A. Analysis of the concept for my pitch idea.
contextual influence - ref.
Our Idea 'Laughs and Heckles'
Jaz and I teamed up because of our work ethic and creative ideas put together we would work well as producers.
After the brief, I had one set idea and Jaz had 3 different ideas in which we could use, however, Jaz thought that her ideas were not developed enough to make a good pitch and she really liked the idea of a stand-up comedy show competition.
Having an idea is the start of any pitching process and to plant a seed and let it grows with another is even better, I know from personal experience as I have had to pitch to major channels in the past so it's not just something I have read it's something that I have had to do.
This blog post will look at the formatting of 'Roast Battle vs our pitched idea 'Laughs and Heckles'.
It will explore the judges and the acts that have influenced our idea and the conventions of a comedy show.
The show in I which I analysed was Comedy Centrals 'Roast Battle'.
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| https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2FRoast-Battle-Season-01 |
Duration = 30 mins.
The Concept
Roast battle UK came arrived on the television set on January 2018 commission by comedy Central, it is a stand-up comedy competition which involves 3 professional celebrity comedians as the judges and 6 stand-up acts.
The acts are professional comedians from the comedy circuit, they go head -to- head to roast each other (saying horrible jokes about each other).
Each act gets 2 mins each before it is decided from the panel who won that round.
The show also has a presenter who is dressed as a referee who counts them down.
The Judges
A talent show is only as strong as it's judges. Not only do theses opinionated, discerning panel members appear frequently, they also often select the contestants who get to compete on the program and directly or indirectly determine the competition outcome. (Weber, 2013)
Roast Battle has a mixed panel, Jimmy carr is the dominant hard face male who has no filter with his comedic humour, he is most famous for his 'one-liner' controversial jokes.
Katherine Ryan is a stand-up comedian and TV personality.
Jimmy Carr and Katherine Ryan both have had much controversial press over the years that they have been apart of the entertainment world, they are matched on the panel as Katherine has always been open about her sexuality and can have been able to turn turn negative press into her humorous traits, as with Jimmy Carr, he tends not to hold back on the panel with Katherine using sexual references to mock her in a comedic way.
This is not a reflection of them in real life, but good entertainment comedy television are the ones that make us feel uncomfortable and also relatable.
Females have not always been apart of this masculine comedy world until the late 1980s:
In the 1980s feminist theory tended to be influenced by a range of approaches such as structuralism, semiology and psychanalysis, and more recently feminist theorist have been investigating how women gain pleasure from conventional, popular television text, particularly those that are supposed to exploit them. (Casey, Casey, Calvert, French, Lewis, 2008:121)
In conclusion, it is important that Katherine pushed the boundaries within the show to become the comedian that she is by using her feminist ways, her sexuality and utilising sexual references that she could bounce off the other judges.
In addition to the two main judges, there are also a guest judges- season 1 - Russell brand was the additional panellist, however, he was very straight-faced and didn't have the correct approach with connecting to the audience as he is now known more like a controversial public speaker, focusing more on politic issues, making him more of a serious figure rather than a stand-up comedian, he lost that status, he was axed after the 3rd episode, then came along Jonathan Ross, who is more aged than the rest of the panel but it was his age that was the centre of the other judges jokes and how he was 'out the game'.
If there was another female judge the show would lose the flair to be funny as Katherine tends to work more comfortably with males because of the banter, if another female guest was on the panel and said something in the wrong tone to Katherine it wouldn't come across as 'jokes' it would be more like a catfight.
The acts.
The Stand-up comedians featured in the show are already well known on the comedy circuit, this gives the advantage to them as professionals and the audience are also familiar with some of there work, they practise their material beforehand and they are briefed on who they are battling, this saves time on the production, there is nothing more embarrassing for a stand-up artist coming out on a stage having nothing to say, this would be damaging to the show, how do they set up their gags? :
"Every joke must be set up. A 'Straight line' sets up the situation: the punch line or 'payoff' delivers the twist." (Weston. 1996: 298)
On the show all the acts start the same way, they set up their gag, they twist it then come back to the point in their gag which makes it relevant.
The Audience
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| http://www.mcwoodstudios.com/comedy-central-roast-battle |
The panel is set up in front of the acts with the backs facing the audience, having the audience in the frame as apart of the show rather than an audience that is not seen, such as they have in the 'sitcom'.
the audience reactions give the show a more substantial view of the mood in which a show is created.
Having a competition reality show without a panel now would be like watching a football game without the crowd, when Xfactor started they had the auditions in a room, the concept became old and they needed to change it up - having an audience within that situation swayed the judges conception of there views, seeing the reaction and hearing the reaction, it has been done since the
1940s, however, has become a convention for most competitions and panel shows up until now. (Creith, 2020)
Although the audience on the Roast battle does not come into the judgment of the show, the show would be the same if an audience was not presented as the 'oh's and agh's' and laughter can be seen and heard by the judges, it also gives the acts a boost when they are performing.
