CHAPTER 3

The Television Production Facility

“For live multicamera production, the control room is where it all comes together. The director has to be ready for anything.”

Don Mink, Director

Batten: The bar to which studio lights are connected.

Boom pole: A pole that is used to hold a microphone close to a subject.

Camera control unit (CCU): Equipment that controls the camera from a remote position. The CCU includes adjusting the camera, luminance, color correction, aperture, and so on.

Chroma-key: Utilizing a production switcher, the director can replace a specific color (usually green or blue) with another image source (still image, live video, prerecorded material, and so on).

Control room: The television studio control room, sometimes known as a gallery, is where the director controls the production. Although control room equipment may vary, they all include video and audio monitors, intercoms, and a switcher.

DVE: Digital video effect equipment, in combination with the switcher, is used to create special effect transitions between video images. A DVE could also refer to the actual effect instead of the equipment.

Flats: Free-standing background set panels.

Intercom: A wired or wireless communication link between members of the production crew.

Monitors: Monitors were designed to provide accurate, stable video image quality. They do not include tuners and may not include audio speakers.

OB van: See “Remote truck,” below.

Program monitor: Also known as the “on-air” monitor, the program monitor shows the actual program that is being broadcast or recorded.

Remote truck (also known as an outside broadcasting or OB van): A mobile television control room that is used away from the studio.

Sitcom: A situation comedy television program.

Studio: An area designed to handle a variety of productions; a wide open space equipped with lights, sound control, and protection from the impact of weather.

Switcher (vision mixer): A device used to switch between video inputs (cameras, graphics, video players, and so on).

 

Today, someone with a handheld camcorder and a very modest computer can produce results that not so long ago would have required the combined services of a large production team and a great deal of equipment.

Nowadays, the television camera is free to shoot virtually everywhere. The audience has come to accept and expect the camera’s flexibility. Whether the pictures that they are watching are from a camera in the studio or from outer space, intense close-up shots from a microscope or from a “critter camera” attached to a swimming seal, or thrilling shots from a skydiver’s helmet camera, these diverse channels are all grist for the endless mill of television programming, and they are accepted as “normal.”

PRODUCTION METHODS

The way to develop a production depends on a number of factors:

 Whether the show is live (being seen by the viewers as it is happening), or whether you are recording the action for subsequent postproduction

 Whether you shoot continuously, in the order in which the action will be seen, or selectively in an order arranged to suit the production’s efficiency

 Whether you are able to control and direct the action you are shooting, or whether you are obliged to grab shots wherever you are able

As new facilities have been developed, established methods of creating programs have grown. Wherever possible, productions are recorded, and have come to rely more and more on postproduction editing techniques—using all kinds of digital effects to enhance audience appeal.

FIGURE 3.1
On-location interviews can be difficult, due to the lack of control of the surroundings. (Photo courtesy of Sodium)

As you will see, although many situations involve little more than uncomplicated switching between shots, in others the editing process—which determines how shots are selected and arranged—becomes a subtle art.

All television productions have a number of common features—the specific skills required of the director and crew can vary considerably with the type of show that is being produced. The program material itself can determine how you present it. Some types of productions follow a prepared plan, and others have to rely heavily on spontaneous decisions. Let’s look at some examples:

Interviews and talks shows. Approaches here are inevitably somewhat standardized, with shots concentrating on what people have to say and how they react (Figure 3.1).

Newscasts. Most news programs follow a similar format. “Live-on-air” in the studio, newscasters present the news seated behind a central desk, reading from teleprompters and introducing stories from various contributory sources—preproduced packages, live onsite reporters, archive material, graphics, and so on. There also may be brief interviews, either in the studio or via a display screen. As newscasts are continuously reviewed and revised, there is a behind-the-scenes urgency, particularly for latebreaking news stories. The closely coordinated team is continually assessing and editing incoming material, preparing commentary, and assembling illustrations and graphics (Figure 3.2).

Sports programs. Each type of sport or game poses its own specific problems for the director. Shooting conditions vary considerably. On one hand is the relatively localized action of the boxing ring. On the other is the fast ebb-and-flow action of the football field. When presenting the wide-ranging action of a golf tournament, marathon runners, a horse race, or a bicycle race, will the cameras follow along with the action or shoot from selected vantage points? Sometimes, several different events are taking place simultaneously. Can they all be covered effectively on-air or will selective segments be shown on a delayed basis? In each case, the director’s aim is to always be “in the right place at the right time.” While conveying a sense of continuity, the camera must not only capture the highlights, but be ready to record the unexpected. Slow-motion replays help the commentators and audience analyze the action (Figure 3.3).

