Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Reviews: #NZGT and the Herald

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  • Sacha,

    and a mystifying waste of space from Jem Beedoo, under the risible title 'Jem's Gems'

    So they couldn't resist resurrecting Jim Hopkins after all?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    Refreshing the Herald website, mobile app and the printed paper on one day was an ambitious thing to do

    They updated the mobile app? Mine's just the same as before, and no updates listed in the Marketplace.
    Unless it was just the iPhone app that got a facelift.

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew, in reply to Sacha,

    Don't forget today's pointless, possibly actionable, Minto-slagging by Bob Jones

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Brislen,

    I nearly biffed out The Magazine unread as it's so extremely glossy my jaded reporter's eye took it to be an ad insert for Boulgaris real estate (or similar). How long will such stock last I wonder.

    While you're right, there's some meat in there (although what an odd place for it in the magazine) I was less than impressed to be greeted on the first page of the first story with a photo shoot of Our Athletes in their PJs. Two women, naturally, with the caption: "Sarah and Lisa haven't seen each other since London and meet with a hug".

    I can only presume the pillow fight came later.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 200 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Deborah Hill Cone, Rhys Darby and Jeremy Wells have all been allowed to use their New Zealand Herald columns to inform us, redundantly, that they were writing columns for the New Zealand Herald

    I can understand the sheer terror of facing a blank page and an immovable deadline – who hasn’t? But the one time you abso-fraking-loutely shouldn’t be vamping until you hit your word count is your debut. What's even more mystifying about Hill Cone and Wells' feeble efforts is they’re not exactly blushing column virgins.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby,

    hey, i'm liking the interesting infographics in the new herald.

    but, can someone please teach them how to use denominators.

    thanks,
    reality.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Paul Brislen,

    While you’re right, there’s some meat in there (although what an odd place for it in the magazine)

    There is indeed: beef and lamb, to be precise. The meat ad on page 41 has cover stars Sarah and Lisa in the same orientation as the the cover pic and the feature photo. It doesn't even bother to identify them. Feels a bit odd.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Brislen, in reply to Russell Brown,

    ew, I hadn't noticed that but yes... how vile.

    That aside, I quite like the redesign and the website is much cleaner.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 200 posts Report Reply

  • Rick Shera,

    Interested to see the increased use of QR codes in NZH. I'd thought that these were generally a fad/on their way out but I actually find them quite useful for this sort of thing (and on billboards etc).

    Auckland • Since Feb 2008 • 25 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    organise audience participation

    I had the... lets call it an experience... of being in the audience in Dunedin for about 3 hours. Not through choice, but to support my partner's nieces. It was a doubly disappointing experience because they didn't even get to perform in the afternoon so I sat through three hours and didn't get to see them - they performed in the evening.

    The audience participation organising is awful. They've dragged in this reasonably decent comedian/actor and in between acts actually performing they make you act booing, standing ovations, polite clapping etc. He bounces around and apologises to you all for making you do it, and for continuity purposes they ask you to please please stay, and stay in your seat, and try and look like the room is actually full.

    I didn't see the show on Sunday night as the nieces haven't been on yet, but I'm going to hate seeing how they edit it. I presumed that at least the applause might actually be filmed in relation to the performers, but when the performers were performing all cameras were pointing at the stage (except the one directly behind them), so any sweeping shots they show of Dunedin crowd applauding - nothing to do with the act you've just watched.

    On the other hand, I still think this is fantastic, regardless of how I'm being manipulated. She's got some good songs on her soundcloud page as well.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    That aside, I quite like the redesign and the website is much cleaner.

    There are things about website re-design that don’t work for me but nobody ever nails it straight out of the box. And to The Herald’s credit, yesterday they had people on Twitter monitoring reaction and making a serious effort to respond to qubbles and bitches in a useful way.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Tamara, in reply to Jeremy Andrew,

    Yeah my android app looks just as boring as before.

    New Zealand • Since Oct 2010 • 115 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams, in reply to Jeremy Andrew,

    Don't forget today's pointless, possibly actionable, Minto-slagging by Bob Jones

    There's a nice symmetry to this, both men fighting ancient wars and struggling for relevance. A debate between them on almost every issue would resolve ultimately into (a) you're a lazy commie followed by (b) you're a wealthy prick. This is edifying?

    I can't believe there are not younger, more vital and less polemical protagnonists available? Surely even Hooton and Pagani would be an improvement.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if the Talent Bible says “the first show must contain an amusing one-man band and an old lady who surprises everyone.”

    I watched the last series of Britain's Got Talent (thanks, auntie!) and NZGT had a lot of stylistic similarities. Vignettes of performers getting ready for their big day, the nervous backstage chatter, Tamati's lol reactions to the performers - it was all classic BGT.

