STUDIO: Steal The Style Research ('How to Look Good Naked')

How To Look Good Naked

• First Aired Ch4 2006
• Hosted by Gok Wan 
• Encouraged average people, insecure with their bodies, to strip for the camera
• Unique for never pushing cosmetic surgery or weight loss - Very body positive 

Format:

• Aims to build self esteem of one guest each episode - varying activities (placing self in size line-up)
• Photographs guests, placing images in very public spaces - Eg side of building 
• Interviews members of public - very positive feedback 
• 'Looking Good Naked' tests weight loss myths and gives top-tips from fashion bloggers etc
• Old underwear is burned and replaced with more flattering garments
• Show ends with guest walking catwalk 

• Lots of quick zooms
• Gives easy-to-use tips based on body type - for all types and ties in to guest's
• Includes tips relevance to catwalk fashion
• Gives prices and stores of clothes
• Consistently reassures against surgery etc

Host: Gok Wan

• Trained in performing arts
• 10 years fashion experience as of first season
• Very positive, supporting, stylish 
• Wrote first book to accompany show: "How to Look Good Naked: Shop for Your Shape and Look Amazing!, that was published in April 2007"
• Fashion journalist and occasional TV appearances before hosting show
• Bullied in school for being gay, mixed race and overweight 
• Suffered from anorexia 

LIVE: Pitch

FEEDBACK:

• Great, original idea
• Loved the style 
• Would have worked better as a kid's show

LIVE: Research (Sunday Night at the London Palladium)

http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/london_palladium.htm)

• Debuted first weekend of UK commercial television
• Immediately established self as highest show of the week 
• Climbed straight to the top of TV ratings
• Became talking point for millions on Monday mornings
• "prompted one Church of England vicar-the Rev. D.P. Davies, of Holy Trinity Church, West End, Woking, Surrey-to start his Sunday evening service half an hour earlier, so that his congregation could get home in time to see the show"
• Brought globally loved acts and grown stars to living rooms - music, dance and comedy 

Dior Dancers - Sunday Night at the London Palladium -- 17.4.1960

•  One shot maintained almost throughout, cut wider once or twice to maintain action
• Fairly wide shot, occasionally closer but still not a CU
• Camera seems more rehearsed and motivated than modern versions of show

Format:
Opening titles
Tiller Girls (Chorus dance troupe) - Clown
Lesser acts
Game show - involve audience?
Main acts
Closing - All guests on revolving stage - Take a bow


Tonight at the London Palladium - Friday 8 Dec 11.20pm (Series 1 - Episode 4 60 mins)

• Steady LS typical of show
• Steady CU always available
• CA to audience
• Cameras are-set, not pre-rehearsed
• Audience included more toward mid-show point - keeps interest up

CAMERA APPEARS PRE-SET TO A SPECIFIC FORMULA, NOT PRE-REHEARSED TO BEST SHOW OFF ACTS

Critical Perspectives (Introduction Lecture - 19/01)

Formalism: The elements that make up and structure the films form
Style:

•  Mise-en-scene 

Editing:

• Continuity editing (Hitchcock)
• Discontinuity editing (Soviet Montage - Sergei)
• Art House Cinema (Jean Luc Goddard)
• Avant-Garde/Experimental (Stan Brakhage)

Cinematography:

• Framing
• Composition
• Frame Rate

• Narration (Narratology - Bordwell, David - Narration in the Fiction Film(1985)
• Story and plot
• Characterisation

Sound: 

• Michel Chion
• Nolan (Batman fight scene, Dunkirk)

Realism and Social Realism: 

• Documentary Modes (Poetic, Expository, Observational, Participatory, Reflexive, Performative)
• Poetic Realism (e.g. deep focus photography, long takes in Citizen Kane)
• Neo-Realism (eg. non-proffesional actors, documentary affects handheld cameras, no editing - Rec) 
• British Realist (New Wave 1959-63)
• Social Realism (Social problem films Ken Loach, Mike Leigh)
• Sociology of Urban spaces, class systems etc

Auteurship

• Francois Truffaut (Auteur Policy, 400 blows)
• Andrew Sarris (Auteur Theory, three concentric circles)
• Rolan Barthes (Death of the auteur - viewer as author) 
• Auteur Structuralism (Wollen - Authorship as unconsciously channelling social conventions)
• Post-Auteur (As a head of collaboration with actors, producers, screenwriter, branding)

Genre Theory: 

