Studio Reflection Report

Intro:

Within this report I will be demonstrating and reflecting on my experiences working on the live student commissioned television show, ‘Teach Em A Lesson’.  This will be showing the research and developments of my original pitch idea for the brief as well as covering my job roles involved in the show. A critical evaluation outlining my performance will also be included highlighting aspects of professional practice and areas of specialized interest that will enhance my future career within television production.

My Original Idea:

This idea was a game show targeted at a particular audience that has embraced the geek side of popular culture; meaning the people who are influenced by comic books, superheroes, fantasy and Si-Fi media. This is how I came up with the title “Geek or Unique”.

Fig.1. Geek OR Unique Logo. (2016).

I got inspiration for this game show by researching other television quiz show concepts. ‘Shooting Stars’ with duo host Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer is a celebrity quiz show filled with laughs and absolute madness.

For another example the music TV game show “Never mind The Buzzcocks” has that same approach when it comes to their presenters. This is a comedy game show where the presenters and the producers are usually comedians and funny celebrities. This particular show gave me a vision of what I wanted my show to look like in terms of set design.

Fig.2. XL Supplies Video Screens For Never Mind The Buzzcocks. (2014).

From this image from the set of the show you can see that most game shows consist of lots of bright colorful and loud lighting. For this propose it’s mostly used in game shows to make them stand out and engage their audiences so they don’t become board.

Through further research this then led me to an online game show known as “I Can’t Even”. This show tackled all things that are geek related such as Sci-Fi shows, comics, video games and turns it all into a funny quiz show. With a hilarious and awkward host (Chris Kendall) aka Crabstickz on Youtube, he delivers a weird delivery that makes the studio audience engaged with the show.

Fig.3. I Can't Even. (2013).

What made this show stand out was the fact the team used their own studio and formed their set to suit the needs of the theme of the show which was geek related. Props such as wizard’s hats, action figures and comic books are used to decorate the set, along with the contestants themselves dressing up as their favorite fictional characters e.g. Doctor Who, Spiderman etc. All of which are elements which I found quite interesting, creative and above all else, unique.

The interview:

For this brief I had to pick my own job I wished to partake in the show.  Studio Director was my first choice mainly because I wanted to push myself out of comfort zone role. Once my job was chosen, an interview was to be issued to see if we were suited for our first chosen jobs. How I came to be prepared for the interview was mainly due to researching about the job.

An online search –

Sometimes it is good to learn from experts about the job your going for. BBC Studio Director Derek Livesey give out some pointers on the qualities and involvements when it come to the role of a studio director as well as giving out his personal experience.

Fig. 4 Derek Livesey, Studio Director, BBC. (2012).

From this video source he explains what the role involves  and what the requirements are needed for the job.

Generally the role involves –

·      Making Sure everyone on the crew team are doing their jobs and understanding the project, making sure that everyone is one the same page.

·      A visual idea of the show/ project and working closely with the producer.

·      Ensuring all briefs are dispatched in the studio based on individuals strengths and skills.

·      Creating a workflow structure.

·      Reviewing daily work schedules of the creative department.

·      Ensuring work is delivered on deadline.

·      Compiling studio schedules for the crew.

·      Updating studio schedules regularly to keep the team up to date on progress and changes.

·      Dispatching workload.

·      Managing annual leave of employees and finally resource management across both freelance and perm.

Requirements –

·      Not to panic – When something goes wrong the director must keep his/ her cool. If the director panics, then the whole team panics and something is likely to go wrong.

·      Communication skills

·      Professional organizational skills

·      Advanced knowledge of studio software

·      Proven leadership skills and ability to meet deadlines in a stressful environment

·      Motivate a team with a wide variety of skill sets.

·      He/she must also be able to think outside the box, have a high attention to detail and possess problem-solving skills.

Industry sources –

Using industry books and articles on your subject can teach you a lot, some of which really helped me get an idea of what directing can be like.

Show you can do the job–

Looking at my CV and making changes to help target my job role seemed effective. Showing your experience in the field of your chosen job shows how much you are confident and reliable to have the job. I made sure to put details of every directing job and experience I had so far in the industry to show how much I can do the task at hand.

Consider Appearances –

 In most job interviews you need to dress smartly, I went with a suit and tie to show professionalism and seriousness about wanting the job.

Remember Manners –

I came in to the interview with a smile on my face and shook my interviewer’s hand to indicate that I was confident. While I sat in a chair to begin the interview I remained clam and didn’t fidget, showing my interviewers that I wasn’t nervous.

Our chosen TV Show: ‘Teach ‘Em A Lesson’ produced by Wesley Denne.

