Multi-Cam Production Blog

This Blog is for the Multi-Cam Production, we have to produce a quiz show to be recorded as-live and this blog shall be used to write up all the notes that we need as the written part of the assignment.


Studio Equipment
In our TV Studio we have 3 x Sony Z5 on pedestals, these can be used to adjust the height by "pedding up" and "pedding down", and 1 on the Jib Arm.
These camera's feed the video that has been captured through the signal flow to produce and image, the director then can choose which camera he wants to use for the next shot.


The majority of the crew wear "cans"; a headset that allows communication, the people who will mainly speak with them are the Director and occasionally the Floor Manager, they must not be used for gossiping.


There is also a STOB box; where all the cables from the studio are fed into the respective control rooms, this simplifies and improves the safety of the floor, as otherwise, there would be cables everywhere


Also we have 5 clip-on microphones that are clipped on in the direction of the host or on their lapel someone if they are the host, usually in the middle.


On the ceiling there is "The Grid" which is where all of the studio lighting hangs off and sometimes speakers which allows the studio to hear sound on VT's. Some Grids have movable sections which allow more intricate lighting styles, however fixed grids are equally as efficient.
Attached to the Grid are the speakers; called Foldback, these are necessary in order to play VT audio through to the studio, they can be rigged to play all audio, or just the directors voice.


There are various monitors dotted around the studio, These mainly show the line out from the vision mixer, and are useful if cameras need to match the shots. There is also a Floor Monitor, which is basically a television, that allows the studio to see the VT's or other relevant things.


A Dimmer pack controls the lights and as fuses do, will trip if too many lights are used, you can also change the brightness and the other functions.


The Jib Arm is a large counterbalanced frame which holds a camera at the top, as it is balanced so well, you needn't apply much pressure at all in order to move it, The Jib Arm, is mainly used for Wide sweeping shots at the start of the programme, and then for further wide shots throughout the programme. The Jib arm is especially good because a lot of experimentation can be used with it.


Studio Lights are very important to the studio set up; without them we would have to use the Houselights which deliver terrible lighting and makes it virtually impossible for the camera to pick up any sort of decent image. Studio lights have "barn doors" which helps direct and aim the light 
to help plot the light to exact specifications. Lighting is also very important as it ensures that the talent will stand out, also, where you place the lights can change the look of the talent, and if its placed correctly then the talent will look properly 3D. Lighting also helps focus, which helps draw the audiences attention. It can also help with the mood and feel of the set, with really bright lighting, the mood gets happier, and darker lighting makes everything look sulkier, although this is mainly used in Dramas, it can also help change the audiences feelings for the show, as if everything's bright, everything will be more enjoyable.


The Audio desk is in the Audio control room, it is used to keep the audio levels at the right levels for each contestant and the host, the main right level for this production is between -6 and +9.
Then on each individual microphone, a sound check will be carried out, then they will adjust the individual levels with faders. If audio levels change during the actual recording, then the faders will be moved higher or lower depending on the individual, If there is a time when everyone is talking at once and it peaks higher than +9, then the master fader can be brought down to the right level.