• Formal Elements:
• Iconography
• Tone
• Narrative
• Plot
• Themes
• Archetypes

• Rick Altman
• Thomas Schatz
• Steve Neal

• Categories
• Subgenres and Hybridity
• Canon formation, Revisionism and Cycles
• Allegory and Metaphor
• Industry and Audience 

National Cinemas, Art Movements, Transnational Cinema

• British New Wave
• French Impressionism and Surrealism
• Soviet Montage
• Italian Neorealism
• German Expressionism
• French New Wave
• New German Cinema
• New Mexican Cinema
• New Hollywood and Independent American Cinema
• Hong Kong Cinema
• Iranian New Wave

• Where does the money hail from? The director? The story?
• Is Harry Potter British or American? Jame Bond?

Spectatorship:

Psychoanalysis

• Male gaze in Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958 - Laura Mulvey)
• Phallic Symbolism in slasher films (Carol Clover)

Cognitivism:

• Recognition, Alignment and Allegiance of Characterization in Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001 - Murray Smith, Engaging Characters)

Feminism:

• Male Gaze in vertigo
• Post-feminist and consumer 'choice' of branding, beautification and neoliberal exploration in New Femin0niities: Post-feminism, neo-liberalism and subjectivity)
• Androcentrism - Simon de Beaviour, Mary Ann, Doane, Film and the masquerade

Representation:

• Class
• Sexuality
• Gender
• Masculinity/Femininity 

Postcolonialism, Multiculturalism, Race and Ethnicity

• Orientalism - Edward Said
• Third Cinema versus Eurocentrism
• Racial Gaze
• Positive and Negative Stereotypes

Digital Cinema: 

• Manipulation of spaces and early effects - Melies, Lumiere Bros
• Perceptual Realism and Photorealism
• Persuasion Tactics and Paratexts
• Remidiation
• Motion Capture and Performance
• Humanness and technology
• Codes and contestable mapping
• Trandmediality
• Participatory Culture and Citizen Journalism
• Convergence and spreadable media 

Animation:

• Early Animation
• Disney
• Warner Bros and UPA
• Pixar
• Music and Abstraction
• Anime
• Stop-Motion

Industry, Production, Distribution

Commericialism, Globalization, Marketing, Ratings, Franchises, Money and Spectacle

Hollywood Studio System

Art and Fashion in Film and TV

• Art History
• Surrealism
• Dadaism
• Situationism
• Mannerism
• Cubism
• Abstract Modernism
• Deconstructionist
• Precisionist
• Renaissance linear perspective
• Rococo
• Punk, Mods, Grunge, Indie

Star and Stardom

• Star system
• Studio System
• Celebrity studies
• Star Personae

Audience Reception

• Gathering information and codes of behaviour
• Sources
• The hypodermic needle model 

Politics and Political Economics

• Globalisation, neoliberalism, Free Markets

• Marxism and the Frankfurt school
• -Ideology, base and superstructure
• Hyperdermic needle
• Hegemony(Gramsci)
• Varnivalesque (Bakhtin)

Structuralism and Post-Structuralism

• Semiotics - Signifier and signified
• Mythology - Levi Strauss
• Deconstructuralism - Derrider
• Postmoderism

Phenemenology and Embodied Spectatorship

• Haptic Visuality - sense associated with touch, smell, taste, eg of filmed textures

• Carnal Senses (Laura Marks) and Skin of the Film (vivian Sobchack)

Film and TV History, Cultures, Criticism, Festivals .. 

Shape of your proposal: 

Intro (Set up and prepare reader)

• Introduce and explain main focus and aim/question
• Clarify areas of research your dissertation (focus and aim of each chapter)
• Brief overview of the discussion order of your chapter by chapter

Chapter One - beginning

• Definitions of terms used in quetsion
• Basic theory
• Background information and/or historical ideas and context

Chapter Two - Middle 

• Utilises and builds on info from ch 1
• Application of theories, current discussions/context
• Any info and ideas that must be discussed before the question can be fully answered or the aim fully achieveed in final chapter

Chapter Three - End

• Question is fully answered or aim fully realised 

Conclusion: Very last, final response on discussion

• Reiterate the aims, reminding reader of any questions you wanted to answer
• Highlight key findings 

• Research and list progressive points (logical order, identify infor/evidence)
• Check the flow of your essay 

Expectations: 

• Clear, focused and research informed
• Theoretically informed
• Opportunities for analysing viewpoints/evidence
• your own conclusions
• focused and specific
• purpose

