Live Production - Rehearsals Day 2 (20/03/2018)

Today was the second day of practising our live production, this time with our actual presenters.

After Fergus's suggestion last week, I decided to get in early this week and get my camera set up before 10am. I was the only person to do this and I was happy to have my camera all ready before we were due to start.

Being early also gave me an opportunity to understand my camera position as much as possible before we started filming. Even without direction from the directors I realised that I would be focusing on the two chairs on the left of the set.

I knew my camera would love now and again through the show but the time I Had while everyone else was setting up was useful to go through the script and circle the parts of the scripts where my camera would be used.

We started shooting at around 10:30am with the two presenters being very natural in front of camera. I was happy with my camerawork and I realised after some changing from the director that I would be having the opening shot of the show. This was a lot of pressure, but one I am excited to undertake.

It should also be noted that my fellow camera operator on camera 4, Cailan, called in sick meaning that I had to operate my camera for the whole day. I actually enjoyed this a lot as I got a chance to try parts of the show that I may not actually film on the actual take. It gives me the experience for the live show in case Cailan falls ill come the day of the actual shoot.

I am just worried that Cailan has lost a lot of camera time but I will do my best to teach Cailan all that I learned this week in terms of camera positions and framing etc.

The directors were a lot more natural with their directions to the camera crew today and that eases the nerves when on the floor. I have now marked a lot of what was stated by the directors on my draft script so that next week I have a great idea of what the camera will be needed to do in each section of the show.

As there are 5 cameras for this show it does mean that a lot of the time where are large portions of time when the camera we are on is not being used. In this time I am starting to learn that you need to get your next shot planned and ready before the director next calls for your camera. This should also ease the nerves of the director as the shots will already be lined up for when they are needed.

Today was once again a great learning experience. I now know much more about the script and where my camera will be located in each segment of the show. We still have a lot of learning to do for the actual show, but Del said we all did a good job today and acted very professional with the presenters.

I liked that the presenters understood that we were still learning and really understood when the directors called for a cut half way through a take. Overall today we did a great job on the floor and I  really started  to ease into my role and I feel a lot more confident with the camera in a studio environment than I was 2 weeks ago.

The only problem is that we have nearly a three week break before our next rehearsal and we hope that the actual set will be ready soon as we can finally visualise where the cameras will work when they are ready. I am really excited for this unit and now that I am fully focused on my role I feel I am learning at a really quick rate.

Old To New Photoshoot VT - SHOOT DAY

The old to new photoshoot is going to be a montage-style sequence with period music as the backing track. The idea for this photo shoot was to get a mixture of shots for each of the four styles in which Alex.H will edit together a 2-minute sequence. Each outfit would work out at 23 seconds of footage with 7 seconds of transitions between each clip. 

As with the studio, I am the camera operator for VT which meant I was in charge of rigging the camera, tripod and sound and then getting the shots that George.W had planned. I enjoy getting the camera set up and getting the perfect shot but we were rushed due to only having three hours of shoot time in the project area. This meant in reality, we would have about 30 minutes for each photo shoot as we would have time for rigging and de-rigging as well as changing set. We set up within 20 minutes and Alex.H checked the sound on the camera before we started shooting just in case it may come in handy.

We had three large tungsten lights set up for our lighting which created a really nice backdrop. The photoshoot looked professional as well, with one of Conor's friends standing in as a photographer. This added to the whole shoot as it looks like there is a reason for the model posing to the camera instead of just posing for the camera which would have looked a lot worse.

The project space was not the largest but we did the best with what we could get. We had a nice (if slightly dirty) background in which the models would be modelling in front of. The area also had some nice props which we ended up using eg. Stall, Heater which gave us more of an interesting backdrop than just a wall. Conor had also sourced such things as a record player meaning that the props would keep with the era themes that we were filming.

George was really good as a director as he constantly had the shot he wanted on his iPad as well as having a good idea in his head what this would look like. This means that even though I was setting up the majority of the shots, I would ask George if he liked it as well. I did also use my initiative for times when George was thinking about how to plan shots, by filming some shots that I think would be useful for cutaway shots if needed in the edit.