Crew Roles and Responsibilities
The crew consist of;
      Camera Operators; whose job is is to use the camera's and point it in the direction that the director wants to allow for the appropropriate shot. Common shots for TV quiz shows are MCU, CU's, Wide shots, 2/3 shots and over shoulder shots. The camera operators check their shots before the filming starts to make sure that they know what's available.
      Assistant Camera Operators help the Camera Operators, the make sure that they dont trip over the cables, and help them crab the camera left or right to ensure ease of use.
      Floor Manager's(FM) are the directors representative on the floor to ensure that the crew are doing everything that the director wants, and they generally have to think ahead of what the director will want, to ensure that the studio and the crew are fit to start filming, they'll also help during sound-checks and ensure everything that is supposed to happen, will happen. They are also in charge of telling the audience health and safety advice, such as fire escapes.
      Assistant Floor Managers(AFM) are there to help the Floor Manager, there are usually two of them to help the floor manager manage the floor. For our quiz show, the AFM had to keep tally of the scores.
     Sound Operators are in charge of all the audio work on the floor, there first job is to ensure the talent have secured omnidirectional mic's and then they will change the levels in the Sound room.
      Sound Assists will help with the sound checks of the talent, they are almost as useless as Assistant Camera Operators, although usually they will have more to do.
     Director, the director is basically "god", everyone does what they say and what they want, they are in charge of whats happening and will make sure that the show isn't screwed, everyone else does there jobs to help the director not kill everyone :) The Director also will work closely with the Vision Mixer, and will tell the camera operator what shot's he likes most of all, and may occasionally tell them to change shot.
      Vision Mixers (VX) changes the camera's and VT's that are "live". The Director will say the number of the camera, and the vision mixer will press the button which number that the camera represents.
       Assistant Directors (AD) will help the Director if they stop Directing, or if he can't remember his train of thought, also they have a stopwatch and have to tell the director how long all the VT's are so he can tell the VX when to switch.
        DVD Operators are in charge of cueing the necessary VT, the Director will tell them, and they will play the VT. DVD operators can get quite confused and mess up the show if they play the wrong VT accidentally, as this may give away the answer, or just may not be relevant at the time.
      The Talent, are the people being filmed, it's their job to ensure that the show is fun and make sure the audience will want to watch.


Studio Protocol
No Running, because you'll either hurt yourself, somebody else or the equipment.
No Food or Drink in the studio, as spillages may occur, and that'll damage things, it'll probably make the floor or the equipment sticky and that's not good.
Anyone using the cans needs to keep their conversation brief and to the point, also you musn't ever talk over the Director, or to that point anyone because then no one can hear anything that anyone is saying.
The Camera Operators also musn't mess around, or point the camera's at the lights, as that could damage the silicone chip inside possibly leading to permanent damage, also the Camera Operators must lock the cameras when they are not in use.
Keep Cables away as these could cause injuries if somebody trips over them.
Do what the Floor Manager says if its on the floor, because it's usually what the Director wants.


Signal Flow (both Video and Audio) and the Technical Rig
Everything that the camera picks up is turned into a signal which then goes through a converter in the camera through the SDI into the STOB box on the wall. Now, from the STOB, the Visual information goes into the RACK which then is sent to Technical Control where everything like exposure and the technical stuff can be changed around, then it goes into the Vision Mixing Panel which is where all the different shots can be chosen for the show, these are all chosen using a Programme Bus, which is a horizontal row of buttons with each number of camera on. These all go into the Hard Disc Drive, and from there it all gets recorded.
The Audio however, is different, The Personal Clip-on Mics and the 2 Audience Microphone's into the STOB which then goes into the Audio Control Room via a wireless system, these then go into the Audio Desk, which can control 12 Microphones, the sound operators use the Sound Mixing Panel to keep all of the microphones at the same volume so all of the sound maintains the same sort of volume and power, then from there it goes into the Hard Disc Drive.


Camera Shots and Moves
When the camera pedestal moves left or right it's called "Crabbing"; Moving left is called Crab Left; and moving right is called Crab Right.
Pedding Up and Pedding Down is when the pedestal moves up and down.
Panning is a nice slow movement of the camera, like tilting when you slowly move the camera using the levers on the back, the camera operator uses these levers to tilt and pan the camera.
The pedestal should be stationary while panning. Tilting is quite like Panning, but it is when the camera moves left and right.
Dollying is when you move closer or further away from the subject.
Close Up (CU) is a zoomed in shot. The talent's eyes should be on the top third, which should leave a small amount of head room and the bottom of the shot should be just below where a tie would be. You can also have close-ups of other important objects.
Mid-Shot (MS) is another shot in which, yet again the subject's eyes should be on the top third,l and the bottom of the shot should be on their hips and yet again the top should have enough head room.
Medium Close Up (MCU) is taken from the chest to the head, the eyes should be on the top vertical line, and the bottom of frame should be the bottom of an imaginary tie-knot.
Two-Shot (2S) is a shot that includes two subjects in it. They should be equidistant and their eyes should be on the top third, you can solve this by shifting up the chairs so they are at equal height.
Over-Shoulder (OS) An over shoulder shot is a shot that is taken from behind someone of someone else. They can add oft-needed variety in some shots, as a sequence of "normal" shots can look dreary and tiresome. They also offer some experimentation.
Wide Shots (WS) are often used as an establishing shot, this is a shot of the whole set, it often shows the lighting, sides of the set and the audience will usually be in shot. They basically will show the whole of the subject.
Framing of shots is also important, framing uses the Rule of Thirds, which is where the shot is divided into nine equal sections, with three equal sections vertically, and three Horizontally. Where these lines cross are called "power points" and are the largest areas of focus when viewing the shot. When framing a typical MCU shot in a TV quiz show; the eyes should always be on the top vertical third, this is ensured by making sure there are three fingers of head room.


