Don't hire the people who filmed this event

pororocheburashka · Apr 3, 2017

Excessive bird's eye views during the performance :eekn: and not able to follow the skaters :palmf:

Can't they get it right after the few competitors during the first day? :scratch2:

I can't understand :confused2::sad46::shock2:

Lester · Apr 3, 2017

It's funny, even the BG eurosport commentator couldn't refrain himself from commenting on the camera work at times. He said something like "the director keeps insisting with these bird-viewpoint shots".

It mostly annoyed me when there was footwork going on and they showed people down to slightly below their bottoms. Like what's this? It's not a close-up of the upper body, it's not full view, why why why? And also when one half of a pair team suddenly exited the shot

Barb · Apr 3, 2017

I did not think that someone could to do a worse work than 4cc. Yes, at 4cc they cut a lot of feet but in Helsinki, the damn sky cam did not let to see the feet either, let alone when the skater totally disappeared off the frame. And in 4 cc there was a little improvement from SD to FD.

But in this worlds, for me, the worst was the audio, I CAN´T OVER IT!!! :drama:

Hear the HUGE difference from 4cc https://youtu.be/89NNWcQBLZs?t=252 to Worlds https://youtu.be/WaCYDL09uVo?t=254

nimi · Apr 3, 2017

TMC said:
Every event I think maybe now they have taken the inevitable negative feedback into consideration and learned from their mistakes, and every time it's worse.

Well, if viewers only complain to each other in forums like this instead of contacting the network, there won't be much negative feedback that actually reaches the people responsible for the camera work.

Posted this link before, gonna post it again: http://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/06/06/contact-us
Yle is the Finnish national broadcasting company - based in Pasila, Helsinki, near the Hartwall Arena - that broadcasted the competition in Finland and I think it's probably their people who were responsible for the camera work.
Scroll down, there is a contact/feedback form. it's very likely that (some of) these same people are gonna shoot the Finlandia Trophy next autumn, and who knows what else in the future, so international viewers giving some constructive criticism NOW could help in the future. (During the 4cc, didn't somebody post something about a Finnish team being selected to shoot the figure skating event at the next Olys? God, I hope I remember that wrong, because that would be likely this very same team...)

TheGrandSophy · Apr 3, 2017

It looked like they hadn't attended practices to select angles etc either since at times it was obvious they were using the wrong camera for what was going on e.g. when Shoma and Sui & Han finished their FS and SP respectively the camera was at the side or behind them rather than ending on their front so you could see their faces. They also went up to the sky cam as a matter of course during pairs' step sequences so for Sui and Han you missed all the sass they brought to the movement and expression.

silverfoxes · Apr 3, 2017

I think that competitions in Russia and Japan tend to have the best camerawork - perhaps it's because they have so much experience & a very passionate FS audience. So I sincerely hope we will get that level of quality at the Olympics. It was maddening to watch this Worlds. For a senior B you can make certain concessions, but there is simply no excuse for such horrible work at the most important competition of all.

thk · Apr 3, 2017

I would also advice you to use the link for the feedback form and send detailed, constructive criticism to the YLE team. They do listen, at least sometimes. I actually liked the bird view shots because you could really see the ice coverage and speed, which are difficult for me to grasp from the sideview shots. I wonder if it would be possible to place a small screen with the bird view in the corner of the big screen which is focusing on the skater(s)? Not all the time, only occasionally, of course. As a more casual viewer it really added something to the viewing for me, I would like to keep it somehow.

icybear · Apr 3, 2017

Watching step sequences from the roof where the prime view is the judges view. :palmf:

:eeking:

apgold · Apr 3, 2017

I didn't mind the idea of a birds eye view (reminded me of my balcony seat from Boston and some fancams), but it was overused and usually at the wrong time.

The most annoying thing for me was when they shot the skaters from waist up. You want to see their entire body and their skates!

The camera work in Boston was 10 times better than this, I wish they had hired that team.

Barb · Apr 3, 2017

nimi said:
Well, if viewers only complain to each other in forums like this instead of contacting the network, there won't be much negative feedback that actually reaches the people responsible for the camera work.

Posted this link before, gonna post it again: http://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/06/06/contact-us
Yle is the Finnish national broadcasting company - based in Pasila, Helsinki, near the Hartwall Arena - that broadcasted the competition in Finland and I think it's probably their people who were responsible for the camera work.
Scroll down, there is a contact/feedback form. it's very likely that (some of) these same people are gonna shoot the Finlandia Trophy next autumn, and who knows what else in the future, so international viewers giving some constructive criticism NOW could help in the future. (During the 4cc, didn't somebody post something about a Finnish team being selected to shoot the figure skating event at the next Olys? God, I hope I remember that wrong, because that would be likely this very same team...)

Thanks, I left my message. It is also important to complain to the ISU. I understand if maybe the camera team was not familiar with figure skating, but I think that they would have stopped using the sky camera if the ISU had requested them. They did not do it.
And about the skycamera, I think the problem was that they did not know use it. In Japan Open and other events in Japan they use it, but they know when and how use it and they obtain beautiful video shots, China use it too and they are not so terrible like the guys in Helsinki.

