Introduction to TV Production
TV System
Four Stages of Production
Staff and Crew
Producing for Television
Television System
NTSC Standard
(National Television Standards Committee)
Standard for U.S., Japan, and Korea
4 X 3 Aspect Ratio
525 Lines
30 Frames Per Second
Scanned in "Fields"
Four Stage of Television Production
(1) Preproduction
(2) Setup & Rehearsal
(3) Production
(4) Postproduction
Four Stage of Television Production
1. Preproduction
- A very essential stage for a successful show
- Research and concept development
- Script
- Initial meeting of key members
2. Setup and Rehearsal
Setup for studio and control room
Rehearsal
- Out of studio and in-studio rehearsal
- Monitoring and revision of script
- Dress rehearsal
Four Stage of Television Production
3. Production
Live
- The final phase of the production
- News program, sports coverage
Videotaping for Editing
- Taping in segments for later editing
- Drama, advertising & PSA
Striking the Set
: The equipment and set is usually removed and the
studio or location returned to its original condition
Four Stage of Television Production
4. Postproduction
Creative control
- Selection of shots
- Juxtaposition
Special effects and graphics
- Computer technology: Non-linear editing
Audio
- Enhancement and modification or addition
The Television Team
Production Staff
- PD, DIR, AD, PA
Production Crew
- TD, AUD, FM, FA, CAM, CG, LD, SET, TAL
Golden Rule
“Try to be a good crew person for your fellow classmates when they direct, just as you will most certainly want them to be a good crew for you when you direct.”
Producer
Director
Staff and Crew in Production
Producers
Staff Producers
These are regular employees of a network, station, or production company who are responsible for developing and supervising program production. They are usually assigned to a specific division, or in the local level, working on a wide variety of shows.
Independent Producers
Independent producers are entrepreneurs who sell programming to network and stations. They assemble a creative “package,” which consists of the program idea, the script, the director, the performers, and the production team.
They are responsible for almost all network and syndicated entertainment shows.
Producers - Creative Aspects
A producer must be a creative individual – someone with a broad and varied background who is conscious of the world around him or her, sensitive to events, and able to undertake different responsibilities and varied program assignments. The producer must create a vision of the show – how it should look, how it should sound, and how it should communicate its message. To do this, the producer must move through a series of program-development steps.
To develop a program idea.
To begin background research.
To analyze its audience.
Producers - Organizational Aspects
Television is a complicated and technical medium that demands an efficient organizer to coordinate hundreds of different details.
The Program Proposal
This is a brief outline of the proposed program that is used by program executives in deciding whether or not to authorize you to begin production.
a description of the basic show idea (concept or premise)
format
Hook :some information which will help to sell the idea as unique
Producers - Business Aspects
The producer organizes a creative idea within financial constraints. Among the business aspects of the producer’s role are (1) creating budgets, (2) selling the ideas, and (3) understanding contractual obligations.
The producer’s roles
Developing an idea and analyzing audience.
Researching the idea and production feasibility.
Determining the production mode.
Developing the program outline.
Preparing the program budget.
Question to ask as a Producer
Who is target audience?
Why should audience watch?
When should audience watch?
How long should program be?
How should program be produced?
What are the production costs?
Is the idea doable?
Can you sell the idea?
How will you know if you’ve succeeded?
Six Quick Tips for File Server Editing
1. Although you may want to shoot everything on location that you think you could possibly use, when it comes to uploading or capturing this footage on a file sever or computer hard disk, you will want to use a bit of restraint. (You will have to eventually sort through all this!)
After reviewing the footage and making a rough paper-and-pencil edit, upload only the footage that you are reasonably certain you will use. Not only does excess footage take up valuable hard drive space, but prodding through this footage during editing adds considerable time to the editing process.
2. After the footage is uploaded, trim the front and back ends of the segments to get rid anything you're not going to use. This will also speed up editing and reduce storage space, plus, it will make the clips easier to identify on the editing screen.
3. Once this is done (#2 above), look for connections between segments; specifically, how one segment will end and another will start. Look for ways to make scenes flow together without jarring jump cuts in the action, composition, or technical continuity.
4. Find appropriate cutaways. In addition to enhancing the main theme or story they should add visual variety and contribute to the visual pace.
5. Use transition effects sparingly. Although some editing programs feature 101 ways to move from one video source to another, professionals know that fancy transitions can be distracting and can get in the way of the message — not to mention looking pretentious.
6. Use music creatively and appropriately. "Silence" is generally distracting, causing viewers to wonder what's wrong with the sound. Finding music that supports the video without calling attention to itself (unless, of course, it's a music video) can be a major task in itself.
The Role of the Director:
the director's job is to get the crew and talent to function as a team and in the process bring out the best work in each person.
Any director worth the title can stay on top of things when the crew, talent, and equipment perform exactly as expected.
The Directing Process:
For every audio or video event that takes place during a production several behind-the-scenes production steps are typically required.
Because production involves the activities of numerous crew members -- the number can range from 6 to more than 60 -- the director's instructions must be clearly and succinctly phrased.
Even the word sequence is important.
If the director says, "Will you pan to the left and up a little when you 'lose [your tally] light' on camera one," all camera operators must wait until the end of the sentence before they know who the director is talking to; and then they must remember what the instructions were.
However, if the director says, "Camera one, when you lose light, pan left and up a little," the first two words indicate who, the next four words tell when, and the last six words indicate what.
After the first two words, crew members know that only camera one's operator is being addressed. This will get the attention of the camera one operator, and the rest of the crew members can concentrate on their individual tasks.
The "when" in the sentence tells the camera one operator not to immediately pan and tilt, but to prepare for a quick move once the camera tally ("on-air") light is off. This may involve loosening the pan and tilt controls on the camera's pan head and being ready to make the adjustment -- possibly within the brief interval when the director switches to a reaction shot.
Even a two- or three-second delay can make the difference between a tight show and one where the production changes lag behind the action.
