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Jon Asher
- Thread starter Rat
- Start date
kingcobrafan
Nitro Member
Yes, he does.
who is he?
He filmed and released the old Main Event Video production series of drag racing videos (now dvds). Here is an example
DRAG RACING CAMERAMAN - www.ActionMotorsportsVideos.com‏ - YouTube
That was absolutely incredible camera work
May I add something here?
I would wager that EVERY man or woman wielding a camera for ESPN or espn2 is a quality shooter. That isn't the problem, because the DIRECTOR decides what shots make the broadcast, NOT the guy who took the footage.
Further, unless and until ESPN makes a serious commitment to drag racing by trying to enhance the program's audience with a lot more promotional pieces for the races coming up that weekend, or even later that day, little is going to change. I did hear an ESPN promo for the drags during the Cup race last weekend, but there needs to be a lot more of that.
ESPN obviously has literally hundreds of shows spread across their networks, and the ones they constantly promote are the ones they make the most profit from through advertising placements. The bigger the audience, the more expensive the advertising is. The other programming they push incessantly are those that they own, either outright, or with partners.
If you've ever wondered why you see so many repeats of the various poker tours it's because they cost peanuts to produce. Very little is live (I think they do the final tables that way, but can't remember exactly), so they need no remote crew. All they need are lipstick cameras set up to show the hands, and then no more than two cameras to show the players. Compare that to a drag race or football game. The production costs for those types of programs are enormous, thereby almost demanding a large audience so that commensurate advertising rates are charged and collected. Now see how small our audience is and draw your own conclusions.
Jon Asher
I would wager that EVERY man or woman wielding a camera for ESPN or espn2 is a quality shooter. That isn't the problem, because the DIRECTOR decides what shots make the broadcast, NOT the guy who took the footage.
Further, unless and until ESPN makes a serious commitment to drag racing by trying to enhance the program's audience with a lot more promotional pieces for the races coming up that weekend, or even later that day, little is going to change. I did hear an ESPN promo for the drags during the Cup race last weekend, but there needs to be a lot more of that.
ESPN obviously has literally hundreds of shows spread across their networks, and the ones they constantly promote are the ones they make the most profit from through advertising placements. The bigger the audience, the more expensive the advertising is. The other programming they push incessantly are those that they own, either outright, or with partners.
If you've ever wondered why you see so many repeats of the various poker tours it's because they cost peanuts to produce. Very little is live (I think they do the final tables that way, but can't remember exactly), so they need no remote crew. All they need are lipstick cameras set up to show the hands, and then no more than two cameras to show the players. Compare that to a drag race or football game. The production costs for those types of programs are enormous, thereby almost demanding a large audience so that commensurate advertising rates are charged and collected. Now see how small our audience is and draw your own conclusions.
Jon Asher
Excellent point Jon. I thought this was NHRA's fault with the shows, but I feel it's all espn's fault. Production wise you can't get much better as far as the actual coverage of the racing and the interviews, they have flow problems and sometimes 3 hours seem to drag on after an hour and a half in. My two suggestions:
If they can show the same type of show without taking away the quality and condense it to 2 hours, I feel that will get alot more viewers. Stop with the unneccessary interviews, like in sonoma how they had them walk up a mountain lol. Stop with the redundantcy. Stop giving summaries of the previous round prior to the round their showing.
espn I agree, did a great thing promoting NHRA during the Nascar race. We need to see more of it. Drag Racing needs to stop being espn's promo whore like it is and start having other shows plug drag racing as much as I hear paul page have to plug so much stuff. How about Sunday Night Baseball promote the next drag race like the 10 billion times we promote that show?
Make these changes and I think the viewers will come
If they can show the same type of show without taking away the quality and condense it to 2 hours, I feel that will get alot more viewers. Stop with the unneccessary interviews, like in sonoma how they had them walk up a mountain lol. Stop with the redundantcy. Stop giving summaries of the previous round prior to the round their showing.
espn I agree, did a great thing promoting NHRA during the Nascar race. We need to see more of it. Drag Racing needs to stop being espn's promo whore like it is and start having other shows plug drag racing as much as I hear paul page have to plug so much stuff. How about Sunday Night Baseball promote the next drag race like the 10 billion times we promote that show?
Make these changes and I think the viewers will come
d'kid
Nitro Member
This is based on DVDs for TV Shows, But an hour Prime Time Show will run 42 to 45 minutes, which means in a three hour broadcast, you are getting about two hours, fifteen minutes of 'race time'...
d'kid
yeah but when you look even further of the 2 hours and 15 mins, how much of it is actual on the track footage and not the next meaningly unrelated fluff filled interviews. Keep the programs to race and top end interviews and let's see how much time we can shave off. I can't even believe how much "Extra crap" we put up with during the 3 hour broadcast
Randy
Nitro Member
Guess I'm old enough to remember the only way you knew what as going on at the drag races is if you were lucky enough to get a call from a buddy at the hotel near the track that night. Then came Dave Mac and the Castrol GTX hotline for $3.00 a minute. Even if (by the critics opinion) it is a bad TV show I appreciate the same day coverage and reports. Maybe the shows could be better....but then maybe there could be none.
RG
RG
coverage is better than no coverage, but when it's on 10pm or later on a worknight what's the point? I just miss the quality, it was there less than 10 years ago. Bigger is not always better, thus 3 hours. I amend the ESPN crew because I know they work non stop on the weekends filming and editing and I know they dont get much sleep, it's just that why add extra time where they send their reporters on scavenger hunts for "filler" and just show a show that can show all the racing and the interview in just two hours. I feel the 2 hours show has alot of quality and I feel the 3 hours show with the extra hour takes away from the quality by having to add an hour of filler material
