TheDRIFTZONE, FD PODCAST (FEEDBACK)

[Slapshotnerd]

7 episodes in, I figured it was time to give some feedback. I think that the feedback given in previous years towards the G4TV broadcast really helped to shape the program and make it better.

Positives:
- Thank god we have something to hold us over until November!!
- Some of the camera work is pretty solid. The shot of Haraguchi taking out the clipping point and tanner hitting the wall were pretty good.
- Getting footage from Falken test day and Drift Buffet is awesome, not a lot of people get to experience these things.

Things to improve:
- Lack of technical knowledge - pronunciation, talking about 'brake checking' and other technical aspects, everything sounds like it's forced or being read from a sheet of paper.
- Patricia moves her head more than a bobblehead. When she's talking, I open up a different internet browser and read something else while listening to her talk because it's so distracting. Also, her pauses and tone is very unnatural and sounds 'forced'. She definately doesn't seem comfortable in front of the camera, and it affects the way the information is portrayed.
- Carrie is always moving her head too. Do any of these people have TV experience?
- a comparrison to ballet and figure skating? are we trying to perpetuate the stereotype? come on now...
- Of all the things to talk to Taka about, why did you choose comparing engine HP to wheel HP? I want to hear Taka talk about driving style and being the underpowered / underdog of FD! He's the only person competing in a car that's as old as Darren McNamara (although Ryan Hampton get's an honorable mention for the Camaro he used last year).
- The quality of the voiceovers sounds like it's done in a bathroom, not at a production studio. I know that this is a relatively low cost production, but I think something can be done about that.
- Some of the video work isn't very fluid... there seems to be some 'hunting' where the camera operator pans too fast for the car which is entering the frame, and switches from the lead car, to the following car, back to the lead car, which makes the viewer lose track of the run.
- I coulda sworn that a website has been using "clipping points" as a trademarked term for their driver interviews for almost 2 years now
- I feel like there's no character for the podcast. Everything is just kind of thrown together. Maybe i'm just a n00b to the podcast realm, but I don't get any sense of crowd involvement, or even the runs in general. Nothing flows from one frame to the next. it's like a college newscast gone bad. Drifting is full of character, I want to see more of it in the podcast.


Maybe i just started watching with too high of expectations. Perhaps some other people can chime in and give thier opinions of the podcasts... am I in left field on this?

[my 1 88 u]

yeah and stop calling every S chassis nissan with a s15 front end an s15. You called Caspers s14 240sx and Haraguchi's s13 240sx an s15. Was quite dissapointed when I was expecting Casper to have a brand new white s15 then I realize it's the same ol s14 with new paint.

[MonkeySlide]

I agree on some of these things and as usual with us disagree on others..

- Lack of technical knowledge - pronunciation, talking about 'brake checking' and other technical aspects, everything sounds like it's forced or being read from a sheet of paper

Brake checking does exist so I dont think it was so wrong for them to bring it up..yeah it sounds a bit forced..but I mean chances are they're reading from cue cards.

At the risk of coming off a bit sexist, The hosts are two chicks who probably haven't been exposed to drifting too much before this so you have to expect they aren't going to feel totally comfortable with technical data.

Im pretty sure Patrica got picked up for the job for her Japanese to English translation skills more so than on camera experience. A spot on translator that is good looking enough to be on camera is hard to find.

- Patricia moves her head more than a bobblehead. When she's talking, I open up a different internet browser and read something else while listening to her talk because it's so distracting. Also, her pauses and tone is very unnatural and sounds 'forced'. She definately doesn't seem comfortable in front of the camera, and it affects the way the information is portrayed.

I didn't really notice this. Although I suppose it could be distracting...but on the same token...no energy or movement at all can give that "talking head" CNN kind of feel which is boring.

Even if she doesn't totally know what shes talking about she at least looks like she enjoys talking about it anyway.

- The quality of the voiceovers sounds like it's done in a bathroom, not at a production studio. I know that this is a relatively low cost production, but I think something can be done about that.

This is one of the things I agree with you on. I dont notice it so much with the voice overs but I do notice it with the music that they put in. ESPECIALLY the INTRO MUSIC..the sound quality on that is horrible!

- a comparrison to ballet and figure skating? are we trying to perpetuate the stereotype? come on now...

The point of that segment was trying to END that stereotype. Maybe you couldn't tell because of the voice over quality

- Some of the video work isn't very fluid... there seems to be some 'hunting' where the camera operator pans too fast for the car which is entering the frame, and switches from the lead car, to the following car, back to the lead car, which makes the viewer lose track of the run.

Normally I'd agree with you on this but the thing about Long Beach is that it's VERY hard to accuratly film a tandem run unless you have elevated multiple camera's in the right spots. And those spots were occupied by ESPN cameras!

