It's been a while since I posted a review of sorts onto the BTR web site, but thought that to start them again, it would be nice to review something from a fellow group of Brisbane-ites. The item in question is from a new group called "MMM Productions", and is a commentary for the DVD "The Five Doctors".
Now, before we go anywhere, I have to say from the outset that I really have no idea at all why this venture has been undertaken. Given that no-one involved in the commentary had anything at all to do with the production, and that it merely serves as a forum for three people to voice their own personal opinions on a particular story, I can't help but feel that it really doesn't offer much to anyone other than the three people who feature in it.
However, I suppose the proceedings could actually be saved if what the three people (David Campbell, Trevor Gensch, and Geoff Kelly) actually spoke about something that would be of interest. Well, that's not entirely true - Geoff Kelly fares the best out of the three of them, with him being able to actually offer something of a solid opinion that would be of interest to the passing fan.
Sadly, the same cannot be said of either David Campbell or Trevor Gensch, the former spouting nothing but details one can easily find in either the Handbooks or the Programme Guide (aside from the occasional gag which suffer from the "you had to be there" syndrome), and Trevor really offering nothing aside from a few gags which fail to amuse.
Now, before I get shot down in flames for writing such negative comments, let me say that I've only heard the first 6 minutes of the commentary. Why? Well, because the audio quality is so abysmally poor that my poor TDK 2.1 speaker setup couldn't handle much more, and gave up the ghost in disgust.
Poor old Geoff is pretty much off mic for the entire piece (ergo sounding like he's off in a bucket somewhere), David is so close to the mic that he's swamped with bass, peak distortion, clicks, and pops, and Trevor is kinda in between. Sadly, this results in what entertaining elements that are present being swamped with really poor sound quality that it makes it very hard to hear things. As well as that, the audio fidelity ain't helped by the fact that you can quite clearly hear their DVD version running softly in the background, which creates some unwelcome high-frequency issues.
Overall, I'd have to say that the first commentary from MMM Productions should be avoided at all costs. It's quite an interesting idea they have here, which would probably work better if some basic scripting was done beforehand (maybe come up with some Q&A-type material, or more personal recollections?), and a definite look at how they record these things, so that at least passible audio quality is achieved.
Thank God "Invasion of the Daleks" never sounded this bad.
Overall Score: 1/5 (Terrible)
Now, before we go anywhere, I have to say from the outset that I really have no idea at all why this venture has been undertaken. Given that no-one involved in the commentary had anything at all to do with the production, and that it merely serves as a forum for three people to voice their own personal opinions on a particular story, I can't help but feel that it really doesn't offer much to anyone other than the three people who feature in it.
However, I suppose the proceedings could actually be saved if what the three people (David Campbell, Trevor Gensch, and Geoff Kelly) actually spoke about something that would be of interest. Well, that's not entirely true - Geoff Kelly fares the best out of the three of them, with him being able to actually offer something of a solid opinion that would be of interest to the passing fan.
Sadly, the same cannot be said of either David Campbell or Trevor Gensch, the former spouting nothing but details one can easily find in either the Handbooks or the Programme Guide (aside from the occasional gag which suffer from the "you had to be there" syndrome), and Trevor really offering nothing aside from a few gags which fail to amuse.
Now, before I get shot down in flames for writing such negative comments, let me say that I've only heard the first 6 minutes of the commentary. Why? Well, because the audio quality is so abysmally poor that my poor TDK 2.1 speaker setup couldn't handle much more, and gave up the ghost in disgust.
Poor old Geoff is pretty much off mic for the entire piece (ergo sounding like he's off in a bucket somewhere), David is so close to the mic that he's swamped with bass, peak distortion, clicks, and pops, and Trevor is kinda in between. Sadly, this results in what entertaining elements that are present being swamped with really poor sound quality that it makes it very hard to hear things. As well as that, the audio fidelity ain't helped by the fact that you can quite clearly hear their DVD version running softly in the background, which creates some unwelcome high-frequency issues.
Overall, I'd have to say that the first commentary from MMM Productions should be avoided at all costs. It's quite an interesting idea they have here, which would probably work better if some basic scripting was done beforehand (maybe come up with some Q&A-type material, or more personal recollections?), and a definite look at how they record these things, so that at least passible audio quality is achieved.
Thank God "Invasion of the Daleks" never sounded this bad.
Overall Score: 1/5 (Terrible)
It had been a busy week for 'Breakfast' producer Felix Hayman. He hadfootled his way through the morning by the shelves of CDs, indulging in aspot of battology. Suddenly one of them fell on his head. Dunt! it went.Felix sprang up with a great afflatus: 'I am pulchritudinous!' he shouted.'I am pulchritudinous!'
- Guy Noble, ABC Classic FM (1999)
Sorry - went into English teacher mode there for a second. It won't happen again.
