TELEVISION PRODUCTION NOTES - MUKTHA

BASIC TELEVISON SYSTEM

1. Camera:
○ Studio cameras
■ Originally designed specifically for video studios, these cameras have greatly evolved and become very
popular, extending their potential to many other applications: music videos, news, sports, events, etc.
■ They come with interchangeable lenses, to adapt to this wide variety of uses.
○ PTZ cameras
■ PTZ stands for: Pan, Tilt, Zoom - which means that these cameras can move horizontally, vertically,
and zoom in or out.

■ Several PTZ cameras may be managed by one person only, this dramatically reduces the costs.

■ Modern TV reality shows - such as Big Brother - use about 30 PTZ cameras all managed and
controlled remotely, from the outside; they are all hidden or placed at different heights and in different
locations, and there are no operators to physically move and control them.

○ ENG cameras
■ Mainly used for external recordings, such as reportages, which are then edited in the production studio
before being aired.
2. Microphones:
○ Wireless microphones: refer to microphones that cannot be stationary, and are usually in close proximity to the
actors during shooting.

○ Shotgun microphones: these are a type of microphones that attach to boom poles that capture sound from a
distance. These boom poles extend to perform this function, and a boom operator holds them on set.

■ Single-system refers to when audio and video captures come from the same camera.

■ Double-system sound means the sound is recorded separately on another device. After production
ends, the audio is lined up with all of the footage that was previously shot.
3. VTR: videotape recorder
○ An electromechanical device that records and reproduces an electronic signal containing audio and video
information onto and from magnetic tape. It is commonly used for recording television productions that are
intended for rebroadcasting to mass audiences.

4. ENG: electronic news gathering

○ A type of digital filming set-up that is usually remote from a main production and requires minimal personnel
and/or equipment. Reporters here will make use of electronic video and audio technology to put together and
present the news or show.

○ An ENG shoot could be as little as a singular camera operator who is running audio, video and lights all on
camera.
○ ENG footage is shot quickly to respond to a news event taking place in real-time

○ Audio - portable mixers, mics, batteries

○ Equipment - pedestal, crane, jib, tripod

○ CCU - The camera control unit (CCU) is typically part of a live television broadcast chain. It is responsible for
powering the professional video camera, handling signals sent over the camera cable to and from the camera,
and can be used to control various camera parameters remotely.

5. EFP: electronic field production

○ a video production which takes place in the field, outside of a formal television studio, in a practical location,
special venue or fitting environment.

○ Electronic Field Production is carefully planned to provide optimal audio, lighting, and video outside the studio.

○ Sync camera- multiple layers of video synced with time.

○ Video switcher- to monitor multiple video inputs so you can find and broadcast the best video for your content.

○ Audio mixer - This is an electronic device used for mixing, balancing, and combining different sounds and
audio signals, sources like microphones, instruments, and synthesizers, or previously recorded audio.
6. EEFP: expanded electronic field production
○ Multiple cameras
○ Other video sources
○ Video switcher
○ VTR
○ Multiple microphones
○ Audio mixer

7. Chroma key: (green screen)

○ The Chroma key allows performers to appear in any location without leaving the studio.

8. DVE: digital video effect

○ The DVE can be referred to as a "black box" which digitally manipulates the video to create a special effect.

○ Common DVE effects include inverting the picture, shrinking it, moving it around within the frame of another
picture, spinning it, and a great many more.

9. Intercom:
○ A system is a device that allows people to communicate over a short distance.

○ Intercom systems can be wired or wireless and they are used for a variety of purposes, usually connecting
multiple people across several rooms or spaces.

10. Program monitor:

○ The program monitor shows the control room the main on-air (or recording) source.
11. OB VAN - Outdoor broadcasting van
12. Flats - panels in the background