Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1. COPYRIGHT NOTICE 05
2. INTRODUCTION 06
3. NOTE OF THE PRODUCTION TEAM 07
4. THE SHOW 10
5. THE COACHES 13
6. THE DREAM TEAMS / SUPPORT TEAMS 16
7. THE TALENTS 17
8. THE HOST 19
9. THE BAND 20
10. THE MUSIC DIRECTOR 21
11. GENERAL STRUCTURE 22
12. EPISODE STRUCTURE 23
13. PRESS AND PUBLICITY 25
14. ATMOSPHERE AND IMAGE 33
15. STYLING AND MAKE UP 35
16. CANDIDATE SUPERVISION 38
17. PHASE 1: THE PRE-SELECTION 41
17.1 SELECTION OF THE CONTESTANTS 43
17.2 THE OFF-SCREEN PRE-SELECTIONS 47
17.3 THE PRE-SELECTION JURY 49
17.4 SELECTION BY THE PRE-JURY 50
17.5 MIX OF SINGING QUALITIES AND PERSONALITY 53
17.6 INTERIM EVALUATION 55
17.7 200 SUITABLE CONTESTANTS 57
17.8 PUTTING THE SONGS TOGETHER 59
17.9 200 CONTESTANTS CHOOSE A SONG 60
We trust that your production of The Voice Of… will be very successful
and highly entertaining! Please do not hesitate to contact us or The
Voice Talent Agency (regarding talent) if you need additional support or
have questions and/or suggestions.
Best regards,
Talpa International Productions
We hope that this document gives you sufficient insights into the
process we have gone through in the Netherlands.
The Voice Of… is the ultimate talent contest and is therefore the next
step in talent shows. A show in which the absolute key factor is talent.
Real talent. In this show it’s all about the voice... and not the looks!
There’s no room for one-day-flies or wannabe stars. Only the very best
of the best will do; the best voice combined with the best mentality,
that’s what the show is all about and no concessions are possible in this
respect! The Voice of… centers on the search for the nation’s new big
star. The search for that one person with that special something, a real
first-class act with the ability to stick around and deliver their very own
unique sound.
During these first Blind Auditions, the top performing artists are seated
on chairs that automatically turn away from the candidate before he or
she enters the stage to sing. If the coaches are impressed with
someone’s voice, they can press their “I Want You” button during the
Blind Audition. If they press the button, their chair automatically spins
round to face the stage. And that is when the coaches see the candidate
for the very first time! What will they think when seeing the talents for
the very first time?
Naturally the coaches are allowed to give their uncensored but always
positive opinion about the candidate’s looks, style and performance, but
once they’ve pressed that button, there’s no way back!
It’s a long road to the final, and therefore the talents are coached by
their professional team every step of the way. And once they’ve made it
to the final, we will at last find out which one of them possesses the
ultimate combination of talent, vocal ability and character to really
make it big.
Because the winner of The Voice Of… is guaranteed to take the national
music industry by storm!
With these four top performers (The Coaches) fronting the show and the
fact that quality is the key word, the credibility and the cooperation
from the music industry will be huge.
In the arena of The Voice of..., the coaches play a crucial role. You must
pay a great deal of attention to the profile of the coaches.
They must be able to do far more than sing well themselves and have
proven their value in the entertainment industry.
• They have major hits and industry awards to their name (gold discs,
sold-out concerts and number 1 hits).
• They have a network from which they can source their support
teams (these ‘dream teams’ play an important role from the Battle
episodes onwards).
The Voice of Holland, for example, had a coaching duo who did not
always agree about the contestants. It could take an irritatingly long
time before they finally agreed. And sometimes one of the two would
already be pressing the button enthusiastically before the other had
made up his mind.
COACH 1
Triple A artist, mature, former singer, older aged (45+), broad.
COACH 2
Triple A artist, in charts, pop, young/mid aged (23 – 40), broad.
COACH 3
Well known, in charts, bit more alternative, young mid/aged (23 – 40).
COACH 4
Young (23 – 30), upcoming, in charts since 3-4 years, in the beginning
of his/her singing career, well known.
Literally and figuratively, these teams only come into the picture during
The Battle. These are the specialists in the coach's inner circle. They
may be stylists, producers, singing teachers, speech therapists and
other experts. The coach will discuss with them which supervision a
candidate needs to take the next step. The coach will also discuss with
his or her support team which talents should drop out in The Battle
shows and in the live shows.
The support team will really come into the picture during the recordings
for The Battle episodes. The intention is for the coaches to persuade big
names in the music industry from their own network to join their
support team. The support teams (or dream teams) generally consist of
the coach's own regular producer and songwriter.
The support teams (dream teams) play an active role when it comes to
coaching and supervising the contestants off and on camera. Together
with the editorial team, the members of the support teams will
determine the choice of song for The Battle and Live shows. They are
also jointly responsible for choosing the type of arrangement for the
songs.
The Voice Of... has no room for talentless wannabes. Only the crème de
la crème of the national singing talent has a chance to win a place on
the show. Contestants who can sing ‘fairly well’ won’t do. There are
enough other shows for them already. The same goes for contestants
who just want to get their face on TV and are looking for their 15
minutes of fame… They can also go elsewhere.
For The Voice Of... we are looking for top talent. People with real ability,
who are good enough for a professional music career… and who are
capable of proving their talent to us with their breathtaking voice,
fantastic entertainment skills and vibrant personality.
Any talent – in the 18+ age category – who is convinced of his or her
own capability is welcome. And if they can accompany themselves on
guitar, piano or whatever other instrument, that is a welcome bonus!
Contestants can enter themselves as a solo act, but also as a duo. But,
for the contestants who have come as a duo, there is absolutely no
guarantee that they will be picked together. Maybe only one of them
has the qualities that the coaches are looking for, and that is a risk a
duo must be prepared to take.
• Is a good interviewer.
One condition for The Voice Of… is that the contestants are
accompanied by a live band. It is important to choose a professional
band, preferably a band which consists of musicians who normally
accompany major artists in the country in question. This gives an extra
new dimension to the show and immediately gives it an extra quality
stamp and extra production value right from the very first episode,
compared to any other talent show! It is also preferable for the
program's arranger (i.e. for the songs) and the Music Director to be
familiar with the band.
The band will have different members in each phase of the program.
The Battle:
6 people
Piano, drums, guitar, bass guitar, percussion, keyboard
Live:
13 people
Piano, drums, guitar, bass guitar, percussion, keyboard, brass (4
people) and backing vocals (3 people)
The team for the program must include a Music Director. He or she will
be responsible for all the musical components of the program.
This person:
• Will be able to work out the right keys for the contestants.
• Will act as a sounding board for the coaches and support teams.
PHASE 1
• The Pre-Selection
• Off-screen!
PHASE 2
• The Blind Auditions
• 5 episodes (70 minutes net)
PHASE 3
• The Battle (+ Sing Off part)
• 3 episodes (70 minutes net)
PHASE 4
• Live shows
• 9 episodes (90 minutes net)
Only real talent, only people who can really sing, will be given the
opportunity to take part in The Voice of…. This is the message which is
constantly communicated.
1.
Only real talent, only people who can really sing, will be given the
opportunity to take part / need to apply.
2.
Only the voice counts. Appearance, age etc. do not come into it.
3.
Super coaches with their dream teams help the contestants take the
next (truly big) step in their career.
4.
The Voice of… is also a competition between the coaches.
5.
Quality takes centre stage. This applies to the contestants, the coaches
with their dream teams and the goal they all have in common: the
singer who wins will have the world (and its stages) at his or her feet.
