Discussion on wrestling's "Invisible Camera" trope

[cotguy130]

My impetus for bringing this up is that I've jumped pretty seriously into running a legends fed, and as I was writing some angles, this came up. As you probably know, this is the situation in wrestling where some people are having a conversation about something that is supposed to be a secret. Of course, the whole time, a cameraman is standing there recording the conversation for the wrestling show that is going at the same time. They pretend it isn't there, but are often shocked when the person they are talking about is aware of the situation. I've seen it covered on a couple of occasions by having the person from whom the secret is being kept say, "you don't think I watch a tape of the show later," or something like that. It only works when there's a lot of gap between uses.

My first question is-love it, hate it, or indifferent? Is it a necessary evil? I think it was invented with the "crash" tv style of the attitude era, but that's a guess. It may go back older. The wrestling that I grew up with didn't use it, but then the wrestling I grew up with all occurred pretty much on the set i.e. GA Championship, Memphis, etc. They didn't go backstage. This leads to my answer. I pretty much hate it as it insults the viewers intelligence as much as anything else in wrestling. Even speaking as a fan, wrestling has no shortage of ways to insult the fan.

My second question is-if you run a fed, do you use it? Do you have alternative suggestions? I don't want to use it, but I can't figure out ways to accomplish what it accomplishes-getting out info that you otherwise wouldn't know (but need to for angle advancement). I could just not run those kinds of angles, but some of them really are fun.

TL/DR version-Thoughts on the Invisible Camera both in real-life wrestling and in feds run by you guys.

[JJ_Strife]

Honestly, in terms of real life, I think the more independent TV wrestling promotions, especially Lucha Underground, handle that the best these days: Have that stuff be there for narrative, but go unacknowledged by audience or commentary. For WWE, one part of it sort of bothers me: Them cutting to ringside as the interview or conversation is going. Kind of immersion-ruining.

Game-wise, That sort of depends. Modern GWF, I (at least try to) treat backstage segments, with the exception of interviews, like they're apart from the in-ring stuff, and try to make it sort of ambiguous to the announce team for preshows ("There seemed to have been an altercation between Person A and Person B last week in the back...") but use them to connect rivalries. Classic GWF (admittedly I haven't gotten past the establishing champions tournaments, yet) my plan for that is to kind of invoke an 80s style, and have it be mostly interviews, and mostly focus on the in-ring action.

[tystates]

You're definitely putting a lot of thought into your shows. If you don't use those type of conversations backstage then the only way for that information to come about is after the fact when something happens between them in the ring, then one person says why they did what they did. Without that type of thing to create and further storylines there isn't much left for the show except matches and formal interviews on camera.

[Pariah]

In my eyes, Lucha Underground truly dues an exceptional job with handling the Invisible Camera... If you're treating your fed like a serial drama, I think this is definitely the way to go... Assume that what happens outside of the ring is not meant for the eyes of anyone else... This is exactly how I play my GWF.

[ajcostello]

I remember back in the '80s when I first saw some 'backstage' stuff on the old JCP shows and they explained it away as having the Horsemen "hire" the cameraman to collect evidence of... whatever it was.

That was a long time ago.

Anyway, I just never use those situations, I guess.

[natureboi]

From what I remember, the backstage camera dates to the early 1980's. As mentioned by another poster, it was usually (but not always) explained away ("Hey, who let that cameraman in here? He's filming us!").

Fast forward a couple of decades: the camera is there more than ever, revealing more than ever, but is generally unacknowledged and, as you say, "invisible." This accompanied the change in wrestling's self-presentation from "we're an actual competitive sport and the matches are on the level" to "we're a TV show just like any other TV show: relax and enjoy it." Because I run an old school regional promotion set vaguely in the 1980's in a world apart from Wrestlemania, I have no need for the cameraman to do anything but shoot matches and promos.

[aceldamas]

Great topic! I've thought about this quite a bit myself, pertaining to real life and my feds (and some of yours ).

In regards to real life wrestling programming, it doesn't bother me too much unless it creates incongruities. Like the above mentioned paradoxical scenario of the wrestlers often not privy to information they would have if they just watched video from the show. That just insults the intelligence. A few of you have sited Lucha Underground as getting it right. As a TV product, this is correct. But I can't help but notice a disconnect that sometimes happens with the audience because they haven't seen the vignettes and don't have a full grasp of what is going on or who someone is.

As for my feds, I try to keep it as tight as possible but it's not easy. In my mixed indy fed, I try to present such footage as hidden camera shots. Sometimes it makes for a good scene because you can manipulate how much is revealed and maintain some mystery. Other times, it just doesn't play out as well. As for my individual indy feds, I try to present them as they are in real life by using the same approach each of those companies does. I usually stay mindful of not making the camera "invisible". I like to keep the players aware that they are on camera.

I think it can be difficult to give depth to a storyline without using this trope in one form or another. Because, to me, it's just as bad for the wrestlers to always be standing in the ring trying to explain everything verbally. It's the kind of thing that makes people think wrestling is dumb. Reminds me of the WWE episode of South Park.

[cotguy130]

Thanks for input, gentlemen. I had another thought as it pertain to this trope and our feds. In the WWE, the (very obvious) camera can be following HHH to the ring. In one corner of the hall we briefly catch a glimpse of Ambrose and Bray Wyatt talking. The announcer's don't mention it as it passes by so quickly. The viewers left going "woah, did I just see....?" The angle builds from there.

When we're doing our write-ups, we can't be subtle since we have to tell the reader what they saw. "HHH is walking to the ring. He passes Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose talking in the hall." By mentioning it, we alert the reader that it's important. You eventually end up at the same point, an angle begun or advanced, but we can't be subtle.

[Sinclair Promotions]

In my universe I use the standard that all stables are recording and posting promo's directly to my NWA Network which is my NWA's way of countering the McMahon Empire.