Great British Bake Off

The Great British Bake Off is a UK reality television competition consisting of amateur bakers fighting for the chance to be crowned star baker - a weekly award given to a baker for being the best in that particular challenge. As of series 4 the two judges were allowed to eliminate two people at one stage in the competition but generally one person is eliminated each week. The two judges are cooking royalty Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry and the show is presented by hilarious duo Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins - who provide comic relief at often tense scenes.  

The show primarily uses high key lighting to make the show appear more positive and family orientated. Colourful equipment and british flags are used to emphasise the positive and patriotic element of the show, but also the colourful equipment can sometimes contrast with the gloomy British weather. The start of the show often uses an arc shot/reverse arc to zoom in/out of the two presenters before showing last weeks episode with non diegetic voice overs talking about the highlights. This then cuts to the opening graphics - graphics are used a lot to show what the bakers are actually going to make. Focus pull shots are heavily used when on the food being made, they are also used on contestants when talking to other contestants of the judges/presenters - over the shoulder shots are used when talking to make the audience feel more involved in the scene. Interestingly high angle shots are used when there is a tense scene or stressful scene as it makes the audience feel a sense of power over the contestants when things go wrong - it is used when the baking process goes wrong and the contestants are stressed. As the format is a reality television show, cast confessionals are filmed using close ups so it is just their face and shoulders in the shot to keep fixed on any emotional detail that may occur. As the show tries to influence you into being proud to be british, establishing shots are used to show british scenery in their area, as the show like to play on patriotism with often British classic recipes. Conversations between the cast are diegetic sounds and they are generally the only diegetic sounds within the show, however non diegetic sound plays a huge role as voice overs talk about what a particular contestant will be baking, the process and also previous challenges. But also music plays a huge role as the show often uses upbeat music to again emphasise the positivity of the show and that it is family orientated, but also the music can change to very quick and light music in tense scenes - this makes the audience feel anxious and tense to what will happen.