CHAPTER 21

Remote Production

“Live remote events are the core of television. They are the one thing television can do that no other medium can match. There are things movies can do better, there are things radio can do better, but no other medium can bring you a visual report of an event as it’s happening.”

Tony Verna, Director

Coordination meetings: These meetings provide a forum for all parties involved in the production to share ideas, communicate issues that may affect other areas, and ensure that all details are ready for the production.

Remote survey (recce): This site survey assesses the venue and determines how, where, how many, who, what, and how much.

 

Today’s television production equipment is highly mobile, and able to access any location. There are times when the only way a show will be authentic is to get out to the event. Most remotes are live productions, with the director having little or no control over it, requiring the crew to cover whatever happens. However, other remote productions, such as dramas, have scripted (controlled) productions. Remote productions, other than news, usually utilize multiple cameras. As mentioned in earlier chapters, single-camera remote productions are generally referred to as ENG (electronic news production) or EFP (electronic field production). In this chapter, we will use remote productions to refer to both multicamera and single-camera productions.

WHAT IS A REMOTE PRODUCTION?

Any production that occurs outside of the studio is considered to be a remote production or an outside broadcast (OB). Remote productions include all kinds of events:

 News events

 Sports events

 Parades

 Concerts

 Award shows

 Telethons

 Talk or variety shows that are “on the road”

Remote Production versus Studio Production

Both of these types of productions have pros and cons. Studio productions provide the maximum amount of control over the subject. The lighting and audio can be minutely controlled, providing the perfect levels for the production. Studios provide a clean location that is usually impervious to weather conditions and has full climate control.

However, there are times when the crew has to be on location. Remote locations can provide context and an exciting atmosphere (cheering crowds; see Figure 21.1). While weather can disrupt or even cancel a remote production, when the weather is nice, natural lighting and outdoor scenery can provide stunning images. There are also times when it is actually less expensive to shoot in the field than to rent and schedule studio time.

FIGURE 21.1
NBC decided to interview Michael Phelps after he had won his eight Olympic gold medals, outside and with a crowd as the backdrop to provide an exciting atmosphere.

Shooting on Location

Remote productions require anticipating what may happen. It is essential to assemble a team that can anticipate what is going to happen and know how to deal with it. The crew must be able to work well together and plan for contingencies in case something goes wrong.

The more familiar the crew is with an event—especially a news or sports event—the better they can cover it. Understanding the intricacies of the event allows the director and talent to clearly communicate what is happening.

THE SINGLE CAMERA ON LOCATION

The single-camera production has some important advantages. It is extremely mobile, and thus easily relocated. It can be surprisingly unobtrusive. It is largely independent of its surroundings, and it is economical (Figure 21.2).

FIGURE 21.2
ENG camera crews cover a press conference with a government official. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Defense, by Cherie A. Thurlby)

Typical Setups

Single-camera crews come in all different sizes, depending on the goals and the size of the production budget:

 One-person single-camera crews are increasingly being used by many news stations, sports shows, and documentaries. These operators run the camera, a microphone, and even an on-camera light. Some may even act as the reporter (Figure 21.3).

 Two-person single-camera crews are often made up of a camera operator who is responsible for the camera and a second person who is the reporter/director and may be responsible for the audio.

 Three-person single-camera crews are usually made up of a camera operator, an audio person, and a director/reporter (Figure 21.4).

Power Supplies

Professional video cameras normally require a DC power supply, which can be obtained by using an AC power adapter or batteries, or even by plugging into a car’s cigarette lighter or DC outlet. Batteries come in all different configurations. Some batteries fit on the camera, others fit in a compartment under the camera, and some are designed to be worn on a belt to spread the weight around (Figure 21.5).

FIGURE 21.3
This one-person ENG crew writes the stories, does the reporting, and runs the camera, microphone, and on-camera light.

FIGURE 21.4
This three-person single-camera crew is made up of a camera operator, a boom mic operator/audio person, and a reporter/director. (Photo courtesy of Andy Peters)

Batteries cannot be taken for granted. Carelessly used, they can become unreliable. Correctly used, they will give excellent service. Always carry spare batteries with you. How many depends on the nature and duration of your project and your opportunities to recharge exhausted cells.

SINGLE-CAMERA SHOOTING

Handling the Camera

If you are using the camera shoulder-mounted, make sure that it is comfortably balanced before you begin shooting. Try to use the camera as an extension of your body: turning with a pan, bending with a tilt. With your legs comfortably braced apart, turn to follow movement—preferably from a midway position between the start and end of the pan. Learn to shoot with one eye looking through the viewfinder and the other open, seeing the general scene. (With practice, it’s not as difficult as it sounds.) You stand a better chance of walking around without an accident this way than if your attention is glued to your viewfinder’s picture alone.