As Alex.H did not have anything to do after he checked the audio levels and quality, I decided it would be fair to give him the opportunity to film some shots for the piece as he was editing and may have some ideas for good shots that I may have not got. Of course, I would have loved to have been able to do the whole shoot myself, but I didn't feel right hogging the camera when others had a creative vision as well. I still shot the vast majority of the shoot, but I think a change of operator for a few minutes would be good for the edit if there where shots Alex.H could think of, that George and I couldn't think of. 

To make sure the four photoshoots where different, we decided to change the set design between each model. This was a good idea because then we would have a nice variety of backgrounds for each segment. I particularly liked the last one we did for the 90's segment. We had the projector playing with some 90's content playing but we used the blur on the projector to avoid any copyright problems.

I knew we were tight on time and George.W had a lot of shots to get through, but I was constantly making sure that the camera settings were correct. White balance was constant but sometimes I had to let more light into the camera depending on how many tungsten lights we had on.

We de-rigged quickly and efficiently before our cut off point of midday and had around 10 minutes to spare. The models and photographers acted in a very professional manner even though all of them were novices in the roles they had been put in. I hope this was easy for them as all of us operated professionally but also friendly so that we eased the pressure on them in something they had never done before.

I feel like we worked really well as a team because we did not have any problems with the filming, the only thing was the time pressure which we dealt with really well. We got all the shots that were on George.W's shot list as well as capturing other great angles to make sure we had the coverage for the 2 minute segment. As with my previous projects, I feel you should always shoot way more footage than needed so we do not need to worry about the edit. 

Overall I was really pleased with the whole shoot day. It was really well organised by Conor.D and George.W gave really clear indications about what shots he wanted. I feel like I did a good job with the camera capturing the shots that I was asked to do as well as using my initiative in getting extra shots to make sure we had coverage. I think giving Alex.H the camera for a few minutes will give us variety in the edit, in which his main VT role starts. George.N took some great pictures for the blog as he did not have much else to do as he was mostly involved in planning the VT. He was very helpful when rigging and de-rigging and moving equipment. I feel considering the short time we had in the project space, we optimised it fully and it will look great in the edit. 

Filming Photoshoots - VT Research

Before filming our Photoshoot at UCA Rochester I wanted to understand how the professional's film photoshoots, and hopefully pick up a few tips about what coverage shots may be needed to ensure the piece is as good as possible.

Our shoot is almost replicating a "Behind The Scenes" style where you can often see the photographer in the shot and a lot of the time the model is focused on the photographer and not the video camera. The first photo shoot I found that I thought to be relevant was this one by Kurt Von

(Kurt Von, 2016)

This photoshoot is relevant because of the shots more than what is being talked about in the video. The video focuses more on the technicals of the photographer but I was more interested in what the Videographer was creating. 

The first thing I noticed was that lighting was incredibly important, even for the videographer. A lot of the scenes in this video are dark and grungey and we will have a few scenes in our photoshoot which will be similar to this. 

"The Importance of light in Photography. Lighting is a key factor in creating a successful image. ... Therefore it is necessary to control and manipulate light correctly in order to get the best texture, vibrancy of colour and luminosity on your subjects." (Shaw Acadamey, 2015) 

It was important to understand this as the lighting that the photographer will want, will set the "vibe" for the video at the same time. George Wing is still preparing the shot list and data for our photoshoot as we speak but I do know there will be four-time eras and the video style will change between each one. The lighting will be important in differentiating between the eras. From a Camera Operating point of view, I will have to adjust my camera on the day to the ever-changing lighting conditions. I will have to open the iris is we have a dark scene. The white balance will also be an issue if we change between multiple styles. I will liaise with the editor, Alex Hargood, on the day so we can make sure he has to do as little colour grading as possible. 

Going back to the Youtube video - Something as a camera operator that was important to understand was the use of movement of the camera. This Behind the scenes video has a mixture of static and moving shots. I wanted to understand why this was. 

"Studies of visual perception show that observer motion provides perspective changes that make information available about the environment. This study tested the hypothesis that television camera movement supplies similar information. Fixed and moving‐camera videotaped versions of a scene were shown to 92 adult participants. Results indicated that moving‐camera viewers better understood and remembered the physical properties of the scene. These findings indicate that the moving camera could benefit productions where knowledge of the environment is important."

