Review: Strictly Come Dancing Launch

It's that time of year again where the sequins and glitter gets pulled out of the closet and the BBC get ready for what is set to be another fantastic series of the hit show, Strictly Come Dancing.
The main reason for me writing this blog was so I could look at the camera techniques, lighting and layout of the TV studio, meaning the audience have great viewing pleasure with watching the dances and other clips that are revealed on the show.

The dance floor and famous arch backdrop

For many years now, the famous Strictly arches have been against the back wall and are a main feature on the show. These highlight where the celebrities walk down the stairs at the beginning of the show, and sometimes use these as a backdrop during their dances. The bright colours really emphasises that this is one of the main features.

A high shot to show the size of the studio

This camera shot really emphasises the size of the studio. It allows the audience to see the full effect and maybe get a feel of what it's like to be there as opposed to just on TV. This also shows all of the dancers, so it's clear and you can see them dance more clearly.



For a few years now, there have been a number of comments about the camera angles and decisions as to what the camera crew use. Viewers have made several complaints about how, in the middle of a dance, the camera switches to a close up shot of a certain celebrity/dancer and we miss 5-10 seconds of the dancing. This could be viewed in two different ways. If the camera was just stuck in one position, then I feel it would be quite dull and boring to watch. However, this way, the dance would be 100% visible and you could see what they were doing. There are also moments in the dances when they zoom in on a certain couple doing a lift of some sort, and this is proven to be a popular shot, as they zoom in on the lift, then zoom back out so we can see the rest of the dancers.

Throughout the whole show, starting from 2004, the main colour has been purple. In all of the logos, merchandise and social networking sites, the theme has always been purple. This is somewhat portrayed in the actual show as the lighting and props always have a hint of purple in. I think it's a good way of keeping the tradition up and keep something original going throughout the shows.

As this was only the launch show, I'm sure the Strictly team went all out with cameras, lighting and production to draw viewers in. When the Live Shows start on Friday 27th September (every Saturday after that, too) then I will write another review on the production techniques used in the shows.

Check out the Professional Dancers routine to get a real idea of what I was talking about when mentioning lighting, camera angles and dance highlights:

Cheerio! :o)

- Olivia.