Comedy. Most comedy shows follow the familiar “realistic” sitcom format. The studio production is staged to enable the studio audience (seen or only heard) to see and react to the action. They can watch any recording or preproduced inserts on hanging video monitors. Additional “appropriate” laughter/applause or even “reaction shots” may be added during postproduction editing (Figure 3.4). Some sitcoms have been moved out of the studio and are now being shot in the field.

Music and dance. Productions can range from straightforward performance to elaborate visual presentations in which images (and sound) involve considerable postproduction (e.g., creating montages, slow-motion sequences, color changes, or animation effects). Particularly where the sound arrangements are complex, the on-camera performance may be lip-synced to a previously recorded soundtrack (Figure 3.5).

Drama. Drama productions usually follow a very carefully planned process in which the dialogue, action, camera work, and sound and lighting treatments are fully scripted. The show may be recorded continuously or in segments. Most drama today relies heavily on postproduction (e.g., adding sound effects, music, postsyncing).

FIGURE 3.2
The newscast studio. (Photo by Jon Greenhoe)

FIGURE 3.3
Television sports programs require the ability to predict accurately where the action is going.

FIGURE 3.4
Sitcoms are generally shot in a studio.

FIGURE 3.5
A jib is used to capture a concert. (Photo by Dave Grosz)

THE VENUE

Today, television productions are shot under a variety of conditions:

 In a fully equipped television/video studio

 In an extemporized studio, set up just for the occasion

 On location, in an existing interior (such as a public building)

 On location, in the open air

Each locale has its specific advantages and limitations. Although a studio has all the facilities that we may need (cameras, lights, audio), we have to face the fact that there is nothing to shoot there (except the walls) until we create a set of some sort, which then needs to be decorated and lit appropriately. The running costs of providing these conditions can be considerable.

On location, you may have a ready-made environment in which to shoot, and perhaps daylight to provide the illumination. But there are various new problems, from variable weather conditions and background noises to traffic and bystanders. You are normally away from your base, with its backup services (e.g., spare equipment, maintenance, and so on).

The Television Studio

Studios are designed to handle a variety of productions with their wide open spaces and their ability to handle power supplied to lights hung anywhere in the space. Studios are ideal, because they protect productions from the impact of weather such as snow and rain, they are independent from the time of day (productions can be lit as though it is daylight or nighttime), and they allow for sound control. They are used for many dramatic productions, news shows, and talk shows (Figures 3.6 and 3.7). Although in practice television studios vary from the modest to purpose-built giants, all seem somehow to share a certain indefinable atmosphere.

At first glance, a studio may have the feel of a deserted warehouse. It generally is well soundproofed in order to block unwanted sounds from being recorded on the program microphones. The acoustically treated walls are also designed to reduce echo. If you look up, you’ll see that the studio has been designed with a framework of bars or battens suspended from the ceiling. These battens are designed to hold all of the required lights as well as to support scenery. Once the scenery is brought in and the lights are hung, adjusted, and turned on, the atmosphere can become completely transformed.

FIGURE 3.6
The outside of a Hollywood television studio, or soundstage.

FIGURE 3.7
Talk shows are generally shot in a studio so that the director can control the surroundings. This studio is where Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show is shot. (Photo by Jennifer S. Altman/Landov)

The set may be permanent in studios, or a temporary structure may be built for a specific show. Furnishings and props are added to the set by the set designer/decorator. Once the basic set is in place, a lighting crew begins to position and adjust each lamp to a meticulously prepared lighting plot designed by the lighting director. The camera and sound crews move their equipment from storage into the opening positions, preparing for the upcoming rehearsals. Everywhere is urgent action: completing tasks, keeping the studio clean, and making last-minute changes.

To the first-time viewer, with the army of production personnel moving around the studio doing their own jobs, it can look like chaos. However, there really is a system in place that works. The various pieces of the production jigsaw combine to provide the show that has been planned and prepared. The cameras set up their shots and are seen on the monitor wall screens in the control room.

Within hours, the production will have completed rehearsals, the crew will have learned and practiced the director’s treatment, performances hopefully will have reached their peak, and the program will have been recorded or transmitted. And then, if it is a temporary set, the whole set will be “struck” and tucked away in storage or discarded; equipment will be stored and floors cleaned. And then it changes back to the original “warehouse.”

