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Eviction Stage design, On-Air Graphics and Theme Song Talk

matts bb

Always Watching đź‘€
So there has been something that has been bothering me since Nine revived Big Brother. There is a list of heaps of things but three of my biggest gripes are the Eviction Stage, the Theme Song and the Opening titles.

There was an article posted on BBBA at the end of last years season on tips for a better Big Brother and I pretty much agree with all of them. The Eviction stages we have had for the past two years have been very minimal and the fact that the auditoriums seating space has been reduced and ENCLOSED (Which I totally disagree with) has really put a dampener on the evictions vibe and feel compared to how it use to be.
Having the grass seating open gives the impression on TV that its a massive event and it looks crazy on TV - great vibe and feel with the use of effective and creative lighting.
Below is an image which I have put together that shows all of the "impressive" (in my opinion) eviction stages/sets that we have had in the past. Comparing them to the recent ones... well they just look down right nasty and cheap.

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Now I know the reason they probably blacked out the auditorium and enclosed it was probably due to the big and oversized projection screen that they had on-stage, I get it. In doing that though they killed the vibe of the audience in there and the use of it was minimal or the images we sized incorrectly and it looked amateur. I feel like the last two years they have gone for gimmicky kind of things for the stage that end up just looking stupid or just seem like a waste of money.
Look how simple yet bloody effective the 2005 stage is. All that it is made of is metal trellis and a bunch of different sized TV's essentially. That set lasted 3 years with modifications to it and each year it looked great. Look at how it and the full set-up of the auditorium was utilised in 2007's launch opener, its amazing:
(apologies for the bad quality, couldn't find a better copy online)
Now I know people at BB HQ will say "But we will be on air during Daylight savings and we don't want to have light showing in the auditorium, so it needs to be enclosed."
Well my answer to that is if you light it correctly and you don't have projections as part of your set, you can have it open. You think me sitting at home when its light outside at 7:30pm is going to make me question why is it light at Dreamworld? Of course not. You work with your elements and it'd be mostly dark by 8:00pm anyway, so it shouldn't really affect anything.

In saying that with the massive crowd look, the Jib (crane) shots flying around crazily back then were awesome and the lighting was always great. The best example of this is the BB06 finale, THIS is what the current season of BBAU should be aiming to do every night in its lighting, set-up, cameras and use of stage (minus the smoke and the fact that well... its a finale :p ) :


They really should just go crazy with the lighting and Jib, get it flying around again, allow people to come in with signs its a big part of the BB fun and atmosphere. When you compare the openings of the eviction shows when the show aired on Ten the atmosphere compared to the opening of the shows on Nine are worlds a part. Nine seems so scripted and stilted. Sonia is great, they need to get it all geared up and exciting again. A weak beating theme song and lack of effective lighting makes it.... almost sterile. Which leads me into..

Finally the theme song. Well, look we can say they have tried but not hard enough. When you compare what we got last year:

Then you get the genius and talent of someone like Marqusite who is not even employed in this field and he can pump out a theme that doesn't sound like a fairy prancing across the speakers. It has bass, it has grunt and it has a BB feeling, and hes made it using that 2013 theme and added all the other notes and beats in HIMSELF originally. (It also includes a proper closing theme and credits)
Alex Mavroidakis take bloody note buddy:

It astounds me that fans of the show can create theme songs, floorplans, set designs and they are BETTER than the people who are employed to make the show.

I could continue and say the opening titles were better last year yet still doesn't beat any ANY of the previous ones when it was on Ten, but hey they have a lot more problems to work on. Maybe they will surprise us? One can live in never-ending hope.

Rant Over :)
 
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I agree 100% with all of what you're saying.

However, I think the problem isn't so much with Alex and the BB team (well, to an extent), but more Channel 9 and their brief of what they want the show to be. Unfortunately.

In saying that, the staging definitely needs an upgrade but I just can't see it happening, sadly. I'd love to be proved wrong though.
 
