Presenting Techniques in the 80's

TV Presenting in the 80’s

Phillip Schofield was born on Lancashire in 1962 and at the age of 17 he began working for the BBC as a bookings clerk and tea boy for BBC radio in London where he was for a while the youngest employee. At 19 he moved with his family to New Zealand where he began working in television as the initial presenter of the youth music programme ‘Shazam!’. He spent 2 years there working for Radio Hauraki. He returned to Britain at 23 and became the first in vision continuity presenter for Children’s BBC on weekdays for 2 years from September 1985. This was when he was working as the Broom Cupboard presenter. While he was on this he was vastly different from the way he is now, which makes sense since he was presenting for a children’s show rather than a more adult show like he does now with This Morning. He was softer spoken and friendly, which was a common thing at the time of children’s presenters, compared to modern children’s presenters who are louder and more obnoxious, in my opinion. There were a great many people who did TV presenting in the 80’s, not just Phillip. Andy Crane took over after Phillip on Children’s BBC and he had the role of in-vision continuity. While he was doing this he was in the same pace that Phillip was, nicknamed the ‘Broom Cupboard’ because it was literally a broom cupboard filled with pictures and props. After this he went on to present many different shows and radios before ending up on ‘This Morning’ with co-host Holly Willoughby. One of the most important things to note with this evolution of character is how Phillip has changed wince his time in the broom cupboard. He has gone from being the funny calm and soft spoken children’s presenter to the more real and forward news presenter, while Holly fills in the role of the upbeat softer presenter now. This shows that Phillip has grown with his audience rather than staying the same as he was back in the 80’s and trying to reach the same audience in the modern day. He has grown and changed alongside his audience from that time and is still presenting to the same people, but they are now older as is he. This ability to change and adapt to a more grown up audience is one the main reason people like Phillip, because they have always seen him on TV presenting the things they want to see.

There were many different styles and shows that were used to present in the 80’s, and one of these is the Hart series, notably Take Hart and Hartbeat. These are where the clay character of Morph first came to be. Take Hart actually began in the late 70’s but ran on into the 80’s. The show featured Tony talking to the young audience and teaching them how to create artwork from everyday objects. It also began the idea of using a crane to look down on massive projects. The show was cancelled in 1983 and Tony Hart went on to make Hartbeat, which was much the same thing as Hartbeat but was more popular. The 2 shows featured a small comedy character made from modelling clay called Morph and was later accompanied by  a cream coloured version called Chas, who was badly behaved. The shows both featured the use of art as a way of teaching the children watching life lessons. After the shows both came to end the ideas used in each were picked up by the show Art Attack, which ran for a number of years using the same concept as both of these shows. One thing these shows had in common was a soft spoken presenter, Tony Hart was accompanied by a few other people who acted as either co-hosts or as a form of comedy character to make the children laugh. Another show that was aired later in the 80’s was The Joy of Painting. This was presented by the legendary Bob Ross. Before he was an artist he was a master sergeant in the US military and said that if he ever left he would never raise his voice again, one of the reasons he is so soft spoken in his shows. Bob has sort of become the face of calm and chill, painting ‘happy little trees’ and always being extra kind to any fan of the show he met. He died in 1995 but his legacy has outlived almost every other TV painter. The styles of these shows definitely tried to garner an air of calmness and relaxation, with the hosts being chilled out and calm, wearing casual clothing like shirts and jeans. This can be seen in Tony Hart and Bob Ross wearing this style of outfit, not really trying to wear the popular brands to look flashy or rich. Their tone of voice was calm and soft, again to evoke an air of calmness in the audience as they relax and watch the show, rather than trying to build up any hype or excitement over what they were watching. They sets they used were usually simple and easy to look at, with Bob Ross going as far as to just have his easel and canvas in front of a black background, while Hartbeat was set in what looked like Tony’s greenhouse.

