Game Shows

Question 1

What is the ‘Game Show Formula’

Answer 1

Competition + knowledge/skill + reward

Question 2

What are the 3 elements

Answer 2

Competition
Knowledge/ Skill
Reward

Question 3

Format

Answer 3

The general idea for a show including the rules, name, style

Question 4

Syndication

Answer 4

Selling the rights to broadcast the format (or recreate it) in other countries or regions

Question 5

Conventions of game shows

Answer 5

Larger than life presenter with catchphrases/ jokes
Competition for some kind of reward/ prize
Easy viewing
Humour - usually ‘low brow’ / innuendo filled
Celebrity and/ or real world contestants
Fast pace
Short episodes and/ or ad breaks with focused adverts
High level of editing
Often heavily scripted

Question 6

What are the different codes

Answer 6

NATS

Narrative
Audio
Technical
Symbolic

Question 7

Mise en scène

Answer 7

Refers to what you can see before you

Question 8

What does mise en scène contain

Answer 8

CALS

Costume
Acting
Lighting
Setting

Question 9

Conventions of game show presenters

Answer 9

They must:
Be likeable to a wide range of audiences
Be animated/ enthusiastic
A strong personality and a personality ‘type’
Create memorable catchphrases
Encourage audience interaction (home and in studio)
‘Relate’ to their audience
Be ‘reasonably’ physically attractive
Be in control and able to guide contestants both verbally (helping make jokes or move them along when time is short) and physically ( manoeuvring them around the stage where necessary)

Question 10

What are the audience theories

Answer 10

Uses and gratifications

Hierarchy of needs

Question 11

What is the Uses and Gratifications Theory

Answer 11

Five reasons people use the media:
Education
Entertainment 
Escapism
Social interaction 
Relating to characters and situations

Other examples - the V’s

Question 12

What are the V’s

Answer 12

Visceral
Vicarious
Voyeuristic

Question 13

Visceral

Answer 13

A physical or emotional response

Question 14

Vicarious

Answer 14

Experiencing something through someone else

Question 15

Voyeuristic

Answer 15

‘Spying’ on other people

Question 16

How do shows get made

Answer 16

Production company makes a pilot episode and sells the format to TV broadcasters
Broadcasters show the show
Broadcasters look at the viewing figures and feedback and decide whether to order more episodes

Question 17

Representation

Answer 17

A version of the truth

Question 18

What are the main needs which the media meet

Answer 18

Diversion
Personal relationship
Personal identity
Surveillance

Question 19

Diversion

Answer 19

A media text provides an escape from everyday life

Question 20

Personal relationships

Answer 20

A media text, such as a TV programme, provides a point of conversation for people to have with each other

Question 21

Personal identity

Answer 21

E.g. A storyline in a soap opera which the viewer can relate to

Question 22

Surveillance

Answer 22

Let’s the audience know what is happening in the world e.g. the news

Question 23

Audio codes

Answer 23

This refers to dialogue, sound effects and music. When analysing audio codes you look at the way the sound adds to the images

Question 24

Symbolic codes

Answer 24

Often used in opening sequences, symbolic codes help provide information about the genre and format of the show