Understanding this was incredibly important as I knew now that was would have four time periods in our Photoshoot, we would need camera movement to understand the set and the little details we would have added in. However, upon further reflection, I realise that I will not be in control of the scripted shots as that is the director's Job. If the director decided to let me create some of my own shots I will, of course, take the opportunity to create some movement shots in this project. I will relay any information I deem relevant to the director before the photo shoot so he can include some of my research in the plans. However, I understand my role as a camera operator does not include create all the shot sizes and types so that will be upon the director to ask me what he thinks is best to film. Understanding this research, however, gives me a much better understanding of why camera movement is used even in a scene like a photoshoot. If I get the opportunity to, I will make sure there are at least some relevant shots with movement in the final piece.

Further research led me to this photoshoot of Jackets. I understand the "vibe" of this and our show are slightly different but I think the use of the camera in this video is important and I learned a lot from watching it.

 (BTS Mic Drop, 2017)

The use of the camera in this video is really superb. The use of the slow reveal with the movement of the camera is important as, like previously mentioned, it shows off more of the detail up close. I also really liked the mixture of shot sizes in this video. 

"What really differentiates movies from plays is the way filmmakers manipulate the audience’s field of view. In theater, the audience is in a “wide shot,” always looking at the entire stage and all the actors on it. They are free to look wherever they want. In cinema, however, the filmmaker directs what the public sees and how. While a long shot can show a vast vista of Mount Everest, an extreme close-up can show the silent despair of a child learning that his mother has passed away. These different shots make up the fabric of visual storytelling." (Elements of cinema, 2014)

By changing the shot sizes it gives the viewers different understanding of the scene. I am assuming George will direct a wide opening shot to set the scene of each of the four eras of the photoshoot, and then go into more detail of the outfit. For the closer images, it would be worth mixing up Medium shots, Close-ups and even Extreme close-ups could be used in this photoshoot. I think it is vital to get a variety of shot sizes otherwise the pace of the photoshoot will seem the same throughout. We may even have an era where the background is as important as the actual model and what is being worn so in that instance we would stay on wider shots as that we would be apart of the theme from that era. If the background is plain or not as relevant we would stay with close up shots as there is no point including a background that is not worth showing. I think a mixture of shot sizes will also give the editor, Alex Hargood, a better selection of clips to edit. It will mean that it is not that same shot essentially over and over for 2 minutes. I will relay any feedback or relevant information to the group so we can go into the photo shoot with the best knowledge possible.

It has been really interesting to understand why photo shoots are filmed the way they are. We will be filming in a few days time so I hope to receive the shot list from the director as well as any storyboards as then I can get to work on planning what I will exactly need to do. If I do not recieve any scripts it may hurt my preparation for the shotshoot, but I hope ti does not get to that stage.

Bibliography

Kurt Von, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClKu3B8souI
Accessed on 14th March 2018

Shaw Acadamy, 2015
http://www.shawacademy.com/blog/light-in-photography/
Accessed on 14th March 2018\

Phillip Kipper, 2009
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08838158609386625
Accessed on 14th March 2018

BTS Mic Drop, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LitrlMiawpw

Accessed on 14th March 2018

Elements of cinema, 2014
http://www.elementsofcinema.com/cinematography/framing-shot-sizes/

Accessed on 14th March 2018

Live Production - Rehearsals Day 1 (13/03/2018)

Today was Day 1 of rehearsals for our live TV studio production. We got in around 15 minutes before the day was supposed to start, however, we were then told we needed to be in early each day to rig cameras. This was fine with me but some prior warning of this would have helped ease the nerves! 

One thing that seems to be a constant problem with the rigging is the cables that send the TV feed through to the gallery and beyond! Sadly I had never properly been told how to set it up and everyone I asked seemed to be unsure as well. This led to some of the Maidstone TV Studio staff having to help some of us get the cameras working properly. 

After rigging the cameras we then set up a mock set with marking tape showing the edge of the set as well as the catwalk and main stage. After getting on talkback and being ready to film both Cailan and I (we shared a camera today) followed the directors lead. Del released our camera had been located in a very strange position, right in the middle of the set, we remarked we had said the same thing and he suggested we wait for the directors to realise before we did anything. It was a way for the directors to be able to visualise that this position would not work. 

I took control of the first run-throughs and we did not get that far in the script. I realise it is very very hard for the directors to call shots and direct shots when they had only just been able to visualise the set moments before going live. We had a lot of short takes were either the director was struggling to get the right shot or the on-screen talent took slightly longer than expected or messed up words. At the time it may have been frustrating for everyone, but it was a good learning experience for everyone to know what the actual pace of the show will be.