Another type of show aired in the 80’s was Opportunity Knocks hosted initially by Hughie Green, before being taken over by Bob Monkhouse and later Les Dawson. The show was a talent show in which the winners were decided not by a panel of viewers but by a postal vote. The show featured a comical presenter and general feel. The show was targeted at a more adult audience and families. It was seen as one of the first talent shows on TV. There was also the show New Faces which was a similar idea. It was hosted by Derek Hobson, who was also a continuity presenter for ATV in Birmingham. New Faces was later revived for Central 1986 and 1988 and was hosted by the previous winner, Marti Caine. Her signature catchphrase was ‘Press your buttons... NOW!’ Her hosting was loud and in your face, she was a genuine talent show host always attempting to big everything up. The style of these video was largely the same as the style of modern talent shows like ‘X-Factor’ or ‘Americas Got Talent’ with the hoists wearing the flashy expensive suits and dresses, just with different brand names depending of the decade it was being filmed in. the outfits and sets used in these shows were designed to draw in the attention of the target audience, young adults and families.

Another big show during the 80’s was Top of the Pops, a music chart TV show made by the BBC. It showcased up and coming musical groups and was known for showing the full chart list of performers. It first came about in 1964 and formally ended in 2006 except for the yearly Christmas show. It has been hosted by many different people. In 1980 it was hosted by Michael Hurll who was said to have brought a more party atmosphere to the show. The show brought out some new ideas in the 80’s, such as a new section showing short clips of new tracks from the lower end of the top 40, and this continued until 1994. A new feature was introduced around this time, an American music scene hosted by Jonathon King, who helped create the band Genesis. The programme was broadcast live in early editions but was pre-recorded the day before for many years. Top of the Pops has been credited as popularising the music show genre, and with the help of MTV shows, cemented them in popular culture. Their where many different styles that each show had, but the entire purpose of the show was to showcase the popular music of the times, so each episode featured the host wearing an ‘in’ outfit, with many of the big brands of the times being worn. Compared to shows talked about earlier, such as ‘The Joy of Painting’ and ‘Hartbeat’, the sets used in Top of the Pops were far more flashy and loud and in your face. Since they were trying to build an exciting party atmosphere, they would have all kinds of background dancers and lights flashing like they were at a disco. All of these things where done to draw in their target audience of teens and young adult, people in their 20’s and 30’s, who would find all of these things appealing.

The 80’s featured many different kinds of presenting but the one I am looking at the most is the soft spoken, calm and relaxing children’s presenters such as Tony Hart and Bob Ross.

Ufilms Oscars Rundown Analysis

Oscars Rundown Analysis

The Ufilms Oscars Rundown has come to an end and it is time to break down what went well and what went not so well.

What went well?

One of the most obvious things what was done well was the graphics used in the shows. They were slick and sleek and looked like they could have been used for an actual Oscars TV show. These should definitely be used in the future again. Another thing that was done well was the teamwork we had while on set and while filming. Once everything was done and ready to begin production we knew who was doing what and where everyone needed to be. This proved to be a great help while on set for getting things done professionally and on time. There were some things that could be improved like making contingency plans in case people don’t show up for filming. The camera plans and shoot schedules were great too, especially with the inclusion of the slide for the horizontal moving shots we got. This looked great in the edit and proved to be a great idea both in theory and in practice. The presenting from everyone was great too. Although we aren’t actors or presenters, we all tried not to be as awkward as possible and get through everything with a straight face, which we accomplished. The game show episode was especially fun for people in front of the camera as they got really into the role. The set design was another positive point about the shows. The sets we used all looked great and worked really well to compliment each other while still being unique each episode. The game show had a great design with the props used in the background and the tables looked great too.

What went not so well?

There were a few things that could be improved upon in future and will need to be remembered for the next shows we make. One of those things was the communication between team members, especially before we got to set. Some of the team members didn’t know what role they had because they took over from someone else and hadn’t been told, while everyone else got on with their own work. This should definitely be improved in future if we want to create a professional looking show. Another thing that needs to be improved in future is fore-planning with equipment. On one specific shoot the SD cards all became corrupted forcing the team to reshoot the entire show. Again when we used a new bit of equipment to record the audio the wrong SD card was used causing the audio to become out of synch with the video. This was fixed when we re-filmed the show but in future we need to be more careful when using SD cards. The scheduling and uploading of the individual video was great for the most part but some of the video went up a little later than they were supposed to. One of the reasons for this was the SD card problems but sometimes it was the fault of the team member not knowing what they were doing when it came to uploading or scheduling Facebook posts.

What can be done better?

