Bryan Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 I've been chewing my way through The Planets , a BBC/Open University series narrated by Brian Cox. The good thing is that it is interesting and I'm learning quite bit while Prof Cox's explanations are clear and avoid overmuch technicality But the bad thing is that there is so much empty time, screenfuls of him wandering across desolate regions, photos of clouds etc. The result is that whole thing takes far too long, extreme boredom sets in, and I can't stand to watch more than 30 minutes at a time. I wish the producers of these programmes could move things on at a faster pace - maybe they are being paid by the minute ? If the spoken sound track could extracted and used as a radio programme that would condense the delivery by at least 50% and would be far more entertaining. Rant over. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 19 minutes ago, Bryan said: I've been chewing my way through The Planets , a BBC/Open University series narrated by Brian Cox. The good thing is that it is interesting and I'm learning quite bit while Prof Cox's explanations are clear and avoid overmuch technicality But the bad thing is that there is so much empty time, screenfuls of him wandering across desolate regions, photos of clouds etc. The result is that whole thing takes far too long, extreme boredom sets in, and I can't stand to watch more than 30 minutes at a time. I wish the producers of these programmes could move things on at a faster pace - maybe they are being paid by the minute ? If the spoken sound track could extracted and used as a radio programme that would condense the delivery by at least 50% and would be far more entertaining. Rant over. Agree with you that some TV programs go on too long. I used to watch a few 2 hour programs and often thought the story could have been told in one hour. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDM Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 51 minutes ago, Bryan said:I've been chewing my way through The Planets , a BBC/Open University series narrated by Brian Cox. The good thing is that it is interesting and I'm learning quite bit while Prof Cox's explanations are clear and avoid overmuch technicality But the bad thing is that there is so much empty time, screenfuls of him wandering across desolate regions, photos of clouds etc. The result is that whole thing takes far too long, extreme boredom sets in, and I can't stand to watch more than 30 minutes at a time. I wish the producers of these programmes could move things on at a faster pace - maybe they are being paid by the minute ? If the spoken sound track could extracted and used as a radio programme that would condense the delivery by at least 50% and would be far more entertaining. Rant over. An alternative viewpoint. I’ve not watched this yet but I had a quick look at the first 10 mins on my iPad to see what you are talking about. While it is a rather thin experience on an iPad, I expect it must be quite different if viewed on a home cinema with surround sound. The cinematography is truly amazing for one thing but it needs to be viewed through the right medium with total immersion. The subject matter itself (planet formation and evolution) is to my mind incredibly fascinating and should really be general knowledge for most humans. So while this information could be imparted in a shorter time, it is all about the experience in this case. From the bit I watched, I give it the thumbs up and will watch it on a larger screen in due course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 1 hour ago, MDM said: An alternative viewpoint. I’ve not watched this yet but I had a quick look at the first 10 mins on my iPad to see what you are talking about. While it is a rather thin experience on an iPad, I expect it must be quite different if viewed on a home cinema with surround sound. The cinematography is truly amazing for one thing but it needs to be viewed through the right medium with total immersion. The subject matter itself (planet formation and evolution) is to my mind incredibly fascinating and should really be general knowledge for most humans. So while this information could be imparted in a shorter time, it is all about the experience in this case. From the bit I watched, I give it the thumbs up and will watch it on a larger screen in due course. Well I don't have the benefit of surround sound or a home cinema, just a TV, so the experience is not quite so vivid for me. However I did enjoy the graphics and computer simulations initially, but there are several 40 minute episodes in this series and it all began to wear a bit thin after a while - other than for the well considered and delivered dialogue and actual photos taken by the spacecraft. Each to their own I guess 🙂 Have to agree that this, in condensed format, should be required, if a tad scary, knowledge for all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 8 minutes ago, Bryan said: Well I don't have the benefit of surround sound or a home cinema, just a TV, so the experience is not quite so vivid for me. However I did enjoy the graphics and computer simulations initially, but there are several 40 minute episodes in this series and it all began to wear a bit thin after a while - other than for the well considered and delivered dialogue and actual photos taken by the spacecraft. Each to their own I guess 🙂 Have to agree that this, in condensed format, should be required, if a tad scary, knowledge for all. 40 minutes too long for a science documentary? Perhaps you just don't like it much. I would regard a televised game of football as utter tedium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDM Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 21 minutes ago, Bryan said: Well I don't have the benefit of surround sound or a home cinema, just a TV, so the experience is not quite so vivid for me. However I did enjoy the graphics and computer simulations initially, but there are several 40 minute episodes in this series and it all began to wear a bit thin after a while - other than for the well considered and delivered dialogue and actual photos taken by the spacecraft. Each to their own I guess 🙂 Have to agree that this, in condensed format, should be required, if a tad scary, knowledge for all. I don't have a home cinema either but a lot of people do