by Andy Dehnart

There’s a reason why “The Amazing Race” is a two-time Emmy-winning series: the quality of the entire production is outstanding. That’s probably the best explanation as to why the show looks like it’s shot by invisible camera operators. From the editors to the crew, everyone contributes to a nearly flawless production. The non-stop action and tension, which is increased by everything from the music to the quick editing, probably makes us less likely to notice those revealing details like reflections or shadows that may exist.

Notice that the teams are always squished together in the back seat of cabs, which allows for a clear two-shot of them as they drive around and fight.

The editing is definitely key, because that’s when producers can adjust for any accidental glimpses of the crew. As Television Without Pity recapper (and MSNBC contributor) Linda Holmes says, “I’m sure they can also readjust the shots by, for instance, reframing at the editing stage, to show only part of a shot if there’s somebody at the side who can be done away with, just as you might zoom in to reframe a photograph.”

The production team isn’t entirely transparent, though. Each team of two contestants is followed by a crew consisting of a camera operator and a sound person, so there are a lot of people running around. Careful placement of the cast members and crews makes it easier to shoot around those who shouldn’t be seen. For example, notice that the teams are always squished together in the back seat of cabs, which allows for a clear two-shot of them as they drive around and fight; that’s also the reason why one of the team members rides behind the other one even when they’re in charge of driving. But watch carefully when there’s a shot of a cab or car racing past another, and you can sometimes see the silhouette of a person sitting in the passenger seat: that’s the camera operator.

Source: MSNBC.com

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 17th, 2005 at 10:38 am and is filed under Burning Questions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.