Is anyone getting sick of the 'MTV-style' filming for the car films?

[NooDle]

Hmmmm.... I'm probably the only one who didn't like the super slo mo bits. I just think it's too staged and fake.
Like when they film the drops of water on the Elise, or when they throw the leafs on an Aston. It's beautiful to watch, but those shots are better as stills, not as video

I do have to say that they do overdo it with the moving camera and stuff, especially on the F430Scuderia, you can't see little details on the car which they used to do.

I'd prefer a mix of both, not too many slo mo's and not too many shaky camera bits. Also, I'd like to be able to look at the car when it's powersliding/getting off the line/driving by very quickly
no comments on the music though, RATM sounded perfect for the Bentley


All in all, these are very minor annoyances...TG is still brilliantly epic and epically brilliant everytime I watch it

[janstett]

I like their filming style but I think they've been experimenting too much lately. I mean, great that they're experimenting, but for example in 11x03's Bentley review there were skip frames in black and white I thought I was watching "Saving Private Ryan". I think they're going a tad too far in the experimentation.

[M3_Powered]

I don't complain about anything but I will agree the Scuderia review was a bit too much.

[mclarensmps]

Originally Posted by edkwon

Again it seems like a lot of newer fans of the show like the experimental camera work, while older fans of the show like things the way they were, a similar division like the 'fans who like the show for entertaining stunts' vs 'fans who enjoy the show for informative car content'.

Theres probably some overlap, but again, yet another camp as it seems both sides seem to feel very strongly

New? I've been watching Top Gear since before the split...

[whoster]

I'm just glad that it's back.


I'd also like to see you people annoyed with the filming/editing styles to please, impress us all with what would be the perfect car review.

You can grab pictures of all the cars in better, cleaner detail than TG will EVER provide a viewer. If you want to see the car, there are plenty of ways for you to do that. If you want entertainment from Wilman, Clarkson & Co., you watch Top Gear.


I know this is the internet and the internet provides a forum for silly whining, but come on now. If you're really going to nitpick about your favorite car show because a few things have changed over the years--you've become nothing but the pedantic weirdos who complain about Jeremy speeding on public roads.

[DoN]

i have always admired topgear team for their camera/editing work. i like shake cams, i like blurs, i like all the fancy effects - except the glow they`ve been using this series! That makes it look like it was filmed with cellphone camera. I wasnt also really impressed by the color tones - it felt a bit too greenish/depressive in first two episodes. But 11x03 seemed to be good "old" topgear at it`s best.

[Jimi Hendrix]

Originally Posted by EsPpY

And please dont bloody shake the cam when the car is powersliding. EDIT : Or accelerating into the distance for that matter.

I know its a explosion of a tower of power (duh) but theres no need to shake it to let us know how explosive it is. I really loved the 360CS review, keep watching it all the time because its so well made. Not like the F430 Scud.

GRRRRRRR.

I completely agree with you, it was almost perfect. I loved the the way they filmed the reviews in those series, the SLR and Carrera GT reviews were amazing too.

[SwissWhiskey]

Being a pro photographer, I am getting the impression that they got their hands a new editing software and went bezerk on some special effects that came with the program. Its plain overedited.

The Lotus Exige video you linked up there has to be one of the best i've seen. Its got a perfect balance of out of the box filming with great angles and some special effects/postprocessing. What makes TG so special are the angles and perspectives. Everyone can add a special effects in their programs, but it takes talen to film like TopGear does it.

Other pieces of filming I liked from the last series was the Light Supercars (GallSuperla/991GT3RS/N24Aston). In general the last season was good, with a few exceptions. It all started with the 599 in my opinion.

[Ottobon]

Originally Posted by warren

If you prefer upbeat techno and dance music, I can see how you'd disapprove of some old-school Rage Against the Machine appearing in the middle of a Brooklands review. That's fair. But, it is actually a very clever choice of music for such a car, considering what the band's message has been over the years, the sort of people who drive the cars, and the fact that they were introducing the ridiculously powerful engine in that part of the film.

It's the same with playing two minutes of Mogwai in the front half of the Black review; anyone who's ever gone out at night into a city for a walk or a drive with Happy Music For Happy People in their ears will get it -- it's one of the world's perfect alone-at-4am albums. The same film also has Goldfrapp and Massive Attack and Cinematic Orchestra, all good albums for the same time of day and for the "all alone" theme. M83, too, which they use a lot of in Top Gear films (though I have to say that M83 is also good music to get it on to!)

It really isn't that different than going, "oh, look, we have to review a classic car in the snow, let's put on the Solaris soundtrack again", like they did with the Wiesmann ... though I suppose you disapprove of that part due to its not-technoness, and prefer Juno Reactor being overlaid instead? I don't quite get the connection there, but, okay. The TVR part of that film, however, was brilliantly chosen.


What I'm saying is, their choice of music is just fine for the cars they're reviewing -- you're just not getting enough of the sort of music you like.

No actually i think i liked all the reviews you mentioned. I just didn't like the fact they used sober and sad music during the supercar holiday because it was in no was a sober or sad event.

[edkwon]

Originally Posted by SwissWhiskey

Being a pro photographer, I am getting the impression that they got their hands a new editing software and went bezerk on some special effects that came with the program. Its plain overedited.

