Top Gear production standards

[JulianHJ]

Every now and then I'm blown away, inspired by some of the features on TG. The feature that prompted me to post was last night's Vantage V12 piece. I thought it was simply beautiful - the camera work combined with a classic Eno track, the lack of grasping humour that so often taints otherwise good quality items, a genuine point put across in a seemingly honest and heartfelt way - it's for these reasons I still look forward to each show, and can forgive the dull excesses that sometimes blight them.

I do wish they'd put more of these quality features in, and less of the gimmicky 'what can we destroy this week?' idiocy.

[B17NNS]

Camera work is first class isn't it.

[philthy]

In the unlikely event someone missed it:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00m196z/Top_...

57:37 minutes in.

Superb, moving, and very true

[Simpo Two]

I saw that tonight, and was hoping to learn something about the car. A few minutes of timelapse clouds later, the credits rolled and the programme was over.

Still none the wiser.

[toppstuff]

Simpo Two said:

I saw that tonight, and was hoping to learn something about the car. A few minutes of timelapse clouds later, the credits rolled and the programme was over.

Still none the wiser.

I think this misses the point personally. TG has not been the place for factual test drives for ages. The point is that everyone knows that the Aston is fast and sounds good. Instead, they chose to simply celebrate the idea of a sportscar in stunning scenery.

The point is that I wished it was me in that car on those roads. It made we want to go for a drive. I think that was the point.

There are other places to learn about the facts of the car. TG wanted to celebrate the beauty of the car.

And I'm glad they did. I have watched it 6 times now and agree with the OP that it was stunning.

[Conian]

it was damn fine, it left me feeling sad for cars, and sad for top gear

but.....

isnt this what jezza always does?

this car is great, power, looks, price.... but handles like a brick
this car is bad, this is bad, thats bad, the dash is cheap....... BUT SO MUCH POWER!

so sad news about cars, sad ending to TG
anyone now expecting the start of the next series to start with a bang (just like jezz'a VW ads)

[Northern Munkee]

toppstuff said:

Simpo Two said:

I saw that tonight, and was hoping to learn something about the car. A few minutes of timelapse clouds later, the credits rolled and the programme was over.

Still none the wiser.

I think this misses the point personally. TG has not been the place for factual test drives for ages. The point is that everyone knows that the Aston is fast and sounds good. Instead, they chose to simply celebrate the idea of a sportscar in stunning scenery.

The point is that I wished it was me in that car on those roads. It made we want to go for a drive. I think that was the point.

There are other places to learn about the facts of the car. TG wanted to celebrate the beauty of the car.

And I'm glad they did. I have watched it 6 times now and agree with the OP that it was stunning.

Agreed, arguably it gave you everything you needed to know about the car, that is the emotion you should feel driving something special like it, after all as a Supercar it doesn't do things by numbers, of course it would go quickly around the track with Stig, so what would it make if it was fastest or 20th, it would still be bloody quick, its like the old Rolls Royce adage when asked how much power it has, "enough". And that Clarkson didn't give you those facts and figures, or how it drove, clearly was an indication he didn't feel he needed to tell you, and I think we're supposed to just know he thinks its near perfect. Thats what I took from it initially. On another level he was out to make an editorial comment which he did, and on yet another level TG wanted to make you feel emotional about possibly missing something (end of the series/your weekly fix of the show until november/the show completely?/Clarkson?/Supercars). I took it as only you'll miss us till the next series, and leave you wanting more.

As I've said elsewhere the production values - the editing/cutting of the montages and the use music is the best on TV, followed closest by probably BBC Sport, beyond that you'd be pressed to find anything like it outside a Hollywood feature film or a very high end advertising or pop promos. And that's due to the way BBC is funded, commercial television just hasn't got the budgets £/min to go to that length for what was a minority show on a second channel, as the advertising revenue would not provide the budget. Thats why 5th Gear looks cheaper, it is.

Edited by Northern Munkee on Monday 3rd August 22:12

Edited by Northern Munkee on Monday 3rd August 22:17

[mat205125]

Simpo Two said:

I saw that tonight, and was hoping to learn something about the car. A few minutes of timelapse clouds later, the credits rolled and the programme was over.

Still none the wiser.

By evo magazine if you want a proper write up of the drive.

The Vantage feature was a breath of fresh air. I couldn't care what goes fastest around their track, whether its faster to Bombay than a rickshaw, or even if Needles on 5 can drift it more than a chav manages in a 2.0 sierra round a brummy mcdonalds car park.

I've read the words in evo, and those sights and sounds just made the car all the more perfect in my mind.

[MikeO996]

[quote=Northern Munkee And that's due to the way BBC is funded, commercial television just hasn't got the budgets £/min to go to that length for what was a minority show on a second channel, as the advertising revenue would not provide the budget.
[/quote]

bks - TG is the BBCs most expensive programme - but also the highest grossing - commerial tv it is.

[Thats how I roll]

Top Gear have a habit of pulling this kinda stuff out from time-to-time; the Landy Defender "best car ever" feature, the CLK Black Series monologue and then last night's Vantage piece... they're the kind of clips that send shivers down the spine when you watch them time and time again.

