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© (C) 2008 CBS
Kim Zimmer and Bradley Cole are faced with acting with the new production model cameras on GUIDING LIGHT
Television:
Review: GUIDING LIGHT - NEW PRODUCTION FORMAT - February 29, 2007 episode
While soap fans might be horrified at how radically different their show is, this new production model may be the only way for daytime television to survive
Grade: CStars: Tom Pelphrey, Marcy Rylan, Kim Zimmer and more
Writer(s): David Kreizman (head writer)
By CARL CORTEZ, Contributing Editor
Published 2/29/2008
Let me preface this by saying, I’m not the core demographic audience that sits around in the afternoons glued to the set watching my soap operas.
There’s something archaic in the acting and production design of the shows that has obviously made the networks airing these series perk up and take notice as well. With ratings down and many series getting pruned from daytime line-ups, it’s a grim time for these older-skewing mainstays.
Which is why, I must also add, I might be the perfect person to review the new format CBS is debuting today for the GUIDING LIGHT, now in its 55th season.
Trying to be hipper, faster and more current in its strorytelling devices, CBS is shaking up a format that has been etched in stone for decades and while it may bring in younger viewers, it’s going to be shock treatment for older watchers who will be thinking their favorite soap has been hijacked by cable access filmmaking punks featuring shaky camera work, bad lighting and audio that sounds as it came directly from the microphone on the video camera.
That said, there’s some good and very bad examples of what is working as they try to accomplish something groundbreaking with its new milieu. Gone are the soap sets and two or three cameras capturing it like a live show (as are the nice lighting to make the actors look perfect, perky and poised).
Now the series is filmed like a regular TV series – handheld cameras, multiple cuts, tons of outdoor scenes – but more with an independent film aesthetic. It’s a pretty ambitious undertaking – especially considering they have to crank out five of the puppies in this format every day, every week, but once they work out the kinks, this could very well be the future of soaps.
To prepare myself, I did a quick once-over on the old format earlier this week on GUIDING LIGHT. And you could already see the show mixing the old style, will elements of the new, hoping it won’t be too jarring a transition for its fan base.
And now watching a full-on episode done this way, you sort of wished they left well enough alone.
While a lot of the inter-personal daytime soap opera clap trap was definitely on display (most of it completely went over my head, which means I can’t tell you what was going on if my life depended on it), there did seem to be an “A” story circling around Jonathan Randall (Tom Pelphrey). As the press notes thankfully explain, he’s a young guy who got involved with the wrong girl – a prissy prima donna named Lizzie Spaulding (Marcy Rylan) – and had a baby together. He eventually faked his and his daughter’s death, but he’s back in town and wanting to get back with Lizzie.
Of the scenes in this first episode with what CBS is dubbing “the new production model,” they were the most natural with Pelphrey and Rylan shining in this more naturalistic setting. It also helps that they represent the younger generation on the show, so emphasizing their storyline makes sense in grabbing the new viewers GUIDING LIGHT so desperately craves.
On the other hand, the older actors, the seasoned daytime pros, seem to be having an uncomfortable transition. The very proper, somewhat stilted acting that was allowed when the series was shot in its traditional format, starts poking holes through any actor with limited chops in this new setting. In fact, it comes off downright amateurish. There are times where the acting wouldn’t pass muster on a student film. These people are pros, but it’s clear some are struggling with this new way of storytelling. It’s also hard to hide the older actors with soft lighting which is also a daytime mainstay. So it’s warts and all, and if you don’t like it, well, I don’t know what the real solution is.
Throw in an attempt at a brand new hip musical theme (sort of soft rock, by way of Christopher Cross) and having that song play throughout the episode, you can tell they're definitely throwing out the old and shoving down audiences throat the new for better or for worse.
Again though, this is the first episode of something that is likely to be perfected, within in a couple short weeks. In order to shoot so much film and coverage, it’s obvious the series is using the new generation High-Def cameras that don’t need excessive amounts of lighting. This probably allows for them to book through set-ups like crazy. Shooting outdoors – specifically in the daylight – also seems to cut down on that time-eating part of the production process.
