What about creating a real life series about FIRST?

FIRST General Forum
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Posted by Joel G at 04/20/2001 9:30 AM EST

Student on team #442, Knight Riders, from Lee High School and NASA/ BOEING/ MEVATEC.

I have a great idea, how about if we could get some network or any tv station to do a real life series about a FIRST team. The troubles and the accomplishments. Like a weekly series (not like a one time hour special). I think it would make great tv and stire intrest in FIRST? so what d u think? I know from my experiene with our team this year there was a mixture of drama & excitement which makes for great tv. It would be hard to get a team to completely be open to a news crew of people around them 24/7 .

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Posted by Kevin Sevcik at 04/20/2001 9:58 AM EST

College Student on team #57, Leopards, from BT Washington and the High School for Engineering Professions and Exxon, Kellog Brown & Root, Powell Electrical.

In Reply to: What about creating a real life series about FIRST?
Posted by Joel G on 04/20/2001 9:30 AM EST:

You’d turn down a one-hour special about FIRST? :^)

I know for a faact that there will be a one hour or so special about FIRST coming out later this year. Our local PBS station is making a documentary following 3 teams through the competition and they spent a rather lot of time filming. So we’ll have some new promotional video coming out later this year.

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Posted by Carolyn Duncan at 04/23/2001 2:55 PM EST

Student on team #495, The Pack, from Jamestown High School and VBEP/Raytheon/Saic.

In Reply to: What about creating a real life series about FIRST?
Posted by Joel G on 04/20/2001 9:30 AM EST:

I think the point would be to get more people to want to be a part of FIRST rather than scare them away. If a person were to see an episode in which everyone on a team were spazzing about something they might be afraid of the program. Also, think about the freeloaders it would attract. The “I’m on the team for the trip to Disney” people. They would give the program a bad name. I know FIRST needs more publicity, but what kind do you think would be the most positive? An hour long special would be great! Everything all together and maybe in a Dateline type format. That’s just my 2 cents.
:Carolyn
Team 495

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Posted by mike oleary at 04/27/2001 7:33 PM EST

Student on team #419, rambots, from bc high and sponsors are overrated…go pocket-change robots!!!.

In Reply to: Think of the publicity…what should people think
Posted by Carolyn Duncan on 04/23/2001 2:55 PM EST:

: Also, think about the freeloaders it would attract. The “I’m on the team for the trip to Disney” people.

we have a name for such free loaders: ‘florida club’ cuz the group of them on our team actually refer to it as florida club as opposed to, ohhh i dunno robitcs or rambots or something…they drive me insane…
mike whos gonna cut this rant short because its friday and he wants to do somehting other then rant about freeloaders…

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Posted by Carolyn Duncan at 04/30/2001 8:49 PM EST

Student on team #495, The Pack, from Jamestown High School and VBEP/Raytheon/Saic.

In Reply to: Re: Think of the publicity…what should people think
Posted by mike oleary on 04/27/2001 7:33 PM EST:

: : Also, think about the freeloaders it would attract. The “I’m on the team for the trip to Disney” people.

: we have a name for such free loaders: ‘florida club’ cuz the group of them on our team actually refer to it as florida club as opposed to, ohhh i dunno robitcs or rambots or something…

My team was full of them, the “florida team members.” Untill I started pitching a fit about them being allowed to go to comps. As usual no one listened to me until after regionals when I was prove right by their sub-team. That’s the reason team 495 had 5 students at nats and 6 adults.
Carolyn

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Posted by ChrisH at 04/24/2001 11:22 AM EST

Engineer on team #330, Beach 'Bots, from Hope Chapel Academy and NASA JPL, J & F Machine, Raytheon, et al.

In Reply to: What about creating a real life series about FIRST?
Posted by Joel G on 04/20/2001 9:30 AM EST:

It might be easier to incorporate it as a running story in an existing show. Probably more realistic too. After all most of us do other things besides build robots during most of the year. (Not that we stop completly either).

Since I’ve never owned a TV and haven’t had regular access to one since I moved out of my parents house almost 20 years ago, I have little idea what current shows might be appropriate. Isn’t there some show on about a high school in Boston? What about sit-coms with high-school students as regular characters?

Why don’t you guys come up with some ideas and send them to the relevant producers. If they like the idea then the can have it incorporated into a future script. If you do, be sure to mention that you are a high school student involved with a team. They might ask you to be a script consultant. If they really like you you might even get paid. Actually you would probably get more attention than I would.

Here are some starter ideas based on old shows, try and guess which ones:

High school girl gets involved in robot team. Boyfriend gets jealous because she’s not spending time with him. She has to choose. While it is more likely the other way around in real life, this provides a little more interest. Producer’s veiw: This could use up a good continuing character. But they may have wanted to get rid of him anyway and this could be a convienient excuse. Besides if it turns out to be a mistake (ratings wise, there is no other kind) they could always patch things up later.

TV “home improvement professional” gets drafted to help with child’s robot team… (can you say “ninny with power tools?”) Producer’s view: Good alternate story line, no new continuing characters needed, low production impact, if it doesn’t work drop it.

New character at neighborhood watering hole. A high school science teacher who happens to sponsor a robot team… Producer’s veiw: New character or major change to old one required, high risk factor, but opens new possibilities, potential spinoff, once character is established can expand or kill as ratings require.

Can anybody think of more?

Christopher H Husmann
Team 330 the Beach’Bots

Who once upon a time read a book about script writing for television.

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Posted by Jared at 04/28/2001 11:06 AM EST

Student on team #312, Heatwave, from Lakewood High and Baxter.

In Reply to: Re: What about creating a real life series about FIRST?
Posted by ChrisH on 04/24/2001 11:22 AM EST:

A few kids on my team have been talking about that. Trying to get like a “Real World” but for robotics, where they would follow like 2-4 teams from their first meeting all the way until Nationals. It would go through the designing process and all the hectic moments of building the robot on time. And then they would follow us around at the competitions and all. We thought it would be a great idea and a nice way to promote FIRST, but we really haven’t written up a proposal to any stations asking them about it.

-= Jared =-
#312
!HEATWAVE!

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