This week I was sick, so I didn’t manage to attend the week’s studio which I’m still fairly bummed about. I was looking forward to experimenting with different roles so as to better prepare for our assessment in week 6.

In Monday’s class we talked about Studio spaces and how studio shows originally were seen as lowbrow material compared to scripted pieces we could’ve seen on HBO back in the day. We also spoke about how studio shows have ironically despite this reputation, acted as the most popular content on streaming platforms like Netflix.

We also learned about how studio shows get filmed and their different elements. This made me realise how important planning would be for studio shows, where picking your shots and properly planning where cast members would stand could potentially make or break your show. I also found it interesting how the way these shows are shot has evolved over time, with different spaces offering more flexibility. It was also interesting to see how theatre-like studio shows were, with actors facing more frontally, much like how an actor on stage would present to an audience even when talking to their fellow actor. Older sitcoms also tended to accentuate dialogue over interactions with props. I just like theatre, so it makes sense that I would be drawn to the parallels between the two.