a copy of Keri`s presentation Towards Less Constructed

DANISH TV FESTIVAL
Friday 19 August 2011
TOWARDS LESS CONSTRUCTED FORMATS
www.k7media.co.uk
Currently we are seeing a trend towards international tv-distributors offering
less constructed formats. The big question on the international scene is whether
these shows are formats or not? Hit shows such as “One born every minute”
and “Junior doctors” are sold as formats, and Keri Lewis Brown will show how
the international tv business is evolving right now.
I want to talk to you today about the trend we are seeing in the UK for Reality
and Factual Entertainment to become less formatted.
It seems we are moving away from over-contrived formats, which have been
so popular over the past few years, and returning to looser, more observational
programming.
Eight years ago, RDF hit our screens with WIFE SWAP.
This started a wave of international sales in formatted documentaries, a market
which had previously been dominated by entertainment and game shows.
We’ve seen
THE WEEK THE WOMEN WENT
LADETTE TO LADY,
THE BABY BORROWERS,
SECRET MILLIONAIRE,
UNDERCOVER BOSS and
THE WORLD’S STRICTEST PARENTS.
But, in the UK, it seems that the genre is starting to lose its appeal.
The downside is perhaps that format pillars can make programmes become
rather predictable.
Viewers are now looking for stories that are a bit more unexpected.
What does this mean for the international distribution community?
Can you sell the format of a documentary series and, if so, what should buyers
expect for their money?
I’m going to look at some examples of factual programming and the new wave
of soft scripted reality shows and ask which of these programmes have the potential to travel around the world as formats.
02
There are four sections:
1.
Traditional human interest documentary
2.
Multi-camera rig documentary series – as discussed by The
Garden Productions yesterday
3.
I’ll look at the same subject treated in two different ways – one with a strong format and one without
4.
Finally, we will look at the UK’s new soft scripted reality shows which follow in the success of THE HILLS.
In many of these shows you will see the lasting effect of BIG BROTHER, in my
opinion, the most influential TV format of all time.
03
1. Traditional human
interest documentary
2. Multi-camera rig
documentary series – as
discussed by The Garden Productions yesterday
3. I’ll look at the same
subject treated in two
different ways – one with
a strong format and one
without
4.Finally, we will look at
the UK’s new soft scripted reality shows which follow in the success of THE HILLS.
1. Let’s start with DOCUMENTARY.
British viewers are currently looking for strong narratives in difficult-access or
secretive communities. They want to see big characters with unconventional
lives and surprising stories.
Recent breakout hits include:
PINEAPPLE DANCE STUDIOS (Feb 2010)
Massive hit for Sky 1.
BIG FAT GYPSY WEDDINGS (Jan 2011)
Features in Channel 4’s best ever top ten shows
Earlier this year, a three part documentary series, STRANGEWAYS, was a
massive hit on ITV.
It was set in a high security prison – an environment which offers an incredible
variety of complicated stories from the point of view of both prison guards and
inmates.
It was one of the top factual titles on ITV in the past ten years.
In this clip, you will see armed robber Adrian preparing for his wedding to
girlfriend Kelly - in jail.
WILD PICTURES for ITV
04
1. Traditional human
interest documentary
2. Multi-camera rig
documentary series – as
discussed by The Garden Productions yesterday
3. I’ll look at the same
subject treated in two
different ways – one with
a strong format and one
without
4.Finally, we will look at
the UK’s new soft scripted reality shows which follow in the success of THE HILLS.
It’s a wonderful piece of film-making.
But would you buy it as a format?
Probably not, although production consultancy from the programme makers,
Wild Pictures, would be valuable as they have a great deal of experience filming
in prisons.
Another difficult access area is the Army.
Stories from war zones are traditionally covered by news reporters.
BBC3’s recent series OUR WAR, tells the story of the war in Afghanistan from
the perspective of British soldiers who had mini-cameras strapped to their helmets.
It was a massive critical and ratings success.
As Danny Cohen said here at the Festival last year, younger viewers want to
‘feel the facts’.
Produced by BBC. Tx June 2011.