These are the conditions in which our theories and hopes become reality. And it is only when we relate our aspirations to the relentless pressure of practical conditions that we see television production in its true perspective.

THE TELEVISION STUDIO IN ACTION

During the rehearsal, the show is being monitored only internally. However, if it is a live transmission, at the scheduled time the studio video (pictures) and audio (sound) signals will be fed via the coordinating television control room to the recorders or immediately to the transmitters.

Although sets can be electronically inserted, most are free-standing panels referred to as flats. Many studios have “permanently” built-in or arranged scenery ready for their regular newscasts, cooking programs, interviews, and the like. Sets may include three-walled rooms, a section of a street scene, or even a summer garden. Each set is lit with lights that may be suspended from the ceiling, clamped to sets, or even attached to floor stands. It is hard to appreciate how much care has gone into the fact that each light has been placed and angled with precision, for a specific purpose (Figure 3.8).

Despite the number of people working around a set during the production, it is surprising how quiet the place usually is. Only the dialogue between the actors should be audible. Camera dollies should quietly move over the specially leveled floor, as the slightest bumps can shake the image. People and equipment move around silently, choreographed, systematically, and smoothly, to an unspoken plan.

FIGURE 3.8
Each light is meticulously placed for a specific purpose. (Photo by Tyler Hoff)

However, if you were to put on an intercom headset, you would enter into a different world! You would hear the continuous instructions from the unseen director in the production control room: guiding, assessing, querying, explaining, cuing, warning, correcting—coordinating the studio crew through their headsets. The director uses the intercom to guide the production crew. In the studio, the crews operating the cameras, microphones, lighting, set, and so on hear the intercom through their headsets—information that is unheard by the performers/talent or the studio microphones. The floor manager, the director’s link with the studio floor, is responsible for diplomatically relaying the director’s instructions and observations to the performers with hand signals (Figure 3.9).

FIGURE 3.9
The studio production center. Audio and camera signals are sent to the control room. The mixed signal is then recorded or transmitted live. (Photos courtesy of Fischer, Sony, and Panasonic)

FIGURE 3.10
Audio mixers receive a wide variety of sources.

Although a garden scene in the studio may not look real in person and up close, on camera the effect can be idyllic. A quiet birdsong can be used from a sound effects CD to complete the illusion.

Microphones, such as an attached mic or a boom mic, are used to capture the audio. In a nearby room, an audio mixer is responsible for mixing and blending the various audio levels, from the actor’s performance to the bird’s song (Figure 3.10).

When shows are broadcast live, they must be shot continuously. However, during a rehearsal or a show that is going to be recorded (it can be completed in postproduction), the director has the ability to stop and start. If the director sees a bad shot, has a technical problem in the control room, notices a problem with the talent, or doesn’t like something about the shot, he or she can tell the floor manager to stop the action while the problem is sorted out. Once the situation is remedied, the show can go on.

THE TELEVISION STUDIO CONTROL ROOM

The television studio control room, sometimes known as a gallery in Europe, is the nerve center where the director, accompanied by a support group, controls the production. Most control rooms are segmented into separate rooms or areas. However, there are smaller control rooms, or even one-piece switcher/monitor walls, that merge many of these operations into one area. A large control room has more room and flexibility, but requires more people. A one-piece system can be operated by one person but is limited in the number of cameras it can include (Figures 3.11 through 3.13).

The director can have many people trying to get his or her attention in the control room. Of course, there is another whole group of people in the studio. However, in the control room the director needs to review graphics, listen to the assistant director, and respond to audio personnel, video shaders, playback, the technical director, and sometimes the producer (Figure 3.14).

The director usually sits in the television control room—although sometimes sitcom directors prefer to be out in the studio—watching a large group of video monitors called the monitor wall (Figure 3.15). The smaller monitors show the displays from each camera being used, plus a variety of image sources such as graphics, animations, and satellite feeds. There are usually two larger screens. One is generally the preview monitor, which is the director’s “quality control” monitor, and which allows him or her to assess upcoming shots, video effects, combined sources, and the like. The second monitor, is the “on-air” or “transmission” monitor, which shows what is actually being broadcast or recorded.

FIGURE 3.11
Video switchers can have many sources sending signals to them. Keep in mind that each area listed in blue may represent one source or many sources, such as cameras. (Photo courtesy of Sony)

FIGURE 3.12
This one-piece system includes audio mixing, graphics, video switching, and the monitor wall. (Photo courtesy of Sony)

FIGURE 3.13
Control rooms take all different forms. In this situation, it is located right off the set in the studio.

