communication assisstant

The “Face 2 Face" non-scripted dating reality series combines two operation modes: documentary observation dating reality show, speech and debate. During the COVID-19 time, many people experienced being quarantined at home and staying with each other 24/7 for 14 days or even more. The “Face 2 Face” series will directly take their living place where the couple participants quarantined as the shooting scene, recording their daily activities. The conflicts exposed by characters from the records will provide the ideas of making arguments (debate topic) for producers. After the quarantine, a one-on-one debate game would be launched between the two characters and operated by following the setting rule of the debate. The show will bring all kinds of puzzles and conflicts encountered by couples while they get along with each other. Characters will have an opportunity to reveal their confusion and complaint through this constructed debate-like communication. Emotional advisors are invited to form an observation group to watch the documentaries and on-site debates of each couple, and then responsible to analyze and evaluate the interaction between the characters.

Since the non-scripted series “Face 2 Face” combines the two modes of dating reality show and debate game, it’s both constructed and organic. Even though it seems to record the daily life of the couples which happens with no-one else there, the setting and scene are actually organic under the pandemic. The event of quarantine naturally happens, and the sequence of the event can be regarded as organic as well. The familiar setting, their living place makes the characters more easily ignore the awareness of the cameras, and lose their tension and try not to act deliberately. In this case, their interactions and reactions are non-scripted as something that would genuinely happen even if the camera wasn’t there. The personality of the characters is how it is shown in the series. There are many genuine moments in their individual expression and communication with each other.

The series has a regular structure in the content sequence of each episode, and has a set of formats that can be applicable to different characters. The duration of each episode is 1 hour and 20 minutes, which is divided into four parts: the primary scene, interview, the secondary scene, and interview. In the primary scene, the cameras were fixed in the characters’ quarantined place to record and collect video materials. With the consideration of the privacy rights of talent participants, characters have been informed of the set of shooting equipment before startup. After the record of their 14-day quarantine, an interview was arranged for characters. The interview was processed and recorded in the indoor studio and the couples were invited to be interviewed by the producer separately. The content of the interview includes to give a brief introduction to themselves and reveal the problems they encountered, especially the conflicts and even emotional crisis they faced during the quarantine.

Before preparing for shooting the secondary scene, the production crew has to rough edit the materials collected from the first interview and the primary scene to make a simple documentary for the emotional advisors to watch. On this premise, the secondary shooting could be started. The couples express their views on the topics like a debate competition according to the rules given by the producer. For example, for couples who quarrel because their partner frequently receives texting messages from others, the topic given will be like: Should the partner interfere and restrict the other’s freedom of making friends (especially heterosexual friends); For the female character who feel being ignored because her boyfriends plays video games for over 10 hours, a topic can put forwar like: Should the partner give up some of his/her own time, and spend more time with each other; Or topics about the difference views on the distribution proportion of housework. On the other hand, the reaction and evaluation of the emotional advisors to the performance of the couple characters during and after watching the primary scene and secondary scene were also recorded. In the last part, the couples were interviewed separately again. The purpose of the interview this time is to collect some experience feedback from the participants, and let them freely express their feelings about facing these contradictions and whether they feel that the conflicts have been solved.

The protagonists, the main participating characters of each episode keep changing, but the sequence of recording and production always follow this format. Therefore, it’s adaptable for couples with diverse sexual orientations and cross nationality as well. It can also add credit to the series that make the series more diversified and richly present the differences for multiple gender roles’ point of view on dealing with the problems.

The structure of a full series will consist of a total of 10 episodes. Each episode invites different couples as the main characters, the advisors group remains unchanged, and each episode follows the format. Because of the length of time, each episode will be divided into two parts. The first part includes the quarantine documentary and the interview in which the characters reveal their contradictions during the quarantine time, while the second part covers the debate lived in the secondary scene and the final interview. Because each episode has different characters, it is a series of standalone episodes instead of an arced series, audiences don’t have to be familiar with the narrative and structure of the whole show, they can choose one episode to watch at will and watch the episodes out of order. What they only need to be familiar with is the both parts from one episode.

Rather than the story arcs play out over many episodes in this series, it only occurs sometimes in a small story within one act, or within one episode. Again, because each episode in the series is with different characters as standalone episodes, and the characters involved in the previous episode will not appear in the stories of other episodes. Thus, there are no open ends at the end of each episode then it is not arced. However, the story arcs can appear within an episode which is at the end of the first part of each episode that leaves some story arc open there and need take the rest of the episode to resolve.

As mentioned above, the series structure will be composed of multiple standalone episodes. Each episode will realize a standalone concept by the changes of the main character, and there is no intersection with other episodes. However, for the selection of the main characters of each episode, the producers will put every character involved in the series into consideration as a whole. They attempt to find couples of different ages, personalities, occupations, and backgrounds. On the other hand, there is a premise that they need to have a two weeks quarantine according to the policy of COVID-19 instead of putting them into a constructed scene. In this regard, the producers contact the couples who will return to the state from abroad through online communication.

