This is an interesting piece that shows us the tougher side of one of the most joyful kinds of music in the world. One usually assumes that musicians, as artists, are rarely in it for the money, but this shows what a struggle it is for talented steelband vets to get by. It was great to hear the music sound right off the bat, but very few scenes are set after that. I would have loved to be inside a practice, or heard a conversation between the musicians. I'd love to get to know them just a little better.
A few bones to pick: the voiceovers were miced a bit too close -- a few inches would have made the VOs less distracting, and the actualities sounded a bit fuzzy in contrast. There were a couple copy editing issues that could have been caught early on that perked my ears; reading back over the transcript, I found some repetitions, problems with subject-verb agreement, and descriptions that could have been sharper. A look over by an editor or producer could have cut some time and confusion out of this story. Overall, the piece felt honest and compelling, the narration carried me through, and I came away with genuine concern for the future of these groups. I'll definitely take another look (and listen) the next time I pass a pan group.
Review of Hearts of Steel
A.D. Quig
Posted on April 21, 2013 at 01:48 PM
This is an interesting piece that shows us the tougher side of one of the most joyful kinds of music in the world. One usually assumes that musicians, as artists, are rarely in it for the money, but this shows what a struggle it is for talented steelband vets to get by. It was great to hear the music sound right off the bat, but very few scenes are set after that. I would have loved to be inside a practice, or heard a conversation between the musicians. I'd love to get to know them just a little better.
A few bones to pick: the voiceovers were miced a bit too close -- a few inches would have made the VOs less distracting, and the actualities sounded a bit fuzzy in contrast. There were a couple copy editing issues that could have been caught early on that perked my ears; reading back over the transcript, I found some repetitions, problems with subject-verb agreement, and descriptions that could have been sharper. A look over by an editor or producer could have cut some time and confusion out of this story. Overall, the piece felt honest and compelling, the narration carried me through, and I came away with genuine concern for the future of these groups. I'll definitely take another look (and listen) the next time I pass a pan group.