Chapter 1 - Introduction to Video Production
After reading this chapter, you should know . . .
- The differences and similarities in studio, field, and remote productions.
- The physical characteristics of studios and control rooms and the equipment found in them.
- Some real-world considerations of field production.
- How trucks and cameras operate in remote productions.
- The basic control functions of transducing, channeling, selecting/altering, monitoring, and recording/playback.
- Differences between analog and digital.
- How digital technologies have contributed to HDTV and convergence.
- A brief historical background of video production.
- Aspects of employment in the video industry.
- The importance of developing disciplines and techniques.
1. Prepare a résumé that lists your various skills that relate in any way to video production. Consider any training in music, graphic arts, and writing you may have had, especially in combination with computer skills. Also, describe the qualities of leadership and discipline as demonstrated in your academic record, extracurricular activities, and employment history. You may even make a video résumé for yourself. Then, as you complete this or other courses, critique and re-shoot the video using what you have learned.
2. Tour your school’s studio complex. After the tour, compare it to the one described in the Studio Production section of this chapter. Consider its size, ceiling height, layout, access for large set pieces and electrical needs, and amount and type of equipment. What improvements would you recommend for your school’s facilities?
1. Discuss circumstances when it would be advantageous to use studio production, when it would be best to use field production, and when it would be appropriate to use remote production.
2. What do you think video production will be like 10 years from now?
3. In your estimation, what have been the most important technical developments in video production over the years?
Here we provide links to excellent topic-related web sites.
Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC)
- Non-profit organization for developing standards for digital television
American Forces Radio and Television Service
- American Forces Radio and Television Service AFRTS provides stateside radio and television programming, “a touch of home,” to U.S. service men and women, DoD civilians, and their families serving outside the continental United States.
Radio and Television Production Office (RTPO)
Federal Communications Commission
- Federal Communications Commission—includes rules and regulations
- Largest union representing working actors.
- Partnership between The Washington Post, Newsweek, MSNBC, and Congressional Quarterly.
Websites for job and internship opportunities in the video industry.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- The Academy’s web site gives a listing of employment opportunities related to the film industry.
- The Academy has an Education Program that provides internships in 29 categories of television production work as well as awards, and scholarships for students.
- The site’s Frequently Asked Questions Page lists work study opportunities in the Special Projects Department. In addition, the DGA together with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers offers on-the-job training programs to become Second Assistant Directors on the West and East Coasts.
- The Job Board for Media Professionals provides connections and useful resources for journalism careers in online media, radio, television, and related fields.
- Medialine is an interactive resource for the television industry. Its web site provides a page where job seekers can post resumes and videos for employers to view, in addition to an agent directory and the Open Line forum.
National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET)
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE)
- The association’s site lists current career opportunities in electronic journalism and resources for job seekers and employers. It includes salary, staffing and profitability information.
- The SBE JobsOnline site is devoted to the advancement of broadcast engineering professionals and provides brief descriptions of job openings, including the location of the position.
- Along with promoting networking and holding conferences, the SMPTE site provides a list of job openings for a variety of jobs in video production, including engineers, technicians, editors, and designers.
- This organization’s site is dedicated to helping industry professionals find employment in the broadcast marketplace.