What are some of the advantages of live television and why do you think it was the prevailing format during TV's first decade? What are its disadvantages? How is "liveness" (or the illusion thereof) used by TV today?
Live television prevailed during TV’s first decade because television was new, and foreign to many audiences, but using live television allowed people to be connected to one another through time while they were in different spaces. It was more familiar to audiences - similar to a stage production or a vaudeville act because they were seeing what was happening right as it was happening. It was also easier because less work was required. There was no post production needed, so whatever happened in those moments were the final product of the show.
Some advantages of live television could be the lack of post production, the ability of it to establish that special connection with an audience, and that it’s incredibly exciting to watch because it’s happening in real time. Audiences as well as the production team would not know what’s going to happen next. Anything could happen - mistakes could be made, there could be a brilliant moment of improv acting, or someone could say or do something inappropriate that couldn’t be edited in post production. However, as fun as it is catching someone making a mistake on live television, that is also a big disadvantage - especially if it’s something someone didn’t mean to say. Therefore a big disadvantage would be the lack of post production, and for actors - the inability to re-do a performance if they messed up.
Most live shows today are either awards shows, some news broadcasts, sketch comedies like SNL, or some competitive shows - like episodes of “Dancing with the Stars” or some sports. Live shows today offer some of the same appeal as they did in early television. Watching SNL is extremely entertaining not only because many of the sketches are funny but also because often times people break character and start laughing hysterically while trying to contain themselves as well - these are some of the best moments because you feel involved in the production since you’re seeing the actors make mistakes that would normally be edited out in post production. Also, seeing an award show, such as the Oscars, live is very fun because both you and the actors have no idea who is going to win so there is this sense of anticipation and excitement as the winners are revealed.
There were both pros and cons of live television in its first decade. Many things could go wrong or at least not as they were planned. This could mean that an entire scene or act would be ruined. However, it could also be a chance to incorporate improvisation and make the skit even better than the original version. In both circumstances no one could really predict how it would turn out. With programs that were not live and taped before hand, there was a little bit more leeway in terms of what the actors could do and say. They could try scenes multiple times and also have more time to practice in between shows. With a live show there was usually a live audience, which gave the actors immediate feedback on their jokes or skits. For example, in the Milton Berle show, when the audience seemed to really enjoy one of his lines, he would repeat it multiple times to make sure he could get a reaction out of every single audience member. This would take up more time however, and might cut off the final acts of the show. In present day TV, its hard to believe that any shows are actually live. However, a show like SNL stays true to a live performance with a live studio audience.
Live television has many benefits over filmed television from an economic and creative standpoint. From an economic standpoint, live television was (is) actually cheaper to produce than shows taped in a studio. While writers still play a part in live television, much of the content is based on improvisation by the host and the guests on the shows, which cuts costs associated with accruing a script. Additionally, live television has a faster turnover rate and thus more episodes of a live show can be aired than that of a taped show, which has to go through a long editing process in post-production.
I think that live television was the prevailing format during TV’s first decade because it resembled stage productions and thus offered familiarity to audiences. The live variety shows such as the Jack Benny Show and the Milton Berle Show borrowed from Vaudeville traditions and thus worked as great transitional television for those who had been previously accustomed to theatre. Live television also was the prevailing format during TV’s first decade because it required much less capital (cameras, lighting, audio) than taped shows.
The disadvantages of live television are that if something goes wrong—i.e. an act doesn’t show up, someone misses their mark, etc.—than the viewers back home will see these mistakes because they cannot be edited out. However, in some ways these ‘mistakes’ give live television authenticity and can make the viewer feel as if they are experiencing something in the moment. For example, on modern day episodes of the show Saturday Night Live, it is often when the actors start laughing accidentally during a skit that draws the most laughter from the audience.
“Liveness” is used on competition shows today such as “American Idol” and “The Voice” to hype up the excitement about the competition, creating the sense that we are in the actual audience as we watch the talent perform. Other shows like SNL use liveness to invoke the sense that we are witnessing spontaneous, improved performances from the actors, instead of scripted, well-practiced skits.
For most obvious reasons, live television was the prevailing format of broadcasting because the technology to tape a show first and air it later didn't necessarily exist. As we discussed in class, episodes of early television shows are rare or nonexistent. In the early days of television, cameras were pointed at monitors of the live show, and then broadcasted, and some were never even recorded and only existed while the moment they aired.
Yet, there were entertainment benefits to airing a live show. As television became a new format to bring entertainment to the public, these shows resembled theatrical performances and vaudeville, bringing the fans of those genres to the new and slightly scary world of television. The live broadcast let people at home feel like they were sitting in the audience, like they were part of the show. Additionally, the improvisation and inevitable mistakes added to the realistic and comedic nature of a live broadcast. Still, while those mistakes were potentially an integral part of the viewing experience, they could also be seen as more of a flaw in the continuity of the show. During a live broadcast, you can't edit out your mistakes, and everyone watching can see that.