Don't:

• imaginary points
• already know the answer
• lots and lots of description
• broad,vague

Question should contain:

• Questioning term
• Enquiry, purpose/aim
• Specific theories or work

Structuring Paragraphs:

1. Para Focus
2. Intro of quotation
3. Context of quote
4. Quote
5. (Reference)
6. Interpretation of quote
7. Analysis and conclusions drawn from quote
8. Concluding point

• Inclusion of research and discussion/analysis of it
• does not include any unreferenced material
• evidence is key  Avoid blogs, youtubes or chat forums (unless to backup an academic point)

Ideas for analysis:

• Peaky Blinders (Mise-En-Scene, Post Modern music, representation)
• Black Mirror
• Misfits
• Luther
• Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson: Why His Movies Matter By Mark Browning

The Films of Wes Anderson: Critical Essays on an Indiewood Icon edited by P. Kunze

Cinema of Wes Anderson: Bringing Nostalgia to Life By Whitney Crothers Dilley

• Colour and costume 
• Visual Comedy EG Buster Keaton, Edgar Wright, Jacques tati

'How does a director use the camera as tool for visual comedy, with specific reference to both contemporary and classic material?'

'To what extent is the camera used a distinguishable tool for visual comedy, with specific reference to both contemporary and classic material?'

David Bordwell's essay on funny framings: http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2007/04/30/funny-framings/

David Chen's video essay on Wright's use of close-ups: vimeo.com/85311313

Politics and the American Television Comedy: A Critical Survey from I Love ... By Doyle Greene

Keeping Quiet: Visual Comedy in the Age of Sound By Julian Dutton

Animation - EG Looney Tunes 

• Costume and colour 
• Silence as choice - sound design
• Escapism
• Documentaries?
• Mockumentary?
• Increase of TV as a cinematic art

LIVE: Lecture (Pitching (without bitching))

Is your idea SWOT ready?

• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Threats

• Your idea must have an OBJECTIVE
• Write this into your proposal, written in the present tense and with an active voice. A written representation of the visuals and your treatment. (Shouldn't be more than a page but no less than a paragraph.)

• An alloted time to convey your idea
• Pitch to the most senior members of the programme or relevant channel commissioner or development exec

• Outline your initial intentions and ambitions. To include:
• Working title, location
• Subject and premise (Idea in a sentence - USP, Synopsis - Clear overview of content, contributors, VTs and Style)
• Target Audience and channel (Research and evidence data)
• Style and tone (Mood board, contributors - reference well known faces)

• How does your format add up the storytelling and usp
• Why should it be commissioned - originality should be stressed, don't compare as it doesn't sound new
• Running order - be clear and detailed so we know how your show works
• VTs - how will they be used - BE CREATIVE
• Basic camera plan/floor plan 

• Use visual aids - powerpoint etc to provide guidance and structure
• Show example clips of similar/existing content to illustrate what it will be like 
• Bring it to life - involve your audience - props/costume
• BRAND! (Match colours, fonts etc)
• Take us through your idea logically step-by-step
• Is your idea viable? (Have you contacted people already? have you considered the viability of your options?)

• Consider appearance and pace (you AND your pitch)
• Have practice runs (peer feedback)
• Be enthusiastic, colourful and SELL it
• Empathise your USP
• More practise = more confidence = better pitch 

• Be prepared to expand on your presentation when you are asked questions – have more detail available 
• Take your time – if you are unclear ask! 
• Have facts and figures – back things up with real answers ! 
• If you are asked something you really do not have an answer to, REMAIN POSITIVE – see it as a way of improving and expanding your idea and respond in a confident way to the suggestion/request

• Every week Broadcast has a list of dos and don'ts from channel execs – these are a few common themes: 

DO: 

• BE BRAVE AND SURPRISE 
• BE PASSIONATE AND ENGAGING 
• CHALLENGE CONVENTIONS – NEW ANGLES 
• PITCH IDEAS IN A PARAGRAPH 
• PITCH THE TOP LINE – ARTICULATE IT IN A SENTENCE 
• KNOW EXISTING OUTPUT AND SPOT OPPORTUNITIES 
• DEVELOP A DIALOGUE WITH COMMISSIONERS 
• PITCH IDEAS AND STORIES NOT SUBJECT MATTERS 

DON’T: 

