- Joined
- Mar 22, 2004
With all due respect, these championships were marred by two things (not even getting into the fire-sale 6.0's, dubious time charges or placements).
1. The camera work sucked. As in terrible. As in distracting and annoying and leading me into blind rage.
First rule of figure skating camera work (show us the feet!) Second rule of figure skating (show us the rest of the skater) like Fred Astaire dancing, the optimal shot is the whole person. Too often in spins, they cut into strange semi-close-ups that a) made it hard to judge the positions b) made it impossible to judge how well the spin was centered. I'm all for close-ups of skates in instant replay, but not during the skate itself.
Also, at times they would reduced the size of the skater performing to show us some meaningless backstage picture. If they want to show Arakawa watching Kwan's skate, fine, do it after Kwan has finished, and not in the middle of her footwork sequence.
2. I'm beginning to think that German sporting security is an oxymoron. It was pure _luck_ that the Canadian freak who was able to sabotage security and have nothing at all between him and Kwan was a spyware wh*re and not a deranged terrorist or maniac intent on hurting Kwan, pure luck. I think female atheltes should start a boycott of events in Germany until German officials start taking their obligations to keep them safe seriously.
I wanted to like these championships but I'm having a hard time.
1. The camera work sucked. As in terrible. As in distracting and annoying and leading me into blind rage.
First rule of figure skating camera work (show us the feet!) Second rule of figure skating (show us the rest of the skater) like Fred Astaire dancing, the optimal shot is the whole person. Too often in spins, they cut into strange semi-close-ups that a) made it hard to judge the positions b) made it impossible to judge how well the spin was centered. I'm all for close-ups of skates in instant replay, but not during the skate itself.
Also, at times they would reduced the size of the skater performing to show us some meaningless backstage picture. If they want to show Arakawa watching Kwan's skate, fine, do it after Kwan has finished, and not in the middle of her footwork sequence.
2. I'm beginning to think that German sporting security is an oxymoron. It was pure _luck_ that the Canadian freak who was able to sabotage security and have nothing at all between him and Kwan was a spyware wh*re and not a deranged terrorist or maniac intent on hurting Kwan, pure luck. I think female atheltes should start a boycott of events in Germany until German officials start taking their obligations to keep them safe seriously.
I wanted to like these championships but I'm having a hard time.
but I know what you're talking about. German TV only covers European Championships (some of it, at least), Worlds and formerly the Nations Cup. And some of Daniel Weiss' shows that he does like once a year. So they have no way to really learn it, and I know it is abhorrent. 
