Hi Nino.
I guess my real meaning was that there should be some kind of minimum standard for shows like National Geographic --- not just in quality of personnel but also in quality of equipment used.
You said it yourself Nino
One of the most important skills of a good cinematographer is to know the limitation of the equipment and work within those margins. Not a single day goes by that my eyes see something that would look really good on video, I also know that equipment has limitations and will not see it the way I did, therefore, as far as I’m concerned there’s no shot there.
That is my point exactly. A class act show should not be limited because the cinematographer doesn't have access to the tools to pull the shot off. The same principal applies to class act motor-sports - a driver should not be limited to the performance of the car - he should be limited to his own skill level - he skill level should not be ten fold above the car's performance level alone.
It just makes me sad to see class act programs like the """OLD""" National Geographic be reduced to some home video - like it is now. We all agree (except Michael) that the """NEW""" National Geographic is indeed limited to home video skills. We all agree that the show lost it's appeal it once had.
I guess this is were me and you [Nino] disagree.
I say: The show should have class act cinematographers and class act gear used by those cinematographers.
If I understand you correctly, (correct me if I am wrong)
You say: The show should have class act cinematographers but class act gear used by those cinematographers is not really necessary.
Your way reduces the cinematographers capabilities drastically. As I mentioned in my previous post about that "pre sunset shot" the only way to pull the shot off is to be in possession of the proper gear required thus the cinematographer's abilities are limited without the tools. In my opinion those type of shots are needed to make a program truly shine. NG in the old days used to be full of those types of shots - now it's just silly home video.
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Would you send a qualified surgeon without surgical tools to the field???
Of course not!
Would you send an unqualified surgeon with surgical tools to the field???
Of course not!
Then why would you send a "QUALIFIED" cameraman without a proper camera to the field?
There is "NO" real choice between the two, you either do it properly [qualified surgeon with proper tools] or you let some other company handle the task. There is no other choice if you want the job done right....
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No matter what you people claim -- in reality the difference between a class program and home video is separated by the use of READ-two factors 1))professional staff """AND""" 2))pro tools like jibs, light accessories, lens accessories, sound gear and all kinds of other devises along with a pro format camera. NOT just pro staff versus amateur staff. I wish you people would stop saying things like
If I had the choice to send on an assignment a 3 week VJ with a top camera or an experienced cinematographer with a PD150, I take the last one. Nino my sub tropical buddy ---- I always claim that you need both good staff and good gear - there should NOT EVER be a compromise of one over the other for a class act show -- NEVER!
But I need not to remind you of this
Judging by your own support package I am well aware that you realize this....
Oh my
Getting back to NG and the attraction of ordinary folks to watch NG. Numerous times I have watched shows with non industry related friends and when ever they see a shot like the "pre-sunset" shot mentioned they do indeed 'ahhh and oohh and say "WOW" Those type of shots stand out along with proper research and writing and pre-production, production and post-production. It is all very important - the staff doing the "THREE P" along with the proper gear used separates class act professional broadcasts from VJ produced home video.
I hope Michael won't try to claim that you can't carry all that stuff out there cause they have been carrying all that stuff out there for decades - you need to do that to make the show shine, no ifs ands or buts about it.
Michael, it's not that the technology is getting smaller. They didn't need to haul in all that heavy stuff in the old days - they could of brought in a super8 film cam without a tripod right???? BUT>
To produce that kind of a pre-sunset shot and other quality shots - you need a long lens and you need a HEAVY tripod/camera combo so the shot won't jerk around - you also need a camera that can handle that kind of contrast ratio so it won't distort to hell. NG is not supposed to look like a one time aired 30 second stringer VO -- NG is supposed to look like a class act documentary. It used to but now the NG rep is being killed I'm afraid by people like Michael R....