• SEND LOTS OF IDEAS – BE FOCUSED 
• PATRONISE EDITORS WITH GIMMICKS 
• WATER DOWN THE IDEA TOO SOON 
• FLOG A DEAD HORSE/OLD CHESTNUTS 
• DEVELOP ‘OFF MESSAGE’ IDEAS i.e. Not right for slot/channel/brand etc 
• MAKE PROMISES YOU CAN’T KEEP 
• ENSURE IDEAS WORKED UP 
• WORRY ABOUT ‘FANCY’ PRESENTATIONS

STUDIO: Picking a channel

In order for us to find the most appropriate broadcaster/time slot for our show I did some research on what each of the main channels are looking for in their commissions. (All information and quotes gathered from linked websites and accurate as of 18/01) 

BBC One popular factual and factual entertainment 

 Whilst I think our idea will be entertaining enough for BBC One, I do not think it will be suited to them in any other the way that the channel wants. They want opinionated programming, keen for talent with "clear opinion and provocation" which our production doesn't have and doesn't have need for. BBC One want "the biggest stories and the biggest names" and our show ticks neither boxes. Our production is an entertaining examination on the history of the circus, not the current affairs or social awareness that BBC One asks for. 

BBC Two popular factual and factual entertainment

 BBC Two seeks specialist content, "deep diving into worlds we may not know about" through entertaining formats. They want shows that "unlock traditional territories and allow us to access them in an entertaining way" which, I believe, our show is all about. Whilst historically the circus was a major event and stars were household names, popularity is nothing compared to what it used to be. We hope to bring that rich history and appeal back to a modern audience that gets involved, being entertained and educated. 
BBC Two offers two major time slots for factual entertainment commissions, 8pm and 9pm. Whereas the 8pm slot is typically for competitions, 9pm calls for ambitious entertainment "with bold premise, high jeopardy and unpredictability." With a focus on the "dynamics between generations", I think that by varying the generation of circus acts we show on different episodes and with a subject matter that entertains all ages our production fits perfectly into the requirements of a 9pm programme. 

ITV factual entertainment

 After ITV, (which was ruled out because of it's specification for "popular television from the biggest entertainment events" - which we feel unsuitable for a one-off series) ITV 2 was the only ITV channel specifying an interest in entertainment.  Being "familiar" and sentimental is "critical" to ITV's factual programming - circuses target people of all ages and have a wide sentimental appeal, with deep roots in British history and many circus elements (EG Clowns) being quite popular to many people, I think a show like The Big Top would appeal to an ITV audience. However, ITV also has a high demand for "familiar names" and series that have potential for run for a long time - unfortunately our show does not fit these boxes easily but could be adapted, perhaps to explore other aspects of british history that may have lost aspects of such widespread public appeal similar to the circus. I think The Big Top would sit best in the 8:30pm slot, just before watershed that asks for "great ambition and an emphasis on entertainment values."

FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT ON CHANNEL 4

 Wanting to be told something about the world is key to Channel 4, as is "scale and aim[ing] to grab viewers with their ambition ... warmth and humour." Warmth and humour will come naturally to a programme all about the circus, with entertaining acts, audience involvement and a little bit of learning along the way. However, much like BBC One, Channel 4 requires production that are perhaps more socially or culturally necessary than our production is. 

Overall, I think that our idea best fits BBC Two as far as content is concerned. I do worry that their demographic is older than ours, however the cross-channel advertising of the BBC (and online streaming services) means that specific audiences could be reached very easily. 

STUDIO: "What is 'As Live'?" Lecture (16/01)

Going live is no longer a necessity, it's become a genre within itself.

• 'As live' - recorded to appear live, minimal pick-ups etc, post-production is kept to a minimum
• Not as spontaneous as live, more controllable, more polished - opportunity to re-record elements. 
• Do not require paraphanelia of live programming, satellite trucks etc - cost reduced
• Immediacy makes it an 'event'

• Risk becoming too manufactured, losing ege. 
• Hard to recreate tension of live programming
• Audience can feel cheated

Formats:

• Panel shows 
• Quiz shows
• Chat shows
• Music
• Entertainment/comedy

Themes:

• Audience
• usually in studio - full studio floor crew required
• Often involve on screen guests/talent + main presenter/anchor 
• Often topical/driven by special events or dates
• Often use VT inserts

Genre impact:

• May dictate content, style and location. (Consider differences between question time and graham norton)
• Recorded on location (Outside broadcast/OB) or in studio
• Expectation of audience 

Audience

• Passive - simple quietly viewing
• Participatory/active - actually taking part in some way 
• Appreciative - responding through laughter, clapping etc
• Supportive - there to back a contributor