There are now over 30 UK panel shows which involve a studio audience, when briefed (the audience) about the show they are going to watch they are asked what not to wear and what to wear because they will be seen on camera, cameras can pick up certain things like stripes also big logos are an issue because of copyright issues, so this will also indicate that the audience is very much a part of the show.
The audience have a full view of the stage which is made from a triangle, the space for the studio is boxed in which makes it more of a comedy club feel:
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| http://www.mcwoodstudios.com/comedy-central-roast-battle |
This set up not only gives the audience a good view of the stage but also enables the cameras to have there position in a box in the middle and to either side of the stage.
Related to our idea.
The Channel
The channel that we pitched for was Comedy Central, this is because our show conforms with the same type of branding as shows that have been commisioned.
For the reseach of the channel I looked at Roast Battle and various other shows, I also looked at the history of comedy central.
HBO - as its full name, Home Box Office is the home of Comedy Central.
HBO also signifiancantlt influenced televvison comedy. Since 1975 many premier Stand-up comedians have appered on HBO Specials. (HBO American company, 2020)
As with the HBO and Comedy Central it has given platforms for performers to start off their carrer with is why we felt that Comedy Central was the perfect channel as it has the same branding and the same content in which we are looking to go for, it is fast paced funny and is adequately fitting for our own brand 'Laughs and Heckles'.
Here are some of the comdians that had a platform on Comedy Central:
- Richard Pryor.
- Woody Allen.
- Chris Rock.
- Steve Martin.
- Bill Cosby.
- Roseanne Barr.
- Eddie Murphy.
- Robin Williams.
- Ellen DeGeneres. (Razvan, 2013)
With big names such as the ones above (to name a few) we felt that our show could also create some proffessional carrers for our acts, as we branded it for the channel and it has been the main platform for alot af famous comdians.
Concept
With our concept we also have a panel of judges, which includes celebrities, this gives the show more credibility and shows that we have done our research into getting our cast, all our celebrities have been in the entertainment industry for many years.
The challenge that we would face is if one of them pulls out, this would make the show just another show, to enable this not to happen I made sure I had great communication with the panel and kept a paper trail.
Judges
It is important for our show also to have a female panellist, after looking at the research into feminist and outspoken panels, our female too has to be apart of the open world of freedom of speech.
The issues faced with this nothing is finding someone that would be open to sexual references and exploiting past and present secrets.
To enable us to pursue this a casting or screening will need to be done and having a clear and professional conversation with what they may expect from our show.
The other issue we would face is that what if our celebrity didn't have that comedy flair or found anything funny?
Comedy, like drama, is best achieved when actors concern themselves with moment-by-moment reality rather than the effect. If the situation is funny, playing it straight, connecting with it as simply and honestly as possible, makes it funnier. (Weston.1996: 296)
Therefore having actors playing the part as a panel can still have the humorous effect as even the straightest face actors can come across funny if that is the role in which they are playing, it is always in the moment that is the key part of the comedy genre.
Casting
It was the second time on the television production course that I had the opportunity to utilise some celebrities that I know. I have known Shabba da comedian (host) for over 10 years and I have known Samuel Benta for over 11 years, I only recently met Nicole Faraday who was the lead in Bad Girls when I was on a trip.
Shone Rhomulus and I have worked together on short films and various other projects in the past.
My initial contact with them was just to ask if there was available on the dates that we have been instructed and they all agreed that they were available and they would love to be a part of the project secondly I had to make sure they were relevant enough to be judges for the show, so I looked into their professional background and their work ethic, all three of them have worked in theatre before and have done comedy sketches on various shows within the entertainment industry. Shabba Da Comedian has toured the world and has been on stage many times at the O2 arena.
By thinking about the celebrity cast it was my vision to bring credibility to the course and diversity on a live show because for the first time one this unit it would have had a mixed ethnicity culture approach as diversity is key in this industry, Ofcom reports:
As a condition of their licenses Ofcom requires television broadcasters to promote equality as opportunity in employment between men and women, people of different racial groups and for disabled people and to make arrangements for training (OFcom, 2019)
So it was important for me to abide by the OFcom report and create a platform for equal oppotunitys and also, like in Roast battle all judges and acts have to be relevant to the format of the show the panellists need to bounce off each other and have different traits in which can make the show interesting.
Below is the cast that we’ve chosen for the show.
