Survivor has been around for nearly three decades now and 48 seasons. The longevity of the show is to be applauded, and fans have seen quite a few shifting gameplay dynamics, strategies, and personalities develop over time. What is less spoken about is the shift in culture as a whole, and specifically, a shift in technology.
As fans, we often do not realize how much technology, such as camera work, has evolved from where it was in the past. The production team can film in the dark far more easily than ever before, and that allows us as viewers to feel even more immersed in the game around us.
On the flip side, this increase in quality makes it harder for people who are not playing the game to see it from the perspective of the player. In Survivor 48 episode 9, we see this come to play as Eva Erickson attempts to navigate a dark beach for her shot at an advantage.
Rachel and Jeff explain what players can't see without the night vision
As technology has improved, the quality of images for many shows, including Survivor, has also improved dramatically. For the reality show behemoth, the iconic night vision has especially stepped up and changed what we can see and be a part of as viewers. On the latest episode of On Fire with Jeff Probst, the official Survivor podcast, Jeff and season 47 winner Rachel LaMont explain the variables.
Jeff explains first how night vision has changed over time.
"Cameras today have the ability to see more with even less light, and that's really increased our ability to shoot at night and have a nice image. Same with Tribal Council, you mentioned going from night to color. We shoot Tribal in full color, but we shoot it with many less fire lights than we used to need. And we're getting a better image than we ever got."
Jeff also points out that we, as viewers, may not understand the full picture, given the quality of the image that night vision currently produces.
"The one misleading thing you've got to remember, when you see that night vision, it makes you think as an audience member, 'Oh well, the players can see what they're doing'. As Rachel said, you can't. It's pitch black."
Rachel echoed this sentiment, explaining how players attempt to navigate without sight. "I'm running into everything," she said.
It is this fact that makes what Eva pulled off in Survivor 48 so incredible. While the scene with Shauhin Davari and Joe Hunter is comical, the fact that only Shauhin even knew Eva was missing is a credit to her impressive ability to stay stealthy and navigate calmly and effectively.
As fans, we often forget that what we see is not what players see. Whether that be conversations and strategies or other alliance members, idols that are sitting right next to a player, or night vision that is pitch black from the player's perspective, castaways do not have all the information available to them. Viewers should remember this, and not only give players a break for mistakes, but also credit them for pulling off challenging reads and events. In this case, the one deserving credit is Eva.