    And it worked! I remember those talent shows in the '80s that always seemed very very serious. NZGT comes with a big dose of good-hearted humour. The 'bad' performers seem to relish the chance they've been given and there was no sign of X Factor-style strops.

    I think the Got Talent formula is much better suited to New Zealand than NZ Idol ever was (or how a local version of X Factor would be). New Zealanders take music very very seriously and so a pop talent show is going to rub a lot of people up the wrong way. But variety performance? Hey, every one loves a show! It seems even the contestants who are singers will come across more as talented amateurs (a la Homai Te Pakipaki) rather than wannabes.

    By the way, I think what the show needs is a judge who is a female comedian - someone with non-musical performance experience, and someone who is funny. And as a bonus, someone who knows that Pie Jesu is Latin.

    But I'm generally loving it. As things are these days, the NZGT viewing experience is aided and abetted by the hilarious Twitter back channel. This is going to be a fun series!

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Tamara,

    And I don't like the website's font.

    New Zealand • Since Oct 2010 • 115 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Also Hunter: piled up cliche upon cliche when giving feedback to performers. Never said anything of substance. I was sorely tempted to yell out "rugby is a game of two halves" just to help her out when she ran out of things to say.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Kyle Matthews,

    I didn’t see the show on Sunday night as the nieces haven’t been on yet, but I’m going to hate seeing how they edit it. I presumed that at least the applause might actually be filmed in relation to the performers, but when the performers were performing all cameras were pointing at the stage (except the one directly behind them), so any sweeping shots they show of Dunedin crowd applauding – nothing to do with the act you’ve just watched.

    Think of it as a rare opportunity to see how this kind of television is actually made. It's not all in the editing, but mostly.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    You also missed Liam Dann letting us know that he's been the Business Editor for nearly five years. It's a new format, not a whole new bloody paper!

    Hopefully, and I'm not holding my breath, the editorial staff have taken heed of the strong resistance to tabloid content that their focus-grouping uncovered as they went about re-branding to tabloid format. I was heartened to read that they've put the newsroom through some quite intensive training on using numbers, only to see today's brain fart about the Conservative Party only needing to do 1.35 "percentage points" better than their 2011 2.65% in order to cross a 4% threshold. That may be true, but it's more enlightening to point out that it requires a 50.9% increase in the number of votes the Party receives for that to happen.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Tamara,

    Today's "Business Liftout" also contains the weather, sideswipe, entertainment etc. So it's actually only half business. I find that a bit silly.

    New Zealand • Since Oct 2010 • 115 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to Russell Brown,

    beef and lamb

    As an aside for some reason I really like that NZ beef and lamb use strong athletic women to advertise their product. A refreshing change from the usual models.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Think of it as a rare opportunity to see how this kind of television is actually made. It's not all in the editing, but mostly.

    The Susan Boyle audition is a masterful example of this. It's sets up perfectly - it's noted there's been a lack of talent at the Glasgow audition, here'a a frumpy, bumbling but cheek spinster - it can't possibly be her, can it?. She sings, brings the house down and puts a smile on everyone's face, with subtle (and not so subtle) music cues guiding us along on this emotional journey.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace, in reply to Rick Shera,

    I've just discovered QR codes as they are increasingly being used for academic posters. I worked out how to put one on my poster for a conference I've just attended. But don't think anyone noticed (or if so didn't have the technology). At the conference I followed a man around who had one on the back of his jacket and turns out it was advertising for his sound recording business. We decided that they aren't generally noticed or used yet, but will catch on very soon, so perhaps their use in the Herald will help. Of course, not everyone has a smart phone (including me).

    QR codes are quite pretty and personal but still a bit mysterious.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Rick Shera,

    Interested to see the increased use of QR codes in NZH. I’d thought that these were generally a fad/on their way out but I actually find them quite useful for this sort of thing (and on billboards etc).

    I quite like the way the Herald has set up QR codes -- with the scanner now built in to the app -- but they need to link to more useful content. Example: the QR code for the Kylee Guy story led to a pointless photogallery (we know what these people look like) when it could have led to a scan of the letter that the story was about.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Glenn Pearce,

    I'm not a fan of all the liftouts and inserts.

    One major advantage of the compact format is being able to read without spreading it out but when you open it up now all the inserts fall out on your lap.

    And yes, the "Business" liftout is something of an eclectic mix of content.

    Auckland • Since Feb 2007 • 504 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole, in reply to Jeremy Andrew,

    Unless it was just the iPhone app that got a facelift.

    Probably. There is no other platform [ETA: of any significance], after all.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

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