04.03.06
5 Takes
Now in its second season, The Travel Channel’s 5 Takes follows five travelers around the Pacific Rim. What makes this show supremely interesting is how it uses the Internet as a vital component of the viewer experience. Visitors to the 5 Takes site are also given the chance to direct the TJs (travel journalists) on where to go in each location that they visit, creating a truly interactive experience. Each of the TJs are armed with camcorders and laptops. With these tools they are responsible for independently documentating their trip. The TJs are tasked with blogging on a daily basis and maintaining a weekly videolog.
The blogs aren’t just a few trite paragraphs about the joys of traveling. They are well-composed detailed (at times rambly) reports of the day’s activities. The videologs are often amusing and highly personable — and does a great job of showcasing what vlogs can do as part of a show.
Since the second season has just started, the blogs and vlogs are sure to pick up in intensity and adventure. Be sure to catch the real “Road Rules” and see where the future of television might be headed.
“This second wave approach was first tried in a groundbreaking series for The Travel Channel called 5 Takes Europe. In a remarkable series of 8 hours, 5 young filmmakers were sent to Europe for the summer. They were accompanied by a Rosenblum production crew of shooter/editors using small hand-held HD cameras and laptop edits. They edited as they shot.
A conventional hour long cable reality/documentary show might take 18-20 weeks to produce. For 5 Takes, each hour was produced in an astonishing 6 days.The budgetary ramifications are obvious, but the technique also gave a far greater degree of control over the production.
The greatest implications, however were for the Internet. Now it was possible to create websites that were truly interactive. One might blog/vlog on a website related to the show on Tuesday and see the results on the air on Saturday. We had created a format called ‘Nearly Live’, and at a very low cost.”
-Rosenblum Associates-