Dear CN: Stop Timecrunching when you don't need to.

[Killtacular]

A regular episode of Ed Edd n Eddy, running well below 23 and a half minutes, was timecrunched tonight, for no specific reason. Maybe to the average nobody this makes no difference, but timecrunching screws up the animation of the show. All the redrawn holds jerk about which looks unnatural. Dialogue becomes faster than intended, and the timing of the visual gags in general get thrown off.

For a special that needs to be squeezed down, I do not find it to be a big issue. But for a show that does not need to be crunched, why is it being crunched? As an animator I can't really watch it this way. The animation gets screwed up, the music gets screwed up, a talky show ends up snowballing.

That said, noone on this forum really notices or cares. But I do and so I posted a thread about it.

edit: I smoothed down the post because I'm not so bothered by it now, knowing it's just a rerun anyway. I really should just keep these posts to myself or not at all.

[ktoriyama]

I am seeing it now as I type, but have no idea what you are talking about. Can you give details, or elaborate a bit please. Thanks.

[Killtacular]

Timecrunching speeds up a show, usually in order to show more ads or if a show runs too long. In layman's terms they're dropping a couple of frames a second. As Ed Edd n Eddy is a 24fps show telecined to 30, the dropped frames make Ed Edd n Eddy seem about 26fps.

[Alaskanbullworm]

I had noticed that the theme was going a bit fast, as well as other scenes. Wasn't paying full attention, but it was noticing when I looked over at it. My guess, advertisements because of the holidays.

[Eddy]

I can see why something like that annoys you and I care too.

Didn't watch the rerun tonight, though. Still, crunching for no reason is pointless and very disrespectable to everyone who worked on the show.

[William C. Maune]

I can't say it is anything I ever would have noticed myself, but I think it is definitely a valid complaint. It's one thing when a channel time crunches a random syndicated show that probably already has syndication cuts anyway. However, it seems more wrong when it is a show actually created for the network. Instead of time crunching why didn't they just require the episode to be shorter when it was being produced? Timecrunching may not be something that directly catches most viewers eyes and ears, but the higher sounds and glitches caused by sped up animation may influence their perception of the quality of the show.

[CookieS]

I didn't notice and neither did 99% of the audience, but I think its a valid arguement. Matt has trained eyes and works in animation, so if he sees it, I think there is a probability its happening. I'll be the bigger person though and assume the network had a good reason for it. If it happens next week, the gloves are off. ;)

[PeppeRaskell1]

I don't have an issue with "timecrunching," just editing out. I watched Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol the other evening, and they cut out the love song, "Winter Was Warm." (That's the song young Scrooge's girlfriend sings when they break up.) And this special was distributed by the same company that restored the missing minutes of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!

Why?

[Wanted]

I thought she was going to sing! I knew she was going to sing!

Oh, boy, Cartoon Network doesn't have a need to timecrunch, because they can only show 12 (weekdays) and 10 (weekends) minutes of adverts per hour. With that said, and seeing how they have 15 (at the least) minutes of ads per hour, they could at least try to advertise for Toonami more often.

I guess I got off topic. Well, at least I recorded the premiere of the Jingle, Jingle, Jangle special.

[Zach Williams]

I noticed it also, VERY annoying. But, I dont watch EEnE reruns anyway, so I just changed the channel.

[CNfan]

Maybe Danny delivered the show long. Networks have to keep things tight in order to fit in all the programming, commerials and promotions, so if a show comes in to long, it's the producer's fault and the network is only compensating for their not following delivery instructions.

[ktoriyama]

I think I now what timecrunching is, but I meant when exactly did the timecrunch occur. If it occured during CN Fridays, then maybe I can understand. You don't think those bumpers pay for themselves. I guess they cut showtime for those bumpers rather than advert time, especially when advertising rates are low, such as during the late nite (when I think this event occured). I like to watch animation as it is meant to be shown as much as everyone else, but if this is what it takes to keep EEnE on air, I'll put up with it as long as it is not done too often or too harshly. And not during prime time.

[Wanted]

But, they can only show a limited amount of ads per hour. At a limit, they can only show 24 30-second ads on weekdays.

They don't have to advertise for themselves during a program, now do they?