Project Brief One – Marking Criteria “The Katering Show”

1.Characters/Host
I love the dynamic between both Kate’s in the series. One is passive with a dark and moody sense of humor while the other has a more innocent persona and is often left clueless. Despite the differences between the two characters they still have an common love throughout the series; alcohol. 4/5

2.Script/Humour
The writing throughout the show are both done by McLennen and McCartney, and the humour is so that it’s clever and witty rather than being a blatantly obvious joke. This series focuses on subtly making you gape and chuckle rather then bringing in the big laughs. Both comedians focus on making the audience laugh at them and the topics they are talking through mannerism and words that should be spoke behind the scenes making it feel as if we’re prying into some dirty secret that the produces don’t want us knowing. 4.5/5

3.Cinematography
The cinematography in this web series is relatively straight forward, both Kates are usually positioned next to each other and the camera faces them directly. Apart from some visually stimulating, up-close shots that most cooking programs have and some oddly long shots of water running you’re getting your typical TV Home Show cinematography. 2.5/5

4.Setting
Usually set within a kitchen or some sorts, unless you’re watching the first episode, then the ending is set “in a gutter”. 2/5

5.Realism
I wouldn’t say this show is unrealistic, in fact, it cuts all the crap from fancy cooking and lifestyle shows you normally see and instead replaces it with normal everyday people like us who think wine all tastes the same and that we enjoy the consumption of sugar on a day to day basis. I especially love the sarcastic remarks McCartney usually inputs into the show because she literally takes words out of my mouth. 3.5/5

6.Narrative
Unfortunately, not much to a storyline, this web series concentrates on a more ‘slice-of-life” style of narrative. 1/5 

7.Introduction
The Katering Show’s introduction includes the animation of a colon spitting out food -there is literally no way else to say it-. You don’t initially notice it… until some points it out. 1.5/5

8.Accessibility
After being funded the show was placed on Youtube and so I would say that accessibility is rather high, almost anyone with an internet connection can watch the whole web show. There isn’t a fee or any form of downloading needed to view “The Katering Show”. 5/5

9.Unique
You do see a lot of satirical shows out there, but since the invention of Youtube more and more people have been professional directing and distributing their content online these days. The show itself isn’t unique in the sense that it’s genre would be easily found. I found it unique because it has it’s own qwerkiness. 3.5/5

10.Experimental
Overall is this web series really shines in the comedic and satirical theme that underlines its episodes. In terms of the actual show itself the producers don’t really attempt to try something new in the way it looks or feels. However the way they deconstruct the food industry is something refreshingly new and innovative. Despite the series looking like a typical foodie dream show, it is in the value and the undertone where it really captures the experimental side of things. 3/5

Overal Average Score: 3.05/5

“It’s just a funny little joke about food culture”

Project Brief One – Characters

Kate McLennan
Known as the “Intolerable Foodie” who seems cheerful on screen but has a passive and rather pessimistic side to herself.

On her website bio:
“Kate has appeared in thirteen Melbourne International Comedy Festivals and has performed stand-up comedy throughout Australia and in the UK, US, Hong Kong and Singapore. Most recently Kate toured to India with the Melbourne Comedy Festival where she hosted the Roadshow and RAW Comedy Competition. Kate often works as an MC at comedy nights, family festivals and fundraising events.”

In the series she often makes creepy comments here and there about her life or what she’s dealing with. Often mentioning the fact that she does not know if she wants children or not and her main goal throughout the show is to create food substitutions for McCartney. Despite being rather cheery and overall good natured she is shown to have an angry and aggressive side when she does not get her dose of sugar or if she drinks excessively.

Kate McCartney
Is the “Food Intolerant” she is rather blunt and airy and most of the time seems rather comfortable in her weirdness – she reminds me a lot like Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter… If HP had been a satirical cooking show-.

Bio:
“Her work as a comedy performer and writer has featured in Channel 7 HSV’s Big Bite and Hamish and Andy. She has also appeared in Kath and Kim, The 2011 short film Everyman and the 2012 Hit ABC sci-fi series Outland.”

McCartney’s character, unlike her partner doesn’t really care too much for cooking or food, in fact she probably would live off vodka and alcohol if she really wanted to. The only real episode where she shows slight interest is in the “Food Porn” episode where she doesn’t really have to cook. Ultimately, I feel as though I am staring into a future version of myself when I look at McCartney, who “is predominantly nocturnal and her talons can rip a mouse in half.”

Project Brief One – Case Study “The Katering Show”

Overview
“The Katering Show” is an online video web series hosted by two sassy Melburnian comedians called Kate. Together, within each episode they explore and hilariously break down the food trends that have come and gone, exaggerating the sheer stupidity of some of these trends. This series is a satirical version of many food shows, but rather then have them spew nonsense to you that you’ll probably never follow (Like “The best way to live forever is to quit sugar!”) they instead create an atmosphere that mocks these TV series as well as the food trends they intend to promote.

Characters
“The journey of a food intolerant, and an intolerable foodie.”
The show is hosted by Kate Mclennan – The intolerable foodie – who has “taken the morning after pill… a lot”  and her friend Kate McCartney – The food intolerant – that “if [she] didn’t give up these foods [she’d] probably keep shitting [her] pants”. The show comically shows the two friends struggle with creating substitutes for McCartney’s food intolerances as well as keeping up with the overall theme of the episodes, to a point where they “substituted… guacamole for potato and food dye”.

Episodes
The web series consists of six, 7-8minute long episodes, each with their own individual theme.

Mexicana Festiana – “Hi, I’m Kate McCartney, I spend my days not being an asshole”

Ethical Eating – “Ethically speaking possums and wallabies are really cute so I’m not going to eat them”

We Quit Sugar – “Sugar has been linked to dementia, corn, americans”

Thermomix – “The kind of appliance that your rich mother-in-law gives you as a wedding gift because she doesn’t think you can cook”

Food Porn – “because fuck how it tastes”

Christmas – “if you’re not christian… it means absolutely nothing”