TV direction is extremely important to the success of televised wrestling. A bad camera angle (e.g a mounted punch combo shown from behind the recipient, as opposed to the attacker) can really highlight the fake-ness of a match and thus, remove the viewer from the suspension of disbelief required to truly enjoy the show. Whilst new TNA is still finding its feet in this department, the hand-held, panoptic feel of Destination Americas TNA tapings has been really effective thus far. The perfect antidote to WWEs slick, cinematic groove, new TNAs camerawork is frantic, brash and always at the heart of the action, giving off the impression of a wild, unscripted fight when necessary, whilst still delivering the story of the match in a clear and uncluttered manner. Take a look at the companys Lockdown 2015 taping. Cameras were present for ultra high angles, ultra low angles and everything in between (thats the middle angles, in case you wondered). Camera operators seemingly have free reign to openly zoom in on a bleeding wrestler, or a dramatic event, lending a freewheeling reality TV or (dare we say) cinema verite approach to wrestling coverage. With low angle cameras that rattle along with the hardest bumps and high angles that perfectly capture the high spots for the home viewer, new TNA has become far easier on the eye and, in the process, has begun to distance itself from its nearest competitors.
I am a professional author and lifelong comic books/pro wrestling fan. I also work as a journalist as well as writing comic books (I also draw), screenplays, stage plays, songs and prose fiction.
I don't generally read or reply to comments here on What Culture (too many trolls!), but if you follow my Twitter (@heyquicksilver), I'll talk to you all day long!
If you are interested in reading more of my stuff, you can find it on http://quicksilverstories.weebly.com/ (my personal site, which has other wrestling/comics/pop culture stuff on it).
I also write for FLiCK http://www.flickonline.co.uk/flicktion, which is the best place to read my fiction work.
Oh yeah - I'm about to become a Dad for the first time, so if my stuff seems more sentimental than usual - blame it on that!
Finally, I sincerely appreciate every single read I get. So if you're reading this, thank you, you've made me feel like Shakespeare for a day! (see what I mean?)
Latcho Drom,
- CQ