To play devils advocate as a fan rather than producer it's easy to forget about the budget. Perhaps they can't afford to go all out for the eviction shows, and perhaps the reason that half the auditorium is blocked off is because they can't sell the tickets - it isn't the event it used to be after all. Personally I've no issue with the size of the place but agree the sets have been rather unspectacular - essentially Sonia and a screen. The walkway last year improved things but the evictees actually need something to walk too!
 
i really just want an eviction plank. like i really, really need it back. if there's only one thing they change about the stage then this, pleaaassseee.

and why the heck is the audience not allowed to bring signs??? seriously, you can have security check the signs upon entrance if you're scared people will write inappropriate things. and i miss how people used to dress up despite the occasional cringe factor.

seriously though the crowd used to go WILD!! now they just sit politely in the dark while the cameraman pretends they aren't there.

god it's amazing though when you put the pics of closed vs. open auditorium together, the difference is phenomenal.
 
Last years stage was a big improvement over 2012, with that abysmal Kelly and Regis setup they had with the stools after an eviction.

I'm not fussed about the stage too much, it's the content and scripting which are absolutely abysmal. Patronising.


2007 slayed. I miss Gretel
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the less plasma TVs the better IMO, great for that time, but just no reason for them these days (on tv sets).
that said, set design could be better, theres no reason for it to be so minimal really.

hopefully some of what youve mentioned will be fixed by a specific director for live shows this year (they should know what works)
as for theme song, not too fussed, but if you listen closely, the one youve posted is just an edited version of the 05 theme song, so thats why it sounds so BB, and clearly why 9 wouldnt just reuse it, its a new era = it has a new feel.
 
To play devils advocate as a fan rather than producer it's easy to forget about the budget. Perhaps they can't afford to go all out for the eviction shows, and perhaps the reason that half the auditorium is blocked off is because they can't sell the tickets - it isn't the event it used to be after all. Personally I've no issue with the size of the place but agree the sets have been rather unspectacular - essentially Sonia and a screen. The walkway last year improved things but the evictees actually need something to walk too!

I agree with this.. About the numbers in the audience. The few shows that I managed to get down to in 2013.. The crowd numbers where down and the amount of "free" tickets that got handed out during the process.. Free tickets to people who were just visiting dreamworld for the day to come along.. And then once in they gave you a free ticket for the next nights taping show just so they could try and fill the seats that are not selling online.
 
Last years stage was a big improvement over 2012, with that abysmal Kelly and Regis setup they had with the stools after an eviction.

I'm not fussed about the stage too much, it's the content and scripting which are absolutely abysmal. Patronising.
Wow. For the first time there's actually a post of yours I totally agree with. :cigar:
 
you's probs don't know but i'm a music producer, and a mate of mine produced a modernized version of the theme song for bb 2012 however was later scrapped before airing. Channel 9 still own it however and it may be used this year!
 
you's probs don't know but i'm a music producer, and a mate of mine produced a modernized version of the theme song for bb 2012 however was later scrapped before airing. Channel 9 still own it however and it may be used this year!

pretty sure youre now obliged to get hold of it and share it... :woot:
 
With the eviction set, it would be nice if it was shifted back again instead of having that black void. Even if audience numbers are down, due to the nature of the ampitheatre the audience would be spread over more rows - the rows get narrower the closer to the front they are!

as for theme song, not too fussed, but if you listen closely, the one youve posted is just an edited version of the 05 theme song, so thats why it sounds so BB, and clearly why 9 wouldnt just reuse it, its a new era = it has a new feel.

The notes are in the style of the 05 theme song, that's right, but it is more than mashing up the 2012/2013 and 2005 themes (involving synthesisers) :)

Agree with @matts bb though, the 2012/2013 theme needs more oomph. If they must, they can keep the current style, and just beef it up more.
 
Oh and can we please drop the rampant product placement? It's embarrassing, does any other BB do it?

Wow. For the first time there's actually a post of yours I totally agree with. :cigar:

How sweet. Possibly the nicest thing you've ever said to me.

Shady, however...

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But...but how else am I supposed to know about how good ambi pur is at masking the everyday household smell.

I'd like to know which feminine hygiene products got Mikkayla through the house.

Then i'd need to see them displayed casually around the house. Perhaps someone could win them as a part of some "zany" little task (throw x over the fence, take a dump in x's bag, etc).

Maybe an entire theme song about Tampax complete with a little number by Sonja.
 
With the eviction set, it would be nice if it was shifted back again instead of having that black void. Even if audience numbers are down, due to the nature of the ampitheatre the audience would be spread over more rows - the rows get narrower the closer to the front they are!
They could always add a stage in the middle to take out a few seats - indeed think having Sonia right in the middle of the crowd might help with the atmosphere a bit.
 
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