DVD operations and insert requirements
The DVD is quite easy to use as on the script it'll tell you what Tracks are needed and when. As a DVD Operator, you must let the track run through the title, and then pause it on the black, the Director will then say DVD and then you press play and hopefully it'll work. Also each separate track should have at least 10 seconds of empty space either side of it to help the DVD Operator know how long it'll be, Even "Still Images" have a length, usually of about 10 seconds.
All VT's must have black before and after them to ensure the DVD operator has something to pause on. Once the necessary clip has finished, they should get started cueing up the next VT. They should also then call DVD Ready through the talk-back, to let the Director know if they are ready. 
The VT's are combined on a DVD on some sort of editing software, with a title that clearly shows what the VT is, this is then exported as a Quicktime MOV and added to the DVD in separate tracks, once this is complete, a cue sheet is produced to let the DVD Operator know the details of each tack so they can be fully prepared.


Directing and Directors Calls
Director's are basically God in the studio, they decide what shot to use, but they also follow the script so the script has to be very useful, the Director will say over Talkback what camera he is going to use next, just so the camera operator doesn't change the shot and it usually goes something like this; "2, 3, 1, 3, 1, 2, 4, Good shot 4, crane upwards, 3; bit more head room, 2, 1..." Also at the start they will make sure that the floor is ready and everone else is ready.
The director will use the command "Cut" to express to the Vision Mixer that he wants to cut to another camera, e.g. "Cut Cam 1" These short sentences allow the director to get a lot of information out in a short time. The director will also let the camera operator know if he wants them to Crab or Ped by stating there name and then choosing a call, such as  "Neil Ped" which to anyone else wouldn't mean anything, but yet again it is a small easier nugget of information.
The DVD Operator will only ever hear "Roll VT" and this is his cue to press play on the already cued up VT, they must be prompt as otherwise this could hold up the whole show.
The Director will also say "Cue" a lot, such as if he wants the FM to cue applause, he will say "cue applause". The director will also ask if the floor is ready before filming commences, and the FM will answer back "Floor Ready".


Programme Rundowns
A programme rundown is a list that shows the order of the contents of the show, including details on VT's; the length and a small description of the VT, Timings; when to cue inserts, and other necessary information.
It's basically a script without the speech, that shows what comes after what, these are essential for running the show with maximum ease, and without them, nobody might know what is due to happen, and the show would fall apart.


Planning Camera placements and shots
There is a lot to consider when planning camera placement and the necessary shots; firstly, who is the subject of the shot, as this has a big role in choosing the shots that will be used, e.g. if it is the host's camera, in our case Cam 2, it will usually stay on a MCU for the duration of the show.
Our studio is equipped with four cameras, all of which played a role in our quiz show.


Camera 1 and 3 have basically the same job as each other, just with different teams as the subjects. The most common shots from these cameras as 2 shots and Over Shoulder shots, although MCU's and maybe even 3 shots can be used occasionally.


Camera 2 is the host's camera, it is placed directly in front of the host, if we had an autocue, it would be connected to this camera, the main shot from here will be a MCU, this is mainly used as a safety shot if the director hasn't quite decided on the necessary shot. Another shot that can be gained from this camera is a 3 shot, these are experimental and useful if used in the quickfire rounds to prevent excessive switching.


Camera 4 is attached to the Jib Arm and is used for wide shots of the studio when cutting too and from Ad Breaks, it can be used very experimentally if the director wishes.


