Complaining pistol ready & loaded. If the camera works still as bad this week, the i'm ready to let the BBC have it right between the eyes.

We'll have to let them know that they ignore us at their peril!!!!!!

I know the pompous "Men in Suits" think they know best, but we know different, don't we??

YES YES YES! Let the war cry sound! I really think that its so early in the serious we have a good chance of making progress if they get enough complaints about it!

Also - we've got enough episodes left to make it worth out while to really really push! I dream of the day when I don't get vertigo when I see the show - the say when the camera is not competition with the dancers, spinning faster then they can - the day when, dare I say it, I can actually enjoy the show properly!

Here we go again....it would be nice to see what the audience is cheering at...

We can't tell whether it was good, bad or otherwise.

Just watched Emma and Darren and the camera work was awful. Made me feel giddy. It's certainly a problem that's getting worse, not better.

The problem nowadays with people who work in tv is they rarely mix with people outside tv, so they develop downright odd ideas and reinforce them. Take newsreaders: when did you ever hear people say, 'Oh, the news is SO boring because they just sit down all the time! I wish they'd walk about a bit!' But people in tv think this is an improvement we all want. The same with dancing. All the great movie choreographers, directors and dancers have insisted on simple camera work that captures the whole of the dance, but do these buffoons take any notice? Do they heck.

Camera work some of the worst ever tongiht, although to be fair it got better as the show wore on. The opening dance between Darren and Emma was pratically unwatchable. We had ramdom whipping about, huge long camera shots, at one point the camera man seemed to stumble and we saw him rush off to the right as a high shot kicked in, no shot lasted longer than 5 seconds and worst of all, did we even see their feet once ? Maybe we did, but it certaily wasn't enough to be able to see the footwork which is what all the judges were talking about !

ARGH ! I am so frustrated !

The camera work is bad when the dancers make mistake and go off line. In rehersals the cameras follow their routine and follow where they are supposed to go on the night. This is why sometimes the camera angle is too high or slightly out.

OMG I couldn't believe what I was watching - no, I rephrase - I COULDN'T SEE WHAT I WAS WATCHING! At one point I got a good shot of Brendan's armpit, just what I wanted, as the camera span round them in the opposite way to them - it was just awful.

Okay - so whats the plan of action guys?

Someone mentioned emailing 'Points of View'

I also think the BBC - if we do it on mass maybe they will take notice! I'm emailing them both tonight - when I do I'll stick a link up!

ALso - isn't it totally impossible to see what the judges are criticising - they talk about off foot work - which we never get to see!

Contact the Points of View team by email: pov@bbc.co.uk, telephone: 0870 908 3199 (local rate) or write to them at: POV, BBC Birmingham, The Mailbox, Birmingham B1 1RF.

bo**ocks. its crap (the camera work), the dancers aren't that bad!!!!

quote from Philip on expert commentary "there may have been some mistakes there, couldn't see clearly because the camera angle was too high" I wonder if he can talk to the producers???

What they need to do is remove the overhead camera that I assume runs on a wire across the top of the room and just use 4 or 5 static cameras around the room.

All shots should include head AND feet at all times or have a split screen with one camera on head to waist and the other on the feet. That way we could all see what the judges are seeing.

The other option is to use BBCi screens and have a different camera mix going to them which include full body shots.

David
Last edited by davidbrown : 28-10-2006 at 21:35

no wires, but a camera on an incredibly long boom, and a chap with a cordless camera who literally runs around the dance floor (I was there last series). We did consider unplugging it / tripping him up....

I agree, maybe put on interactive the commentary plus one or two static cameras, and please everyone

thats alright f***ing bbc, I didn't want to see those lifts!!!!!!!!!!!!

bl**dy hell show us the dancers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bugger! Just posted and it did not post! So here goes again.

I have been saying since the crappy camera work started on The Naked Chef that it is all just visual masturbation. The cameramen and editors enjoying themseilves but the rest of us just felling nauseous watching them.

Spinning cameras, torso shots etc. A waste of time.

Dancing is about the whole body. They really juat need one wide shot camera and leave it as that to see the whole dance.

We aren't interested in fancy camera work. It shows that they do not think the content is good enough just to show it as we would watch it if we were there.

When one sees something live its just one steady wideshot and it works.

They will not listen as I have written up before - yes, I am obssessed with this problem. Though it does mean I watch less TV and do other stuff instead.

Thanks, Beeb....of course we all wanted to see Ronan's ugly mug instead of the stupendous Matt & Nicole...... how did you know that ???

It's been the subject of debate here too , the camera seems to show close ups of their top halves while there looks to be lots of footwork going on that we don't get to see.

It really is getting to the point that it spoils the show for me. I was almost besides myself with the stupid shots they were using during Lilia and Matt dancing. It looked so good on ITT when the cameras were static.

I wouldn't mind some movement, but I really wish they would completely get rid of the aerial shots, the guy who runs around, and also stop changing shots every three seconds. I just don't think anyone will listen though

My only hope is that now some of the more dramatic dances are out of the way, maybe they might tone it down a bit? I really do not want to see swirly cameras during a Viennese Waltz, it's swirly enough on its own! There would actually be the possibility of sea-sickness.

Thanks for that, be sending my email off today. The camera work last night was a joke. During the Paso's I at least managed to see a bit of footwork, saw sod all during most of the foxtrots, and is it really necessary to change camera angles so much, and as for their new favourite shot of suddenly zooming away and filming them, from what seemed like, 5 miles away

Another show like last nights and I swear I'll be off down the BBC to hunt down whoever's in charge directing the cameras, armed with a large fish to slap them round the face with!

well-here's my reply from the BBC.
We all suffer because they want to show off their 'technology' it seems.Sir Terry seems to be our last hope.
Just s thought- was ithe camerawork worse last night because of the complaints...?Is he 'showing us who's boss?'


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

I appreciate you feel that the camerawork is poor and you would like to watch the dancing as the judges and audience see it.

The BBC is committed to the highest production standards in programme making, however we also seek to utilise new technology and techniques.

By including the reactions of the judges and the audience to the dancing the camera team can create a better sense of the atmosphere in the studio and add another dimension to the programme.

Nevertheless, we appreciate you find this irritating and let me assure you that your complaint has been fully registered on our daily audience log. This internal document will be made available to the 'Strictly Come Dancing' production team and Senior BBC Management.

Feedback of this nature helps us when making decisions about future BBC programmes and services and your comments will play a part in this process.

I thought it was particularly bad in last night's show (28th Oct) and have emailed the BBC to this effect. Not sure why this is so difficult to sort out....

Email send too

Is it better to send it as feedback or a complaint? I have just opted for feedback, but then when I sent it, it brought up a page saying "we may not reply to your feedback due to the high volume of emails we receive"!

Never thought I would complain to the BBC about anything, but this really winds me up!

I sent mine as a complaint and also to Points of View.

They are so smug- dont even read the complaints properly- still, a volume of complaints should show up on their Performance management sheets.