During the first round of introductions (press releases etc.), you can
immediately introduce the phenomenon of the Blind Auditions, as this
reinforces the feeling that the show revolves around the voice. You
should also reveal at this stage that the contestants will be accompanied
by a live band. You must also introduce several of the coaches during
this first introduction, as it lends credibility to the show!
Calls for contestants are also made via newspapers, social media
(Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, etc.) and the regular internet
channels. It is a good idea for the coaches to appear on various talk
shows to explain the concept of the show. Footage of the Dutch version
can also be shown here to support the concept.
It is important that right from the very first day on which the new show
The Voice Of… is announced, the names of the coaches and their role in
the program are known. Certainly if the program is being broadcast for
the first time, they play a crucial role in all forms of publicity.
The coaches must never make comparisons with other talent shows, but
must always emphasize that the most important thing in this show is
the voice of the contestants. They must also clearly reveal their own
role.
The coaches also feature in the calls for contestants. In these promos,
they make it clear who they are looking for and they also make a
promise: I will help you take the next step in your career. But... you
must be able to sing!
RADIO
The Voice of Holland partnered with the most popular morning radio
show. The contestants would appear on this show on the morning of the
broadcast of The Voice of Holland. This was a kind of sneak preview for
that night. On the same radio station, we also worked with the Saturday
afternoon show. After the broadcast (which was on a Friday in the
Netherlands), the coaches and contestants did calls with to react on the
show.
SHOWBIZ PROGRAM
The most popular daily showbiz program got all the news (scoops) from
the show. Well-known contestants (with famous parents, for example)
and other news stories were rolled out in advance, so that during the
week before the broadcast, there was planned publicity every day. This
program also received footage as a teaser for the next episode of The
Voice Of…
NEWSPAPER
The most popular newspaper in the Netherlands had the first right to
news stories from the program. Clips of the program were also ‘leaked’
or made available via this newspaper's website. This newspaper also
had the first right to exclusive interviews with the contestants.
PRESS RELEASES
You will need to send out press releases with regard to various
newsworthy facts and occasions. Sometimes you can release minor
news stories or scoops. This 'controlled flow' keeps attention focused on
the show.
THE WEBSITE
We cannot overemphasize the importance of The Voice Of… show's own
website. The site is not only where the contestants can apply, it is also
where the content of the program can be explained in detail. The list of
candidate requirements on the site immediately makes it clear that
wannabes have no chance of being accepted and that the show is all
about the quality of the voice.
As soon as the first promos are sent out, which are always the calls for
contestants with the coaches, the site must therefore be fully functional
and complete, with information which makes the press and public
conclude that The Voice Of… really is the next step in talent shows.
Our experience was that the show's website and social media generated
a lot of free publicity. This has a snowball effect which gives you the
opportunity to spread and reinforce the core message of the format
time after time. It is of course important for the press officers,
producers and program makers to time the flow of publicity effectively,
so that the interest of the press and public reaches its peak at the time
of the first broadcast.
Form and content go hand in hand in The Voice Of… and contribute to
the unique image of the show.
The atmosphere and image are strongly influenced by the locations. For
each part of the show, the format stipulates specific locations which
become more impressive in every stage (from The Blind Auditions to the
Battle and from The Battle to Live) and in every respect.
1.
Off-screen selection: facilities of a luxury hotel/conference center.
Although the auditions are not shown on TV, it is still important for the
show to radiate quality during this stage.
2.
The Blind Auditions. Intimate studio with around 250 - 500 people in
studio. The studio is in a music center (pop stage), with attractive
foyers and dressing rooms where the contestants are filmed before and
after their performance; their family and friends are filmed too.
A warm-up person creates the right atmosphere and makes sure that
the members of the audience play an active role in the show. The
reactions of the people in the room are important to make things extra
difficult for the coaches, who can only hear the contestants but cannot
see them.
3.
The Battle. The contestants fight it out against one another in a genuine
boxing ring (in a studio setting). The host takes on the role of boxing
referee. The atmosphere in the room is that of a tough boxing arena.
For the location, a ‘classic’ factory or another monumental, industrial
building would be suitable. The location (studio) must evoke the
atmosphere of a genuine fight. There are approx. 700-1,000 people
audience. The surroundings of the building must also reflect this, in
connection with the exterior shots which will be filmed. The contestants
perform with the same live band as during the Blind Auditions, but with
2-3 extra band members. Here too, for recognition purposes at least 2
life-size logos in 3D must be clearly visible (hand with microphone).
4.
The live shows are large-scale in structure. With the emphasis on large-
scale. The live band has become a live orchestra. The set has Award
Show allure combined with the look and feel of a live concert, and there
are approx. 1,500 people in the audience. This will be the first time the
contestants have performed in front of a large audience.
The show has a regular team of stylists and make-up artists. In contrast
to other talent shows, the contestants have a lot of influence. They
don't have to wear anything they don't like and we don't try to
transform them into someone they're not. There is no boring uniformity
in this show; instead, it has clear characters and types. From a rock
bitch to a singer/songwriter, and from the girl next door at the piano to
a tattooed pop artist. The clothing and make-up must maintain and
enhance the various ‘types’ and ‘characters’.
It is important for the stylists and make-up artists to be fully aware that
they must not impose their own will on the contestants. Discussion and
agreement are key elements here.
THE BATTLE
The contestants are styled, but as close to their own clothing choices as
possible. You should merely aim to improve their basic style a little.
They are not styled from top to toe. The contestants will wear more
make-up than in the Blind Auditions, although there are no total
transformations. At this stage, do not pay too much attention to their
hair either.
You must make sure that the promises you communicate in the
episodes are kept behind the scenes. The Voice Of… promises that
contestants will be helped to a high level in their career. This promise
must be kept, in order to avoid negative publicity by disappointed
contestants. In addition, the close supervision of the contestants also
guarantees the quality and image of the show.
Members of the supervision team are always there for the contestants
at recordings, press appearances, meetings, briefings etc. When
recordings for the real-life soap are made, someone from the special
supervision team will also be present.
The team will focus on supervising and guiding the contestants. Taking
care of the friends and family of the contestants is a production task in
itself.
The first phase of the program is the pre-selection. In this phase, you
start broadcasting promos and start looking for contestants for the
program.
The promo sequence and promo type are a compulsory part of the
format and consist of the following promo sequence/type:
1.
Promo with the falling rock/weight: in this promo, we see a man or
woman singing very badly and then being flattened by a heavy weight,
after which we see 1 or 2 very good singers (from the Blind Audition of
a Dutch episode). After the “painful audition” from the start of the
promo, the voice over takes over with the following text:
This show has only room for REAL talent. Apply on www.thevoiceof.com
This promo’s graphics will be supplied by Talpa with the correct logo and
local program title and must be broadcast before the promo with the
coaches.
For The Blind Auditions, you need around 150 - 160 contestants. This
means that a total of between 3000 - 4000 contestants must be called
up for the (off-screen) pre-selection in order to end up with around 150
for the (on-screen) Blind Auditions.
For The Voice Of.., you are only looking for people who really can sing!
The quality of their voice is the most important thing, with the promise
that the coaches will work with the contestants to achieve a
breakthrough in their career. This is the message to be used in the
promos for potential contestants, which can be broadcast on TV after
the coaches have been chosen! Each promo shows a coach encouraging
contestants to apply for the program.
The talent scouts must have broad A&R experience and should therefore
come from the creative side of the music industry. This means they will
have a large network of producers, musicians, artists and other scouts,
semi-professionals, backing vocals, commercial singers/songwriters,
participants in or winners of previous TV talent shows, record companies
with many demos of new talent and the alternative circuit which has
many more musicians.
They will need to find most of the contestants in their own networks.
They will therefore need to approach people and ask them to audition
and must also be very persuasive. They will also get their contestants
from the local pop academies, conservatories, music schools, local
talent shows, the internet (YouTube) etc. They will also visit local talent
contests.