Fig.4. Teach ‘Em A Lesson Logo. (2016)

The show was targeted at a younger audience and was going to be made for the Channel CBBC. In order to get the feeling of making a children’s TV show I had to research children’s television programmes and explored and examined how they are commissioned and also the style and content, as well as duration in order to include similar features within our chosen show.

Commissioning for CBBC:

The research into children’s game shows had to fit the commissioning criteria that CBBC had.

CBBC’s audience are targeted to primary school children with the age range of 6 to 12 years old.

‘CBBC's tone is funny, energetic, unpredictable, upbeat, clever and most importantly infused with laugh-yourself-smart appeal. We take our public service remit seriously and are proud that many of our most popular brands (Horrible Histories, The Dumping Ground, Operation Ouch, Dixi and My Life) have clear public service spines’ (BBC, 2016).

Children’s Television Research:

One show I looked at was the show 50/50. The children’s quiz show that pits two randomly selected teams of 11- and 12-year-old primary schoolchildren from across the country against each other. Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year Old? Was another interesting example of a children’s television show based around adults proving their knowledge against 10-year-old school children, a concept similar to our show.

Key elements within these shows are the use of bright colors, upbeat music, happy young enthusiastic and clever presenters, but most importantly for children’s game shows there are children involved.

Job Role: VT Director

Like a director, my role involved making videos for our chosen show, they are known as VTs or (Video Tapes). Research from the website Media College showed these facts about the job role of a VT Director.

            The VT (video tape) director oversees and directs VT operators. This position is only found        in larger production units which have a number of VT operators. In these situations the VT       machines are usually located in a room (or truck) separate from the control room.

            The VT director decides which sources are to be recorded on each machine and which        replays to offer the main program director. Throughout the program, the VT director is in      close contact with the director, coordinating the accurate playback of VT material.

            The VT director may operate one or more VT machines themselves, or s/he may act purely          as a director. (Media College, 2016)

The traits that a VT Director in the industry must have:

·      Highly know about the job of VT operator.

·      Understand the concept and requirements of the TV show your working on, including the aim and subject matter.

·      Be comfortable when it comes to organizing and directing cast and crew.

·      Be confident and decisive.

To compare my efforts to the VT Directors job to industry professionalism, I feel I could have done better.

In television when a show starts of live in the studio they would then eventually cut to a VT showing something related to the show.

A ‘VT’ is transmitted from the control room and is inserted into the live show. ‘Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway’ uses VT’s on stand by and ready to be cued when the director says. This use of VT on the show is done as a technic where they would play the VT but insert live coverage from the studio to see a guest’s reaction. 

Fig.6. ‪School Children Sing to Their Teacher with Ant & Dec - Saturday Night Takeaway. (2015).

• Fig 5. We see the show live in the studio with a VT standing by to show the audience the reaction shot to their guest on the sofa.

Fig.7. School Children Sing to Their Teacher with Ant & Dec - Saturday Night Takeaway. (2015).

·      Fig 6. shows the VT that was shot and edited and now is on screen for the audience. At the bottom left of the picture you can see the window of where the control room transmitted live footage from the studio into the VT.

What did my role involve in our show:

·      Being in charge of the filming process of a VT, so it is then submitted to the editor to be ready for the production to transmit that videotape onto the live show.

·      Working with the actors and getting the best out of them.

·      Working with school children and giving instructions of behaviors on camera and how to answer questions.

·      Looking at locations and doing recces with the VT Producer and some of the crew.

Second Job Role Studio Camera Operator:

Fig.8. ‪TVPlay Episode 20: Behind the scenes of Teach Em a Lesson. (2016).

What was vital to my role as camera operator was that each person assigned to a camera had to be in charge of making sure that:

1. All batteries for each camera were charging at all times. If something goes wrong in terms of one of the battery packs failing on the day, the camera op can simply swop batteries and make sure that the camera has the right amount of charge to record the whole show.
2. When on breaks the camera operator must make sure to secure his/ her camera and put the intercom system back onto it’s station for charging.

When assigned to a studio camera you are not referred to by your name, but rather the camera number you are put on. I was put on camera 2 and would remain on camera 2 until the day of the live shoot. This was one of my first experiences wearing an intercom headset in the studio. At first hearing the feedback from my director and others was quite distracting but still it's something I knew I had to get used to.

Once a camera is ready to go, the camera operator will need to locate an intercom unit in order to communicate with the control room and the rest of the production crew. (Utterback: 2013, 84)

Unlike some of the crew wearing headsets cameramen are not allowed to talk back on the headsets as the microphones on the cameras will pick up your sound and ruin the whole show. But there is a way to communicate with the director but only when he gives instructions.