05
1. Traditional human
interest documentary
2. Multi-camera rig
documentary series – as
discussed by The Garden Productions yesterday
3. I’ll look at the same
subject treated in two
different ways – one with
a strong format and one
without
4.Finally, we will look at
the UK’s new soft scripted reality shows which follow in the success of THE HILLS.
Powerful story-telling again, but it is hard to see how this could be sold as a
format.
Instead, the way in which the camera technology is used is interesting and could
work in other organisations such as a Police force or other action-based operation.
Another massive hit on BBC3 this year has been JUNIOR DOCTORS.
The series follows seven newly qualified doctors as they begin working in a
hospital.
It gained the highest ever ratings on BBC3 for a factual entertainment show.
At first glance, you might think it’s a straightforward observational hospital documentary, but the distinct difference is that the young doctors have been cast by
the producers and live together in the same house.
This allows the producers some element of control over the story-telling as they
explore issues affecting the doctors’ personal lives as well as their day-to-day
lives in the hospital.
I can see why BBC Worldwide is selling this one as a format and that it has
been picked up by Kanal 5 in Sweden and I believe one of the broadcasters
here.
I would say this series is CRAFTED rather than CONSTRUCTED
If it’s a hit here and in Sweden, I think more sales will follow.
06
1. Traditional human
interest documentary
2. Multi-camera rig
documentary series – as
discussed by The Garden Productions yesterday
3. I’ll look at the same
subject treated in two
different ways – one with
a strong format and one
without
4.Finally, we will look at
the UK’s new soft scripted reality shows which follow in the success of THE HILLS.
2. MULTI-CAMERA RIG
One of the hottest trends in UK factual programming is currently the multi-camera rig documentary series, pioneered by Channel 4, which allows programme
makers to follow a wide range of storylines within one setting.
The first example was Channel 4’s THE FAMILY (2008) from Dragonfly (Shine)
which evolved from the question ‘What can the production process of BIG
BROTHER teach us about documentary-making?’
This was followed by Dragonfly’s breakout hit ONE BORN EVERY MINUTE
(Feb 2010), set in a maternity ward.
The format of ONE BORN EVERY MINUTE has been sold to the US, France
and Sweden.
It’s as if homes and hospital wards can become giant BIG BROTHER sets in
which everyone is permanently on camera. As with BIG BROTHER, you film
everything and then create the narrative in the edit.
The obsessive micro-filming captures details of human behaviour that an ordinary camera crew can’t always get.
The best producers in this field are The Garden Productions, who were here in
Copenhagen yesterday.
Apologies if you were in their session but here is the clip they showed from their
hit hospital series 24 HOURS IN A&E.
07
1. Traditional human
interest documentary
2. Multi-camera rig
documentary series – as
discussed by The Garden Productions yesterday
3. I’ll look at the same
subject treated in two
different ways – one with
a strong format and one
without
4.Finally, we will look at
the UK’s new soft scripted reality shows which follow in the success of THE HILLS.
70 cameras were placed in the hospital and the editors combed through 4,500
hours of material for the 14 hour-long episodes.
Channel 4 is constantly exploring new spaces to set up a rig.
In April, we saw fixed cameras in a hotel:
This particular hotel was chosen because it specialises in short breaks so there
are plenty of new guests coming through.
Dragonfly for Channel 4
Series two is now in production at a different hotel. Produced by Dragonfly.
Another company using this production method is Maverick TV, part of All3Media.
They put 30 fixed cameras in a model agency.
Maverick TV for Channel 4
Optioned FRANCE
08
1. Traditional human
interest documentary
2. Multi-camera rig
documentary series – as
discussed by The Garden Productions yesterday
3. I’ll look at the same
subject treated in two
different ways – one with
a strong format and one
without
4.Finally, we will look at
the UK’s new soft scripted reality shows which follow in the success of THE HILLS.
COMING SOON TO CHANNEL 4 ……..
Twofour are putting 60 fixed cameras in a school and Windfall Films are putting
remote cameras in a courtroom in Scotland to follow murder trials.
So can these titles work as international formats?
I think YES.
The international sales of ONE BORN EVERY MINUTE have shown it is possible.
There is obviously brand value in a successful title such as 24 HOURS IN A&E.
The subject areas lend themselves to multiple episodes and several series.
But the real value in a format sale here is in the production know-how.
In future, a distributor will be expected to offer far more consultancy than before.