The director’s attention is divided between the various input monitors, the selected output on the on-air monitor, and the program audio from a nearby loudspeaker.

As mentioned before, the director instructs the production team and floor crew through an intercom headset (earphone and microphone). In smaller productions, the entire crew is on one intercom channel, with everyone hearing everyone else’s instructions from the director. Larger productions utilize multiple channels of intercom, allowing fewer voices to be heard, which can reduce confusion.

Although some directors may prefer to switch for themselves, most directors utilize a technical director (TD). TDs are responsible for switching between the various video and graphic inputs on the switcher (Figure 3.15). The TD enables the production director to concentrate on controlling the many other aspects of the show. The TD may oversee the engineering aspects of the production such as aligning effects, checking shots, ensuring source availability, and monitoring quality.

Depending on the size of the production, there are a variety of other personnel who may be involved in the production, such as the lighting director, producer, and so on (see the list of personnel in Chapter 2).

Special effects may be added live or, if the show is not live and is being recorded, it may be more convenient to leave all video effects and image manipulation until a postproduction session rather than attempt them during production.

FIGURE 3.14
The director has a large group of people to deal with during a production.

FIGURE 3.15
Areas of the control room (blue) and the control room personnel (yellow). (Photo courtesy of PBS/Department of Defense)

As far as cameras are concerned, each studio camera’s cable is routed via a wall outlet to its separate CCU (camera control unit), where a video operator (shader) monitors the picture quality, checking and adjusting the video equipment as necessary (see Chapter 2 for job descriptions). The video operator is also responsible for color correcting the recorders and other image sources to match (color balance, exposure, and contrast) with the cameras. Video operators generally monitor multiple sources at the same time. The video operator’s position may be located in a nearby master control room or within the production control room itself. Other equipment, such as recording equipment, may be located in or outside the actual control room. These details differ from company to company.

Complex dramas and musical production require an audio mixer that not only has a good ear but also a great deal of dexterity and split-second operations. Incoming sources will include not only multiple studio microphones but discs, audio and video recordings, and remote feeds. At the same time, the audio mixer guides the sound crew on the studio floor by using the intercom. The audio assistants may need guidance to avoid a mic appearing in a shot and to avoid boom shadows, and may need action reminders (e.g., when talent is going to move to a new position).

SERVICES AND SUPPORT AREAS

Most studios have a variety of storage and service facilities nearby that help in the smooth running of day-to-day production. Their size and scale vary, but studios typically have the following:

 Makeup rooms (for individual makeup and in-program repairs; Figure 3.16)

 A green room with rest rooms where talent or guests can wait during production breaks (Figure 3.17)

 Dressing rooms (where performers can dress, rest, and await their calls)

 Prop and set storage space (Figure 3.18)

 Technical storage, where all the portable technical equipment is housed ready for immediate use, such as camera mounts, lighting gear, audio equipment, monitors, cables, and so on; this not only helps to protect the equipment, but keeps the studio floor clear

Various technical areas for electronic and mechanical maintenance are also usually located near the studios. The larger studios will even include a set shop, in which sets can be constructed (Figure 3.19).

FIGURE 3.16
Makeup rooms or areas are essential in maintaining the talent’s look.

FIGURE 3.17
The green room allows the talent to rest when waiting to go on-camera. This green room is from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. (Photo by Jennifer S. Altman/Landov)

FIGURE 3.18
Prop rooms store a collection of props that may be needed for a production.

FIGURE 3.19
Set shops are used by the larger studios to construct sets onsite.

Remote Production Facilities

Compared to studios, remote productions must face myriad difficulties, such as dealing with changes in weather, parking the remote unit, venue nonproduction personnel who may not understand the operations of a remote crew, electrical power, and unwanted audio.

However, as every event cannot happen in a television studio, mobile units have been designed to go on the road and capture the event where it is happening. They are really just mobile, self-contained television production control rooms. Basically, they are the same as the control rooms found within studios.

THE REMOTE PRODUCTION TRUCK

Remote trucks, sometimes called OB (outside broadcast) or production trucks, are the ultimate in mobile control rooms. These units not only contain the control room, but also storage for cameras, microphones, and other related production equipment (Figures 3.20 and 3.21).

Although the remote truck may include the same areas as the studio control room, they are generally much more compact. These units can take many different shapes and sizes, from 12 to 53 feet long—all depending on the need. Sports production units have a tendency to be very large, requiring large crews (Figure 3.22). Remote news production units are generally small and can be run by a few people.