However, please, someone please, hire sound people. It sounds like they’re using the microphones off of the cameras themselves, with sounds of cars and people’s feet on gravel overriding actor dialogue on many occasions.
The camera work too, is at times, too jarring. The handheld stuff works in certain instances, but in some cases, a tripod will do fine, because you can see someone going overly crazy with the clever angles and abstract close-up compositions. The producers shouldn’t feel afraid to go backwards on occasion, because as CLOVERFIELD’s handheld camera work proved, you can’t afford to make your core audience sea sick with all that motion.
The big question: Is GUIDING LIGHT the savior of daytime television or its death knell? While this new format will offer better film and traditional TV training to its thespians, and it might also open up doors for writers wanting to do something a little more challenging and dare we say, “cinematic,” it’s still not a good thing if your actors look like ass and the writing doesn’t rise above a student film (especially when you’re shooting the series like one).
It’s a big “what if,” because I find it hard to believe most die-hard viewers of the show are going to be able to handle the big change, but then again, stranger things have happened. Who would have figured reality TV would be more entertaining at times than scripted television? This new “production model” is a daring risk, but despite the inherent missteps during this first crack, once they work out the kinks, this may very well be the only way to ensure the survival of the daytime soap. And if it doesn’t work? Well, I’m sure we’ll all know by Monday morning how many seizures they show induced and that will be a deciding factor in whether or not the show returns to its original “production model.”
Reader Comments
CJ from Sugar Land, TX sez....
I wasn't aware of a new "model" but noticed the change last year. The lighting and sound has been hard to get used to. I'm not sure I want that "reality" look on TV. I expect perfection not something that looks like the videos I shoot. Now I hear it is going off the air in September and I hope this new style wasn't the nail in the coffin. I will shed Reva tears if another network doesn't pick it up.
4/1/2009 4:00:03 PM
Hec from BAY AREA! sez....
the whole show has gotten completely ridiculous i started watching this show in 2006 and that was the good days for me everything was working fine. the story lines were very entertaining and the sets were good. i hate how everything looks so cheap i mean come on for real when you go inside a room in the beacon i swear you can't even walk in there one literally can only lie on the bed because they can't get up to move around i don't even see a bathroom everywhere. oh yeah and i can't remember the last time that i saw main street i would rather have scenes take place on main street instead of outside of the street. this soap needs some work sometimes i even find it draining to watch that i actually switched over to another soap as the world turns which let me tell you is much more interesting tan what is going on now. but anyway i digress the point is this show has gotten so cheap that and boring the only reason i keep watching is for the LIZZIE & BILL. i mean you guys have to agree that besides that storyline everything is so boring oh and yeah if they want to make the show better they should kill off grady i just find him exhausting he must be the worst actor on the show.
1/7/2009 6:47:40 AM
Theresa from Connecticut sez....
I started watching the show in 1978, I remember the days of Ben and Eve. Oh, how I long for those days. I stopped watching it the first week in March. I try to go back every so often thinking that it changed back to the right way of shooting a show, only to be disappointed and wiht a little motion sickness. I will go back to the show IF they go back to the old formatt.
9/20/2008 10:28:17 AM
Jean from Steilacoom, WA sez....
I have been enjoying GL for 55 years and I LOVE the new format. It's very drama filled sort of like a play in a real town and not on a set.
7/1/2008 4:11:45 PM
julie from arkansas sez....
I hate the new format! It makes the show impossible to watch or follow. I have no idea what's going on, just that everyone is outside.
5/20/2008 10:12:20 AM
Diane from Ct. from sez....
Wow..this format is icy cold and not comfortable watching.
What a shame that after all these years such a drastic
change was taken to boost I imagine ratings. However, I
am seeing that I am not alone with this very negative opinion.
Absolutely awful...hate being so honest about a show that
I have watched off and on from the age of 5 cuddled in my
mom's arms and now an adult. Change is in most cases
wonderful but this is truly difficult to understand and
watch.
Good Luck.
5/19/2008 12:30:55 PM
shawnda from middletown ohio sez....
