Blog # 4

The past couple of weeks have been very busy here. I am learning to juggle several different projects at once.

My bosses are back from their trip to miami and we are now going through the implementation phase of creating our show. This is going to be a very long phase, and unfortunately, the summer is ending and  I won't be here when implementation phase ends, and the evaluation phase starts.

The implementation phase is the part of the ADDIE model when you are putting together your design so it becomes a function learning tool. For my job, this means it is the phase when we take the footage that we got from filming in miami, and start editing it and putting it together so that it is a functional tv show that people are able to follow. It is really exciting to see how the project that you worked on from day one can evolve into a real television show.

Once the TV show comes on the air, the evaluation phase will begin. For TV, that phase would be ratings. IF the show is successful it will most likely be signed for a second season and maybe even become a franchise show that may feature other cities. If the show is not successful, it will be cancelled and production team will have to start with more fresh ideas from scratch. This summer i have learned so many valuable things about casting and the entertainment industry. I will greatly value this experience for the rest of my life.

Blog # 3

This week has ben very exciting here at my internship. After completing all of my research for the current Miami project, my boss and her associate flew out to Miami to meet with potential talent, and continue with casting outreach. I would say that we are still very much in the development phase of the ADDIE model for our project, but the development phase, i think, is the most important. You dont want to release a tv show(or any project)  that is not made to its full potential. It sets you up for failure.

When they get back from Miami on Tuesday, we will begin the implementation phase, which is also pretty lengthy. We will look at the footage and data that they collected in Miami and select the talent that suits the new show the best. Since the format of the show is flexible, we will also be able to tailor some of the original ideas to fit the chosen cast the best. Implementation phase is all about creating the perfect environment and meeting the needs for your target audience( or learners).  This is what makes it such an important step in the ADDIE model.  I look forward to starting into this phase on Tuesday!

Blog #2

These past couple weeks at work have been very busy at work. Since we are a production company, we have to balance many different project at once. While one show might still be in the analysis phase, the others are in the implementation phase. It is important to keep track of all the shows and their stage of development so that we can execute the next steps of the process correctly. The project that i started on by myself is currently somewhere between the design phase and the development phase. We have to find the characters we find will shape the direction of the show, yet we still have a rough idea of how we want the show to be.  Idealistically, i would like to find someone who directly matches my vision of how the show will be with out having to manipulate too many things.

After we find the perfect cast, we hope to assemble the show more seriously. It will become a real life project, and jumping off point instead of just an idea.  Hopefully the show will air long enough to show the development of the characters. With this reality show, we are hoping to capture organic situations and not just staged/scripted drama.  If the project goes through the design phase properly with the best possible cast, the show should unfold naturally.  Although, it seems that in reality tv, that rarely happens.... I guess we'll have to wait and see!

First week of my internship

          I have recently started my internship for this summer at Discovery Studios in Los Angeles, California. Discovery Studios is a branch of the Discovery channel that focuses on making new TV shows to keep or to sell to other TV channels. My job includes finding out what our network, and other networks are looking for in a TV show and then find talent that could be great for a show on that channel.  I think my job directly involves the A.D.D.I.E Model. Right now, I am in the middle of the first stage, analysis. I am analyzing my target audience and finding out their "needs" and the best delivery options for those "needs".
         For example, right now I am doing a lot of research to find good talent/characters in the miami area, so my boss gave me an outline of what types of people our target audience is looking to watch and then I have already found several people who match those descriptions. After I find these characters, I present them to my boss and if she approves of them, we will begin the second phase of the ADDIE model, design. I will help my boss and other coworkers design a show around these characters to make them relatable and likable by our audience.

         Although my area of work is slightly different then direct "learning", it still very much involves the ADDIE model. It is really important in the television industry to be able to analyze and understand your demographics and target audiences. Without them,  you wouldn't have many successful networks or TV programs. After the analysis process, the rest of the ADDIE model stages are equally important. After you analyze the needs of your audience you need to design a way to reach them and cater to their needs.  After you have found a way to reach their needs, you have to develop the way to actually present your audience with the information (the show and the characters and the plot). After the TV show has been developed, it goes on the air (implemented) and finally reaches the target audience. If the TV show successfully appeals to the audience, then the final evaluation stage will yield high ratings and the show will stay on the air.

     I look forward to following this entire process and getting to see all the step to making a great TV show.