All My Children - Page 9

rt1ky · 07-27-2006, 06:05 PM

Did anyone notice that the baby spike doesn't blink. I know that they can use dolls as babies, but there were plenty of close shots of that stiff, little, non-blinking baby as Ryan fed him. At least pull the camera back. Cameron has kids, I bet he would be good with a real baby.

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laura302 · 07-28-2006, 07:15 PM

Anyone notice the horrible lighting on this show? What is up? It is getting to the point where I not longer want to watch. I can barely see the actors! When they found Maddens body Colby said to the cops don't worry about me LOOK ( at the body she found) I couldn't even see what she was pointing too. Of course I knew but couldn't really see.

All done my rant now!

Broadway · 07-29-2006, 10:19 AM

I thought perhaps it was just my tv, laura.

At 1pm when it airs and when I catch it on occasion, the sun is beating in my upper windows in my living room and I just assumed it was because of the glare. But ALL of the scenes in the park were just horribly dark and I could never really figure out at what they're looking. In particular, I remember that in the scene where Josh goes back and was digging in the dirt it was absolutely impossible to see anything but the glare of the metal of his shovel handle.

Uncle David · 07-30-2006, 07:09 PM

Recently the lighting has changed because of the hand-held shooting mentioned earlier in this thread. When shooting from a tripod to scripted movement it's easier to light the subjects. When the actors travel distances and substantially change positions in the same shot it's difficult to plan lighting that can light the subjects and not appear in the frame.

Also, as mentioned in that earlier post, it's entirely possible they are shooting with DV cameras instead of the standard beta cams. As noted before, the show has a different look the last couple of days. The lighting, hand-held technique, and a DV cam shooting in movie mode could explain the differences.

Personally, I'm not a fan of these techniques for day-time dramas. They work great in prime-time dramas and film, but require multiple 'takes' in order to effectively accomplish a professional look. Daily productions don't have the luxury of time, so even though they may be successful on occasion, it's difficult to sustain the look over the course of a week let alone a show.

Of course this is all opinion and guess work on my part. But then, that's what forums are for.

Broadway · 07-30-2006, 08:03 PM

It's not recent, UncleDavid... the poor lighting has been going on for the last few months.

Uncle David · 07-30-2006, 08:49 PM

Understood Broadway! I'm only addressing the change in look people noticed starting with the opening of Confusion episode.

Broadway · 07-30-2006, 09:00 PM

gotcha.

Critical · 07-31-2006, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle David

Personally, I'm not a fan of these techniques for day-time dramas. They work great in prime-time dramas and film, but require multiple 'takes' in order to effectively accomplish a professional look. Daily productions don't have the luxury of time, so even though they may be successful on occasion, it's difficult to sustain the look over the course of a week let alone a show.

I just saw this new "look" for the first time today and I hate it! I find the camera movements distracting and the lighting is horrible. I don't know why they've made this change, but they need to change back. Maybe it's an attempt to look more like nightime dramas, but it's not working: the show looks cheaper now.

I have no idea what's going on with the show because I'm totally fixated on the camera and the lighting!

Chorita KaBoom · 07-31-2006, 04:48 PM

I don't mind the handheld shots for scenes with a lot of movement and action in them, it's when they settle on an actors face for a lengthy bit of dialog and keep jostling the camera (why, to reenforce the handheld look during a static shot?) that I just can't stand it. It becomes too and amateurish.

Critical · 07-31-2006, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chorita KaBoom

I don't mind the handheld shots for scenes with a lot of movement and action in them, it's when they settle on an actors face for a lengthy bit of dialog and keep jostling the camera (why, to reenforce the handheld look during a static shot?) that I just can't stand it. It becomes too and amateurish.

Yeah, I don't know how small the tech budget is on AMC, but there are stabilizers for hand held cameras. You can reduce that wobbly look very easily. For me, the hand held stuff just makes the show look like a film school project. I'm happy to see that neither OLTL nor GH has jumped on that band wagon.

07-27-2006, 06:05 PM	#81
rt1ky Dreamer Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Trying to free myself from the snarkside. Posts: 3,153	Did anyone notice that the baby spike doesn't blink. I know that they can use dolls as babies, but there were plenty of close shots of that stiff, little, non-blinking baby as Ryan fed him. At least pull the camera back. Cameron has kids, I bet he would be good with a real baby. __________________ Lifetime Guarantee Donate Bibles

07-31-2006, 04:48 PM	#89
Chorita KaBoom Fashionista Sandinista Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Right Here, Right Now! Age: 46 Posts: 1,343	I don't mind the handheld shots for scenes with a lot of movement and action in them, it's when they settle on an actors face for a lengthy bit of dialog and keep jostling the camera (why, to reenforce the handheld look during a static shot?) that I just can't stand it. It becomes too and amateurish. __________________ there is no energy crisis, there is a crisis of imagination

07-28-2006, 07:15 PM	#82
laura302 FORT Freak Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: On the couch Posts: 234	Anyone notice the horrible lighting on this show? What is up? It is getting to the point where I not longer want to watch. I can barely see the actors! When they found Maddens body Colby said to the cops don't worry about me LOOK ( at the body she found) I couldn't even see what she was pointing too. Of course I knew but couldn't really see. All done my rant now!

07-29-2006, 10:19 AM	#83
Broadway the fun begins... Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 16,492	I thought perhaps it was just my tv, laura. At 1pm when it airs and when I catch it on occasion, the sun is beating in my upper windows in my living room and I just assumed it was because of the glare. But ALL of the scenes in the park were just horribly dark and I could never really figure out at what they're looking. In particular, I remember that in the scene where Josh goes back and was digging in the dirt it was absolutely impossible to see anything but the glare of the metal of his shovel handle.

07-30-2006, 07:09 PM	#84
Uncle David Fight on Zac! Join Date: May 2005 Location: On the edge Posts: 3,380	Recently the lighting has changed because of the hand-held shooting mentioned earlier in this thread. When shooting from a tripod to scripted movement it's easier to light the subjects. When the actors travel distances and substantially change positions in the same shot it's difficult to plan lighting that can light the subjects and not appear in the frame. Also, as mentioned in that earlier post, it's entirely possible they are shooting with DV cameras instead of the standard beta cams. As noted before, the show has a different look the last couple of days. The lighting, hand-held technique, and a DV cam shooting in movie mode could explain the differences. Personally, I'm not a fan of these techniques for day-time dramas. They work great in prime-time dramas and film, but require multiple 'takes' in order to effectively accomplish a professional look. Daily productions don't have the luxury of time, so even though they may be successful on occasion, it's difficult to sustain the look over the course of a week let alone a show. Of course this is all opinion and guess work on my part. But then, that's what forums are for.

07-30-2006, 08:03 PM	#85
Broadway the fun begins... Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 16,492	It's not recent, UncleDavid... the poor lighting has been going on for the last few months.

07-30-2006, 08:49 PM	#86
Uncle David Fight on Zac! Join Date: May 2005 Location: On the edge Posts: 3,380	Understood Broadway! I'm only addressing the change in look people noticed starting with the opening of Confusion episode.

07-30-2006, 09:00 PM	#87
Broadway the fun begins... Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 16,492	gotcha.