26-07-2021, 07:28 PM
Soaps are normally done in blocks and then much like most other TV production you probably do what you can in one location for that block (some location shooting for example), then studio shooting, outdoor shooting and then any pick-ups. Sure I read somewhere EastEnders works in two week blocks so they can plan all that stuff out to make best use of actors time (and of course the child actors can only do so many hours a day anyway, which is another factor). EastEnders and soaps are written, plotted, planned in advance and realised relatively quickly, they only work six weeks ahead of broadcast as it is (and of course EastEnders ran out of episodes once the ones they'd filmed in March 2020 had gone out), rising to eight weeks for Christmas.
Even most professional movie productions work in much the same way (often on larger budgets), so they plan it all out to film scenes on location in the middle of nowhere for a while, then go somewhere else, film those, do any studio work/effects/whatever else, any CGI/effects, then hack it together in an edit suite somewhere and then when the preview audience decides the film is crap, they'll make changes which may involve pick-up shots or new effects or some dubbing or whatever.
Gameshows are usually shot in bulk and blocked as well, they can be bashed out relatively quickly, Tipping Point we know does four shows a day thrice weekly I think it is. Indeed Bruce Forsyth said once they could knock an entire series of 13 episodes out of his gameshow vehicles in two weeks. Crystal Maze (original) was done over two days (with two cameras) and the pick-ups were done later. Once you know it was done on only two studio cameras, the pick-up shots are incredibly obvious.
Even most professional movie productions work in much the same way (often on larger budgets), so they plan it all out to film scenes on location in the middle of nowhere for a while, then go somewhere else, film those, do any studio work/effects/whatever else, any CGI/effects, then hack it together in an edit suite somewhere and then when the preview audience decides the film is crap, they'll make changes which may involve pick-up shots or new effects or some dubbing or whatever.
Gameshows are usually shot in bulk and blocked as well, they can be bashed out relatively quickly, Tipping Point we know does four shows a day thrice weekly I think it is. Indeed Bruce Forsyth said once they could knock an entire series of 13 episodes out of his gameshow vehicles in two weeks. Crystal Maze (original) was done over two days (with two cameras) and the pick-ups were done later. Once you know it was done on only two studio cameras, the pick-up shots are incredibly obvious.