Most of us have our favorite television shows that call us to drop everything and park in front of the TV whenever that show comes on. Wouldn’t it be nice if you too could be on television? Whether you’re a budding writer, a director, or you just want to see your mug on TV, this How2 will show you how you can be your own star. For this How2 you will need an XCam2 WideEye camera, and two XCam2s, and a ScanPad Remote Control, and a Transceiver Module for the remote control.

One popular prime time show receiving a lot of acclaim is a show hosted by Drew Carey. It’s an import from England, and it’s become a real hit here in the states. "Who's Line is it Anyway?"  The premise of this show is to have all the contestants improvise their lines. In other words, Drew Carey gives out some kind of instruction, and the four characters have to make something up right there on the spot based on Drew’s directions.

Believe it or not, this isn’t as easy as it looks when those guys get up there and do it, but it is as fun as it looks. So we thought we’d show you how to tape your own show to share with family and friends. And don’t worry about the games, we’ll provide some basic games to start out with.

Set up four chairs so that they face the audience.

Have the moderator sit at a desk that is angled so that it faces the four chairs and the audience.

Place the remote in the moderator’s hand, as he or she will have the best idea of which camera is going to provide the best angle for action on the stage.

Make sure that you’ve got good coverage with your cameras. We recommend that you set up  your XCam2 WideEye so that it gives you a full shot of the whole acting area from slightly above the "stage." You can call this camera one. Camera two and three could be done using the XCam2 which will provide more of a close-up in the actors.  Camera 2 can be set closer to eye level, and camera three could be a side view of the stage area. You can use more cameras if you want, focusing the camera on anything you feel is necessary, for instance, a "Desk Cam," or a "Rear Cast Cam." It’s limited only by your imagination, and the amount of cameras at your disposal.

Once you have that set up, hook up the wireless receiver to your VCR.

On the power supply of the XCam2 WideEye, camera one, set the address to A1.

On the power supply of the XCam2, camera two, set the address to A2.

On the power supply of the XCam2, camera three, set the address to A3

Set the Transceiver Module to the same house code as your cameras, or A.

Hit record on your VCR, and off you go.

As the game is going along, the moderator, besides giving out the games, can focus the cameras wherever he or she feels is best for the coverage. For instance, when doing a game with all four players, camera one or camera two would be good. When looking for a "cutaway shot," camera three is a good choice. But that’s all up to the moderator who’s going to have the best view of the situation. And it’s all as simple as hitting the buttons on your ScanPad.

Now that we’ve got the setup, let’s look at some of the games. We’ll use three games, and if you’d like more, then make some up. That’s what improv is all about.

Game 1

This first game is called "The Actor’s Nightmare," so named because many actor’s have had that nightmare where they suddenly find themselves in a major production, and they don’t have any idea what they’re doing up there. For this game, you need two players. One player will have some scripted lines. The moderator could make up the lines, they could be from a comic strip, or they could be from a book or already existing play. They can be funny or serious it doesn’t matter.

Give player one the script, and have him or her act out the lines. The job of the second player is to make the lines make sense in the context of the game. So while player one has an actual script that he or she must follow, player two improvises the lines in between them. This makes for a lot of fun.

Game 2

The second game is called, "Da Do Run Run." For this game you use all four players. The moderator gives them a subject about anything, and the players take turns each singing one verse about the subject to the tune of Da Do Run Run. For an interesting twist, you can also have them make up some form of choreography while they sing.

Game 3

The third game is called "Questions." This game is simple. Every sentence must be in the form of a question. The game can involve as many players as the moderator feels necessary. The moderator sets the scene by giving the players a subject to talk about. An example might be a teenage son trying to explain to his parents why he missed curfew.

So that’s it. Now you’ve got your own version of "Who’s Line is it Anyway?" and when it’s over, you have your own video show with no editing. For better or for worse, there it is. And you can do as many shows as you like, using them for teaching aids for those who teach theater, or you can just do it for fun.

Now that you have your masterpiece on tape, you can make copies and send them out to your friends, or create your own video library.

Featured Articles - Listing of Recent Postings
August 30 - Cameras Catch the Car Vandals
July 23 - Remote-control Units Help Country's Biggest Student Film Festival
July 2 - The X10 Mechanic
April 19 - FloodCams Catch the Vandals

Customer Stories - Index