Even though its image is magnified, you must look carefully at the viewfinder picture to detect exact exposure adjustments. You can overlook something intruding into the frame that will be very obvious on a large-screen television monitor. Distracting, brightly colored items can easily pass unnoticed in a black-and-white viewfinder.

FIGURE 21.5
Left : Most professional cameras use a battery that attaches to the back of the camera. Right : The news photographer is using a battery belt to power his camera. Belts help distribute the weight of the battery around the body. (Photos courtesy of Matt Giblin and Thom Moynahan)

Walking should be kept to a minimum while shooting. If you must move, slightly bent legs produce smoother results than normal walking. (Practice to see what you find comfortable and effective—and critically examine the results.)

Table 21.1 is checklist that is helpful when working with video equipment.

Lens Angles

Generally speaking, avoid extreme lens angles. A wideangle lens makes camera-work easier, and slight jolts are much less noticeable. However, everything looks so far away. Moving an extreme wide-angle lens closer may seriously distort the subject, which might actually be okay unless the subject is a person. With an extremely wide angle, you imagine that you have much more space to maneuver than you actually have, and are liable to trip or walk into things in the foreground.

Long telephoto lenses produce unsteady shots, and focusing can be difficult. On handheld cameras, they are often suitable only for brief stationary shots while holding your breath. A little wider than normal is probably the best compromise.

If you have a camera assistant, while walking around and shooting you can be guided by a hand on your shoulder, particularly when moving backwards. Walking backwards unguided is at best hazardous, and at worst foolish, unless you are on an open flat area without any obstructions. People can move toward you a lot faster than you can hope to walk backwards.

FIGURE 21.6
Camera covers can protect the cameras from dust, rain, and snow. (Photo by Josh Taber)

Automatic Controls

Automatic controls such as autofocus and auto-iris provide a safety net when you do not have the opportunity to control your camera accurately by hand adjustments. But remember that automatic controls are far from foolproof and should be used only in certain situations.

Audio

You can adjust the audio system manually, or switch it to AGC (automatic gain control). In the manual mode, watch the volume indicator for sound peaks. If they are far below the upper level (100 percent modulation/0 VU), increase the audio gain until the peaks reach this limit. But remember, if anything louder comes along, it will probably distort. Switching to AGC instead will protect against unexpected overloads, but may bring up background sounds and smooth out the audio dynamics, as mentioned in Chapter 14.

Storing the Gear

Before putting the camera away at the end of a shoot, camera care should be a priority:

1. Cover the lens using a lens cap or filter wheel or just close the iris.

2. Make sure that all equipment is switched off.

3. Remove all camera accessories (light, mic, cables, etc.).

4. Remove all recording media and replace with fresh ones if appropriate.

5. Clean and check all items before storing.

6. Make sure that the camera is safely stored in its case.

7. Replace any worn or damaged items.

8. Check and recharge batteries.

MULTICAMERA REMOTE PRODUCTION

Although a single-camera production has its advantages, there are many production situations in which a single camera has little hope of capturing much more than a glimpse of the event, and multicamera coverage is the only answer:

 When coverage from different viewpoints is to be continuous and comprehensive

 When action is spread over a large area (a golf course)

 At an event where there is no time or opportunity to move cameras around to different viewpoints

 At a “one-time-only” event (demolition of a bridge)

FIGURE21.7
Sample of a small event remote survey form.

 When the location of action continually changes (sports field of play)

 When cameras can not move to new angles or locations (because of obstructions)

 If cameras must be concealed, or located in fixed places

 When you cannot accurately anticipate where the action is to take place

Multicamera Planning and Preparation

Multicamera productions have a number of aspects that make them quite different from ^-studio productions or single-camera productions. Because they are larger productions, requiring more equipment and personnel, they need much more planning and preparation regarding the basics, such as whether there is power, how long the cables need to be, whether there is enough light—things you don’t need to think about in the studio. The following are discussions of some of these unique issues.

PRODUCTION MEETINGS

Production meetings, also known as coordination meetings, are essential to the planning phase of a multicamera production. These meetings provide a forum for all parties involved in the production to share ideas, communicate issues that may affect other areas, and ensure that all details are ready for the production. Production meetings usually include event officials, venue management, and production personnel.

REMOTE SURVEY (RECCE)

Once the production team has a good general idea of how the event will be covered, a survey team should visit the shoot location. This visit must assess the venue and determine how, where, how many, who, what, and how much. The answers to these questions will provide the foundation for the production’s planning. The purposes of the remote survey are to:

 Determine the location for the production

 Determine where all production equipment and personnel will be positioned

 Determine whether all of the production’s needs and requirements can be handled at the location

Areas that must be determined and assessed include: contacts, location access, electrical power, location costs, catering/food, security, telephones/Internet access, parking, and lodging. Figure 21.7 shows a sample remote survey form.