As I am one of the studio camera operators, today was important for us to learn how to adapt to the changing of locations on the studio floor. There would often be a quick change from one side of the set to the other to get the correct angle of either the runway or the main sofa section. I thought it was important that even though I was only designated to work in part B of the show, that I lean both parts of the show in case my fellow camera operator falls ill near the shoot and cannot make Part A.

Today Cailan and I also helped each other with details like who is coming up next on screen. This is something that by the actual show we would have learned, but for now, it was really useful having the person who was not filming give tips and hinters of what may be called for next. I knew, from directing and practising before, That getting a shot ready or giving the director options is very helpful. I will always be looking for ways to help the person who is above me job's easier. In this case, this will be lining up shots ASAP for the director.

For this reason, Cailan and I switched about pretty frequently throughout the day so we both got a good an idea of each stage of the show. Even though we only managed around three pages of the first part of the show and five of part B, I feel like this was an experience we really needed as we could learn what works and what does not. 

After putting in a real audience and working out the logistics of where all the cameras could possibly go, we had some good takes and ones that would prove very valuable. I am personally still getting to the talkback system. I know there will be a lot of different voices going on at the same time, but the problem so far was the audio levels. One person would be really loud and drown out the other. This is something that will need to be perfect before we go live as we will need to know all information on the floor. 

I think we all worked well as a team today. When someone needed help there was always enough of us to change roles and help one another. I think that is one of the biggest things we need to achieve in this project, and that is fluid teamwork. Of course, we are settling into our roles and there is pressure to get that right firstly, but we are all treating each other with respect and filling in when need be.

We will be getting the actors in next week so there will be pressure to act in the most professional way possible as well as making sure we achieve more of the script that we did this week. The actors should, however, be better with their lines that us who are just filling in. It may have seemed like a rocky start as we did not get that far through the script, but in reality, we learned a lot today which was very important.

The most important thing today was giving everyone a good run in their role for this unit. I think that was achieved and for Cailan and me, I feel like it was a pretty smooth day. We focussed on what the director wanted and when needed our shots where ready which was important. Of course the directors will get up to speed and ask for shots quicker, but for now, we are all learning and things will only improve. It was a successful day and I am really enjoying these workshops and rehearsals as I enjoy the pressure of getting something done in time!

Project Brief - Transition

• What do you want to do as a role
• What kind of TV do you want to produce 
• NOT choosing a project you will do in the 3rd year - you are ONLY choosing your role and the video output
• Have to chose a source material and reimagine it

Possible Examples

• As a team, YOUR ROLE - Output: Essentially produce a 2/3 min short film
• As an individual, WRITER - Output: Script of 10-20 Pages

Critical Research

• Must demonstrate a critical understanding of your chosen skill set and format
• Must be demonstrated through the online blog with relevant research

Delivery Format

• The most appropriate form of delivery of this project is a dedicated website
• Include final project as well as relevant research information

Bring TWO Ideas to one-to-one sessions on 19th or 22nd.

Possible Source Material

• Grand Prix Driver on Amazon
• Journey To Le Mans

As Live Studio Production - Learning ALL The Roles! 06/03/2018 Workshop

Sadly I missed the last workshop with Del as I had the flu and could not come in, so I knew today was a good opportunity to get hands-on in my role as well as understanding the pressures everyone else will be going through.

Camera Operations:
This was the role I wanted to do most as I had missed the last session due to my illness. This is my role in the studio segment of the show. After rigging the camera, I got on really well with the equipment and I started on the track for my first attempt. I enjoyed using this, but it did get tedious after a few slides left and right. I know this was not a proper shoot and it was only practice, but I feel that I could have done better with this test run and gotten more from it.

I then had a number of runs on the other various cameras we had. We had four cameras in total and I managed to get a go on all of the angels. We all used the talkback devices which I'll talk more about later, but something I was doing to help the director was constantly getting new shots framed up when my camera was not on air. This meant that the director didn't have to ask me to change the framing as I was doing this already. I actually felt good that I had picked up this right away as I could see that it was helping the director. The director on those takes also mentioned it later which was nice!

As for the talkback.... I was dreading this, as I had mentioned in an earlier post. However, after a few runs of being the camera operator and having this talkback, it did start o feel natural. Even though some people shouted through it and others where softer, you could generally adjust the device to something that was not too overbearing and not too quiet.