In future we need to be better prepared to deal with situations that cause us to need to reshoot or rerecord any aspect of the film. We also need better communication so that people know what they are supposed to be doing and when. We need to keep a better eye on what is being filmed when too, to avoid people not knowing what they’re doing each day.

Monkey Business - Documentary

Documentary Log

My documentary is about the history and attractions in Hartlepool, and will feature footage from multiple different locations around the town. I started filming before Christmas when I interviewed my grandfather, Alan Illingworth, about his life and what he thought of the town having lived there his whole life. I filmed this with the help of Kaleb Harvey, who manned the cameras while I asked the questions and interviewed my grandfather. Throughout the interview I asked a number of different questions, most of which won’t make it into the final film as the interview alone was about 15 minutes long. After the interview was filmed we went around the house and filmed cutaways to put into the interview footage so it wasn’t just the interview the audience was seeing. After this was done I next filmed footage of the Historic Quay area of Hartlepool, first filming with the cameras to get footage of some of the buildings and the inside of the ship, before getting the drone out and getting areal footage of the ship to make this section of my film look more cinematic. We filmed a few of the different attractions around the dock area, going into a few of the buildings to show them off, as well as going below and above deck on the ship to show all of that off. After this we went up, we took the drone out and flew it around the ship, showing off the vessel at angles and positions not possible with conventional methods. Some of the footage captured was from 100+ feet in the air looking down onto the ship. I chose to do this with the drone because it shows the ship in a way that many may not have seen it rom before, so it gives people the chance to see it in a different light. The next time we went out filming we were at the Lanyard roundabout in Hartlepool town, a junction next to the lanyard retail estate. We filmed a brief shot of the Vue cinema, the Mecca bingo and got a brief shot of the entrance to the Historic Quay to help introduce that section of the film. Once this was done the next location we filmed at was Brenda Road, a road in Hartlepool that has great hills on either side for setting the scene I am going for. I filmed the brief intro to my documentary there.

New Years Resolutions

1. Stop being so lazy.

2. Make films outside of college.

3.  Read more books

Social Action Group Project

Current Standing in Social Action Project

As the director of this film project we are working on in social action, it is my job to oversee the direction that the short film will take. After the script is complete and ready to film it will be my job to take control on set and have the final say on what happens. I am currently working on character breakdowns for all the characters in the film and will be in charge of bringing them to life. This is important so as to keep the audience engaged and make team feel for the characters and their struggles in life. This is also important for the actors who will be playing the characters, so they can get a better understanding of their characters life and settle into the role easier.

Downton Abbey Analysis

Downton Abbey Analysis

 

Genre: The genre of Downton Abbey is that of a historical period drama. The maids all have a sense of distain towards the scullery maid we see a lot of, this could link to the idea that even the maids have a hierarchy in their own way. She is looked down on by everyone, and this can be seen from the way that everyone is raised above her in each shot, just like how when she is seen as being below the main cook, as she is stood up while the scullery maid is on her knees grabbing the equipment, and the way she is talked to. There are many codes and conventions of period dramas in this clip, like the way that the costumes the actors wear are made to look like they have walked right out of the early 1900’s. Another convention of period dramas is a sense of class and hierarchy in the home and workplace, and this is very evident in this show it is obvious that the lower class generally dislike the upper class. This can be seen by when the first bell rings, signalling the awakening of the upper class, they feel like they need to get back to work, being pulled away from their breakfast and haven’t got a second to relax before they are dragged about again. The show is set in 1912, this being another convention of period dramas, text or dialogue telling the audience when the show is set to take away the ambiguity. We see telegrams, the introduction of electricity and the papers just reporting the sinking of the titanic, these things all point towards it being the beginning set around this time, which could make for some interesting moments throughout the show with the less educated individuals learning the ways of the world, and these all help to confirm the historical setting of the show and help to reinforce the codes and conventions of period dramas. The clip very clearly showed a number of different, open, multi-strand narratives throughout, showing the audience the different characters we will be seeing in the future, and fleshing almost all of them very well with their sound and looks. Whether it be the way the sound changes when we first a new character or the way the camera moves to a different position or even just what someone is wearing, all of these are different ways of altering the way we read a character.