There are some brief introductions of some characters. For instance, the characters in the first episode, Marinda and Webber, both of whom have been dating for two years, and are studying for graduate degrees in law school; Marina came to California from Texas to attend the university, so she knew very few friends here, and the focus of her life was her boyfriend. She feels that she lacks a sense of security; Webber was born and has always lived in California. He has many close friends here. He likes to go out to parties with his friends and sometimes selectively introduce some of his friends to Miranda. Another couple characters, Catherine and Vincent, have been dating for five years and plan to get married on their anniversary next year. Vincent is 6 years older than Catherine, and he has an ex-wife who has been married for 9 years. He works in an animation company, and his working hours within a year are unstable, but he makes a good amount of money. His greatest interest is playing games; Catherine works as a producer in an advertising production company. She goes to work on a regular routine every week. She does most of the cooking and housework at home.

The “Face 2 Face” non-scripted series will genuinely show the quarantine life of anticipated couples from different ages and with different love stories in front of the audiences who may have experienced the same situation or face the same problem during the epidemic. This familiar scene may resonate with the audience and gain the attention and attraction for the series. The topic of the debate is closely linked to reality, which reveals common concerns and conflicts in dating. Audiences want to know the resolution of solving such problems and watch the other couples to see how they deal with such conflicts. The stakes of this series are attractive to both participants and audience. Both of them don't know what will happen in the 24/7 living together life. Will there be intensification and performance of contradictions? How do couples solve their problems during quarantine? Will they choose to communicate or maybe quarrel with their partners, but have to stay in the same space with each other after a dispute? And because of the concern that they must stay in this space with their partner for the rest of the quarantine days, some will choose to endure, suppress, and accumulate their inner contradictions. In addition, the stakes of the series will be thrown out especially in the debate competition. Once the contradiction is exposed, will couples cause serious disputes due to differences of opinion and directly announce their breakup on the show?

The primary motivation of the majority of characters involved in this series is seeking for a positive development of their relationship. What drives them to participate in the series is that they want to solve the problems they face. Marinda wants her boyfriend to realize and appropriately decrease the frequency and time he spends on talking on his phone with his female friends. She wants him to keep a distance with other girls; Therefore, her motivation will be to eliminate the insecurity and expect her boyfriend to have a change. Catherine wants to prove to her boyfriend that he is addicted to the game by recording the time he spends on the game every day. She feels really frustrated by failure to communicate with her boyfriends on this problem. By participating in the “Face 2 Face” non-scripted series, these couples can make full use of the opportunities given by the producers for them to communicate and solve the problem. Especially, when they participate in the debate, it creates an emotional expression space between couples through the form of debate competition which allows them to give away emotional catharsis and truly communicate. It’s beneficial to solve the contradictions between couples. Of course, not every character comes to the series with the motivation to solve problems. Some characters may be confident that they will show a good relationship as role models to the audiences which will also reap the audience's welcome and attention, to obtain the attention and popularity are their motivation.

There will be various expected and unexpected conflicts occur in the series, mainly the interpersonal conflict between characters, and plus other internal and external conflicts. Vincent thinks Catherine is too attached to him. He needs his own independent space and time to do what he likes. At the same time, Catherine thinks Vincent doesn't care about her and doesn't give her the company she needs. Webber believes that Miranda did not give him enough trust and always unnecessarily interfered with his freedom of making friends. At the same time, Miranda feels very insecure and does not believe that Webber will be devoted to her. He must be hiding something about her. Beside the conflicts that occur interpersonally, the environment of sharing a room will also bring some new conflits to the characters or stimulate potential contradictions. During the two-week isolation period, first of all they have to deal with the daily diet and housework. Catherine thinks her boyfriend's habits are terrible, and he’s not taking care of her at all. In addition, the setting of living together day and night will also make the character's every behavior and actions monitored by their partners. Webber deliberately picks up his phone in another room where Miranda cannot see, but this is difficult to completely hide from Miranda. Emotional problems and crises between characters are accumulated, intensified, and even erupted in these conflicts.

In the series, the climax of the story is likely to occur in a quarantine place where only two characters live, or in a debate game. When any character's dissatisfaction reaches the extreme, it can be depression, frustration, collapse, and anger. The emotion can be vented in the form of quarrel, even crying and smashing things, which will reach a climax. For example, Catherine could no longer stand Vincent after she called his name five times, but he still stared at the computer screen and completely ignored her, then she grabbed the keyboard and smashed it to the ground.

The solutions will come out in two different ways, either the couples solved their conflicts, or they broke up because they couldn't reach an agreement and couldn't stand it anymore, so breaking up may be a better choice for them.

As a dating reality show, the “Face 2 Face” series allows the audience to critically and playfully analyze gender roles or depict gender roles in an inappropriate and disturbing manner. The characters' expression of perspectives and values as the series plays, it can also resonate with the audience, which virtually plays a positive guiding role, adding social value into the series. The role of emotional advisor invited also provides couples with rational analysis, guidance and advice, and advocates a positive outlook on relationships. People lack opportunities to get along and communicate face-to-face, they do not interact at all even if they sit next to each other. During the epidemic, people were forced to have the opportunity to be in a space face to face every day, and message this serie attempt to convey is to show and make the audience to reflect on their own lives and to think about what is the cause of their contradictions, and seek better ways to establish positive interpersonal relationships.