BBC4, Gaming and Image

[Chris_Nightwing]

Just a quick update for everyone. It's going ahead on Thursday in the crypt of the Guildhall, just for the thematic elements of course. The way they're trying to introduce the game (at the start of the show) is following a documentary stereotype of a 'journey' through gaming, and in this segment they inevitably descend into a dungeon. I apparently have the pleasure of voice-overing this with my introduction to whatever dungeon they're entering and so far we've worked out that it'll consist of the presenter's character coming to the rescue of the other two characters that will be present. Oh, he'll be a wizard (sort of thematic again).

So the actual scenario is in my hands. I've found 'Into the Shadowhaunt' from WWDDGD '08, and the best I've come up with is combining the whole thing into a single encounter with Helvec, the two captives, some skeletons and of course, oil-filled sarcophagi. When Helvec is near death there'll be a dramatic hostage-threatening situation in which the players will either kill him (and potentially one or both hostages unless they're very clever or lucky), or let him go to save them. However that ends, there will of course be a cave-in, forcing them to flee as quickly as possible. I'm going to make most of it up on the fly to avoid killing anyone horribly, though a noble death would be great.

Any thoughts on this, or my voice-over, or what to demand of my other players? Neither of them to my knowledge will over-act, which is good. The presenter chap himself has done his homework, playing the starter set at the weekend with his son apparently, and seems totally up for it so I think on that front we're ok.

 

[mach1.9pants]

I'm just going to say good luck and I hope it makes it her on Sky or everywhere on the 'net.

 

[El Mahdi]

Yeah. I don't see much hope for seeing a BBC4 show here in the states. But, if it becomes viewable on the internet or available somewhere as a download, let us know. I'd be interested in seeing it. Hell, if it's good, and shows gaming with a decent and accurate portrayal, I'd like a copy to show to my parents and non-gaming friends.

 

[tuxgeo]

. . . <snip>
And I live (or is that, lair?) near Glasgow, holy crap my reigon proves goblins, kobolds and tinker gnomes exist, so by comparison, I'm "trez chic' " !

Glasgow also proves that Halflings exist! (Isn't Billy Boyd = Peregrine Took (LotR) from Glasgow?)

 

[DrunkonDuty]

Remember that TV works in bites; factoids strung together in some way to make up some sort of meaning.

So have some interesting sound bites ready. Your VO is a good start but since the doco is about the history of gaming you may wish to prepare a few thoughts (not pre-written speeches, just clarify your thoughts) on how DnD (et. al.) has effected gaming culture.

On your VO: keep it to 30 secs -ish reading at a slow to moderate pace. They won't use any more than that in any case.

And be prepared for the show to end up looking nothing like what you've been told it's intended to look like. This could be due to a malicious desire on the part of the producers to make gamers look like nerds. Much more likely it'll be because someone higher up the chain of command will ask for a few minor changes to be made. Then someone above them will ask for a few minor changes to be made. Etc. And of course some ideas that sound good before you shoot them turn out to be pretty bloody awful when edited together.

I'd also guess that they will shoot a @@@@-load of footage, maybe 20-30 hours worth, which will get edited down to a 30 minute show. (More like a 24-27 minute show.) This means most stuff will not be seen. Sound/Vision bites remember.

Just gonna guess here but the show will probably give more time to talking to you guys about RPGs than showing the game in action.

Mmmm. Find myself thinking about how I'd shoot it.

Presenter's intro. Presenter sitting somewhere innocuous. Finish with a cheesy segue like 'Down into the dungeon I went...' or 'We found the closest thing to a real life dungeon we could...'

Cross dissolve to montage of Guildhall, starting with the facade then slow cross dissolves deeper and deeper until the basement itself is reached.
Synced with cross fade into your VO intro to the dungeon. Your VO finishes with 'the monsters attack' or similar.

Hard cut into CU's of the figs (getting nice visuals of the scenery) in the middle of a fight. Mulitple shots, weird angles, flashing coloured lights.
Synced with cut to sounds effects of battle.

Then cut to everyone sitting around the table laughing and having fun. Start interviews.

That's what I'd do. Completely irrellevent, I know.

OH! Just thought. Get the best visual stuff, figs and scenery, etc you can beg/borrow/steal. TV is a visual medium after all. And you can be sure that the doco makers wont have any stuff. BBC4 docs have very little budget.

