Three job roles in Media Broadcast Studio:
Camera Operator:
DeGuzman, K. (2022) What is a camera operator – duties, salary & getting started, StudioBinder. Studio Binder. Available at: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-camera-operator-job-description/ (Accessed: January 11, 2023).
“camera operator is responsible for setting up and capturing the shot of a film, show, or other production. The camera operator handles the camera during the shoot and achieves the desired composition that tells the story in the best way possible. For this reason, they must know every specification of the camera. Camera ops are responsible for assembling, setting up, and breaking down the camera.“
“Camera operators are not only responsible for handling the camera during a take, but before and after a take as well. When a day of production begins, the operator must ensure proper assembly of the camera. This means they must be able to delegate tasks”
“Camera operators often delegate 1st and 2nd ACs to assemble and break down the camera. After the day wraps, the operator is responsible for making sure the camera is properly broken down and stored.“
“These responsibilities entail the camera operator to have a thorough understanding of the camera system’s specifications and functions. They must also be organized and prepared with whatever rigs or lenses are needed.“
Specialist Vocabulary:
Chen, J. (2022) Camera movement terms: Everything you need to know, NFI. NFI. Available at: https://www.nfi.edu/camera-movement-terms/ (Accessed: January 11, 2023).
Importance of a Camera Operator:
Taking on the role as a camera operator is tuff, As not only your recording something that maybe broadcasting live as you record but your having to deal with immense pressure of taking the best shots. Being a Operator come with serious responsibilities as you have expensive equipment you have to take care of but also be one of the main pillars of the entire show. Without any Camera Operators, The public wouldn’t be able to see the show they watch daily. And due to this reason i believe this is the most important role as your documenting everything no matter in public or without being in public. You have no option to mess up whilst filming live on television.
Motion Graphics Artist:
Skills, S. (2021) Motion graphic designer in the post-production industry., ScreenSkills. Available at: https://www.screenskills.com/job-profiles/browse/post-production/other-roles/motion-graphic-designer-post-production/ (Accessed: January 11, 2023).
“Motion graphic designers are essential in the making of any TV show, film, video game or commercial. They might be required to create the opening titles for a new TV series or a sequence that explains the growth of a deadly virus for a documentary. They could be asked to design the style of name captions on a chat show or create stylised graphic elements such as an animated chart showing the number of medal winners in the Olympics.“
“They are often called upon to create an entire “look” for a new series, so for a talent show or quiz game that means providing the opening titles, logos, name captions and closing credits, as well as working with the colour palette and design of the set so that the programme has a coherent, easily identifiable look – particularly important if the series format is to be sold around the world. It’s important to design graphics that work well not only on television or in the cinema, but also on social media, in print media and even on T-shirts and other merchandise. Motion graphics designers need to be able to assess a production brief and understand and work with those requirements during pre-production through to design, production itself and final post. Recently there’s been a move for motion designers to work on VR (virtual reality) elements for films and studio productions, using green screens and 3D graphic software.“
Specialist Vocabulary:
Importance of a Motion Graphic Designer:
After researching the role of Motion Graphic Designer, A Graphics Designer plays an important role in keeping the Broadcast and show looking neat and presentable. As the Designer works with forming Titles, Headers, Lower-Thirds and important animations, Without a Graphic Designer the main pieces to show would not be able to be put together. Also as mentioned above in shorter words, The Graphics Designer sets the identity of the show by aligning the Logos and Colouring to the colouring of the set. This shows the designer plays a huge part into bringing ideas to reality. And also to a high quality.
Sound Technician:
A Sound Technician Works on the audio on the set. By using the equipment provided like Mixing Desks, Microphones, Recorders and much more, The Technician is responsible for all audio played and not only that. For microphones placed on set. The Sound Technician also works with the ensemble crew on set with rehearsals and checks for all audio sound and levels.
Responsibilities:
- Operate Sound
- Amplify Audio
- Mix Audio
- Reproduce Audio
- Enhance Audio
Specialist Vocabulary:
Importance of a Sound Technician:
A sound Technician plays a big role in bringing the show and the set together. As the Technician controls all audios which are broadcasted to the public and also handles the mice systems and everything in the audio field and all requirements towards audio. Without the Audio Technician’s many would not have been able to enjoy their favourite shows and the feel they get with all the background audios put together. With this, It presents the audio technicians as pillar for the show. Meaning it has high level of importance to the show.
What is a game show?
Encyclopaedia Britannica, T.E.of (2023) Quiz show, Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/quiz-show-broadcasting (Accessed: January 17, 2023).
“Quiz show, also called game show, broadcast show designed to test the memory, knowledge, agility, or luck of persons selected from a studio or broadcast audience or to contrive a competition among these people for merchandise or cash awards. The quiz show first gained popularity on U.S. radio in the 1930s as an audience-participation program. One of its first successes featured a formidable Doctor I.Q. who hurled questions at individuals in a studio audience and rewarded them for correct answers with silver dollars. A later development was the quiz show style of Information, Please, which involved a panel answering questions on diverse subjects mailed in by listeners. This show was such a success that it had several imitators, the most popular of which was The Quiz Kids, which used precocious children on the studio panel.
American television adopted the quiz show in the early 1950s and further increased its popularity. In place of the merchandise awards that outstanding radio contestants received, television used large cash awards. An indication of the quantum increase was the escalation from one radio program’s highest prize, $64 on Take It or Leave It, to the spectacular top prize of The $64,000 Question on television. The era of television’s big-money quiz shows began in 1955.”
