Studio and Remote Shooting

2. 16 Studio and Remote Shooting

3. Objectives • Recall the specific characteristics of both studio and remote shooting. • Identify the types of monitors set up in the control room and the function of each. • Explain the differences between ENG and EFP. • Identify the items to be evaluated during a location survey. • Summarize the advantages and challenges of both studio and remote shooting.

4. Production Meeting • Attended by entire crew • Director explains message and vision of show • Crew tasks are assigned • Production dates discussed • Master production calendar is set • Production calendar distributed to entire team

5. Studio Ceiling • High—10’-20’ best for lighting and heat dissipation • If ceiling is too low: • Lighting instruments may appear in shot • Talent standing under instrument may be too hot • Air conditioning must work harder to keep heat levels down

6. Studio Walls • Sound treated • Keep outside sounds from entering • Keep studio sounds from echoing in large studio • Microphone jacks located around room

7. Curtains • May be any color; need to cover at least two walls • For max flexibility, curtains should cover 3-4 walls • May hang in attractive folds or be pulled tight • Never touch front side of curtain • Fingerprints leave greasy stain that attracts dirt • Significant cost to clean • If you must touch curtain, grasp from back side

8. Curtains (Cont.)

9. Studio Floor • Flat • Non-reflective—do NOT wax or polish! • Reflective floor causes loss of lighting control

10. Discussion What do hard concrete walls in studio and highly polished floors in studio have in common? Both cause the loss of a major production element: • Hard walls cause a loss of audio control because sound will bounce around in the studio, possibly even echoing • Polished floors cause loss of lighting control because light will bounce everywhere off the floor, destroying any creative lighting design

11. Scenery Units • Flat and jack • Mask seams between flats with painted masking tape or drywall tape

12. Studio Cameras • For identical picture quality, all studio cameras should: • Be same brand, model, and age • Never be taken outside of studio on location • Be permanently cabled in studio to control room

13. Control Room • Director stationed here • Communicates with studio production teams via headsets • Positioned near special effects generator and faces wall of monitors • Small facility control rooms also house audio mixer, other audio sources, light board, recorders, and CCU

14. Control Room Monitors • Camera monitor • Program monitor • Preview monitor • Confidence monitor • CG b/w monitor and color monitor

15. Audio Booth • Audio console • Music and sound effects library usually is here if it is CD type of library

16. Master Control Room • Processing equipment for audio and video creates heat and noise, so they are kept in their own room together

17. Specialized Areas • Carpentry shop to build sets and props • Editing suites • Dressing rooms • Make-up area

18. Remote Shoot • ENG (Electronic News Gathering) • Often requires only one or two people • Video crew is NOT in control of shoot or environs • EFP (Electronic Field Production) • May require large crew • Video crew is in control of shoot and environs

19. Location Survey • Required for EFP for each shooting location • Do location survey on same day and same time as shoot will be scheduled • Note noises and traffic that will be happening when you shoot

20. Location Survey (Cont.)

21. Advantages of Studio Shoot • Transportation unnecessary • Unaffected by weather • All equipment and cables are readily available • Major equipment set up is unnecessary • Crowd control is easy • Precise lighting control is easy • Extraneous sounds do not disrupt • Video switcher severely decreases editing time

22. Disadvantages of Studio Shoot • Building set can be expensive and time consuming • “Outdoors” sound difficult to recreate • Sun and shadow movement difficult to recreate • Video equipment is expensive and extensive • More personnel are needed to operate studio

23. Advantages of Remote Shoot • Often no set needs to be built—the location is chosen because set already exists • Natural light can often be used • Everything about set is realistic because it is real • Less equipment needed for remote • Usually requires fewer personnel

24. Disadvantages of Remote Shooting • Murphy’s Law • Spares of everything must be brought along • Possibility of inclement weather • Power supply may be insufficient • Property releases must be obtained • Terrain often not suitable for camera movement • Everyone and everything must be transported • No switcher means extensive editing time required

25. Career Page • National Press Photographers Association • www.nppa.org

26. Discussion If you are trying to shoot something with limbo lighting, what color of curtain would be best in background?

27. Review Question What are the differences between EFP and ENG? ENG is usually for news coverage, uses single camera, has small crew, and is brief. EFP is usually for longer pieces—documentary or entertainment—has larger crew, and is much more expensive production.

28. Review Question Why is a high ceiling preferable in a studio? Lights are high and out of picture, the head of talent standing under instrument is not glowing with too much light, and heat created by instruments rises and dissipates.

29. Review Question What are the monitors used in a control room? Camera monitors, program monitors, confidence monitors, preview monitors

30. Review Question What should you be aware of when doing location survey? Noises and traffic that will be happening when you shoot.

31. Review Question What are advantages and disadvantages to shooting in studio? Advantages: Transportation not necessary, no worries about weather, equipment readily available and no need for set up, no public crowds, sound control. Disadvantages: Costly to build set, difficult to recreate sound and natural scenery effects, video equipment is expensive and extensive.

32. Review Question What are advantages and disadvantages of shooting remotely? Advantages: No set building, natural light often can be used, set looks real because it is, requires less equipment and people. Disadvantages: Possible bad weather, requires property releases, difficult for camera movement, possible power supply issues, requires more people and equipment.

33. Glossary • audio booth: A room in the studio that contains all of the equipment capable of adding sound to the program. • audio console: A unit that includes many different pieces of audio gear, including the microphone mixer, audio cassette players, CD players, and turntables. • camera monitor: A monitor that displays the image shot by the corresponding camera.

34. Glossary • confidence monitor: A monitor connected to the output of the video recorder. Seeing the image on this monitor ensures that the video recorder received the signal. • control room: A room in the studio containing several monitors and the special effects generator. In smaller facilities, the control room also houses the audio mixer, all of the sound equipment, video recorders, the CG, CCUs, and even the light board.

35. Glossary • editing suite: A cubicle or small room where the program is put through postproduction processing, such as video and audio editing, voice over, music and sound effects recording, and graphics recording. • EFP (electronic field production): A shoot in which the video crew and production staff are in total control of the events and action.

36. Glossary • ENG (electronic news gathering): The process of shooting information, events, or activity that would have happened whether a reporting/production team was there with a camera or not. • flat: A scenery unit that is usually a simple wood frame with a painted plywood shell.

37. Glossary • jack: A triangle-shaped brace that is fastened to the back of a flat to provide stable, upright support. • location: Any place, other than the studio, where production shooting is planned. • location survey: An assessment of a proposed shoot location that includes placement of cameras and lights, available power supply, equipment necessary, and accommodations needed for the talent and crew.

38. Glossary • master control room: A room in a production facility where all the hardware is located, including video recorders and other equipment needed to improve and process the video and audio signals. • preview monitor: A monitor that allows the director to set up an effect on the SEG before the audience sees it.

39. Glossary • production meeting: A meeting with the entire crew in which the director lays out the program’s main message and either the director or producer assigns each task involved in the production to members of the crew. • program monitor: A monitor that displays the image going to the recorder. • remote shoot: Any production shooting that takes place outside of the studio.