Roles

Director 

Directors are responsible for overseeing creative aspects of a film under the overall control of the film producer. Together with the producers, directors develop a vision for a film. Once this vision is developed it is then the director’s job to carry out the vision and decide how the film should look. Directors are responsible for turning the script into a sequence of shots. They also direct what tone it should have and what an audience should gain from the cinematic experience. Film directors are responsible for deciding camera angles, lens effects and lighting with the help of the cinematographer and set designer. They will often take part in hiring the cast and key crew members. They coordinate the actors' moves and also may be involved in the writing, financing and editing of a film. 

Vision Mixer 

The main concept of a professional vision mixer is the bus, basically a row of buttons with each button representing a video source. Pressing such a button will select the video out of that bus. Older video mixers had two equivalent buses (called the A and B bus; such a mixer is known as an A/B mixer). One of these buses could be selected as the main out (or program) bus. Most modern mixers, however, have one bus that is always the program bus, the second main bus being the preview (sometimes called preset) bus. These mixers are called flip-flop mixers, since the selected source of the preview and program buses can be exchanged. Both preview and program bus usually have their own video monitor. 

Sound Mixer 

A production sound mixer, location sound records, location sound engineer or simply sound mixer is the member of a film crew or television crew responsible for recording all sound recording on set during the filmmaking or television production using professional audio equipment, for later inclusion in the finished product, or for reference to be used by the sound designer, sound effects editors, or folly artists. This requires choice and deployment of microphones, choice of recording media, and mixing of audio signals in real time. 

Graphics 

Motion Design is a subset of graphic design in that it uses graphic design principles in a filmmaking or video production context (or other temporally evolving visual medium) through the use of animation or filmic techniques. Examples include the kinetic typography and graphics you see as the titles for a film, or opening sequences for television or the spinning, web-based animations, three-dimensional station identification logo for a television channel.  

Floor Manager 

Floor managers traditionally have other experience working in television, and work up to the position of floor manager.They should know the other technical positions in a studio, in order to have the maturity and experience to do their job effectively. Media, film, television, or even theater studies are helpful but not required. Floor managers must be able to work under pressure with composure, anticipate potential problems and know how to address them, communicate effectively and quickly, be able to work with different personalities, and know how to multitask. Floor managers with a good sense of timing and space have an advantage, while those without it may need to look at other job options.

19/10/12 Task

This lecture was another practical lesson which consisted of our group reenacting question time. Each group had to rotate around all the different roles, which included camera crew, production crew and audience. This week is was question time. Firstly our group was production crew, the roles consisted of host, guests, sound grips and production assistant. My role was guest as last week I was production assistant. I found this to be easier than first expected. I thought there would be a lot more pressure on the guests to get our script right and not laugh. However I really enjoyed this role. 

The next stage for our group was camera crew. Seems as I was on a camera last week, I wanted to see what was in the gallery so I chose to be vision mixer. This means I have to switch the cameras when the director says so. You have a board with many buttons which enable you switch from each camera. Theres also another set which enables you to choose a camera as a preset and then you can use a slider to blend into the next shot. I was baffled by the board when I first saw it, however I soon got the hang of it. I liked how I could preset a camera so I could blend into each shot, I feel this gives a smoother outcome. 

The final role was to be the audience, Antony asked us to start a protest during the programme to put the other group under pressure, this was a bit of fun. As the audience we asked questions that related to the topics that the group was discussing. 

12/10/12 Task

This session consisted of reenacting mastermind. Each group swapped the roles around, these roles were researching, producing the film and being the contestants and host. This enabled us to see how television produces the programs we watch on a daily basis. 

Our group started with being the contestants and the host, this consisted of researching the contestants, and finding questions on their subject, which in our case was hockey and netball. The main point of this exercise was to keep to a certain time as this is an important part of multi camera. The next step was to choose different roles as we was in charge of the recording of the game show. I was on camera two, of three. We was instructed through the headset which enabled us to get the shot we needed. I fully enjoyed this experience, as this was the first time that I had been behind a multi camera. I didn't realise that this would be as easy as it was, I thought it would've of been more difficult.

Overall I fully enjoyed this exercise, it was interesting to see how a programme would be produced, from one scale to the other. By this I mean from the actors to the director. Everyone has an important role to undertake, which shouldn't be taken on likely. The reason behind this is because if someone makes a mistake, the rest of the team have to try and cover it. Time keeping is a very important factor. 

Notes about multicamera

• T.v use multi camera
• Film tend to use single camera 
• British sitcoms from the 1950s/1960s were made using four cameras
• Video tape which came around in 1956 was important to multi camera as it enabled them to record
• In 1977 betamax and JBC came about

Betacam

The original betacam format was launched on august 7, 1982. It is an analog component video format, storing the luminance "Y", in one track and the chrominance, on another as alternating segments of the R-Y and B-Y components performing compressed time division multiplex or CTDM. 

Its a family of half inch professional video cassette products developed by sony in 1982. All betacam variants from analog recording betacam to betacam SP and digital recording betacam use the same shape video cassettes, meaning vaults and other storage facilities do not have to be changed, when upgrading to the new format. The cassettes are available in two sizes, small and large. The betacam camcorder can only load small magnetic tapes, while television studio sized video tape recorders (VTR) designed for video editing can play both S and L tapes. The cassette shell and case for each betacam cassette is coloured differently depending on the format, allowing for easy visual identification. There is also a mechanical key, that allows a video tape recorder to identify, which format has been inserted.

This link shows how a basketball game would be shot using multi camera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtFKmLZziAs 

 

About Multi Camera

About Multi Camera

The multiple camera setup, multiple camera mode of production, or multi cam is a method of film making and video production. Several cameras , either film or professional video cameras are employed on the set and simultaneously record or broadcast a scene. It is often contrasted with single camera setup which uses one camera.

Generally, the two outer cameras shoot close up shots or crosses of the two most active characters on the set at any given time, while the central camera or cameras shoot a wider master shot to capture the overall action and establish the geography of the room. This way, multiple shots are obtained in a single take without having to start and stop the action.

The use of multiple video cameras to cover a scene goes back to the earliest days of television, three cameras were used to broadcast The Queens Messenger in 1928. The BBC routinely used multiple camera on their live television shows from 1936 onward. Although it is often claimed that the film version of the multiple camera setup was pioneered for television by Desi Arnaz and cinematographer Karl Freund in 1951, however television shows had already used it including comedy on CBS. The technique was developed for television by hollywood. In the late 70s Garry Marshall was credited with adding the fourth camera known as the X camera and it's occasionally known as the D camera today. 

The multiple camera method gives the director less control over each shot, but its faster and less expensive than a single camera setup. In television, multiple camera is commonly used for sports programs, news programs, soap operas, talk shows, game shows and some sitcoms. Multiple cameras can take different shots of a live situation as the action unfolds and this is suitable for shows that require a live audience. For this reason multiple camera productions can be filmed much faster than a single camera.