Game Show Technology

[johnnysama]

I've wondered about the Press Your Luck big board. I know that the squares that stored the dollar amounts, whammies, and prizes surrounding the center logo were provided by slide projectors- but what about the center logo itself? Was that done by a slide projector?

[Brandon Brooks]

[quote name=\'johnnysama\' date=\'Sep 23 2005, 05:54 PM\']I've wondered about the Press Your Luck big board. I know that the squares that stored the dollar amounts, whammies, and prizes surrounding the center logo were provided by slide projectors- but what about the center logo itself? Was that done by a slide projector?

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No, just a big old light box.

Brandon Brooks

[JasonA1]

With cameras poking out of the black space (I believe the one between YOUR and LUCK but not entirely sure)

-Jason

[tyshaun1]

[quote name=\'JasonA1\' date=\'Sep 24 2005, 02:05 AM\']With cameras poking out of the black space (I believe the one between YOUR and LUCK but not entirely sure)

-Jason

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There were 2 cameras, one between PRESS and YOUR, and one between YOUR and LUCK. That was the reason why you had the shot behind Peter when the game was winding down, since both cameras were used to provide the split shot of the two competing contestants. Something I've always wondered, though, is how they were able to get 2 cameras, 2 operators, and the board electronics all inside there.

Tyshaun

[Ian Wallis]

There were 2 cameras, one between PRESS and YOUR, and one between YOUR and LUCK. That was the reason why you had the shot behind Peter when the game was winding down, since both cameras were used to provide the split shot of the two competing contestants.

And occasionallly, if a whammy was hit in that situation, you'd hear the sound effect but wouldn't see the whammy because they had no camera to cut to in which to superimpose the whammy.  That happened more in the first year of the series than the last two.

[davemackey]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Sep 25 2005, 09:55 PM\']

There were 2 cameras, one between PRESS and YOUR, and one between YOUR and LUCK. That was the reason why you had the shot behind Peter when the game was winding down, since both cameras were used to provide the split shot of the two competing contestants.

And occasionallly, if a whammy was hit in that situation, you'd hear the sound effect but wouldn't see the whammy because they had no camera to cut to in which to superimpose the whammy.  That happened more in the first year of the series than the last two.

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The Whammy animation came out of an electronic generator and was not shot by a camera.

I think the reason was that Bill Carruthers, skilled a director as he was, couldn't cleanly cut to a one-shot of the contestant involved, while the split-screen effect of the two contestants was being used.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Sep 25 2005, 08:17 PM\']I think the reason was that Bill Carruthers, skilled a director as he was, couldn't cleanly cut to a one-shot of the contestant involved, while the split-screen effect of the two contestants was being used.
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Wouldn't have a thing to do with the director, and everything to do with possible limitations of either the technical director the video switcher itself.

To piece together the Last Spin shot, you'd have to use one effects bus to do the half-wipe, and then a second one to DVE the whole schmiel into the middle of the gameboard. From there you would need to be able to take to the Whammy animation supered over the camera shot.

We know it's very possible to go from a one-shot of a player DVE'd into the board to a Whammy shot (this is sounding like a bad porno movie!) because they did it all the time.

So maybe the key to the whole mystery is the bus that is taken up by the half-wipe.

[NickintheATL]

Usually, in most cases anyway, you'd see the split-screen when you would reach an empasse in the game, usually when someone was about to hit a fourth whammy, or on the last spin of the game.  It was rare, but I can vouch for the problem brought up that they couldn't get to a clean shot of the contestant.

My thoughts on what Tyshaun mentioned about how they could fit two cameras as described behind the gameboard. Either they built the platforms behind the board especially to fit the cameras in to the height they needed them, or they had some camera operators with funky heights to operate them :-P (probably the former, the latter is a tasteless joke)

[Robert Hutchinson]

I think this is being vastly overcomplicated.

Was there ever any situation where, after going to the split-screen shot, hitting a whammy didn't end the game? "You need at least $1500 . . . stop at a Whammy! Hang on, don't get excited yet, Lois, we have to watch Steve's money get wiped out by the lawnmower . . . hang on . . . hang on . . . okay, now you win!" Not good TV.

[Kevin Prather]

[quote name=\'Robert Hutchinson\' date=\'Sep 26 2005, 08:47 PM\']Was there ever any situation where, after going to the split-screen shot, hitting a whammy didn't end the game?

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That's what I was thinking, but I do seem to remember it happening. It stayed on split screen, you heard the whammy, and gameplay continued. I don't remember the circumstances, but I remember it happening. Maybe it was only on split screen by accident?

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Sep 26 2005, 09:07 PM\']That's what I was thinking, but I do seem to remember it happening. It stayed on split screen, you heard the whammy, and gameplay continued. I don't remember the circumstances, but I remember it happening. Maybe it was only on split screen by accident?
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Was it a passed-spin end of the first round kind of situation?

[Esoteric Eric]

[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Sep 26 2005, 09:07 PM\'][quote name=\'Robert Hutchinson\' date=\'Sep 26 2005, 08:47 PM\']Was there ever any situation where, after going to the split-screen shot, hitting a whammy didn't end the game?[/quote]That's what I was thinking, but I do seem to remember it happening. It stayed on split screen, you heard the whammy, and gameplay continued.[/quote]While nowhere near the PYL fan some folks around here are, I recall that the split-screen shot was only used when the contestant in the lead would win the game if the spinner a) Whammied or b) didn't surpass the leader's score on that spin (unless the spinner earned a free spin).  If I'm right, then a Whammy in split-screen would end the game.
(Of course, it was also possible the spinner could win the game on the last spin.  Or am I trying out for Masters of the Obvious?)

Esoteric Eric, who remembers a few last-spin, split-screen Whammies w/ no animation, just an aural combination of Whammy audio under the win theme and Peter T.'s shouting

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Esoteric Eric\' date=\'Sep 26 2005, 10:08 PM\']I recall that the split-screen shot was only used when the contestant in the lead would win the game if the spinner a) Whammied or b) didn't surpass the leader's score on that spin (unless the spinner earned a free spin).  If I'm right, then a Whammy in split-screen would end the game.
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You are right, but some folks here are claiming that the shot was used, maybe fleetingly, in situations where it WASN'T a game-ending condition. I'd love it if said folks came forward and explained what those situations might have been.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Sep 27 2005, 12:43 AM\']You are right, but some folks here are claiming that the shot was used, maybe fleetingly, in situations where it WASN'T a game-ending condition. I'd love it if said folks came forward and explained what those situations might have been.
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I seem to recall that on occasion, if a large number of spins was passed, they would go to the split screen.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Sep 27 2005, 12:47 AM\']I seem to recall that on occasion, if a large number of spins was passed, they would go to the split screen.

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Bingo, and IIRC, it was usually when just two contestants were playing against each other because the third player "whammied" out of the game.

Come to think of it, can someone check the bidding war that got up to $31K before someone hit a Whammy (I don't have RealPlayer)? I don't remember if a split-screen was used, but it came to mind when Mark mentioned the multiple spins.