If you want to take a good overhead video shot, this is the right way IMO https://youtu.be/i10MDU9i6aM?t=182

TMC · Apr 3, 2017

I gave feedback to YLE during the Euros in Sweden when the commentators forgot their mics on and everybody could hear them saying some really nasty things about the skaters. I thought it was really embarrassing for them so I rang instead of writing, and when I finally reached a guy who could do something about it, he refused to believe me! Even though other people had mentioned the situation on Facebook. I used to love the female commentator but those comments put me right off.

temadd · Apr 3, 2017

Just because you can hang a camera in the rafters it doesn't mean you should use it!!! Awful idea for figure skating.

Yatagarasu · Apr 3, 2017

I used that form nimi gracefully provided during the competition. Twice. Not that it worked.

We really do need to complain directly, to them and to ISU (if you have Twitter please use it). It is of no use doing it here. It's particularly good to use detailed explanation as to why something should not be done, if they bother, they could check and find out that yes, it's the truth. Be polite or they dismiss the content.

I'm kind of afraid what's in store for us during the Olympics so please, find some time during the week and send feedback. We won't change this horrible, no good, ruddy awful, anxiety inducing camera work otherwise and we might get more of it.

Sloopy · Apr 3, 2017

chapis said:
Thanks, I left my message. It is also important to complain to the ISU. I understand if maybe the camera team was not familiar with figure skating, but I think that they would have stopped using the sky camera if the ISU had requested them. They did not do it.
And about the skycamera, I think the problem was that they did not know use it. In Japan Open and other events in Japan they use it, but they know when and how use it and they obtain beautiful video shots, China use it too and they are not so terrible like the guys in Helsinki.

If you want to take a good overhead video shot, this is the right way IMO https://youtu.be/i10MDU9i6aM?t=182

I get annoyed with China as they tend to shoot directly overhead when the skaters are spinning, and focus only on the skates when something is happening up top. :disapp:

TT_Fin · Apr 3, 2017

TMC said:
I gave feedback to YLE during the Euros in Sweden when the commentators forgot their mics on and everybody could hear them saying some really nasty things about the skaters. I thought it was really embarrassing for them so I rang instead of writing, and when I finally reached a guy who could do something about it, he refused to believe me! Even though other people had mentioned the situation on Facebook. I used to love the female commentator but those comments put me right off.

I remember it too, and me too gave a feedback. It took quite long time, before Anuliisa said, we got a message people can hear our comments. It was Anuliisa and Laura who were commentors that time. BTW, Yle's commentator Jere Nurminen is one of the best. He knows a lot and he understands to be quiet during the gala performances.

Crossover · Apr 3, 2017

I was so upset at how the camera men did to the pairs event. The abused skycam shots from a long distance blocked the whole view of how skaters did SBS spins or lifts.

TMC · Apr 3, 2017

TT_Fin said:
I remember it too, and me too gave a feedback. It took quite long time, before Anuliisa said, we got a message people can hear our comments. It was Anuliisa and Laura who were commentors that time. BTW, Yle's commentator Jere Nurminen is one of the best. He knows a lot and he understands to be quiet during the gala performances.

I'm glad to hear that. I couldn't believe this guy when he said "it's not possible" without even checking, as though I'd imagined the whole thing.

amateur · Apr 3, 2017

Am I really the only person who didn't mind / actually even liked (much of the time - I'd say at least 70% of the time) the skycam shots? Sometimes a bit jarring (because unexpected) but rarely really unpleasant for me, it gave a different view of the "shapes" that the skaters make out there, and their ice coverage, and I found this interesting and unique to get a glimpse of. It was was used very regularly, but I didn't find it "overused" really. There were a few spins that I though were stunning to see from afar like that - seriously. We otherwise always see the skaters all the time in the exact same close-up way, anyway.. I didn't mind something different and I though it did add something to the experience. My $0.02

(By contrast, I do find those directly-overhead, straight down birdseye-view shots that a few competitions in the past were fond of using during spins, to be ridiculous.)

Now, the close-up shots during this coverage were definitely incompetent and maddening at times, though, leaving skater's legs out during parts of footwork sequences, occasionally losing one partner (or sometimes even a solo skater) from the shot, or having the shot suddenly obstructed by the boards (?!)... that was definitely amateur-level stuff...

AppleEmperor · Apr 3, 2017

They zoomed out/overhead when I didn't want them to, and they shot close-ups when I wanted to see the footwork

TT_Fin · Apr 4, 2017

TMC said:
I'm glad to hear that. I couldn't believe this guy when he said "it's not possible" without even checking, as though I'd imagined the whole thing.

Yes, it took quite long. I think they did not believe it before they had got a lot of messages, then they should believe it. Little bit national chat, do you remember when MTV3 bought a right to some competition and Jari Porttila tried to commentate figure skating? To our friends, that man is nice and ok when he commentates something he is familiar with, but he really knew nothing about figure skating, 3A was just a triple jump and 2A he wondered was it triple or douple.

Don't hire the people who filmed this event

pororocheburashka

Lester

Piper and Paul are made of magic dust and unicorns

Barb

nimi

TheGrandSophy

silverfoxes

thk

icybear

apgold

Barb

TMC

temadd

Yatagarasu

Sloopy

TT_Fin

The second worst besserwisser in the world

Crossover

All Hail the Queen

TMC

amateur

AppleEmperor

TT_Fin

The second worst besserwisser in the world

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