CAMERAS

There are many decisions that have to be made when it comes to cameras in remote locations. These can include:

 How many cameras are required to cover the event?

 What type of camera should be used (dolly, jib, handheld, POV)?

 Where are the best locations to place the cameras? Does anything obscure a camera’s viewpoint?

 Are special camera mounts required (scaffolding, jibs, etc.)?

 Are special lenses required (such as long telephoto lenses)?

 Where can camera cables be run?

AUDIO

Although audio may be one of the least-appreciated aspects of a television production, it is one of the most important areas of a production. Some of the issues for consideration include:

 What does the audience need to hear? How many mics are needed to cover the event?

 What type of microphone works best in each situation (handheld, lapel mic, -shotgun, etc.)?

 Stereo or surround sound?

 Can microphones appear in the shot?

 Wired or wireless microphones?

 Is the natural sound of the location a problem (traffic, crowds, airplanes)?

Additional information about the remote survey is covered in Chapter 4.

REMOTE PRODUCTION VEHICLES

The facilities needed to cover a remote production will depend partly on the scale of coverage and partly on the nature of the event. Production trucks vary in size from very small to very large. Other vehicles could include cars, motorcycles, golf carts, boats, and helicopters. For example, marathon coverage might include a few stationary cameras, a couple of handheld cameras, a motorcycle with a camera to stay with the lead runner, and a helicopter or two to get the long-shot/“big picture” images that establish the scene. It always comes down to the event and what you want to accomplish.

Remote Production Truck/OB Van

The most common unit for remote productions is the remote production truck, otherwise known as an outside broadcast (OB) truck or van. These units vary in size from a small van with two or three cameras to a large truck with more than 20 cameras (Figures 21.10 and 21.11). They provide a full broadcast standard production control center with complete video and audio facilities. The trucks include everything needed to produce a television program: monitor wall, video production switcher, audio, recording and playback decks, graphics, intercom, and anything else you might need for a remote production. See Chapter 3 for more details about remote production trucks.

The unit may be used in several ways:

 Parked within the action area (in a public square or at a sports venue) with cables extending to cameras at various vantage points.

 As a drive-in control room parked outside a permanent or temporary studio. This could include a public hall, a theater, or even a soundstage (usually used for film).

 The program may be recorded (and edited) onboard the remote truck, or it may be relayed back to base by a microwave link, data line, or some other transmission path.

FIGURE 21.10
Small production trucks are easier to drive into some locations but usually offer limited facilities.

LIVE TRANSMISSION

If an event is being produced for a live audience, the production’s signal must be sent back to a location in order to be broadcast, cablecast, or cybercast. There are a variety of transmission methods, discussed in Chapter 22.

Transmission trucks provide units that can be quickly relocated and provide broadcast-quality images and sound. Most systems provide a two-way communication link between the unit and base or studio (Figure 21.12).

Event Coverage

As in every other type of event, directors shooting remote productions must keep the axis of action in mind (Chapter 17), placing all cameras on one side of that line (Figures 17.9, 21.13, 21.14, and 21.15).

FIGURE 21.11
Large remote trucks offer more space and additional facilities but are difficult to maneuver within some venues.

FIGURE 21.12
Transmission trucks come in all sizes, depending on what is needed. This unit is a combination satellite uplink and microwave van.

FIGURE 21.13
In a meeting in which a speaker is speaking to a group of people, the axis of action is between the two. That means that all of the cameras must be on one side of the line.

FIGURE 21.14
Basketball is a horizontal sport, one that is directed by placing all of the cameras on one side of the horizontal axis of action (blue area) on the field of play.

FIGURE 21.15
Tennis is a vertical sport. In order to make the shots more interesting, the axis of action line runs across the court horizontally. Keep all of the cameras on one side in the blue area.

FIGURE 21.16
Baseball is a round action sport. There is no axis of action line, allowing the cameras to be placed anywhere. However, the director often needs to go to a long shot, re-establishing the location for the audience.

Sports Action

Sports productions are a bit unique, because the participants can be going all over the venue. Some venues are large (a car racetrack or golf); other venues are very small (a wrestling match). Events here are categorized by different types of action: horizontal, vertical, and round.

HORIZONTAL ACTION

Horizontal sports include basketball, soccer, American football, among others. The cameras are placed on a long side of the venue, panning right to left to capture the athletes’ action (Figure 21.14).

