INTRODUCTION

“Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.”

Robert McAfee Brown

Changing Television

Although television technology is rapidly changing, you have to keep in mind that storytelling is still the key to a good television program: whether it is narrative, news, sports, or comedy, it always comes down to the story. Technology is very important, but it really is there only to help tell and support the storyline.

The change in the paradigm of television production has occurred quickly over the past few years and continues at warp speed. Originally, most productions took place in a studio with few shots created outside of those confines. Production was extremely expensive and only a few select people got to work on those shows. Today, the majority of productions are taking place outside of the traditional studio and the transmission methods have expanded far beyond the standard television box to the Internet, iPods, cell phones, and large screens. The low cost of equipment and distribution has brought incredible technology into the hands of almost everyone, allowing a student to use his or her simple camera and editing software to create a production that can be watched by millions online.

What we are finding is that the various media are not really competing with each other. Instead, when done well, these media can support one another. When traveling, you look at your phone; when at the office, you check out television programming on the web; when you want the highest-quality viewing, you watch a large-screen television in the comfort of your home.

What Is This Book About?

Many saw the future of television as HDTV on large screens in homes. Few predicted that while many countries were in the process of transitioning to the high quality of HDTV, there would also be an incredible demand for highly compressed (and thus lower-quality) video images that could be seen on cell phones, iPods, and the Internet. Although all of the related technologies are very important, in this book we focus on how to create quality video productions. We do not spend time working through how to compress video, codecs, or the specifics of various types of cameras and editing software. We instead deal with the overall areas. For the specifics, you will have to read the instruction manuals that come with the equipment or software.

Though our goal is to focus on the creation of programs, we are in the awkward position of bridging the transition between old and new techniques and technologies. The chapters in this book are laid out in a logical manner, starting with the foundations of television in Part 1. These foundations include an overview of the industry, a discussion about the role of the various crewmembers, a look at production equipment and facilities, and a review of how television works. Once we understand what the crew does and how the equipment works together, Part 2 covers the production process and scripting. Parts 3 to 5 cover the various components of the production such as the camera, graphics, lighting, backgrounds, makeup, audio, recording, and editing. Part 6 covers many of the specific production techniques that are used today in the creation of programs, and Part 7 deals with distribution.

In an effort to make the various production aspects more understandable, the book includes hundreds of full-color illustrations, updated equipment and techniques areas, new distribution methods, and teaching resources for faculty. Qualified instructors may access the teaching resources at www.routledge.com/textbooks/instructordownload.

We created this book in the hope of helping prepare you to create quality programming, whether you’re using high-end professional equipment or your mobile phone. We want to equip you to work in a variety of situations (news, documentary, sports, narrative, comedy, and so on), as well as to use different distribution methods (Internet, broadcast, PDA, I-mag, or others). We want you to get the best out of your equipment, creating projects that have a significant impact on your audience.

Ultimately, production is not a matter of knowing “which buttons to press,” but how to use your tools creatively. We hope you will discover how the techniques you use can influence and persuade your audience, hold their attention, develop their interest, and influence and kindle their emotions. For example, when your subject moves, should you move the camera to follow along, widen the lens’s coverage, or cut to another camera angle? It matters which methods you choose, because each one will have a different impact on your audience.

Who Is This Book For?

This book was created for anyone who wants to create quality video productions. It is for students and beginning professionals alike. We do not assume that you have previous production experience, yet the content is deep enough that beginning professionals can profit from it. Many times, we have used photographs and illustrations from the highest levels of production. The goal is to give you examples that you can adapt to any level at which you are working.

What Is New in This Edition?

 Over 30 industry professionals, representing various areas of the field, were interviewed for mini interview sections contained in each chapter. Some professionals interviewed have only been working in the industry for a couple of years, while others have worked in television for decades. They represent corporate, news, and entertainment. The result is a fairly comprehensive view of what it is like to work in the field of television production.

 Over 125 new photographs and illustrations have been added, including instructional images from a wide variety of contemporary sources.

 This latest edition includes new chapters on directing talent and distribution. Two chapters have been deleted, discarding outdated material and placing other content into other relevant chapters.

 Content has been updated to reflect the current industry.

Terminology

The majority of the terms that we use are the most common in the United States. However, as our industry becomes more global, we decided that it was important to also place the European terms in parentheses next to some of the U.S. terms.

Summary

The story is the key to quality programs, but it is essential that you understand what is required to produce the story. You may not be required to know the features of every piece of equipment, but you do need to understand enough about the equipment that you know how to use it to creatively tell your story. The bottom line is that it all comes down to you, not the equipment.

Jim Owens, September 2011