SANTA MONICA — Sideshow Studios, which regularly produces game-show pilots and sizzle reels for productions on streamlined budgets, recently completed work on the presentation for Tornante-Sinclair’s comedic half-hour game show Snap Decision. While Sideshow employed a greenscreen for the pilot’s production, the show is ultimately being produced with a practical set. It will launch simultaneously on cable network GSN and on Sinclair stations beginning August 7th.
“We have rapidly garnered a reputation for being the go-to show development company that creates proven sales tools for selling mainly game shows, social experiment reality shows, and competition reality shows,” explains Peter Bailey, CEO of Sideshow Studios.
“Sideshow really delivered for us,” adds creator and executive producer Scott St. John (Match Game, Deal or No Deal). “Their production methods delivered amazing results, with substantial cost savings and tremendous efficiency.”
Snap Decision is hosted by David Alan Grier. Bailey cites Sideshow’s unique design and production processes that result in broadcast quality game show pilots and presentations at a fraction of the cost to build a practical set and shoot a pilot and sizzle reel. “This process affords producers incredible flexibility in post to make refinements to the format, change in-show electronics, graphics or overall set design to realize even more cost savings,” says Bailey.
For the pilot, Sideshow employed a large green screen stage, 3D set design and modeling. The show environment includes podiums, screens, lighting, show electronics, realtime monitor interaction (for contestants to watch and play along), active audience reaction generation (allowing the audience to clap, cheer and react to gameplay), and a custom post pipeline.
“We pay extreme attention to technical directing ensuring contestants are accurately placed in the virtual set and cameras are positioned and measured correctly,” says Bailey. “In addition, with this technique we can create wide sweeping show-open jib shots that establish the set and allows us to push into gameplay to communicate format, excitement and comedy.”
Sideshow’s Bailey directed the shoot, and Daniel Cordeniz oversaw technical and creative direction to ensure a smooth passage through post production.