Rant against current cinema-photography trends :)

[folivier]

Yes the sound bar helps as would any stereo system with an equalizer function. It's a shame you pay big bucks for a tv and the audio is so mediocre. Best tv I ever had was a Panasonic Prism with built-in equalizer, etc.

 

[Amethyst]

And whoever is selling the old-people products on early TV. You know, "TV Ears," big-number cell phones, walk-in bathtubs...all that depressing stuff.

It must be depressing even to be in the Old People sales business. Not one of the gadgets and services is fun.

We're only an important demographic to politicians.

 

[martyp]

I'm more or less OK with contemporary cinematography in TV and movies. 3D movies used to be pretty bad but either I'm getting used to it or they are getting better at using it more appropriately. I recently saw "The Martian" and specifically went to see the 3D version. I guess my pet peeve would be the overblown special effects used as plot elements of "historical" movies like pirate movies or Sherlock Holmes, etc. These are not movies I would see anyway but I see the previews and I'm mystified. The shaky camera thing is a little overdone but I find it appropriate sometimes. My thinking is that these effects are intended to present the movie through the eyes of the person watching as if they were part of the movie itself. This has been tried for decades but they have more special effects toys to work with now.

 

[Amethyst]

A theme is emerging of "old movies versus new movies."

One thing I like about newer action/thriller movies is that the women aren't constantly helplessly screaming, the way they did in old movies. Instead, they grab a gun and do something about the situation. I hated the Indiana Jones movie where Spielberg's wife, a terrible actress, screamed hysterically every time she saw a bug.

 

[Sunset]

The shakey-cam thing feels very unnatural, so I don't watch content that employs it. When I'm conversing with someone I stand still. The technique has grown hoary and demonstrates a lack of confidence in the content. If I want shakey-cam there's plenty from amateurs on youtube who at least can claim they can't afford a tripod.

+1
I refuse to watch shakey camera movies, its just stupid and annoying and something that I can do anytime with my camera.

 

[HFWR]

Someone mentioned Blair Witch Project. I fully blame that damned movie for all the shaky stuff.

Some scenes are enhanced by it, but it's definitely overused.

As for old v. new movies, I find the acting/actors in most older movies to be relatively stiff compared to modern actors. Obviously, that's a pretty broad generalization, but true for me.

 

[youbet]

Sounds like a number of members might prefer to no longer watch filmed entertainment. Great! How about canasta? Or perhaps home movies?

I like canasta! I wish we didn't live thousands of miles apart. I can't find anyone to play canasta with here. Once in a while DW will play a few hands with me but I have to let her win and praise her winning skills to keep her interested.

Playing canasta and drinking is far superior to watching movies IMHO. I suppose if it catches on, the FIRE Forum will be full of rants about drunken canasta players.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

Deleted.

 

[mbooth]

You have an excellent point! Maybe those of us who feel upset by the way films videos are currently made should hire our own film crews! Or, as I formerly suggested before you kindly pointed out the flaw in my idea, just take up an alternate leisure activity?

Ha - whilst I generally enjoy your 'alternative/contrarian' view on things, in this case I'm not so enamoured of your dismissive take on this particular topic.

Fact is, many TV and movie aficionados are voicing their displeasure at current cinematographic trends and indicating a tendency to not patronising the mediums if it continues. Can't be a good thing for future profitability I'd wager.

It's not a case of just being a 'moaning-minnie', it's more like letting the 'creators' know that innovation-for-innovation's-sake is not a route to pleasing the customer-base they are aiming for.

Pissing people off has never been a smart profit-generator and, ultimately, that is what TV/movie production is about

 

[youbet]

It's not a case of just being a 'moaning-minnie', it's more like letting the 'creators' know that innovation-for-innovation's-sake is not a route to pleasing the customer-base they are aiming for.

So, you're figuring that the movie tycoons are reading this forum and will now get the message?

I wonder if some of those movie innovators would be better off spending their time playing canasta instead of thinking up new ways to shake and wiggle the camera? That way they'd avoid pissing you off and simultaneously have a great time.

 

[Amethyst]

We quit watching it 30 minutes in...not because of the shaky camera, but because it was boring. We prefer movies where stuff actually happens. Preferably, right out of the opening credits or even during them

Someone mentioned Blair Witch Project. I fully blame that damned movie for all the shaky stuff.

