Posted on 12/20/2007 8:59:16 AM PST by Travis McGee
"THE TODAY SHOW"
MEREDITH VIEIRA: Let's talk about this Christmas ad, because it comes after you have taken some hits from the critics, first for calling yourself a Christian leader, then for questioning whether Mormons believe Christ and the devil were brothers, something you did apologize for.
Now in this ad you are say people should be celebrating the birth of Christ while the shape of a cross appears to take shape behind you. And that has led some to say that this is another overt religious appeal to voters. What do you say about this ad and about those criticisms?
MIKE HUCKABEE: That floating cross is a bookshelf, Meredith. We were all amused -- the production crew I think probably more than anyone, who put the spot together.
VIEIRA: So you didn't see that image when you put the spot together, that it might be confused?
HUCKABEE: Absolutely not.
These are movie camera "tracking dollies."
There are two reasons to use tracking dollies when directing a film. The most basic use is when following a moving subject and keeping them in the same plane. The classic use is to follow a walking actor in profile.
The other use of the tracking dolly is to move the background in a controlled way, while keeping the foreground subject in one place by simultaneiously tracking and panning the camera.
That is how the Huckabee team contrived and executed the shot, in order to move the glowing white (spotlighted) shelf/cross from the left side of the shot to behind Huckabee's head, in exactly the 30 seconds of the ad.
The use of the tracking dolly is the smoking gun, the proof that the moving cross effect was deliberate, and that Huckabee is lying about it being an unnoticed coincidence.
They didn't just come out and "find" that a tracking dolly had magically appeared on the set, and decide, "Aw shucks, why don't we stick the camera on this here funny contraption, and slide it from left to right while aiming at Mike's head, just for the heck of it."
Every aspect of this political advertisement was deliberate, down to the placement of the three ornaments on the glowing white spotlighted empty shelf.
The proof that the moving cross effect was deliberate, is the use of the tracking dolly to move the cross in the background in a perfectly controlled way.
McCain who?
And who said God doesn't talk to people these days ~
Agree.
Funny, that is exactly what I said about Nixon during the Watergate fiasco. Funny also that Huckabee just happens to resemble Nixon... Hmmmmm.
You can add another production tool which they used and which proves he was lying, and that is a "gel light", which creates a circular "frame" of light. They used that to obscure the rest of the bookshelf background to retain the "cross" shape.
Otto: You eat a lot of acid, Miller, back in the hippie days?
Miller: I'll give you another instance: you know how everybody's into weirdness right now?...
I never said anything about the bookcase. I merely agreed I saw nothing wrong with the ad; just the denial.
I don't care whether the bookcase was meant to appear like a cross or anything else. I don't know; don't care.
But I do believe disingenuous denials are an issue.
Don't put words or thoughts into my mouth.
I’m not a Huckabee fan, but what if the cross effect were intentional? Who cares?
There are only two options, either:
the “cross” was intentional or
the people who produced the video (including Huckabee) are incompetent.
jw
Agreed.
Have you been reading this thread? It's not the fact, it's the denial. Period. Not good.
good catch
jw
why is he obviously lying
*************
One double-talking Jethro from Little Rock in my lifetime is enough.
He’s part Clinton/ part Carter/ and more liberal the W.
He’d be worse than Ron Paul. IMHO
No thanks.
“Disengenous” ~ simply not applicable. The bookcase is a bookcase.
LOL.
I don't CARE!
It's a bookcase, not a cross. By now the Huck knows the difference.
Just what did you guys do in Sunday school?
We have heard, seen, etc many people get fired for lying about their credentials. In fact, some of committed suicide because of the shame of being found out. Including some in the military for wearing a medal that he was not awarded. Very sad.
If someone is putting themselves up on a pedestal, as I believe he has, than back it up with the truth.
If someone is running for President of the United States and lies, and in this particular case, he is lying, he should step down. Especially when he is running as a christian conservative. Its a slap in the face of everyone and very disrespectful.
As conservatives, we have to be a cut above our liberal counterparts. If we speak of family values only to be caught in the bathroom trying to proposition someone for sex, it is wrong. Having relations with young, underage house pages, is wrong. We can reference other incidents including infidelity.
The liberals do the same thing, we know that. But if we are going to carry that cross, we should uphold those sacred values. Otherwise we become hypocrites.
We have become this right vs left in this country. It is right vs wrong. We really need to get back to that concept.
Hopefully we find our way, and find it fast. Sorry to get on my nonsense soapbox.
Oh, under oath... I see. It just matters when you lie. Got it. Oh, and your politics. If you are liberal, then you can’t lie either. Okay... just making sure I understand the rules of the game as described by reagan_fanatic.
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