Sound: The sounds used throughout the clip are very specific. From the way the audio picks up and lowers during specific points to the way the audio will stop entirely during specific scenes. When we are first introduced to the Lord, I noticed that the music picks up from the previous scene and enters a higher note, royal sounding music. This can be seen as the show trying to show that this individual is more important than everyone else in the building. The sound also seems to slow down from the previous scene, this could mean that the scene is winding down to a close of sorts. The sounds also cut off completely when we see the lord find out about the titanic sinking, showing that his mind is cleared and he is focusing entirely on this news report, just like we are supposed to shut off from the rest of the background noise and focus on the fact that this unsinkable ship has been sunk. The sound also gets dramatic when the lord gets the telegram, showing that whatever it revealed to him is upsetting or fills him with dread. The music is also fast paced and upbeat when we see the long trailing shot following the scullery maid through the house, showing that it is a fast paced environment and the upbeat nature of the music shows that she is busy and running around trying to get her jobs done as fast as possible before the owners get up. The music is also very dramatic when the paper boy arrives to deliver the news about the titanic, seeming to show that we should already be thinking that something bad is going to come from reading the news that day. The music also quietens down when we are introduced to the people who live in the manor, this could be done to show that we need to pay attention to their every move because they will be important to the story. The musical choices throughout the clip seem to imply that our feelings and mind-set is intended to change when the music does, to help improve our immersion and get us more into the scenes. The diegetic sound is also very important throughout the clip, with specific things being emphasised throughout specific shots. One of these is that the bells that are used to get the attention of the maids and butlers are louder than most other sounds in the room. They are always able to be heard even behind dialogue and background music. This implies that the maids and butlers don’t actually get to sit in peace and quiet fort long before they are needed by the owners again.

Camera shots, angles, movements and editing:

The camera work was actually really important in this clip, more so than in most modern drama TV shows. One of the best examples I saw was the long tracking shot in which the camera follows the scullery maid through the house for some time, showing off a lot of the main rooms in the house while also showing what’s happening around and inside them. While it follows the maid through what looks like a library of sorts we see many maids working to clean the place up and get it ready for the owners of the building. This is important to the show because it tells us that the entire building is busy even when the owners are still in bed, though it isn’t of that much importance to us as we move by it tracking the scullery maid. There is also a sequence of long shots when the lord first shows up, which give us the indication that he is important because he is in every shot in the sequence, and is the main focal point of the sequence. Later on, when the lord is getting his breakfast, we see that the camera always has him in shot. This is symbolic of the fact that back in these days the lord’s word was law, and they were the most important person in the entire household. It could also be to give a specific connotation of what the director wants the audience to think of this sequence. It can be to imply that he is higher above everyone else in the building, and this is what I took form the scene. When he is conversing with the head butler, in the shot reverse shot sequence, we see that in every shot the lord can be seen in some way. He is being looked at directly when he is speaking, but when the butler is speaking he is off in the distance and we are looking over the shoulder at the side of the lord, showing that even when he isn’t speaking he is the most important part of a scene. This is a signifier that he needs to remembered about by the audience, but also that the director wants to show that he is more important than the butler. It also shows that the head butler isn’t that important as he is placed off in the corner out of focus, away from the table and the owners in the room. This is an example of the class system in place in the show in that it places the lord above the butler and shows him more prominently than everyone else. It implies that he is of a higher class by showing him more than people who are not owners of the manor. The editing is not very spectacular, but it does slow down the space between cuts when we are introduced to the lord, showing that he is moving slowly and letting us take in both the lord and the area around him. It also speeds up between cuts when we are following the scullery maid, showing that it is faster paced when she is working on the morning.

Mise En Scene:

The mise en scene of the clip we watched shows that the family who lives in the manor are incredibly wealthy and well off. At first we see that they obviously have a lot of maids and butlers working for them. When we see the older butler walking around the house with his silver tray we see that he isn’t just picking up any old ordinary glasses, he is picking up ornate crystal glasses and champagne flutes. In comparison to this we see the maids and butlers eating from older ceramic bowls and mugs, spending their time in areas that aren’t decorated as nicely or aren’t made to look as fancy compared to the luxury that the family live in. This again goes to the show the class system in place in the manor, that the upper class people live in a luxury and enjoy the finer things in life, while the maids and butlers must live in comparably worse off areas. These places aren’t as good looking as the main areas of the manor because the guests aren’t likely to be coming back here, and neither are the owners.