Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

Entertainment Format Production

Entertainment Format Production
6
16278
2
First semester
FB
Main language of instruction: Catalan

Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish,

Introduction

The course aims to provide students with the fundamental knowledge and skills required in television entertainment, exploring how television programmes are conceived, produced, and directed. To this end, students will analyse the main contemporary television genres and examine the processes involved in the creation, production, and scheduling of television programmes. In addition, they will gain practical experience of teamwork by developing and producing a television format in a professional production environment.

Objectives

  • Provide students with the basic knowledge of the television world to develop a professional broadcast product
  • Implementation of all phases and stages of the production process of a television format
  • Providing the appropiate skills to carry out the professional function in entertainment content on a broadcast media

Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme

  • CN01 - Recognise the different roles within artistic and technical production teams.
  • CN03 - Identify emerging trends and developments within the global audiovisual ecosystem, including new formats and production technologies.
  • CN04 - Explain the current legal and ethical framework governing the creation and distribution of audiovisual products, taking into account the sector's regulatory requirements.
  • CN07 - Recognise the main contemporary artificial intelligence tools with applications in the audiovisual sector.
  • CP03 - Communicate information and original ideas effectively, both orally and in writing, in Spanish, Catalan and English.
  • CP04 - Apply professional ethical principles and standards of academic rigour in the audiovisual field, respecting the fundamental right to equality between women and men, promoting human rights, a culture of peace and democratic values, including the use of inclusive, non-discriminatory and stereotype-free language.
  • CP05 - Develop multi-platform scripts that take into account the specific characteristics of different audiovisual genres and formats.
  • CP06 - Apply innovative image and sound techniques in audiovisual productions, integrating emerging technologies.
  • CP07 - Create audiovisual content for commercial purposes, making full use of the expressive possibilities of multimedia environments and maximising creative potential through emerging digital technologies.
  • HB02 - Apply professional techniques in body language and voice presentation to create impactful audiovisual content.
  • HB03 - Critically analyse contemporary audiovisual genres and formats using professional aesthetic and narrative criteria.
  • HB04 - Use bibliographic resources, specialised terminology and linguistic structures in English effectively for professional communication in the audiovisual field.

Learning outcomes of the subject

Students will be able to:

  1. To design audiovisual products that work effectively across different platforms, adapting their format and content to the specific characteristics of each medium, genre and device.

  2. To master the techniques and technologies of live and multi-camera television production.

  3. To work confidently in professional television and radio studios.

  4. To acquire technical skills in the main technologies for recording and editing image and sound.

  5. To master audiovisual language, appropriately integrating all modes present in narrative (visual, verbal and musical).

  6. To identify the main sound libraries and appropriately integrate music into audiovisual narratives to create impactful content.

  7. To master the main techniques and technologies of digital design, including AI tools.

  8. To work effectively in teams and coordinate production teams.

  9. To stimulate artistic creativity by developing an individual style and practising lateral thinking.

  10. To identify the main contemporary artificial intelligence tools with applications in audiovisual content creation.

Syllabus

Topic 1. Television Genres and Formats

1.1. To understand television genres and formats, including macro-genres, genres, and programme formats, through practical examples.

1.2. To develop a television format proposal by preparing a professional format dossier.

Topic 2. Overview of Television Formats

2.1. To analyse current trends in television programming.

2.2. To evaluate successful and unsuccessful television formats.

2.3. To compare public service television formats with commercial television formats.

Topic 3. Television Entertainment Production and Directing

3.1. To understand the fundamentals of producing and directing television entertainment programmes.

3.2. To examine directing techniques according to programme genre and broadcast format.

Topic 4. Pre-production

4.1. To conceive and design a television programme.

4.2. To develop a synopsis, rundown, and script for a television format.

4.3. To understand production team structures and professional roles.

Topic 5. Scriptwriting

5.1. To understand the specific characteristics of entertainment scriptwriting.

5.2. To identify the constraints and planning requirements involved before scriptwriting begins.

5.3. To analyse the role of the scriptwriter across different television genres, including game shows, reality television, magazine programmes, and gala shows.

Topic 6. The Rundown

6.1. To understand the importance of the rundown as a key production tool through the analysis of professional examples (Buenafuente, El Intermedio, Polònia, Operación Triunfo).

6.2. To understand communication processes within television production teams.

6.3. To analyse the basic content units used in television programme production.

Topic 7. From Rundown to Script

7.1. To understand the scriptwriting process: thinking, writing, rewriting, discarding, and rewriting.

7.2. To identify the common elements and distinctive characteristics of entertainment scripts.

7.3. To analyse programme openings, focusing on genre, tone, pacing, and audience engagement.

7.4. To understand how television programmes are effectively concluded.

Practical Exercise 1. Television Format Proposal and Oral Presentation

To develop and present an original television format proposal, including a synopsis and technical dossier. The class will select one proposal to be produced during the workshop.

Practical Exercise 2. Rundown and Scriptwriting Workshop

To prepare the rundown and script for the selected television format, and to review and evaluate successive drafts through collaborative discussion.

Multi-camera Television Production

To record and edit the television format developed throughout the course. As the final practical project, students will produce the selected programme using a professional multi-camera setup in the Faculty television studio. They will work as a professional television production team, assuming specialised roles within a structured production hierarchy, with the support of academic tutors and technical staff. Following recording, the class will conduct a preliminary screening before preparing and submitting the final version of the programme.

Bibliography and resources

Cury, I. (2017). Directing and producing for television: A format approach (5th ed.). Routledge.

Moran, A. (Ed.). (2009). TV formats worldwide: Localizing global programs. Intellect Books.

Moran, A. (2013). Global television formats: Genesis and growth. Critical Studies in Television, 8(2), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.7227/CST.8.2.2

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