Production Overview

Production- 2012-10-22

During live TV, multi-camera production I participated in 3 roles. These roles were chosen by the other group’s team leader. For one group I was a sound vision mixer. As the sound vision mixer I took on the role of taking mic checks, by doing mic checks this allowed me and the production manager to find the correct sound levels for the show. So I Put the Mic 1 and Studio mic 1 and studio microphone 2 control up to 0 one at a time and got each of the guests to speak so I could correct the sound levels. This helped the sound for the show be at the correct levels so it wasn't peaking too much! Then throughout the rehearsals I had to keep changing which microphone was being recorded accordingly to who was speaking at that time also making sure they wasn't peaking but if the presenters were a little quite I had to just adjust the microphone control making them higher for the exact sound level. As it was my first time being a sound vision mixer it all seemed quite confusing at the start when going through the rehearsal’s but after the rehearsal when the group was doing the actual live show, I found it more easier to use the controls as the rehearsals gave me some experience and chance to work out what to do at what stage of the production. I don’t think anything could have gone awful and I am also glad I took on this role because it helped me to learn how to use a piece of equipment that I had never used before. In improvement wise for the next production I'm in, in the future I could be more alert as I will know what I will exactly be doing; now I know how to use it.

For another group, the second role I participated in was being a gallery Assistant. The role of a gallery assistant is to have a stop watch and time from the start of the show. As it was a 10 minute live recording, in this instance I had to time from when the Welcome VT started right through to 10 minutes telling the gallery manager when there was 5 minutes...4..3..2..90 seconds..1 minute...30 seconds.10...5 I done this in order for the gallery manager to be able to tell the studio manager when there was 1 minute (signalling 1 with their hand) then when there was 30 seconds left (signalling a cross with their arms) and then when it got to 5 seconds left the studio manager would signal with their arms by crossing them and keep turning them over this informed the host that they needed to wrap the show up. I don’t think anything could of gone bad as it’s just pressing a button on the stop watch, being alert and more importantly, telling the gallery manager when there is 5 minutes..4 minutes etc.. left of the show. This role can get quite boring but it is an important job to help the shows production run smoothly. Like I said before I don’t think anything could have gone bad and for improvement aspects for the next production I'm in, in the future I don’t feel anything could be improved as I said it’s a straight forward job role!

Lastly the final job role I was allocated and took on was the role of being a camera operator, on camera 2. As the camera operator on camera 2 I had the job of focusing on the guests when they were speaking so I had to keep moving back a forth from guest 1 and 2 when told to by the gallery manager (Alex) and also listening to any instructions given from him like framing up or moving the camera to a certain point. The role of a camera operator isn't hard once you get the hang of it. I did enjoy being the camera operator as it gave me a chance to feel more involved in the production on set than being in the gallery all the time, and it wasn't difficult moving the camera from one person to another because the guests were mainly the same height so I didn't have to change the scale/frame of the shot at anytime during the live production. All I had to make sure of was that I was alert for when the gallery manager gave me important instructions. Also  I don’t think anything could have gone awful because like I said before it was a straight forward role and I am glad that I was given and took on the role because it allowed me to gain more experience operating the cameras.  The improvement aspects for future productions I feel I could be more alert as I did miss an instruction that was given by the gallery manager, not moving the camera in time, so the person recording and cutting through the shots couldn't focus on camera 2 that I was on until I moved it to the right shot needed. Apart from that I don’t feel anything else needs to be improved now I’ve gain more experience using the cameras.