I have watched for 20+ years and used to tivo the show but since the show went to crap,lets just say it is no longer tivo'd. I hate the show now and its only a matter of time and the show will be history.CBS only renewed their contract for 1 year. Can anyone handle a year of this? My opinion-just take it off now.Its not worth watching anyway.
5/13/2008 10:12:09 PM
HR from Texas sez....
As a long time viewer of GL, I am very disappointed with the new production format. Even my husband (who never watches GL) has commented on how bad the camera angles/lighting/etc are as he passes thru the living room. My problem is that I can't focus on the story line because I'm too busy trying to figure out where the characters are. What happened to Cross Creek? Where's the fireplace mantel with Josh & Reva carved in it? Where did Josh/Cassie's wonderful porch go? Or Harley's back door that no longer opens directly into the kitchen but into a mud room! I could deal with the camera angles, the bad lighting & the bad sound quality if they'd only kept a few more familiar sets....but it's all gone. I hate it. It's no longer GL but a cheap imitation. I suppose I should be happy that at least the hospital is the same ugly green.
5/6/2008 9:16:04 PM
Judy from Pennsylvania sez....
And I thought I was going deaf - I have the volume up to 25 on my TV and still can't hear the dialogue. Come on, guys, the quality is just not there. The outside scenes don't even make sense - what hospital doesn't have a parking lot? How can Cassie just leave her car on the side of a road - oh, yes, all the roads are dirt roads in Springfield - What are these outside buildings to have sex in? It's confusing. Is Springfield a rural Amish town with wood-faced homes and acres of land? I HATE THE CLOSE UPS AND THE JARRING CAMERAS. You have greatly disappointed a fan of 30 years.
4/27/2008 10:11:27 AM
Jennifer from Princeton, NJ sez....
My friends and I truly miss the old format. It is very difficult to stay focused and watch a full episode in its entirety. Please bring back the old format!!
4/16/2008 6:53:08 PM
Lori F. Pinnix from texas sez....
I Love the new GL
4/7/2008 8:25:01 AM
Holly from Buffalo sez....
This new format is just awful. After watching this show for over 20 years and I'm ready to call it quits! GL bring back the old format QUICK before they pull the plug on the whole show. I sure hope the big wigs at CBS and P&G turn things around fast.
4/2/2008 12:31:42 PM
Cynthia from Chicago sez....
I have watched GL on and off for 30 years. I can't watch it at all anymore; I have to change the channel within minutes of having it on. I can't believe the ratings haven't taken a nose-dive with this new format. I am not longer a fan or viewer of GL due to this change
4/2/2008 7:21:37 AM
Mary from Detroit sez....
At first I too thought that the show's new look was tacky and weird, but now I am used to it and I like it. I feel like a fly on the wall. Although I agree with Mr. Cortez that the acting styles of the younger cast members translate better into this format, I think Kim Zimmer's many intense stares and eye-rolls are even better from the show's new intimate vantage points. I also like seeing the actors' wrinkles and pores, it reminds me that it's okay that I have them too.
4/1/2008 8:55:29 AM
sunset from Pennsylvania sez....
Good article. It's hard to concentrate on dialogue with shaky cameras, lousy sound and trying to figure out where are they now scenes. Extreme close-ups are annoying, too.
3/18/2008 8:34:39 AM
jb from new mexico sez....
Hard to watch. I find myself not paying attention to the storyline because I'm so focused on the filming. I'm all for making things better but I'm not sure this is doing the show any good. I don't seem to mind anymore if I miss the show. Too bad, I used to really look forward to it.
3/16/2008 8:51:23 PM
S-R from Canada sez....
I think it is terrible. It actually makes me queasy to watch, and I have been watching for over 30 years. It is like watching a badly made home movie, where the maker has delusions of talent. The sound is irritating, the change in sets unsettling, the relentless closeups hackneyed, the camera angles are ridiculous, the sound is appalling and for the first time I question whether or not I want to continue watching.
3/13/2008 4:51:18 PM
Sheila from Champaign, IL sez....
I don't like the new look at all. The sound and the picture is all messed up. I agree with the people who wrote it makes them "dizzy" to watch it now. It is awful, and I have been a fan for 20yrs. I don't think I will be able to continue to watch if they keep up this new format. Sorry...