The acts
Our stand-up acts will not be competing with each other but like 'Roast Battle' they will have to have their material down before they come on the show with the same ideology as the stand-up conventions, if it falls flat the show will lose the genre it which it intends to be.
They need to deliver the energy with the 2 minutes that they have on the stage, as our acts are amateur comedians and not known to the audience so the first impression will be the last and (as with the act on Roast Battle) they cannot afford to lose there reputation as comics to enable them to grab the attention of the audience they must be louder, faster, funnier than ever:
Comedy needs comic energy. This doesn't mean every line must be shouted, but often comedy depends on the 'actors' topping' each other. On the other hand, sometimes the punch line is delivered with a sudden drop in energy - the actor "Comes in under". (Weston, 1996: 300)
All the acts will need to provide a showreel or have an audition, however even if the act falls flat "Comes under" it will still add to the shows premise 'Laughs and Heckles' because even if the acts are vetted, we will know that they have the material yet on stage things can happen such as nerves can get the better of an act, as in Roast battle some acts laugh at there own jokes and have to find a way to come back from that, but this adds to the material.
Set Design.
As in Roast battle the stage is set so the audience are immersced, however it has got a bigger audience and we felt that the structure of our show should have a comedy club feel to it, comfortable seating, rustic - jazzy club mood (see pitch slides)
The Audience
The same convention for our show for the audience will be slightly different but 'Roast Battle' did inspire the setup idea, we aim to have the audience immersed within the show ' up close and personal' and they would require to follow audience guidelines for being on camera. an audience member is a part of the show and it's not always as simple as just turning up.
Having looked at many sights about dress code I came across an item online which helped me gain knowledge about how to brief my audience:
Dress code is strictly enforced: Hip, upscale attire is mandatory. Neutral and dark colours are appreciated - ie grey, red, dark blue, maroon, brown, etc. Please do not wear all white or all black clothing. Absolutely no apparel with logos of any kind on the front or back is allowed in the studio audience. Absolutely no T-shirts, sweatshirts, whitetop's, hats or flip flops. Please wear close-toed, flat show: no open-toed shoes or heels allowed for safety reasons. We prefer you don't wear jeans, but if you do wear jeans, please make sure that they are nice jeans, preferably coloured jeans. You will be on camera so it is important that you dress nicely. When you look great, the show looks great! (On-camera audience. 2013)
This not only gave me a great insight into our show's audience but will be valuable information for shows that I will work on in the future.
the audience for our show will be scouted at comedy clubs as it will be relevent for our audience to enjoy comedy.
To help understand our show:
Strengths the structure of the show is simple and to be able to have a solid idea which hasn’t been done before on live television programme would definitely work.
Weaknesses the set will have to be thought out and the furniture will need to be required not an issue we contacted institutions but we will need to have a big budget as we have roundtables and not much of an audience
Threat the threat is that our celebrities (one or all of them) might pull out for some reason and the show will have to still sustain, the threat is that the show may lose credibility and defeats the object of having a celebrity panel.
Live video footage idea.
Thoughts about havinglive footage backstage become more apparent when discussing different aspects oif the feel of the show, just as in roast battle when the audience can see the acts before they come out. Having a camera in the green room to film the acts and seeing how nervous they are will add to the tension of the show and also following the acts with a camera from the green room to the stage will immerse the audience in their journey.
In the meantime on stage the presenter could be saying to the audience how nerve wracking it is to perform in front of a live studio audience so it’s also an invasion of their fears and there is nowhere to hide in the scenario.
This was not added to the pitch at the time of presentation but thinking about it more, it would have added more clarity to the show.
Pitching the idea
Pitching any idea to a panel is a nerve racking situation if you havent done it before. Preperation and research is the key to anyone wanting to pitch for their show to be choosen.
Firstly a treatment has to be created outlining the fundamentals of the show,. when we came up with our idea for 'Laugh and heckles' it was based on the facted that myself and my partner enjoy comedy, we like quirky places that don't have a big crowd and we knew that this would not be a challange to pull off. Below is some reasearch that I did to enable me to pitch a good show:
TV Pilot Scripts & Pitch Treatment Templates:
The Treatment (Synopsis & Bible) Template:
There is no hard and fast rule for the structure of a treatment for series based on an idea, but any producer or executive reading it should get a clear understanding of the storyline, setting, and main characters. Treatments written to sell ideas can be little more than a one page summary, but the length will often be determined by its complexity and to whom you're pitching (at what stage in the development process).
Here's a basic outline of content you'll want in a scripted TV series pitch treatment:
Title: Create a compelling title that hits on the core theme of the story, or the personal plight of your main protagonist.
