David Bodycombe is up to something and you could be paid money for involvement:
Announcing… the Labyrinth Lab
Labyrinth Games Ltd., run by Crystal Maze and Only Connect alumnus David J. Bodycombe, is looking to run a series of new game show formats over the next few weeks. We are looking for adults who would be prepared to volunteer to help out for some or all of these games, mainly in a contestant capacity.
It is proposed that the games will be run every MONDAY EVENING, from 9pm to a maximum of 11.30pm, though usually it will be much shorter than that.
The games will be run over the Internet using a combination of Google software and YouTube Hangouts. You don’t need to physically travel anywhere, but you will need to satisfy a number of criteria in order for this to work:
1. Most importantly of all, you’ll need to be able to commit to the time and date stated. It will really screw things up if people drop out. In addition, you’ll need to be in a place where you won’t be disturbed during the length of the quiz (up to 2.5 hours maximum).
2. You need to be over 18 years old, a long-term UK resident and playing from the UK. This is due to the question material and possible time lag issues. On most of our planned formats, you will need a reasonable level of quiz knowledge – if you think you could go on Pointless and make a decent fist of it, that’ll do for us. For obvious reasons, you cannot be an active member of a TV production company – sorry.
3. You may need to edit on one screen and watch another screen at the same time. Therefore, you’ll need either a fast 2-screen PC, or a moveable second screen like a tablet or laptop you can place next to your PC. Or two laptops, whatever.
4. You’ll need a decent broadband connection – one capable of streaming 2 or 3 YouTube videos at once (i.e. around 20Mb+) with low-ish ping (suggest 40ms or less).
5. You may need to be ‘on screen’ so you’ll need a webcam that can be enabled. You’ll also need to have a plain or dark background that won’t distract viewers, and reasonable lighting for your face (preferably a positionable desk lamp or two, rather than a top-down room light).
6. For sound clarity, you’ll need a headset that has its own microphone. An in-built laptop mic won’t do.
7. You will need a Google account and maybe even require the know-how to set up a second computer with a second account. Basically, it’ll be an advantage if you’re fairly handy with computers.
The games are mainly for fun at this time. £20 will be given (via PayPal or UK bank transfer) to participants for their trouble – for formats that involve an end game, the finalist(s) will have the chance to win up to £100 as a small cash reward to generate some genuine pressure. The rules relating to any final will be explained clearly in advance.
It’s not been decided yet whether the finished products will be put online immediately, or edited first. However, we do intend to put the shows on YouTube for fan comments.
NOTE: For reasons far too complicated to go into without discussing the formats in great depth, there may be a multitude of reasons why some people may be cast in preference to others. If you are not picked, please don’t be disappointed and do try again next time. We will cast a number of substitutes where necessary – if they are not used for live play, we will do our best to give them first refusal on the next format. Likewise, the techniques we’re using are both extremely new and fairly likely to have problems – if we do have to abandon a particular week’s programme, we will offer contestants another try with either a rerun or another format.
NEXT GAME: We’ll cast each week’s “programme” separately. The first game is a multiple choice trivia quiz called WINDFALL and will be played on MONDAY OCTOBER 7th from 9pm (to 11.30pm maximum). We will need 6 players and up to 3 substitutes.
TO APPLY: Send an email to thelab@qwertyuiop.co.uk with “GAME 1” as your subject heading. In the main body, state your full name, age, usual location, any quiz experience (TV or otherwise) and a couple of sentences about your background.
We are also looking for a ‘right-hand person’ to fill the Wincey Willis/Richard Osman-type roles for score-keeping, time checks, fact backgrounds and so on. If you’re interested in this role, let us know.
Sorry, but we can’t guarantee replies for unsuccessful applicants, but we will try to update this advert once all the places are filled. Everyone, successful or not, is welcome to reapply for future weeks. Details of upcoming formats will be posted on Bother’s Bar in due course.
Thanks for reading this and I hope it’s of interest for some of you.
