LAGUNA BEACH:
This is a show on MTV, anyway, not that I watch it but it is probably the best shot reality show ever made to the point that at first I thought it was actors on a regular TV show. None of the typical reality show look. No hand held shaky shots, no apparent on camera lights, the 24pfilm look, obvously they use 16:9 24p cams of some sort, (I would love to know)

So theres got to be a catch to this. How are they phisicaly producing a show that looks like this. Very well made. At first you might find it bothersome, to put a theatrical perspective on reality. (cause it defys what you expect) but you can get used to it. I think they might use body steadycams all the time= to keep such a steady shot...I dont know- you tell me.

Lets please keep coments on the events in the actual show out of this post, or we could get really side tracked. -go somewhere else for that fluf. Thank you

I am very confused by the show as well. In fact when I was watching it a couple days ago, I thought the exact same thing as you. I'm still trying to figure out if it is indeed a reality show or planned out in advance. There was one scene where a guy in a pickup truck pulled up to his friend on the street and the camera angles were switching from the passenger side window to the driver side window as the two were talking. The weird thing was that had both angles been filmed at the same time, you would see the other camera, but you don't. Also, the shots definately seemed like tripod shots, I don't think even the best steadycam operator could be that still. Anyone have a clue?

I very much doubt it is real. Heck most "reality" shows I wouldn't find hard to believe are entirely staged. Much like the WWF. It makes me wonder why people even watch TV.

Im sure a lot to do with it is the city. Laguna Beach has got to be the most beautiful looking city around here.

With that said, it is very, VERY hilly (mini San Franscisco) with tons of places to hide a cam.

The city was designed by a Japaneese company back in the 30's to be "the perfect city." They failed to look a a topo map. All the streets are packed together since the oecan meets the mountians.

The show has got to be staged a little. Hide a camera opperator in the bushes or behind a house. Easy.

Also, the city had bent over backward to assist in the making of the production. MTV really wanted to shoot the show at Laguna Beach High School but the School did not want the distraction.

The city did want the influx of cash, being that the summer is the biggest time of year for them tourist wise - the sidewalks roll up in the winter.

So they picked these High School kids and followed them around outside of school.

Thats all I know I guess.

Tyson: Just saw an episode of Laguna Beach. They had cast members shooting each other with Canon XL2's. The rest of the show's footage had the same look. Could be the entire show is shot with the XL2.

That's just like "Scare Tactics"...many of their setups are at night or in dark rooms or cars at night...and yet there just happens to be lighting. Hmmm. The interior car lighting gets me the most. Do they think we're idiots?

John: yep

Heck most of TV is staged and crap... I can't stand watching it anymore. I only watch movies these days...

They use a Panasonic SDX900 camera.

Or rather that should read, they use Pansonic SDX900 cameras.

The episode with the XL has the XL1s, not the XL-2. It was shot last spring so the XL-2 wasn't even available yet.

I know someone that knows the kids and apparently some of it is real and some of it is staged.

During a recent episode at the Blink 182 concert when they get in the fight with the little person there's a quick shot where you can see the camera man and the little guy walks right up to the camera.

So, I think it's half staged half real but it took me a while to figure it out.

One of the two main girls did a interview (Jimmy something...one of the man show guys) Anyway he had the same question about weather it was real or staged and she said it was all real.

that's not possible. They constantly change angles during conversations which would be impossible to do without multiple cameras (which they obviously are not using as you don't see any other camera men...).

No, it's fake as far as I'm concerned. TV sucks.

I've seen it and it has that MTV fake feel. My money is on a script, multiple takes, all that jazz. The acting is pretty good, but I've seen better.

i was almost positive that they used panasonic DVX100a's...

Laguna Beach is the same type of "reality" programming as the MTV movie "The Real Cancun." Of course it's scripted, of course there are multiple cameras and multiple takes. They're just cashing in on the "reality" fad that they pioneered with "The Real World." But just because they say it's reality programming doesn't necessarily make it so. Oh yeah, by the way... television RULES! Never mind what's on TV, because it's probably crap but the idea or concept and potential of television is probably without equal... and yes, I know most of what I just said is paraphrased and lovingly taken from the beautiful mouth of Kiki Stockhammer.

The August 2005 copy of Videography magazine has a two page story on Laguna Beach. Simon was right on. But they also used DVX100A's "for some insert shots or for situations that may be too dangerous for the SDX900's."

They also used some aerial footage that my company shot and we use a Sony HDW-700a just in case you guys were wondering. I figured i would throw that in because they do use alot of different footage from different types of cameras. Like for one of their school dances in order to get some footage from that they had one of the "actors" take a camera into the dance and i think it was one of the prosumer type (GL2/vx2000/pd170) cant remember off the top of my head.

I think one of the main concern is how they achieved that film look. I love it!

Especially when they do some close ups (like that one I watched last night), it is just way toooo filmic.

