This week on Cheap Cool Crazy: a return to the non-themed
I don’t remember exactly how many episodes in a row we did that were themed, but this is the first episode that lacks a theme in some time. If you’ve been watching the show for longer than a couple weeks, you’ll remember that originally the show didn’t have themed episodes and sort of existed as strictly a geeky product highlight show. Over time we realized that themed episodes were a great way to add a unifying format to the episodes, and it gave both the cast and crew creative leeway with how to show off the items.
For me, that meant actually taking the time to light scenes and choose shots that tell a story and to direct Naomi’s performance, and it gave Naomi the chance to act — something she loves to do but doesn’t get the chance to do often enough. So, why the return to non-themed episodes? Well, first off its not like we won’t ever do themed episodes again. I think the idea is just to reserve them for episodes or items that deserve it, because truth be told they are a lot of work and maintaining a streamlined production and post production schedule is of the utmost importance when you’re doing with a tight time frame, which we are. Ultimately I think it comes down to that our core audience watches the show regardless of whether or not the episodes are themed.
At any rate, whichever direction we end up going with the show is fine by me. While I always like the opportunity to light and shoot to the best of my ability, sometimes speed and efficiency take precedence. This week was certainly one of those weeks, and I have a feeling that the next couple weeks’ episodes will be the same. And that’s not a negative thing at all because when you consider what we’re gaining from simplifying our mainstay shows on START, which is the ability to make more completely new and original content, well then that’s more than a fair trade off.
So if the show’s interesting to you, subscribe to START or keep checking back here because I’ll probably to continue to post the episodes along with some passing thoughts on the productions itself. If you read my blog and find it interesting you should definitely subscribe for email updates or if you already have a WordPress, follow me. The fall season is jam packed with awesome editorial and original content that I’m making for IGN, and this blog is the place where you can find behind the scenes photos, videos, and write ups on all of that stuff in addition to the content itself. It’s going to be an exciting couple of months! Don’t miss it.
Lastly, comment on my blog and tweet me @IMFinnegan. I like to hear from you guys. Let’s talk cinematography. Or new media. Whatever your hearts content, I like encourage discourse about filmmaking and since there aren’t so many people that read my blog, I can actually respond to every single one of you.