This means the producers must be prepared to spend time creating detailed
production bibles and meeting up with buyers.
Before we move on to the next section, here is a sneak preview of a show which
will launch in October on ITV2. It’s back to modelling.
LONDON SCHOOL OF MODELLING Mighty Fine Productions.
The series will have a similar tone to Pineapple Dance Studios and will follow a
group of modelling wannabes and their mentors as they are trained up and find
work.
As you can see, the emphasis is on creating characters like ‘Mr Fierce’. We’ll
have to see whether he becomes as popular as Louie Spence from Pineapple
Dance Studios.
The series will launch on 11 October
09
1. Traditional human
interest documentary
2. Multi-camera rig
documentary series – as
discussed by The Garden Productions yesterday
3. I’ll look at the same
subject treated in two
different ways – one with
a strong format and one
without
4.Finally, we will look at
the UK’s new soft scripted reality shows which follow in the success of THE HILLS.
3.TOWARDS LESS CONSTRUCTED FORMATS: CASE
STUDY
LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR/FISH TOWN
I now want to show you a couple of clips from two different shows, which both
portray a typical small English town. It could easily be a small Danish town.
One is highly formatted and the other is an observational documentary.
•
•
Love Thy Neighbour Families compete to win a house in the English countryside by impressing the neighbours. (March 2011). It’s a bit like THE ITALIAN DREAM
Studio Lambert for C4
Fish Town follows life at the British port town of Brixham.
Mentorn Media for Sky Atlantic
LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR – Studio Lambert for Channel 4
FISH TOWN – Mentorn Media for Sky Atlantic
010
1. Traditional human
interest documentary
2. Multi-camera rig
documentary series – as
discussed by The Garden Productions yesterday
3. I’ll look at the same
subject treated in two
different ways – one with
a strong format and one
without
4.Finally, we will look at
the UK’s new soft scripted reality shows which follow in the success of THE HILLS.
In Love Thy Neighbour, there was great casting but nobody cared who won the
house as the competition element seemed so contrived. We wanted to hear
the real stories of the characters living in the village – what was really going on
behind their flowery curtains?
In contrast, Fish Town tells us the stories of characters who dress up as pirates
every year. Its stand-out device is an unexpected and highly poetic voice-over.
The formatted show was a flop and the ob doc is a hit.
But I don’t think it’s possible to sell FISH TOWN as a format.
Like STRANGEWAYS, the balance of power in the relationship is dominated by
the community, not the producer and so it is more difficult to influence and replicate the results. The production process requires a great deal of trust between
the parties and you can’t sell that.
011
1. Traditional human
interest documentary
2. Multi-camera rig
documentary series – as
discussed by The Garden Productions yesterday
3. I’ll look at the same
subject treated in two
different ways – one with
a strong format and one
without
4.Finally, we will look at
the UK’s new soft scripted reality shows which follow in the success of THE HILLS.
4. SOFT SCRIPTED REALITY
For the final section, let’s look at soft scripted reality shows such as JERSEY
SHORE which are currently hugely popular in the UK.
These shows have been described as BIG BROTHER without walls.
They are not observational documentaries but they are relevant to our theme as
there is much debate about whether they can be sold as formats.
There is also much debate about how ‘real’ they are.
Before looking at the new shows, let’s remind ourselves that this has always
been an issue in reality shows.
MTV’s THE REAL WORLD (1992) first aired nearly twenty years ago and still
airs today.
Young people are observed living in a house together.
As we all know, this was followed some years later by BIG BROTHER.
In these clips you will see housemates from THE REAL WORLD swapping roles
with the cameramen at the end of the series and then a discussion about the
way in which Endemol edits the BIG BROTHER footage.
012
1. Traditional human
interest documentary
2. Multi-camera rig
documentary series – as
discussed by The Garden Productions yesterday
3. I’ll look at the same
subject treated in two
different ways – one with
a strong format and one
without
4.Finally, we will look at
the UK’s new soft scripted reality shows which follow in the success of THE HILLS.
As you can see, the participants of THE REAL WORLD felt the programme
represented them truthfully and early BIG BROTHER contestants complained
about not being portrayed accurately on screen.
