David M. Green: Purveyor of fine humour

Tag: community

  • 31 Questions Ep #12: Penultimayhem!

    MMMMYYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!

    It’s the second to last episode of season 1 of 31 Questions! And in my opinion, this episode is the best one.

    It features my favourite segment from the series: “Showboating” – where contestants David & Erin have to name the boat. Special thanks to Maritime Union of Australia President Paddy Crumlin (actually his name).

    And a welcome to our new fans in Perth and Adelaide after this week’s debut in those two cities.

    I’ve been whoring myself in the Adelaide media this week.

    Here’s me on Radio Adelaide 101.5FM’s “Radionotes” with John Murch.

    And then I had a chat with Peter Godfrey on FiveAA.

    I also made my first appearance in The Adelaide Advertiser since my 1987 birth notice:

    Fantastic media coverage for a community TV show with no PR budget. If I do say so myself, because I sure as hell am not paying anyone else to.

    Big thanks to the Adelaide Confidential section of The Advertiser!

    We’re even willing to overlook the fact they forgot to mention the NAME OF THE SHOW…

    But to their credit, all the other facts are spot on.

    I’ve just seen the rough cut of our season finale, which goes to air tomorrow, Saturday 10PM on Channel 31 Melbourne & Geelong.

    First day of spring. Last night of 31 Questions.

    I’m sad it’s coming to an end. Of course, it’s not the complete end. It’s only just beginning on TV in the other cities, and still yet to debut in others still.

    There was so much we wanted to get into the last show. I’ve made sure we didn’t cut me thanking on screen all of the important people who made 31 Questions possible.

    Although it may be tedious for you the viewer to watch me list a bunch of names of people you’ve never heard of, if it weren’t for them, you wouldn’t be watching me tediously listing those names on TV… so think about that.

    And if you liked our Facebook Page before Tuesday, get your freeze-framing finger ready because your name’s being broadcast!

    I predict you’re going to love it.

    Kind regards,
    David M. Green
    Televisionman.

  • The most expensive gag in community television history… Probably.

    Did someone say, “Gee, that 31 Questions is okay for a community TV show. But they could really use a once off $350 joke”?

    No? Well, I’m not surprised… But for argument’s sake, let’s assume you did!

    Last Thursday May 10 was our penultimate studio shoot and my good friend of 18 odd years, Gerard Kotlowy (also one of the 31 Questions writers) booked himself a flight from Adelaide to Melbourne to see his vision to appear on television and then be transformed into a cardboard cutout of himself come true.

    The only problem was… the cardboard cutout only arrived today.

    So we shot Gerard’s “live” bit last week and hopefully the magic of television will allow the 2nd half of our single most expensive gag to be immortalised on fabulous standard definition video tape during our final day in the studio tomorrow evening!

    The rest of the taping was a bit more rocky than in previous weeks. This was thanks mainly to competition with the news programme “Newsline” over RMITV resources such as the autocues, graphics machine and other things I don’t understand.

    Newsline goes live to air from 5.45PM to 6PM in the adjacent Studio B. So we had to keep it down during a time where we would otherwise be rehearsing and setting up for our shows.

    I’m all too familiar with Newsline, having completed a Graduate Diploma of Journalism (with Distinction, might I add) from RMIT University two years ago. A great course. I learned a lot and especially loved the television component.

    If memory serves, back then Newsline was 45 minutes. But these days it seems to only be 15 minutes. It might have something to do with my infamous gaff on the show back in ’10…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSojtnWJIf8

    Man, that was some bizarre television… Exactly what community TV should be 🙂

    Speaking of which, back to our show!

    Ahh Anthony, will you ever change that shirt? Or even just wash it once in a while, for Christ’s sake…

    We had a huge audience last week. And by “huge”, I mean like, 15 or so? Many thanks to the good folk who came down and joined in the triviality of the evening.

    It’s all getting to be a bit of a blur now. We’ve done 11 of these shows. I’ve forgotten 90% of the crap I’ve said. And as yet, I haven’t even watched any of the footage back.

