Interviewing Skills For Television Production: Fill & Download for Free

Talk show hosts aren't always comedians. Sometimes talk show hosts are reporters (Oprah) or doctors (Oz) or hosts... from other shows (Jeff Probst).That being said, comedians are observant, which is a great skill for an interviewer. They're quick-witted, which is great for when things go wrong (and we're talking about television production, where things never quite go the way you expect). They're comfortable being in front of audiences, which should explain itself.Also, comedians are funny. It's fun to watch funny people.

It's very difficult to answer this unless you are an A-List actor. All else is pure speculation for the most part. What I'll do is offer my own answer putting various pieces together as far as what I have witnessed first hand. I'm a former studio liaison and before that I worked my way up the ladder from studio security, namely at the VIP gate.My liaison work allowed me the opportunities to mingle and work with many A-Listers and down the line. I was able to see these people in their weekly routines on a regular basis.My studio security work in my early days had me doing primarily one thing, Observing and Reporting. In my case, since I was using the position the move up the ladder and gain access to the powers that be for my own career, the observation part was very much enhanced.Beyond that, I lived in Los Angeles for a number of years and have had personal relationships with some notable actors as well.What people very rarely understand is that these A-Listers, or celebrities, are people. Just like you and I and everyone else. They are regular people in an extraordinary situation/career.Some are assholes. Some are indifferent. Some are social. Some are lacking in social skills. Some are annoying. Some are bright. Some are overly self conscience. Some are utterly vain and egotistical. It's no different than any other office or sales floor environment.The reason I bring this all up is that a weekly schedule for an A-lister is much like anyone's in any professional or lack thereof. It really depends on the context of what is going on in their current careers. You have to take into account the various questions of:Are they shooting a movie? If so, where is it shooting? Are they on location? Are they on sound stages at an L.A. based studio? Are they in another country?If they're shooting a movie, you're talking about anywhere from 14-18 hour shooting days with MAYBE a Sunday off. That means they are either actively on set or sitting in their trailers waiting for the crew to ready the set. Anything beyond that is sleep time (Certain exceptions apply for partiers, addicts, etc.).And beyond that, yes, there are occasions where they can escape the set for meetings, lunches, etc. if need be. But usually when they're on a project that's in production, they're working hard. A-Listers don't get too many days off because their shooting schedule is usually blocked together so they can become available for the next project, and the next, and the next. So you won't see them needed on set for just a day or two, with three days off, and then back on set again. Usually doesn't happen that way. The studio schedule books them in one chunk if possible, due to the demand of the A-lister's talent and clout.If they are on location somewhere outside of L.A., they are usually hanging out with the cast and crew. Look at the cast of the Lord of the Rings trilogy for a perfect example.Are they shooting a television show?If so, a television show is almost like a 9 to 5 job, which is why many A-Listers love TV. They can go to work in the morning, come home for dinner with the family, and then be available for movie shoots during hiatus. So in this case especially, their weekly routines mirror the average person's very much so. Weekend getaways. Outings with family and friends. And Monday through Friday, they're working on set.So now let's assume they're not working on a project.For television actors, this happens during maybe a three month or so hiatus when shooting shuts down. For film actors, it depends. Sometimes an actor could wrap a movie and then be off for six months. For an A-Lister, it's often less because they are so in demand that they book projects for the next 2-3 years in advance.Whatever the case, what is their weekly routine?While it depends on the individual, you'll often see that they are always attending meetings during the weekdays. They'll often meet with their representation as they talk about future projects, offers, contracts, etc. One day they'll be at the CAA offices while another day they'll be meeting with studio head Amy Pascal at Sony.The meetings are often casual lunches or dinners, either on a studio lot or at the many various hot spots around L.A. Or they are in executive offices.Between meetings during the day, they're just like any other person. They'll go shopping. They'll go to a book store. They'll do some work around the house. They'll hang out with friends and family. They'll drop kids off at school and pick them up. They'll go to a ball game. They'll go to a movie, Etc.The big difference between us and them is that they have the added frustration of having to live a normal life while being hounded by paparazzi and/or not being able to enjoy any type of anonymity. That's the price... and often not a fair one when you talk about them and especially their family being stalked, yes, stalked, by paparazzi.Many A-Listers have production companies to run so they'll have an office someplace in L.A. or many times on studio lots. So they, along with their "crew" (usually good friends of theirs), will be at the production office. What do they do there? They hang out. They have development meetings. They'll go to lunch with studio executives. They play basketball at the athletic center. They'll read scripts. Etc. I can tell you first hand that this is the case specifically with Adam Sandler, whose Happy Madison Productions has been on the Sony lot I worked on for over a decade. I've worked with them, been in their offices, played with his dogs (R.I.P. Meatball and Matzo), played basketball with Sandman himself (I tore my ACL covering him man on man), etc. So what I'm describing above is true to real life and not speculation.Beyond all of that, when they're not shooting, they'll be attending events to promote their films. They'll head over to a talk show in the evening for a fifteen minute appearance. They'll go to some red carpet event and smile for the cameras. They'll go to a film festival, spending a fun weekend in Austin or at Sundance.The worst part of their days during this time period of promotion are the media junkets. The junkets usually take place in one location (likely one of the swank hotels) and can go on for hours. The A-Listers have to go from room to room, floor to floor, getting asked the same questions over and over. Sometimes they are one to one interviews... the ones you usually see on the E! network and what not. Others are round tables with them and six or more journalists with voice recorders stacked in the middle of the table. Questions are asked and answers are given within usually 10-15 minute blocks.I've been to these events and they are truly cringe worthy when you attempt to put yourself in their shoes as they are carted from room to room. Yes, they make the big bucks. Yes, it's part of the job. But I don't care how much money anyone makes, take that out of the equation and put yourself in that place for a moment and you'll feel for them. You really will. And you'll also see that in the end, as I mentioned before, they are regular people with flaws just like you and I, working in extraordinary jobs.

