How TV is wiping out the movies -- again

The New Republic ^ | 09.19.06 | Christopher Orr

[Richard Kimball]

Interesting article. I have a theory that I'm going to throw out. One of the problems that movies, and modern songs, for that matter, have, is that they're forced into a particular time frame. A movie will be from an hour and fifteen minutes to a maximum of three hours (and any movie over two hours is rare, because it limits the number of screenings per day). For almost 100 years, plots have been forced into that time frame. How many plots are there that can fit into that time frame? How many plots are there? They're mining old television shows, rerunning old plots, bringing back characters that few people even remember.

Some of the better television shows tend now to run as continuing dialogs, running the plots through as many episodes as necessary. In essence this overcomes the movie problem of having to resolve a plot in 90 minutes. I've also noticed that a lot of the more successful movies now are designed as series, rather than as individual episodes.

[WhiteGuy]

This article is just plain wrong, for a number of reasons.

first......

oh wait, South Park is on, - Back later

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[LukeL]

Even though there are 200 sets in the theater and 10 strangers watching the movie...they all sit with a chair of each other as if they are afraid someone might attack them in the night.

Tell me about it. I tend to go to a movie in the middle of the week and after it has been out for 2-3 weeks, and it never fails the people who come in have to sit right in front of me, or behind me and kick my seat for the next 90 minutes.

[agooga]

"I love Ghost Hunters. Not for the so-called paranormal investigations (like the chair that supposedly jumped sideways in the attic, when it was just the light shifting position that made it seem to jump sideways"

The chair actually moved in that case-- that was the Race Rock lighthouse. You could even hear the chair scrape on the floor as it moved.

Now-- WHAT CAUSED the chair to move, I'll let you form your own opinions. I don't know, personally.

[Sir_Ed]

I don't believe the chair moved!

I digitized it, and lightened the levels, and it seemed to me that the only thing that happened was that a ray of light went up and across the legs, making the illusion of movement.

As far as the sound, I suspect it was a sound effect, added later.

Ed

[dfwgator]

Eventually TV shows will be all on-demand shows. Network TV as we know it will be gone in 10 years.

[agooga]

"As far as the sound, I suspect it was a sound effect, added later. "

Well, that would imply that we (editors) had something to do with the manufacturing of fake evidence-- and that's not true. Besides, what I saw on tape appeared to be a moving chair, not a trick of the light.

[Sir_Ed]

Wow...I have NO idea what the heck happened then!

I never saw the chair move, all I saw was light moving up and across!

Do you ever get to go on their shoots?

Ed

[agooga]

Not so far-- probably not ever. But we're a really small company, so I know everyone involved. The director used to be an editor- he is 100% honest. There is no fakery from our end, other than the usual reality TV embellishments-- music, editing to pump up the drama, etc.

We really just present the material the way it's captured in the field with some style and slickness.

[Sir_Ed]

Cool, I do love your show!

See ya',

Ed

[SunkenCiv]

Just adding this to the GGG catalog, not sending a general distribution.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
"Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)