Icedvovo
Active Member
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2008
- Messages
- 451
- Location
- Adelaide, Australia
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- XJ Jeep, Volvo 142s, Manx Buggy, AE82 Corolla
I think production values have a good bit to do with TG, personally.
Just finished TGUK 13x03 and the cinematography during one of the segments shot in California really enhanced the presentation. Then you have the various specials (Polar, Africa, Vietnam, the second America) where the cinematography played a central role.
Then there was the Greatest Driving Road in Europe filming...
Sure, absolutely, I agree, but the stunning pictures are always secondary to the stories. Otherwise it's all just pretty pictures.
Clarkson made a recent comment on a possible 10% cut to their production budget. It went sometime like this..
"Instead of losing an expensive helicopter shot here and there throughout the series, we'll do nine episodes like we always do and shoot the last one on a handycam for a pound."
And I bet you that last episode will be beautifully conceived, painstakingly written and absolutely fantastic to watch. Because they would never skimp on the writing.
I've said it before; aside from the tape stock, the brainstorming and writing is the least expensive part of the production. But Australian producers aren't trained to see that.
Time will tell.