I haven't watched this show, but as a reality tv producer and crew member on several game shows, I have a working knowledge of the legal issues surrounding game shows.In the US, if you're making a television show where people compete in tests of skill, chance, or intelligence, and receive financial consideration as prizing, that show is legally defined as a game show by Congress. Please note, it doesn't matter how the production company categorizes the show, if they're giving away money in a contest of skill, intelligence or chance, the US Federal government legally considers the show to be a game show.It is a federal crime in the US to predetermine the outcome of a game show. Producers, cast, and crew could face financial penalties and jail time if they manipulate the results. I think the penalty is $50,000 and up to 1 year in jail per offense but I could be misremembering.To mitigate this exposure, production companies hire a Standards and Practices company to consult, observe production, and certify results. An S&P company is basically a law firm that specializes in communications and game show law. So as a producer, you're talking to lawyers about how your show works, what you can do in challenges, and how to set up challenges to protect the show's integrity. You have lawyers from S&P observing all production, and documenting everything to protect everyone involved from any appearance of impropriety.That being said, in a cooking show, where contestants are playing for $100,000 no one would give suggestions to contestants about their recipes. That could result in jail time. No one would ask a contestant to act a certain way, that's what casting is for. Casting is how you find people that have personalities for television, or lose their temper when they're under pressure.I personally wouldn't ever ask anyone to deliver a line. It's probably not going to create a legal issue, but I want them to act like themselves, so I don't want to put words in their mouth. If someone can't give me a usable bite when I'm interviewing them about a specific event, I'll ask them generic questions that will give me the sound I need. For instance, if someone was behind in a challenge and keeps broadcasting that they lost, I'll ask them other questions, "Have you ever come from behind to win?" or "What's the best way to handle adversity" and they'll say, "Sometimes you just have to get tough." or "You have to believe in yourself" Boom. That's the bite we're using in edit.