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Interview:
Mark Thorpe, Inventor & Entrepreneur: Robot Wars:
21st October 2003
What are your aims and objectives?
To
continue to be creative and productive. After
the time and energy I put into the First Annual
Robot Wars in San Francisco 1994 and the three
annual events that followed in 95, 96, and 97
I am still tired. But the satisfaction and fulfillment
was worth the effort and all wonderful people
I met was even
better.
What's
your background?
art (m.f.a degree), film production, special effects(12
years at ILM / Lucasfilm), 3 years of toy design
(LucasToys), entrepreneur (creator / founder of
Robot Wars), event production (Robot Wars), engineer
(robots and motion control machines), partner
in the Stupid Fun Club (a multimedia design company
that explores the relationship between robots
and people)
What's
your niche in utilizing TV?
Robot
Wars was the first of the home-made-engineering-competition
shows which include Junkyard Wars, Monster Garage,
etc. I feel that these other shows were inspired
by my original vision.
What
are the best and worst things about Reality TV?
the
best thing is the absence of sitcom, drama, or
action formula. The worst thing is the absence
of creativity in production.
What
should good Reality TV contain?
creativity
and imagination in content selection, content
structure, and production.
Does
Reality TV need to become more real?
Whether
it needs to or not it will follow the nature of
contemporary life and become darker and more extreme.
. .
What
are the worst cause of Reality TV being fake and
contrived that you know about? e.g. fake sweat,
couples not being real couples, "planting"
props etc. etc
every
industry has it's cheaters.
When
will the novelty of Reality TV wear off?
How
do you maintain professional integrity with something
that is seen as "gimmicky"?
I
don't do gimmick's.
What
are your current projects?
can't
disclose. I am looking for investors.
...end.
Editors
note: a new slant on Reality TV. Stay turned to
Robot Wars, and Media Man Australia investigation
into the world of Reality TV.
Contact:
Marc @ MarcThorp@aol.com
Links:
Lucas
Films
Robot
Wars official website
Media
Man Australia: Reality TV Forum
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