AMERICAN CHOPPER, one annoyance
 

Anyone notice on AMERICAN CHOPPER, when the people talk to the camera in an interview, not raw stuff caught on tape, that the people sound like they're reading a script or something. They talk sort of, I don't know, "staccato" or something. Everyone, except maybe Mikey.

What do you think? Their words flow smoothly otherwise, until they're in a quick interview. Seems like it's been almost scripted.

heath

I agree. Im sure there is some writing involved.Maybe some re-working of an unscripted interview.

Can anyone tell me what is American Chopper?

I am not 100% sure (I don't have cable), but I believe American Chopper is a show about custom motorcycle builders. As far as the interviews, some of the monotones could be caused by camera shyness? I have edited interviews, where it was unscripted, but you would swear they were reading it off a card. This was caused by fear, and the desire to not soil themselves on camera.

Keith,

You're right about the show.

One thing though, the guys being interviewed ALL seem to be camera shy/reading off a card...

heath

ps-On Discovery Channel at 10 PM, before Monsters House and Garage at 8 and 9 PM, respectively.

I love to watch the exposure go all hinky when someone opens the outside door.

As for the interviews, it does go from "WhenI started to work on this bike, I had a number of concernes about the compleation timeframe" to "Don't make me shove my size 12 up yer butt." People do that. It's so hard to get people to just be themselves. All ages, all races, all classes. People are brought together by stagefreight."

Hey - I like the show.
Given it has it's flaws. But after watching a re-run of the first episode, you can tell that the shop workers have gotten used to the camera being around and they are starting to capture more "real" exchanges in the shop.

I cant say anything about the crop of copycat programs coming out now, but I do enjoy watching the tension between the father and sons working.
Cool bikes too.

my 2 pesos

Jeff Patnaude

Jeff,

yeah, it's a great show; what I'm getting at is the interviews woven in. Those seem stilted, almost scripted.

heath

I've noticed that they do sound a little off during some of the interviews, but I chalk it up to shyness.

I've seen in projects that I'm working on that capturing a group of people in action is one thing, but pulling one person aside and having them discuss something by themselves is a little nerve wracking.

I also agree, though, that the producers probably "hint" at what they want to be discussed.

<<<-- Originally posted by Joe Gioielli : I love to watch the exposure go all hinky when someone opens the outside door.

As for the interviews, it does go from "WhenI started to work on this bike, I had a number of concernes about the compleation timeframe" to "Don't make me shove my size 12 up yer butt." People do that. It's so hard to get people to just be themselves. All ages, all races, all classes. People are brought together by stagefreight." -->>>

I think they shoot it on auto.

And yeah, I think you're right about the interviews. Sometimes it sounds like they're saying stuff they wouldn't normally say.

heath

Here is a little inside information about the One on One's on American Chopper. THEY ARE SCRIPTED...sort of. One of them says something to camera, the producer (not going to say names) then takes what they said, alters it for the shows purposes and then tells whoever to read it back. They will take about 4-5 takes of them saying something. Unfortunately none of them are actors so when you get someone who can't act to read a script, it's very dry.

I figured as much; wish they wouldn't do that, though...

Dry is a good term for it.

heath

I like the welding and build process.
the rest of it is quite obviously for effect.
and i can see it wearing thin real soon.
notice how Mike is playing a much bigger role?
he went from being a challenged annoyance to the sharpest of the bunch.

The ads featured Sr. and Jr., yet it's all about Sr. and Mikey... Where's Jr.?

heath

Mark. I don't know about them being scripted but they are definitely planned. Those one on one's are known as OTFs or on the fly interviews. They are great for bridges to join different segments or used as intros or outs. And yes, they are definitely the moment for the field producers to get the castmember to talk dirt about the other members. Sometimes they are also used as recaps of a scene.