Content

• Almost anything can be presented as-live, but consider:
• Time (This is a huge factor. Must be carefully time so each segment fits prescribed evaluation. Timings should be considered to test viability of idea.)
• Location
• Budget
• Logistics

On location

• Advances in satellite technology has led to advent of OBs such as:
• Sporting events - Olympics
• National/International celebrations - Royal wedding
• Ceremonial events - coronations or other investitures

CASE STUDY: LIVE AID (July 1985)

• event staged simultaneously at Wembley stadium and JFK stadium
• BBC gave the schedules over to the event - unprecedented - 16 hours of rock music
• Event also broadcast live in the UK on television and radio. (Also broadcasts from Australia, Austria 
• The Soviet Union also broadcast live - first time anyone in the West had ever seen an uncensored, live broadcast from the USSR 
• Plagued by technical problems. (Satellite breakdowns and feedback noise)
• Phil Collins flew on concorde to play both shows.

• ONE OFF SPECIALS e.g. Telethons or concerts 
• Reality TV output e.g. Big Brother 
• News programmes 
• Magazine programmes 

• Disasters are often a prompt for ‘round the clock’ live coverage - DISASTERS e.g. 9/11 
• The advent of domestic handheld video cameras and phones has increased the amount of on the scene material available. 
• During the 9/11 terrorist attacks a stream of on the scene material shot by people on the ground painted an intimate and personal POV of events. 
• This material is readily available and often utilised by broadcasters

• Programme makers increasingly appeal and cater for viewer created content.
• Additional source of content has now evolved into a major source of programme content.
• Broadcasters now collaborate with their audience 
• Eg Facebook Live – offering new opportunities for live broadcasts online.

Current projections estimate a 50% share of viewing time spent online by 2020 the future of live may lie online

• Whatever the platform, live broadcasts represent a unique opportunity to engage audiences and to promote content.
• Become a 'gimmick' to be exploited 
• the added tension of ‘what might go wrong’ can draw audiences in – increasingly being used to market brands. 
• Special editions of Eastenders, e.g. 2010 marking its 25th anniversary, gained an audience of 16.6m ¡ Coronation Street’s 50th anniversary live special in 2010 was watched by 14m.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC (LIVE):

• Buttocks clench, adrenaline pumps
• 'Never been done' experience
• Iconic, public appeal
• Orchestrations pre-recorded, helps actors keep timings etc
• 17 cameras

Live experiment

• Formatting tool - 2011 BBC3 produced 'Frankenstein Live' - Attempt to inject new life into classic 
• success was questionable, but it is a good example of how a live event can be utilised to re-generate a genre.

• Much of what is perceived as live, is in fact pre-recorded - actually relies heavily on pre-prepared VT inserts. 
• E.g. News or magazine programmes using preshot material 
• Expands the possibilities of content and allows producers to vary locations

• Live programming is fraught with challenges, not least of all planning and potential technical issues 
• Meticulous planning is essential
• OB lives even more so as there is the potential for infamous loss of the satellite link
• Strategies are generally evolved to cope with these potential pitfalls. 
• Studio based content - handling back to the studio in times of trouble
• VT - pre-shot material to be moved up and down running order as needed 
• Back up material/stand by VT

• However the possibility of mistakes live on air adds vitality and tension to programme
• Studio team are charged by very notion of being live and this translates to audiences at home

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o9sIZkEego

THE LAW

• Lives are particularly vulnerable to legal problems, be it the use of rude content before watershed
• Sex Pistols swear on live TV 1976
• Even pre-shot VTs can experience live problems
• It is the job of the gallery teams and the producer and PA to work together to ensure they have another story to take over.
• Serious questions posed about the integrity of material presented as live from major broadcasters in 2007/8. Competitons in particular were being 'mocked up' to deal with problems experienced by the production team. 
• Blue Peter was fied £50,000 by Ofcom after a visiting child was asked to pose as a phone in competition winner. 
• Live TV is typically delayed by a few seconds to catch swearing etc.

