noddy

n. a reaction shot of an interviewer that is recorded and inserted into video or film to disguise edits or to give the impression that an interviewer is listening to an interviewee. Subjects: English, Media, Television, Jargon

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Citations: 1987 John Fiske Television Culture p. 29: After the interview is finished, the camera is then turned onto the interviewer who asks some of the questions again and gives a series of “noddies,” that is, reaction shots, nods, smiles, or expressions of sympathetic listening. These are to disguise later edits in the interviewee’s speech. When section of this speech is edited out, the cut is disguised by inserting a noddy,” thus hiding the fact that any editing of the speaker’s words has occurred. Without the “noddy,” the visuals would show an obvious “jump” that would reveal the edit. 1988 Dianna Simmonds Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) (July 23) “In-Depth Probe Of Sonia’s Scoundrel-Hunting Techniques” p. 68: She is queen of the indignant snort, the appalled noddy shot, the last disgusted scripted throw-away line. 1992 Peter Luck Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) (May 18) “5th Column”: So how can you see both the interviewer asking his/her questions and the interviewee? The solution is a device called the reverse, the cutaway or the “noddy.” After the interview is over the camera and lights are shifted to another position, the interviewer asks the questions all over again and these re-shot questions are reinserted during editing. For reaction shots the interviewer simply looks where the interviewee was, or still is, and tries to appear as if he were talking to the person he’s just interviewed. 2007 Iain Macwhirter Sunday Herald (Glasgow, Scotland) (July 22) “The BBC. A former insiders view”: Whenever you see an taped interviewer nodding, smiling or reacting with a knowing or quizzical eyebrow, you are generally watching what are called “noddies”—reaction shots filmed after the interview takes place.

Posted 24 Jul 07 | Permalink | Tell a Friend