The Life of Five
The Life of Five is an hour-long, live-to-tape, multi-camera game show produced by Five Alive Productions.
Hosted by the Gamemaster, five players play five mini-games, each set in a different room and themed decade from childhood in the 1950s to retirement in the 2020s. Each game correlates to a major life milestone for that decade to determine each player's outcome in life. The player who wins the most happiness pins (or “hap-pins”) will win at life!
Creative Problem
Over several years, thesis projects are typically single-camera short films with very limited representation for multi-camera productions. This issue has become more serious with the declining interest in broadcasting and live television.
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The members of Five Alive Productions are very passionate about game shows and multi-camera production. We decided to not only produce a multi-camera game show, but push the limits to create a highly complex and large-scale production. This was a unique idea that had never been done before, requiring significant preparation to shoot an hour-long show with five sets and five games in only three days.​
Technical Producing
The Life of Five is my thesis project and my first time Technical Producing on a large-scale production. I took on a leadership role where I oversaw the equipment and logistics for the camera, lighting, audio, playback, and production studio.
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Tasks and responsibilities include:
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Organizing, leading, and resolving issues during tech checks and rehearsals to ensure smooth production operations
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Training camera, audio, lighting, and playback crew to ensure they understand how to use studio equipment
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Coordinating equipment bookings and rentals
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Overseeing lighting grid setups and operating the Chameleon Software and Lighting Board
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Operating a Ross Carbonite Switcher on production days according to the shots called by the Director
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Collaborating and communicating closely with my team to pitch, produce, and execute our vision
Process & Development
This project underwent an extensive pre-production phase from December 2023 to early October 2024. My team and I pitched the idea and created a 100+ page production book. I contributed to the technical and logistical paperwork including the technical requisition, technical floor plan, lighting plans, audio list, technical shooting specifics, and more.
Application & Results
The Life of Five aims to be accessible to watch anywhere and on any device. It is available on YouTube, which can be accessed on mobile phones, tablets, laptops, computers, televisions, or projected on screens in auditoriums.
Credits
Executive Team: Producer, Sophia Lee • Director, Genevieve Ti • Creative Director, Faye Yang • Art Director, Estella Chiu • Business & Logistics Manager, Allicea Sivanesan
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Cast: Gamemaster, Johnny Thirakul • Contestant, Rina Elias • Contestant, Dharshini Khannan • Contestant, Jimmy Rai •
Contestant, Maya Tan • Contestant, Paul Beniaminov
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Images: Canva