PORTABLE FLYPACK CONTROL ROOMS

Remote units do not always have to be contained in a truck; sometimes they come in cases. Flypacks, or portable control rooms that can be shipped or flown into a location, can take a number of different shapes. Although a small system can be a simple one-piece unit, they are generally custom-ordered sets of equipment that can allow you to do anything a remote truck can provide. However, these systems are built into portable shipping cases that can be shipped to a location, avoiding the issues of driving a truck to the location. Like building blocks, the units can be wired together with a predesigned wire harness. Because these units can be shipped by a standard shipping company, they can be a very cost-effective alternative to a full remote truck. However, they do take more time to build once they arrive onsite (Figure 3.23).

FIGURE 3.20
The production area of a remote truck includes the same areas as the studio control room. It is the area where the director, producer, and technical director (vision mixer) are located to create the production.

FIGURE 3.21
Besides the production area shown in Figure 3.20, remote trucks also have a graphics area, a video record and playback area, a video operator area, and an audio area.

FIGURE 3.22
Remote trucks come in all different sizes and shapes.

FIGURE 3.23
Flypacks vary in size. Left: An all-in-one unit that is roughly the size of a laptop computer and contains a four-camera HD switcher, four-input audio mixer, graphics, and a small LCD monitor wall. Right: A made-to-order large flypack that could include many video and audio sources, large speakers, large monitor wall, test equipment, and so on.

THE PRODUCTION SWITCHER

The production switcher allows the director to edit live between the various program sources (cameras, graphics, satellite feeds, and playback units). Today’s switchers are quite varied, from high-end broadcast switchers, computer-based one-piece units, to limited ability video switchers available as an app for tablets and some mobile phones (Figure 3.25 through 3.27). The primary means of transition are:

FIGURE 3.25
A complex production switcher.

Cut or take. This instant change from one image to another is the most used transition during productions. It has been said that 99% of all transitions are cuts.

Dissolve. Dissolves are a gradual change from one image to the next and are usually used to show a change of time or location.

Wipe. The wipe is a novel transition that can take many different shapes (Figure 3.28). It shows a change of time, subject, or location. Although the wipe can inject interest or fun in the sequence of shots, it can be easily overused.

Fade. A fade signifies a dissolve transition to or from black.

See Chapter 16 for more information about switching.

The Wipe

Wipes, used as a unique transition between incoming images on the switcher, can be quite flexible. Most mediumand higher-end switchers allow wipes to be customized.

FIGURE 3.26
Collabracam allows one iPad or iPhone (director’s device) to accept wireless video streams from four other iPhones or iPads. The director’s device can also send out camera instructions and sends a “tally” signal to each camera when it is selected. Although the final program is a bit rough, it is easy to see where this technology can go in the future. (Image courtesy of Collabracam)

FIGURE 3.27
Some all-in-one switchers use a computer screen interface, requiring that you use a cursor to make your selections. Most of these companies also have devices available that allow you to switch on an interface switcher as well. (Image courtesy of NewTek)

Although the results are always geometrical, you can change them in several ways:

 Pattern size can be adjusted—expanded or contracted.

 Pattern shapes can be adjusted. For example, a square can be made rectangular; a circle can become an ellipse.

 The pattern can be moved around the frame: up/down, left/right, diagonally.

 You can control the speed at which the pattern changes or moves, using a fader lever or an autowipe button.

 The symmetry of the pattern can be adjusted.

 The pattern edges can be made hard (sharp) or soft (diffused). If sources are interswitched instantaneously, there will be a sharply defined division.

 A border can be placed around a pattern insert, in black, white, or color.

There are literally dozens of wipe patterns, but some typical examples are shown in Figure 3.28.

FIGURE 3.28
This illustration shows some of the wipe patterns that are available on production switchers. Video editors also have a wide variety of wipes available. (Image courtesy of Thomson/Grass Valley)

Chroma-Key

A significant option on many switchers is chroma-key. Chroma-key allows the director to insert one image onto another (Figure 3.29). It has endless applications, especially when combined with other video effects. Chromakey can simulate total reality or create magical, stylized, decorative displays. (Additional information concerning chroma-key virtual sets is provided in Chapter 12.)

For decades, chroma-key has been used to insert studio action “into” photographs, graphics, and video images. It has been used in all types of productions from interviews to opera, from “soap operas” to musical extravaganzas, from kids’ shows to serious discussions, and from newscasts to weather forecasting.

