Q&A: Re: Guiding Light– Did director ruin it when he changed the look, music, & production aesthetics of the show?
Question by John S.: Re: Guiding Light– Did director ruin it when he changed the look, music, & production aesthetics of the show?
Sometime within the last year, the whole Guiding Light series took on a very different look and feel. They changed the opening and the theme song which they then started piping in at all different times during the action of the show whether the scene really needed it or not. So you get sick of hearing that new theme song which is not that good or well-sung to begin with.
And even beyond the theme song, they began using other atmospheric music to accompany scenes, leading one to believe it was building to some climax or end when it wasn’t. With music going almost constantly, It started to look and sound more like an MTV video than a dramatic soap opera. The superfluous music was not an enhancement; it became a distraction.
And then they changed their cameras to something lower-grade that made many scenes look more like home video. To save money, they may have switched tape formats or cameras but you can definitely tell because of the degradation of the show’s look which is now in the amateur league by the looks of it.
So what happened? Do you know? Did the production company start running out of money so they skimped on production values and improvised however they could? Or is some new whiz-bang junior genius now running the show straight out of Radio/Television/Film school with their hand-held Sony camera like this was a college assignment project? I actually feel sorry for the actors and acresses on that show, many of whom are pretty good and a deserve better production base.
TV and Film is my industry so this may pop up on my radar screen faster than that for others. But if you have followed Guiding Light and have noticed the difference in production values, I’d appreciate hearing you comments. Love it? Hate it? Differences not that noticable to you?
I’m not looking for snide remarks from those who don’t watch soaps, hate them, or don’t know the genre. I only occasionally tune in for reference sake but from what I see, someone messed this show up — big time! That’s just my opinion (and this doesn’t even speak to the writing which would be another topic), and you may have a different one. I’m just looking for feedback and perhaps validation that my eyes and ears aren’t off-track on this one.
Best answer:
Answer by ♥ Anita ♥
I have been watching Guiding Light for about 13 years and I have to admit the way they film it is pretty bad. I actually like some of the music that they play along with the story lines, but I do agree there are some that are not needed. They switched to hand held camera’s in February of last year and to be honest it took me a long time to adjust. I would get dizzy whenever I watched. They also started spending more time outside as opposed to using studio sets. I did some research on the new filming style and here are a few things that I have read. Apparently the producer thought that switching to these new camera techniques would make for a more realistic experience. The producer also said “that she is trying to raise the ratings.” in my opinion she has only hurt the ratings, a lot of people stopped watching due to the way that they are filming. The producer also said ” They would like to introduce this style so that other soaps could use it in there shows.” In my opinion I think it had a lot to do with budget cuts. I think this producer has managed to take the longest running soap in daytime history and run it into the ground. Guiding Light has such a rich history and I really feel bad for the Actors/Actresses that have made this show great. The Actors/Actresses are the reason I continue to watch. I am really hoping that the producer rethinks her moves and turns this show back around. By bringing Grant Aleksander(Phillip) back I think that will start to bring fans back, but this needs to continue. They need to get back a few of the core characters back as well. Harley being one of them.
I will continue to watch the show and be a loyal fan because I have pretty much grown up with some of the characters. Guiding Light does have some really talented Actors/Actresses. No worries your eyes and ears are working as they should lol….
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!