It will still take some getting used to, but the talkback runs have calmed my nerves somewhat. That was one of my biggest worries going into camera operations and I am glad that I know this early it's not as scary as it looks!

Being Talent:

Now I have never coped well with being on camera with a large group of people around, but over the last few months and last few projects in which I have presented, my nerves have somewhat calmed. I know this is a role that nobody will be doing come to the actual show, but it is useful to know what help they may need come shoot day. As soon as the camera comes on, everyone else is focusing on their jobs so in reality, there I nothing as a presenter you can do apart from doing your best. While making up subjects for this practice was tough and somewhat awkward to get a proper conversation going. I feel like this gave me a better understanding of the pressures of being a presenter, and the do's and dont's!

Floor Manager:

I only had one go as the floor manager, and that was shared with George Nicholls who will actually be a floor manager on the day of the recording so I wanted to make sure I didn't get too much in his way. I didn't particularly fit this role as I am not really a loud person, but I gave it a go and it gave me an understanding of what George and Sonia will be doing on the actual shoot. I realised you need clear and precise information from the director and the PA to be a successful floor manager. I do not envy this role as there is a lot of pressure of making sure all is communicated clearly to the floor. I think the two-floor managers will work really well in this role. Even though personally, I wasn't very good at it. This opportunity gave me an idea of what will be going through their heads on an actual day. I know there will be a lot of talking through the headsets and they will have to do their best to communicate that to all on the floor.

Camera Assistant:

There was not too much to this role in the test shoots as all I ever did was hold the camera wires while the tracks were being used. However, in camera set up, it was important to work together as we had two people setting up one camera. I didn't find it useful that Connor wouldn't let me look at the camera for a while as he wanted to figure it out. Once I talked to Ferg and someone else on the floor, to I managed to get the camera in the right settings. This experience will help me on an actual day as I think Jason and I will be on a camera together so it will be important to learn who will be doing what in the camera set up phase especially. Come to the shoot it would be mostly monitoring wires and also battery levels etc.


VT Operator:

Into the gallery, and for this test shoot the VT operator basically had to press the space bar on a keyboard to get the VT Intro clip to play at the start of the show. This in itself was not hard, but I know come to the actual shoot there will be many more clips and timings will be very important to get right. It was hard to appreciate this job in this scenario, but I know come the actual shoot day there will be a lot of pressure on the VT's playing correctly and on time.

Vision Mixer:

For me, this was my favourite job if the. Making sure I cued and cut the clips at the right time was a lot of pressure but at the same time was very rewarding. I had not done this in the last session as I was ill. Without sounding too smug, I did manage to get used to it rather quickly. It may just look like pushing some buttons, but listening to the director and waiting for the correct times to change was a lot of pressure, even in a test run. Making sure to not press cut instead of cue was my first issue, but I managed to sort that out before we actually did a test run. I think Alex.H will be really great at this job and he showed that in his runs as the vision mixer. I would have liked to have tried more complicated roles with the mixer but realise we wanted to make sure everyone could have a good take.

I would love to try vision mixing again in the future and I feel like there is probably a chance to do it before I finish university. It was a surprise to me as going into the project it was one of the jobs I would have never wanted to do, but now it is up there with one of my favourites! As Helen and Simon keep telling us, keep your mind open to new jobs as you never know which one you will enjoy!

Production Assistant:

As I mentioned earlier on when talking about being the floor manager, I am not the loudest person. So when it comes to making yourself heard, I am not always the greatest. However, this being said I wanted to give the PA a go as it was originally my second choice. It was not a really tough job in the test shoot as it was only a 3-minute show and only required a few countdowns. However, come to the live show I can see this being very tough and there being many calculations to be sorted out before we start practising. I actually enjoyed the pressure of calling out the right numbers and I feel by the end of the day, I was doing a pretty good Job. Del seemed to think I was clear as well as making constant updates 45,30,20,15,10-0 seconds as well as on each minute.

Saying this, I am rather glad I am a camera operator rather than a PA for this shoot as I feel camera operating better suits my talents and I think Jemma and Victoria will be much better at this role that I would have been. I will definitely understand the pressure they will be going through when we actually shoot, as it is a very intense job when the numbers start building up.... And they will have at least 10x the number of countdowns that I did as the actual show is 30, not 3 minutes!

