It seems to be some sort of unwritten law in coverage of our game that whenever someone has the ball, they have to be shown in close-up. In fact, you'll notice that whenever a marking contest occurs, the director will cut to the close-up shot.
Why?
The networks will tell you that the close-ups are to show the players emotions, their strain under pressure, to take you right up to the action, so you can smell the linament.
WGAF?!
When you're at the game and someone has the ball in space and is a monty to deliver by foot, where do you look? Down the ground at who is loose, who is covered and where the contest is likely to be. What does the television show us. Some bloke bouncing the ball; in tight so we don't know whether he is in danger of being caught, and so we don't know where he's going to kick it and what the advantage is of doing so.
I realise that the games are being covered for more than the fans of the competing clubs, and the networks want to package it as "entertainment", but surely the best way to cover a sport is to put up the shots that give the viewers the best chance of understanding how the game is played.
Footy is a difficult game to broadcast; compared to other football codes, whose sphere of action is always limited; compared to tennis, basketball, etc, where the entire playing area can be covered in one shot. But that's no excuse for broadcasting a view of the game that is at odds with how people actually watch the game in real life.
The only time I'm interested in a player's emotions is if they're having a shot at goal. Otherwise, I'm far too interested in my emotions to worry about what faces the players are pulling.
My wish list:
1. Stop switching between in-tight and wideshot constantly. So frustrating.
2. Lose the behind the goal shot for kick-outs. We understand zones, you don't need to show it.
3. I like the behind the kicker shot-for-goal shots. The depth perception is mitigated by the better angle. However, never, ever show a shot for goal from the behind the goals camera. Almost impossible to judge, and you can't see the goal umpire to judge from him. Shocking shot, never want to see it again.
4. At stop plays, instead the fascinating vision of a bunch of blokes standing around waiting for the bounce/throw in, or the blonde in the stands, how about some shots of how the respective forward lines are setting up?
5. Never, ever, EVER miss live action by showing a replay.
That would be my starting points to improving all network's coverages.
Why?
The networks will tell you that the close-ups are to show the players emotions, their strain under pressure, to take you right up to the action, so you can smell the linament.
WGAF?!
When you're at the game and someone has the ball in space and is a monty to deliver by foot, where do you look? Down the ground at who is loose, who is covered and where the contest is likely to be. What does the television show us. Some bloke bouncing the ball; in tight so we don't know whether he is in danger of being caught, and so we don't know where he's going to kick it and what the advantage is of doing so.
I realise that the games are being covered for more than the fans of the competing clubs, and the networks want to package it as "entertainment", but surely the best way to cover a sport is to put up the shots that give the viewers the best chance of understanding how the game is played.
Footy is a difficult game to broadcast; compared to other football codes, whose sphere of action is always limited; compared to tennis, basketball, etc, where the entire playing area can be covered in one shot. But that's no excuse for broadcasting a view of the game that is at odds with how people actually watch the game in real life.
The only time I'm interested in a player's emotions is if they're having a shot at goal. Otherwise, I'm far too interested in my emotions to worry about what faces the players are pulling.
My wish list:
1. Stop switching between in-tight and wideshot constantly. So frustrating.
2. Lose the behind the goal shot for kick-outs. We understand zones, you don't need to show it.
3. I like the behind the kicker shot-for-goal shots. The depth perception is mitigated by the better angle. However, never, ever show a shot for goal from the behind the goals camera. Almost impossible to judge, and you can't see the goal umpire to judge from him. Shocking shot, never want to see it again.
4. At stop plays, instead the fascinating vision of a bunch of blokes standing around waiting for the bounce/throw in, or the blonde in the stands, how about some shots of how the respective forward lines are setting up?
5. Never, ever, EVER miss live action by showing a replay.
That would be my starting points to improving all network's coverages.