So unless the two cars doing tandem runs were really close to each other..you can't really get a good shot with both cars...it could even look like a single run if you dont pan back and show that there was another car on the track.

That kind of thing just can't be helped at Long Beach...Im sure it will be better at other tracks.

- I coulda sworn that a website has been using "clipping points" as a trademarked term for their driver interviews for almost 2 years now

I dont really know if they actually bit that off e-drift or not...but you guys dont have the little trademark symbol next to the title so its fair game really...besides Im not sure that one could trademark a widely used technical term. And even if ya could...just let 'em have it!

- I feel like there's no character for the podcast. Everything is just kind of thrown together. Maybe i'm just a n00b to the podcast realm, but I don't get any sense of crowd involvement, or even the runs in general. Nothing flows from one frame to the next. it's like a college newscast gone bad. Drifting is full of character, I want to see more of it in the podcast.

Im not really sure what you mean by this. I mean ..eh..sure its not wide world of sports quality but for what it is I think its pretty darn good.

I mean even if the execution isn't as good as it could be the effort that they put in to trying to get really extensive coverage of things on and off the track is pretty spot on.

I think with time the hostesses (sp?) will get better once they get more comfortable with things. It was the same thing when Formula D was on G4...at first the hosts looked like idiots but it got better with each episode.

One of the other things I'd change is the graphic transistions which seem to remain on the screen for far too long...it just looks weird. You dont need to have the driftzone logo on screen for almost 10 seconds before you get into the episode. Shorten those by a bit and you'll be fine.

[GBC]

The 45 second intro is about 35 seconds to long for a podcast.

I feel the same way about the whole "clipping points" issue. Web sites don't just make themselves, there is a lot of work put into them, even if it was not a conscious steal, they should make an effort to work with the existing community.

I am also not a fan of the fact that Formula D thinks that it is best for drifting to restrict anyone from producing video podcasts save those who pay up.

I am glad that these podcasts are much stronger then those produced by g4, and are showing constant improvement.

[CamelTouge]

Patricias Japanese is horrible. I understand a little Japanese, and you can tell in the interview with Haruguchi that she was struggling. The Japanese guy with the bandana was actually doing most of the translation.

I give them props for giving us something to check out before Fd hits espn2. I really like the dvd that they were giving out at FD Long Beach.

[akuma S14]

I like Drift Buffet!!! lol....

Camel touge is right about Patricia and her Japanese language skills - I speak a little japanese as well + my listening comprehension is pretty good but when I heard her qustions I was like??? WTF is she trying to ask him?

Overall I am stoked to see the podcast being done so quickly and most of the camera work is pretty good. I think that as the year moves on DZ will improve and and they will have a pretty good product.

[Mediaman]

DriftZone Exec Producer responds

As the executive producer of The DriftZone and all CKMedia programming I want to thank you for your comments on our programming.
Video podcasting is truly a new media, one that we are helping to define in no small way through the production of The DriftZone. If you are expecting television, it’s not. If you are expecting “flag-to-flag” coverage, it’s not. Our goal is to produce a program that appeals to as wide an audience as possible, from those who have never seen a drift event, to those who are ardent fans. The problem with that is that we walk a fine line between overshooting to those who don’t understand the sport and boring those who do. It’s a difficult balance.
Our hosts, Patricia and Carrie were chosen in part because they too are very new to the sport. We want them to grow along with much of our audience. More and more you will find the drivers and tuners themselves lending their expertise to The DriftZone.
But for those of you who are a little further down the path, I have good news. Soon, very soon you will find new and very exciting ways to add your voices to our DriftZone programming. The first of these new technologies is our “Live Blog”, a minute-by-minute” account of the round of 16s from each Formula Drift Championship venue, in real time! We did our first “Live Blog” from Long Beach. If you are at your computer during the competition, you are invited to add your comments and even questions you’d like us to ask the drivers between rounds. And we have some really cool technological advances coming to the blog in Atlanta.
During the next few months you will find more ways you can add your expertise to The DriftZone. So please be patient, and do continue to comment, positively, even negatively when it’s due. I ask only that you comment directly to thedriftzone.com as well, so I’ll be sure to read and respond to your thoughts and concerns.
So keep watching, keep commenting and we’ll get better. We have a long way to go, but please keep in mind, podcasting isn’t “little tiny television”. In some ways, mostly technological, we are limited, but in others we are rich. We have the ability to be more connected to our audience than television could ever hope to be. So stay with us and let us show you how.
Oh, and I'll talk to Patricia and Carrie about their head movement!

