"Let the Audience Direct" was a talk delivered in Lisbon, Portugal at EuroITV 2011. It was based on the experiences of a live Carte Blanche broadcast that used Facebook and Twitter to allow viewers to choose the stories that went out, the order, and to write the studio links for the selected stories.
1. Let the audience direct
plug
I work for Combined Artists
We’re a South African production company
We produced the 2010 FIFA WC draws
We like live TV formats
2. Let the audience direct
me
Peter Griffiths: peter@combinedartists.co.za
Interactive Editor for Carte Blanche
Jumped from print (mags & newspapers) to
new media and then TV
3. Let the audience direct
carte blanche
Investigative current affairs magazine show
Won over 130 local & international awards
Broadcasts weekly during primetime
Highest TV advertising rate card in SA
One of SA’s most recognised brands
4. Let the audience direct
why do it?
Bring audience closer to programming
Link social media to live TV
Encourage FB & Twitter interaction
No dev time – uses what’s available
Fun... allows room to experiment
6. Let the audience direct
voting
Manipulate ratio of likes to posted content
8 story promos put on Facebook
[LIKE TO SEE THIS]
4 with most likes went out
4 with least didn’t go out
Live vote tally – 1 with most votes next up
12. Let the audience direct
scripting
Encourage “talking” around experiment
Write links by commenting & tweeting
Viewers given sample INTRO & OUTRO links
Suggestions monitored in real-time
Prizes to encourage involvement
No straps – viewer input primary
18. Let the audience direct
Feedback
Sunday, September 12, 2010
REVIEW. Carte Blanche's 22nd birthday broadcast a brilliant hour of
television, creating pitch perfect interaction with viewers.
Critic: If the unofficial slogan for Carte Blanche since its inception
has been “The right to see it all,” it's now added a new one:
“The right to be involved in it all.”
21. Let the audience direct
benefits
Access audience via channels other than TV
Closer to audience – sense of immediacy
Social media now part of programming
Live TV has competitive place in schedule
Viewers can be trusted with editorial
Viewers expect to be part of process (feedback)
23. Let the audience direct
lessons learnt
What we learnt in The Garden
Viewers need guidelines
Interaction may mean dramatic change
What we learnt from Lego
Pieces can make many different things
Pieces may not be used
In short: we gave viewers some of the control
and some of the building blocks to see what
they’d come up with. Next time we’ll let them
bring the blocks too.
24. Let the audience direct
Q&A
old school @: peter@combinedartists.co.za
twitter: @carteblanchetv