All contestants, also those who have been found by the Talent Scouts
and the talents put forward by various record companies, will be sent to
the program's website and asked to complete an official application form
there. For a high-quality show such as The Voice Of..., from a publicity
point of view it is not desirable for the audience to feel that the program
is fixed from the start.
The first shift takes place by means of the uploaded song demos sent
along with the applications forms. Anyone who REALLY can't sing will be
dropped immediately.
The contestants who have not sent a link will be put on the reserve list.
Our experience in the Netherlands showed that this list later provided a
few more interesting contestants. You should therefore approach these
people in a proactive way, asking them to send a link to an MP3 with a
demo of the candidate's singing abilities.
The off-screen pre-selection will separate the wannabes and freaks from
the genuine major talents. Singers with the potential to reach the ‘top’
will go through to the Blind Auditions. Unlike other talent shows, this
off-screen selection method means that the viewers will not get to see
any wannabes and untalented singers in the episodes. As the pre-
selection takes place off-screen, The Voice Of... does not involve TV
humiliation, but feel-good TV.
Contestants will have applied for the program in various ways or will
have been actively recruited by the Talent Scouts. All these applications
will be incorporated by the editorial team into a (FileMaker) system. It is
important to use a good system which saves all the info for each
candidate. In the Netherlands, we used FileMaker software and each
candidate was given a unique candidate number so that we could
quickly retrieve all the relevant info.
The members of the team carrying out this off-screen selection will be
genuine professionals. They will be able to recognize a good voice,
singing qualities and character. They will also (provisionally) assess the
development potential of a candidate. The team will make notes which
will be included in the candidate file.
• The Executive Producer (or other key team member of the show)
• A Vocal Coach
• A Talent Scout
After an audition, the (pre-) jury will immediately record their verdict in
an automated system (FileMaker). A candidate will be marked as
(potentially) ‘through’ or ‘not through’ (to the next round) and brief
statements will be entered about the candidate (singing qualities, looks,
etc.). The pre-selection audition for each candidate is also recorded on
video (with perfect sound quality) and is immediately saved in an
automated video environment, with the name and candidate number.
This means that, after the pre-selections, the audition can easily be
viewed and assessed by several people from the casting team.
CANDIDATE FILE
A separate file is therefore created for each candidate (including
photos). The file contains all the details relating to the candidate. For
example, this folder will contain a copy of the candidate contract / quit
claim. It also contains specific information about the candidate's family
and background, as well as the comments of the selection team and
later also the comments of the coaches. This could quite often be
‘sensitive’ information. These could be very personal things about a
candidate, or surprising characteristics which the program makers want
to keep a secret. For this reason, the candidate files are only intended
for the ‘top’ of the production team.
One condition for this program is that a strong character must ALSO
have a good (or at least reasonable) voice, in any case good enough to
take part in The Voice Of… Don't forget that within the selection of 150 -
160 contestants attending the auditions, you only need to find 56 (4 x
14) contestants to go through to the next round (The Battle). It is
therefore also important to look for good contestants who might be
marked as NOT THROUGH during the Blind Auditions (or in whose case
none of the coaches press the I Want You button). There must be a
minimum of 25 contestants with a reasonable to good voice (they must
never have a bad voice) who are mainly suitable contestants for The
Blind Auditions because of their personality or looks.
After each selection day, there will be an evaluation with all the pre-
juries present. Each pre-jury will present the contestants they feel
should go through to the Blind Auditions. The jury members of the other
‘rooms’ and members of the casting team will view the tapes together
and listen to the vocal qualities. By means of a majority of votes, at the
end of the day the group will then decide whether a candidate ends up
on the shortlist as a potential candidate for the Blind Auditions.
During these meetings, we also keep examining the total number of real
talents on board. The ‘lesser talents’ or ‘double talents’ (the same types,
genres) can also be dropped here, so that after each pre-selection day
there is always a fresh update of potential talent.
After around 200 suitable contestants (the shortlist) have been found
and each member of the casting team and The Voice Talent Agency is
convinced that sufficient talent has been found, the casting will stop and
the next phase in the pre-selections will begin: reducing the total
number to around 150 contestants who will definitely take part in the
Blind Auditions.
• Music genre.
• Coach preference.
• Duo or individual.
During the pre-selections, the (music) editorial team must also select
60 - 100 songs to be sung during the Blind Auditions.
The list of 60 - 100 songs must represent all genres: pop, rock, pop
rock, singer/songwriter, ballads, up-tempo, mid-tempo, domestic,
foreign etc.
The condition is that all the songs must be recognizable to the viewer
and must be catchy (i.e. they must be commercial). The songs are
always from the top 10 from 1980 to the current time and must (still)
be played frequently by popular radio stations when the show is
recorded.
All these songs must be ‘cut’ to a version lasting one and a half minutes
for The Blind Auditions. It is important for the songs to be cut properly.
The basic principle is couplet, refrain, bridge. The couplet will often have
to be cut in order to quickly arrive at a recognizable section (i.e. the
refrain). The bridge often gives contestants an extra opportunity to
show what they are made of.
After ‘the cuts’ have been approved, these songs are written in sheet
music form for the audition band which will accompany all the talents
live during The Blind Auditions (see the arrangements section).
On the basis of a list of 100 songs compiled by the editorial team, the
contestants are allowed to ‘rank’ 50 of these songs. Number 1 will be
their most favorite and number 50 their least favorite.
From this list of favorites, the editorial team and Music Director will
choose the song which the contestants must sing during their second
pre-selection round and therefore also during the Blind Auditions (if
they are among the last 150 - 160 contestants who will actually take
part in The Blind Auditions; contestants may therefore still be
eliminated during this second pre-selection round). The contestants can
therefore state their preference for a particular song, but in the end the
editorial team will work out which song is most suitable for the
candidate. This is also in order to avoid some of the songs being chosen
too frequently.
The 200 or so contestants (the shortlist) will be told before their last
pre-selection which song they will have to sing (and which song they
will therefore also sing during The Blind Auditions). They will be emailed
an MP3 of a cut version of the song lasting 1 minute and 30 seconds.
They will also receive a copy of the lyrics so that they have time to learn
the song thoroughly at home.
During this session, the pianist and the Vocal Coach will also carry out
an assessment. They will advice the program team of their findings
about each candidate's vocal qualities: average – good – outstanding.
On this day, the contestants on the shortlist will also be given an in-
depth interview by the editorial team, away from the cameras. This is in
order to gather extra information about their particular backgrounds.
This information will be added to the existing candidate file.
Now that all 150 contestants for The Blind Auditions are known, it's time
for the so-called interview day. As the recording days of The Blind
Auditions leave little time to get good (individual) quotes, everyone will
also be interviewed a few weeks before the Blind Audition days, because
there is no time for this during The Blind Audition days.
Using the candidate file, the editorial team will prepare the questions to
be asked during this recording session. It is important to also ask about
nerves, expectations, reasons for taking part, coach preference etc..
The interview must ‘enhance’ the candidate's personality. It is also a
combination of serious questions and ‘fun’.
After this day, the intention is that you will have a stock of interviews
and quotes for each candidate that you can use for the editing of the
Blind Auditions.
The contestants who are presented ‘blind’ in the episode must therefore
also be filmed ‘blind’ in this section (in silhouette). As you might want to
present extra contestants ‘blind’ in the final editing, it is a good idea to
film at least 25 extra contestants on a ‘blind’ basis. By this, we mean
that contestants who have not in principle been marked as blind in the
composition can be filmed both ‘blind’ and in the normal way, to make
sure you have plenty of choice in the final editing. And never forget that
you will actually only use 5 episodes x 12-16 contestants of the 150
contestants in your edit.