AS LIVE: Studio Workshop (16/01)

Information from: http://www.maidstonestudios.com/studio/two (Accurate as of: 17/01)

Set ideas:

• In half-round - best for cameras and semicircles
• Big canvas tent covering 2/3 of circle 
• Cameras on wheeled tripod behind audience
• Handheld cameras in front of audience 
• Audience standing (where possible) 

STUDIO: HISTORY OF CIRCUS

Info from:  https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/nfca/researchandarticles/circushistory

• 18th cent and earlier, travelling shows of menageries (zoological exhibitions) and acrobats in a circular structure would eventually become known as circus. 
• 1772 - Term 'Circus' was coined by Astley's rival Charles Dibdin who opened 'The Royal Circus' in London. 
• 1768 - In London, Philip Astley (founder of modern circus) staged show of trick horseback riding and live music. Later added other acts such as clowns, acrobats and a live band. 
• 1793 - John Bill Ricketts opens first Astley style circus in US. Show consists of rope-walkers, clowns and riding acts. By early 19th century, majority of early American and European circuses based acts of Astley's ideas. 
• Travelling circuses were large commercial affairs by mid Victorian era and ranged from small tent affairs to large enterprises with permanent buildings or amphitheatres. 
• For the first half of the 19th century, large wooden buildings were typically used for circus shows. 
• 1840s - Canvas tenting for outdoor performances was an idea imported from America. 
• Proprietors such as Frederick 'Charles' Hengler constructed purpose-built buildings throughout the UK. 
• One of the greatest circus proprietors of the century, Hengler was an equestrian, musician, performer and manager of brother Edward's circus. With beginnings as a travelling show, by 1850's Hengler's circus opened permanent fixtures in Glasgow, Dublin, Hull, Birmingham and Bristol and ran his shows from his headquarters in Liverpool.
• By 1850s, American and European circuses shared many elements associated with circuses today. A divergence in style and structure became more evident, while Astley's principle of a simple ring was still followed, acts became more innovative and complex. 
• 1859 saw the introduction of the flying trapeze act by Jean Leotard
• Animal menageries with tricks and routines led to rise of animal circus, lion taming, elephant acts and feats of horsemanship. Circus performers became household names, Blondin (who crossed Niagra Falls in 1859) was famous for tight rope. 
• 1870s - Growth of US railways allows larger distance travelling and creates great train shows. Bigger attendances meant more rings and larger tents. Circus shows became spectacles with large casts, extravagant animals, production numbers and side-shows. (Barnum and Bailey's circus train consisted of between sixty to seventy train carriages.)
• Typical Victorian acts included aerial stunts, EG tight rope, trapeze, equestrian riding, ground acts such as acrobats incorporated novelties like the perch act and breakaway ladder, juggling and of course the staple of circus performance the clown.

Barnum & Bailey's Circus programme,1898
(http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/v/victorian-circus/) 

"By the end of the nineteenth century the circus was an established and popular form of family entertainment, the aristocracy of travelling entertainment. Queen Victoria invited a range of circus showmen including P.T. Barnum to perform for the royal family at Windsor and Balmoral from the 1840s and this royal patronage secured its place as both an art form and one of the most popular of all the forms of entertainment exhibited during her reign."

• 20th century circus dominated by three main personalities, each a defining character for their generation. Bertram Mills, Billy Smart and Gerry Cottle. Their stories prove that circus has always been where the most talented run away to. 

•  Modern circus incorporated dance and new media, animals have largely fallen out of appeal and shows may contain a narrative structure based on immersive theatre practices. Limits of a 13m diameter ring have long washed away.

"One aspect should distinguish all circuses: it should always incorporate at its heart exceptional human bodily skills being pushed to the extreme for the gratification and entertainment of the audience." 


"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lt92lztntg
"Families, cotton candy, Coke, children, barkers, side shows, women snake charmers & sword swallowers, tent circus, parade, audience, clowns, animals, elephants, Emmett Kelly, Betty Rich Queen of the Air, trapeze artists, aerobats, bareback riders, trained horses, tigers, Clyde Beatty, GREAT FILM!" Reupload of a previously uploaded film with improved video & sound. Public domain film from the Library of Congress Prelinger Archives, slightly cropped to remove uneven edges, with the aspect ratio corrected, and one-pass brightness-contrast-color correction & mild video noise reduction applied. The soundtrack was also processed with volume normalization, noise reduction, clipping reduction, and/or equalization (the resulting sound, though not perfect, is far less noisy than the original)."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7qqzYm17S8

This film shows the 1940's circus culture day in small town America.

STUDIO: IDEAS LAB 11/1

Local circus company - what will work? What will wow?

Which circus era?

Find some characters before the pitch

Hide somebody in the audience?

Start looking for presenters. Meet with ringleader

Figure out running time

Check broadcasters tech specs

Energy and audience levels

Health and safety