The Office: why do we never see the cameras

[An Enemy Spy]

We know the cameramen are physically in the Dunder Mifflin building because the characters occasionally interact with them, and there must be several of them, so why is it that we never ever see the film crew in the office, even when they are filming a conversation from opposite angles.
Also, why do the Dunder Mifflin employees allow these camera crews to follow them around everywhere, even at home or when they are having a romantic moment. Did Jim know there was a camera crew on the other side of the highway when he proposed to Pam?

[VanBuren]

I find it best not to think too hard about it. It's essentially an excuse to do it up an the mockumentary style, and really exists to enable the show or to allow certain gags.

I can't remember which of the TVTropes rules/mantras/maxims this falls under, but just roll with it.

[Otogi]

I find it best not to think too hard about it. It's essentially an excuse to do it up an the mockumentary style, and really exists to enable the show or to allow certain gags.

I can't remember which of the TVTropes rules/mantras/maxims this falls under, but just roll with it.

MST3K, I think.

[Zeta Kai]

I thought that it was more of a Bellisario's Maxim (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Ptitleuvmtqrxe?from=Main.BellisariosMaxim).

[Myatar_Panwar]

How does any film with cameras at multiple angles avoid catching one another?

Also I think the whole point of the camera crew being on the opposite side of the highway when Jim proposed is that they followed him there.

But really its best not to worry about it

[Marillion]

I thought that it was more of a Bellisario's Maxim (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Ptitleuvmtqrxe?from=Main.BellisariosMaxim).

Additionally, Rule of Funny (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfFunny)

[Knaight]

How does any film with cameras at multiple angles avoid catching one another?

The Office is special in this regard as the cameras are specifically noted as being physical objects by the characters, as if it were a documentary. The fourth wall doesn't exist, so it is held to different standards than a film where the cameras are strictly production gear.

[An Enemy Spy]

In an actual movie, the crew would take pains to avoid showing their equipment. Willing suspension of disbelief wouldn't exist in the in-universe documentary, thus meaning that hiding the equipment wouldn't be as important.
And yes, I understand that you're not supposed to think about the fact that the building is full of cameramen, but they are still there.

[Myatar_Panwar]

The Office is special in this regard as the cameras are specifically noted as being physical objects by the characters, as if it were a documentary. The fourth wall doesn't exist, so it is held to different standards than a film where the cameras are strictly production gear.

This all doesn't mean that they want to introduce the camera crew as characters. The same reason they don't actually voice their questions when doing the 1 on 1 interviews.

Its already a fake documentary. I am grateful they don't go around doing purposefully clumsy shots of the camera crew and other stuff.

[VanBuren]

Additionally, Rule of Funny (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfFunny)

Wow. So I was technically right in not choosing anything more specific than "one of those rule/mantra/maxim thingies?"

Lesson: Ignorance rocks.

[An Enemy Spy]

This all doesn't mean that they want to introduce the camera crew as characters. The same reason they don't actually voice their questions when doing the 1 on 1 interviews.

Its already a fake documentary. I am grateful they don't go around doing purposefully clumsy shots of the camera crew and other stuff.

I'm not saying they should show the cameras. I like that you don't see the cameras. I'm just saying from a logical standpoint, where the heck are those things?

[Knaight]

This all doesn't mean that they want to introduce the camera crew as characters. The same reason they don't actually voice their questions when doing the 1 on 1 interviews.

I wasn't saying that they should, merely that holding it up to everything else ever filmed was a false standard. There are cases where some aspect of camera crews or similar worked, most notably in the online series The Professionals, as such it is an actual technique in this genre.

[Fifty-Eyed Fred]

The real reason they're there, of course, is because the original Office was a mockumentary and made splendid use of the fact. Ricky Gervais FTW.

[Jimp]

This reminds me of an early episode of Trailer Park Boys where one of the characters gets the camera crew to help him steal (I think) a jet ski and the sound get ends up getting shot in the leg.

[mooseofshadows]

relevant: http://www.theonion.com/articles/the-office-ends-as-documentary-crew-gets-all-the-f,6988/

[Lord Seth]

We know the cameramen are physically in the Dunder Mifflin building because the characters occasionally interact with them, and there must be several of them, so why is it that we never ever see the film crew in the office, even when they are filming a conversation from opposite angles.Because they're just that good.


Also, why do the Dunder Mifflin employees allow these camera crews to follow them around everywhere, even at home or when they are having a romantic moment.Given that The Office is NBC's top-rated show (as well as one of the few shows on NBC I can say is getting good ratings without adding "for NBC" afterwards), they probably get paid a lot for it.


Did Jim know there was a camera crew on the other side of the highway when he proposed to Pam?Don't know about this one.

EDIT: Actually, I think these questions are actually more pertinent to Modern Family than The Office.

[ThePhantasm]

Why do we never see the cameras?

A better question is - who cares? I don't want to see the cameras. It would detract from the humor of the show.

[Mewtarthio]

Don't know about this one.

Just about the only thing we know about the cameramen is that they're all a bunch of creepy voyeurs. In other words, a cameraman followed Jim and filmed the proposal discreetly from the other side of the road.


EDIT: Actually, I think these questions are actually more pertinent to Modern Family than The Office.

I didn't catch the pilot episode, so are you sure it's really canon that they're being filmed? I always thought the pseudo-documentary sections were supposed to be the characters talking with some unnamed friends, or possibly outright breaking the fourth wall and explaining things directly to the audience.