The Amazing Race > RFF's Amazing Race: Design Challenge
The Amazing Race: Design Challenge VIII - Final Round Design Show on Page 50!
Pi:
Declive - Cape Verde
Show content• Teams start in Portugal and fly to Cape Verde, which hasn’t been visited yet. I like this choice of location!
• The first route marker and the cryptic clue are both fine. I like how they can separate teams before the FF.
• I assume your Fast Forward is the World Heritage Site task? It’s a classic make-and-eat task. Are the ingredients pre-measured? I’m a bit turned off by mass eating tasks after early seasons of TAR, but at least this isn’t four pounds of Argentine meat. My worry with this task is that either multiple teams will go for it and it’ll be a competition of who can gorge themselves with soup the fastest, or only one team goes for it and they can enjoy a meal before getting the FF. I like how, based on the timing, a team won’t fall too far behind if they don’t win the FF. Overall, I’m a fan of the culinary aspect but it doesn’t feel perfect for a Fast Forward task for me.
• The fishing task reminds me a bit of the TAR6 fishing Detour in Senegal, as well as a few other tasks. That's not a knock, because these types of tasks are generally pretty fun and involve a taste of a day in the life of a local. I don't mind this ARI as a bridge between the FF and the rest of the leg.
• The market is the locale for a Detour, Play & Sing versus Sew & Bring. Play & Sing has a nice cultural aspect, and it’s interesting to see how each team member has a different role. The task might be steep for racers without musical talent, so I think most teams will pick the other option. It’s hard to judge how long this task will take the teams solely based on the description.
• Sew & Bring is more hands-on, and I like the delivery portion of the task. The market could be chaotic with multiple teams running across at the same time. Like the other task, it’s hard to say how long it would take.
• The Roadblock is an alphabet-learning task, reminiscent of TAR31 Laos. This task will surely be challenging for racers, but it can be difficult for the viewers to relate to watching from home. Do teams have separate classrooms? If not, they could know how to acceptably speak the correct phrase by listening to another racer. After that, teams go to the Pit Stop, a pretty lighthouse.
• There were a few minor things with image sizing and a few watermarks that could have been cleaned up. However, your notes were pretty good, with complete maps.
Overall, this leg was pretty middle-of-the-road. Nothing bad, but nothing really sensational either. The tasks didn’t feel one of a kind, but they mostly did have a spin on them to tailor them to Cape Verde, the new location you chose. I think you have a good shot at making it to the next round, so keep improving!
Bookworm - Ethiopia
Show content• After a Dubai Pit Start, teams make their way to Laibela, Ethiopia. JSYK, I’m completely fine with you picking a WHS that has been visited by TAR before- like you said, the last visit was a long time ago.
• I like this Fast Forward task! It combines music, language, and searching. It can seem luck-based, but having the 4 language speakers gives teams a way to be much better at finding the right linguistic region. It’s hard to know how distinguishable the languages are, but I’m sure teams can pick up on the differences after listening to them for a while. How do teams find the correct CD to place on the map? I also like how the FF ends at a specific time- it raises the stakes and invokes urgency even if only one team is participating. The main negative is that it would be hard for viewers to play along at home, but other than that, I find this to be a well-structured task. Good job!
• The puzzle Roadblock has a chance to be hectic, with teams running back and forth from the churches. The navigation may end up being tougher than the puzzles themselves. The task wouldn’t be mind-bending for the racers, but would be fun to see on TV, so overall I think the task is fine.
• The next clue jumps directly into the Detour. Home-Brewed requires lots of attention to detail, and I like how teams can watch the performance to be able to replicate the steps. Do teams have to start over completely if they don’t get it right the first time? I think it will take a couple tries for teams to get it right, which is fine. I think Tongue-Tied is a good balance for the other side of the Detour. It’s a musical task, but success depends on the improvisational ability of the teams. Do the songs all have to be different for each patron? It’s kind of like a selling task, but also with music/language components. I think the Detour is fairly balanced in both time and skill sets required.
• The ARI is a matching culinary task, but it’s made more interesting with the placement of the sign at the restaurant. Will all teams realize they have to go back to get the answers? If they don’t understand that the answers were right under their noses, it could result in a bunch of guessing, which could be a weird way to go into the Pit Stop. I personally would have probably cut this task with everything else going on in the leg, but I like how you put the twist on it with the intention of having the possibility of Pit Stop drama.
To recap, reading this leg makes me excited about the possibility of seeing Ethiopia (and Lalibela specifically) as part of the racecourse again. I can tell you dug deep into culture and traditions to make your tasks, especially the Detour and ARI. From a TV standpoint, it would be difficult to condense this leg down to an hour-long episode, but that’s not really by any fault of your own- all the tasks this leg deliver and they force racers to be adaptable and quick thinkers. Solid work, and we’ll see you in the next round.
Nuku - Mauritius
Show content• The leg opens in Kathmandu where teams learn they’re flying to Mauritius. I want to see this country on the race again! Only one visit by US TAR, but hopefully more in the future.
