The invisible camera backstage

[Woo]

This is one of my pet peeves in the WWE. The fact that sometimes on backstage segments they make out that the wrestlers know there is a camera on them and other times we are supposed to think it's invisible. It always struck me as so stupid when you get heels plotting backstage to turn on someone (ala HHH and Ric Flair talking about Batista backstage prior to Batista’s face turn in 2005).

What I hate even more is when someone is betraying somebody else behind their back, on screen, yet the wrestler is oblivious to it despite the fact that the whole audience, viewers and commentators all saw it. Like when HHH found out that Steph was lying to him about being pregnant. Why did nobody tell Steph that HHH knew she lied? It wouldn't be so bad if that skit was just for the TV viewers but the whole audience and commentators knew too! There's tons more examples too!

I don't think I would mind the invisible camera backstage if they just stuck with it and treated it as that, but when you have the commentators laughing at the skits I'm like "wait, so are supposed to believe this is being filmed as Lawler's just laughed at it yet the wrestler in question has no idea that there is a camera in his face?"

Lucha Underground get around this problem by presenting everything we see backstage as something only the TV viewers see and not seen by anybody else nor is it shown to the fans in the crowd. I'm not saying the WWE should do that, but they need some consistency!

[MAD TITAN]

Credit to TNA, they do hidden camera segments often and it's probably one of the few things they're known for.

[Jobes]

They just recently talked about this on the Attitude Era podcast. During the Malenko/Lita angle, Malenko was about to cheat on his wife on national television.

[Vice honcho room temperature]

Oct 13, 2015 11:40:31 GMT -5 Jobes said:

They just recently talked about this on the Attitude Era podcast. During the Malenko/Lita angle, Malenko was about to cheat on his wife on national television.

You don't know if Dean and his wife have an open marriage

[Woo]

Oct 13, 2015 11:42:25 GMT -5 Vice honcho room temperature said:

Oct 13, 2015 11:40:31 GMT -5 Jobes said:

They just recently talked about this on the Attitude Era podcast. During the Malenko/Lita angle, Malenko was about to cheat on his wife on national television.

You don't know if Dean and his wife have an open marriage

Haha.

Surely an open marriage is one thing, but having sex infront of a camera on live TV surely takes that a little far!

I think the Attitude Era Podcast combined with the refreshing way LU does it was what made me think of this issue.

[Vice honcho room temperature]

Oct 13, 2015 11:51:18 GMT -5 Woo said:

Oct 13, 2015 11:42:25 GMT -5 Vice honcho room temperature said:

You don't know if Dean and his wife have an open marriage

Haha.

Surely an open marriage is one thing, but having sex infront of a camera on live TV surely takes that a little far!

I think the Attitude Era Podcast combined with the refreshing way LU does it was what made me think of this issue.

Is it still called cuckholded if its the man doing it front of his partner or is there another word for that.

[Old Baby]

The invisible cameraman is a key ingredient in wrestling "jumping the shark" IMO. Once upon a time, matches were buffered by backstage segments surrounding an interviewer and a cameraman, just like any other sports presentation. With the invisible cameraman, wrestling made the leap from theatrical pseudo-sport to rope opera.

[Woo]

Oct 13, 2015 11:57:04 GMT -5 Old Baby said:

The invisible cameraman is a key ingredient in wrestling "jumping the shark" IMO. Once upon a time, matches were buffered by backstage segments surrounding an interviewer and a cameraman, just like any other sports presentation. With the invisible cameraman, wrestling made the leap from theatrical pseudo-sport to rope opera.

And I wouldn't mind that, just as long as they did it better. Either by having the camera men just happening to catch things backstage, using CCTV footage or just having the commentators not talk during them as if they've not seen what we have.

[xCompackx]

Sometimes it's silly, but I'm not sure there's a better way to film it. I hate TNA's "constant shaking camera to imply that we're sneaking up on people" method because it's way too gimmicky and I doubt WWE could do that idea better. I think it's just something we have to compromise and deal with.

[A Platypus Rave]

Oct 13, 2015 12:05:29 GMT -5 xCompackx said:

Sometimes it's silly, but I'm not sure there's a better way to film it. I hate TNA's "constant shaking camera to imply that we're sneaking up on people" method because it's way too gimmicky and I doubt WWE could do that idea better. I think it's just something we have to compromise and deal with.

Yeah, I really hate the way TNA does (did?) it.

