Happy to answer your questions. How different this was from a regular concert: Not at all different except for (1) no intermission, and (2) the show's director opened the show and then came back out at the end because -- see below. No re-takes or breaks to re-set cameras and lights. It ran straight through like a regular concert -- except for #2 above. How long did it last for you vs how long will it last on TV? The entire production lasted a little more than two hours. I don't know how long it will last on TV, but if I had to guess, I suspect that it will be maybe one hour and 15 minutes of concert and perhaps 45 minutes of pledge breaks? It's hard to tell how it will be edited. Could you see and hear as well as you would at a regular concert Better than at a regular concert. Probably because he sings so powerfully and beautifully and the sound system was top notch -- and for television. or were these considerations secondary to the placement of the equipment needed to record it for TV? I didn't think there were any blocked views (lucky me -- I had a second row seat) -- but I found out this morning at breakfast that the seat of a good friend was right behind a camera. Fortunately, there was an empty seat in her row and everyone moved over so that she could see. Now, to complete the answer to the first question: Before the show began, the director came out and talked to the audience for a few minutes. He told us that technical glitches might necessitate the artist having to sing a couple of songs over at the end of the show and asked if we minded. Of course, everyone was happy with that news. At the end of the show, four songs were repeated, probably for the following reasons: 1. the lyrics were off in the first song probably due to the fact that it was the first song and the artist wasn't quite yet into the rhythm of the production; 2. another song was repeated because the artist had inserted a one-liner into the first version that related to some banter that had preceded it, 3. I'm not quite sure why the third song was repeated, but I'm glad it was because I thought that there was a note in the first version that wasn't quite right, and 4. the first word of the song had been left off. There were no stops and starts -- no parts of songs redone -- but there was quite a bit of banter with the audience -- and other words -- that will probably be trimmed down quite a bit for the broadcast. There was a dress rehearsal the night before, but no filming for the show was done at it (I know this because the artist was dressed in jeans) -- but there was filming of the dress rehearsal -- for DVD extras. I suspect that there could have been filming for the actual show during the day of the show, before the actual concert, but I don't know that for a fact.
________________________________ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of PGage Sent: Saturday, March 13, 2010 12:44 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [TV orNotTV] Not the usual TV taping On Sat, Mar 13, 2010 at 9:24 AM, Pollak, Melissa F. <[email protected]> wrote: Well, I've been to countless sitcom and talk show tapings, but I had never been to the taping of a concert special for PBS. Until last night. Great experience. I highly recommend it if you're a fan of the star of the show. Melissa, I am interested in knowing how different this was from a regular concert. Were there a lot of re-takes or breaks to re-set cameras and lights, or did it run straight through like a regular concert that is just recorded? How long did it last for you vs how long will it last on TV? Could you see and hear as well as you would at a regular concert, or were these considerations secondary to the placement of the equipment needed to record it for TV? -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
