OT: QB1 Beyond the Lights

Submitted by BlueKoolaid on

Verizon Go 90 has a new show called QB1: Beyond the Lights, produced by Peter Berg and Steve Clarkson (among others), which follows the lives of three high school QBs on and off the field. Tate Martell (OSU), Jake Fromm (Georgia), and Tayvon Bowers (Wake Forest) are the three featured QBs. 

As a TV producer, what I find cool about this is that the show is done without a formal narration or voiceover and very minimal interviews. The show is meant to be completely observational and fly on the wall, forcing the producers to be there for the important moments and capture everything to tell the story and push the narrative.

Link to the first episode below.

https://www.go90.com/profiles/series_dd49e1f91ffa48a5a468f7633fbb7a6a

MGoBoard
Football

JMo

February 15th, 2017 at 2:05 PM ^

As a TV producer, what I find cool about this is that the show is done without a formal narration or voiceover and very minimal interviews...

 

Without the exposition that comes from narration/VO and OFT interviews you're left crossing your fingers that someone bothers to explain what's going on. In our everyday lives we don't "catch people up" on the full context of the conversation. Conversationally, we speak in fragments. And exposition also serves to bind these pieces together.  You're not "cameras up"  24/7, it's not possible nor is it financially prudent (especially with a digital series budget). You go when you go and you get what you get, and hope to God that something interesting happens when you're rolling (while also planning for that, of course).

Hard Knocks is a great example. Fantastic show. Shot beautifully. Liev Schriber's VO exposition is an integral part of the show. It moves you from the cheerleader wife of the QB buying drapes to the plight of the back up FB trying to make the squad, and he tells you that Julio Jones hurt his ankle and is now expected to be out for the rest of pre-season, without hoping that it comes up conversationally, or worse, a producer prompting an "organic" conversation to explain to the viewer whats going on.

That said, I'm interested like you. I'm just curious if they'll be able to pull it off.  It wont be the first time someone has tried, but they set their own bar high. The trailer/sizzle gets it done, but they are heavy on news reads (and some of that audio sounds flat out written for the trailer).  I'll watch though.  I don't envy the editors.

EDIT:  I just noticed this is the first full episode, I was commenting on a trailer I saw that was just the opening to the title screen, which is what I thought this link was.  Having now watched the whole thing, it's interesting. Subtitles because "mom" isn't mic'd up. Lots of broll.  It feels more like a 'mood reel' than it does a cohesive story. But as a "day in the life" type of package, it's interesting, not sure theres enough there to keep people watching.

 

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BlueKoolaid

February 15th, 2017 at 2:32 PM ^

Yeah, that aspect is what I find challenging for storytelling. I haven't watched the whole thing, just read the article explaining their style for creating the show. No clue if they executed it and if it turned out well or not. 

We are always trying to find new ways to bring the audience content and remove the producers hand. While admittedly what they are doing is not the best production model it could yield some very different results. Will have to watch to see if they were successful.

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