The contestants who you will film receiving an envelope do not need to
be filmed on this interview day.
On these days, we will also give the contestants advice about what to
wear and they will be told that they may not change anything about
their appearance before the Blind Audition recordings and that they
must wear the same clothes they are wearing during these interview
recordings (for the sake of continuity). Various quotes and statements
from these interviews will be used in the introductory clips for the Blind
Audition episodes.
• Call for contestants / promos with the falling rock and separate
promos with the coaches (TV/radio/print).
• Right from the start, you must communicate that the most important
requirement for this program is that the contestants must really be
able to sing very well! Explain that this program differs from the
existing talent shows.
• Send out your own scouting teams, to music schools, singing and
dance academies, local talent contests etc. The world of semi-
professional singers is an attractive source of talent.
• Launch a website, containing info about the program, the rules and
an application form. The site should also contain information about
other social media.
• Actively look for talent via YouTube. Many would-be singers put clips
of themselves on there in the hope of being discovered. Approach
these YouTube talents in a proactive way.
• Make sure that the contestants are given very good supervision.
• Create a personal file for each participant, and use it to record all the
information about the candidate. Both the personal backgrounds of
the participants and everything that happens with the contestants
during the production will be recorded in this file.
On the last selection day, the music contract will be handed to the
contestants. The contract will be explained by a lawyer to the talents as
a group. After this, there will be an opportunity to ask questions in an
individual session. The contestants will be given 5 - 10 days' thinking
time to read the contract. Within this period, the contract must be
signed and returned to the editorial team. If the contract has not been
signed and returned within 5 - 10 days, the candidate may not
participate in the Blind Auditions.
The first five episodes of The Voice Of... are taken up by the Blind
Auditions. Right from the start, the production value and singing
level are extremely high. The Blind Auditions are therefore held on a
pop stage in front of a big and excited audience and with the
singers being accompanied by a LIVE band.
Every candidate starts off with the same first challenge: The Blind
Audition. The coaches are unable to see the contestants, they can
only hear them. They will purely judge them on their singing talent
and technique and not on their looks. Because when someone has a
real talent, their looks should be of secondary importance.
During this first Blind Audition, the four coaches that will be judging
are seated on special chairs. Before the contestants take their place
on the stage, these chairs turn around 180 degrees ensuring that
the artists are seated with their backs to the contestants.
Preventing them from seeing them in any way.
If none of the coaches press their “I Want You” button, the talent in
question will be sent straight home. And that can be a real shame,
because what if the girl with the just-not-quite-perfect voice turns out
to have fantastic looks and the personality to match?
1
Every time the male form is used, the female form can of course also be read.
The Envelope
A few contestants are surprised on location – for instance while they are
at home, at work or maybe during a jam session – with the great news
that they have made it through to the actual blind audition rounds.
And then it’s finally time for the Blind Audition! The chairs of the
coaches are turned away from the audience tribune and the contestant
can take it away.
Finally, the 150 - 160 audition contestants and the choice of audition
song will have been worked out. For The Blind Auditions, the important
thing now is to compose the 5 episodes VIRTUALLY. This composition
will be used as a guide for planning the audition days and the
composition of the edit. Experience shows that 60% of this composition
will correspond with the composition of the actual broadcast.
All episodes will be planned out on 5 large foam boards. Each episode
therefore has 30 contestants. In the Netherlands, we used the following
planning structure:
After this, you can put together the recording days for The Blind
Auditions. Take a good mix and balance into account.
For example:
Candidate 1 Brief Man
Candidate 2 Cover Story Woman
Candidate 3 Blind Woman
Candidate 4 Outstanding Singing Man
Candidate 5 Envelope Duo
Candidate 6 Brief Man
Candidate 7 Brief Woman
Candidate 8 Blind Man
Candidate 9 Outstanding Singing Woman
Candidate 10 Cover Story Duo
Candidate 11 Envelope Man
Etc.
In your planning, you must also take into account the preferences of the
contestants for a particular coach. Make sure you achieve the right
balance for this in the composition.
After the songs were cut to a version lasting a minute and a half, the
arranger started writing the sheet music. Once the sheet music has
been written for all 60 - 100 songs, it is time to rehearse and record all
the songs with the band.
In a sound studio, the band will record all the songs in 2 days. These
sessions must be planned in good time and take place about 2 weeks
before the start of The Blind Auditions. The band will play the songs in
the specific key required for the candidate in question. This means that
a song will sometimes have to be recorded two or three times because
the key will be different for each candidate.
All these songs will be recorded in the sound studio. After the recording
session, each candidate will be sent his or her specific version (in the
right key) in MP3 format. This will give the contestants plenty of time to
practice at home with the right arrangements.
The above method ensures that the maximum quality of singing and
teamwork between the band and the candidate is achieved during The
Blind Auditions.
Before the start of The Blind Audition recordings, there will be two
rehearsal days on the recording location. Only the candidate, the band,
the Music Director, a Vocal Coach and the program team will be
present.
This allows all the contestants to rehearse their songs on the stage with
the band. This takes place 2 days before the real Blind Auditions. This
method provides a last quality boost to make sure that the singing is as
good as possible. The contestants also get a certain feeling of security
as the location, routing and stage will not be new to them during the
real Blind Auditions. In brief, the contestants will be used to the band
and vice versa, the contestants will be familiar with the stage and will
know what kind of performance is possible for them.
Each candidate will sing his or her song once or twice. They will be
given tips about their performance by the program team. In addition,
the microphone technique (the correct use of the microphone) and use
of the floor monitors (speakers through which the candidate hears the
music) often require attention or coaching.
After the 150 - 160 contestants have been selected, it's time for the
coaches to select 14 contestants each (or 13 if the Wild Card option is
used) during the Blind Auditions. Selection on the basis of the voice
alone is the most important starting point and for this reason the
coaches sit facing away from the contestants during the audition. After
all, everything revolves around the voice; it is the very soul of the
program. For this reason, the coaches cannot see the contestants, they
can only go by what their ears are telling them. Beauty and flair, an
unusual image and allure have no influence on them.
The specially designed rotating chairs are therefore also important for
the coaches. The model of chair removes any doubt from the minds of
the people in the room and the viewers: the coaches cannot catch even
the slightest glimpse of the contestants. These rotating chairs are (of
course) a compulsory element of the Blind Auditions!
The reactions and faces of the coaches are also essential. Faces that
speak volumes while they are listening, not to mention the surprise,
irritation and sometimes amazement shown by the coaches when they
see who they have chosen. Or who they have just let walk away. The
bluffing and poker faces of the coaches when they turn round (or do not
turn round) also form an important aspect of the show.
THE ENVELOPE
You can surprise a candidate who has survived the off-screen selection
– with the camera running – with an envelope saying that he/she has
made it through to The Blind Auditions (see previous section).
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Examples: if the candidate comes from a well-known musician's family,
the clip can be filmed within the family circle. But it may also involve a
candidate with a ‘dramatic’ life story or there may be other reasons to
film an introductory clip.
BLIND INTRODUCTION
The clips which we call the ‘blind introduction’ require special attention.
The aim of these clips is to allow the viewer to experience what the
coaches are going through when they have to decide whether or not to
choose a candidate based purely on what their ears are telling them.
This allows the viewers to experience along with the coach how difficult
this is. Several times per show, before the performance we will also
leave the viewer in the dark as regards the age, appearance and other
features of a candidate, and the viewer will also only get to hear the
voice for a while without seeing the singer. The excitement about the
performance is built up with a film clip which, for example, only shows
the candidate's feet on their way to the studio.
When filming these blind introductory clips, the art is not to make
standard choices. So don't always pick out the large older lady with the
voice of a little girl or the skinhead who sings like a choirboy. That is
boring and predictable!
