[ad_1]
Al Roker usually goes down the streets of Manhattan to help viewers see what happens during the annual NBC Macy's Thanksgiving Day show. This year, he will take a motorcycle.
"It will have more energy and give viewers at home a little more visibility on this parade," said Doug Vaughan, executive vice president of special programs at NBC Entertainment, which oversees the broadcast of the network. The "Today" show usually interviews celebrities on the margins of the show, but in 2018, NBC wants it to be "motorized for the entire route" with a platform that will allow a 360-degree view, explains Vaughan. "We hope he'll stop along the way and talk to spectators watching along the sidelines and the handlers who take the balloons and groups off the street. He will be very mobile. "
You might think that NBC would have a mentality of "if it is not broken, do not fix it" for the event, which it has been broadcasting since 1952. With a modern television audience more and more accustomed to shorter program segments, more stimulus, multiple screen modules and new ways to watch video, the network has been tinkering with its cover in recent years. Yes, there are still character floats, Broadway music numbers, obvious marketing links with sponsors, and promotional appearances by NBC stars. But in recent years, many notable changes have been put in place to keep the parade relevant to viewers.
Related
"The television seems to suffer and allows reduced attention. In addition to many channels, online broadband, social media, SMS and headphones still present, producers incorporate these elements of distraction in their broadcast. Analyzes, texts, pop-ups, promos, secondary screens give users more options to see other things without changing channels, "says Robert Gordon, a seasoned producer who has overseen sports events, awards and telethons for networks such as Cinemax and PBS. "Producers focus on rhythm, variety, personality, production values and second-screen options within the program to discourage the viewer from going to a second screen."
The big question at Macy's is: "What's going to get people to light up early and watch from 9:00 am to noon?" Says Susan Tercero, Executive Producer of Macy & # 39; Thanksgiving Day Parade, which directs the retailer's event management.
An answer is more energy in the opening time. Producers have been putting more and more emphasis on a prerecorded "cold open" segment in recent years, in the hope that a neat opening number can help to set a tone. energetic on the board to come. Viewers will see a young boy this year visit the iconic city of New York as he plays the opening number "Do not rain on my parade". The performance ends with a grand arrival live at the beginning of the parade route.
Last year, Macy's launched the concept with a similar concept, launching the parade with "Dancing In The Street". The "big number choreographed on 74th Street had an energy that I do not think we've really seen before. , Explains Tercero.
And Kelly Clarkson will give a live performance in the first hour, an idea that follows an appearance by Gwen Stefani in 2017. "It's a way to get the star in a different format," said Tercero.
Even the opening tank has a new look. Tom Turkey has been participating in the parade since 1971 and is the oldest of the event's floats. But he has a new painting job, and more bells and whistles attached, says Tercero. "You will see a smoother version of it."
But Macy's and NBC also realize that they need to do more for viewers who might not even consider sitting in front of the television to watch the event. For two years, the two partners partnered with Verizon to present video enthusiasts with a summary of the parade. Fans can have a 360-degree view of YouTube chats with special cameras deployed along the parade route.
While listening habits are changing dramatically, NBC and Macy's can not reorganize the show to the point of becoming unrecognizable, says Vaughan. "You want nostalgia because a lot of people connect and want to see what they remember seeing when they were young," he says. "But then you also want something new."
Source link