Director:

Probably the scariest task of the day was being the director. Over the day we all pretty much got the chance to be director but with the way things played out, I was second to last. In a way this wasn't a bad thing because I could watch and lear, but the nerves definitiely built as the day went on!

Once I got in the chair, I didn't feel as worried as I had thought. Del gives you the first 45/50 seconds with help and then leaves it to you. I think the worry was looking at four cameras plus what is going live all at the same time, it was a struggle at the start. As the three minutes went on I tried harder things like getting cameras to change position and focusing on different subjects. I also tried to cut straight away instead of cuing some clips so we got the reaction shots. I feel this went ok, I am by no means the best at this role but strangely I did end up enjoying it!

Conclusion:

The most important thing to take from today is that we all have our role but we now all understand the pressures of being in each of the other roles. This will be helpful as it should mean we can work together better as a team and understand what is happening if something goes wrong. The opportunity of going in each role also gives us an understanding of the pressures that each one of us will face and I think it is important that we know that now! This was actually one of my favourite days at university and I am really happy I pushed myself into trying new roles that I did not think I would enjoy!

AS Live TV Research - Take Me Out (Entertainment Show)

I recently did some research into a factual "as live" show in the form of the grand tour. Now I will be researching into an entertainment show. I decided to go for a show called take me out which is actually filmed at the Maidstone tv studios. This would then be an interesting show to analyse to see how they utilise the space which will be very similar to ours.

Take me out is an ITV Dating show which airs 60-90 minute programmes and has been on our screens since 2010. They have currently just finished airing the 10th season of the show.

I am reviewing yesterdays episode, Season 10 Episode 8. The first thing to note is Take me out's iconic title sequence. I never actually watch the show but I recognise the theme tune and the graphics. This shows the producers have clearly thought through the decisions of what needs to be in the title sequence. The catchy jingle is one that most of us will have heard even if we do not know the show. This is something that clearly would need to be perfected if "steal the style" was a commissioned project on TV. From what I have heard so far the producers have a set idea of the style of graphics and the tone of the music. This is a great start and we just need to make sure those stylistic choices work for the rest of the show and at the same time would be catchy and rememberable.

The fading to the audience clapping while the graphics are still in the final ten seconds is also a nice touch. This shows clear decisions made by the director about what will be the most important sound at the time. Personally, when I hear an audience making noise and clapping it get's me excited for the show. It may be hard to replicate in steal the style as it is a factually based show, but there will be times when clapping will be needed for the show to have energy. In relation to our planned show "first world problems" I think audience interaction was key. We wanted a comedic take on a more serious issue. Therefore audience interaction and audience clapping would have been a key point of our show.  Following on from that, excluding the opening shot showing the presenter, the camera goes into the audience right away. I think this shows great audience interaction which we would have loved to have implemented into "first world problems".

From a camera operation perspective, the opening PTC is interesting as it looks like it is shot with a crane. There is a quick movement to go from a wide shot to a medium close up of Paddy introducing the show. As I will be the camera operator for the show I am already looking at ways we could be creative, to get the most engaging show possible. In steal the style we should have nice PTC shots to open the show. It looks like there will be a runway which the presenters will walk down to start the show. This is similar to take me out as the walk down the catwalk/stage gives the presenter time to be seen before they are properly heard. If I were to relate this to our pitch first world problems, I would have said we had probably not thought about the issue of how the presenters would appear on stage. This was an over thought but one we should have had before pitching our idea.

An interesting cinematic shot is the ultra wide shot of the whole studio and the majority of the audience. I highly doubt we will be able to have a shot this wide because, most likely, our set will not be big enough to cover the studio. However, I like the use of the cut to this shot as once again it gives a nice touch of encouraging the audience to be a part of the show. The casting for take me out must have been a hard process, but Paddy Mcguiness it the perfect presenter for this role. He has the wit and enthusiasm as well as the interaction with the audience nailed. This is something we were brought down upon our presentation pitch for first world problems. Even though we cast a presenter we were told he was not very enthusiastic about his role which meant he was not taken kindly upon. This will also be a role that needs to be thought through properly for steal the style as well. They have talked about getting two presenters and from experience, they need to work together well and have a good vibe between them otherwise it could be really awkward and hard to follow.

 The clean audio throughout the show makes for a pleasant viewing experience. I notice that all the contributors are wearing clip microphones as well as the presenter. This will be the case in steal the style and would have been the case in our show first world problems.

