Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2009 February 13

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February 13

People walking in front of cameras

Why do I so often see people walk in front of cameras during TV shows or movies? I used to think this was supposed to be a subtle attempt to transition between two different takes, but sometimes I see it multiple times during short scenes. Can't they just shoot the whole thing over again? Thanks!--el Aprel (^facta-_facienda) 02:49, 13 February 2009 (UTC)

If it occurs in a film/scripted tv-show it is definitely going to be planned. It would have to be a case-by-case analysis to understand why. For instance if you're filming a couple talking in a busy-street it may add to the feeling of 'busyness' by having characters cut-off the viewers vision for a second. It's an interesting question as it depends on what the director/writers want the viewer to be...Sometimes the camera is simply there to 'see' what is going on, sometimes it is used to make you feel like you are 'there', sometimes it is used to make you feel like a voyeur (Rear Window does this brilliantly). 194.221.133.226 (talk) 09:48, 13 February 2009 (UTC)

Good answer. In some rare cases, this won't even be choreographed: the camera might be far away, using a long lens, and people walk by without being aware of the camera. This is one of a number of techniques, like hand-holding the camera or re-framing in mid-shot, that help give a cinéma vérité or direct cinema feel to the scene. —Kevin Myers 15:21, 16 February 2009 (UTC)

Rock Song?

There was a hit (possibly) a few years back, in canada anyhow (it had been played a lot), it sounds like it could be by a boy band, (the artist's voice is male sounding), with possibly the lyrics "What's it all about" or "What's going on" and then the second line has "baby" as the last word, I reckon. This chorus repeats a lot, compared with other songs. It has drums, and sounds kind of like a rock song. Who is the artist and what is the song name?96.53.149.117 (talk) 06:30, 13 February 2009 (UTC)

Possibly Hey God? --Rixxin (talk) 11:49, 13 February 2009 (UTC)

Or "What's Going On" by A Perfect Circle --Rixxin (talk) 11:53, 13 February 2009 (UTC)

Unfortunately neither.96.53.149.117 (talk) 14:35, 13 February 2009 (UTC)

4 Non Blondes had a rock hit with What's Up, which had an oft-repeated "What's Going On?" in the chorus, though with a female singer: video. —Kevin Myers 15:35, 16 February 2009 (UTC)

Don't know if Kevin is correct but What's Up is a dynamite guess, esp considering the female singer's low voice. Wolfgangus (talk) 05:22, 21 February 2009 (UTC)

The Fenwicks

Sometime in the past three years I downloaded a song. I've forgotten where I got it (save for a vague notion of a libertarian website) and the obvious keywords don't find anything.

The filename is manfir and the artist is The Fenwicks. (No other metadata.) Some lyrics:

Nature is not my mother / and I am no one's son

This my world to create / This my canvas here to paint

Crawl back / to your dark days / Crawl back / to your stone age

Can you tell me anything about this? —Tamfang (talk) 17:06, 13 February 2009 (UTC)

I found a website for a band called The Fenwicks at http://www.thefenwicks.com/. They may be what you're looking for, but I'm not sure since I can't currently get to a site that details the tracks on their CD because of my employer's firewall. Laenir (talk) 17:22, 13 February 2009 (UTC)

Here is a link to the album. The song is called Man First and there's a music sample that confirms your lyrics. Fribbler (talk) 18:05, 14 February 2009 (UTC)

That's it! Thanks. —Tamfang (talk) 04:20, 18 February 2009 (UTC)