VERTICAL ACTION

One vertical sport is tennis. Although it is a sport that takes place on a rectangular venue, like basketball and soccer, the action is difficult to follow by the audience with two players hitting a small ball back and forth. Instead, the cameras are placed behind one of the athletes, looking over his or her shoulder at the other athlete. So the axis of action is located at the net (Figure 21.15).

ROUND ACTION

Round sports include auto racing and baseball. Because cameras are needed to cover the action the whole way around the circle or oval, an axis of action is not chosen. Instead, the director has to constantly re-establish the scene in order to avoid confusing the viewers. This means that if a camera has a close-up shot of a car as it drives around the track, every once in while a long shot must be shown to establish the current location of the car and where it is in relation to the other cars (Figure 21.16).

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Define a remote production.

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of studio productions and remote productions?

3. What are some of the suggestions for handling a single camera?

4. What are some of the challenges with extreme wide-angle and telephoto lenses?

5. What are some of the situations in which multicamera productions are essential?

6. Describe the three primary types of sports action and give examples of each type.

INTERVIEW WITH A PROFESSIONAL: TOM CAVANAUGH

Tom Cavanaugh, Vice President Production, NASCAR

Briefly define your job: I am responsible for content in all NASCAR on SPEED programming.

What do you like about your job? Creating and participating in a collaborative environment that promotes creativity and communication and acknowledges the breadth of talent and experience of the people I work with. Focusing on the ability to fail and then recover rather than playing it safe or avoiding mistakes quite often delivers a very successful operation. In the broadcast business the ultimate goal is to have that successful operation show up on the screen in the form of compelling content.

What are the types of challenges that you face in your position? Habits are the toughest thing to break and they are even more difficult to change when people don’t even realize they have formed a habit. So, change can be a big challenge but if you focus on giving feedback and developing a collaborative environment, substantial change will take care of itself.

How do you prepare for a production? It is important to make sure the obvious questions are asked and that typical assumptions are addressed. Stepping back and identifying the big picture storytelling elements helps to set up…everything.

 What is the storyline?

 Who are the stars?

 Who is the underdog?

 Where is the rooting interest coming from for the fans?

Productions really end up being quite simple because good stories are usually fairly simple…but we can get too “inside” and forget to tell the basic aspects of the story.

What suggestions or advice do you have for someone interested in a position like yours? Follow your passion and let your ability develop because you will usually be surprised by the potential you have when you find yourself in your element. You will know when you find it and basically you should never stop looking for it.

Tom Cavanaugh is the Vice President of Production of NASCAR at Speed and the owner of TC Productions. He previously served as the Vice President of Production at Wheeler Television, the Coordinating Producer at World Sports Enterprises, and a producer at ESPN.

INTERVIEW WITH A PROFESSIONAL: CINDY PENNINGTON

Briefly define your job: I coordinate all aspects of preproduction planning, technical crew management, and remote operations including: mobile unit location/parking, uplink and generator orders, camera locations, cabling, power, phones and Internet, credentialing, talent pick-ups/escorts, shipping, budgets, surveys, and reports.

What do you like about your job? My job allows me to travel across the country and to be part of some of the biggest events in the world of sports. I have the opportunity to meet and work with some of the best folks in the industry.

What are the types of challenges that you face in your position? How much time do you have? That is a tricky question to answer because each sport and each venue present their own challenges. Whether it be difficult cable runs, not enough space for our mobile units, or simply a grumpy athletic director who is not happy that we are onsite, there are always obstacles to overcome. That being said, it is my job to solve these issues and it is very rewarding to walk away from a show that has been successful.

How do you prepare for a production? I start with the basics, which is determining what the specs are for the show that I am working. How many cameras, tape machines, microphones, etc. Once I find out which mobile unit has been assigned for the show, I coordinate parking and power times with them. I call the venue and set a meeting with the broadcast and athletic directors to discuss logistics. I then build a technical survey that is distributed to the crew on arrival onsite.

What suggestions or advice do you have for someone interested in a position like yours?

 Start LOCAL! So many folks want to jump directly to the network and I strongly encourage people to take a job at a local television station in a smaller market where you can truly learn all aspects of TV so that you have an overall understanding of how the entire process works. Internships are also fantastic!

 Be persistent and network! This business is about who you know not necessarily how much you know, which can be frustrating at times. ESPN, in particular, covers events all over the country and we are constantly looking for students to work as runner and utilities on our broadcast. I encourage students to work as many events as possible to make those contacts.

 Work hard and be joyful!

FIGURE 21.17
Cindy Pennington, Freelance Operations Producer, ESPN.

Cindy Pennington is a freelance Operations Producer for ESPN.