Some scenes are enhanced by it, but it's definitely overused.

As for old v. new movies, I find the acting/actors in most older movies to be relatively stiff compared to modern actors. Obviously, that's a pretty broad generalization, but true for me.

 

[mbooth]

So, you're figuring that the movie tycoons are reading this forum and will now get the message?

I wonder if some of those movie innovators would be better off spending their time playing canasta instead of thinking up new ways to shake and wiggle the camera? That way they'd avoid pissing you off and simultaneously have a great time.

Not directly, I'm just hoping that the movie studios/industry observers are scraping the net for overall 'customer' [remember them/us] views. Lord knows there is not a central-command we can moan to

The 'innovators' need to be given broad-spectrum views, including that there are some/me that they are 'pissing-off' with their 'innovations'. I don't expect my 'demands' to be rectified, just that, hopefully, they can accommodate voices that are not in agreeance or lock-step with their particular 'artistry-du-jour' approaches.

Artistic innovation is great, until it gets up the nose of a significant proportion of the audience it is aimed at, [also known as 'wrong'] then it becomes just a tedious PITA

 

[Tadpole]

I'm not sure what Blair Witch does but I remember that years ago Hill Street Blues filmed with cameras that jittered so badly that I could not stand to watch it so I didn't. Wikipedia says it started as an art form in the 60s.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaky_camera

 

[kombat]

I guess I'm in the minority - I actually appreciate a lot of the modern trends in cinematography (shaky-cam notwithstanding). The first/worst example I remember of "shaky-cam" was one of the Bourne movies (maybe the second or third one?). There was a fight scene in a stairwell, and the camera was being jostled so badly that you couldn't possibly make out what was happening. I know it was supposed to add to the "chaotic, dramatic" feel of the situation, but I just found it horribly annoying.


The wider dynamic range of audio (i.e., quieter dialog, louder explosions) is one of the things that sets a film apart from regular TV, and adds to the movie experience.


Something I've noticed producers taking advantage of lately (on TV, not film) are drones/quadcopters. The video on those things is finally high-enough quality to be usable on TV, and it's enabling producers to get some spectacular shots that they couldn't possibly get any other way. In the past, they could get a similar shot with a crane, but now they're able to get those kind of shots in environments where it would be impossible to get a crane, such as the jungles of Panama ("Naked and Afraid") or the beaches of Peru ("Survivor"), or the backwoods of the Appalachian Mountains ("Southern Justice") or the exercise yard of a maximum-security prison (National Geographic's "Behind Bars: Rookie Year"). I'm sure there are many other examples, those are just some shows that I watch where I've noticed the effect.


What DOES bother me, however, is the "Motion Smoothing" features in all new flatscreen TVs, and that it seems to be enabled by default. The TV "intelligently" fills in frames to make the video look like 30/60 frames per second, which smooths it out. It makes it look like a soap opera, in my opinion. Movies are supposed to be filmed at 24 fps. When the TV inserts extra frames to bump it up to 60 fps, it totally bumps me out of the suspension of disbelief. I detest it and hope it's a trend/fad that does a quick death.

 

[Texas Proud]

Not directly, I'm just hoping that the movie studios/industry observers are scraping the net for overall 'customer' [remember them/us] views. Lord knows there is not a central-command we can moan to

The 'innovators' need to be given broad-spectrum views, including that there are some/me that they are 'pissing-off' with their 'innovations'. I don't expect my 'demands' to be rectified, just that, hopefully, they can accommodate voices that are not in agreeance or lock-step with their particular 'artistry-du-jour' approaches.

Artistic innovation is great, until it gets up the nose of a significant proportion of the audience it is aimed at, [also known as 'wrong'] then it becomes just a tedious PITA

Note.... money talks.... if these different styles of filming resulted in less revenue, the powers that be would put a stop to it.... as long as there are enough people out there paying their good money to put up with it nothing good is going to happen....

Like my example of Scandal.... I hate the way it is filmed, but I did like the story line.... since I am in the small minority, it is a hit show.... they will continue to put it out.... others will copy it (I have seen it in a few other shows now)...

Same thing for the sound.... everything in the movie theater wants to blast you with 100+ DB of sound... heck, I can hear movies walking down the hall.... I have even heard the movie next door!!! Since all the blockbusters do this, it will continue....