But, I still think the whole programe is:
1, Fake
2, Scripted
3, How come it is so film like and we we are sure they did some light settings but we never get to see them, in order words, if it is reality TV, with such look, .. that's not reality.
4, Besides, it's is too perfect to be a reality show. .. way too perfect.
(Some one said the samething about WWF)

Even room raiders, Pimp My Ride, to some extent is real and to some extent is fake. Especially pimp my ride, all the chosen individual knows is that he was selected to be on the show. So all the "he doesn't have an idea that I am going to pimp his ride, per exhibit", all that is fake.

I think they should change Laguna Beach into a sort of CSI/E.R kinda show or something similar instead of a reality show.

Having recently severed all my ties with the big bad out of control giant that is MTV.... I can tell you that this show is not fake... but also not real. I think the WWF reference is a good one. There is no "script" but most all the locations are prepped for shooting and they use cameras that are well off and zoomed in. Producers are in constant contact with the kids and they always know the basics of what is going to be said... in some cases they do re-shoots. In some cases they are told to be more emotional, etc.

This is directed reality...most the things being "documented" would either not have happened without the cameras there are at all or happened in other places with less drama. It looks so good because they are using 2/3" CCD cameras that can not only do 24P but have GREAT lenses and a very shallow DOF. They also require less light.

I am currently beginning production on a REAL reality show for Fremantle Media and I am going to try and incorporate some high production values when possible but you simple cant pull it off all the time like they do on LB.




ash =o)

The prodco behind "Laguna", Go Go Luckey, are also doing "Rollergirls" on A&E (http://www.aetv.com/rollergirls/). It's got a similar filmic look, and I happened upon a picture that sheds a lot of light (literally) on how they get the look.
Rollergirls Shot Setup (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/delinq/clownsnack_tat_078.jpg)

There are more pics here (http://www.squirrelhouse.com/enter/txrd/)- you can see how elaborately the rollerderby track is lit, too.

They constantly change angles during conversations which would be impossible to do without multiple cameras (which they obviously are not using as you don't see any other camera men...).


Funny, I work on tons of multi-cam shoots and you never see the camera operators. I really hope your comment is sarcastic.

But yes it is partially staged from what I understand. And they are using the SDX900 not the DVX100.

Do you think the look of the SDX takes away from the reality feel and makes it seem more narrative? How about the lighting on the show?

To all.....Laguna Bch reality show does not use actors......their are lots of cameras all over the place and one of the most important things they do to acheive such a nice "look" persay is they "light" almost everything shot.......or use reflectors, scrims, etc....when out on the bch and other mobile locations.

Remember this with ALL reality shows....THEY ARE "PRODUCED".....which means there will be some re takes, scripting, etc.

Watch the credits......and looks at how many writers these shows have.....they tend to have lots of writers for a show that is suposed to be "reality".

Laguna looks great though.....and they shoot many scenes.....with multiple cams......and they are NOT using DVX100's.....NOPE.

THey take a lot of time to light properly.....and they use a DP.......not just camera op's, this makes a huge difference.

I would say that the lighting makes a bigger difference than the cams used.....you can make something average look awsome if you know how to light it.....

During a Laguna Beach shoot, i was walking by in the background, and i got yelled at to get out of the shot. i didnt know what was going on, i was just visting around the place. anyways, it pissed me off, so when they started shooting again, i ran up in front of the camera and pulled down my pants and start yelling like crazy. i got tackled and everything but it was worth it. they then told they were going to use that in the final compostition. i hope they show it.

that was smart....


During a Laguna Beach shoot, i was walking by in the background, and i got yelled at to get out of the shot. i didnt know what was going on, i was just visting around the place. anyways, it pissed me off, so when they started shooting again, i ran up in front of the camera and pulled down my pants and start yelling like crazy. i got tackled and everything but it was worth it. they then told they were going to use that in the final compostition. i hope they show it.

....i know. im jk, i hope everyone knows that really didnt happen.

my neighbor is on the show, its a real big piece of shit. It's sad because i live in such a beautiful place esp. for filming which i love to shoot the ocean, however most of the people in laguna are like the ones on the tv show, i think im the only kid who isn't a complete idiot. Anyways they shoot the show on big pannys - Panasonic AJ-SDX900. It's really pathetic, and yes the show is always set up and completely fake.

Should it be illegal to call yourself MTV (Music Television) and never show any music? What the heck does Room Raiders and Laguna Beach have anything to do with music?

But does anyone have links to pics of the scene setups for this show? As I have never really bought into the whole MTV channel anyway.

I don't know about the actual shooting, but there was an article in Post recently about them spending anywhere from 12 to 15 hours correcting each episode on a da Vinci 2k system, heavily using selective defocussing and sharpening.

hey guys when i see them filming the new season ill snap some pics of their setups for you guys and upload them, from what ive seen they have alot of cameras like sometimes up to 8 or 10. Ill get some pics.