[KANEIT]

bks! Same old same old! Once done it looks magnificent but time and time again becomes too formulaic.

[Northern Munkee]

MikeO996 said:

[quote=Northern Munkee And that's due to the way BBC is funded, commercial television just hasn't got the budgets £/min to go to that length for what was a minority show on a second channel, as the advertising revenue would not provide the budget.

MikeO996 said:

bks - TG is the BBCs most expensive programme - but also the highest grossing - commerial tv it is.

Well yes, that's a good point, but do you think when Clarkson and Co. rebooted the franchise in its current format it was commissioned with a view to BBC Worldwide's commercial exploitation. I don't think so, that it now is, well each has fed the other and is a bit chicken or egg.

It's interesting just watched Clarkson doing Butter Tubbs in a "cozzee", and if he did that now, in exactly the same way now it would probably be in danger of being slated for being a bit 5th Gear, think Plato Lambo on the moors gig from a few weeks ago. For a start, Clarkson would have had a helicopter tracking him to give serious porn effect. In fact a Helicopter is de riguer for any out door BBC shoot these days, Coast, even Juia Bradbury doing Wainswright's Coast to Coast walk is getting the full epic Hi Definition landscape treatment, its amazing how high our expectations have become, spoilt a.

Edited by Northern Munkee on Monday 3rd August 22:44

Edited by Northern Munkee on Monday 3rd August 22:46

Edited by Northern Munkee on Monday 3rd August 22:49

[Romanymagic]

I think that last piece covering the Aston was spot on. What Clarkson is trying to show us is that their is a real possibility that due to climate change, govern(mental) control, middle east controlling of oil output that the likes of the serious sports car/super car will be over.

It is indeed possibly the beginning of the end. As a kiddie my interest in cars was sponsored by the likes of pictures and footage of Ferrari's, Lambo's, Porsches etc. I may have ended up with XR2's, XR3's, 3 series BMW's but the start of my love of the car/combustion engine/bhp/torque/design/power to weight ratio was from those "super cars". What have our future generations got to look forward to apart from hybrids/gee whizzes/lpg etc.?

And in many ways it goes beyond all of that. The other aspect that struck me with that last piece on TG was that you cannot let loose any longer, with speed camera's, sheer weight of traffic, average distance controllers, tolls, this country's leaders seem intent to squash the motorist, let alone the fans like us at PH.

[Jasandjules]

I had expected to be told "the environment bol***s" as a reason....

[Pferdestarke]

toppstuff said:

Simpo Two said:

I saw that tonight, and was hoping to learn something about the car. A few minutes of timelapse clouds later, the credits rolled and the programme was over.

Still none the wiser.

I think this misses the point personally. TG has not been the place for factual test drives for ages. The point is that everyone knows that the Aston is fast and sounds good. Instead, they chose to simply celebrate the idea of a sportscar in stunning scenery.

The point is that I wished it was me in that car on those roads. It made we want to go for a drive. I think that was the point.

There are other places to learn about the facts of the car. TG wanted to celebrate the beauty of the car.

And I'm glad they did. I have watched it 6 times now and agree with the OP that it was stunning.

I agree wholeheartedley. After watching it I ended up going for a drive, albeit in my Golf GT Sport 170 and can honestly say it was one of the best blasts of my life.

Thanks Jeremy and the fabulous production team!

[zac510]

I always thought the Veyron v Eurofighter was filmed well. The race was a always a bit gimmicky but when the Eurofighter did the loop at the top to no music, turned , blasted down and then the ambient music as it rolled up and away was stirring

[Phugoid]

I have to agree, there are certain clips from TG you can just watch again and again. One of my favourites is the Porsche Carrera GT review by Clarkson a few years back. A great blend of camera work/editing, music and Clarksonisms.

[MiniMan64]

mat205125 said:

Simpo Two said:

I saw that tonight, and was hoping to learn something about the car. A few minutes of timelapse clouds later, the credits rolled and the programme was over.

Still none the wiser.

By evo magazine if you want a proper write up of the drive

This.

I cannot understand why people honestly watch Top Gear for a full review, they stopped doing these years ago. Go and buy EVO and if you're seriously considering a purchase google "aston vantanage v12 review".

I would love to see more features like this, an odd favourite of mine from previous years was the RS4 race up the mountain with "Will You Follow Me" in the background, great bit of music.

[Conian]

Phugoid said:

I have to agree, there are certain clips from TG you can just watch again and again. One of my favourites is the Porsche Carrera GT review by Clarkson a few years back. A great blend of camera work/editing, music and Clarksonisms.

And the noise! Sends shivers down me spine it does. garrr.

[G0ldfysh]

A thanks for the link iPlayer is good to allow the FFWD past all the junk and just watch the 5mins of Aston. No need for anything else, I was disappointed on Sunday night last show and hmm not the most inspiring then….. this piece on the Aston oh wow, lifted the whole show. More of this in the next season please, not too many to make it samey but every now and then when the cars warrants it oh yes.


On an aside, which road was this on anyone got a Google maps location?