CHAPTER 1

OVERVIEW OF EQUIPMENT AND POSITIONS

The Studio and the Control Room

Introduction

The process of Studio production  task of learning how to operate the Machines of tv
production.

The Television Production Environment

1. The studio
- Where the set is located
- Anchor (presentador): deliver from anchor desk

2. Control room
- Attached to the studio by common wall
- Control the operations of studio

3. Post-production
- Where video-editing activities are conducted
- As most stations have moved to video file servers editing can occur
anywhere

4. Master control
- Transmission control of the tv station itself
- Pre-recorded programs, advertising, promotions… managed here

The Studio I

The Physical Space

Studio
- designed to control light and sound
- the floor is flat and clean so that cameras can move smoothly around set
- walls constructed of many types of materials (cinderblock, brick…) and
ideal studio shaped like an egg

- Cyclorama common and there are two or
more that surround most of studio
Cyclorama (cyc):  a curtain or flat fabric panel
that is available as a backdrop in the studio.
Usually, cycs help to absorb echo and are non-
reflective.

Hard Cyc:  a chroma key colored cyclorama

(cyc) made of hard material (typically in the
- Hard Cyc used when utilizing software-
shape of a skateboarding quarter-pipe (or one
generated “virtual” sets half of a clam-shell)).
 - ceiling painted black prevent light reflection and ceiling height allows
efficient removal of heat (generated by halogen lighting systems)

- prominent feature near ceiling is lighting grid, made up of pipes (battens)

and the lighting instruments (any light in studio) hang from these using large
C-clamp mounts (allò utilitza el papa per aguantar algo amb Loctite), 3 feet
apart aprox.

- In the studio or control room find lighting board or console to computerize

lighting instruments. Gaffers, the responsibles for hanging and aiming
(apuntar direcció) the lights. Usually, they are certified as electricians.

Studio Television Cameras

Typical studio (cameras)

- Equipped with 3 studio tv cameras
- Cameras non-format specific
- Recording variety of video file formats (.mov, .mp4…)

- Video signal
- typically acquired in different image shapes or aspect ratios (shape of
image 4:3 or 16:9)
- can be acquired using 1 or 2 different Scan Protocol:  the manner in which one frame
scan protocols of video (one image) changes to the next frame
- the video signal that is generated of video. Scan protocols are expressed as “i”
for interlace scan and “p” for progressive
acquired utilizing different line scan.
resolutions (480, 720, 1080, 2160)

- Historically they did not feature on-board recording capability  Today, we

have flash memory tech (on-board recording capability).

Modern studios
- Equipped with at least SDTV (standard-definition cameras) and also, HDTV
(high-definition cameras) and UHDTV/4K (ultra-high-definition cameras).
ALL modern cameras are digital.
- Cameras are numbered, production personnel operate cameras  camera
operator, and they will be referred to by the number of the camera assigned.
If the cameras are robotic (control system located in control room), only one
camera operator controls everything.

The Studio II

The News Set

- Centered upon a desk where anchors (usually 4; 2 news anchors, sports and
weather) sit to deliver program, but rarely seat all at the same time.
 - Most studios, desk part of a permanent set that may include risers (platform
to raise the height of desk) and flats (vertical panels provide background or
“flat wall” to the rear (part del darrera) and sides of desk).

- Common type of flat wall  Duratran, large image printed upon transparent
material and backlit (il·luminat des del darrera). However, a common and
less expensive alternative  “fed” studio video monitors (LCD panels) or
video projection.

- Scene dock: where set materials and props are stored connected to the studio
and is accessible from the exterior of building.

- Multiple video monitors will be positioned throughout the studio and studio
personnel can see it from control room.

- Grip: production crew member responsible for studio set-up and assembling
the set.
- Tasked during production with other jobs

- Weather forecast, delivered from spot in front green screen or chroma key
colored wall located near the primary set.

- Sports news most commonly joins the news anchors at primary news desk
but can be located in the studio sub-set specifically created for sports. Set-
ups similar to weather.

Patch Panels and Signal Routing

Located in the wall of the studio (often in many locations) are hook-up jacks (endolls)
for audio, video, intercom… and other signals that pass between the studio and
control room.
- Hook-ups jacks are located together and called patch panels

Prior show  person responsible for audio control room (audio or A1) or dedicated
“studio” audio crew member (A2) will connect cables to route the audio signals from
microphones to patch panel.

*in some studios

1. audio is routed to the patch panel through an audio snake (cable) that
permits multiple mic hook-ups
2. use wireless microphones, audio operator need to system-check the
wireless transmitters and receivers during pre-prod.
The Studio III

Floor Director

- The boss of the studio

- Primary job: communicate or cue (donar senyal) with the news anchors
- FD can hear the commands of the Director using an intercom system that
links the studio to the control room
- Will cue doing voice commands or hands signals (when micro is active)
- Important to listen and watch the FD
- Communicates with the entire staff
- FD ideally has experience with operating cameras, lighting, set assembly,
audio… and help troubleshoot equipment problems
- Responsible for studio safety
- As the director’s eyes, ears and mouth in the studio, the FD is the ultimate
authority in studio once program begins.
- FD acts as the Director’s representative in the studio
- FD acts as a host in studio for the news anchors and guests in program and
helps them with microphones and “dress” the mic cables.
- FD and Director will use intercom system but staff cannot, as poor form for
the rest production staff

Talent

- Talent of news program, the anchors, work in studio during live portion of
program.
- Microphones put to them 10 min before program begins to do mic checks
- They review paper script
- FD review any unusual event for the program that follows with anchors and
rest of studio crew.
- In common network-affiliate newscast talent consist of  2 anchors (1
senior), weather and sports anchor

The Control Room

Equipment and Crew Positions

Monitor wall Audio console Video switcher Teleprompting computer

One or more Engineering space Section for recording the *Lighting board/console
graphics show and controlling
computers playback of pre-recorded
video
Monitor Wall

- It centers on 2 larger video monitors that display Preview (PVW) video

(positioned left) and Program (PGM) video (positioned right).

