Fleabag and the fourth wall

[Guest]

The show has been getting good reviews.

Watched the pilot, and it seems like a good show. Like ‘House of Cards’ or ‘the Office’ or even ‘Rick and Morty’ to name a few, characters can interact with the camera.

On ‘House of Cards’, the interactions with the camera felt like narration. The Office, being a mockumentary, kind of demands the acknowledgement of the cameras.

With flea bag, it almost seem like the main character is using it as a way to build a connection with the audience. The office definitely used it, but all of the characters were aware of the camera, and there was no exclusivity.

Is anyone watching this show?

As far as the look goes, in the pilot, i could have thought it was shot on a Red. Imdb states Alexa Mini. Felt the look was a that high end video look, and the streaming quality on Amazon feels a little lower than what i get from Apple movies, but the skintones in some of the incandescent lot lit stuff looked a little less “alexa” like than i would have guess. I wonder what their process is. Side note, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” shot on Red looks rather painterly. The kind of film that might notmally be shot on film or Alexa, but was handled by the director and crew and made a very aesthetic image from it all.

 

[Guest]

I am curious which films or shows you think benefitted from breaking the fourth wall. Was talking to a colleague about a scene, and they wanted to break the fourth wall, and i was somewhat puzzled as to why, and then they mentioned Fleabag, and well, funny how things that work, make their way into things that don’t.

 

[Batutta]

I felt Fleabag leaned a little too hard on the conceit in the pilot episode. They calibrated it better in the rest of the series though. It's pretty good show. Funny and a little heartbreaking. You can't watch this show and not fall in love with Phoebe Waller Bridge. Andrew Scott is great in the second season, and gets in on the fourth wall breaking a little bit. I watch the show on my Fire Stick in 4k HDR and it looks great. Like the anamorphic look. I have a pretty fast connection though so I get max quality.

 

[CharlesPapert]

I wasn't in love with the fourth wall conceit in the first season, but boy did it pay off in the second (as did the show overall, in my opinion).

 

[Guest]

Alright, i’ll try to binge it soon. Been a few months since going through a couple seasons of something.

 

[Liam Hall]

Alright, i’ll try to binge it soon. Been a few months since going through a couple seasons of something.

Binge watch? There are only 12 episodes and they are only 26 minutes long. I've had longer lunches :grin:

 

[Guest]

Binge watch? There are only 12 episodes and they are only 26 minutes long. I've had longer lunches :grin:

Haha, well, this rainy weather just cancelled some shoots, so, maybe i’ll parse it out into 2Hr chuncks through the week.

Between looking through cameras, cellphones, and analyzing footage, i find i don’t much care to look at a TV screen, unless it is a good show or movie. Eyes get fatigued looking at all that glow.

 

[Nick M]

I really enjoy the inner monologue that we get when Fleabag addresses the camera, that's the main thing that initially pulled me in.

the streaming quality on Amazon feels a little lower than what i get from Apple movies

Are you watching the 1080 version or the 4k version? Amazon has been separating their shows out so that they appear twice, once for each resolution. There's also a known issue where Amazon streams lower bit rates to some devices like the Apple TV 4k.

 

[Run&Gun]

Haha, well, this rainy weather just cancelled some shoots, so, maybe i’ll parse it out into 2Hr chuncks through the week.

Between looking through cameras, cellphones, and analyzing footage, i find i don’t much care to look at a TV screen, unless it is a good show or movie. Eyes get fatigued looking at all that glow.

Get a projector. I have found it's much easier on the eyes and the image seems to have much more depth to it than a direct view emissive display. Like looking through a window vs. looking out through an open window.

 

[Guest]

I really enjoy the inner monologue that we get when Fleabag addresses the camera, that's the main thing that initially pulled me in.



Are you watching the 1080 version or the 4k version? Amazon has been separating their shows out so that they appear twice, once for each resolution. There's also a known issue where Amazon streams lower bit rates to some devices like the Apple TV 4k.

Then you nailed it. I am running apple tv (previous 1080 gen, to a plasma tv). Feels like the difference between youtube auto and youtube 1080. More artifacts, slightly grayed.

Whenever i switch to Bluray, it is like scales falling off the eyes.

 

[Guest]

Get a projector. I have found it's much easier on the eyes and the image seems to have much more depth to it than a direct view emissive display. Like looking through a window vs. looking out through an open window.

Been dreaming of doing that. Was waiting till 4K became more standard. But you are so right, there is that aspect of bounced and blended light vs tiny led’s shooting direct. A good 1080 projector is probably a good way to go. I have been putting it off for too long.

