6 ms·

If anyone is curious how to do this kind of hyper-niche techie reality show the right way, please do check out Penny Arcade's Strip Search: http://www.penny-arc

by swanson 13y ago

If anyone is curious how to do this kind of hyper-niche techie reality show the right way, please do check out Penny Arcade's Strip Search: http://www.penny-arcade.com/strip-search http://www.penny-arcade.com/strip-search The premise is to get a bunch of comic strip artists together and compete to win a working space at Penny Arcade's office in Seattle and some cash (the idea being this would be used to launch their own comic strip). Some things that really worked well: * There was almost zero bullshit reality TV manufactured drama * Everyone treated each other with respect and I think every artist gained something from being on the show (new fans, support for Kickstarter projects, etc) * Focused on the work being produced, including plenty of links to scans of all the artwork on the show website * Episodes released on YouTube (could use existing apps, infrastructure) * Two episodes (15-25min) released each week (short enough to consume, frequent enough to keep you hooked) * Enough production value for it to not be a distraction; obviously this isn't a major network TV show, but it wasn't some person's first production using iMovie * The show didn't take itself too seriously. Watch the "elimination ceremonies" to see what I mean. Definitely worth a watch, and worth learning from :)

arrrg 13y ago
I was thinking Amnesia Fortnight from 2 Player Productions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTzTjf-I-A8&index=2&list=PLIhLvue17Sd7Y5qXNqV1wDPtdNPjZ-tw0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTzTjf-I-A8&index=2&list=PLI... It’s not about a game jam (but it’s four team leads with four teams getting to make a prototype of their game idea in two weeks, so pretty similar) but it’s about game development. Great productions values, all on YouTube, no manufactured drama, but still plenty of actual drama, tension and hilarious moments. The idea behind this game jam is pretty awesome and deserves to be implemented the right way. It wouldn’t even have to be the more contemplative style of 2 Player Productions.
- KVFinn 13y ago
  >I was thinking Amnesia Fortnight from 2 Player Productions: Yeah these are fantastic. High recommended. Production quality is high enough they could air them on TV too.
rlongstaff 13y ago
> * There was almost zero bullshit reality TV manufactured drama The bit in the article that astounded me was where he talked about sections of the contract everyone was expected to sign: "Another clause allowed for willful misrepresentation for the sake of drama..."
- cheald 13y ago
  That's standard fare for "reality TV". Most of that kind of stuff is utterly fabricated.
- Fomite 13y ago
  Aka "We reserve the right to make a loser edit to drum up suspense". This was the least surprising part of it for me.
- kingkawn 13y ago
  What we call bullshit is another way of saying, "in case you are supremely boring we reserve the right to make it seem like observing your day-to-day life is at the least enjoyable as a train-wreck." Maybe we are bullshitting by not living so well thats its more enjoyable than watching others live poorly.
  - brianpgordon 13y ago
    Boring is safe. I wouldn't call being boring "living poorly."
    - jimmaswell 13y ago
      According to Hacker News if you live a safe and "boring" life you're the worst kind of person out there
- JohnTHaller 13y ago
  That's basically all of reality TV. There's hardly anything real about it. The scenarios are all scripted. The only thing that's sometimes real are the reactions of the 'stars'. And, even then, they're so re-edited and re-framed, that the end result doesn't have much in common with reality.
brianpgordon 13y ago
I didn't feel like Strip Search was a particularly effective way of finding the best cartoonist in the group. Contrived challenges like copying Barack Obama's signature 10,000 times or setting up a convention booth really had nothing to do with drawing a comic. Even the comic-drawing elimination challenges seemed like a poor fit for some of the cartoonists due to the extreme time constraints.
- pyrocat 13y ago
  Cons are where web comic artists make a LOT of their living. Setting up the convention booth so that you minimize theft and maximize sales is going to come in very handy later (and probably did this weekend, when some of the Strip Search contestants had a booth at Emerald City Comicon). The signature challenge was because you're asked to sign things many times in rapid succession at cons as well, but is probably less useful than learning how to set up your booth. The time constraints are relevant considering how hard it is to draw a comic strip on a regular schedule, but granted 90 minutes is pretty extreme.
  - daemin 13y ago
    I thought Strip Search was about the contestants learning about how to run a web-comic business, not necessarily learning to draw comics.
    - pyrocat 13y ago
      Exactly
- michaelt 13y ago
  I didn't feel like Strip Search was a particularly effective way of finding the best cartoonist in the group. Typically for reality competition shows the goal is to produce programming that draws in viewers, rather than to find the best competitor. If 'survivor' wanted to make a show about survival skills they'd use a bunch of ex-marines, mountaineers and woodmen. If 'dancing with the stars' wanted to show the best dancing, they'd get rid of the celebrities and just have professionals. If 'the apprentice' wanted to find people with business skills they'd get candidates smart enough to realize infighting isn't a useful business skill. I'm not saying I like it, but 'so you think you can dance' certainly has more viewers than the Prix de Lausanne youtube channel. And what's the point in making ideologically pure TV that no-one wants to watch?
walesmd 13y ago
I had not heard of Strip Search - thank you for posting the link, girlfriend and I enjoyed the first 6 episodes this evening and definitely plan on finishing it up.
canvia 13y ago
www.geekandsundry.com is also well done.

