» Editing [Schmediting]: The Cutting Edge Options

[Thanz]

Don't know if this is the right topic or not, but does anyone know how they handle customs and immigration on this show? I've only seen this year and part of last year, but it seems to me that customs is one area that couold possibly have a huge effect on the game if one team gets searched and others don't. Do we not see it because they are not allowed to shoot it? Is there some sort of holding area for all of the racers on one plane to wait for all of them to clear customs?

[free vagabond]

About customs. You will often hear Racers ask to sit as near the front in the plane as possible. Closer to front, faster off plane, earlier in the customs line. This edge is pretty important as someone near the back of a plane could end up a half hour or more behind the lead teams by the time they clear customs.

The camera crew have special papers they carry and fill out that slows the teams down but the slow down is usually about equal since everyone has to go through it.

The only time they showed a customs and immigration line that I remember was on TAR3 in Vietnam and that was because it was part of the storyline. Zach and Flo were in separate lines and The Flo was screeching her worse that Zach didn't cut into her faster one. It was her warm-up to total meltdown the following episode so was important to show which was unfortunate for my ears.

And I suppose it is up to the airport permits issued whether an airport allows them to film in the customs area or not. Just speculating.

And no. Teams are not held in a holding area and released dead even when everyone clears customs. That defeats the whole part of this being a race around the world with all that applies rather than a race around an athletic track say. The world is not an even playing field and world travel includes the buracratic red tape in each land, alas.

[pseudostudent]

Thanz - Team Guido filled us in about customs and such a while back. Do a forum search for posts containing the word "carnet." This describes the process that the crews had to go through in order to get through customs.

[Thanz]

Thanks for the responses all. I guess that it is just good editing (see? on topic!) that makes it seem sometimes that they are all leaving the airport at the same time. It seems to me that customs usually has various problems that can delay people. I'm glad that is part of the race!

[pumpkin]

Did anyone notice the rattlesnake noise dubbed in when Mirna was sniping about something? So funny...the editing this season is sooo good!

[rgby717]

There are no words to describe the great shots of St. Petersburg. I mean look at the places they showed this episode you see the true amount of history to be found in Russia. I mean between the Statue of Peter the Great, and Catherine's Palace Shots, a person would be hard pressed to find better footage, even on shows dedicated to showing great scenery and monuments.

It's makes a person wonder on the editing if they have had to cut yields and FF's for time considerations in defference to the ongoing plots. After all, fighting, backbiting, and general thuggery is what pays the bills, while scenes from after Philimination are why they play they game and win Emmy's.

[bman]

Once again, excellent camera work. The sots of the pyramids were incredible. The destinations so far have been quite breathtaking.

[mr nacho]

i'm not sure anyone mentioned this... when kami and karli read the road block, "...move rocks...", the very next scene, one of the twins fell down running down the hills. this gave the impression that the twins are bunch of rocks. great editing!!!

[Devichan]

Love, love, love the editing. The "priest" shaking his head at C&C made me burst out laughing. Ditto the "I don't see any rocks!" shot with the yellow rock right at the bottom of the screen. Ditto the beautiful "clueless" segment.

I hope this one goes up as a "For Your Consideration" episode.

[Lingo]

Ooo, good idea! Very nice locations, very culturally-appropriate tasks, and for the first time in a long time we had a very clue-like clue. A very well-designed leg indeed. And the editing rocks too.

[jcsc]

I've watched TAR since Season 1, and I've never gotten over the fact that you can never see the other team's camera crews in background shots, especially at the beginning when the teams are falling over each other at times.

[ggersten]

well, in the last episode, as someone (Charla?) is descending the ladder into the pyramid to get the satchels, you can see the camerman up against the wall. that's the first time I recall ever seeing a cameraman.

[Frenchteacher]

You can also see a camera crew when the bowling moms and Alison & Donny are dogwalking. (I think. It might be when the twins are dogwalking. It's definitely when someone is dogwalking.)

But the fact that this occurs so rarely really is very impressive.

This post has been edited by Frenchteacher: Aug 6, 2004 @ 9:10 am.

[Team Guido]

But the fact that this occurs so rarely really is very impressive

Any time there will be more than a couple of teams near each other is usually the case for "Zone" cameras. The team camera crew has a specific point where they peel away from the team, and the zone cameras take over. They also have a pecking order when teams get near each other, one crew will for a time shoot more than one team and the other crew becomes secondary and stays out of the shot. They have it choreographed so it is all smooth. Occasionally if they do step into a shot, you can hear the guys get into it! They can get testy! All of it is edited out, unless they need the shot to move the plot forward.

[Frenchteacher]

Thanks, Team Guido! Staying out of each others' shots is all the more impressive, given your explanation.