Making Live TV for Not For Broadcast

Broadcasting is not possibleThis FMV-based game is about creating a television show. You will edit the National Nightly News, make the cuts, and censor any swear words. Later, you can even choose what ads play in the breaks.

A growing resistance movement is demanding that you broadcast their antigovernment propaganda rather than the regular news to drastically alter the message being delivered to millions of viewers.

We want you to have the feeling of creating a television show. 

In a world dominated by the consumption of visual media, it’s time to take a closer look at the power it has over us. It’s a great way to up the stakes and feel more power and urgency than live broadcasting. It’s all reported live, after all. There’s no pausing in real life, no rewinding an interview to ask a different question, and certainly no avoiding the barrage of advertising. That experience, the stress, fun and creativity of making choices on the fly to tell your story, to see the narrative developing from the consequences of these decisions; that’s the fun of Broadcasting is not possible. 

This created a new problem.

Shooting footage continuously in one take was our biggest challenge. Evoking that “Live TV Feeling” meant no cuts at any point… That’s right: not one. This is your movie, and not ours. So, while a movie is composed of only the best shots cut from all the takes you got on the day, we don’t have that luxury. We had to nail each scene in one go — some of them approached 20 minutes!

The cast of talented actors had to memorize lengthy scripts in order to perform the scenes in just one take in front of moving camera operators who had their own set of challenges. We were fortunate that most of our scenes were shot in ten takes or less, but it wasn’t uncommon for a longer or more complicated scene to run into the teens. 

It was possible thanks to a combination of great actors, crewmembers and planning. We also made a deliberate decision that the shoot would be more theatrical than film. We had to train an ensemble of actors that were willing to take on the challenges of live performance. Then we could react appropriately until we got a scene that was successful.

It meant that everyone was under extreme pressure. What if you don’t have 12 seconds to spare? Do you want to take your camera off-focus? We’re all going back to the top. Though the upside is when you nail that one take, you’re done and you can hit the pub. 

The format also had hidden complexities, such as the complex and long tracks created by our Russian and Chinese friends who did the dubbing. Broadcast is Not Possible, but if you’ve heard our fully produced rap single “Paint It Red” in Russian, I think you’ll agree it was time and money well spent. It turned out that we had a record 41 hours of footage left in the game at the end.

So, the next time you’re playing Broadcasting is not possible, and you get to a sequence that’s over 15 minutes long, take a moment to think about the actors, crew, dubbing teams, and the team at NotGames who’ve taken that piece of flawless, one-take action from script to set to game. We certainly will when we’re planning the next one!

Broadcasting is not possible

tinyBuild

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$24.99

$22.49

It’s time for the National Nightly News. A nation tunes in, and you get to decide what’s fit for broadcast. Choose the most interesting (or shocking) camera angles. Then, you decide what ads to broadcast to ensure sponsors’ satisfaction. There is no pressure. No pressure, right?

Not For Broadcast allows viewers to pick the content they want on TV. Strange sponsors, dishonest politicians, and egotistical celebrities clash over the airwaves. You’re here to ensure that the show goes on uninterrupted.

On a live broadcast, you can quickly cut and paste between the camera feeds. Whether you toe the party line or stir up a scandal is your choice, so long as you can hold the audience’s fickle attention.

Your editing skills will keep the public engaged. Your broadcast is the canvas on which you are an artist.

It’s PG! Press that red CENSOR key to stop rude comments (and any other sensitive information) from being broadcast. Make sure the news is safe for both children and oppressive regimes.

Hand-pick the headlines: There’s more news to see than a single broadcast can possibly contain, so someone (that’s you) gets to choose what goes on air. Is a footballer a lover or a drunken lad? This is your choice, not the only one. It’s just TV, right? It’s not like you could change an entire nation’s fate…

Cue the ads: Powerful as you are, they’re really not paying you enough here. A few hand-picked sponsors, even if a little sketchy, might be able to help you boost your bank account and make some jokes. Customers are not guaranteed satisfaction. There is also no return policy.

It must continue! There is no stopping the National Nightly News. Not even existential threats. No matter what happens, keep broadcasting. No one, not even a Category 5 storm, can stop news!

Keep them laughing as you go: Okay, so the news isn’t all sunshine and celebrity embarrassments. There’s all that talk of war, and the politics are just getting to you. But don’t worry, be happy! Tune out the chaos, turn up the ads, and whatever you do, don’t listen in on the increasingly panicked chatter of the news crew behind the scenes. Everything’s fine.