14 replies to this topic

[aportinga]

I was just watching the making of the film "Grand Prix" over the Holiday weekend. Some of the angles and perches for which the film was covered from we simply out of this world! The run down the harbor and alongside the water comes to mind.

That said I was wondering how interesting it would be for long time fans to get something new and have the central broadcaster select completely different places to shoot the race from? I know I would like to see the circuits from different angles as well as the cars themselves.

[Rexx Havoc]

I don't know for sure

It probably comes down to cost, effort, risk

taking the course of least, least, least

[Gemini]

Unfortunately, these days camera angles are not dictated by wish to give viewers excitment and sensation of speed. The only factor that matters is exposure of advertising billboards on track and on cars...

I bet this factor is of primary importance even as early as days when Mr. Tilke starts to design new track...

[jonpollak]

As you know Aport my dad worked on GrandPrix with Saul Bass creating many of the 'opticals',now referred to as special effects, for the film.One of the things John Frankenheimer tried to do, along with the many race advisors, was to give the audience a sense of "You Are Inside The Cars".This was even advertised on the film promo posters.It was also one of the angles John pitched to MGM to get the green light sorry...mixing film with racing metaphors now...

Nowadays it is like Gemini said ..
Angles are calculated to expose the sponsors logos for the maximum amount of time and get a few cars in the pictures as well...

However... you are quite correct.
I too would love to see out of the ordinary camera angles from places as yet unseen to the TV viewer.

I guess we will have to wait till someone gets that WiFi HandyCam SlingBox SatLink thingy sorted.

Jp

PS..the Nostalgia Forum has a great topic on this but I am damned if I have time to search for it now

[aportinga]

Thanks Jon

Hope to see you (without all my kids/nephews) at a race sometime in 07

[cheesy poofs]

And have read / heard stories about Bernie personally deciding where the cameras should be placed for better exposure of his advertising billboards.

[917k]

Actually, over the past 3-4 years, we have seen a lot of new camera angles for tracks that seemed to have camera's welded into position, year after year.

If you watch a race from Brazil 2001 compared to this year, you will see quite a difference. That is not to say that the new angles are too **** hot, in fact they can be worse than the old position....on occasion.

The best, and most varied angles, giving a great representation of speed, were Bernie's PPV camera's. Places like Monaco were just superb, and watching races at tracks that we have seen 35 times before suddenly became like new experiences with the creative angles employed.

It astounds me that F1 STILL doesn't have an exclusive production company and doesn't broadcast in HD......beyond pathetic really........

[Rexx Havoc]

Originally posted by 917k
It astounds me that F1 STILL doesn't have an exclusive production company and doesn't broadcast in HD......beyond pathetic really........

wha he said!...

[Sakae]

Originally posted by Gemini
Unfortunately, these days camera angles are not dictated by wish to give viewers excitment and sensation of speed. The only factor that matters is exposure of advertising billboards on track and on cars...

I bet this factor is of primary importance even as early as days when Mr. Tilke starts to design new track...

In Germany we have seen quite avangard attempts to let us see the car in different corners by ground level cameras. I had found it fascinating to see different angle of attacks, and what it does to suspension. One of the most intriguing shots from a few years back were shown in France, when we were entertained by overlays of different paths drivers were taking in chicanes. I am not sure why that stopped, but I had loved it, because it helped to explain in pics very quickly why some drivers where quick, while others were loosing it. Signature of brake application under rev-count is informative (I am not sure how accurate), but seeing entry and exit paths from cars is something else. Chinese had it right; good picture is worth thousand words.

Wrestling chicanes brough some memories and more questions. OT, just a few years back A. Prost used to say that he enters corner slowly, so he can exit it quickly. Considering his crowns, I think he knew what he was talking about; yet today we are impressed by guys who brake the last on entery into the chicane. Something is not right, then. Either they do not know what Prost knew, or aero had changed much, and actually to our detriment.

I know, it was one tire (Good Year) era, and while I haven't taken time to crunch stats., overtaking was more plentiful. At least at the top five; I am ashamed to admit that, but I was very seldom forced to examine P5 and back. Both, Alain and Michael didn't have habit to stay behind for too long.

[Clatter]

Originally posted by 917k

It astounds me that F1 STILL doesn't have an exclusive production company and doesn't broadcast in HD......beyond pathetic really........

Its more astounding that they havent even caught up with widescreen yet.

[jb_128]

Widescreen PAL is mainly a UK thing. HDTV is the future. And yes, Europe is pathetic in that regard. Stores and consumers have been ready for HDTV for a long time but content providers are inexplicably refusing to produce and broadcast the goods.

[Paul Parker]

In response to jb_128. Certain parties obviously have a vested interest in the current status quo and the amount of money invested in existing technology.

[Sakae]

HD brodcast is one thing, but how about some new ideas how to spruce up angles with current technologies? Germans have done superb job, and without much trumpets in the process.

Even just more training to some producers would be an improvement, and investment would be mininmal. FOM or whichever body is responsible for formulating the TV contracts left some loopholes in it in it regarding minimum demands on parameters for broadcast.

____

But I agree that some parties are holding technology back. In Canada we see the same in phone market. Local products the two principal ISP(s) selling are a year or two back to EU, Japan or even to US.

[Jordan191]

On the subject of camera angles, I must share an observation.

The last couple of years watching F1, I've noticed a lot better camera angles , especially at the Spanish, British and Brazillian GPs. Especially the long shots down straights.

Must give the TV directors props

[Georg_Kuyumji]

What I want to see is that the View get zoomed out much, we used to see the tracks corner sometimes as a whole + the car in one picture.

Currently, the cameras zoom into the car and show a "Total" of the car, this is probably bundled with Sponsor Agreements but it would be nice to see the cameras zooming out so one gets a view of the line the driver is taking threw the corner, too often the Picture gets zoomed in far too much on the car.

And of course more cameras on the cars like they have in NASCAR. Or cameras INSIDE THE HELMET like they have in IRL, or was it CART? Anyway F1 broadcasts does not show the pinnacle of Technology in that regard.