This is exactly why I don't watch more TV

[omorka]

1) When watching several hours' worth of footage of interview subjects - mostly headshots - against a black background in a somewhat dim room, the (relatively bright) afterimage of the black background starts seriously interfering with my ability to make out facial detail, and eventually becomes distracting in its own right.

2) This is particularly true when the taking head in question is wearing a light-colored shirt. It happens less with people in dark shirts or suits.

3) It also helps if they move around during the interview; however, talking while leaning at an angle to the camera and staying still while at that angle makes the effect worse.

4) Having said that, while it obscures facial detail, it seems to make bone structure more pronounced.

5) Some people have really big eye-socket openings in their skulls. CEOs seem to have larger ones than academics, with the exception of Howard Zinn, whose are huge.

Comments

[bassfingers.livejournal.com]

See, when I want to watch talking heads on a small screen for hours, I generally like one of them to occasionally put on an overly large suit, or go jogging around a stage for a few laps, just to mix things up. :)

[omorka.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and after a while they start flashing random words on the backdrop, so it's not a solid black background anymore, either. :)

I should see how his skull compares to Howard Zinn's, though . . .

[brezhnev.livejournal.com]

CEOs have larger eye sockets? More pronounced bone structure? This reminds me of the movie "They Live" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096256/). Maybe you're on the way to being able to see reality even without the special glasses...

[omorka.livejournal.com]

Now that you mention it, I seem to recall noting Jeff Skilling having unusually socket-y eye sockets, too . . . although it's hard to tell in your icon there. ;-)