Week 6

STUDIO ROLES

For the next assessment piece we will need to create our own news program and to being this we need to outline the roles and planning behind a news program.

Firstly, there are a range of studio roles that ensure a program runs on time, to air and as smoothly as possible. A fundamental part of the news program is timing. Therefore, we will create a rundown sheet that highlights out stories and segments for the program, with timing left for breaks and discussions throughout the program. The sheet will also show the film crews where they need to focus and what camera they need to shoot through at anytime.

Studio roles:

Talent: the talent is a focus for the camera man and audio manager. They need to ensure the talent is ready to go and that they are framed correctly. The talent is usually the news reader or anchor of the program and they should be aligned at the front and centre of the camera.

Camera: there can be a variety of camera's working in a studio to capture various segments of a single program or simply as a back-up in the case of an emergency. However, the camera is the looking glass for viewers so the camera operator needs to ensure they focus on each shoot to ensure everything goes to air smoothly.

Floor manager: the floor manager is in charge of the field. They control everything from the cameraman to the studio audience (if applicable) and the talent. Most importantly, they have contact with the main room producers and they have the final countdown on them when the program goes to air.

Audience: the bystanders within some studio atmospheres. They are usually told what to do and when to be quiet or when to be loud and cheerful.

Audio manager: an audio manager has the important role of ensuring the sound levels aren't too high, but more importantly that they aren't too low. Touching orange (between yellow and red) should sit between -6 and -12 decibels.

Auto-cue: some presenters prefer to do their own auto-cue, but there are a number of auto-cue operators. To ensure the talent is comfortable and the stories are read correctly the operator should ensure they pace the script to suit the reader.

Video recorder: for pre-recorded programs the video recorder has the most important and the most simple job. They need to ensure that the news story is recording before the countdown is cued by the floor manager.

Director: the director controls the upstairs controls office with direct communication and controls on the floor too. They ensure the program runs smoothly by making checks with the audio and vision team before going to air.

Vision Switcher: to add variety to a panel a vision switcher is required to know who is speaking and when they are speaking. This will ensure every presenter is reading to the correct camera in their air-time as well.