Syfy's 'Hot Set' season 1

[Laspector]

A little off topic here but there is one thing about this show that I need to ask about: several times during the show they do these little cutaways where they just show a few seconds of cityscape or trains or highways or stuff like that. Has anyone noticed how these shots all look like they are miniatures?.. I mean, I know they are not, but they LOOK like miniatures.

It's like it's filmed from far away and in some kind of fast motion that seems to give it that "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" feel to the shots. It really kinda freaks me out. Am I the only one who has noticed this? Or am I just going crazy?

 

[Gigatron]

A little off topic here but there is one thing about this show that I need to ask about: several times during the show they do these little cutaways where they just show a few seconds of cityscape or trains or highways or stuff like that. Has anyone noticed how these shots all look like they are miniatures?.. I mean, I know they are not, but they LOOK like miniatures.

It's like it's filmed from far away and in some kind of fast motion that seems to give it that "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" feel to the shots. It really kinda freaks me out. Am I the only one who has noticed this? Or am I just going crazy?

I don't pay enough attention to the show to notice, but if it is what I think it is that you're talking about, it's called tilt-shift photogrpahy Tilt

-Fred

 

[knightdriver2001]

A little off topic here but there is one thing about this show that I need to ask about: several times during the show they do these little cutaways where they just show a few seconds of cityscape or trains or highways or stuff like that. Has anyone noticed how these shots all look like they are miniatures?.. I mean, I know they are not, but they LOOK like miniatures.

It's like it's filmed from far away and in some kind of fast motion that seems to give it that "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" feel to the shots. It really kinda freaks me out. Am I the only one who has noticed this? Or am I just going crazy?

Sadly, This effect is the best part of the show. The premise was great but
the final product has turned out really boring. Monster man was paced
better than this show. I am still watching it but boy does it put you to sleep! LOL.

 

[Caveneau]

Yeah it's funny, I think they could have done so much more with this show.
Like Art mentioned previously, I think it really is poorly edited and perhaps it was underestimated how boring it may come across.

Also, in one of the last episodes, from the way the judges were discussing the pros and cons of each contestant's final set(or the way their critiques were edited)..it seemed like their criticisms didn't make sense when they chose the winner because they had previously given a 'harsh' piece of criticism which I really thought was going to be a make it or break it point for that person...yet they then turn around and declared him the winner. So, it really gives the feeling that it's even more played up to the camera than I thought Face-Off was, yet I still think Face-Off is much, much better.

 

[jonny5]

Crazy, I can't say but this depth of field effect has also been used for at least one commercial 'bump' (the break into, or back from, commercials) during the late night 'Adult Swim' programming on cartoon Network.

As for Hot Set, I think the problem is that it is not the same type of attrition based competition that we see on Face Off and other such 'Survivor' based reality shows. With only two competitors each week the audience has no time to get to know the contestants. If both contestants produce 'meh' efforts the audience has no one to root for and the judges are forced to pick the lesser of two evils. As such there is no build up of tension wondering if your favorite will survive to next week.

The Horror Basement episode was the very case in point. One set was too sparse and the other was too cluttered. Take 1/3 of the props off set #2 and use them on set #1 and you'd have had a worthwhile horse race.

The robot bordello episode was similar. The judges liked the set that had more stuff for the dancers to climb on, but the other was the first set we've seen that employed a backdrop to indicate there was more to this universe outside this room. I wonder if this same set would have prevailed in the Alien Queen Throne Room challenge? To me nothing says 'evil queen' like heads on pikes.

That said, there is another show 'Car Warriors' that pits two teams against each other and given 24 hours to make the best custom car from a pair of stock autos. The first season of that had 'celebrity' judges including: George Barris and Michael 'Mad Mike' Martin, from Pimp My Ride. the judges were later dropped and the host (Jimmy Shine) is now the sole judge. Somehow Car Warriors has always been much more compelling.

A little off topic here but there is one thing about this show that I need to ask about: several times during the show they do these little cutaways where they just show a few seconds of cityscape or trains or highways or stuff like that. Has anyone noticed how these shots all look like they are miniatures?.. I mean, I know they are not, but they LOOK like miniatures.

It's like it's filmed from far away and in some kind of fast motion that seems to give it that "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" feel to the shots. It really kinda freaks me out. Am I the only one who has noticed this? Or am I just going crazy?

 

[NormanF]

A little off topic here but there is one thing about this show that I need to ask about: several times during the show they do these little cutaways where they just show a few seconds of cityscape or trains or highways or stuff like that. Has anyone noticed how these shots all look like they are miniatures?.. I mean, I know they are not, but they LOOK like miniatures.

It's like it's filmed from far away and in some kind of fast motion that seems to give it that "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" feel to the shots. It really kinda freaks me out. Am I the only one who has noticed this? Or am I just going crazy?

You may or may not be going crazy, but the effect you are talking about can be done with a "tilt-shift lens". Here is how to make your own: Create A Tilt-Shift Lens From A Shower Head A Rubber Glove And a Nifty Fifty. NOTE: That link does not work because of a typo when they created that page and the naughty censor on here. After you click on that link and the website says it does not know what you are talking about you have to go into the address and change "****" to the word "shift" WITHOUT the letter 'F'. :unsure