dhart
06-29-2006, 10:36 AM
On the other message board there was a discussion about Drew Carey's Sporting Adventure in Europe (basically Drew shooting still photos @ the World Cup) Somebody at the Travel Channel thought it would be a good idea to make video show at the same time. This would be crewed by Michael’s much vaunted VJ’s
I TiVoed an episode just to see how this concept was coming along. Hmmm, not only are these people not very good videographers, they're not very good journalists either. What a mess. The show mostly consisted of Drew stopping fans on the street and asking them to give a cheer for the home team. Then there was a segment in a cab Drew reviewing the still shots he made at that days match and wondering if he was really a photographer (he's not bad). No story line that I could discern. Just a bunch of random all too obvious "stuff" strung together. I turned it off after about 10 minutes.
I'll somewhat buy the argument that if you have a really compelling story, amateur videography can be forgiven. But when you have bad videography and bad storytelling I think you are in some serious trouble.
The only way this show got on the Travel Channel is because Drew Carey was in it. I think Michael has some work to do with his VJ’s on the journalism side. Maybe after they can learn to tell a coherent story he can let them loose with a DV cam. But if it is as I suspect really too much for one person to be storyteller, videographer and soundperson all rolled into one then his revolutionary new concept should die off after he leaves the business.
One more point. The reason that network television has a leg up on IP TV is that they are masters of storytelling and have a stable of highly qualified picture and sound makers working for them. If they degrade their product to the level of the amateurs now producing product for the net, they'll just be another bad IP video address.
I TiVoed an episode just to see how this concept was coming along. Hmmm, not only are these people not very good videographers, they're not very good journalists either. What a mess. The show mostly consisted of Drew stopping fans on the street and asking them to give a cheer for the home team. Then there was a segment in a cab Drew reviewing the still shots he made at that days match and wondering if he was really a photographer (he's not bad). No story line that I could discern. Just a bunch of random all too obvious "stuff" strung together. I turned it off after about 10 minutes.
I'll somewhat buy the argument that if you have a really compelling story, amateur videography can be forgiven. But when you have bad videography and bad storytelling I think you are in some serious trouble.
The only way this show got on the Travel Channel is because Drew Carey was in it. I think Michael has some work to do with his VJ’s on the journalism side. Maybe after they can learn to tell a coherent story he can let them loose with a DV cam. But if it is as I suspect really too much for one person to be storyteller, videographer and soundperson all rolled into one then his revolutionary new concept should die off after he leaves the business.
One more point. The reason that network television has a leg up on IP TV is that they are masters of storytelling and have a stable of highly qualified picture and sound makers working for them. If they degrade their product to the level of the amateurs now producing product for the net, they'll just be another bad IP video address.