3/13/2008 1:24:14 PM
TRA from Virginia sez....
I think this new format is awful. I've been watching the soaps for years and have enjoy some of the creative changes incorporated over the years. But this format is like watching my 8 year old's home video. It's almost unimaginable that editor's approve some of the scenes. My 3 o'clock hour may become dedicated to the Dr. Phil Show if this format isn't improved or changed soon.
3/12/2008 8:38:21 AM
KC from San Francisco sez....
I've been a viewer for 30 years, even with my mom when I was little, and I am also HORRIFED by the change. It makes me dizzy to watch it and I am saddened that this awful change may be the show's demise. So much history gone. This show is now circling the drain...bring back Phillip, Holly and even Roger!
3/11/2008 2:17:23 PM
BG from Virginia sez....
I'm a casual soap watcher, but nowhere near an avid viewer, but I noticed the show this week. It looks absolutely HORRIBLE! I believe this is the longest-running soap opera, yet it looks like some low-budget project. I've seen independent short films with better production values (completely serious). Just because indie films are all the rage doesn't mean you need to revamp your show to look like one. There's better ways to get viewers; this is not one of them.
3/7/2008 12:14:16 PM
MCS from Atlanta, GA sez....
I'm tired of the same things you've mentioned: the shaky cameras, the poor zooming, the pointless framing, and the noise. I'd like the use of tripods and real sound equipment. Don't reality shows shoot in real places w/o these problems? Why can't a regular CBS show do the same? I'd really prefer a blend of the two, maybe just the hand cams outside and back to the stages for the inside work.
3/6/2008 1:17:13 PM
Kimmy from Charlotte, NC sez....
I now get dizzy watching the soap I have loved sine 1986! I haven't been able to watch a full episode since they started this new camera style.
3/5/2008 12:23:31 PM
Angie from Mo sez....
I think it is absolutly horrible what they have done to my soap that I grew up on. I have wathced GL for 20 years and now it seems to be the CHEAPEST show on tv. It is like a cheap porn the way it sounds and looks..I think i would rather NOT see the ceiling and the forth wall I mean who cares it is not real anyhow..I just wish it would go back to the way it was before..And whats up with the scene where Jonathan is pushing Sara in the swing and she has NO feet just sweats that are hanging???? and NO face..LOL how cheap our show has gotten..I really think that is all it is..CUT CUT CUT..They must be out of money because it is so cheap now..I HATE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
3/5/2008 6:57:13 AM
sgarza012@comcast.net from Houston,Texas sez....
I agree do feel closer to the characters esp. the Jonathan and Lizzie scenes. I am open to the change; however,they need to work on the lighting for the church kitchen and Jeffrey's office!!! It appears flourescent and very not natural. I find myself NOT connecting with the actors in those locations, due to the lighting. P.S. The hotel lacks warmth and appears like something out of a porn scene.
3/2/2008 5:15:30 PM
Montyb from East Village, NYC sez....
I really enjoyed your take on things since you're not a long time viewer, but I think this format will out fine if they fire the head writer and get someone in who can actually write. Lucky Gold (the head writer) has been with this show for a long time (not as head writer) and hasn't learned squat.
2/29/2008 4:38:18 PM
GC from Georgia sez....
Thank you for the interesting take on this change from a non-fan. I have been watching GL for 25 years. Unfortunately, I don't think that this change will boost the ratings. I'm consistently disappointed by the writing and storylines on the show. This is the longest-running soap ever and the current writers seem to be ignoring a lot of its history.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not adverse to the changes because it means more locations. Due to budget cuts they had scaled back the different locations until it was ridiculous. The vast majority of Springfield's inhabitants live in a hotel, and apparently all of the rooms are on one side of the hall. The majority of events, regardless of what they are -- school functions, business meetings -- or what time of year it is, take place on "Main Street." I'm guessing that with so many locations and fixed sets, this is on its way out. Now if the writing will only improve, I'd be happy with the show again.
2/29/2008 1:27:07 PM