    That’s not really how I’d like to do things in a perfect world, as I do find I’m able to self evaluate my performance much more effectively when I can see the video. I improve my sex life in much the same way.

    So this brings us to the FINAL studio shoot. We’re taping the last two episodes of our 13-episode season Thursday, 17 May 2012.

    We’ve got a lot to get done. As well as Eps 12 and 13, we also have to shoot four sketches and a bunch of pick-up shots; little things we missed or forgot to do in previous weeks.

    So come join the fun. It’s most likely your LAST EVER OPPORTUNITY to see me host a TV show. I mean, what moron would let me loose in a TV studio again? Someone who wanted to get fired.

    Hell, 31 Questions was officially cancelled by management in February last year! People have been trying to stop this show since the beginning.

    So this is it, my friends and foes. It’s now or never.

    So what are you waiting for!?!

    Be an extra special member of our exclusive studio audience. 7PM RMIT University. Studio A, Level 2, Building 12, near the corner of Swanston and Franklin Streets, Melbourne. Join the Facebook event here. Come one, come all!

    And feel free to join us cast and crew for a few drinks afterwards at an as yet undecided location.

    Hope to see you there.

    Kind regards,
    David M. Green
    Televisionman

  • C31 Melbourne approves 31 Questions for second pilot!

    The title says it all!

    Fellow 31 Questions producer Simon Eastwood, as well as RMITV Student Television general manager Eliza Beck and I met with C31’s Kirk Goodsell yesterday to discuss our TV game show.

    The meeting went about as well as we could have hoped. Channel 31 seemed to love the show. So much so that they’ve given us the rare opportunity to actually re-film our pilot episode because, as we all agreed, the concept is strong, but our execution can be better.

    We were provided with excellent feedback from C31. It’s always refreshing to receiving constructive criticism, as opposed to just criticism.

    So I’m happy to announce that we’ll be filming a new pilot in late March. I’ll return as host, with the lovely Minky Cooper as the show’s scorekeeper. And joining us this time at the moderator’s desk will be the resplendent Alasdair Tremblay-Birchall, as Lachlan’s movin’ to Colac to actually make use of his journalism degree. We wish him all the best.

    We’ve got a re-designed set in the works and a long list of lessons we learnt from the pilot. I personally can’t wait to prove we can do better.

    Assuming the pilot redux goes well, there shouldn’t be anything preventing C31 from approving us for a season starting in June and running through to the end of August.

    Hopefully, we’ll one day hoist our logo somewhere on the C31 Hall of Fame – if there is such a thing – next to past stand out shows as: “Chartbusting 80s”, “Hotdog with the Lot” and C31’s infamous “Overnight Fishtank”, which I can only assume was the same one in their waiting room:

    Also, while I’ve got your attention, we’ll be needing some contestants for the new pilot, and the eventual series. That’s where YOU come in!

    This was recently sent to all RMITV Student Television members (you should totally sign up, by the way):

    Hey! Are you under 30? Do you like trivia? Wanna be on the TV?!? THEN READ
    THIS!

    “31 Questions” is a brand new game show produced by RMITV coming soon to Channel 31 Melbourne. And we need contestants!

    Hosted by TV’s David M. Green and assisted by the glamorous Minky Cooper, with Alasdair Tremblay-Birchall as the show’s moderator, “31 Questions” gives ordinary people a chance to prove their trivial superiority.

    So if you’ve got a knack for general knowledge and pop culture, and used to watch shows like “Sale of the Century” and “Vidiot” in the mid 90s, all the while wishing that was YOU answering those questions, now’s your chance to live the dream!

    You could even win some fabulous* prizes…

    If you’d like to be a contestant, contact our lovely producer, Simon Eastwood – simonpeter.eastwood@gmail.com

    Make sure to include your name, gender, age, email address and mobile number, as well as any previous television experience (no experience necessary).

    31 Questions. The people’s quiz show.

    *Prize fabulousness subject to personal opinion.

    Now… we have a lot to organise…

    Kind regards,
    David M. Green
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