Thank you, that's exactly how i feel, like someone is just experimenting with all the video effects at their disposal just because he can. There's a difference between throwing every effect in the book into a film piece just for the hell of it, and creating a well composed film piece. Again, it bothers me because its a show....that i watch with my eyes....and part of me likes to actually see the car they're talking about vs an overprocessed bit of footage.

Its a bit like over airbrushing of model's photo to hide all her flaws...then the woman ends up looking a bit fake.

[Ottobon]

Originally Posted by edkwon

..then the woman ends up looking a bit fake.

a bit flat and boring as well. right old insult to the intelligence.

[Prost264]

Originally Posted by edkwon

Its a bit like over airbrushing of model's photo to hide all her flaws...then the woman ends up looking a bit fake.

oooh very good line!

Originally Posted by Ottobon

a bit flat and boring as well. right old insult to the intelligence.

wow also very good.

these lines sum up how I feel perfectly

[Spazatao]

Yes, I think they're overdoing it. I want more of the car, not only powerslides. That M5 review, for me, was the best one they have ever done and it's nothing like today's videos..

[lueyyou]

I hate the way people say Top Gear is all about "ambitious but rubbish" and how the presenters are promoting this kind of attitude. If you watch just a few years back they took themselves far more seriously back then and the show didn't feel like the massively scripted clown joke that it sometimes is today. I don't know how exactly to describe it but its like the screw-ups and jokes they had before were because of genuine accidents (even if they were scripted at least it didn't feel that way) and now you just expect there to be a massive joke at the end. Kind of ruins the fun.

As the American general election has proven twice in a row, the majority is not always right. Trying to make a car show appealing to the majority by making it watered down and "modern" is simply killing off the spirit of Top Gear.

I will still watch the show no matter what but when I watch some of the earlier episodes, especially the reviews and the challenges, I feel that a lot of that magic has been lost in the pursuit of pure numbers. Top Gear, as with anything these days, is run by an army of accountants trying to grab every last penny they can. Where has the passion, heart, and soul gone? Its been replaced by all these superficial effects and an allergic reaction to anything that borders on the realm of reality. I'm not a huge petrol head myself, but I'm interested in cars and I want to know what the car is like not spend 5 minutes looking at a post-processed rear wheel and a bunch of smoke.

[edkwon]

Originally Posted by lueyyou

I hate the way people say Top Gear is all about "ambitious but rubbish" and how the presenters are promoting this kind of attitude. If you watch just a few years back they took themselves far more seriously back then and the show didn't feel like the massively scripted clown joke that it sometimes is today. I don't know how exactly to describe it but its like the screw-ups and jokes they had before were because of genuine accidents (even if they were scripted at least it didn't feel that way) and now you just expect there to be a massive joke at the end. Kind of ruins the fun.

As the American general election has proven twice in a row, the majority is not always right. Trying to make a car show appealing to the majority by making it watered down and "modern" is simply killing off the spirit of Top Gear.

I will still watch the show no matter what but when I watch some of the earlier episodes, especially the reviews and the challenges, I feel that a lot of that magic has been lost in the pursuit of pure numbers. Top Gear, as with anything these days, is run by an army of accountants trying to grab every last penny they can. Where has the passion, heart, and soul gone? Its been replaced by all these superficial effects and an allergic reaction to anything that borders on the realm of reality. I'm not a huge petrol head myself, but I'm interested in cars and I want to know what the car is like not spend 5 minutes looking at a post-processed rear wheel and a bunch of smoke.

Why do you think i rewatch series 1-7 ad nauseum but series 8-10 not nearly as much.

[SuperStalin]

Look, I agree the show isn't up to its old quality,
but then - what show is? Most TV never achieves half the quality of the worst episode of TG.

Seasons 8,9 and 10 had some truly amazing episodes, some segments which were among the best ever.

Let's see how this eleventh season works out, perhaps they'll surprise.

[mclarensmps]

Originally Posted by Ottobon

No actually i think i liked all the reviews you mentioned. I just didn't like the fact they used sober and sad music during the supercar holiday because it was in no was a sober or sad event.

I personally took it as being beautiful music for some beautiful driving moments. To each his own I guess...

[Prost264]

Originally Posted by lueyyou

I hate the way people say Top Gear is all about "ambitious but rubbish" and how the presenters are promoting this kind of attitude. If you watch just a few years back they took themselves far more seriously back then and the show didn't feel like the massively scripted clown joke that it sometimes is today. I don't know how exactly to describe it but its like the screw-ups and jokes they had before were because of genuine accidents (even if they were scripted at least it didn't feel that way) and now you just expect there to be a massive joke at the end. Kind of ruins the fun.

As the American general election has proven twice in a row, the majority is not always right. Trying to make a car show appealing to the majority by making it watered down and "modern" is simply killing off the spirit of Top Gear.

ahh I completely agree. Even though it was scripted in series 1-7, it still felt genuine. This crap they're putting out now seems like it was thrown together in a few minutes.

Originally Posted by edkwon

Why do you think i rewatch series 1-7 ad nauseum but series 8-10 not nearly as much.

Me too, my friend. Me too.

[ahpadt]

Very late reply, but yes, I hate the new effects and "MTV-style" filming that they are doing atm. The older reviews had much higher standards.

[Corvu]

Q: Is anyone getting sick of the 'MTV-style' filming for the car films?

A: Yes.

all things in moderation (except power!! of course) and the crazy grainy filters have been a little over the top.