The title of 'Laughs and Heckles' was very well thought out, we used green and red as to Suggest the colours of 'stop' and 'go' we also made the font bold which stands out and helps the audience identify it being a comedy show as 'Laugh' in the title is evident that it will be funny and 'Heckles' suggests the people may not like the act. We also had bulbs wrapped around the lettering to make it look like it was going to be vibrant , bright and a studio or comedy bar.
Logline: Write a short and powerful description of the core concept. Two sentences is ideal. A logline for a scripted series will often describe the main character's plight and unique circumstance that drives the story.
We didn’t come up for a log line for 'Laughs and Heckles' although now looking back I wish that we had actually come up with one which could sell a show within two sentences because sometimes you only get two sentences to pitch to a TV Commissioner. 
We did however concentrate on our host more then we spoke about the judges because he is the one that would lead the show.
Synopsis: Write an overview of the series idea, describing the world or setting it takes place in, the unique conflicts faced, and the dynamics between main characters that fuel the story. This is a great sales tool because you're going to highlight the most interesting facets and themes of the series. You should be able to do this in three paragraphs, but a few pages is ok so long as the writing is "tight" and reads efficiently, moving the story beat by beat.
We didn’t have a synopsis as such we had a pitch proposal in which we gave the panel before we went into the pitch this was our pitch proposal:
Characters: Describe you main protagonist and other key characters in the series. Write less about their background and more about their current circumstances and shared conflict. A short paragraph for each is ideal. Clarify how they view their world, and how they relate to others. Create irony with their behavior. Find the flaw in a hero, and a redeeming quality in an antagonist.
With all our cast within 'Laughs and Heckles' and the acts, we did promote them within the pitch, we focused on what they could do, how they could do it and why they wanted to do it. I felt this information would be able to clarify the mood and the tone of the show.
Pilot Outline: This is a step-outline of the script that will be first episode, which sets the series in motion. (Manvile 2016)
For our pilot outline, we had an easy concept that could be followed anywhere in the world, we had the structure and the framework to be able to get made easy and effiantly.
Conclusion
Having all the information that I needed to research on pitching, I now understand how important it is to make a good pitch.
We put together a slideshow for the pitching panel however when it came to the pitching day I do feel that we concentrated more on the mood of the set design rather then the prospect of having this as a TV show for the future of television.
We knew we had an original idea and we had our characters but I feel that we focused too much on the easy concept rather than making it a bit complicated and interesting for instance, I feel that if we had alternatives for the audience to do something if they didn’t likean act, that would’ve been more interesting to follow.
I do feel like myself and Jaz had a good pitch as we bought in Shabba Da Comedian to showcase his talent, he was interesting to watch but it did take up a lot of our pitch in time, but it was a different approach to what anybody else was doing for their pitch, he put on a little show for us and he was very well recieved.
There is a lot to learn from this pitching experiance i.e. next time I will focus more on tone, structure and framework of the idea rather than focusing on getting celebrity is on board for credibility.
The pitch powerpoint
Bibliography.
Casey, B. Casey, N. Calvert, B. French, L. Lewis, J. (2008) Television Studies: The key concepts. (Second Edition) Oxon: Routledge.
Creith, K. (2020) [Telephone conversation to the head quaters of Applause store about the importance of audience partipation]
HBO American company (2020) [online] At: https://www.britannica.com/topic/HBO (Accessed on 22 February 2020)
Manvile, S. (2016) 'How to pitch scripted TV show idea and pilot scripts: The TV writers vault guide to writing, pitching and selling scripted TV series' In: TV Writers vault 2016 [online] At: https://www.tvwritersvault.com/creating/how-to-pitch-a-tv-show-pilot-script.asp#.XlEZrlL7QUE (Accessed on 21 February 2020)
Razvan, S. (2013) 'Comedy centrals top 100 comedians of all times' IMDb. 28 October 2013 [online] At:https://www.imdb.com/list/ls052672615/ (Accessed on 22 February 2020)
Weber, J. (2013) 'A Completely Judgmental Ranking of TV Talent Shows By Their Judges Panels' In: Vulture Lists.com 16.10.13 [Online] At: https://www.vulture.com/2013/09/judging-top-tv-talent-show-judges-panels.html (Accessed on 05 February 2020)
Weston, J. (1998) Directing Actors. Michigan: Michael Wiese Productions.
OFcom (2018) Diversity and equal opportunities in televison 2018: Monitoring report on the UK-based broadcasting industry. [Online] At:https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/121683/diversity-in-TV-2018-report.PDF (Accessed 21 February 2020)
On Line Audiences. (2013). Americas got talent ticket disclaimer. [Online press release] At:https://on-camera-audiences.com/shows/Americas_Got_Talent/Zx2o37HVfFHl6zNdK/ticket (Accessed on 6 February 2020)
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