Behind The Scenes... Anything and everything you want to know

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Mommabear said:
The delectable Mr Mason didn't used to take it with a pinch of salt when he worked at Bid.

Just to add regarding salaries. When Bid folded, the aforementioned delectable man was out of pocket to the tune of 12K. He hadn't been paid for the final three months if I remember correctly. So roughly 1k a week he earned on Bid.
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That's right, his "Goddess" "allegedly" threatened law suits to all who mentioned him when he was on, and after, BidTv.........hope he doesn't do cookery shows any more now though, because he obviously can't stand the heat.
 
Is Steve Dovey still head of H&S? I remember he said that I "bullied" him into giving me a place for work experience!! aha
 
IdealWorldWorker said:
Hahaha. Yes, he is still there. Or he was when I left a year ago. Always was/is a jobs worth.
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According to him, they hired him after the fire years ago, as he was the best for the job. :mysmilie_17:

- That's a question...what do you lot think of the work experience people? They seem to have loads. No offence with your answer, it was 6 years ago for me!
Apparently I was the first work experience guy allowed on the camera for a full hour, and was on sound on my own for 30 mins as the guy went off for a ***, and printed me the manual of how IW does sound! aha - No big head intended ;)
 
Bennyxp said:
According to him, they hired him after the fire years ago, as he was the best for the job. :mysmilie_17:

- That's a question...what do you lot think of the work experience people? They seem to have loads. No offence with your answer, it was 6 years ago for me!
Apparently I was the first work experience guy allowed on the camera for a full hour, and was on sound on my own for 30 mins as the guy went off for a ***, and printed me the manual of how IW does sound! aha - No big head intended ;)
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Haha, well done :)
From a crew point of view, people understand the importance of having to get work experience, and try to be accommodating. It's a tough industry to get work in. You can't get in as you have no experience, but can't get the experience. It's also very much a "who you know" industry, and it's a very close circle. So everyone admires anyone who manages to get in for work experience. I personally do whatever I can to help work experience as I remember that being me years ago. :)
 
A real question (or two) - how many DIFFERENT monitors are there for the presenters to watch?

For example, is there one for each camera so they know what they are focussing on, or just one showing the transmitted picture?

And how do they know which camera to look at, eg, does it have a red light illuminated on it?
 
I have a few questions too:

Do IW have any "robo-cameras"? I think one of the reasons why QVC are sometimes frustratingly slow to show you the details is because they have computer controlled cameras.
How many cameras do they use to shoot a show?

Who decides what the on-screen demonstrations will be for a product which can be used in several ways?

How long does it take to set up the demonstrations for the shows? I'm thinking particularly for the DIY and craft shows.

Are there some shows/products that are harder to do in terms of preparation and demonstrations?

Thanks in advance for any answers?
 
stratobuddy said:
A real question (or two) - how many DIFFERENT monitors are there for the presenters to watch?

For example, is there one for each camera so they know what they are focussing on, or just one showing the transmitted picture?

And how do they know which camera to look at, eg, does it have a red light illuminated on it?
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Director will say something like "going to 1.... 1 in vision" So they know what camera is next, and when it is on. Red light is there too.

When I was there, they had 1 monitor (like an old tv) and the floor manager would move it as necessary.
 
Aren't there several numbered monitors on the floor showing different shots, one shows the picture presently showing on tv and the other showing the camera shot that's next up that will be shown on tv.
 
Question......if you will........

How long in the current format with the current presenting team do you think IW will be on our screens for (in your experience of being behind the scenes)?
 
You may say that. I couldn't possibly comment. QUOTE: "It's completely legitimate, because it has to be". QUOTE: "...they are closely watched by OFCOM".

IdealWorldWorker said:
It's completely legitimate, because it has to be. The presenters are fed live stock updates from the producers, into their ear. As you stated, it is illegal to lie, and in shopping telly, they are closely watched by OFCOM. With stock updates, the key is PERCENTAGES. Never do they mention numbers. It's just clever marketing. "WOW, we have just sold out 50% of our stock on this item!!". Sound impressive!? But it's the fact that they only have 10 of them in the warehouse. So this massive 50% stock sell out that looks so impressive and must surely be a lie.... Is actually just that the quantities, at times, are much lower than you'd imagine.

The "Busiest part of the show" is again, fact. However it is based on something called "allocations". Again, fed to the presenter by the producer. The producer has a live view of the items on the show, how many people are ordering on the phone etc. But the main thing is the "allocations". This is where it is in someones basket online, but not yet checked out. So there may have been 2-3 people online with it sitting in a basket. Then the "busiest part of the show!" can quite simple be where 6-7 people have the item in their basket.

You may have also noticed presenters saying "if it's in your basket, make sure you check out now, else someone can come along and take it off you". That's because they can. As just mentioned, allocations is purely people with it in their basket. It is not secured as theirs until they buy it. So if there's 20 items in stock, yet there are 30 of them "in allocation", only 20 will be able to buy them. They will also use the stock updates talk to drive people to checkout, if they see loads of people have the item in allocation.
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stratobuddy said:
A real question (or two) - how many DIFFERENT monitors are there for the presenters to watch?