 

[Batutta]

If your screen is going to be 106 inches or less, 1080p will be more than acceptable. There are a lot of good cheap options for 1080p projectors these days. I had a DLP projector previously, but I couldn't get used to the rainbow artifacts (a side effect of the technology which reflects the image through a spinning filter wheel with R, G, B coloured filters to make a color image). Switched to EPSON LCD's and very happy with the image. Had a 1080 UB and now a 5040ub (which does 4k via e-shift). The clearance section on Epson's website has great deals sometimes, where I got both my projectors refurbished with full 2 year warranties for about 60 percent off the full price brand new.

 

[CharlesPapert]

I put in a 100" screen and 720p projector in 2005 (upgraded to 4K e-shift model about 5 years ago) and it's always a great experience to drop the screen, makes viewing feel like an event! The funny part is that back then everyone would gasp at the size of the image...now it's not all that much bigger than many people's TV's, so the wow factor has diminished. I still love it though.

 

[Run&Gun]

I put in a 100" screen and 720p projector in 2005 (upgraded to 4K e-shift model about 5 years ago) and it's always a great experience to drop the screen, makes viewing feel like an event! The funny part is that back then everyone would gasp at the size of the image...now it's not all that much bigger than many people's TV's, so the wow factor has diminished. I still love it though.

That's one of the crazy things... It's really not that big, now, especially with affordable flat panels pushing 90".

It's amazing just how quickly you get used to large screen sizes. I was over at my Mom's house hanging some blinds for her a few nights ago and she asked me if I still like my new "TV". I said yeah, I love it, I just wish it was bigger. It's a 120"(which is currently the max you can do with a UST projector, because that's where the UST screens currently top out). But my girlfriend says it's too big. When we were watching football, she said she didn't like having to turn her head to follow the ball and play, now. Lol.

 

[Guest]

With the rain, had a shoot cancel, and went ahead and watched the whole two seasons.

As far as technique goes, a lot to keep track of. The flash backs to the camera winks, to the other characters also noticing her acknowledging the camera, the spontaneous coordinated dance, to the genre jumping, etc, really seems difficult to pull it off. But good performances all around, and felt rather genuine.

Quality on the two streaming boxes i used were fine. Might’ve been because of some low light scenes where the key light wasn’t ideal that was throwing me off on the quality. For the most part, it looked very good.

While nothing was subtle, everything was really big and in the face, but at least every character was seen behaving in multidimensional ways.

 

[markfpv]

I wasn't in love with the fourth wall conceit in the first season, but boy did it pay off in the second (as did the show overall, in my opinion).

And just for a difference of opinion... on that very first episode, from the first season - the main character looking - and talking - directly to camera was the main thing that kept me interested in her character. I agree that it pays off even more though in the second season. And it also seems that for some of those last few episodes - it only took just the look to camera - nothing even said - and yet as a viewer I'm reading her thoughts. That would seem hard to pull off - but the show is done so well that her inner thoughts almost become another character in the story.

 

[HKB]

I watched both seasons on Prime, hoping that each episode would be better than the last. In the end, I was disgusted by what I had witnessed.
What drove the show was shock value, like taking it in the ass, profanity, slut factor, stealing, dumb jokes, screwing a priest, you name it. No wonder
it took so many awards; it's what every liberal wants, the destruction of society.

The looking at the camera routine has been done before.

 

[Batutta]

I watched both seasons on Prime, hoping that each episode would be better than the last. In the end, I was disgusted by what I had witnessed.
What drove the show was shock value, like taking it in the ass, profanity, slut factor, stealing, dumb jokes, screwing a priest, you name it. No wonder
it took so many awards; it's what every liberal wants, the destruction of society.

The looking at the camera routine has been done before.

LOL...Pretty sure you missed the point entirely. At no point did they portray any of that as healthy behaviour. Her risky, provocative and abusive behaviour was covering up the emotional pain caused by what she did to her best friend, and her arc in the show is getting to a point where she can forgive herself, act towards herself and others in a respectful way, and have a relationship with a man that wasn't based in sex...But go on spewing your political viewpoints and see how far that gets you in this forum. Perhaps you never read the rules. Seeing as how long you've been hanging around here, I find it hard to believe you aren't aware of them.

 

[HKB]

LOL...Pretty sure you missed the point entirely. At no point did they portray any of that as healthy behaviour. Her risky, provocative and abusive behaviour was covering up the emotional pain caused by what she did to her best friend, and her arc in the show is getting to a point where she can forgive herself, act towards herself and others in a respectful way, and have a relationship with a man that wasn't based in sex...But go on spewing your political viewpoints and see how far that gets you in this forum. Perhaps you never read the rules. Seeing as how long you've been hanging around here, I find it hard to believe you aren't aware of them.

Well, I'm glad you bought into the show and enjoyed it. If anyone is spewing political viewpoints, it was the show itself, but you missed that entirely. Maybe, you should watch it again so you can continue to praise shock value and it's political view. BTW, unlike some, I'm aware of everything, and that is the point of my original post.