Yeah - ur right! I'm hoping this Saturday will be a bit better and that we won't have to complain again - but if we do - I think we all should.

Do people agree that since we've started all complaining the camerawork has got marginally better.

I think it opened this series appaulingly! I couldn't believe it - but its becoming more bearable in - what do people think?

Is the complaining working????

Yes but it is a marginal improvement.The camera still veers off at an angle at odd times - often in the middle of a step.

And even on ITT- we see more of the underside of the chandelier than is strictly necessary.

I think tonight took a step backwards! The camera works gone back to being manic!!!! What do others think? Back to the complaining board????

Tonite was absolutely dreadful- the spinning and the fact that at some points you couldn't even see their feet- poor Claire had a camera right in her face (graccefully handled by her) and with some of the dances I had no idea what it really looked like cos of the angles and height- rubbish!

The camera work was really bad, and I mean REALLY BAD with the Celeb group dance.

Dear Mr

Thank you for your e-mail regarding 'Strictly Come Dancing'.

I understand you are disappointed with the use of camerawork during the programme.

The BBC is committed to the highest production standards in programme making and many BBC programmes utilise various camera techniques in order to complement the subject matter and to enliven the footage to provide the viewer with a sense of 'being there'. However, we are careful to retain clarity of picture and a comprehensible sense of what is going on. This maxim of clarity, where appropriate, is followed as closely as possible in all our programmes.

Please be assured that your comments on this matter will be fully registered and made available to the 'Strictly Come Dancing' production team and indeed senior management within the BBC. Feedback of this nature helps us when making decisions about future BBC programmes and services and your views will certainly play a part in this process.

For the latest news and features relating to the programme, you may wish to visit:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/strictlycomedancing/

Thank you again for taking the time to contact the BBC.

Regards

Tony Brown
BBC Information
__________________________________________________

-----Original Message-----


{Date:} 19/11/2006
>{Programme Name:} Strictly Come Dancing
>{Transmission Date:}18 - 11 - 06
>
>{Comments:}
>Dear Sir,
>
>for a Dancing oriented programme, I've been appalled at the very amateurish camera work during this series.
>
>You seem to have a very trigger happy Employee who obviously doesn't understand what the viewer need to focus on to appreciate each dance.
>
>What does a fly by camera pan has to do with a dancing performance?
>And what is the point of zooming in and out from many yards away?
>The frequent switching from one camera angle to another is pointless and ruins any attempt of the viewer at appraising the performance (let alone the fact it's enough to make anyone dizzy).
>
>If there is one thing that continuosly spoils the show for me, is the very poor comera work.
>It really borders on incompetence, pure and simple.
>
>I do hope you re-visit your procedures and act accordingly.
>
>Best Regards
>

Last night was just awful. Those aerial shots are horrible- what is the point if you can't see the footwork?!

And that camera spinning around Darren when he was already spinning around in the other direction? It made me feel sick! I've given up thinking we can have any influence over it...

I've never been bothered enough by it before to add my tuppence worth, but last night was shocking! So many overhead shots, it was just frustrating! I was looking at Mark and Karen, thinking 'is that a lift? What's going on?" So annoying not to be able to get a clear view of what was happening. Louisa's dance was nigh on ruined because the camera was in wierd positions , and as for poor Claire having to dance around the zooming camera... Get your act together, BBC, you can't expect the dancers to be technically sound when you aren't!

The camera work in the group dance wasnt fantastic, struggled to see who was dancing where and what.

Yes the camerawork has taken a nosedive. I do not want to see the camera moving in between the dancers while they are dancing. It is creating a disadvantage for the celebrity dancer.
I guess they are going for dramatic effect, but most viewers want to see the dance well enough to decide who is dancing better. They could use the other angles like overhead when compiling the Sunday show.

Louisa got lots of praise from the judges for her footwork, but I couldn't see any of her footwork. If only they WOULD have different camera angles, then use the best one for the Sunday show...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/make...nt_step1.shtml

Everybody who is fed up with the camera work go here and click on the make a complaint bit - if we do it in bulk we might make some headway!

I'm going to log my 5th complaint!

MY FIFTH BBC COMPLAINT!

I started a thread on the Strictly come dancing forum about how awful the camera work has been on the programme and the number of responses were overwhelming!

After several weeks of people complaining here and elsewhere there was a general feeling that the camera work got better, but last night it went back to its previous awfulness - and the responses on the forum reflected that!

There have been well over 200 responses in the forum and the problems with last night was the manic racing across the floor, especially during Claire and Brendan's dance, where the camera actually came so close to Claire she was forced to acknowledge it. We want the camera to subtly suspend our imagination and convince us that we are there, like the live audience, witnessing the fantastic dancing - not rushing in and out of the dancing as if the cameraman is trying to upstage the dancers and make us aware of his/her presensce.

I couldn't see Louisa's footwork at all, and the group dance was just terrible- the overhead shots ruined it!

Please inform the camera team that we want still whole body shots, from a motionless camera - and allow the dancers to create the energy - and not the cameraman!

Scrub this earlier post of mine. Saw the repeat today and the camera work was fine - could see the footwork perfectly. I must have been watching a different programme. The X-Factor, perhaps. If the cameraman is reading this, Soz for the undeserved dissing.

I dont think the dissing is undeserved - the camera work was appalling on Saturday.
I think there's a lot of arrogance on the Production team if they merrily ignore this number of complaints.

What is the agenda?Why dont they want us to see the dances sensibly?

It's a real lack of respect to the amount of work put in by the dancers-and the quality of performance.
I'm really sick of talking about it.
just watched a Woody Allen Film- they should use it for BBC training.

I thought the group dance was brill but coudn't see it that well because of the lousy camerawork : you'd just pick out a dancer to focus on and, wam, it moved to another. I had to watch it about 6 times just to see all couples including poor Brendan with his mike problem !!

Like the football idea of being able to choose your own camera angle. Maryjay

Exactly Maryjay- you have to struggle to see the dances.
Not really the function of a good camera operator,I'd have thought

I had to laugh last night when Len wanted to show us Louisa & Vincent's wonderful syncopation on ITT....and couldnt because we could only see one dancer from the knees up....leading to some eeerrr and ums from len.

Now he knows what it's like for us.
This campaign isnt working is it?
I can only think the production team is being perverse.

OMG What HAppened last night? I thought that SOME of the camera work has been getting better (a small percentage) but last night it was back to pure awfulness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Does anyone have ANY new ideas???? Or do people feel it is too late???

The camera work was back to *nomal* last night. In other words dreadful. Thought a week or two ago, it was getting better, but oh no. Was especially bad when Erin & Anton were on with Madness. Camerman did a great job of almost missing them all together.

I know that bit where it swung round the back of Madness I actually burst out laughing.

More complaints? Any point? I'm feeling despondant about the whole thing. I think I might write a really hard, angry letter to everywhere I can think and then lay it to rest.

Any thoughts?

Has anyone got archived recordings of the last 4 weeks?
If so can they check the end credits and see if the producer / director or anyone else connected to the production has changed.

It could be one director is better than another and they change them between shows.

David

They should watch some of the World Super Stars videos for research to learn the correct way to record dance performances for home audience viewing.

The trouble is they got mixed up with home audience viewing and home video. Apparently a home video would be better than what we've seen last night. I can barely see their foot, it's especially ridiculous when Vincent's two jumps (don't know what they're called) and they only show his upper part. Any common sense?

I think I saw more of the back of people's heads last night than I did of the dancer's feet. How are we supposed to judge for ourselves how well they danced when we can barely see what they're doing.