A lesson in the 3 E's aka An AVI from Saturday night

When we went to school, we learnt the 3 R's - reading,riting and rithmetic. Unfortunately when we left school, we only then learnt that we could not spell propperly.

When I pick up my pen on a Sunday morning, I hope I do entertain. I hope I do encourage. And I hope I can educate. So for ETV the purpose of these little missives is the 3 E's.

I will try to Entertain you
I will try to Encourage ETV to improve
I will try to Educate ETV on how to improve

I am sure that ETV were encouraged a few months back when they could tune into the forum and see the best of their previous night's labours in multimedia form. They were so encouraged that they would 'borrow' many a movie and place it on their own website. At times they got so encouraged that they even pursuaded people to part with a few euros to watch something that was already on here for free.

With one notable exception, the multimedia content coming from here was an AVI. Yet I am equally sure that lately ETV are saddened that the AVI has virtually dried up. So allow me one minute to give you an AVI from last night's show.

AVI - A Vast Improvement

I commented before that Veni CAN put on a regular show and here was a good example. The show flowed. Let's get one thing straight. What you see on the screen will not please a lot of 'free-loaders' and essentially that is what we are. We have to accept that. We influence the content in only one of two ways or maybe both - pick up the phone or send an SMS (sorry, I'm having a groundhog day today). From there, the content is determined within their parameters. We may not like it but it's no use in complaining. Encourage the channel and who knows what could happen.

So the show flowed and there was little distraction from visual effects. So maybe Shamus has been fired. But effects such as transitions do have their place. What is wrong is that, as did happen a few nights ago, every camera change had a transition with the result that the show was very difficult to watch. Now this type of show depends entirely on that little guy (or girl) picking up the phone or sending the SMS. The whole point in having this on the tv is to see. To relate to the person on the other end of the line. If you cannot see then I fail to see how you can relate so all the effects are counter-productive. Use them sparingly, yes, but do not overdo it.

SMSs, like em or loath them, do play a crucial part in the tv. The SMS moderator' s role is important. But the focus of the visual should always be the girls. If ETV want to introduce male models - I am not suggesting that for one minute they should - then a man has a role in front of the camera. But that 'experiment' has been tried twice now. I fail to see how it has worked and I think the evidence was there last week when the mod left the set after a very embarrasing sequence with Jaya and Tyra on the bed. So yesterday, no mod in sight = saturday delight.

And soon the darkness. It was a long time coming, gone 2 am, but it did come. Today, I will not criticise ETV for this. I wish to encourage them. Maybe there is a sense of dis-illusionment that these 'specials' are not working as they would want. But they have tried these for many weeks now and still they are no better. There is no point in showing girls on the screen in almost total darkness. There is no point in having a jail sequence where the light goes so bright that the result is only pixels. Now you, ETV, may not see this but I assure you that is what happens. But production staff have shown that they can get it right. A few nights ago another jail sequence with Kia and Megita - low and variable  lighting but still visible. So a suggestion. Use that free time between the shows to rehearse the lighting effects or even do so when the focus is away from the live picture.

So my dear friends, maybe not so funny today. But I hope you are educated all the same.