As a cameraman you need to pay attention and listen to instructions carefully from the director through this intercom. When our director needed to know if anyone was on a camera in the studio, the response is a simple nod with the tripod and the camera up and down as if to signal yes to the director who will be watching the camera activity from the control room with the vision mixer.

The director’s knowledge of actual shot opportunities is mostly derived from what the cameras reveal and on the-shot assistants (usually called spotters). The director guides selection, adjusts shot sizes, suggests desirable shots, and chooses from the available material (Owens, Millerson: 2009, 330).

Critical Reflection:

On reflection I can now appreciate and understand other crewmembers roles involved with making a TV show, from keeping your audience happy and excited by hiring warm – up acts to working efficiently as a team. I have worked out more about the Sony EX camera and feel more confident about putting it on my CV when it comes to looking for a job in the industry. Pitching an idea is so important, and its vital to make sure that it is to the point and interesting and engaging to the panel of people you are showing your vision to.

My contribution to the team helped with the further development of the project and I also demonstrated communication and teamwork skills by helping a crewmember with editing difficulties. When directing I kept a cool head and concentrated on the task at hand when it came to filming at the school and for the World War II VT. Completing Risk Assessments was something I was already familiar with however, looking at new locations for each shoot I had to be prepared to assess for what might happen if something goes wrong.

The biggest challenge I encountered on the live show was that I kept shaking the camera due to being too nervous and hoping that I wouldn’t mess up the production.

When recording the school children for my 2^nd VT, I wished I had used more shot types such as, Close ups and mid shots of the children and getting some more reaction shots.

In the world war II VT I wished I had a better vision and better way to shoot the beginning shot transitioning into introducing the two characters.

Ways in which I can improve and develop for the future are by focusing more with the technical aspects of the industry standard cameras used on our show and I most importantly I need to remain clam when it comes to a live show. By being more confident with my decisions when it comes to directing and listening to feedback from my colleagues I will enable myself to improve my any role I decide to embark on within television and film. 

Image List:

Fig.1. Geek OR Unique Logo. (2016) [Screenshot] At: http://lawrencematthewsedgwick.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/research-and-development-journal_25.html (Accessed on 13/04/2016)

Fig.2. XL Supplies Video Screens For Never Mind The Buzzcocks. (2014) [Online image] At: http://livedesignonline.com/xl-supplies-video-screens-never-mind-buzzcocks (Accessed on 13/04/2016).

Fig.3. I Can't Even (2013). [Online Image] At: https://twitter.com/chris_kendall_/status/359728683398864898 (Accessed on 12/01/2015).

Fig. 4 Derek Livesey, Studio Director, BBC. (2012) [Screenshot] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0qIB_phKHM (Accessed on 20/14/2016)

Fig.5. Teach ‘Em A Lesson Logo. (2016) [Online Image] At: http://lawrencematthewsedgwick.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/research-and-development-journal_9.html (Accessed on 15/04/2016)

Fig.6. ‪School Children Sing to Their Teacher with Ant & Dec - Saturday Night Takeaway. (2015). At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr2d--1ekwM (Accessed on 15/04/2016).

Fig.7. ‪School Children Sing to Their Teacher with Ant & Dec - Saturday Night Takeaway. (2015). At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr2d--1ekwM (Accessed on 15/04/2016).

Fig.8. ‪ TVPlay Episode 20: Behind the scenes of Teach Em a Lesson. (2016) [Screenshot] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXM9ktTG9u8 (Accessed on 15/04/2016)

Bibliography:

‪

Douglas, Pamela (2015) The Future Of Television. Studio City: Michael Wiese Productions.

Owens, J and Millerson, G. (2013) TELEVISION PRODUCTION 15^TH Ed. Burlngton: Focal Press.

Perebinossoff, Philippe (2008) REAL-WORLD MEDIA ETHICS Inside the Broadcast and Entertainment Industries. Burlngton: Focal Press.

Utterback, Andrew (2013) Studio television production and directing. Burlngton: Focal Press.

Web Sources:

Shooting Stars Season 7 Episode 1. [Online] Youtube. (2015) 29 mins 10 secs At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqf4hGf3aPo (Accessed on 12/01/2015).

I Can't Even: Geek week Special! [Online] Youtube. (2013) 20 mins 25 secs At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQy-834HY3M (Accessed on 12/01/2015).

Derek Livesey, Studio Director, BBC (2012) [Online] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0qIB_phKHM (Accessed on 21/01/2016).

BBC. (2016) The CBBC Channel. At: http://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/tv/articles/cbbc-channel (Accessed on 19/04/2016).