Game Show facts and Statistics:
- Countdown is the most popular game show with 996,000 searches.
- The Chase is the second world famous game show with 840,000 Searches.
- Who Wants To Be A Millionaire comes in 3rd Place with 450,000 Searches
- Round Britain Quiz is the most longest running game show since 1947
- 75% of Ages 55 and above watch Game/Quiz Shows
Link: https://www.newsletter.co.uk/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/countdown-is-the-uks-most-popular-game-show-3859558
Floor Manager:
“The floor manager, on a studio production, is the eyes and ears of the director on the studio floor. They are there before rehearsals begin, making sure the studio is prepared and safe and greeting the programme’s presenters and contributors. If they are good, the floor manager will be ahead of the director, liaising with cameras, lighting and sound to make sure each sequence is ready to rehearse. On a big show, such as a live entertainment programme or major national event, they have floor assistants and floor runners to help them.
The term ‘floor’ derives from a studio floor, but even on an outside broadcast where the ‘floor’ might be a football stadium, a field or a cathedral, the term ‘floor manager’ is sometimes still used. More commonly, the role might be known as ‘stage manager’ or ‘outside broadcast stage manager’.
In a studio production, floor managers hold safety briefings before rehearsals start. If there’s an audience, they work with audience services to make sure everyone is seated in good time. This is important as studio time is precious and settling an audience often causes delays. Many shows don’t have a warm-up artist, so the floor manager communicates with the audience, explaining why it’s necessary to repeat a sequence, for example. Audiences can get bored very quickly if they don’t know what’s happening.
As well as managing the relationship with the audience, floor managers take care of everyone on the floor. Presenters can be nervous, contributors sometimes feel overwhelmed and a politician or celebrity might be making demands before the recording begins. The floor manager must handle all this, helping people to stay calm and remaining diplomatic and helpful.
Some floor managers go on to direct or produce programmes themselves, but many are very happy to run the studio floor, or the outside broadcast location, where they can be right at the heart of the programme.“
Specialist Vocabulary:
Game Shows:
The Cube:
The Cube is a British TV Game show that aired from 22 August 2009 to 23 December 2021 on ITV hosted by Phillip Schofield
Johnson, D. (2017) British game show reviews: “The cube” review, The Blog Is Right: Game Show Reviews and More. Available at: https://theblogisright.com/2011/05/29/british-game-show-reviews-the-cube-review/ (Accessed: January 18, 2023).
“One player faces “The Cube” by stepping inside the 4x4x4 meter Perspex cube and completing seven games/challenges. The games played on the show are deceivingly simple and easy to complete, and are even given simple one-word name (such as “Memorize” and “Reflex”). But, when these games are played inside the small confines of The Cube with big money at risk, it can make even the easiest and simplest tasks almost impossible to complete. The player is given nine lives to complete seven tasks. Before the contestant plays each game, each game is demonstrated by “The Body”, a faceless female character who is an expert in every game played inside The Cube. Every time a player successfully completes a challenge, they move up the money ladder (shown in the picture to the right). Every time a player fails to complete a challenge, they lose a life and they must repeat the challenge until won. The player can use two helps (“Simplify” and “Trial Run”) at anytime if they come across a challenge that is too difficult to complete, but they can only use each help once. “Simplify” simplifies any game the player chooses and makes it easier for them to complete the challenge. “Trial Run” gives the player the opportunity to try the game once without any consequences before deciding whether they want to take on the challenge or not. Players may end the game and take the money after completing any challenge, but if they use up all nine of their lives at any time while they are inside “The Cube”, they leave the show with nothing. However, if the player can complete all seven games, they will win £250,000.“
Audience Demographics:
The series, adapted from The ‘original’ Cube, launched with 4.1 million viewers. The Million Pound Cube hosted by Phillip Schofield averaged 3.5 million viewers across seven episodes.
Reference: https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1408306/Phillip-Schofield-The-Cube-return-ITV-news-latest-video
Filming:
Db, I.M. (2023) The Cube (British game show), Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cube_(British_game_show) (Accessed: January 28, 2023).
“The Cube is one of the first shows to use the game freeze filming technique on a frequent basis, such as when a contestant jumps in celebration. The technique used is called “Bullet Time”. Using specially designed cameras, it allows the viewer to see one side of the Cube before the action is frozen, spun to another face of the Cube, and then resumed. Slow-motion shots are again common to show action replays of the task a contestant just completed, or the critical moment of a game, to heighten the excitement of whether the contestant will succeed or fail.
The show makes extensive use of CGI to project images onto the walls and ceiling of the Cube, while a screen on the floor is also capable of showing images. These film techniques make the seemingly simple tasks that are put before the contestants seem much more exciting than they would normally be.
For series 8, which premiered on 1 March 2014, the show received a revamp, including a new studio set (the wave lines in the background were replaced by a circular replica of the letter C), new opening credits, a redesign of graphics, and several new games. The seven-game format and prize money structure remained the same.
During Series 10 in 2020, 120 Canon DSLR cameras were used for the Bullet Time rig, 3 × Red Dragon EPIC 6K cameras, and a separate rig was added to capture 3D photogrammetry and Volumetric data by UK Bullet Time specialists New World Designs Ltd[13] Due to the closure of Fountain Studios not long after the ninth series had concluded, the show moved to Television Centre, London.“