The presentation of Daniel O'Donnell's and Kristina's dance tonight was completely ruined by incompetent camera direction. The over use of the "(un)steadycam" made it almost impossible to view their dance. Personally I would bin the thing completely. That apart the constant zooming in and out and concentrated avoidance of showing the dancers feet on all the dances makes one feel that the director is suffering from some sort of affliction. They will be driving viewers away if they carry on like this.
Shockingly apalling camera work!
Yeah, the camera direction is driving me mad with the zooming out and camera swooshing towards the ceiling. They're more interested in it looking flash and showing the set off than serving the dance. The US version does a much better job of keeping the dancers in frame for more of the time while still looking dynamic and flashy.
I am sure i flinched as the steadicam nearly hit a dancer's arm - was Tristram maybe.
Are we going to have an incident where a celeb gets whacked by the steadicam, like we did last year with the backing dancer ruining Jake's routine ??
Are we going to have an incident where a celeb gets whacked by the steadicam, like we did last year with the backing dancer ruining Jake's routine ??
I've always been unhappy with the camera work as the TV viewer has never had the chance to see the whole body, head to toe, throughout the whole dance.
All TV in this country is "overproduced" as far as camera work is concerned. It's probably a bigger pain than over-loud background music, as far as I'm concerned. They take a delight in zooming-in to absurd degrees and generally dodging around. With modern, large high-definition TVs it's just not necessary nor desirable.
But they didn't get their degrees in meeja studies for nothing.
But they didn't get their degrees in meeja studies for nothing.
The camera work in previous years is a large part of the reason I'm not watching a lot of the dancing now, even on iPlayer, the 'whirlycam' makes me feel nauseous, and that's without the painful dancing.
I'm going to 'watch' on here and in The Blue Room, then decide what I'm going to look at on an individual dance basis. I need to cut out as much rubbish as possible, and the camera work has ensured that quite a lot of that is dancing. Whoever decided that giving half the audience motion sickness, for the effect, should be removed from the production team to a place where they can't affect what the audience at home sees.
I'm going to 'watch' on here and in The Blue Room, then decide what I'm going to look at on an individual dance basis. I need to cut out as much rubbish as possible, and the camera work has ensured that quite a lot of that is dancing. Whoever decided that giving half the audience motion sickness, for the effect, should be removed from the production team to a place where they can't affect what the audience at home sees.
I have no problem with 'whirly cams' or any other technique the camera dept use in their efforts to make the scene more dynamic.
But what I do have a problem with is that it doesn't really work that well and that, I think, is as much down to the producers' choice of shots as to the camera work.
Several times last night we were left wondering what the hell had happened in some sequences, particularly when the judges commented about 'mistakes'.
And in a couple of routines (can't remember which ones though) even the closing steps/moves were ignored or viewed from the wrong angle.
But what I do have a problem with is that it doesn't really work that well and that, I think, is as much down to the producers' choice of shots as to the camera work.
Several times last night we were left wondering what the hell had happened in some sequences, particularly when the judges commented about 'mistakes'.
And in a couple of routines (can't remember which ones though) even the closing steps/moves were ignored or viewed from the wrong angle.
Just because you CAN spin the camera around a couple dancing doesn't mean you HAVE to.
It's nauseating, especially when the couple are spinning too in the opposite direction.
PLEASE, enough of this.
It's nauseating, especially when the couple are spinning too in the opposite direction.
PLEASE, enough of this.
Every year the same-sea sick making show off camera man trying to justify his wages. I want to see the whole dancer as the footwork is as much of a part as is the head position and shoulders.
(Blimey!! Than sounds like I know what I'm talking about doesn't it?
)
(Blimey!! Than sounds like I know what I'm talking about doesn't it?
)
i'm pleased i'm not the only one that's picked up on this. i've posted on various forums over the years re: my annoyance at the camera work but i always seem to be in the minority 
i know it's an entertainment show first and foremost and it would be equally boring to see the dances from one or two essentially static cameras, however the camera switching and twirling every few secs often means you can't see the dance properly, if that makes sense? we almost missed the anita lift last night cause, in their wisdom, they decided to change cameras just as they were going into it.
i liken it to watching something such as an old cooling tower being blown up / demolished on tv shows. after the detonation, instead of just letting us see the graceful motion of the tower crumbling to the ground in one shot, they insist on switching between 4-5 different angles throughout. result? in a way you miss what you're actually supposed to be seeing.
i know it's an entertainment show first and foremost and it would be equally boring to see the dances from one or two essentially static cameras, however the camera switching and twirling every few secs often means you can't see the dance properly, if that makes sense? we almost missed the anita lift last night cause, in their wisdom, they decided to change cameras just as they were going into it.
i liken it to watching something such as an old cooling tower being blown up / demolished on tv shows. after the detonation, instead of just letting us see the graceful motion of the tower crumbling to the ground in one shot, they insist on switching between 4-5 different angles throughout. result? in a way you miss what you're actually supposed to be seeing.
I had a conversation with a BBC cameraman (not from SCD) about how much I feel the camera-work shows no love of the dancing on the show, and is instead there to showcase their own technology and he completely disagreed and spent ages explaining to me how clever the steadicam operator was. Which simply proved my point.
I wish there was an option via the red button or even better.....a download/catchup to select your camera. I've had to watch Jay and Aliona about 20 times so far because of the stupid camera selections.
Not too much of a hardship though for the greatest dance ever performed on Strictly!!
Not too much of a hardship though for the greatest dance ever performed on Strictly!!
I thought they were just using the amount of camera movement it took to make DOD and Carol look as if they were moving around the floor a bit more than they were
Originally Posted by Mrs Spratt:
“I thought they were just using the amount of camera movement it took to make DOD and Carol look as if they were moving around the floor a bit more than they were”
“I thought they were just using the amount of camera movement it took to make DOD and Carol look as if they were moving around the floor a bit more than they were”
I think this is exactly why they do this, to make it seem a though the couples move more and to make it seem more showy and exciting for the viewer. I hate it. Just keep the camera still so we can see the dancing, please.
