How have ‘The Masked Singer’ kept the singers that are revealed a secret, when it’s a pre-recorded show?
I must admit, I wouldn’t normally watch talent shows but I was curious about how ‘The Masked Singer’, when pre-recorded, manages to stop the audience revealing on social media who is behind the masks.
The crew, talent panel, presenter and performers themselves will all be under the strictest of contracts not to reveal any confidential information. But the studio audience on the over hand are not as easy to control (hence the #strictlyspoilers you get on Twitter late on a Saturday evening).
I assumed that they managed to stop the audience giving the game away in two ways- either the shows are live (but they are not), or when they do the reveal the audience is in fact not actually there.
It’s the latter.
The audience were all informed before attending studio they would not see the reveal moment (this advance warning will be to stop a huge mutiny when the floor manager shouts ‘and cut’ when the losing singer gets ready to pull their costume heads off, and they all start booing).
The audience then leave the studio (probably all reveals are recorded at the same time at once), and the heads off moment is filmed. Just a small number of audience remain in the studio for the wide shot- see above, creating the illusion that all the audience are still there. This small audience number are probably crew or friends of production who can be trusted (or contracted) to keep a secret.
A huge amount of suspense, which equals audience, which means ad revenue, is at stake keeping identities a secret. This being at risk is not an option.
The Masked Singer is filmed in the same place as Dancing on Ice, and in not your typical filming studio. Find out where here!
Talent Shows feel like they have run their course, but I do think at least ‘The masked Singer’ has turned the format on its head with something outlandish and colourful.
Jonathan Robinson is the founders of Bellyflop.tv