nowadays and just a TV covers a vast range of devices. The real point I was making is that it is meant to be an immersive visual experience, not one to be raced through. I understand your point as well. I will be in better position to judge after I watch it which I intend to do, one episode per session I expect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 (edited) 23 minutes ago, spacecadet said: 40 minutes too long for a science documentary? Perhaps you just don't like it much. I would regard a televised game of football as utter tedium. Mark, my point is that you could get the information transferred much more efficiently if there was less time spent on the graphics, which tend to become repetitive over the course of all of the episodes. It is a fascinating series, and it's well worth knowing what Cox has to say, but, and OK I guess I'm not the most patient person on the earth, it could be done in half the time. I confess I increasingly feel this about a lot of documentary TV, whatever the subject matter, just cut to the chase ! I recall watching a documentary about the Titanic disaster some years ago on commercial TV. The nub of the story was that a stoker had observed a fire burning in one of the coal bunkers and that his evidence was glossed over at the inquiry. In essence that was it, but it took an excruciatingly long time to tell the tale, and of course there were commercial breaks throughout. Before each break they would summarise what has been said, and then that summary was repeated after the break. By the end of the programme I was tearing my hair out - which is why I now don't have very much 🙃 Edited January 3, 2021 by Bryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDM Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 (edited) 31 minutes ago, Bryan said: Mark, my point is that you could get the information transferred much more efficiently if there was less time spent on the graphics, which tend to become repetitive over the course of all of the episodes. It is a fascinating series, and it's well worth knowing what Cox has to say, but, and OK I guess I'm not the most patient person on the earth, it could be done in half the time. I confess I increasingly feel this about a lot of documentary TV, whatever the subject matter, just cut to the chase ! I recall watching a documentary about the Titanic disaster some years ago on commercial TV. The nub of the story was that a stoker had observed a fire burning in one of the coal bunkers and that his evidence was glossed over at the inquiry. In essence that was it, but it took an excruciatingly long time to tell the tale, and of course there were commercial breaks throughout. Before each break they would summarise what has been said, and then that summary was repeated after the break. By the end of the programme I was tearing my hair out - which is why I now don't have very much 🙃 I think it is unwise to lump most TV documentaries together like this. Different people learn in different ways. Cutting to the chase works for me for educational stuff but I would be more inclined to do that with written material than video in any case as I learn well from reading. Good documentaries should be more than just about learning in any case. If you don't like a documentary then there is a very simple solution - switch it off. If you want to know more about the subject matter without enduring the programme, then the information is very likely to be available in readable form on the internet. I recall you mentioning the Ken Burns series on country music just over a year ago. That was very long but I enjoyed every episode and could have easily watched the same again because I was absolutely enjoying it. And despite the fact that it was very long, it managed to miss some very important bits of the history of country music. Cutting to the chase does not work for that. Thankfully the BBC is still able to function in making world class educational documentaries despite all the cutbacks, the dumbing down and the attacks from the commercial media - mostly that of a right wing populist flavour. Long live the BBC (and the NHS) Edited January 3, 2021 by MDM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted January 3, 2021 Author Share Posted January 3, 2021 On 02/01/2021 at 07:47, wiskerke said: Amazon probably. Search for Photography lights or Studio lights. No use sending you mine: 220V. I'm trying to replace mine with LEDs. Not that easy with higher output (around 4000 lumen) bulbs. Also like CFLs most of them show banding because of the frequency. I bought one of these for small stuff and film copying. Mine was $26.15 exactly one year ago, so the price went up slightly. Someone mentioned them here on the forum. Flicker free and CRI 95. Fits on a stand or tripod. Could just be perfect for the light tent. wim I did find some at Adorama. 65W, but I think they’ll work. Back ordered which is fine because I’m ordering them in case the ones I have quit working, and that could be a few years, even. I like to think ahead. Yes, I’ve replaced my household lightbulbs with LED, but my softboxes were originally sent with 2 5500K CFLs. Plus I watched a video yesterday made by an artist who said he’d tried LED for painting watercolor and he went back to CFL. I think he said there was more banding with LED panels. (Not bulbs) I bought the soft box and stands back when I had a job shooting jewelry. I discovered they were great for all small products. I had a homemade light tent for most of the time before buying one off Amazon. Interesting LED panel for the camera, wim, but I prefer being able to put the light where I want it for product shooting, not necessarily from the front. Although I could see it being a nice addition to side lights. Foremost, my lights are for artwork, second photography. Biggest gripe, when looking many do not give the CRI values. Important for art when one is mixing and choosing colors. I can’t just hit the WB button in Photoshop to get the true values. The paint is already on the paper. For those who don’t understand, yes you need sunlight-kelvin, between 5000-5500. CRI over 90 gives equal treatment to all colors, where CRI 80 and below might favor some colors over others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, MDM said: . Thankfully the BBC is still able to function in making world class educational documentaries