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Reply | MOTD Highlights are a joke
at 20:53 16 Sep 2012
Hi all.
Few extra things to throw in:
BBC only have rights to show X amount of match action in highlights packages. Would imagine it is slightly more with Sky bearing in mind the live football/sport package brings in the majority of the cash. This is why they can have show after show after show after show of football. Because the Beeb is publiclly funded and for some reason not everyone likes sport, we can't. So straight away we are constrained by time.
Obviously the vast majority of the Beeb find this just as infuriating as you.
This has a knock on affect for each MOTD.
As much as you all seem to be keen on the fact we all play to an agenda or a pre-determined script, as I've said before, we are all football fans who appreciate a lovely move/nice skill/good passing just as much as the next guy. The idea that we would purposefully miss out certain things to fit an agenda/make some teams look good/make some teams look bad simply makes no sense. The only reason why I piped up on here was to try and quell the myths that everyone has it in for us.
However, and please try and bear with me on this, I'll just give you a very general example of how the average Saturday goes which will hopefully explain why some things go in and some don't.
We'll get a rough guideline of a duration for the edit based on where - on paper - the match would end up in the show. It is worth pointing out now that I don't think the running order has EVER stayed the same as when it was drawn up before a ball was kicked. For instance, Man City v Man United as 1 and Wigan v WBA last on paper, but if the latter ends up 3-3 it would obviously shoot up. Either way, we obviously change this as the day progresses. And we do, so don't say we don't!
But, for argument's sake, let's say I am cutting QPR v Stoke and it is currently down as match 4 out of 10 and I have a duration of 9 minutes. This is to include everything - from teams out to post match comments.
As is always the case, 50% of the games are covered by Sky cameras and 50% BBC match directors. We check in with the directors etc and we get on with it.
To vary the show we have a variety of match intros - and these range from about 30" to 1'00" in length.
So let's say I have a full I-XI graphic and it takes about 1'00". (As a rule the post match comments take 1'00"-1'30").
So consider that before the ball has kicked off I know that my 9 minutes is actually 7 and a half. Ideally the halves would be even so you're looking at 3 and a half-ish a half.
Now, a very rough match edit, including all of the flowing moves/half chances/dodgy tackles etc would obviously clock in at about 25 minutes. And 25 into 7 and a half doesn't go.
The point I'm trying to make is that obviously in an ideal world where - like Sky - our edits can be long and luxurious this would all go in.
So say the game is 2-1. Each goal with build up and replays takes up the best part of a minute, if you are lucky. However, as is often the case the goal comes from a set play. So you have to show the build up to the set play. These can often be terribly messy. Now, this may seem like small fry but it all adds up. So suddenly we're down to about 2 and a half for the rest of the game.
Then the MOTD programme editor pops in and says that, for example, Spurs have thrown away a 2 goal lead at home to Arsenal and that he needs an extra 30 seconds from my edit for that game because it has shot up the running order.
So suddenly we are down to about 2 minutes for the rest of the game.
I'm sure you can appreciate that in this situation; a shot that hits the bar/stonewall penalty turned down/whatever, takes priority over a lovely move that breaks down after a great (and lengthy) spell of possession, to use an example.
It's not to say that we all sit there half asleep and only wake up when the ball is in the final third, it is just the fact that some things simply do not fit into the highlights show. Because it is a highlights show, not a re-run.
MOTD is often sandwiched between the news and something else - the football league show, or whatever - and the duration of MOTD is set. We cannot run over.
Now, yesterday we had 8 games. If every edit came in at just 10/15/20" over the final duration we settle on the whole show would be a few minutes over. Which we cannot do and wouldn't get the gig again.
So while losing 20/30" might seem like nothing, it really does all add up.
Anyway, that's all. I speak with a few of you on Twitter or whatever occasionally so hopefully you don't all think I am a secret Chelsea fan. I'm just pointing out that we - as the people directly responsible for what you see on TV - would change a whole load of things with the show, but for a variety of reasons, whether it is the pundits/lack of resources/budget cuts/time/red tape, we can't. And it is really frustrating for us too.
So yes, I will take whatever criticism you may have, but at least bear this in mind.
Cheers!
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Reply | MOTD Highlights are a joke
at 01:03 16 Sep 2012
Without listing who EVERY body on the show works for - I can confirm that the editor of the show supports a team from the North of England. Who play in the Championship. But yes, there are Chelsea fans, there are Liverpool fans, there are Spurs fans, there are United fans, there are Crewe fans, there are Shrews fans...
So sadly the whole show being a massive pro Chelsea propaganda tool just is not true.
What and how match action goes into the edits depends on many things and without going into it and boring you all to death time is the biggest constraint. I'm sure you can all agree that a penalty shout is more noteworthy than a lovely flowing move that results in a throw in, say. So when time is tight, which it always is on MOTD, then obviously something has to give.
Like I said, the whole Lineker/pundit thing is out of our hands from the production side of things but we know that they are not everyone's cup of tea.
All I'm saying is when it comes to criticism - which is fine, by the way - the edits/VTs and the chat in the studio are two different things.
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Reply | MOTD Highlights are a joke
at 00:36 16 Sep 2012
Just to clarify the "help with analysis" point... To use an example, say Shearer wanted to talk about Bale in a Spurs game, then at HT & FT he would give us a heads up, I'd go and clip up various bits that Shearer or whoever wanted - a cross, a tackle, goal, whatever.
Different people do the match edits and do the analysis... that's what I mean. Obviously they are all pros and know the game. |
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Reply | MOTD Highlights are a joke
at 00:24 16 Sep 2012
*updated without typos*
Hi folks.
Just wanted to throw in my tuppence... I work for MOTD as an AP and often have the honour of cutting our games. (I've done the Norwich and Man City games this season if you are interested).
So HOPEFULLY that will kill the myth that everyone at the Beeb/MOTD hates us and edits the games so we look terrible etc etc etc etc.
Now, I didn't do today's game, but I can assure with that there is/was never ever a bias to make us look shit/other teams look good because - quite frankly - why on earth would we want to do that?
In terms of what Gary & whoever is in the studio talk about - that is their view. Separate people watch the games with them and help them with their analysis but once again I can confirm that we don't all sit about and decide to gang up on a player/team as a collective.
Understand frustrations of course and happy to answer some Qs - but just wanted to point out that everyone on the show loves their football and, whilst obviously supporting different teams, are all professionals and don't actively set about to shaft clubs/supporters.
Cheers
Rob (@robfacey if you want to abuse me on twitter) |
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Reply | MOTD Highlights are a joke
at 00:22 16 Sep 2012
Hi folks.
Just wanted to throw in my tuppence... I work for MOTD and often have the honour of editing our games. (I've done the Norwich and Man City games this season if you are interested).
So HOPEFULLY that will kill the myth that everyone at the Beeb/MOTD hates us and edits the games so we look terrible etc etc etc etc.
Now, I didn't do today's game, but I can assure with that there is/was ever a bias to make us look shit/other teams look good because - quite frankly - why on earth would we want to do that?
In terms of what Gary & whoever is in the studio talk about - that is their view. Separate people watch the games with them and help them with their analysis but once again I can confirm that we don't all sit about and decide to gang up on a player/team as a collective.
Understand frustrations of course and happy to answer some Qs - but just wanted to point out that everyone on the show loves their football and, whilst obviously supporting different teams, are all professionals and don't actively set about to shaft clubs/supporters.
Cheers
Rob (@robfacey if you want to abuse me on twitter) |
| | robfacey
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