As Live Production: Workshop 20/01/18

As Live Production: Workshop 20/01/18

Today we had our first proper workshop with Del. It was split into two halves. The first half was a camera workshop, where we got hands-on with the camera equipment that we would be using during the Live show. The second half was an introduction to vision mixing and gallery operating. 

Camera Workshop

For the camera workshop, we were split in to groups with people we hadn't necessarily worked with before in order to strengthen our team working skills. 

The first camera my team got to work with was the track and Dolly. Although I have used this equipment on a small scale, I have never used this in a large scale studio environment. The most difficult part was to achieve a smooth pan while keeping good framing. We wanted the camera to be just above the heads of the audience so as to avoid a messy pointless shot, but still establish the fact that we are in a studio. 

This was a useful insight as to how having camera assistants will come in useful. The main camera operator could focus on the framing, focus, and zoom. While the camera assistant could focus on moving the pan helping to make shot changes simpler and more efficient. 

Next, we got to try out the handheld camera. I had attempted to use this camera in a TV News workshop and found that it had advantages and disadvantages. This camera would be very useful for "Vox pop" style interviews with audience members, as it is easily portable and has a very good zoom, making it easy to get to the contributors and frame them up quickly. 

However, it has very specific focus requirements. If we were to use this camera in the Live Production then the operator would need to take the time to learn and get used to this camera since it is different to the others we have worked with. Since all the controls for focus, zoom, ND filters etc. are all on one side, it makes it slightly simpler to operate. But it has multiple extension rings which can mess with the focus, so it can end up being unintentionally shallow if the back focus is not lined up with the front.

But from using it I found it was great at performing handheld pans, and even when zoomed in on a subject from far away, its weight distribution allowed me to keep a steady and focused shot. So this camera could certainly come in handy if used properly. Once again you would likley need a camera assistant to take care of cables and ensure you don't trip if you are using the eyepiece (which i found useful since I could watch and listen to what i was recording without having to mess with LCD screens or headphones).

Del also introduced us to the studio's gradient chart. He explained that this was so we could make sure each camera had the same white balance, framing, focus etc. meaning that when we cut between shots the continuity would remain the same. 

He got us to line up each camera so that they were the same height and distance from the chart. He had each camera linked to a monitor so we could ensure our shots matched in continuity. This was more difficult than I anticipated, especially when Del asked us to adjust the focus since some cameras had different control configurations (e.g. one had zoom and focus controls on the same ring). This just goes to show the importance of learning your equipment. 

Vission Mixing Workshop

The second half of the day was dedicated to learning how to vision mix. I was eager to learn about this since it was my second choice for my production job. I was particularly interested as Del described it as "Live Editing" and since I consider editing to be my area of expertise, I was keen to see the difference between "regular" and "live" editing.

Del talked us through how the vision mixing panel operates and the basic role of the vision mixer. The most important thing to note was that there were two rows of buttons in each section that were linked to two main monitors. One controlled the preview (the next shot that is being prepared to transmit), and the other controlled the Transmission (the shot that will be seen by everyone Live).

For this masterclass, Del would sit us down and get us to line up a shot on the preview then "Mix" (the live version of cutting) it to the Live transmission. 

The preview screen allowed us to see a shot before it airs to make sure it is ready (when we actually go live we will have a monitor for each shot so we can check them at all times), this is important as you need to make sure a shot is framed and ready before transmitting it. Del would use a variety of technical terms to keep us alert, first telling us which shot to line up on the preview (controlled by the lower set of buttons) then when to mix them to the transmission (controlled by either the upper buttons or the lever). As we progressed he would speed up, change the order of words and get us to mix at times without previewing (which could be necessary in a fast-paced live environment).

We adopted a specific hand positioning so that we could operate the panel using muscle memory and focus our eyes on the screens (which I struggled with at first but quickly got the hang of it, especially when my hands were deliberately hidden from me to make it more natural and boost my skill).

Del also showed us different methods of mixing such as wipes, box transitions etc which allowed us to familiarise ourselves with the other buttons on the panel.

Overall I picked up on the technical language easily and was able to cope well with the fast pace and curveballs thrown at me. I made one or two mistakes but I was happy with my performance and the new skills I learned (Del also stressed that it is important to just carry on and not panic if a mistake is made, which is advice I will take forward).