TLC tonight at 10 Wrench Rod Build

best I could do on short notice

 

Gentlemen...and Ladies. Everyone seems to forget TV is made to sell things...NOT to educate, at all, EVER!! I've made my living for 19 years now specifically shooting TV shows, Music Videos, Commercials, Do***entaries, and Films, including the show on TLC with our gracious host shot in Austin. These shows are shot because an executive somewhere says "Hmm I think I can sell advertising space in between the segments", and if the show gets popular, then the concern grows to "Hmm, I guess we should make some lunch boxes and T shirts with the show's name on it and sell it to kids at Walymart".
Notice the "Car shows" on Speed are all early in the morning for the most part. It's because the target audience isn't dedicated enough to the advertisers who would be able to advertise on the networks. We think there are alot of us out there, but compared to the folks who want to know what Jon and Kate are doing behind closed doors, we're not even a drop in the bucket as far as viewership goes.

I've been trying to pitch Idea after Idea to producers and network executives about hot rodding shows and showing how to Build things, etc.. specifically related to the home car builder and no one bites on the ideas, their response is the same "Who will advertise" and with commercial spots costing thousands to produce and thousands to air ( each time it airs ) only the biggest of the biggest would be able to advertise. We'd have commercials from only folks like Meguars (SP?), Autometer, Castrol and TurtleWax in between segments. If someone has an idea they've thought thoroughly about for a show that can sustain 13 episodes 30/60 minutes long ( 22 minutes of content for a 30 minute show or 44 minutes for an hour show without the commercials), let me know.
PS here's a relatively conservative cost on one of these shows to be shot with two cameras... $75,000 per 44 min ( one hour) episode. if it's shot in 3-4 days with minimal crew.
Ozzie

 

x2

I hate the look of over channeled rods!

 

Finished car....

http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/street-customs/slideshows/episode15.html

 

Minitruckers do 1937 Model A duece Rat Rod Pro-street Hot Rod Traditional Old Car then go bankrupt, film at 11. Eh, It was not what I wanted to see so I turned in onto another program. At least I found out all 3 Mad Maxes are gonna be on AMC tomorrow night.-Weeks

 

all that time spent building this thing and the one dude complianing about fit and finish on the visior area, then they put those hidious tail lights on there. those lights look like there off a boat trailer.

later

 

It's a ****box like everthing else they build. I've seen several of their cars over the last few years at SEMA. They were a featured "builder" (they're getting kinda liberal with that word huh) at SEMA a few years ago so they brought quite a few of thier cars out for display and all I can say is each one looked worse than the next! Fit and finish is not in these guys vocabulary. There are some talented guys at their shop from the looks of it but as long as the head dumb**** keeps telling people they can build a car from the ground up in a few days this is the kind of **** they are going to turn out.

 

It's funny, I've seen a few of the overhaulin' cars in person and they still look great, even if you don't agree with the styling you can't deny the fit, finish and general quality of workmanship. I guess that's the differance between being a hotrod builder that takes pride in your work and being a guy that runs his shop like a chopshop and just sees cars as "The next job". Ok rant over.....For now

 

Like rap recording stars, these guys make money catering to the lowest common denominator and then act like they are some legit builder or designer; kinda like a rapper thinking they are actually musicians.

 

GEEEZ ,Come on guys its just a tv show,Its not supposed to be a training film on how to build a rod. Just because somebody does things differently than you would,it doesnt make them wrong.I am an old white haired guy with no ink or body piercings,but I personally like the way Ryan and Alex run the show.I would really like to check out the 69 charger project in person to see how well it was done. I am currently recuperating from surgery,and can say that I am watching a lot more tv than I usually do,but I consider their show as interesting entertainment in the vast wasteland of television.