J. T. Caldwell has contributed quite a lot to the television industry. He believes that televisions should not be simple visual mediums. Instead, the visual aspect of television should be properly put to use. Moreover, only good quality productions should be employed. Television aesthetic has changed from what Caldwell termed as “zero-degree style” to better, more interesting, and involving production for the viewers. TV has been changed into a more visual medium than audio compared to the era before the 1980s, where it was more audio.
In his article, Caldwell (652) notes that television is an industrial product and that production determines how we utilize and receive television and video. He believes that for television to sell, programs should be well designed. Caldwell (650) advises that the producers of these programs should have good visual and imaging skills. There is a lack of good visual and imaging skills in S1 Ep10 of Hill Street Blues. That is evidenced in the scene where LaRue and Washington play a prank on Hunter. Hunter and his team had been searching for an alligator, but they had not been successful, and, instead, they had only found a lizard. So LaRue and Washington send Hunter a fake alligator. When the alligator moves in the sewers to the direction where Hunter and his team were, it is crawling is faulty. The alligator's front right leg does not almost touch the ground, and it moves like it is almost falling on its mouth. It does not serve the purpose as it can be clearly noticed as a fake alligator by the viewers. Good imaging and visual skills can eliminate this fault. The televisual technologies that are currently available can provide the keenness and accuracy that is required in the motion movements of the alligator.
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Caldwell (661) proposes that American television should shake itself off the pictorialism that is widely embraced if liveness is to be achieved. He believes that television in America embraces more pictorialism rather than realism. That is also seen in the movie. At the beginning of the episode, when Phil was conducting the roll call, the officers made a lot of chattering. Not long after that, Ray comes down the stairs to round up some officers, who later leave with him as Phil is talking. After they leave, Phil releases the officers bringing the roll call to an end. After saying his last word, Phil is left staring at the officers as they leave as he holds out his thumb and index finger. Phil lowers his hand after his last words. However, this action is repeated when the camera is focused on Phil. He lowers his hand again, closes his book, and starts to leave. He then leaves, and we are moved to another scene. In this case, Phil lowers his hand twice: at 1min:41sec and at 1min: 45sec. By embracing realism, Hill Street Blues can be made better.
With the availability of technology and the information necessary to better the film industry, it is paramount that filmmakers produce quality films and movies. J. T. Caldwel reveals the importance of aesthetics in television. By employing television aesthetics, the quality of Hill Street Blues can be improved. There is a need to use the available visual and motion tools to produce good quality films.
Works Cited
Caldwell, J. T. (2000). Excessive style: The crisis of network television. Television: The Critical View , 649-686.