despite all the cutbacks, the dumbing down and the attacks from the commercial media - mostly that of a right wing populist flavour. Long live the BBC (and the NHS On that we can agree ! We have donated to the save the BBC fighting fund. I guess my gripe is with the insertion of barely relevant material, or continued repetition. It's particularly noticeable when the production team have spent a load of cash on computer simulations and perhaps feel that they have to maximise the use of the graphics, something which I feel applies to both the Titanic programme and this Planets production. The folk music show was filled with music, what's not to like ? - if you happen to like folk music! I have to say that my wife, who is much more of a TV addict than I am - I watch very little drama - gave up watching the Planets due to its slow delivery. I will persist, but through gritted teeth. Edited January 3, 2021 by Bryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Rooney Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Does Professor Cox play keyboards during the slow takes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 9 hours ago, Ed Rooney said: Does Professor Cox play keyboards during the slow takes? Sadly not, none of his chums from Monty Python involved either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlbertSnapper Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 Two couriers have just made a delivery to my home within 5 minutes of each other. They got to meet Herbert the sausage dog. And I have one box with a new Fuji X Pro3 in it. And the other box has a used refurbished by Fuji 90mm lens in it. (already have 25 and 40mm lenses from Leica) Now to start playing..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 Vacuumed and dusted the lounge and dining room this morning. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Standfast Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 1 hour ago, Allan Bell said: Vacuumed and dusted the lounge and dining room this morning. Allan We'll be around with white gloves to check the dust on top of the doors later. 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 1 hour ago, Mr Standfast said: We'll be around with white gloves to check the dust on top of the doors later. 😉 Whoops!😖 Allan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aphperspective Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 Xmas decorations all taken down, put back in their proper boxes and consigned neatly to the attic. Whoever invented grappling irons was wasting his time, Xmas lights with a plug hang up on everything and anything.🙄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted January 6, 2021 Author Share Posted January 6, 2021 2 hours ago, aphperspective said: Xmas decorations all taken down, put back in their proper boxes and consigned neatly to the attic. Whoever invented grappling irons was wasting his time, Xmas lights with a plug hang up on everything and anything.🙄 I got mine done on New Year’s day! I miss the lights, but I had an opportunity to have someone carry my tree to my storage room that day so had to get it done before I was emotionally ready to let go. 😣 But I can look through my back window and see my neighbor’s lit up tree still! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 15 hours ago, aphperspective said: Xmas decorations all taken down, put back in their proper boxes and consigned neatly to the attic. Whoever invented grappling irons was wasting his time, Xmas lights with a plug hang up on everything and anything.🙄 Xmas decorations? What are they? Suffice to say I do not have any. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiskerke Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 Manage to break only 2 small Christmas baubles yesterday. Stored them for when I get a good idea on how to photograph them. Maybe I should check AoA first. wim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thyrsis Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 On 06/01/2021 at 12:07, Allan Bell said: Vacuumed and dusted the lounge and dining room this morning. Allan Is it spring already?! 😄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 1 hour ago, Thyrsis said: Is it spring already?! 😄 No. I include the tops of the doors in spring.😃 Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thyrsis Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 4 hours ago, Allan Bell said: No. I include the tops of the doors in spring.😃 Allan Oh, I can’t reach that high! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 14 hours ago, Allan Bell said: Xmas decorations? What are they? Suffice to say I do not have any. Allan For the first time in our married life we had no decorations this year. We had hoped that we would see the family face to face, but the Covid situation put paid to that. Surprisingly perhaps it was my OH who decided against the tinsel, I would have been prepared to climb into the loft and dig the stuff out. More positively, we have been chewing our way through indulgent home made Xmas cake since the 25th, and despite the miserable weather, the days are getting longer. I've taken delivery of my allotment seed order and used click and collect to buy seed compost and other gardening sundries. The new year gathers momentum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thyrsis Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 3 hours ago, Bryan said: For the first time in our married life we had no decorations this year. We had hoped that we would see the family face to face, but the Covid situation put paid to that. Surprisingly perhaps it was my OH who decided against the tinsel, I would have been prepared to climb into the loft and dig the stuff out. More positively, we have been chewing our way through indulgent home made Xmas cake since the 25th, and despite the miserable weather, the days are getting longer. I've taken delivery of my allotment seed order and used click and collect to buy seed compost and other gardening sundries. The new year gathers momentum. First time in many years that we haven’t had a xmas tree but I did put up a few lights and decorations. It was a bit sad to take them back down knowing no-one had seen them! Seed potato shopping next thing on our list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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