FIGURE 3.29
With the subject sitting in front of a green background, a secondary image (computer-generated news set) was inserted into whatever is green in the camera shot. The combined result makes it look as though the subject is actually in front of the background scene. Subjects within the master shot must not wear or contain the keying color (blue or green) or the secondary background will insert into those areas as well. The secondary background image can be anything: colors, still images, graphics, and/or recorded or live video images.

When preparing a chroma-key setup, begin by checking that the chroma-key area and subjects are suitable:

 Is the color of the background appropriate? Ideally, the green background (and floor, if necessary) should be of an even overall tone of chroma-key green. Another popular color used in chroma-key is blue. Some systems are more color-critical than others. Check that the painted chroma-key flats have a dull, even finish. Background or floor cloth should be stretched, without folds or wrinkles. The surfaces should be evenly lit. If they vary in brightness, it will be difficult to adjust the chroma-key levels correctly.

Synchronized Movements with the Virtual Set

In order to use a moving or zooming camera during a production that uses a virtual (chromakey) set, the inserted imagery must move in synchronization with the camera. Otherwise, the set (background) would stay the same size, no matter which camera was used, which creates a very unrealistic-looking set situation. Some form of a servo link is required to ensure that both operate in exact synchronism. Then, as the camera moves, proportional changes will be seen in both subject and background pictures. The combined results in the composite are completely realistic. Precise information is required about the camera’s floor position, height, shooting angle, and lens angle and must be fed into a computer, which correspondingly adjusts the background source. Even slight changes in the subject camera require the entire background picture to be instantly recalculated and redrawn to correspond if the composite is to be compatible. Entire scenic environments can be created artificially to enhance these shots. The background can be derived from a camera shooting, a photographic display, or a three-dimensional scale model, or computer-generated backgrounds can be used.

Digital Video Effects

Digital video effects (DVEs) can be designed into the switcher or may be a separate DVE piece of equipment. Like wipe patterns, some digital effects are rarely used, and others have become a regular part of production.

As you can see from Figure 3.30, an increasing range of visual effects is available. Some have a direct production value, some add an interesting new (for now) dimension to presentation, and others are for novelty.

It is not always obvious that an effect is being used. For instance, a digital effect may be used to fill the screen with a cropped section of a video segment, or to trim the edges of its image. A “graphic” showing a series of portraits could be displaying images from a DVE, combined with digital effects.

FIGURE 3.30
Here is a small sampling of the digital video effects that are available. (Images courtesy of Thomson/Grass Valley)

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Compare a studio and a remote production and explain the advantages and disadvantages of each one.

2. Explain the basic multicamera audio and video path from the camera and microphone in the studio to the final recorder.

3. What are the primary components of a control room?

4. What is the role of the director during a production?

5. List the four main switcher transitions and explain how each is used.

6. How can chroma-key be used effectively in television production? Give examples.

INTERVIEW WITH A PROFESSIONAL: BRYAN JENKINS

Briefly define your job: I am a consultant to education, government, and corporations regarding video production efforts in their facility, with their personnel, and among their practice.

What do you like about your job? I enjoy having a direct impact on the bottom line and assisting a facility to function better. I like helping clients make good equipment decisions and assisting them to create better procedure for effective operation.

What are the types of challenges that you face in your position? The challenges that I face are for my client to give me an honest perspective of their intent. What is it that must happen? What is the timeframe for the action? Sometimes clients are not open to the evaluation and do not want to make changes based on the recommendations. Finally, there is always the budget. Oftentimes the budget is just too low to accomplish the objectives. Many times the objectives can still be accomplished if we can be flexible.

How do you prepare for a production? My production preparedness begins with the vision of the executive production, producer, line producer, and the director. I must have a thorough understanding of what the objectives are and then what the budget is, then I can determine how to move forward (crew, equipment, etc.).

What suggestions or advice do you have for someone interested in a position like yours? My suggestions for an interested person are to be honest, resourceful, and respectful of the needs of your client, the crew, and the facility. All require different needs and attention in order to facilitate the needs of your production and bring success to the entire team.

FIGURE 3.31
Bryan Jenkins, Video Production Consultant

Bryan Jenkins has over 20 years of experience in education, cable, and broadcast television. He has worked on multiple Olympic broadcasts as well as projects for BET, Turner Broadcasting, and WSB-TV. He is the owner of Jenkins Video Associates, Inc.