Something I also noted from watching the show was its colour theme. The show is heavily based on pink/purple which are colours that are symbolic of love. That makes perfect sense for this show but would not work in steal the style. From what we have seen so far we will be using pastel colours pinks, beige etc but as they are pastel they are not too vibrant. The set the producers had made was very minimalist and easy on the eye. We need to make sure when the UCA design team visits that they have this idea in mind. We need to keep a running theme of colours through the show so it does not seem disjointed. To compare the colours to our project first world problems. We had a colour scheme of grey and white which may seem boring, but that was not really the case. The colours were to relate to what we thought our audience would be, meaning flashy colours and harsh lighting may have been a turn-off.

The set has obviously had a large amount of time and effort put into it, however, in reality, we cannot be expected to have a set which is as multi-dimensional as take me out. However, we can take pointers from it. These include where the presenter stands as well as where the main attractions of the show enter and leave the frame. I will not have much input as a camera operator but making sure the set is somewhat multi-dimensional (which it looks like it will be with its multiple areas of a sofa area, clothing rail and runway) so that we can get interesting shots. If the set is flat and has no texture to it, it will be very hard for us as camera operators to get interesting shots.

As for VT's, take me out does not have many, but on a few occasions this episode they do. They normally have a sequence at the end of the show which is seeing how the couples do on their dates. However, in this episode, they use one to go back in time to see how one of the previous couples is getting on. This is a nice backstory which gives the viewer knowledge of the successful happenings of the show in previous seasons. The use of this could help the viewer trust the show more, as some may think the whole show is a gimmick. For steal the style, we will have 4 VT inserts and I think each one will be quite different from the next. This is different from take me out as all of the cutaways are generally along the same theme. The VT inters will be vital to keep the pace of the show and to not put too much pressure on the presenters to remembers loads of lines. In relation o to our pitch, first world problems, I now realise our show was heavily VT-based ie. Top Gear. This is something in hindsight I would change because we were never going to get commissioned when 1/2 of the show was a VT. In reality about 1/4 of the show should have been a VT and we should have known that sooner.

Finally, the show concludes with a nice roundup of what has gone on in the show so far. This is great to do as it makes sure the audience does not forget the key points of the show. It is also great for the presenter as well as they can usually put their own twist on what is being said to make it funny/happy/sad depending on the scenarios that have taken place. This particular show was a special episode and they decided to make a funny VT to end the show. I think this would be an option for both steal the style and first world problems if it was an established series. I don't think this is the kind of thing you can do in a pilot episode as people may think that is always how you will end the show.

Overall Take Me Out is a heavily thought through the idea with a fantastic presenter and set. The camera operations while basic in some areas are impressive when they want to show the scale of the production (ie. Wide shot showing the whole set and also the crane shot to start the show). We can take heavy inspiration with the audience interaction and hopefully include that somewhat in our show. The most important thing at this stage though is getting presenters that are natural together and do not make it an awkward viewing experience. I hope the producers can find two presenters to fit their agenda as finding presenters who work is very hard.


References

Take Me Out Season 10 EP 8
https://www.itv.com/hub/take-me-out/1a8716a0101
Accessed on 3rd March 2018

AS Live TV Research - The Grand Tour (Factual Show)

For some knowledge of how an "As Live" show is shot, I decided to take a closer look at one of my favourite TV programmes, The Grand Tour.

This is a modern show that includes three presenters in a 1+2 scenario as well as a guest segment which is a 1+1 or a 1+2 interview. This meant at all times the focus of the camera is only ever on three people. I noticed this straight away when watching the show as it helps draw the attention to the main cast, and with a smaller cast like this, we can keep up with the micro-reactions they all make towards each other. The camera operations are the part of the show that I will be focusing on, but I will look at what the other behind the camera roles do to make this a very successful show.

I am reviewing Season 2, Episode 2 of the Grand Tour which as normal, starts with its intro VT which lasts 55 seconds and fades into the main presenters walking into the "studio". I am mainly going to be analysing the camera operations in the show as that is what I will be doing when it comes to our live production.

