Time crunch on shows

[Paula D.]

Littleflower got it right when she said that they have to do a series of tapings and would be under tremendous time constraints.

As for me I thought I had struck gold when I found TQS. I can't believe how lucky we are to have the show and the website which provides wonderful education and opportunity to communicate with people who have a love of patchwork and quilting and addicts like me who love sewing machines. I am partially isolated in the small community in which I live and the TQS is a lifeline for me so I buy the DVDs and play whatever I like when I like. I could not do more than an hour at a time anyway. As someone said, we have to do our quilting and experiment with our new learning from TQS.

L

People have mentioned that in Episode 603 Alex rushed Gayle through her segment. I've noticed this on other episodes, and it's particularly annoying to me when I may be enjoying a guest and the host keeps interrupting them and rushing them through the segment.

What may be a stupid question is this. Why is each show limited to exactly one hour? They aren't on broadcast TV with airtime limits. Is there some time limit for each show on the internet servers? Is it a bandwidth issue? What's the deal?

Ken in Spfld, MO

[Jill B.]

Ditto....Ditto....I like a bit of everything....BUT can fast forward at anytime....it is very hard to please everyone so I feel the TQS team strike a balance for everyone.

I too live in the country and only have one patchwork shop within a 3 hour drive let alone anything else.

Regards Jill
Taree Australia

Littleflower got it right when she said that they have to do a series of tapings and would be under tremendous time constraints.

As for me I thought I had struck gold when I found TQS. I can't believe how lucky we are to have the show and the website which provides wonderful education and opportunity to communicate with people who have a love of patchwork and quilting and addicts like me who love sewing machines. I am partially isolated in the small community in which I live and the TQS is a lifeline for me so I buy the DVDs and play whatever I like when I like. I could not do more than an hour at a time anyway. As someone said, we have to do our quilting and experiment with our new learning from TQS.

L

People have mentioned that in Episode 603 Alex rushed Gayle through her segment. I've noticed this on other episodes, and it's particularly annoying to me when I may be enjoying a guest and the host keeps interrupting them and rushing them through the segment.

What may be a stupid question is this. Why is each show limited to exactly one hour? They aren't on broadcast TV with airtime limits. Is there some time limit for each show on the internet servers? Is it a bandwidth issue? What's the deal?

Ken in Spfld, MO

[Ken W.]

Good grief! I didn't mean to create this monster when I originally started this! How on earth did this topic stray to all sorts of whining?

Let's start over....here's my question. For example, when all the segments of one episode may require 95 minutes of time to adequately cover each guest, why are they sometimes rushed to get everything into 60 minutes? Why can't the episode be 95 minutes?
Is it bandwidth pricing? Is it some other technical detail? I was just wondering.

Maybe some TQS staff has the answer?

[Diane F.]

I hope that a TQS representative does respond to the original question that was posted. I would like to read the response.

[Susan B.]

If the shows aren't long enough, consider this:
I just re-discovered the slideshows under Watch Shows/Behind the Scenes. I had been watching them on my laptop from time to time which wasn't very satisfying. Now, on my desktop with a new pair of computer glasses :lol: these shows are awesome. If you didn't get enough of Libbi's or Jenny's home in the show, these slides (after hitting the pause button), allow us to view to our heart's content and see angles that weren't in the shows. Wow. I'll spend this "blizzard warning" day visiting other places.

...Snowed in, in Maryland

PS, look at how many people are getting paid to work away from their homes & ponder how much that costs per hour.

[Betty J.]

I really like the quilting teaching that occurs in the show, but I also like all the music, travel pics, and horsing around. I agree, though, that they probably appreciate knowing what we like and dislike about the shows. I am sure that they cannot possibly make all the shows satisfy everyone's likes and dislikes. We are a pretty large community now, after all, and each of us has our own ideas. Overall, I think they are the best thing going for quilters today and I would be entirely happy if they had more of them.

[Alex A.]

Excellent question. Actually we do have time restraints - We have to tape two shows in one day and it does take X amount of time. Also, we are sensitive to how long people are willing to sit and watch - these cannot be docudramas or specialized DVD's. When we are hosting there is a producer telling you to speed up because of the time limitations- and you have to trust they are making the right call. minutes and these shows average over 45. Also overtime is another huge consideration -

In the beginning people stated they wanted more teaching - so we added more. Honestly the shows have almost become two shows in one - and sometimes it is at the cost of hurried information - so we are working on that. I have to screen every show and sometimes I am yelling at the computer - Personally, I was horrified when I saw how I cut Gayle off. And yes, I was being signaled to wrap it up. Even though I have hosted for over 15 years I am constantly learning.

