The Cube

The Cube.

The Cube is a game show hosted by Phillip Schofield. The premise of the show is for a contestant to play 7 simple games in order to win money at each stage. The games seem simple but with the pressure of the money prize and a time restraint, it makes for a very tense programme.

Set

The set in The Cube is very simple, but very dramatic. As is suggested, the main focus is a transparent cube within which the games are played. Schofield stands on an 'island' outside of the cube, and connecting the 2 is a bridge that only moves into place with the contestant is walking to and from the cube. This is effective because it develops a sense of separation for the contestant. "It makes for bafflingly brilliant television, watching people trying to complete minor, slightly fiddly tasks while standing – for no real reason other than the show’s name demanding it – in a plastic box." (Travis, 2015) They are very much enclosed and cut off from the 'outside world' for want of a better term, which highlights to the viewer the tension that the contestant is feeling. It also makes it look as though the contestant is in a display case- this affects the way we interpret their emotions and the family's emotions, because we empathise with the contestant, however, as we see the family in the audience, we feel as though they don't know how it feels to be in the cube and so they can't know if the contestant will be able to complete the challenge or not. This sense of separation creates conflict for the viewer as they are rooting for the contestant, but at the same time don't trust the judgement of the family.

Shots

As The Cube is a very dramatic show, the programme uses a lot of very dramatic shots, much like the one above. Another very effective shot that is used is called a 'bullet time capture', which makes the contestant appear frozen in time as a camera moves around them. This is particularly effective for action shots as it displays them in slow motion. In this example of the show, at 23.27 you can see an example of this shot. It creates a sense of drama and also accentuates how alone the contestant is inside the cube.

Script

I noticed something small about the wording that Schofield was using in the last game of the first contestant. He was using phrases to try and convince her to continue playing The Cube, which I found an interesting technique because it also heightens the drama. He uses phrases such as

"All you gotta do is bounce a ball into a bucket for 100,000"

"You've been above average so far"

"Would you ever have imagined that you would be standing looking at the £100,000 with four lives?"

I found these phrases interesting because it's very clear that he's trying to convince her to play but I almost get a negative vibe from the way they're worded. Not truly negative, more like he's playing a trickster: trying to trick her into losing her money. 

However, it also adds drama because it reminds the audience and the contestant how much they're playing for and makes them think about how much money that is and what they could do with it. Also, the first phrase simplifies the game down to just bouncing a ball into a bucket, however, the games are designed to look a lot easier than they are and this phrase amplifies this. I found it an interesting yet simple way to add tension.

Sound

The game show is very effective in it's immersion for the viewer. You end up routing for them and feeling the tension with them when they play the games. I think this is in part down to the sound design for the show. There is never a silent moment in the show, and all of the music and sound effects signify the tension, suspense, and loneliness of the contestant. This paired with the dramatic swooping shots from the cameras makes for a very tense yet engaging viewing.

What do I take from it?

I found The Cube extremely interesting to watch because it highlighted some techniques for me that I felt were something I hadn't noticed elsewhere. I have been concerned about adding drama to Mission Control because I wasn't sure how to do it without being 'cheesy'. But I found especially the phrases Schofield was using very interesting, and this could be useful to develop my script further.

References

Travis, B. (2015) The Cube: Why ITV's naff game show is oddly brilliant In: Evening Standard (Online) At: https://www.standard.co.uk/stayingin/tvfilm/the-cube-why-itv-s-naff-game-show-is-oddly-brilliant-10295570.html (Accessed 13/03/19)