Today, live television is normally reserved for special occasions. Award shows that only happen once a year are always broadcasted live. While you can still watch the numerous reruns or online clips, the idea of watching it live adds an exciting quality to the experience. Knowing that your watching what everyone in the audience is seeing as it's actually happening heightens the enjoyment of the event. Additionally, talent competitions like "American Idol", "Dancing With the Stars" and "America's Got Talent", have episodes that are broadcasted live. This is usually because they want people to watch and vote that very night. During live performances, the viewers watch as they happen in real time and vote on their favorites, which makes them feel like a part of the show. Lastly, shows like "Saturday Night Live" utilize live broadcasting to enrich the comedic performances. Not only is there room for mistakes, but the moments were the audience is aware of the live broadcast, for example when a cast member breaks character with a laugh, it adds more humor to the situation.
Television evolved from the radio, and radio has always been broadcasted live. Because TV was such a new concept, I believe that introducing shows that were live, and therefore more similar to radio, helped viewers transition from listening to a radio to watching a television. Sometimes when new technologies are introduced, people do not know how to react to them, but live TV shows were familiar to people.
Live television also seemed more real than pre-recorded shows. By the time the television came out, people had become accustomed to watching films in theaters. However, while movies were filmed and edited ahead of time, television was not as staged. Being able to watch something in real time was probably very entertaining to viewers and drew crowds in, acting as a definite advantage.
One disadvantage that will always be problematic for anything that is aired live is the inability to fix mistakes. People will always mess up lines, equipment will malfunction, things will go wrong. The actors had to learn how to be quick on their feet when problems emerged and the crew had to be able to fix errors or come up with solutions as quickly as possible.
Live television has carried on through the years since it began. However, a lot of shows are now recorded, edited, and aired hours later in the day, though many are still filmed in front of a studio audience. Many follow similar formats: a lot of dialogue from the host to the audience (in the studio and at home), skits throughout the show, and an act of professional entertainment towards the end. However, I think that most actors need to be prepared to do live shows because they have become a “norm” of sorts in today’s society, whereas live TV was not as widespread when it first started and therefore only select actors were a part of it. Additionally, as with anything that is new, live television of the past had to go through trial and error periods where everyone learned what worked best and what struggles needed to be worked through. All in all, the introduction of live television has had a tremendous impact on the film world and will most likely continue to be a staple in today’s world.
Live television prevailed during TV’s first decade because television was new, and foreign to many audiences, but using live television allowed people to be connected to one another through time while they were in different spaces. It was more familiar to audiences - similar to a stage production or a vaudeville act because they were seeing what was happening right as it was happening. It was also easier because less work was required. There was no post production needed, so whatever happened in those moments were the final product of the show.
ReplyDeleteSome advantages of live television could be the lack of post production, the ability of it to establish that special connection with an audience, and that it’s incredibly exciting to watch because it’s happening in real time. Audiences as well as the production team would not know what’s going to happen next. Anything could happen - mistakes could be made, there could be a brilliant moment of improv acting, or someone could say or do something inappropriate that couldn’t be edited in post production. However, as fun as it is catching someone making a mistake on live television, that is also a big disadvantage - especially if it’s something someone didn’t mean to say. Therefore a big disadvantage would be the lack of post production, and for actors - the inability to re-do a performance if they messed up.
Most live shows today are either awards shows, some news broadcasts, sketch comedies like SNL, or some competitive shows - like episodes of “Dancing with the Stars” or some sports. Live shows today offer some of the same appeal as they did in early television. Watching SNL is extremely entertaining not only because many of the sketches are funny but also because often times people break character and start laughing hysterically while trying to contain themselves as well - these are some of the best moments because you feel involved in the production since you’re seeing the actors make mistakes that would normally be edited out in post production. Also, seeing an award show, such as the Oscars, live is very fun because both you and the actors have no idea who is going to win so there is this sense of anticipation and excitement as the winners are revealed.
There were both pros and cons of live television in its first decade. Many things could go wrong or at least not as they were planned. This could mean that an entire scene or act would be ruined. However, it could also be a chance to incorporate improvisation and make the skit even better than the original version. In both circumstances no one could really predict how it would turn out. With programs that were not live and taped before hand, there was a little bit more leeway in terms of what the actors could do and say. They could try scenes multiple times and also have more time to practice in between shows. With a live show there was usually a live audience, which gave the actors immediate feedback on their jokes or skits. For example, in the Milton Berle show, when the audience seemed to really enjoy one of his lines, he would repeat it multiple times to make sure he could get a reaction out of every single audience member. This would take up more time however, and might cut off the final acts of the show. In present day TV, its hard to believe that any shows are actually live. However, a show like SNL stays true to a live performance with a live studio audience.
