The Amazing Race > The Amazing Race Discussion
Phil's Blog for TAR14
TARAsia Fan:
From the previews, Tammy was crying so I really think it's going to be her and Victor.
Ruth:
Maybe an unexpected mat meltdown, say, Amanda and Kris? That'll be interesting lol.
apskip:
--- Quote from: georgiapeach on February 16, 2009, 06:28:34 PM ---I love Phil, and the signing was awesome!
But:
--- Quote ---Because we never repeat ourselves by going back to the same locations
--- End quote ---
Jaipur? ???
And
--- Quote ---I was forced to mediate several Mat meltdowns.
--- End quote ---
:jam:
--- End quote ---
I think that meltdowns involving Tammy and Victor and Kisha and Jen are probable.
puddin:
Phil Keoghan blogs 'The Amazing Race': episode 3
Mar 2, 2009, 12:01 AM | by Phil Keoghan
Categories: Reality TV, Television, Things That Are Awesome!
You know you have another great episode when you've got quotes like these:
I personally don't want to see you in a unitard. That's just not sexy.
I'm not wearing that girl's leotard.
I don't want to stay here tonight. It's kind of freaky.
I want my frickin' medal.
I think your brain just froze.
Gotta keep our eye out for Dracula.
Why are we driving on the sidewalk?
Look, we're doing so great.
Tell me when we're going to stop.
My Superwoman leotard is full of poop.
Go ahead. Scare me. I don't even care.
We're alive and that's what matters.
You know that feeling you get when you're being chased in a dream and you can't seem to run fast enough? Well it's a feeling many of us in production get during the Race. The reality is it's not a dream, we are being chased...all the time. I'm constantly getting calls from my colleagues making sure I'm heading to the next location to stay slightly ahead of the teams at each event. The challenge is maximizing my time so I can shoot something for my behind-the-scenes diaries. There's nothing worse than rushing away from a great location and missing out on sharing something cool. Check out my second diary and you'll see what I'm talking about. I really wanted to hang with those paragliders, but we got word teams were arriving at the bottom of the mountain. As a matter of fact, when I got down to my car I saw a couple of teams running up to the gondola. I always keep myself out of sight just so they don't get the feeling they are on the right track.
The one spot I was really keen to hang at during last night's leg was Olympic gold medalist Nadia Comaneci's old gym. Looks like we've all been saying Nadia's last name incorrectly. Coman-nich, not Coman-nichi. Grown men in tights, mmmm, there is something very wrong with that. Clearly some of the racers agreed "...I personally don't want to see you in a unitard. That's just not sexy." "...I’m not wearing that girl's leotard."
Of course, we would never let a piece of Lycra get in the way of good television. Naturally we got a few raised eyebrows from the locals, a good indication we are creating some water-cooler moments. Reminds me of a great Robin Williams quote, "...so tight you can tell what religion they are." I think he said it at one of his "Live at the Met" concerts.
Golden rule on the Race: Be very careful about isolating yourself from other teams when booking flights...especially flights with tight connections. Tammy and Victor were far enough ahead that they could fall back with the other teams on a later flight but Brad and Victoria let everyone get away from them while they stressed out in another country.
Another good rule of thumb: Listen to your teammate. On paper, Tammy and Victor are one of the smartest teams we've had on the race, and yet they made a huge blunder by aimlessly climbing a mountain while following the wrong markers. Victor simply refused to listen to Tammy. He'll have to change his approach pretty quickly if they want to stay in this race.
http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/03/phil-keoghan-bl.html
puddin:
Phil Keoghan blogs 'The Amazing Race': episode 4
Mar 9, 2009, 07:15 AM | by Phil Keoghan
Luke and Margie's decision to use the U-turn really got some reaction. Is it dirty to use an element of the game? Is the idea that racers should make choices that keep them in the good books with everyone or should they simply do what they can to beat out teams they think are a threat?
From my point of view, I like that people are prepared to stir things up while following the rules. Certainly it makes for great content. Sad that Amanda and Kris have gone. I think they had the potential to stir things up down the track.
Writing this blog sure has increased the number of Race questions I have been getting. Clearly it is impossible to please everyone or answer every single question but I thought I would try and address a few. Beware...some of you may say, "Come on Phil, I know that!" For those of you who do, I apologize.
Firstly, when it comes to pronouncing the various location names etc. people wonder how we arrive at making certain choices. The fact is at times we really get stumped and there have been a number of extended phone calls checking and rechecking the phonetic way to say a certain word with local producers, on the computer and with references gathered by those in production. In general we try and go with what people know or what the locals use. That said, sometimes locals themselves will give us many different options. I like to record some of the tougher location names with a local on camera for reference. If you saw my video diary at the gym in Romania you will have heard one of the ways Comaneci was pronounced. Checking with other locals I heard it the way we all know it and a few other versions too. In the end we stuck with the most common use. Pronounciation can be completely subjective. I had many people tell me I say Keoghan wrong.
Yes, teams do have to buy 4 tickets at airports to cover their crew. Since we don't see the crew we don't have them on camera saying 4, just 2 for the 2 you can see. Essentially, if there are not 4 seats the team can't go. There are lots of process things that obviously wouldn't make great TV. For instance, there has to be releases for each person on camera, location releases, lots of things that take a lot of time but things that we have to do as part of making the show.
As far as teams going off track, one of the biggest challenges is keeping crews loaded with tapes and batteries. When a team goes off into the wild like Tammy and Victor did, tape and battery power become a real issue especially when the crew has no idea how long they're going to be out. Now when there's no cell service to call in support...well you get the picture. The crew is already heavily loaded with gear (self sufficient) so those extra miles really take a toll on them.
While lost teams can make for good TV, it really can make life challenging for all of us. Crews work a different team each leg so when things get really spread out that can really make the turnaround tough. When I first started in television I trained as a film camera assistant. Over the years I have continued to shoot, and being able to operate is something that has come in really handy over the years. One of the toughest things about shooting is having a camera on your shoulder for an extended period. Broadcast cameras weigh anywhere from 20-30 pounds. That kind of weight in a backpack is one thing but when it is high up on a shoulder on one side of your body hour after hour, believe me, it really takes some effort. The guys on our show are definitely on the tough side and deserve huge respect.
Absolutely agree with those who have asked about other Race seasons on DVD. I have shared my opinion with a number of people at CBS. In the end I think the fans will have to lobby in numbers. I obviously don't have the pull in that department.
Kransnoyark was cold but next week we will take cold to a whole new level with some bare flesh and pixilation!
http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/03/phil-keoghan--1.html
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version