For example, is there one for each camera so they know what they are focussing on, or just one showing the transmitted picture?

And how do they know which camera to look at, eg, does it have a red light illuminated on it?
Click to expand...

Think this has now been answered. However, the answer goes for almost all television productions. There are floor monitors that show program output, and another showing "preview". Which is the next shot. The director will direct the camera guys to get a certain shot, then say "coming to 1, on 1". To add to the previous answer on this. "In vision" isn't a term for "camera two is on". In vision is the name of a certain shot. Also known as the "wide shot". This is the shot of both presenter and guest and the whole set.
The cameras are set up, left to right, from viewers perspective, camera 1,2,3.
1 - wide shot / in vision
2 - medium close up shots
3 - proper close up shots

There's also a "jib" camera. That's a camera on a long pole essentially to give higher shots and more dynamic shots with interesting movements.

Presenters know the camera they are on in a few ways:

Red indication light on camera that's live
Director vocal cues
Program monitor on studio floor
Floor manager standing behind the live camera
Floor manager pointing to the live camera
 
maymorganlondon said:
I have a few questions too:

Do IW have any "robo-cameras"? I think one of the reasons why QVC are sometimes frustratingly slow to show you the details is because they have computer controlled cameras.
How many cameras do they use to shoot a show?

Who decides what the on-screen demonstrations will be for a product which can be used in several ways?

How long does it take to set up the demonstrations for the shows? I'm thinking particularly for the DIY and craft shows.

Are there some shows/products that are harder to do in terms of preparation and demonstrations?

Thanks in advance for any answers?
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Hello! Now these are the questions I was expecting and can answer! Finally people are getting it! :)
Ideal world don't use robot cameras, and I don't think they should. As you've said, it makes viewing frustrating and slows everything down. The shots are all uninteresting too.
I just covered the number of cameras etc in my answer to another question, so please see that above this post :)

Demos for ideal world products, I.e. Not crafty... Are thought up by a specific development production team that are designated a certain genre such as technology, household, garden etc. They liase with the manufacturer of the product to come up with demos to show the product. The demos are tested and the most effective ones make it to air. New products typically will trial numerous demos until the find the right formula of what works to sell the item, then the show begins to settle down into a typical routine. Then development production will re-address the demos down the line to rejuvenate the show. Guests are also involved in this process.

Setups of shows are done 100% by the floor manager assigned to that show. The times vary dramatically depending on products. Setting up a craft show selling mostly card stock can take 10 minutes. But if the producer wants all the samples fanning out, displaying on big stands, with demo boards behind, massive set dressing etc, loads of samples, it can take 2-3 hours. It's the logistics of having to move crafting counters in and out of sets, removing shelving, bringing dining tables into studios etc. All whilst they are live in a set about 5 feet away. So everything takes so much longer as you have to be slow and quiet. It's why it's such a manual job. People think there are a lot more sets than there actually are. One set that was seen at 10am that's white, with a logo, craft counters and nothing else, can by midday be a cosey sit down area with tables, chairs, shelves, a kitchen etc. Although tv looks like magic, it's done exactly as it'd have to be done at home. A kitchen has to be wheeled in, chairs and tables carried in, shelves screwed into walls etc.

Regarding DIY shows, especially the painting ones are hard hard work to set up. The house set can't fit through the normal studio doors, so you have to move the largest set wall, sometimes whilst they are in that set, open up the full height doors that basically take a wall out of the studio, and 4 people are required to wheel the house into a free set.

Completely ironically, there are handy men that do diy jobs and construct sets etc. They paint the house set ready for painting shows. Yet because of the noise of a paint sprayer, they can't use it whilst shows are live, so it done with a roller!

Hardest shows to set up are painting shows, steam cleaners etc as they require so much labour to get the sets in. Technology ones are by far the nicest set up.

The one that takes the longest prep are the jewellery and watch shows. All the jewellery has to be cleaned and everything that is on that show has to be checked, verified, and laid out and labelled on a table off set, in all colour options. So for example, a watch show may have 22 watches on. Each watch may have 2 colour variants. Or more. So you have a minimum of 44 watches to clean, label, verify, set the time, lay out on tables, get security to focus their cameras on them etc. If you're on a jewellery show, that's the only show you'll do on a shift.

The worst by far to do are wig shows. Each wig has around 6 colour variants. All with stupid names, all looking the same in colour and style. So easy to get wrong. Then managing a presenter, guest and models too. Average set up time 3 hours. And 2 hours to strike (pack away).
 
S C O said:
Question......if you will........

How long in the current format with the current presenting team do you think IW will be on our screens for (in your experience of being behind the scenes)?
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I may be being thick but I don't quite understand the question..? Do you mean how long do I think the current line up of presenters will be there..?
 

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