But today’s kids have grown up with these shows and know the game. They
know that putting themselves forward as a persona is the price for possible
fame and they are prepared to pay it.
As Gary Carter said, ‘it’s a television show and not real life’
Let’s look at MTV’s JERSEY SHORE in which a bunch of young people live
together in a party house but without the strict rules and gameplay of BIG
BROTHER.
It has recently been reversioned in the UK as GEORDIE SHORE and in these
two scenes from the US and UK versions, you will see just how structured the
shows really are.
In both scenes, the housemate girls are upset when the guys invite some new
girls they have just met back to the house for a dip in the Jacuzzi.
013
1. Traditional human
interest documentary
2. Multi-camera rig
documentary series – as
discussed by The Garden Productions yesterday
3. I’ll look at the same
subject treated in two
different ways – one with
a strong format and one
without
4.Finally, we will look at
the UK’s new soft scripted reality shows which follow in the success of THE HILLS.
JERSEY SHORE 495 Productions for MTV USA
GEORDIE SHORE Lime Pictures for MTV UK
014
1. Traditional human
interest documentary
2. Multi-camera rig
documentary series – as
discussed by The Garden Productions yesterday
3. I’ll look at the same
subject treated in two
different ways – one with
a strong format and one
without
4.Finally, we will look at
the UK’s new soft scripted reality shows which follow in the success of THE HILLS.
The format works on the basis that if you put people in a certain situation, human nature suggests that you will get a certain reaction.
In this case, the factor was jealousy. The producers deliberately created a situation and stood back to watch what would happen. It did not need a precise
script.
So, yes, I think Jersey Shore is a format and, in fact, it has been sold to Denmark!
Another factor to remember is the importance of social media. Twitter and
Facebook allows viewers to connect directly with the cast and this heightens the
sense that the show is real.
The cast on Geordie Shore have around 85,000 Twitter followers each. A typical show on MTV gets around 50,000 viewers.
Instead of being a documentary/reality hybrid, the new shows are a cross between reality and soap.
Like a soap, these shows are firmly located in their location……
MADE IN CHELSEA follows the lives of young wealthy people in London who
have enjoyed very privileged backgrounds.
Monkey Kingdom for E4
Dist NBCU
015
1. Traditional human
interest documentary
2. Multi-camera rig
documentary series – as
discussed by The Garden Productions yesterday
3. I’ll look at the same
subject treated in two
different ways – one with
a strong format and one
without
4.Finally, we will look at
the UK’s new soft scripted reality shows which follow in the success of THE HILLS.
Filming for the second series of Made in Chelsea has just begun and will air
next month.
Shooting close to transmission allows the series good publicity and there has
been a lot of coverage of the new characters over the summer.
There are no firm international sales of the format so far but NBCU expect to
make sales at MIPCOM.
A similar reality soap format is THE ONLY WAY IS ESSEX which, again, is
firmly set in its location.
In this clip you will see how the lighting even makes it look like a soap.
And if you didn’t know before, you will find out what a VAJAZZLE is!
Lime Pictures for ITV2
First tx October 2010.
The episodes are shot very close to transmission which means the reactions of
viewers can be incorporated into the show.
They can even take part by turning up at the clubs and pubs visited by the cast.
ESSEX gets as many viewers online as it does for its TV broadcast and around
half of those watching the show on TV are also using Facebook or Twitter at the
same time.
Twitter is very important to the format. The cast tweet to each other and fans
can interact with them even when the show is not on air.
Optioned in The Netherlands.
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CONCLUSION
It has always been hard to protect formats and these softer shows will be harder
than ever.
1.
DISTRIBUTORS will need to employ more sales staff who understand the production process, maybe even undertaking an internship with a production. Producers themselves will need to become more involved with sales and create their own dialogues with buyers.
2.
Distributors will also need to create a wider FORMAT ELEMENTS PACKAGE and become more precise about which aspects of a show are distinctive and can contribute towards creating a brand.
These might include:
Strong title and logo
Use of voice-over (Come Dine with Me is a good example of a show where the voice-over is very important)
Use of Music – very important in Junior Doctors
Social media strategy – important for The Only Way is Essex
Website – very important for One Born Every Minute
So let’s see what happens and maybe we can meet again next year and see
which are the new international hits!
017