Who would have thought that shaky cam was already present in 1983?

[DaddyfromNaboo]

While zapping through the channels yesterday evening I noticed something that I had not noticed before.

The completely overused and misused "shaky cam" alá NuBSG and a lot of other contemporary shows was already used in 1983 in *drumroll*

BLUE THUNDER !!!

It´s been a few years that I had seen BT, so please forgive me if other afficcionados have already pointed that out.

I hate shaky cam. I do understand the creative decision to involve the audience more into the action by trying to emulate a documentary style.
But the overuse of it really pulls me out of a lot of movies and tv episodes. I mean, who needs a historic drama that looks like a current day documentary?! WTH?

Anyway, in Blue Thunder they used the shaky cam only very cautiously, not doing those motion sickness inducing fast pans and zooms that have become common practice today.

But still, how could I have missed this?

 

[Ozymandius]

Anyway, in Blue Thunder they used the shaky cam only very cautiously, not doing those motion sickness inducing fast pans and zooms that have become common practice today.

But still, how could I have missed this?

You just answered your own question.

You didn't notice it because was used sparingly, and with a modicum of skill. As opposed to the "in your face" nausea fest that passes for cinematography nowadays.

 

[dbuck]

You didn't notice it because was used sparingly, and with a modicum of skill. As opposed to the "in your face" nausea fest that passes for cinematography nowadays.

:thumbsup

 

[niennumb1]

It's a skill used only by highly trained individuals in home VHS camera movies. A skill I was later taught in college that I should try to avoid because it can ruin shot composition, hahaha!

I know it's to be used when appropriate, but maybe budget cuts have forced the camera guys to turn to handheld shaky cam and now it's just called a style.