–Gary Keith (gkeith@ckmediainc.com)

[Hach1r0k1d03]

yeah i dont like the way the girls talk. it doesnt sound really professional. sounds more like the kids news show on pbs or whatever.

and the whole patricia talking japanese and then having a japanese dude translate, that was funky. i mean why bother.

everything else is great though and how theres always new stuff every week but i usually skip anything that deals with the girl hosts.

get olivia munn to do the show!

[Bebop]

Better yet... just get a dude who is passionate about drifting and isn't a aspiring model or actor!!!

Who was that dude translating? I saw him working on the car also quite a few times. Translator / head mechanic? Dude was putting in work!!!

[CamelTouge]

Dudes name is Jun. He works for Intec racing.
I talked to him at the event, all around good dude. Knows his stuff.

As far as announcers go..i got two words..

Adam Matthews (the black guy from Formula D Tv on g4-last year).

He knows his sh!t. Doesnt bob his head either.

[CamelTouge]

Oh yeah, just to clarify...not Big C from G4tv.

Either that or Terry from Drift Buffet. But I think terry is an aspiring actor.

[D1 DRIFTER]

terry would be a great commentator! he knows his *Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored*! or even antonio from CG



or bow wow!

[Slapshotnerd]

Gary -

Glad you signed up for the site! I hope you can use this feedback to benefit the podcast.

Brake checking does exist so I dont think it was so wrong for them to bring it up..yeah it sounds a bit forced..but I mean chances are they're reading from cue cards.

In episode 5, they said "Haraguchi surprised Tanner by checking up on his brakes". To me, that sounds like someone is trying too hard to say "brake check" without saying "brake check". JUST SAY HARAGUCHI BRAKE-CHECKED FOUST! That's what you meant...

The point of that segment was trying to END that stereotype. Maybe you couldn't tell because of the voice over quality

This reminds me of the "Date Tanner Foust" segment last year on G4 TV. With as many stories as there are in Formula D, you think they could have found something else to spend 3 minutes talking about. There are 63 drivers this season, and they spent 3 minutes on figure skating... the people tuning in to episodes 6 and 7 of the podcast definitely aren't the target audience of a segment of that.

Normally I'd agree with you on this but the thing about Long Beach is that it's VERY hard to accuratly film a tandem run unless you have elevated multiple camera's in the right spots. And those spots were occupied by ESPN cameras!

So unless the two cars doing tandem runs were really close to each other..you can't really get a good shot with both cars...it could even look like a single run if you dont pan back and show that there was another car on the track.

That kind of thing just can't be helped at Long Beach...Im sure it will be better at other tracks.

Agreed, but that wasn't my point. With G4, they at least attempted to give you a feel for the event by letting J-rod talk, and using minimal voice-over until the replay of the run. The podcast has a 'sportscenter' / 'newscaster' feel to it, which I think is too dry and bland for Drifting. Sportscenter has background music, and usually has enough event audio to give you an idea of how it felt to be AT the event. My point is that they're approaching an exciting Generation-X sport with a journalistic appeal, and I don't think it worked. I didn't feel like I was there (Even though I was!). Like someone else said, I feel like I'm watching PBS or Sesame Street.

I mean even if the execution isn't as good as it could be the effort that they put in to trying to get really extensive coverage of things on and off the track is pretty spot on.

This isn't middle school gym class. You don't get an A for effort. I have several friends who are into video production who could have been hired for the job. Hell, I know that some of the OG 360 Video guys were at the event in Long Beach, I think they would be PERFECT for the job!! Their videos are quite entertaining if you ask me.

As far as announcers go..i got two words..

Adam Matthews (the black guy from Formula D Tv on g4-last year).

He knows his sh!t. Doesnt bob his head either.

AMEN! Adam is an awesome spokesperson for drifting!

My college (which is based out of Southern California) had its' own TV studio, and had several sports broadcast journalist majors graduate each year (one of which was Rob Fukazaki). I know several other schools in Southern Califonia have similar programs... there's definately many qualified people around who are much more natural in front of the camera than the current hosts. Being a natural speaker (or at least a comfortable speaker) and having natural mannerisms in front of a camera doesn't come quickly, and I don't think it should be learned on a project such as this. I was a speech communication minor in college, and it took several classes over a few YEARS to become comfortable and fluid with speaking and my verbal mannerisms, which is why I'm skeptical that these hosts will get better within a few episodes....

[akuma S14]

Adam Mathews is a great guy and he is a smooth operator

Word is that he was at the Drift Buffet Demo last saturday promoting the contest on 4/29!!! This man can drift too!!!

PS Terry sucks.

[olddrifter]

At least there trying too get some thing out there, NOW.. we all will have to wait untill Fall to see ESPN II shows. This way some of the teams and drivers will have something to show sponsors. when contracts come up in this SUMMER.........