and friendly to each other. It makes sense when you realise how much time they spent together off camera.

Hope providing comfort to the enemy.

Hope shared some insight into this. "We arrived on the set early and met Maggie, a fellow contestant from RMIT Uni. We decided to have dinner together, and we enjoyed a good chat before the shoot. Later we were told to get to the dressing room together for our make-up."

"Hope and I were just having too much fun and were not so competitive,” Robin added.

Hope also mentioned how nervous she was beforehand. But that's OK, because...

5. Nearly everything is rehearsed

 "We were interviewed and I knew I was nervous because my hands were cold,” Hope said. “It is funny because I never thought I would be camera-shy! Maybe it was because I was too conscious that I was being recorded."

The jitters were shared by Robin, "I felt a bit awkward just saying something to test the mic. It's just that you’re being filmed and there's no turning back. The MCs, they had scripts. Us? Not so much."

Only one person here had a script...

Fortunately, a trial round was held, which let the hosts practise their lines, the contestants get a feel for the show format, and the floor crew work out any technical issues. "The trial round was a big help because it bought me time to finally get over the jitters,” Hope said. "By the time we started recording, I was back to my normal state with my big smile, enjoying every second of the show."

And, if you made a mistake during the trial round, it didn't really matter because…

6. The studio audience was tiny, and were mostly friends

The space at the back of the studio was only large enough to accommodate a small audience. Sitting at the back enabled us to watch not only the show, but also watch all the floor crew activity. Shirley said, "I had fun and was completely entertained both by the quiz itself and the watching of how a TV show was put together."

But, perhaps Hope and Robin got the most benefit from us being there. "Thanks to everyone involved! Especially to those who made sure we weren't alone," Robin said. "I reckon The Couch team had the most supporters. You guys were awesome."

Hope added, "Big thanks to Chai Junction, RMIT, and of course to our family from The Couch. Most especially to Andrew, Jelly, Shirley and Cong for cheering for us in the audience."

More photos in the album.