Best wishes
David J. Bodycombe
Labyrinth Games Ltd.
Interesting stuff. I helped roadtest one of his formats a few weeks ago as a proof of concept and it was quite fun, it’ll be interesting to see if it works properly multiplayer. Anyway those are your details, go to it!
I hope we can get lots of the Bar regulars involved in this. If this works, it could become a very neat tool for all game show creators.
The list of hoops to jump through may seem rather large, but some formats will require certain technical things to work whereas for others it won’t be quite so necessary. I’ve just tried to list the worst case scenario.
If you’ve got any questions, or you’re hesitating from applying because of one or two nagging doubts, feel free to ask here and I’ll do my best to answer them.
I’ve sent my details on. My broadband speed is rather lacking (I ran a speed test and we get over 4MB a second), and I don’t have a second computer that I can use as well as the laptop I currently use, but I could use my iPod Touch if needs be.
I have Windows 7 so can do that splitting-screen-in-half thing and my PC isn’t that affected at all. That SHOULD get rid of the need for a second screen, right?
If you have a large monitor that can take two windows easily, that would be fine. I don’t think a laptop screen would quite work, however.
That said, the first game is relatively straightforward because the questions and game functions take place on the same screen, so don’t let that put you off. It’s some of the latter games where it MIGHT be necessary.
I’ve had a fair response so far but some of the regulars are strangely absent, so please ask on hereif have any concerns.
It’s 1366 pixels wide. I should be able to fit multiple things in, but I have a second monitor spare if needs be.
However, the HARD part is picking a Monday that my fiancée won’t mind if I don’t stop over on. I’ll tell her I was ill or something.
“I’ve had a fair response so far but some of the regulars are strangely absent, so please ask on here if have any concerns.”
The main reason why I decided not to opt in is simply because the timeslot. Call me an old fart but I go to bed at 10pm in the week. Simply I don’t want to waste your valuable time.
Also I haven’t got a suitable webcam but will be investing in soon and I use one of those retro microphones rather than a headset when I record for Fifty50.
To clarify for anyone reading, a handheld mic is fine – I just find the mics built into the frames of laptops a bit ‘echoey’.
We’ve got a couple of player slots left. If you’re interested, please let me know as soon as possible. Thanks.
I’m interested in this, but:
-It would be a little difficult to use two screens at once (although it should, at least in theory, be possible). In a worst-case scenario, would an iPhone do as a second screen?
-The only webcam I have is built into my laptop and not that great. I do have a headset with mic, though.
Is it still worth applying?
Built-in laptop webcams are fine – nothing wrong with those. It doesn’t have to be a ‘positionable’ one.
I’d imagine an iPhone would be too small for the second screen. You’d probably be better off cycling between two windows on your main computer – I think one or two people are going to try it this way, but I’m imagining it might be quite tricky. We’ll see!
Thanks to everyone for the terrific response so far. All the main slots are now filled. There are three reserve slots open if anyone would like to put their name down.
We also have *legendary* offers of support in the editing and graphics departments, so it’s coming together very well thus far!
Game 2 should be a belter, by the way, but more of that anon.
How many formats have you got? I can put a permanent link to this post up the top to one side if you think you’ve got enough to be worthwhile.
Currently eight, but I don’t know how long we can go on before anyone involved will get fatigued. It also depends on whether the first one works!!!
I think we’ll try for 3 or 4 and then have a break. We might do it fortnightly also.
Also, depending on game 1, the requirements might become less restrictive so the information on here might not be as relevant.
A public ‘thank you’ to everyone who’s helped (and continuing to help) with the first Labyrinth Lab which took place on Monday. We had a particularly great set of contestants that managed to jump through the technical hoops and played the game with great aplomb, and a particular thanks to Cory at pacdudegames.com for providing us with a superduper scoreboard system. Generally, everything went very well and we’ll be doing an edit shortly (thanks Michelle!).
The second game in the series will probably take place in 2 or 3 weeks. Further details will be posted here.