Every once in a while there are continuity errors caused by sloppy editing. When the actors are speaking and they cut to a different camera angle, you see people or things have moved and this would clearly not have been possible if they have filmed it in one continuous take. A good example comes from episode #602 (TOW Ross Hugs Rachel). Monica and Chandler have just told Rachel they are going to move in together. Rachel is excited because she believes the three of them will be living together. She points at Chandler with her LEFT hand and says: �You're gonna have to watch those long showers you take in the morning�' (Mid-sentence, new camera angle � she is now pointing at him with her RIGHT hand) �...because you know Raquel can't be late.' But probably the most notorious example of this sort of thing comes from #718 (TOW Joey's Award). Joey and Rachel are taking the Soapie Award to his co-worker Jessica. RACHEL knocks on Jessica's door. Jessica says "Come in." New camera angle (inside the dressing room), the door opens and JOEY enters first. It's clear Joey and Rachel wouldn't have had time to change positions if they had done it in real time. It was a stupid, amateurish mistake caused by people not worrying about continuity between takes. It seems to me that director should have been fired right on the spot. I'm not sure what causes this. I remember reading accounts of people who have attended Friends tapings and they comment how casual the atmosphere is. The six Friends don't seem overly concerned with learning their lines and often have to do many takes of each scene. Apparently they also improvise new lines, film different versions of the same line, and don't mind stopping and starting mid-sentence (with a new camera angle). I suppose it's the sort of complacency that comes with success. A good director would not tolerate this sort of thing but a bad director, perhaps fawning over these famous actors, just lets it slide.
Continuity errors
No offense, but you need to get a life...
----- Original Message ----- From: "Bryan" Newsgroups: alt.tv.friends Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2002 6:08 PM Subject: Continuity errors
"Marlboro" wrote in message news:a9d7mf$h2p$[email]...
How can you say something like that an expect no offense to be taken?!!
Owen
Nothing good ever follows "No offense but." Sort of like "Don't take this the wrong way," or "We need to talk."
"Steve A Simon" wrote in message news:[email]...
the
I'm just saying nobody should be able to judge like that.
Owen
"Steve A Simon" wrote in message news:[email]...
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So, what your saying, in other words, is that "No offense but" is just a warning that the expression to follow is offensive. Yet it seems to give the speaker (or writer in this case) a false sense of freedom from responsibility. Oh, if only I could get off that easy in the real world.
Wait a minute! This IS the real world. Hmmmmm.
"David Buehrle" wrote in message news:9%Lu8.22996$[email]...
this
A lot depends on what follows the "No offense", stating that someone needs to "get a life" is pretty nasty. If he'd have said something a little kinder like "you spend waaay to much time on this ng" then perhaps it wouldn't have been met with the same response.
Owen
Hey, doof. This is a 'Friends' newsgroup. Who the hell else do you think is going to post to it, but for people who love the show and are interested in trivia about it, etc?
"KeithD" wrote in message news:3cbce406$[email]...
interested
Well obviously you've never posted here before since you havn't included the message you're replying to in your reply.
Owen
"Bryan" wrote in message news:[email]...
Sometimes the mistake is there but the editor has no choice but to pick a shot for some other reason. Let's say, in the good shot, Joey's fly is open. So, the editor chooses the one with a minor continuity error because it's less significant. It's like voting for President. Sometimes you just pick the lesser of evils.
I've seen that too. There are a lot of little things like that. The most common one is the facial expression on a persons face. Sometimes it's just completely different.
To be fair to the directors (and there are several each season) sometimes those little things go unnoticed during filming. It's true that there are people who watch for things like that; and ultimately it *is* the director's responsibility. Nevertheless, there is so much going on at each five hour filming session that it would be almost impossible to keep track of every tiny detail, and still work within the budget. Once the editor has the film, the cost to reshoot a scene would be way out of proportion, unless the error was blatently obvious, or offensive with no work around.
In the actors defense, the script is being rewritten right up to the last minute, and even some things get rewritten during filming. Doing new takes can sometimes be confusing. The human brain gets used to the usual single-thread flow of life. Trying to repeat a moment in life throws off that organizational tools in the head. Also, there are times when the writers think some bit is really funny, and then suddenly, in front of the audience, it falls flat. So, they try to "massage" it a little to see what will make the audience will respond well.
In a perfect world all the actors would have good performances every time, as would everyone working on the show. The truth of the matter is that actors, directors, editors, prop masters, gaffers, best boys, etc., etc. are all human. They have good days and bad days just like the rest of us. And sometimes it just comes down to karma (for lack of a better term).
So, I tend to see those things, and take interest in them, but I figure, for the cost to me, it's pretty good entertainment.
David
"David Buehrle" wrote in message news:L0ou8.14899$[email]...
because
just
Ha, I like that one, it's certainly true in America!
just
Another one is 714 TOW Rachel Turns Thirty, and Monica says she wants Chandler "right here right now" or something, and the shot completely changes. Maybe they think we don't notice?
director's
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I suppose, the only thing they can do is have plenty of cameras for each take, thus being sure of having every single shot.
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what
The documentary on 601 was really interesting for me, it's amazing how much work actually goes into the script. Unfortunately, when the episode is bad, it makes you wonder what the hell they were doing!
are
And
I'd excpect nothing but the best for a million dollars and episode...
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Well, as long as you don't get over obsessed with little continity errors like age, then it's ok, after while here you start to go a little crazy...
Owen
"Owen Shiers" wrote in message news:wMtu8.18360$[email]...
I'll bet they are counting on it. And I'll bet 95% percent (maybe more) *don't* pick up on it. Of course, among the great fans that we are, some of us scrutinize, pick apart, and dig down to the quick as part of our enjoyment of the show.
My ex-wife asked me one time if I every actually enjoyed movies. She said something like, "For a man who goes to three or four movies a month, you sure do pick at them. Do you ever enjoy the story?" To which I replied, "Sometimes yes and sometimes no, but there's always more to a movie than the story."
going
Well, they do typically have at least four cameras for each shot, sometimes five. Plus they have a video camera so they have some idea if they got the right thing. They can review the video immediately to verify something they think might be wrong. It obviously can't catch all angles though.
last
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bad,
I'm just happy my bad days aren't seen by 25,000,000 viewers each week.
etc.,
And yet there it is. I guess it goes to show how out of whack things can be. This must be what Marx was talking about. Not that I read a lot of his work, nor do I necessarily support it. (Or was it the Marx Brothers?)
"David Buehrle" wrote in message news:vpMu8.23009$[email]...
Monica
together.
her
of
Ha, lol, I didn't actually notice it until Tennant pointed it out in his review, but after looking at it again, it's blatantly obvious!
Well I don't go that often, and so when I do go, I pick something in the genre that I know I'd probably like, I'm not picky, and the quality of most films is pretty good now.
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Yeah, that is a good idea, you don't really need five angles too see if the scene works!
(with
That's what you think...bwa ha ha! Just kidding, thing is, they can't all have bad days simultaneously can they?
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I know what you mean, they are being paid way too much. Wasn't it written by Carlos Marx and Fredrick Engels?
Owen
In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:
I agree with all of that David, but would add that there are also some continuity errors caused by shortening the episode to fit into a short time slot. In the supersized version originally shown on NBC, the error goes away. A good example of this is Cecilia's drink in 715 "TOW Joey's New Brain". What really happened was that she threw it in a man's face, but ever since (unless you have the DVD) the drink just vanishes.
Tennant
"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...
I think the thing that I am beginning to enjoy most about having the DVD's (the ones available in R1 anyway) is that I can pick at all the little stupid things.