• The Fast Forward is an underwater exploration task that should be fun to watch for viewers. However, it might be a bit clunky if multiple teams are attempting at the same time, and the implementation of the letters might not have an effect on the linearity of the task. I’m not opposed to this task (as long as it’s done safely), but I’m not super excited for it either. I think it’s an appropriate task for a Fast Forward, anyhow.
• Teams then go to the Chateau, a grandiose building, where they get a Roadblock. I like how this task requires many of the senses (taste, touch, sight, etc.) to perform. I would have liked more explanation on the orchard and the searching part of the task. I wish some of the chutney and/or ingredients were unique to Mauritius, although I understand the connection to India’s cuisine. Nevertheless, I do think this is a task that will shake up placements.
• I like the World Heritage Site you picked, but I would have liked to see your task at that location be either the RB, Detour, or FF.
• On to the Detour. I can’t say much about the concept of Dance to the Beat in terms of being different from any other dancing task in TAR, but I do like the shoutout to the local style of clothing and dance moves. Thanks for including the video of the dance. Sail Through the Sea is physical, but brains are also important to finishing efficiently. I think seeing the vivid boats and the interactions with locals would be especially good for TV. After that, the Pit Stop is at a geologically interesting park.
Overall, I liked how the tasks related to the culture of Mauritius without being too overbearing. The leg did just enough to make it feel different than a lot of other beach legs. This leg was better than the TAR 10 Mauritius leg, and would make for a great episode. While a few things needed to be cleaned up in the design (for example, no leg money), I have confidence in you to put together more lively legs!
MikeDodgers - Nigeria
Show content• Teams begin in Spain and then fly to Nigeria. As an unvisited African country, I want to see what this nation has to offer!
• The Roadblock, at the Business School, is peculiar. Having teams undergo scam awareness training is a never-before-seen idea on the race, so it’s a nice PSA. How is the task set up for when someone gets a line incorrect? Do they have to completely start over, or guess again? Nigeria has such a rich culture, so this task about the scammers feels a tad ill-suited. It’s not what Nigeria should be known for and it’s not what viewers should see featured on a first episode in Nigeria, in my view. I guess the task and interactions could provide some amusing moments, and awareness on this subject is fine, but as a concept it’s somewhat unappetizing.
• The Fast Forward task is worthy, as it’s a classic “local delicacy” teams will have to stomach. I don’t really like having the Fast Forward after the Roadblock. How long does it take to make a serving of the food? How large is the serving size or how long do you estimate they will take to eat it? Details, details.
• The wedding ARI task is satisfactory. How long is the marked path? Knowing this would go a long way in helping us to figure out how long the task would take.
• After driving to Osogbo (how far away is this village from Lagos?), teams find a Detour. Cleansing of Souls shows off a cultural tradition of Nigeria, which I like. Although it doesn’t seem like they have to do much other than dress up, march, and light the candles, I approve of the inclusion of this task. Poetry Prowess is a nice offset to Cleansing of Souls, but it doesn’t feel unique to Nigeria other than the fact that the tribal chief is the cluegiver. It also feels more like a Roadblock- since the poem has to be “about their own teammate”, that sounds like one person is the sole person writing it? I don’t think much of this task will be great TV, other than the final recital of the poem. How long does the poetry have to be? This task seems harder than the other Detour.
• I would have liked to see a clearer picture or explanation of the Pit Stop location. I like how it’s tied to the local festival.
Overall, this is probably your best leg yet. The tasks felt more cultural and the leg was pretty realistic from a feasibility standpoint. I like how you went deeper into local culture for the task ideas, although you did have a task (the RB) that didn’t quite feel suitable to me. As far as presentation goes: you’re improving, but the lack of maps detracts from the design, as I don’t know where the locations are. Also, try to provide an abundance of details for your tasks. Try to get better at some of these facets of designing in your future rounds!
Declive:
Thanks Pi! I was trying to bring that chaotic market thing to the Detour. I think this Detour shows a great Cape Verdean contrast
MikeDodgers:
Thank you for the comments, Pi. Both team members have to write for Poetry Prowess. I meant for it to be like a brain-bending task because they have to ad-lib and think about 'What do I say about my teammate?' The max is 12 lines, by the way. For the ARI, the marked path is around 100 meters. And for the RB, teams get their own set of 3 scammer types to match, 5 lines to a scammer, so they will have to guess again if incorrect.
Nuku:
Thanks for the comments pi but i personally don't agree with u about some of ur comments. i think that the fast forward is like a fantastic task and the reality is not many teams will attempt it anyways, and i think like the discussion about language tasks this round, that a dance task is a staple in the amazing race like DC should be realistic and like dancing tasks are important and verrrry different no matter where you go!!!! Also i did have my detour at the world heritage site because the heritage site is the entire landscape therefor the resort is there.
Pi:
--- Quote from: Nuku on August 16, 2020, 08:40:22 PM ---Also i did have my detour at the world heritage site because the heritage site is the entire landscape therefor the resort is there.
--- End quote ---
Thanks for pointing it out, I see that now.
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