The element of surprise for the viewers also lies in the ‘born star with
the supervoice’ who they do not immediately get to see.
• Host interview
Contestants with an unusual story are given a host interview: a chat
before they go into the studio to do their audition. The host can also
interview the family and friends of the contestants. A chat with the
coaches is another option.
Even during the off-screen selection, you must look out for the unusual
clips you could film in order to introduce the contestants during the
blind auditions. They are called introductory clips but their purpose far
exceeds this.
• The candidate has additional skills. For example, he or she might play
an instrument or have an unusual act that gives his or her
performance that special something.
• It might not just be one candidate, but a duo or a group. Mother and
daughters. Identical twins.
• The candidate has a moving life story or has gone through something
dramatic.
For each episode, you must record more auditions than you will
ultimately use for the episode.
Between 150 and 160 contestants will take part in the Blind Auditions.
5 recording days are required for this.
The line-up has room for 12 - 16 contestants per episode (70 minutes
net). This includes the contestants chosen by the coaches and 2-4
contestants who were NOT chosen by one of the coaches! Many
contestants who are eliminated during the Blind Auditions will therefore
not end up in an episode (around 3 per episode). For each complete
Blind Audition (including the introduction, blind audition, comments by
the coaches, being reunited with family/friends), you must take into
account a broadcast time of 5 minutes.
In order to avoid a problem with continuity, the coaches must wear the
same clothes every day. This makes it possible to cross-cut auditions
from days 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in a single episode.
In the line-up and scripts, the various kinds of clips that can be used to
introduce the contestants are called ‘Cover Story’, ‘Envelope’,
‘Outstanding Singing’, ‘Brief’ and ‘Blind’. The type of introduction for a
candidate is a content-related decision that depends on the balance
required by the line-up.
The 5 camera crews each need approx. 2 hours to record all general
shots (and part of the interviews in main foyer) before the multicam
crew starts filming the actual auditions in studio.
Using the steadycam, each candidate was filmed walking into the
building, into the waiting room and through the door to the backstage
area.
In the dressing room used by the coaches, at the beginning (and end)
of each day you need to record brief interviews about their (the
coaches’) expectations. Also you need to record statements from the
coaches (expectations, looking back at choices/contestants) in the
studio recordings breaks and at the end of the studio recordings day.
Before a candidate comes on stage, the multicam crew must first record
the waiting coaches and the audience a few times. These shots can be
used to good effect to further improve the build-up of suspense just
before the performance.
Working with a second reception area means that you can be sure of
capturing every reaction. Some Inner Circle (family, friends, etc.) are
also located here. A first family (family of contestant A) can be in the
first reception area, so the second family (family of contestant B) can be
in the second reception area and the next family (family of contestant
C) can again be in the first reception area as soon as the other family is
done with recordings. This ensures that the multicam / studio never has
‘to wait’ for the other camera teams (behind the scenes).
Cold open
A hysterical edit of all the highlights and one-liners from the show. The
format is always explained here too. This cold open flows seamlessly
into the leader
Leader
Opening presentation by the host. Interview block with the coaches.
Over the course of a minute, show a quote by each coach stating what
he or she is looking for and his or her expectations.
The auditions
12 - 16 auditions then follow. The structure is as follows; the first
audition always features someone who represents the entire format.
This means someone with a huge ambition to be a singer, who makes
an enormous impression on the coaches.
The second candidate is always very good too, to confirm once again
how good the contestants were. This is often followed by a candidate
who does not get through (preferably crying). In the end, around 10
contestants out of the 12 – 16 will go through in each episode, meaning
that 2 or 6 would not.
The music
The music for The Blind Auditions is always feel-good music which
generally comes from the charts. Film/drama music is only used if the
subject calls for it (i.e. something very exciting, sad or euphoric). The
intention is to have a slight pop/dance music feel for The Blind Auditions
and to have a more serious and more impressive feel (a lot of
film/drama music) for The Battle. A great deal of music clips should be
used to keep the pace going!
Humor
As we do not get to see any bad contestants during this talent show,
you should mainly try to add humor through music. In the storytelling,
you should try to turn the contestants into characters as much as
possible (the nervous girl, the reggae guy, the opera diva). In Holland
(original version) any events which did not serve the story line in
question ended up on the cutting room floor, after that we looked for
music which really suited the candidate's personality to ensure a strong
block.
The art also lies in the preproduction. Make sure there are ‘hotseats’
everywhere so that contestants and the Inner Circle (family, friends,
etc.) can be in the right places in good time. For example, in the Foyer
you need 3 ‘hotseats’ for contestants whose turn it is to go to the
Backstage room, and in the Backstage room there must be 3 ‘hotseats’
for contestants waiting to go to the Audition studio (the stage).
That if they go wrong or forget the words, they should just keep on
singing (the band NEVER stops playing during a Blind Audition).
That they must sing right through to the end of the song because even
in that last second a coach might still press the button and turn round.
What happens if 1 coach presses the button (they belong to that coach).
What happens if several coaches press the button (the candidate can
choose, the candidate can play them off against one another).
What happens if nobody presses the button (the chairs will turn round
at the end).
You should ask about their coach preference and possibly have some
influence here (by saying that coach X already has a lot of good people,
so they should think of coach Y instead).
They will be told to only decide which coach they want on stage after
the comments/case put forward by the coaches (keep your options
open!).
It will be explained to them that the role of the coaches is to coach! And
therefore not to look for someone from the same genre (therefore a
country coach will not only be looking for country contestants) or a copy
of themselves.
Friends and family who come to the studio with the candidate to give
that essential moral support can follow the audition on large plasma
screens in the foyer and near the exit of the audition room. How they
are responding to their candidate's performance will be followed by a
camera crew there. Here, we also see happy contestants who are
through to the next round, as well as unhappy contestants who did not
make it, in the arms of the inner circle after their performance.
In the studio, chairs are reserved for (some of) the contestants' inner
circle on the tribune and in a strategic place for the cameras. After the
performance by ‘their’ candidate, they will have to leave to make room
for the inner circle of the next singer.
The audience in the studio are sitting there during the recordings for a
good reason. The audience is more than a living decor that can provide
the necessary atmosphere. We have given the audience a more active
role in building up the excitement in the episode with the help of a
warm-upper.
As already stated, the coaches sit with their backs to the studio. It is
the task of the warm-upper to involve the people in the studio in the
auditions. He or she can do this by explaining to the people in the
audience that they can help a candidate by cheering and clapping if they
do not think that the coaches are responding quickly enough. The
people must understand that they can try to influence the coaches by
expressing their enthusiasm for a candidate. All the people in the studio
do not necessarily need to express the same opinion. Here too, the
enthusiasm should be divided.
• Piano
• Drums
• Guitar
• Bass guitar
Please note that there are many moments that the coaches and the
director must focus on during The Blind Auditions:
• The body language of the coach and the relief of the contestants
when a coach turns his or her chair around.
• The same applies if the candidate has finished singing and none of
the coaches has responded.
• The look on the faces of the coaches when they see who they turned
round for. Or who they didn't turn round for... (amazement, relief,
disappointment).
• The glances between the coaches. They keep an eye on one another
and play bluff poker with each other, for example after they have
pressed the button and seen the candidate for the first time, they
might fake a disappointed look for the coaches who have not yet
pressed the button (obviously in this case, it was a good-looking
candidate with a great voice).
• The reactions of the coaches if one of the other coaches has decided
to press the button. What will they do?
• The reactions of the coaches if they are NOT chosen by the candidate
who they turned round for.
The coaches must be made very aware that the cameras will be keeping
a close eye on them while they are listening to the contestants perform.