by swanson 13y ago

arrrg 13y ago

I was thinking Amnesia Fortnight from 2 Player Productions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTzTjf-I-A8&index=2&list=PLIhLvue17Sd7Y5qXNqV1wDPtdNPjZ-tw0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTzTjf-I-A8&index=2&list=PLI... It’s not about a game jam (but it’s four team leads with four teams getting to make a prototype of their game idea in two weeks, so pretty similar) but it’s about game development. Great productions values, all on YouTube, no manufactured drama, but still plenty of actual drama, tension and hilarious moments. The idea behind this game jam is pretty awesome and deserves to be implemented the right way. It wouldn’t even have to be the more contemplative style of 2 Player Productions.

KVFinn 13y ago
>I was thinking Amnesia Fortnight from 2 Player Productions: Yeah these are fantastic. High recommended. Production quality is high enough they could air them on TV too.

rlongstaff 13y ago

> * There was almost zero bullshit reality TV manufactured drama The bit in the article that astounded me was where he talked about sections of the contract everyone was expected to sign: "Another clause allowed for willful misrepresentation for the sake of drama..."

cheald 13y ago
That's standard fare for "reality TV". Most of that kind of stuff is utterly fabricated.
Fomite 13y ago
Aka "We reserve the right to make a loser edit to drum up suspense". This was the least surprising part of it for me.
kingkawn 13y ago
What we call bullshit is another way of saying, "in case you are supremely boring we reserve the right to make it seem like observing your day-to-day life is at the least enjoyable as a train-wreck." Maybe we are bullshitting by not living so well thats its more enjoyable than watching others live poorly.
- brianpgordon 13y ago
  Boring is safe. I wouldn't call being boring "living poorly."
  - jimmaswell 13y ago
    According to Hacker News if you live a safe and "boring" life you're the worst kind of person out there
JohnTHaller 13y ago
That's basically all of reality TV. There's hardly anything real about it. The scenarios are all scripted. The only thing that's sometimes real are the reactions of the 'stars'. And, even then, they're so re-edited and re-framed, that the end result doesn't have much in common with reality.

brianpgordon 13y ago

I didn't feel like Strip Search was a particularly effective way of finding the best cartoonist in the group. Contrived challenges like copying Barack Obama's signature 10,000 times or setting up a convention booth really had nothing to do with drawing a comic. Even the comic-drawing elimination challenges seemed like a poor fit for some of the cartoonists due to the extreme time constraints.

pyrocat 13y ago
Cons are where web comic artists make a LOT of their living. Setting up the convention booth so that you minimize theft and maximize sales is going to come in very handy later (and probably did this weekend, when some of the Strip Search contestants had a booth at Emerald City Comicon). The signature challenge was because you're asked to sign things many times in rapid succession at cons as well, but is probably less useful than learning how to set up your booth. The time constraints are relevant considering how hard it is to draw a comic strip on a regular schedule, but granted 90 minutes is pretty extreme.
- daemin 13y ago
  I thought Strip Search was about the contestants learning about how to run a web-comic business, not necessarily learning to draw comics.
  - pyrocat 13y ago
    Exactly
michaelt 13y ago
I didn't feel like Strip Search was a particularly effective way of finding the best cartoonist in the group. Typically for reality competition shows the goal is to produce programming that draws in viewers, rather than to find the best competitor. If 'survivor' wanted to make a show about survival skills they'd use a bunch of ex-marines, mountaineers and woodmen. If 'dancing with the stars' wanted to show the best dancing, they'd get rid of the celebrities and just have professionals. If 'the apprentice' wanted to find people with business skills they'd get candidates smart enough to realize infighting isn't a useful business skill. I'm not saying I like it, but 'so you think you can dance' certainly has more viewers than the Prix de Lausanne youtube channel. And what's the point in making ideologically pure TV that no-one wants to watch?

walesmd 13y ago

I had not heard of Strip Search - thank you for posting the link, girlfriend and I enjoyed the first 6 episodes this evening and definitely plan on finishing it up.

canvia 13y ago