Be yourself and most of all have fun! Hope to see the show over here in Oz someday.

Cheers,
Glen

 

[bouncyhead]

Please, please no dressing up as elves.

Half of me thinks that it won't matter how 'normal' you are, or articulate about the hobby. If they want to make a show about heavy-breathing geeks they will. BBC4 normally v balanced and intelligent though.


Serious suggestion - most people enjoy fiction, drama, mystery, tactics and competition, which, depending on taste, most rpgs cover pretty well. The issue is the goblins and wizards. If you're asked to explain what the hell is going on with all the dice, rules etc., try using a modern world/contemporary explanation - crime fiction, thrillers or whatever.

Actually, come to think of it, double-dare you to turn up in ears and cape, call yourself 'Elsperoth' and talk about your quest for the Ratwand.

 

[S'mon]

I think - they are not going to broadcast your entire game, so don't worry about the whole thing working as a dramatic sequence, as if it were a theatre or radio play. Instead, aim to have several cool highlights and sound bites, from which the director can pick and mix. A few jokes based on popular culture such as Lord of the Rings movies ("No one tosses a dwarf...") might work - running my D&D game (B7: Rahasia) last year I got a big laugh as follows:

1. PCs meet, fight and kill a small minotaur.

2. PCs later meet a giant minotaur, who raises his giant axe and says, in a heavy Spanish accent:

"My name is Inigo Minotaur.
You killed my leetle brother.
Prepare to die."

Anything like that is good - don't worry if it falls flat, either it'll be hilariously bad - and probably get broadcast - or it'll stay on the cutting room floor.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

So the actual scenario is in my hands. I've found 'Into the Shadowhaunt' from WWDDGD '08, and the best I've come up with is combining the whole thing into a single encounter with Helvec, the two captives, some skeletons and of course, oil-filled sarcophagi. When Helvec is near death there'll be a dramatic hostage-threatening situation in which the players will either kill him (and potentially one or both hostages unless they're very clever or lucky), or let him go to save them. However that ends, there will of course be a cave-in, forcing them to flee as quickly as possible. I'm going to make most of it up on the fly to avoid killing anyone horribly, though a noble death would be great.

Any thoughts on this, or my voice-over, or what to demand of my other players? Neither of them to my knowledge will over-act, which is good. The presenter chap himself has done his homework, playing the starter set at the weekend with his son apparently, and seems totally up for it so I think on that front we're ok.

Into the Shadowhaunt is a great introduction module - just make damn sure someone falls in the oil-filled scarcoughphagus! I can certainly imagine it'll draw everyone's attention into the game, and it's a wonderful way of showing (not telling ) how D&D is a fun game round a table.

If the presenter has already tried out the game, that's a really good sign. Fingers crossed and best wishes for this one!

 

[Plane Sailing]

1. PCs meet, fight and kill a small minotaur.

2. PCs later meet a giant minotaur, who raises his giant axe and says, in a heavy Spanish accent:

"My name is Inigo Minotaur.
You killed my leetle brother.
Prepare to die."

I am SO stealing that idea

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

Glasgow also proves that Halflings exist! (Isn't Billy Boyd = Peregrine Took (LotR) from Glasgow?)

hehe oddly enough...my cousin used to work as a bouncer (steward) in Glasgow city centre, and that's whos ometimes drank at the pub he worked at,small world ain't it?

Nah, Glasgow neds = goblins, too damn dumb to even count for kobolds...
nah, kobolds are the thieving wee twerps who manage to pinch anything that isn't welded down with chrome vanadium steel 3 inches thick and wrapped in poisoned barbed wire!!

True story:
once upon a time, there was a whisky bottling plant by me. 12' high stone walls. So, a Ned decided he's steal a guard dog from inside...
now think about this.

This Ned's barely 5' high. The wall's 12' high. The doberman weighs almost as much as he does, no way he can open the armoured gate it as literally weights tons and needs a lot of work to open it, so he HAS ot climb over and back..did I mention the broken glass on top of the wall?
And, of course, the dog, objects to all this....
260 stiches worth of objection! left the Ned like a jigsaw puzzle.
I mean if your called out to that, do you give a tetanus shot to the dog, or the Ned, eh?!