Live on tour: Ken Jennings brings Jeopardy! to Chapman
Photo Courtesy of Cambria Vos
On Sept. 25, the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts held a Master Class like never before. The event started in full swing, with ABC Eyewitness News handing out gift bags at the door. Marion Knott Studios’ Folino Theater was full of energetic Chapman students who had the opportunity to listen to an event hosted by Jeopardy! executive producers Michael Davies and Sarah Whitcomb.
The Jeopardy! Master Class allowed students to play their own game of Jeopardy. Former fan, contestant and now host Ken Jennings had helpful suggestions for anyone participating.
“I think the best advice for actually appearing on the show is to just enjoy it and have fun,” Jennings said.
Davies and Whitcomb began the night with an interview with Jeopardy! writer Marcus Brown. Starting as a researcher for the show, Brown didn’t expect to become a writer. He said the show's writing has a very specific format that he didn’t see himself doing, but once he got used to it, he could make it his own.
“I like to mix pop culture with the mainstays of the show. Like putting hip hop with history, literature and geography,” Brown said.
When discussing working with the team of writers on Jeopardy!, Brown said that all writers have their “blind spots,” and each colleague is important because they have their own strengths.
After a short Q&A with Brown, nine-time Jeopardy! winner Issac Hirsch joined Davies and Whitcomb on stage to speak about his experience on the show. Hirsch had a connection to Jeopardy! before he was picked to play the game, as his dad was a contestant as well.
“I spent most of my youth taunting him inadvertently, so I'm not rubbing (my win) in,” Hirsch said.
Hirsch has had much success on Jeopardy! and will advance to the Tournament of Champions. During his Q&A, he addressed a misconception about the show's filming process.
“I don’t think a lot of people think about the fact that they tape five games in a day,” Hirsch said. “My brain was like a fine paste.”
Extensive filming times come with lots of pressure, and Hirsch said he still feels it as he waits to film the Tournament of Champions. After appearing on nine episodes of Jeopardy!, he broke his winning streak, but the pressure to perform well in the next round is still on.
Now that he has had so many wins, Hirsch said that viewers' perceptions are weighing on him, and he is starting to feel imposter syndrome. He explained that viewers see him as a very smart person, and he doesn’t always feel that way.
“I spend every day with myself, so I know exactly how smart I am, and it's not very,” Hirsch said. “I feel great pressure about the Tournament of Champions, but whatever happens happens.”
Following the Q&A with Hirsch, Davies and Whitcomb brought out Ken Jennings, the current host of Jeopardy! and 74-time game champion. Jennings spoke about his time on the show and how he got selected, saying he had been an avid fan from the start.
“The best way to get good at the (selection) test is to watch the show obsessively like I did,” Jennings said.
Since Jennings was a viewer, then a player and then the host, Davies asked him how he felt about the transition and if he missed the other phases of his relationship with the game show. The current host said that he has never felt like anything other than a fan.
“I feel like my relationship with the show is that I’m a fan of the show,” he said. “Now I’m just like Jeopardy! fan-in-chief because I’m on every night.”
To prepare for his role as fan-in-chief and host of the show, Jennings took it upon himself to continuously learn the show's format, always finding new ways to get better at his job. This is a trait Davies said he loved about Jennings: that he was always trying to improve. By watching old tapes of the show hosted by Alex Trebek and never being satisfied with his performance, Jennings mastered his craft of hosting.
The interviewing then came to an end, and Jennings hosted a live Jeopardy! game. Audience members participated by playing along on their mobile devices. The board’s categories included Inside Jeopardy!, Live on Tour, From Chapman, University and College Majors in Other Words. With point values ranging from 200 to 1,000, the crowd had a chance to show off their knowledge.
The theater was beyond excited with the new master class technique, and The Panther spoke with two attendees about their thoughts.
Sophomore creative producing major Sarah Falco said the interactive element of the Master Class was what she loved most; the combination of speakers and gameplay made her feel especially involved.
“I thought it was really nice to hear from some different key people involved in Jeopardy!, but then also sort of get to be a part of it and get to play our own Jeopardy! game,” Falco told The Panther. “It was really fun.”
Students were able to ask questions during the event, and a few shared their personal experiences with the show. Falco had no idea how many people were connected to Jeopardy!, and she enjoyed moments of sharing personal anecdotes.
“I didn't expect Ken Jennings and some of the audience members to have such an emotional connection to the game,” Falco said. “So I think it was really great and awesome to hear about how Jeopardy! really impacts people's lives, and it kind of brings people together in a way which I think is so cool.”
Senior film production major Ron Shelef agrees that an interactive Master Class is something he wants to see again in the future; the interactive nature of the Master Class was his favorite part.
“Getting to see everyone be able to participate, and when someone got the first reaction time and getting their name up on the board and seeing how hyped everyone was,” he said. “That was awesome.”
Dodge College of Film and Media Arts Master Classes are available to all Chapman students and alumni. Seats are available either on a first-come, first-served basis or by lottery system, depending on the Master Class. Dates, times, upcoming guests and additional information can be found in the lobby of Marion Knott Studios or on the Dodge College Instagram account.