But the camera was just one of those things that never bothered me all that much.

[Alice Syndrome]

We actually need TNA's stalker cam. They always set that up I'm a way any treachery should be unseen by the subject because they're walking to the ring.

I also limed them thinking ahead the time with Chelsea accusing Abyss of assault and Lacy having dashed off mid interview to pee so it didn't look like they pulled it out of their ass the next week when she had footage of Nigel coaching her.

[Alice Syndrome]

Oct 13, 2015 11:54:53 GMT -5 Vice honcho room temperature said:

Oct 13, 2015 11:51:18 GMT -5 Woo said:

Haha.

Surely an open marriage is one thing, but having sex infront of a camera on live TV surely takes that a little far!

I think the Attitude Era Podcast combined with the refreshing way LU does it was what made me think of this issue.

Is it still called cuckholded if its the man doing it front of his partner or is there another word for that.

A female cuckold is called a cuckquean

[Deleted]

Oct 13, 2015 12:05:29 GMT -5 xCompackx said:

Sometimes it's silly, but I'm not sure there's a better way to film it. I hate TNA's "constant shaking camera to imply that we're sneaking up on people" method because it's way too gimmicky and I doubt WWE could do that idea better. I think it's just something we have to compromise and deal with.

I don't prefer TNA's style either. But, having it filmed in a clean-looking, well-lit, professional manner, with no dialogue or actions that give the impression that the participants don't know they're being filmed, I see no problem with that. They just have to figure out a way to adjust to it. Before, the only things done backstage were promos. Maybe that's all the backstage stuff we need.

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Oct 13, 2015 12:05:29 GMT -5 xCompackx said:

Sometimes it's silly, but I'm not sure there's a better way to film it. I hate TNA's "constant shaking camera to imply that we're sneaking up on people" method because it's way too gimmicky and I doubt WWE could do that idea better. I think it's just something we have to compromise and deal with.

I'm actually used to it by now. I can understand if it is a pet peeve for people but my brain is conditioned to say oh okay backstage segment with interviewer no acknowledge of cameraman. 

[Captain Patren Fenderbaum-X]

It falls in line with WWE wanting to be everything to everyone.

They can't start just filming backstage things like LU because then they would have to basically admit they are a television show...and that is not what they are according to themselves.

They can't just up and get rid of the skits and just do interviews because then they have to admit they are a sport....this is definetly not what they are again according to themselves.

So they just roll with the invisible camera and thinking everyone is an idiot.

But LU no surprise has taken the backstage camera and went nope none of this stuff is seen by anyone except the tv audience...also is a perfect way to curb spoilers leaking since you have to watch to actually get to the full detals on the ongoing stories and character development.

[Deleted]

I remember in like 2003 before a commercial break Gail Kim entered a room to have sex with Eric Bischoff,when they came back from break Gail was back in the Divas lockerroom telling Molly she fornacated with Bischoff and got the match they wanted Molly left and Gail started taking her clothes off then we cut to jr and King(who's outraged that they cut away).

[Jessica Cadavre]

Ever since the Attitude Era, "Let's keep this between you and I" backstage segments have cracked me up. Lol.

[Captain & Diet]

This practice, along with "ringside shaky cam" and "finish at the hard camera" is why WWE wrestling needs an entirely different production design. Things have been presented in the same way for so long that it is no wonder why the shows bleed viewers. The show needs new life breathed into it beyond just talent. The graphics need to change. The colors need to change. The camera angles are the same.

I want to see WWE do what FOX does annually with football and NASCAR coverage: innovate. Every season, FOX makes adjustments to all of those things I mentioned so that the presentation of their sports coverage stays fresh. I don't feel like WWE has don't that in 10 years, save for the borderline belligerent, annoying social media stuff they highlight. Dunn and team should be watching Sportscaster, FOX, NBC, international coverage anything to spark ideas and bring the presentation into this decade.

If this is the Reality Era, then scrap the backstage invisible cameras and present the show like it's real. He'll, make the show a quasi reality show. I don't care as long as it feel different than it has for the last 25 years.

[Deleted]

Remember that time Naomi walked upto Miz and someone else, saying she wanted to talk to Miz, then emphasized "alone" causing the other guy to walk off, only to talk infront of the camera to millions of people.

[Burst]

I think my biggest pet peeve of invisible cameras is when a wrestler will just stare off into space to wait for the segment to fade out, rather than just leaving to do whatever they were presumably going to do next.