|
|
|||||||
Steve I also received my copy of the H&H video… sent very promptly by UK First Class Mail. While it does contain a wealth of fascinating information, I thought it was in desperate need of re-editing. Initial title music really jarred… I would have thought classical music more appropriate. Could have done with a good old British Establishment articulate 'talking head' to introduce the subject and better link the different segments. Given H&H heritage, surely some Lord who can still afford to buy an H&H new could have been approached? What guns do the Royal family actually use now for example? What about a quick virtual tour around the H&H Showrooms in London, Paris and New York? No H&H website address for more information, fonts and overall flow/layout a bit amateurish. The old presentation adage of 'Tell them what you are going to say, say it, then tell them what you have said' would apply well here... Topics jumped between shotgun and double rifle manufacture, which was a little confusing at times. The craftsmen, by their very nature, are very precise and somewhat introverted in the way they come across to camera. The topics were really interesting, but the speaker's delivery made it a bit tedious at times. This was not helped by the patchy sound quality where background machinery noise drowned out some of the more quietly spoken craftsmen. H&H's Managing Director seemed to be reading off bits of cardboard below the camera instead of an Autocue or memory aids placed at eye level… his lack of eye contact with the camera and tendency to mumble made him seem a little 'shifty'! It was also interesting what was NOT included… ie no similarly detailed info on barrel blacking or action colour case hardening, maybe because these items were 'sent out' to specialist shops? The section on determining proper gun fit was very interesting indeed, yet was relegated to the Extras section. I found myself wanting more info on some areas… and found there was a bit too much in others. If the DVD was lengthened but re-edited into logical sequences, the viewer could then just jump to the right point on the top menu and use the DVD as a reference source. Overall, an interesting DVD, worth the money, packed with great info on DR's and shotguns but spoiled by production values that do not match the high standards of H&H. 7/10 Cheers TM |