Ok, Rocket, take out about 4 of those question marks, tone down the tone, and we can try to have a discussion.
First point for you to consider: you've made some bad assumptions about how "cool" I thought the dvd was. It was cool. Great. Fantastic. It presented to those who don't know about BodyJam a great sense of the excitement. And did the same for those of us who know about BodyJam already.
However, this thread is not about that.
This thread is entitled "Frustrating filming angles". The dvd can be cool, exciting, best thing since chocolate was discovered. That doesn't mean it's perfect. And listen up.....I told them in my email I thought the dvd captured a lot of the excitement and energy that is part of BodyJam.
However, since this is Les Mills, and we as instructors doing the training are critiqued to the smallest detail (feet together on the landing, not apart.....fists closed on the sweeping move, not open hands......move your hips more doing the Salsa basic step.....your cueing in all the tracks was excellent, except you talked over the music too much during the recovery, etc.), I think it is appropriate and encouraged by the powers that be to offer critique, input, and to share what is not working for me as well as it should.
At the start of each release, Gandalf says to do the release 2-3 times BEFORE going to the teaching/tips section. I do as he says. When I first do the release and don't already know the moves or what's coming, there are times when I can't see what is going on because the camera work/editing has chosen a different emphasis. There are times. Not every time. Not each time. Times. And I identified some of those times as examples in the email I wrote.
It is ridiculous for you to tell me that there are other ways to learn the moves, when that isn't the point that I or the thread starter were making. Of course I spend the time and effort to learn the moves....to figure out which foot to start on (when it's not shown at the beginning of the move)...to figure out the hand positions (when the camera shot during the class is too close to see it when his arm is extended).
The point is that the filming/editing could be done better. Better specifically in the area of instructor training. Which is what this tread is about. Which is what I told them. Do you actually think there's no room for improvement?
Any such improvement will result in trade-offs. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you meant that to be your point (your judgmental attitude and put downs really detract from your post)....that the excitement of the filming/editing is too good to trade off for better camera angles for viewing/taking the class as a participant.
And, of course, that is valid. There are always trade-offs. If you spent the whole time in a class giving base level instruction, for example, you might help people really get the basic move, but they probably wouldn't get the full effect of adding flavor and breaking out. So you choose...you trade-off, even if that means that some people in the class don't get it that time. The editors of the dvd have to make those decisions throughout.
Consider yourself fortunate that the camera angles/editing doesn't hinder your learning. For me, obviously it takes more effort....effort I'd rather use to work on adding flavor...better cueing...getting better prepared to lead and coach participants to make their experience in my class better...and I have given the feedback regarding what would help me achieve that.
On another point, I enjoyed the excitement of the dvd. However, for me I'd rather see Gandalf and Company connecting with the class they are instructing....so I can see them connect and create fitness magic right there in that room. That is more helpful to me for when I'm in front of a group of people than to get a feeling from the dvd that the class G taught was exciting. I already know that it is. I need help making the class I teach be more exciting. In that regard the dvd would serve me better if I could see him doing it right there in his class.
As I said before, the people I wrote to were great in responding. They actually accepted and encouraged my comments and feedback. They also said they were already focusing on how to improve the quality of the materials for instructor learning/training. I do believe they listen to the comments/feedback and work with it to improve what they do, just as they want instructors to improve as well.