- Preview monitor shows the video source that is next or “on-deck”

for Program. Preview=Pre-Set (PST).

- Program video monitor displays the video source that is “active,

live, on-line” or “video signal that is being recorded or viewed at
home”.

- Surrounding 2 large monitors are smaller video monitors that will show
studio cameras, microwave feeds… and other video that can be activated to
Preview and Program

- Variation on the monitor wall is the use of multi-viewers, large monitors that
display multiple video feeds at same time. Divided into 2 larger screens
(preview and program) or smaller screen (video sources)

The Video Switcher and “Technical Director”

- Feature of the control room is video switcher, a video selection device. The
switcher controls the video sources that are activated to Preview and
Program and is operated by Technical Director (TD).

- video program: final video feed from video switcher

The Audio Board and “Audio”

Audio board
- Located control room or smaller adjacent room (audio booth or audio
control)
- Audio selection device operated by crew member called “Audio” or “A1”
- Audio program: audio feed from audio board (final mix)
- Audio monitors: located near monitor wall to permit control room crew
listen audio program.

The Production Crew I

The Graphics Computer and “Graphics”

Graphics Computer
- Operated by person called “Graphics”
- Can create, store and recall diff kinds of graphics: CG (Character
generation), SS (still-store), 2D or 3D animations
 - Still-store functions centers upon still-image processing (store high-
resolution images, capture images from other video sources (a frame
“freeze”), and access images from subscription image databases.

- variation of still-store capability is an embedded still image system

inside of the video switcher itself. So, quite possible that control
room have more than one in use

- Animation: 2D (graphics that move) and 3D (six-sided cube that rotates)

- Many control rooms separate CG, still store and animation function into 3
diff computers, workspaces and crew positions.

The Prompting Computer and “Prompter”

Teleprompting computer

- Located in control room

- Prompter
- transforms script for the show into scrollable video signals
to viewing system on the front of studio cameras

- controls the word processing and organization final script

for program and the final changes of script are made by the
teleprompter (operates prompting computer)

Playback
- Where television program is recorded and any pre-recorded material that is
needed for the show is controlled
- Responsible for operating any number of video-recording and video
playback (reproducció) devices (any machine that can play a pre-recorded
video clip)
- Today, pre-recorded material is played from a digital disk recorder
(recording device) or video server.
- Important many control rooms playback is located in an adjacent room (like
audio).
- Today, number and type of playback machines 2 devices (1 to record + 1 for
playback)
- They have letters (a, b, c…) on the devices not numbers, not to confuse with
cameras (1, 2,3…)

The Production Crew II

The Broadcast Engineer work:

- 1st all audio and video signal routing is his responsibility

- 2nd equipment troubleshooting
 Prior to and during show
- Is responsible for Camera Control Units (CCUs)
- Before show  engineer be sure to white-balance and register the cameras.
By using waveform monitor and vectorscope can adjust colors and values

- During show  engineer can use the CCUs to make adjustments to the iris
settings on camera lens (people that do that also called shaders) or to “ride
gain”

Assistant Director (AD)

- Responsibility of timing a show

- Uses a master clock to accomplish show timing
- Informs about how many minutes there are left
- Timing any pre-recorded material used for the show
- To handle the timings of everything the AD uses stop watch, that is old-
fashioned analog watch (60 min) rather than the more common digital stop
watch.
- AD job is to handle timing not to assist Director

*If station does not use AD, the Producer is the one that does

Another variation on the timing is use of video servers or DDRs that have
clocks by the control room.

Directing and Producing

Director

- Leader and supervisor entire production crew

- “cues” or “calls” to the production crew using intercom system
- Uses script to call audio and video transitions for duration of the program
- Director “cues” called the command cue language
- Familiar most crew positions and equipment
- During “live” studio Director is top personnel hierarchy but television
newscast co-creation between Producer and Director
- Director responsible technical execution

Producer

- responsible for content (scripts, stories and pre-recorded video clips)

- Prior to broadcast (transmissió)  Producer works with news, weather and
sports personnel to plan and construct the newscast (el noticier)
- Top of the hierarchy before program begins and after program ends
- Located in the control room during show
- If need to communicate with anchors, use of Interrupt Foldback (IFB)
system
And The Rest…

Set Designer

- Designs sets for particular program

- Hired from outside tv station or network
- Will create “blueprints” (plano) for program consultation with Prod and Dir

Lighting Designer or Lighting Director (LD)

- Designs lighting for particular set and works with set designer (often from
same firm)
- Lighting Director may oversee placement of lighting instruments and operate
lighting board

Media Asset Managers/Tape librarians

- Manage the video, graphics and audio assets of particular TV show,

station…