reality tv and movies

[PITIRRE]

During the last couples of months there is a new trend among some of the films we see in theaters, and it is using the shaking camera technique, for me (and maybe because I am becoming old) it's a little bit frustrating to see a lot of shaking in a film but also I understand that there is a new generation of people who grew up playing video games, watching reality tv shows just to name a few things, and they like things more fast, quick, etc.

Just to give an example, ask a young person to watch a 40 year old movie and a good high percent would said that the movie is slow, boring etc. For me movies like Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield and the upcoming Dairy of the Living Death would make the pharmacy industry sales skyrocket selling medicines for dizzyness (my opinion) A lot of filmmakers (new and old) have adopted this technique or have change to make movies on video because is more fast and cheap.

I understand that I can't change the the way movies are shooting these days and everyday new things are developed in the video age, but while video is a constant changing format, film has pass the time test, I remember several years ago I saw a movie about time travel, and this person came from the past to present day and he looked surprised when he saw all those fantastic inventions, like the twelve inch celullar phone, the amazing floppy disk and the incredible betamax or the super vhs camcorder. Long live film and super 8 the original way to capture life..

[StoneBuilder]

Yes, that's how we are being conditioned to accept things. I don't watch television but, on the occasions when I see it, feel as though I'm a child perched on an adult's shoulders, as the camera is. Fast zooms too are disorienting. The response is to exclude junk TV and just to watch quality stuff, but then you develop a thin skin and become extra sensitised to the film makers intentions. Good old J-LG - superbly composed shots that could almost be moving paintings ... Woody Allen too - his last film could be described as a morality play. (My tuppence!)

[Tyler]

Yeah, this has become quite annoying. I was watching a show on the discovery channel the other day, I can't really remember what it was, they were building something or explaining how something works (It was not the show "How it's made" something else) anyway it was quite annoying because they cut like every 2 seconds, and you could hardly get an idea of what each part did.

I didn't go to the theater to see cloverfield I did however step into the theater just to see how it looked for a moment after the movie I had gone to the theater to see had finished. I only saw a few minutes, but If I had paid money to see that I would have been very upset. From what I saw it was just shaky camera the entire time.

I think what has happened is someone has gone hey YouTube is pretty popular, lets make movies look like youtube, i.e. shaking camera.

[BK]

I have noticed this style as well and it's still the craze now.

Gone are the long long static tripod shots. It seems that you need fast cutting and shaky/rapid camera movements/ funky effects just to keep the audience interested in anything. It's been the trend for the past decade or so, especially on tv.

Also the latest generation of filmmaker's been fed on fast cutting MTV and reality shows shot on jumpy, shakey dv like you said. And if a cut doesn't work, a quick cheesy effect will fix the jump.

Never saw Blair Witch at the cinemas. Heard that many people felt dizzy afterwards.

I'm sure the long steady takes and traditional editing will come back when the present novelty wears off and no longer in fashion.

Bill

[The Seldon Plan]

couldn't agree more. Cloverfield almost made me sick. I'm not so sure it's to do with age, i'm a young buck (21) and i love movies. I'd say my favourite is 2001: a space odyssey. I have tried to make some of my friends watch it to little avail - they mostly get bored and stop paying attention.

I'm not sure it's so much to do with youth as it is to do with interest levels in film. If you're interetsed you can watch with awe and really take something from a film. If your not that interested you just want to see some people get shot and csome cars drive really fast though crowded streets lined with endless cardboard boxes.

I think films are just getting dumbed down for the MTV generation...which unfortunately i'm pegged as being part of.

[super8man]

I keep wondering what's above and below the black bands on my television. At least super 8 shows me the WHOLE picture on the screen.

[Scotness]

I think films are just getting dumbed down for the MTV generation...which unfortunately i'm pegged as being part of.

Don't worry - saying you love 2001 has forever enshrined you in our minds as not part of it!!

[BigBeaner]

I keep wondering what's above and below the black bands on my television. At least super 8 shows me the WHOLE picture on the screen.

Joking? 4:3 is lame box to compose for.

[Will2]

I keep wondering what's above and below the black bands on my television. At least super 8 shows me the WHOLE picture on the screen.

Underneath are secret messages that urge you to buy things you don't need and eat more at dinner so when the aliens come to eat us all we'll be nice and plump.

Really. It's true. Did you notice that all these widescreen formats started coming out right after Roswell happened? Look it up.

[PITIRRE]

Thanks guys for your responses.