GCSE MEDIA

TV GAME SHOWS: Guidance Notes

General Points

• The exam will be 1hour and 30 minutes long

• The exam will be held on Tuesday, 23 May

• Each question is worth 15 marks and you should spend

approximately 20 minutes on each question.

• You should bring design equipment such as drawing and colouring

pencils, a ruler and an eraser in order to answer the design

question.

NOTE: These notes are not designed to be comprehensive; they are merely designed to start you

off and provoke some ideas, There is obviously no guarantee that these questions will be asked.

Also remember that the order of the questions can change.

The Scenario: WRITE IN ROLE!

The scenario you are provided with gives you a situation that requires

your expertise. In reality, it is a reminder that you are expected to

respond to the questions in role; in other words, you are the person

contributing ideas to the launch of this game show and should write

your answers in an appropriate style. You should treat this invite to

plan a game show as though it was real and as though you really

want the job.

Your answers are offered as emails to the commissioning editor at

Communique TV. You might start each answer with something like

‘For the attention of: Commissioning editor, Communique TV.’

Possible Question 1 - Knowledge and Understanding POSSIBILE QUESTION #1

For your knowledge and understanding question you will need to remember to use case studies to support

your response.“Game shows have filled slots in Saturday evening scheduling for years….”

You may well be asked something like ‘Why have Game Shows always been so popular and how do they target different audiences?’ THIS IS BASICALLY A QUESTION ABOUT AUDIENCES.

You might want to consider:• Universal appeal of simple, repeated formats (quiz show, talent show, physical challenge etc);• Pure diversion. Undemanding, easy viewing.• Cheap to make so institutions like them; audiences watch them mostly because there are so many of them• Easy to target specific audiences through content (sport, music related, for example) or through star appeal

(hosts or celebrity specials)…• .. Or huge, mainstream, family audiences through undemanding, inoffensive formats which construct the

escapist idea that ordinary people can ‘win big.’ Utopian theory.IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU REFER TO YOUR CASE STUDIES A LOT! That’s half of what you’re

being assessed on. This is also your chance to show off your knowledge of Media Theory. Every sentence should have media terminology in it... that’s the other half!

Possible Question 1 - Knowledge and Understanding POSSIBILE QUESTION #2

“… the way we can use social media and e-Media to involve and increase our audience throughout the first season’s run this autumn….”

You may well be asked something like ‘How have e-media and social media been used to extend the appeal of Game Shows?’.

You might want to consider:

• The construction of imagined communities• The interactive nature of social media/ websites – means audiences will be more engaged and active. Two-

way rather than one-way flow of information• Ability to target niche audiences much more accurately on social media. (Can send different messages or

materials to adults, younger people, people in different geographical areas…)• Website can be a platform for synergistic links to other institutions – sponsoring or advertising• Digital platforms allow multiple ways of drawing audiences in – video blogs from the stars, competititons,

backstage footage, even things like merchandising sales or links to the sites of other shows from teh same channel.

Possible Question 2 - Pitching your Idea

For your pitch you will need to remember to remain in role, using persuasive and exciting language. You need to show the

examiner that YOUR game show is the BEST THING EVER!

Go through the brief for ‘clues.’ Make sure your pitch matches what they ask for, but also look for places where

Communique TV perhaps haven’t thought things through properly. (E.g., they say they want a huge family audience,

including grandparents, but they are also insistent on the use of digital media as part of the show. Are those things

contradictory? They also want a USP but they want a huge audience of mainstreamers. These things are not necessarily

huge problems, but A* students will often highlight problems and perceived inconsistencies in the brief.)

They have specified that they want an ‘exciting competition’ which is ‘fun’ and ‘engaging.’ You need to explicitly cater to

these demands in everything from your gameplay (silly family games? Family teams? Generations of the family playing

against each other?) to your design (upbeat, ‘fun’, exciting. This is not University Challenge!)

Secondly, be aware that they have specified ‘a family audience.’ That means you need to EXPLICITLY put things in your

show to appeal to adults, teens and younger children of both genders... It’s not enough to just claim that it will appeal to

everyone if you can’t split up the audiences and cater to them individually.

Possible Question 2 - Pitching your Idea contd.

“We believe that central to our game show’s appeal will be the possibility for viewers at home to play along… we look forward to hearing your ideas about how the show can be interactive and engaging for its viewers.”

This is very important – it’s the most specific thing they ask for.• An app that allows audiences to engage – perhaps voting on possible answers? (Like Who Wants to be a

Millionaire?)• A roving host who is in some town in the UK and who is going to call in to a family at random during the

show? (ike The Big Breakfast, not a game show, did..)• A round where the TV audiences can vote on the final winner? (Like various TV talent competiitons...)• Part of the gameplay where people at home can vote on something (‘Would you keep 5000 pounds if you

found it in the street?’) and then contestants have to guess what the audience said? (Like Family Fortunes...)

Possible Question 2 - Pitching your Idea contd.