Planning Audio Coverage
All the VT inserts should be tested when you plan audio coverage; the levels should be at a range usually between -6 and +9db; this is also the perfect range for any audio required in the studio.
The sound operators will adjust the personal microphone levels during a sound check; this will depend on the individuals voice levels and will involve the floor manager conversing with the Sound Operator to make sure the talent have a good chat.


Talkback Protocol and Usage
Talkbacks/Cans are headphones worn and used by most of the crew members to ensure that everyone can communicate directly and efficiently, The director is the main person who uses Talkback, as is the floor manager, it's vital that the Director and Floor manager always have contact in case of emergency on the floor, talkbacks should only be used when completely necessary, they are not appropriate for social use, or for whinging about nothing, as somebody could miss an important call from the director, Camera Operators should only speak if they really need to as a question can be asked by tilting the camera up and down to signify a nod, or pan left to right to signify a negative response.


Planning and Designing a Set
Colours are the most important thing that needs to be chosen while planning and designing a set; Which colours stand out? What colours will look right on camera? What tone of colour to use? and Which colours compliment each other best? White tends to bounce light and so will look too bright on camera, and some lack the visibility needed such as yellow. 
The art designers get together and ask and consider all of these questions, once they find the best option, they will draw up a plan and a model for what they are planning and then will confer with the rest of the art directors, and then finally consult the rest of the production team to reach the final conclusion.
Once the design has been finalised, the construction begins, which usually involves a lot of man power and a lot of paint, they will also make sure the plan sticks to the strict deadline to ensure it is ready for the final show.


Scripts and Calls
Scripts are quite interesting to write, yet really hard to get your head around at first; Everything to do with the Visual Goes on the left side and everything to do with the Audio goes on the Right


I'll give you a brief demonstration:




CAM 2                                 / HOST
MS Host                                 Hello and Welcome to the show! etc etc.
DVD                                    / DVD
Tk 02 Celebrity Round               Music                    Dur. 10"


As you can see it covers everything, the Camera and the shot type and who it concerns, in this case its Camera 2, a Mid-shot and it's towards the Host, Camera 2 is always the Host's camera. Then you can see the Hosts dialogue
The second bit is for an insert, It's a DVD insert, Track 2 , and it lasts for 10 seconds.
Everything in a script is atleast Double Lined, this is because of changes that might occur at the last minute, so never be scared of wasting paper, Multi Camera Television Scripts are not Eco-Friendly. The script covers everything that everyone needs to know and are thus essential for the finished product to happen, and hopefully it will ensure that everyone does what they need to.


Efficient Rehearsal and Recording Practise
Before starting actual rehearsals we had 2/3 sessions to slowly wean everybody on to the idea of what needed to happen, basically, there were two contestants who asked each other a series of questions. This helped us get the necessary practise with the equipment and the terminology used   in a multi-camera production.
We then moved on to rehearsing Group B's programme, as ours wasn't ready, and by the end of the two days
The first role I undertook was that of Assistant Camera Operator, which consisted of holding the cables and helping to move the camera when the Camera Operator needed it.
The Second role I did, was that of AFM and for that I basically just kept the scores of the contestants
The third role I did was as a Floor Manager, so I was the directors representative on the floor and made sure everything was done.
The final most important rehearsal role I undertook, was of an Audience member, for this I had to applause when signalled too and laugh when told too.
The roles I undertook for the rehearsals on the day were, assistant director and DVD operator, The latter I found easy if not a bit boring as all I had to do was cue up the VT's, but the former I was slightly confused with as I didn't really know what it was that i needed to do, apart from inform the director of the lengths of VT's.


Tech Rehearsals 
As I wasn't much involved in the Technical aspects of the rehearsals, or indeed the actual recording, I can't really comment, although from what I do know, There were some issues with VT's being cued up properly, although I'm sure this was more a fault of the operator, rather than the DVD, as others that came previous or followed had none of the strain she did.
Also I believe some Microphones dipped, but really after the first few rehearsals everybody really settled into their stride and gained the confidence they needed, as during the actual recording everybody was relaxed and happy.