People who are listening to something with great concentration often
tend to do so without moving, with their eyes closed. Although this is
not forbidden, the coaches must be made aware that too much of that
kind of thing doesn't make very exciting TV. As the viewers cannot read
their thoughts, the coaches must show (mimic) what is going through
their minds. If they have any doubts… a hesitant hand hovering over
the I Want You button and then being withdrawn. Excitement… when
they hear a high note being held for an incredibly long time. Horror or
disapproval… faced with a bad audition. Shaking their head in hesitation
or laughing at a surprising interpretation of a text.
What is important is that they simply show what they are thinking.
What they are looking out for. That they are keeping a close eye on the
other coaches; that they are responding to the audience in the studio.
That they are shocked by a wrong note or surprised by a high note held
for an incredibly long time. And of course there is irritation because
another coach has stolen a candidate from under their nose. The
coaches must be aware that their mutual rivalry and the battle to win
the best candidate expressly form part of the program.
THE RULES
The coaches sit with their faces turned to the audience. Their chairs
have rotating disks which are linked to special software. If the coach
presses the I Want You button on the desk in front of him or her, the
chair rotates through 180 degrees. This is when the coach gets to see
for the first time who produced the voice he or she fell for.
The chairs are built in such a way, with sides up to head height, that
there can be no doubt about it: the coach absolutely cannot see who is
singing.
The coaches can see each other, however. A coach who is having
doubts can respond when his or her neighbor presses the button, by
also hitting the I Want You button just to be sure. They might also get
angry if a coach's colleagues think that he or she presses the button too
frequently or too quickly. Or irritated if a coach responds too frequently
to the decision of the coach next to him.
If a coach is the only one to press the button, he or she can add the
talent in question to the group of contestants he or she will be coaching.
If two or more coaches have pressed the button, the candidate can
choose which coach he or she wants. The contestants must be able to
give good reasons for their choice, and must be prepared for this point
so that they can think what to say at the crucial moment.
In turn, the coaches must argue their own case and try to get the
candidate in their own team. After all, the coaches are competitors.
Because who will coach the ultimate winner of the final?
This host (M/F) must feel at home in many different areas, because he
will have to carry out many different tasks. This jack-of-all-trades must
be able to link all the components of the episode together with no
problem. In an interview, he will quickly be able to get to the heart of
the matter and open up emotions. In The Blind Auditions, you will meet
the host in various different places during the episode. Interviewing the
contestants, their family and friends, coaches etc.
However, the host must not be left to sort all this out on his own. Well
before each episode, he will be given a script containing photos and bios
and will be given a thorough briefing by the editorial team. The script
states the focus of the interviews he must carry out and the editorial
team will provide the accompanying information and questions. The
host will always be kept up to date with current developments, and also
with events during the recordings that he did not witness first-hand.
The host will also explain the program (optionally in the form of a voice
over) and will draw attention to the special effect of the ‘blind
auditions’. Particularly when the so-called blind introductory clips start
playing, he will point this out again.
The host also plays an important role in deepening the reality, which
forms an important part of the line-up. This requires a feeling for drama
and emotion, which the host must not be afraid of when it is
encountered or unleashed by him.
During the Blind Audition process, the Dutch team (original version)
spotted a few critical moments.
There is a danger of the coaches being too eager or even too slow in the
beginning when it comes to selecting their contestants. In the first case,
there is a danger of them reaching their quota of 14 contestants very
quickly. In the second case, in the end they will have to make do with
contestants who they would ‘rather not’ have chosen. The problem is
that when the recordings of The Blind Auditions kick off, they do not
know what is on offer, so they cannot compare the candidate with one
another.
• Also take into account the preferences of the contestants when you
are allocating them to a particular recording day. A good distribution
will also ensure that the contestants for one coach do not pile up
during an episode.
The contestants who are taking part in The Blind Auditions will be able
to choose from a number of songs. This will not be a limited selection,
so there will certainly be a suitable song for them in there somewhere.
There is a risk, during the chat with the coaches after the performance,
that rejected contestants will come to their own defense with the
argument that they were not allowed to sing what they wanted. The
supervision of the contestants also includes making sure they are
committed to their choice of song, so that they do not try to use this
defense as a reflex.
You can choose this option to add an extra candidate to the teams. This
campaign will be promoted for a few weeks on the radio, but only once
The Blind Audition selections have closed and also after The Blind
Audition recordings.
The Wild Card also offers a fresh chance for a candidate who was not
chosen during The Blind Auditions. If the coaches have come to realize
that one (or more) of the contestants deserves another chance, then
this candidate can try for a Wild Card. The Wild Card can also be used to
generate publicity.
The singers who apply will be assessed using the same strict criteria
that apply to all the contestants: the only important thing is the quality
of the voice. The contestants who make it through the selection process
will be invited in pairs to perform in the radio station's studio, in a
program that is broadcasted on “prime time”.
After The Blind Auditions, each coach (including a coaching duo) will
have 14 top talents in his or her team. During this phase of The Voice
Of... (The Battle), more than half must drop out because after The
Battle, only 6 talents per coach will remain. This means that each coach
has 7 Battles and 1 Sing-Off between 2 contestants.
If you decide to make the coaches' teams bigger or smaller, you must
always have an even number of contestants. If one or several coaches
nonetheless end(s) up with an odd number of contestants during The
Blind Auditions for any reason, this situation must always be discussed
with the Consultant from Talpa's International Productions team in the
Netherlands (the same applies if the coaches' teams have more or less
than 14 contestants).
The Battle
Each episode (70 minutes net) has room for approximately 9 complete
Battles.
Interviews
All the contestants will be interviewed against a background. This is
identical to the interview set used during The Blind Auditions. The
contestants will be asked various questions which the editorial team has
prepared. Here, we also capture the image that is used in The Battle
design (X vs. Y). This is often a pose in which they seem to be about to
fight, but with a wink and a smile!
Backstage
Before the contestants perform, they go to the Backstage room
(identical to the Backstage room for The Blind Auditions). Here, a
camera crew records the last-minute suspense and gets brief quotes
about expectations, nerves etc.
Each coach's 14 contestants fight it out against one another. There are
always 2 in the ring. That means 7 battles per coach. After each duel in
the ring, the coach must decide which of the two contestants will go
through to the live shows.
For each coach, six contestants will go through to the live shows.
After the battles, seven contestants remain. One candidate must still be
eliminated. The coach decides who will be eliminated by means of a
sing-off.
THE SING-OFF
At the end of the seven battles in the boxing ring, seven contestants
still remain. These seven winners enter the boxing ring one more time.
There, five of them will hear that they are through to the next round
(the live shows).
For two of them, an exciting final battle follows: the Sing-Off. In the
ring, these two must immediately sing (one after the other) the song
which they sang during the Blind Auditions. Finally, the coach must
make another ‘dramatic’ decision and choose just one of the
contestants. The six contestants who are through to the Live Shows will
then be known.
• The contestants who must fight it out against one another are filmed
during the rehearsals in the ring.
• The contestants are filmed walking. To the studio, on the red carpet.
• The decision of the coach after 7 Battles and for the Sing-Off. Five of
the seven contestants will immediately go through to the Live Shows.
When the reality footage is being filmed during the rehearsals, the
coaches absolutely must be present in the boxing ring. Outside the ring,
they also consult their dream team with the cameras running. It is clear
that the coaches are really coaching their students and demanding the
very best from their contestants.
Everyone can feel it: this will be the all-or-nothing show for the
contestants and the coach will be fighting for both of them and for equal
opportunities. It must be made clear once again that the coaches can
feel their fellow coaches breathing down their necks too. After all, the
competition and rivalry are not limited to the singers who are fighting it
out with one another on stage. After all, at the end every coach wants
to be standing next to the winner!
