‘Haus of Pain’ is a 2017 documentary produced by Rooster Teeth Productions for its First subscription service. It follows the exploits of two online personalities, James Willems and Lawrence Sonntag, as they train to become professional wrestlers within one week. The show focuses upon Willems’ boyhood dreams of making it in the sport whilst Sonntag goes through training to help his friend attain those dreams.
The opening sequence is shot in two locations: Willems’ home and the office both men work at. This was chosen to establish the equilibrium of the subjects, letting the audience know who these people are in their daily lives before the start of training. Todorov describes the equilibrium as a place “where everything is satisfied, calm and normal” (Pg. 80, An Introduction To Film Studies, Edited by J.Nelmes). The equilibrium is also described as being “very brief, little more than an… establishing sequence” (Pg. 80, An Introduction To Film Studies, Edited by J.Nelmes), which is true to this documentary’s opening. The film often comes back to these locations, as Willems and Sonntag often come back and explain the physical toll of training in the office or at home.
With the film building towards the finale, or the debut match of ‘James Angel’ and ‘The Troll Sakamoto’, it needs to take place within the ring. Both men are seen competing at an event in front of approximately 200 people. This hammers home a point made by Willems earlier on in the documentary, that people are spending money to come see them thus he strives to perform to his best ability, thus creating the tension of the film. Because we see the match through a montage, intercut with in-ring action and crowd reactions, it gives viewers the feeling of being there. We, as an audience, learn through the positivity of the crowd that everything is going well and giving the story a positive pay-off.
‘The Mash Report’ is a political and surrealist satirical comedy that broadcasts weekly on BBC Two. The show is presented like a news broadcast in a mockup studio, similar to what can be seen upon the BBC News channel. The use of desks and graphics create a simple but believable set for a news programme. However the set is performed in front of live studio audience, reaffirming to audiences that this is a comedic show. The fact that a studio audience is present also allows the show to differ from news broadcast in the immediate eyes of the viewer.
The positioning of presenters dictates the flow of the programme, with the central-most presenter (Nish Kumar) being the show’s main “news anchor”, taking the stories, elaborating on them and “[analysing] its significance” (Presentation of News Bulletin, Zeepedia, 2017). This central location allows the audience to focuses on the main presenter by drawing their sightlines towards him. On stage right, a more traditional news desk with two presenters, who “read [the] news bulletin” (Presentation of News Bulletin, Zeepedia, 2017) (or a parody of one) resembles “newscasters and newsreaders”. One stage left, there is an ‘analyst’ (Rachel Parris). The presenters on stage left/right receive a smaller amount of screentime in comparison of the centrally-located presenter, telling the audience that only a small amount of focus should be spent there.
Sources-
An Introduction To Film Studies, Edited by J.Nelmes
Presentation of News Bulletin, Zeepedia, 2017
An Adventure In Media 