ReplyDeleteLive television has many benefits over filmed television from an economic and creative standpoint. From an economic standpoint, live television was (is) actually cheaper to produce than shows taped in a studio. While writers still play a part in live television, much of the content is based on improvisation by the host and the guests on the shows, which cuts costs associated with accruing a script. Additionally, live television has a faster turnover rate and thus more episodes of a live show can be aired than that of a taped show, which has to go through a long editing process in post-production.
ReplyDeleteI think that live television was the prevailing format during TV’s first decade because it resembled stage productions and thus offered familiarity to audiences. The live variety shows such as the Jack Benny Show and the Milton Berle Show borrowed from Vaudeville traditions and thus worked as great transitional television for those who had been previously accustomed to theatre. Live television also was the prevailing format during TV’s first decade because it required much less capital (cameras, lighting, audio) than taped shows.
The disadvantages of live television are that if something goes wrong—i.e. an act doesn’t show up, someone misses their mark, etc.—than the viewers back home will see these mistakes because they cannot be edited out. However, in some ways these ‘mistakes’ give live television authenticity and can make the viewer feel as if they are experiencing something in the moment. For example, on modern day episodes of the show Saturday Night Live, it is often when the actors start laughing accidentally during a skit that draws the most laughter from the audience.
“Liveness” is used on competition shows today such as “American Idol” and “The Voice” to hype up the excitement about the competition, creating the sense that we are in the actual audience as we watch the talent perform. Other shows like SNL use liveness to invoke the sense that we are witnessing spontaneous, improved performances from the actors, instead of scripted, well-practiced skits.
For most obvious reasons, live television was the prevailing format of broadcasting because the technology to tape a show first and air it later didn't necessarily exist. As we discussed in class, episodes of early television shows are rare or nonexistent. In the early days of television, cameras were pointed at monitors of the live show, and then broadcasted, and some were never even recorded and only existed while the moment they aired.
ReplyDeleteYet, there were entertainment benefits to airing a live show. As television became a new format to bring entertainment to the public, these shows resembled theatrical performances and vaudeville, bringing the fans of those genres to the new and slightly scary world of television. The live broadcast let people at home feel like they were sitting in the audience, like they were part of the show. Additionally, the improvisation and inevitable mistakes added to the realistic and comedic nature of a live broadcast. Still, while those mistakes were potentially an integral part of the viewing experience, they could also be seen as more of a flaw in the continuity of the show. During a live broadcast, you can't edit out your mistakes, and everyone watching can see that.
Today, live television is normally reserved for special occasions. Award shows that only happen once a year are always broadcasted live. While you can still watch the numerous reruns or online clips, the idea of watching it live adds an exciting quality to the experience. Knowing that your watching what everyone in the audience is seeing as it's actually happening heightens the enjoyment of the event. Additionally, talent competitions like "American Idol", "Dancing With the Stars" and "America's Got Talent", have episodes that are broadcasted live. This is usually because they want people to watch and vote that very night. During live performances, the viewers watch as they happen in real time and vote on their favorites, which makes them feel like a part of the show. Lastly, shows like "Saturday Night Live" utilize live broadcasting to enrich the comedic performances. Not only is there room for mistakes, but the moments were the audience is aware of the live broadcast, for example when a cast member breaks character with a laugh, it adds more humor to the situation.
Television evolved from the radio, and radio has always been broadcasted live. Because TV was such a new concept, I believe that introducing shows that were live, and therefore more similar to radio, helped viewers transition from listening to a radio to watching a television. Sometimes when new technologies are introduced, people do not know how to react to them, but live TV shows were familiar to people.
ReplyDeleteLive television also seemed more real than pre-recorded shows. By the time the television came out, people had become accustomed to watching films in theaters. However, while movies were filmed and edited ahead of time, television was not as staged. Being able to watch something in real time was probably very entertaining to viewers and drew crowds in, acting as a definite advantage.
One disadvantage that will always be problematic for anything that is aired live is the inability to fix mistakes. People will always mess up lines, equipment will malfunction, things will go wrong. The actors had to learn how to be quick on their feet when problems emerged and the crew had to be able to fix errors or come up with solutions as quickly as possible.
Live television has carried on through the years since it began. However, a lot of shows are now recorded, edited, and aired hours later in the day, though many are still filmed in front of a studio audience. Many follow similar formats: a lot of dialogue from the host to the audience (in the studio and at home), skits throughout the show, and an act of professional entertainment towards the end. However, I think that most actors need to be prepared to do live shows because they have become a “norm” of sorts in today’s society, whereas live TV was not as widespread when it first started and therefore only select actors were a part of it. Additionally, as with anything that is new, live television of the past had to go through trial and error periods where everyone learned what worked best and what struggles needed to be worked through. All in all, the introduction of live television has had a tremendous impact on the film world and will most likely continue to be a staple in today’s world.