RECORDING DAY 1
Reality (location) Coach A, B, C and D
= Portraits / beauty shots of coaches and dream teams
= Announcement of Battle
= Rehearsal session
= Interviews
RECORDING DAY 2
Reality (location) and Battles (studio) Coach A and B
= The 1 to 1 chat with coach
= Rehearsal on the stage (boxing ring)
= Interview with host after the rehearsal.
= Reality in the communal waiting room
= Battles
RECORDING DAY 3
Reality (location) and Battles (studio) Coach C and D
= The 1 to 1 chat with coach
= Rehearsal on the stage (boxing ring)
= Interview with host after the rehearsal.
= Reality in the communal waiting room
= Battles
Days 2 and 3 each focus on two coaches with their 14 talents. That
means that on a single day, you must record 14 duels/battles in the
ring. Don't forget to leave time to film all the exterior shots!
For these two teams, the coaches and their dream teams must be
present for the entire day at the rehearsals, etc. Only when it comes to
the studio recordings of The Battle will the other coaches also be
present with their dream teams.
The filmed material is not cut in chronological order in the episode. The
choice of material is always determined by the suspense that must be
built up. The introductory clips and clips which tell the contestants' own
stories are also not cut in chronological order. The items are chosen and
arranged in order to create suspense, reveal the mutual relationships
and rivalries between the contestants and show the viewer the hectic
atmosphere and stage fright before the match.
A great deal is happening behind the scenes. The coaches and dream
teams advise and reassure their contestants. Stage fright and nerves
create a lot of emotions. Contestants who have to sing together even
though they're each other's biggest rival show what they're made of in
the rehearsal room. In addition, an interviewer / reporter who asks
questions behind the scenes always accompanies the camera crews.
The contestants then head off with their coach and dream team to
rehearse in separate rehearsal rooms. 1 camera crew with a reporter is
present for this.
Quotes are then obtained from all the contestants and coaches in front
of a projection screen (in an interview setting which is identical to The
Blind Auditions). For editing purposes, a personal Battle pose for each
candidate is also filmed.
This will all be filmed in two interview sets (with lighting, dolly, rails)
using the 2 cameras that were also used during the announcement.
The steadycam will then capture the beauty shots of the coaches and
dream teams and the various exteriors.
Another camera team gets brief quotes from contestants coming out of
these sessions.
During this rehearsal, the host will interview the other contestants in
the communal room with 2 camera crews present. A separate camera
crew with a reporter will shoot general reality footage (make-up,
clothing, etc.).
Shortly before the Battle, all the contestants will walk with their Battle
partner over the red carpet to the Battle studio. This walk will be filmed
using the steadycam. This will be shot in one go, with one pair of
contestants after another.
Camera team 1:
In the backstage room to film the last-minute suspense of the
contestants. A lot of general shots (nerves, excitement) will be filmed
here together with some more brief quotes.
Camera team 2:
In reception area 1, where the Inner Circle (family, friends, etc.) of
candidate A are watching on the monitor and where candidate A will go
after the Battle.
Camera team 3:
In reception area 2, where the Inner Circle (family, friends, etc.) of
candidate B are watching on the monitor and where candidate B will go
after the Battle.
In this way, the 2 Battle contestants can greet their families outside
immediately after their performance and the various emotions
(happiness and disappointment) can be shown.
Camera team 4:
In the communal waiting room which the contestants return to after
their performance. Here, the last quotes are obtained and we see the
contestants sharing their happy feelings.
Don't forget that the crane (Techno 50) which is used in the studio must
also record the exterior shots of the location during the day!!
For The Battle, the recordings move from the pop stage used in The
Blind Auditions to a setting which embodies the atmosphere of
somewhere you might expect to find a boxing match (also in terms of
its environment). For the Dutch version, we chose a former gasworks.
An industrial building with the monumental status and feel of
nineteenth-century industrial architecture. The starting point is that you
must choose an industrial setting!!
The location, set and decor merge to form a unique combination: the
searing excitement of a boxing ring and the ultimate experience of a
live concert.
The set consists of the boxing ring which is a compulsory element of the
format, with rows of LEDs and lighting grids/spotlights in the floor. To
the left and right of the ring, there is a red carpet on which the
opponents enter the scene of battle. A further requirement is a high
location where the walls/curtains behind the stages can be illuminated
in order to create the ultimate boxing ring ambiance.
The contestants will perform with the same live band which
accompanied The Blind Auditions. However, the band is now bigger in
terms of the number of band members (6 people instead of 4 during the
Blind Auditions).
In the room, the members of the audience sit round the boxing ring.
The inner circle of the singers who are battling it out with each other get
a place on the stage on the same side as their candidate. Some of the
Inner Circle are also following the action on plasma screens in the room
where the contestants go at the end of their Battle. Two separate places
must be created (one for the Inner Circle of candidate A and one for the
Inner Circle of candidate B).
The compulsory stipulation in the format that states that more than half
the contestants must be eliminated during the Battle places the coaches
and their dream teams under great pressure. It means spending a lot of
time thinking about which contestants the coaches should put in the
ring against one another.
It will be agreed that if the coaches cannot reach a decision with their
dream teams, the coach will request a time-out so that (behind the
scenes) there is space to discuss the choice of winner with the key
members of the team.
• Can they both sing the song in question to the same standard? Do
they have the same chances?
• Are they similar in terms of image? If so, the voice is the deciding
factor.
• Are they in the same musical genre? Who is best at interpreting this
genre?
In each case, the coach must be able to provide good reasons for saying
that one of the two contestants is better than the other after their
performance.
They must be well aware that their performance in the ring decides
whether or not they make it through to the next round. Their sense of
competition must be stirred up. Not only beforehand with their coaches
during the rehearsals, but also when they are in the ring. For this
reason, the song must be divided up properly between them. Singing a
couplet and a refrain in turn does not go far enough to create the
feeling that the contestants are battling it out against one another.
The lyrics must be split between the contestants in such a way that they
can really seize the opportunity to ‘outsing’ the other candidate. This is
only possible if they sing 3 - 5 lines in turn, so that at the end it is
possible to properly assess both the talents without having already
forgotten the singer who only sang the beginning of the song. They
must also realize that they should not give their opponent too much
freedom in the ring. In the ring, the contestants must really seize ‘their’
moment.
In some cases, a duo might make it through to The Battle via The Blind
Auditions. Duos can be pitted against another duo. Or a duo against a
solo singer.
In each case, two contestants will have to face one another in the
boxing ring. They fight it out by singing a song together. The song is
chosen by the talents themselves, in consultation with (and after the
approval of) the key members of the team, the coaches with their
dream teams, the music director and the singing coach(es).
The choice of song is very important. The song must suit the voices of
both the contestants. The song that is chosen must not give either of
the contestants an (unfair) advantage.
When choosing the songs for the contestants, you must also remember
that The Battle is a live concert. There must therefore be enough
musical variety in the performances.
In a sound studio, the band will once again record all the Battle songs in
the right key. This session must be planned in good time and takes
place about 1.5 weeks before the start of The Battle.
All these songs will be recorded in the sound studio. After the recording
session, each candidate will be sent his or her specific version (in the
right key) in MP3 format. This will give the contestants plenty of time to
practice at home with the right arrangements.
EAR PIECE
Once the 6 contestants for each coach are known after the Battle
episodes, an individual ear-piece will be made for each candidate which
they will use during live shows.
Friends and family who come to the studio with the candidate to give
that essential moral support can follow the Battles on large plasma
screens at the two exits of The Battle studio. A camera crew will record
their reactions to their candidate's performance. Here, we also see
happy contestants who are through to the next round, as well as
unhappy contestants who did not make it, in the arms of the inner circle
after their performance.
