Why do they look and sound differently?
In: Technology
1. On many shows, they will film the same scene multiple times with cameras and lighting at different angles. For instance, two people talking to one another, they’ll do shots from behind person A with person B lit, behind person B with person A lit, and then both in frame with them both lit. Soap operas will just flood the scene with light and do all the shots at once.
2. Soap operas were traditionally filmed on camcorders with video recording rather than studio cameras with film recordings. This allowed them to quickly get cameras into positions for shots, but it also meant that they filmed at 50 or 60 fps (depending on europe or North America). The difference in recorded frame rate makes it look a little different.
Motion interpolation is what causes the visual look of soap operas. It’s even called “the soap opera effect”. Basically you’re adding additional frames of filming to compensate for using cheaper less expensive video
My understanding is they’re filmed and edited differently due to the quick turn around required. They have significantly less time to polish the turd when compared to larger shows that only come out once a week.
They’re even different on the audio front. On many telenovelas, actors don’t even bother learning lines. They are fed lines via an earpiece, which contributes somewhat to the stilted delivery.
[https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2001-09-02-0108310586-story.html](https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2001-09-02-0108310586-story.html)
There are two separate major reasons: 1) the pacing of the show and 2) the video equipment used. Soap operas, unlike typical TV shows, have a similar pace to real life. So one episode of a soap opera usually advances the story only a few hours rather than days or weeks. They are shot to feel like time is passing naturally. So there are no sound effects or music during the scenes to make it feel like you are watching something take place in real life. Also, since they are filmed so often, they use simple-to-setup sets and lighting.
Someone will surely correct this if wrong, but I was always told it was due to being shot with tape instead of film, like most of the nighttime dramas were. Film has a smoother look, while tape had more of a news clip feel.
For comparison: MASH was shot with film; The Cosby Show was shot with tape.
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