I am pleased that you now know who I am and who Ricky is - we are not "just hosts" - we are friends, professional colleagues and now "family" (just like the community on this site) - without the outside interests, you wouldn't know that. Personally I am fascinated by how other quilters live their lives - thus prompting the name of the new magazine "the Quilt Life" - which by the way should be shipping any day. Woo - hoo.

Excellent question and thanks for the opportunity to chime in -

[Margo C.]

Thanks, Alex! Looking forward to more great shows and to the new magazine!

[Diane F.]

Alex, thank you for answering the question! Since the person who made the original post kept repeating the intention of his question, I wanted to see a response from ARJJ.

[Thanks to your hubby, John, for letting me know that you were going to address this.]

Just a general comment for people who post on the forum. If you really want an answer to appear from a TQS representative, send an email to the show and mention the Forum topic. They do respond!

[Pat L.]

Thank you Alex for chiming in. I thoroughly enjoy TQS and feel fortunate to count so many as friends around the world and have learned so much just watching. TQS has definitely broadened my horizons. Pat

[Pat L.]

I love everything about the show. I was deprived of it until this winter when I finally was able to get high-speed access that would actually allow me to watch. Yippee!!! Now, that being said, I would not whine or cry if the show were longer or maybe on daily. :lol: Sorry, no pressure. I am thrilled with the site and the shows and am looking forward to the new AQS magazine, The Quilt Life!

Thank you Alex, Ricky, Justin, John and the whole crew.

[Sheron J.]

I think the TQS is a quilter's dream come true. Where else could you find such a bargain? My sister & I saw Ricky in Houston when the TQS was only a brochure. We signed up as soon as we could and have been "in love" with everything on the site ever since. It's the only "reality show" I will watch.

[Ricky T.]

Following up on Alex's remarks.

We intend for the shows to be about 45 minutes long - but most are over, in the mid 50s, and many time an hour or slightly longer. However, the producer's job is to watch the production as it is happening with 'viewer's eyes - meaning they need to guide us when it's time to wrap up.

There is no script and no practicing - so it is what it is. We only rehearse the order of things - so the camera guys and directors have an idea of what is about to come down.

In the prep - weeks in advance, the guests are instructed to prepare a teaching segment that fits within x amount of time. Some are skilled at hitting the mark, but many think they do their bit in x minutes but in reality what they have brought twice x minutes - We've only had two or three 20 minute segments so far, and watching something that long is difficult. We start, expecting it to be 10 or 12, and suddenly it's 14 - then 15, and if the host doesn't take charge, it could go on and on and on.

Most guests do not have TV experience - so they don't know how to be concise. Chop chop - get the important points out - and move on. Since they have no clue as to their time, it is up to us to move them along.

There are real technical issues on the internet that has us keeping our 'perfect show' about 45 minutes long. Here's a real answer for Ken. All of the shows that are uploaded MUST be under 2 G - the company that we use does not allow uploads larger than 2G. The longer the show - the more it has to be compressed in order to stay under 2G - resulting in poorer quality.

In the case of Gayle's segment. We could have cut a technique or two before we started, but what she had to show was worth showing and in the end, we sensed a need to wrap it up. I feel her information was presented - at least the ideas and inspiration were there. These decisions are made on the fly - and whether or not it is a good decision - it stays. We can't screen the show - say - oh, we should really just let that go on for a few minutes longer - and the go back and re-shoot the whole thing. All it takes is to be there - and be in our shoes - to really understand the dynamics of what happens and why it happens.

Finally, The Quilt Show is as much about the artist as it is about their techniques. We will continue to bring you the back story of the artist in hopes that you might connect with them on a personal level. TQS is all about connecting quilters with quilters and is just as equally about education - the the shows are intended to reflect that balance.

[Ricky T.]

Thank you Ricky, and Alex.

TQS is such a huge sweety shop of ideas and people, and it's ever expanding.

[Margo C.]

Thank you Alex and Ricky for the explanations! Just like anyone who is not a quilter has no idea what goes into making a beautiful quilt, most of us have no idea what producing this fabulous web site and the wonderful videos involves. Your efforts are appreciated!!