BBC3 and "Wedding Stories"

[tom hardwick]

Have any of you watched BBC3's "Wedding Stories" on a Sunday night (9:30pm)? I'm struck dumb, appalled at the atrocious footage that gets broadcast. If I were to shoot and edit wedding videos like that I'd be deservedly out on my ear, with a size 10 boot up my bum.

It really is a mess, and I just wish the two vidoeographers were reading this to offer some sort of defence. The most basic failing is one of anticipation, where horrible jerky, overshooting zip-pans are left in simply because the (poor) editor has so little good footage to work with.

About the only reasonable attribute seems to be colour balance, but that could all be down to the editor anyway. The rest of the video work is just bad, with poor framing, auto-focus hunting, auto exposure that flounces around all over the place. Don't they know the first thing about shutter speeds and apertures? Haven't they got a decent wide-angle converter between them? Haven't they learnt how to hold a camera steady?

I'm sorry, but it's truly a lesson in what not to do; how not to film a wedding and its preparation. And this rubbish gets paid for by you and me. They need smacking.

tom.

[johnxl1s]

it was unbelievable.

[Alan Roberts]

I haven't seen it, but I can imagine. Programmes are no longer made with professional camera operators and/or engineers involved. The advent of DV cameras meant that any journalist could go out and get material which, if the programme thread wanted to, could be made into a programme. The problem is that they don't understand the kit. Some go on training courses, but that costs money (I know, I get some of it). You wouldn't believe some of the tales I hear about videographers, out on a job, phoning in to ask dumb questions (like "how do I start and stop it?").

To be fair, I don't think the BBC's unique in this, I've seen some truly awesome Channel 5 stuff.

But there's another factor here. BBC 3 is a "yoof" channel, where anything goes. Traditional styles and values are deliberately sidelined in favour of immediacy. In anoither thread here I've already said how little of BBC3 is relevant to me, and this is one of the main causes, I don't like the style, and that puts me sufficiently removed from wanting to ignore the style and look for the content. It's a fashion. They'll grow out of it. Eventually. I hope.

But for the present, if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

[markwilliams32]

yeah, the footage was really bad.

[The-Video-Company.co.uk]

Switched the channel, and wathed UK Style instead.

Now where did I put those pastel drapes?

[Tall Paul]

I wathed my dwapes and can't do a fing wiv em

[Z Cheema]

The new "Battle Star Galactica" has some amazing wobbly shots to make you sea sick, in fact so bad it is a deliberate annoyance you notice the camera more then the material, which if anyone can tell me the story please would be helpfully none of us understood the story line, assuming there is one...

[harlequin]

well you just about to catch it replay now on sky one mix , for the double opening miniseries and the first ep is repeated on thursday night sky one mix.

[Alan Roberts]

When the technique's m ore memorable than the content, there's a problem. As far as I'm concerned, you shouldn't be able to remember any of the tricks, or even notice them, you should be looking at the story.

[amukidi]

Yeah, but before any of you become too self-righteous, bear in mind that some of the most excrutiatingly bland and dreadful stuff ends up on wedding videos! More cheesy transitions than you can shake a stick at and cloying, vomit-inducing picture-in picture scenes and soft edges. However experienced and knowledgable anybody is with a video camera, if they have no visual awareness and creativity, the end result is simply going to be crap - albeit superbly exposed and focussed crap! An inherent problem with the Camerman/Editor/Director Jack of all trades scenario..... Not intending to open a can of worms here - just to turn the mirror round a bit!

[tom hardwick]

It's fine to turn the mirror round a bit when your wedding video has an audience of 50, say. My original post was finger-pointing at the BBC for broadcasting cr*p to millions of people, and getting them to pay for the priviledge.

tom.

[Barry Hunter]

Earlier this year after watching a particulary bad bit of video journalism (even forget the content now) I rang the news desk of the beeb & poitley told them of what I thought of the over-exposed, shakey crappy footage. I gave my name & that of our little outfit & thought that would be the last of it.

A few months later I was talking to a collegue who is ex-beeb & he had been invited with other serving & ex meembers to a large party. He was in conversation with various old pals when one said, you`re from Torquay, have you heard of this guy? (me) & he confirmed he had. He was then told that my comment had gone up to a very senior level & had won praise from cameramen who were fed up with producers going out, un-trained & getting the shots, then putting out crap!!!

So it goes to prove that sometimes, without knowing, you can affect things.

I`ve just back from India & when I was cooling off in the apartment between cold beers etc, would channel hop. At first for news I stuck to BBC World, what a load of garbage! Then I looked at CNN thinking it would be very biased towards the States. What a difference, slick, world wide coverage of news, current affairs, sport etc. You name it, they showed it! And it wasn`t all about the forthcoming presidential elections.

Now guess who I`ll be emailing tommorrow smile.gif

[Barry Hunter]

Try a 15 hour day for most of the year! :rolleyes:

But at present I have a problem, 3 days before going to India my van got written off (i`m also a mobile mechanic) although the insurance company of the driver who hit me is playing fair, it looks like for the next 3/4 weeks I`ll be catching up with the editing & giving the boss a hand.

The van was worth about 1k, repairs 2k! But I persuaded the Insurance people that when they take into account the consequential loss aspect, it was better for them to allow it to be repaired using s/h parts, re-registering & MOTing it than facing a large claim for putting me out of business.

When i get the time I`ll post about the "Challenging" night in the jungle with the spiders, bats & creepy crawlies, also how the boss, myself & a local guy all rode 15Km on a scooter to video a local football match! Not a pretty sight smile.gif

[Alan Roberts]

That's the advice I've been giving for years. There's no point complaining about broiadcast stuff here, complain to the broadcasters. They do listen, sometimes they act as well. It's the only way you'll make your feelings heard although you might not get direct evidence of that.

Don't just moan about the crap, do something about it, tell them you don't like it.