Stephane Dion's bad video

[Paul Luft]

Any ideas/comments on why Stephane Dion's nationally-broadcast video (Dec. 3) was so poorly done?

The poor quality is sure getting a lot of attention considering how just about anything goes in these days of Youtube and cellphone footage etc.

[Shaun Roemich]

Hey the BACKGROUND was in perfect focus!

Glad to see I wasn't the only one who noticed.

For those that aren't aware, we Canadians are in the middle of a hotly debated possible dissolution of our government following a possible non-confidence vote and the would-be successor to our current Prime Minister had an appeal to the nation that was poorly lit and was completely out of focus (the IMAGE that is... no political discussion there).

[Vito DeFilippo]

Here's an "explanation":

The Canadian Press: Birth of a video: many miscues behind Dion TV address

[Shaun Roemich]

Thanks Vito. I think this is the first time I have EVER seen such an acknowledgment of "bad" video. The bar has been lowered SO MUCH in recent years that I honestly thought I was the ONLY person in Canada that noticed/cared.

[Matt Ratelle]

For some reason I can't see that one link. CTV was reporting that it was recorded on a DVD camcorder, well below broadcast quality. The reason it was so late is that they decided to do another reedit(even while Mr. Harpers tape was on the air). Following that it was delivered to the wrong place(CTV at the press gallery), where they were told that it was NOT the place where the feed went out to the networks. A fight ensued, and finally someone ran the tape over to the CBC, which still had to find a way to play the tape back!!

Following are two quotes from a CTV article which made me chuckle.

"Dion's coalition partners were both angry and embarrassed by the Liberal address.The NDP said Wednesday's fiasco undermined the credibility of the coalition, CTV's Robert Fife reported.

"I'm told that (Bloc Quebecois Leader) Gilles Duceppe ran into Mr. Dion in the elevator and asked 'What the hell happened?' and Mr. Dion said, 'We're not used to being in opposition," Fife said."

and finally Jean Lapierre former Liberal MP turned broadcast journalist had this to say...

"This was the cheapest video. I don't know if the Liberal party has financial problems, but they didn't have to go to a high school kid to get their video made," he said on CTV's Mike Duffy Live. "You ask people to forget about their normal TV show tonight. We did that on TVA."


Source: CTV News website
CTV.ca | Liberals apologize for late delivery of Dion video

[Lorinda Norton]

Originally Posted by Matt Ratelle

"...but they didn't have to go to a high school kid to get their video made,"

If I was a high school kid I might take offense at that statement. ;)

And I’m going to file away the “auto focus button broken in the on position” excuse; might come in handy someday!

Thanks for the background and links, guys. I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know who you were talking about. The video didn't look so bad in the tiny size I watched but must have looked terrible on a larger screen.

[Shaun Roemich]

Lorinda: it was the WORST non-cameraphone/middle east embedded journalist footage I've ever seen make it to air.

[Don Miller]

It's astounding in this day and age that a speech like that would have such low importance place on production.

Even more amazing to not check focus. I bet it wasn't noticed until post. "Focusing Error Brings Down Canadian Government". Bush will be available next month. Let us know.........

[Dylan Couper]

Hey, even Stephane Dion has an "uncle Bob" with a video camera that can do the job just as well as a professional! :D

[Shaun Roemich]

Originally Posted by Dylan Couper

Hey, even Stephane Dion has an "uncle Bob" with a video camera that can do the job just as well as a professional! :D

Yeah, Bob Rae!

[Matt Ratelle]

I can only hope that when it comes time for Bob Rae to make a video, his people will forget to put the tape in. Or perhaps they'll accidentally forget to take the lens cap off. One can only hope.

[Vito DeFilippo]

Originally Posted by Don Miller

It's astounding in this day and age that a speech like that would have such low importance place on production.

It's fricking embarrassing. In ten minutes they could have found any number of video guys who would have jumped at the chance to do the job. And do it right.

[Shaun Roemich]

Originally Posted by Vito DeFilippo

It's fricking embarrassing. In ten minutes they could have found any number of video guys who would have jumped at the chance to do the job. And do it right.

Is this where I get to get up on my soapbox AGAIN and start to explain the difference between a Professional and ....

For mission critical stuff, use the people that are used to getting it right the FIRST time and delivering ON TIME and to the RIGHT PLACE. Thus endeth the Sermon.

[Frank Granovski]

Aside from the auto focus and white balance jumping, the videographer recorded him at a weird angle. It looked like the camera was sitting on the desk and using a wide angle. I thought they only used this technique in the 'peg. :-)

[Shaun Roemich]

Originally Posted by Frank Granovski

I thought they only used this technique in the 'peg. :-)

The reason we do that in the 'peg is because we don't have a bunch of out of work film guys with nothing better to do hanging around to tell us that Coppola would have done it differently, like you do in Vancouver... <grin>