OnStage: I recently attended a performance of Dawn French's '30 Million Minutes' in the West End (review can be found on my blog, AlwaysTimeForTheatre.Wordpress.Com) Upon arriving, we found notices pinned to various walls declaring that the performance was being filmed and that if we objected to our image or voice being used, we should notify staff; failure to protest would result in the non-verbal confirmation of our permission to be filmed and/or recorded and for those recordings to be freely 'distributed internationally'... I personally have no problem with this in terms of finding myself suddenly popping up on the TV when the DVD arrives, it's not all that traumatic for me. But there must have been a few who were not so happy for whatever reasons, silently or otherwise.
6 comments:
This is an idea that I had just been thinking about while watching a performance that happened to be filming. Whether for archival purposes or not, it is the slightest bit uncomfortable to be in a situation where you are being filmed and know you will have your likeness permanently represented in a way that you did not necessarily anticipate. I certainly agree with the author in that audience members should be warned if filming would be taking place during a performance that they are buying tickets for. I hadn't really considered the idea that it could make audience members really conscious about their reactions that are also being captured by the camera, even unintentionally, and I think that there is something to that. Not to mention I think it can be a bit uncomfortable to happen to be sitting in the seat that is next to the camera. Audiences should definitely be warned at the point of sale if the performance they are attending is going to be filmed.
This adds an interesting level to the growing conversation between the interplay of film and theatre. If theatre is filmed, is there any way to know if the audience reactions are genuine? And is it an important consideration to think about how those audience members feel? In my opinion, it is, since I have a very different experience with any form of media if I know that I'm being watched, since there is an expectation that I'm trying to live up to whether I know it or not. It's like that odd feeling you get when your friend shows you a video and you feel obligated to laugh, but the laughter isn't genuine, it's just a thing you do to avoid the dissonance between your friend's expectations and your expectations. I think that filming theatre is vital, and that hidden cameras wouldn't be able to capture the whole scope of a show. Filming a show without an audience feels like the best choice, since you still get the show, but since the energy of a production changes so significantly when an audience is in the house, it would be hard to imagine you're getting the full experience if an audience isn't participating.
This is a really interesting question to pose, and while I myself wouldn’t have any objections to being filmed as part of a performance, I also think that given the option, if all other circumstances were the same I’d opt to go to the performance where I wasn’t being filmed. I guess it would be kind of shitty to get to your seat and learn that there’s this big camera that’ll be watching you for the entirety of the performance in the same way that it would be kind of shitty to buy a ticket to the ball game only to learn that you’re in a seat with an obstructed view. So while I think that it’s not entirely unreasonable to call for some movement towards that practice, I also think that failure to comply with that guideline is by no means an unforgivable offense to commit as a producing agency. I also think that this is a completely different issue depending on the context, for example I pretty much always expect a big concert event that I go to to be filmed, but I definitely would not expect that of a smaller more intimate theatrical performance.
I understand how it must be very uncomfortable for an audience member to be in a seat that is being recorded along with the show. I know I would definitely be thinking about that the entire time instead of being invested in the show that I paid to see. It would be nice if the audience is given advanced notice of a recording for the show they bought a ticket for, especially if the show is in the round and will be filmed from all angles. Many people buy their tickets very far in advance, when a recording day is probably not decided yet. As soon as a recording day is decided it should be published on the website where people buy tickets and people who have already bought their tickets should be notified and given the option to change their tickets. Most people would probably be okay with the recording if they knew ahead of time, but there are people who do not like being recorded at all. That discomfort would really ruin the experience of going to the show.
I think it is fine to be filming your performance at the theatre. I guess it would make it less enjoyable having people walk around with cameras getting shots, unless those shots were from fixed positions. Also, I do believe that the space you are shooting in makes a difference. There is a noticeable difference when you are filming in a small black box in arena seating over a main stage production in a proscenium setting. You aren’t going to get the audiences reaction with a camera. In an arena style setting you’re going to get a bit more than just one person. Now, I do think that if there is going to be filming that the audience should be told ahead of time. It is more of a common courtesy than anything. It could even be one of those things you put on the website or something that gives the audience more time to plan ahead.
The issue discussed in this article is interesting because it's simple but it can also be tricky. First of all, I think the fact the performance as well as the audiences' reactions will be filmed should be made more explicit due to the fact that some people might just feel uncomfortable with cameras and their reactions being "distributed internationally". This article also brought up another valid point I hadn't thought about - how being filmed can make the audience self conscious and thus enjoy the performance less. I can already imagine how self conscious I will be if I were filmed. The presence of someone/something watching you or even just being present can have a huge impact. For instance I cry pretty much every time I watch a movie. When I go watch a movie in the theater with my friends, I try not to cry and even if I do I try not to make it too obvious (especially when none of them are crying). However when I'm watching a movie at 2 in the morning in bed by myself, I don't care or even think about my reactions. By filming the audience, you are inherently changing their experience and there's no way around that.
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