In the studio, chairs are reserved for (some of) the contestants' inner
circle on the stage, in a strategic place for the cameras. After the
performance by ‘their’ candidate, they will have to leave to make room
for the inner circle of the next singer.
The people in the studio are sitting there during the recordings for a
good reason. The audience is more than a living decor which provides
the necessary atmosphere. During the Battle, there will be an audience
of around 700 - 1,000 people in the venue. Family, friends,
acquaintances etc. will sit in a strategic position in the studio. Taking
banners, stuffed toys, flowers etc. into the venue is forbidden!!
As The Battle episodes are recorded a few weeks before they are
broadcast, it is compulsory for the members of the audience to sign a
contract which prohibits them (under penalty of a fine) from revealing
to the outside world, in any manner whatsoever, the outcome of the
battles or which contestants are through to the final.
• Piano
• Drums
• Guitar
• Bass guitar
The host takes on the role of boxing referee in the ring. His tone of
voice and lines will match this. Whenever you hear him say ‘Are you
ready to rumble?!’, the tension rises. It's time to sink or swim.
In this stage of the program, the coaches and their dream teams are so
involved with their own contestants that play-acting doesn't come into
it.
If the coach and the support team cannot even agree on a decision
together, they will take time out. In this case, the coach, dream team
and production team will go behind the scenes to discuss the matter
and will return to the studio with their decision.
On the journey to The Battle and during The Battle, the coach will be
assisted by two specialists of his or her own choosing(2). These will
preferably be a producer and a songwriter.
The coach will put his own dream team together and must come up with
very well-known specialists. These will preferably be people who the
coach works with or has worked with in the past.
The rehearsals will also be attended by a dance coach who will stage the
contestants in consultation with the coaches. This will be recorded for
the reality clips used as introductions before the talents enter the
boxing ring.
2
In the Dutch version of The Voice of…, the dream team mainly consisted of the coaches' own producers and
songwriters.
And then, from the seven contestants who remain after seven nerve-
racking duels in the boxing ring, the coach still has to make one more
awful decision. Because one more candidate has to be eliminated. For
the coach, this is a tough decision. Because after all, the strength of The
Voice Of… lies in the fact that all the contestants are fantastic singers.
What reasons will the coach give for sending home this last candidate?
The moment when the coach – after much doubt and discussion with his
or her dream team – takes the plunge and has to share the decision
with the seven contestants is a crucial moment. It's the highlight which
the entire episode builds up to. Experience has shown that not every
coach is a natural when it comes to building up the necessary tension.
This is a skill in itself. For this reason, it is good to go over clear scripts
and one-liners with the coaches before the recording, which they can
use to back up and justify their decision to both the contestants and the
viewers.
SING-OFF SONG
The contestants will sing the song which they sang during the Blind
Auditions! They must therefore practice this song and know it inside
out! The band must also have the sheet music of this song!
During the Sing-Off, the five contestants who have made it through to
this phase will stand at the side of the stage (boxing ring). The
contestants in the Sing-Off will perform their song on the stage (boxing
ring) and during the performance by their opponent, the other
candidate will sit with the host on the coaches' sofa watching their
opponent's performance.
During the cutting and editing process, the order of the battles in which
the contestants face each other is determined.
The total of 28 Battles will be made into three episodes. The editing
schedule and the line-up (see appendix) show that the performances of
the contestants in the ring are not cut together in chronological order.
We have deviated from the traditional sequence of introducing the
contestants with their introductory clips. The structure of the line-up
mainly aims to allow the viewer to experience the intense feelings of
excitement and action in and around the boxing ring.
The introductory clips of the contestants and the reality footage which is
shot behind the scenes and during the rehearsals will be cut together.
The editing differs greatly from that of the average talent show and the
editing style is a compulsory component of the format.
As the Battles will not be edited chronologically (in the order in which
they were recorded), this must be taken into account during the
recordings. The host must therefore record three openings and three
endings, including opening lines and closing lines.
MUSIC
In order to give The Battle a spectacular and compelling feel, a lot of
film music was used. The songs (music) used to introduce the
contestants on the stage were also spectacular and bombastic, and
sometimes pop songs were chosen to enhance the personality of the
candidate. Wherever possible, funny songs (YMCA for a gay candidate,
The A Team for a guy in the army) were used to lighten things up a
little.
This chapter is still under construction, since the original Dutch version
is still in the process of recording.
The live show is the last phase in The Voice Of…. After The Battle
episodes, the coaches each have 6 remaining talents who are through
to the live shows.
• For the first time, the viewers can help decide the fate of the
contestants (voting by text message/call).
• There are more hosts. Two hosts in the room. In the social media
room, there is a sidekick to receive the contestants, with all the
associated emotions.
During the live shows, the coaches will each lose one of their students.
Once again, the coaches will have to make difficult and often painful
decisions. They will determine the fate of the contestants with whom
they have created a bond after working hard together for weeks. In
each episode, the coaches have the last word. Who will they take with
them to the next round, on the way to the big final? In the live shows,
the viewers take part in the action for the first time. By calling and
sending text messages, they decide for each coach which two
contestants are safe and can go through to the next round.
The coaches decide which of their own contestants (those who were not
voted to the safe zone by the public) are definitely through to the next
round and which contestants will have to take part in a sing-off. The
coaches also make positive decisions. They say who is allowed to go
through.
It depends on the number of contestants who are still in the running for
each coach how many contestants can be placed in the safe zone by the
voting public and how many contestants are chosen to go through by
the actual coach.
In total, there are nine live shows. When the live shows start, the
coaches each have six acts.
The first six live shows each feature (in turn) two coaches with their
contestants. These are the playing coaches.
The non-playing coaches are also present, however without their dream
teams. Their talents will sit in the gallery. The last three live shows will
feature the contestants of all four coaches.
All the coaches will attend the live shows. This includes the coaches
whose own contestants are not performing (non-playing coaches).
Although the coaches evaluate each other's contestants after their
performance, they have no influence over the decision made by the
coach in respect of his or her own contestants. This means that a coach
cannot hide behind the opinions of his colleagues. Here too, it is the
coach and the coach alone who determines the fate of his own
contestants. This is a strong point of the format which must be retained
and is emphasized in the live shows. However, a playing coach is
allowed to consult his or her dream team which is also present at the
live shows.
The coaches, who without exception are famous names in the musical
world, will surprise the viewers and audience in the room with a
performance of their own during the live shows. They can decide the
details of the performance themselves, as long as it involves one of
their own contestants.
They might choose to give one of their contestants in the danger zone
the week before an extra chance by singing a wonderful duet. Or it
could be a reward for a candidate's great courage and effort, or an
opportunity to show a completely different side of a candidate in terms
of repertoire and singing style. Or perhaps there might be some
personal reasons why the candidate should perform with the coach. If a
coach feels this would be unfair, he or she can also decide to perform
with all of his or her contestants.
The live shows will have two hosts, preferably a man and a woman.
They will receive the contestants before and after their performances
and play an important role during the sing-off. They will take care of
contestants who are having trouble and, together with them, will watch
to see how the rival is doing. It is the task of the hosts to build up the
suspense during the shows.
There will be a third host in the social media room backstage. On the
request of the hosts, the coverage will switch from the main room to the
social media room where the sidekick receives the contestants before
and after their performance. The sidekick will chat with the contestants,
focusing on emotions and the build-up of suspense.
To emphasize the concert feeling as much as possible, the live band has
grown to include 13 people (incl. 3 backing vocals and a 4-piece brass
section).
In order to further emphasize the live feeling of the show and to keep
up the pace the band will already start playing the intro of the song
which is about to be sung while the contestants are being introduced by
the host. After this the candidate will seamlessly launch into his/her
performance.