“We need to be current and firmly in the 21st Century. Crucial to this will be the way we can use social media and e-media to involve and increase our audience…”

This is obviously similar to the last point but whereas that was more about involving the audience in the show, this seems to imply they want some sort of digital and social media presence to market the show (‘to increase the audience...’)

• Cimplimentary content on your website/ app as the show is being screened (more clues for the question, subsidiary competititons for mini-prizes... Audience win points if they can answer the questions more quickly than the contestants)

• Online marketing campaign before show starts. This is a digital channel (like Netflix) and they want a young audience so at least that part of their audience will already spend a lot of time online – so it’s a good idea to market it online.

• Synergistic links – we can increase an audience by linking to other products (websites) they already use. Obviously, this will be different for differnet parts of your audience.

• Maybe intervies with the contestants befoe and after the show.• Basically, you might be thinking in terms of digital content which hooks the audience before, during and after

the show.

Possible Question 2 - Pitching your Idea contd.PLEASE REMEMBER THE ORDER CAN CHANGE

“The game show needs to have a clear Unique Selling Point.”

This can be tricky. Your idea wil probably be reasonably similar to a lot of existing shows, and this is fine because we are targeting a big aoudience of mainstreamers so extreme originality is too risky. But you need some gimmick or angle to base your marketing on. Maybe it will be:

• an unusual or unusually generous prize. • a charitable link of some sort. • A combination of formats – quiz show which takes place on an obstacle course...• A musical or sporting or cooking or family-game theme...• A deliberately nostalgic appeal (“back to the eighties...”, or a different decade each week...)• Your actual USP does not matter that much. What is important is that you KNOW what it

is, you TELL them what it is, and you BASE A LARGE PART OF YOUR DESIGN AROUND IT!

Possible Question 3 – Design question

“We believe the focus on the family audience must be clear from the opening title sequence.”The storyboard has been the most popular choice for this question in years past. You will be supplied with a

10 frame storyboard sheet to produce your design. • YOU MUST FINISH ALL TEN FRAMES. Consider it a test of basic organisational competence. So plan

something you can replicate in 20 mins. The four weeks they give you is to get this ready.• It should be in colour. A black-and-white storyboard means a black-and-white game show. A storyboard

coloured with highlighters and normal pens paints a clear picture of a lazy or disorganised student. Consider a basic colour scheme (3 colours) which will appeal to your audience.

• Tech info - sound, camera angle and movement - is vital.• Don’t repeat any frames. If shot one is a logoflying across the universe, we don’t need another frame

later which is basically the same thing.• Title of show, name of host, logo (which features the central icon of the show), shots of the audience,

ideas of the gameplay, shot of the set... include ALL the things which are commonly found in opening sequences.

• Remember your audience. Emphasise the nice smiley host for the grandparents but also emphasise the digital, online component for the younger end of the audience.

Possible Question 4 - Justify your Ideas (Possible question #1)

“Explain how you will market your game show in order to reach your target audience.” (Or similar)• Traditional media- magazines, newspapers, radio, traditional TV channels, posters, cinema.• May appeal to older audiences.• Expensive• Very good for targeting already-defined audiences• Have actual examples- ‘TV Times’ or ‘Radio Times’ are TV schedule magazines, for example. Much

more impressive if you can actually identify specific magazines you wish to use as part of your marketing.

• Limited, one-way flow of media. Passive experience. Things like posters are only used to hit very localised, immediate audiences (ie at the time and in the place where the show is actually showing. And remember this is a digital channel, so there is less emphasis on a particular ‘airtime.’)

Possible Question 4 - Justify your Ideas (Possible question #1)

“Explain how you will market your game show in order to reach your target audience.” (Or similar)• New Media - digital forms. Web, social media, mobile media, digital TV channels (eg Netflix)• Appeal to younger audiences• Cheap, flexible forms• Allows for connections between web, forums, social media; multi-platform approach• Web 2.0 - Two-way flow of media -audience can engage (eg add photos to instagram,join in on forums.) • ALlows for multiple forms - video, text, animation etc. Can be much more immersive• Vital that there is coherence across all forms; old and new media must be part of the same campaign,have the same

taglines, aesthetic etc.• Examples – ‘Deal or No Deal’, Channel 4 programme which has a supporting website and app. The app allows

people to play some gameplay for free or to actually compete for prizes if they pay for the premium edition.

Possible Question 4 - Justify your Ideas (Possible question #2)

“Explain why your game show will appeal to your audience.”• Key word - audience. If nothing else, show that you know how to write intelligently about audiences. Who are they

(demographics and psychographics), how do we attract them (marketing), how do we entertain them (Uses and gratifications), how do we know we have succeeded (audience research, viewing figures.)

• But link to other key concepts also. Media language and representations obviously play a part in attracting audiences, and attracting audiences is what institutions exist to do. So, ensure that you are always discussing one of these concepts.

• Media terminology in every sentence. No waffly introductions or conclusions. • Reference to case studies always helps.