They always start the show with an impressive show where the camera moves over the audience and towards the three presenters who are unveiled from behind the "tent" doorway. After understanding timings and coordination in the opening part of this unit you realise how hard it is for this to be timed correctly. The camera needs to complete it's move smoothly over the audience and have a steady shot before it hands over to the presenters being unveiled. This, even though it only takes up a few seconds, is a very hard move to complete. They would have most likely rehearsed this move many times with stand-in crew to get the timings correct. As for the camera operator, he needs a stable shot which is hard when moving at the speed it does. Careful management of the camera movement is very key in this move.

Then a camera, which I assume is on dolly wheels, tracks backwards and lets the presenters move from the tent entrance to the main part of the studio where the set is located. This shot is one that shows the presenters and the audience together, meaning lots of time would have been spent in making sure the audience would not be in the way of the equipment and the presenters. The camera shot needs to be smooth and as I assume it is on a wheeled trolly that helps in that department.

Once the three presenters are on the stage, The grand tour always uses a sting to jokingly announce what is happening in today's episode. We will be using stings in our show, but not with the same effect. While in the grand tour, it is done in a jokey way, in steal the style they will be used to transition between segments. In steal the style they will be more of a jingle to transition from segment to segment.

They include a wide shot to establish the main stage and it gives us an idea of the challenges of the camera operators. They have a camera up high which has this wide shot, but they also have two or three cameras at ground level on tripods which get a close-up shot of the presenters. This means that through the planning of the show, they would have to know when the wide shot would be being used and when the close-up shots would be used. Making sure that they do not get in each other's way. Now, The grand tour is presented in a way that is less "as-live" than our show but it follows many of the same principles. However, there is a good chance that in the grand tour that they do multiple takes, we won't have that luxury in our show.

The set is also worth looking at in this scene as it is a studio audience baes show where they are all focussed on one area. Our show will have more areas to look at, but only one at a time. This means that when setting up the camera, we need to be in a position to get the best shots, but at the same time giving the audience a good angle to watch the majority of the show. We will have raised platforms if I remember correctly, so getting a good view for that should be fine. As of right now, I am worried that we may struggle not to interfere with the audience in any way.

The cut to the VT is rather quick meaning if this was a live show they would have had to have been very precise with their timings. VT operations are tough in the heat of the moment and clucking the button to play the VT even a second too late would be very noticeable. As this show is most likely edited through video editing software, I doubt they had t worry about that, but it will be important to note in planning that the Studio to VT change isn't too quick so that the VT operator isn't too rushed.

As for the cinematography in the VT itself, it is obviously on another planet in terms of visuals. They obviously have a ton of money and loads of cameras to be able to get every shot they could ever want. However, it was important to know about getting as many cutaways as possible when out shooting as keeping a good pace up when in the edit is vital. If the pace is too slow it makes people lose interest and if it was a real show they would switch over. I will follow the script and info that George and Conor give me for when I shoot the VT's - But I will always insist about getting as many cutaway shots as possible so we have all plus more the footage that we would need. I know that we will want as many options in the edit as possible. The editor (Alex H) is the audio assistant on the shoot so he will also chip in with any ideas, I think it will be good to bounce off each other and get as much done on the shoot days as possible. 

I also love the helicopter and drone shots that are used in The grand tour so I may ask George and Conor if I can get some scenic shots or establishing shots with it. I think it would give us a different perspective and would increase the production value

Back in the studio, we get a classic 1+2 shot with all three in shot, but the main presenter to one side. I think we will follow something similar in our show where if we have a guest, they will be interviewed by the presenter around a desk or a table. This main shot is their "safety shot" which they can cut to if something goes wrong with the other cameras. They also have a camera from the right cross shooting Jeremy Clarkson and a camera on the left which is cross shooting James may and Richard Hammond. Cross shooting is vital so that everyone appears on the correct sides of the 180 line. Another advantage of cross shooting is that when doing so we get a much better view of the person face who we are viewing as we are filming straight at them rather than filming at 90 degrees to them. A shot we 100% need to avoid is getting a profile shot of a presenters face as they are rather unflattering.

After they cut away for another car test which is a VT that follows very similar guidelines to the one talked about earlier, they are back in the studio for a celebrity guest interview. This follows a similar filming method to the news segments but this time they seem to have two cameras shooting the guests as they sometimes go to a close up of an individual person, rather than a two-shot of them both. They possibly do this more in the guest segment than the news segment as they are supposed to be more celebrity to than the presenters and what to get a closer reaction from them.

They do occasionally use the two-shot of the guests as a way of cutting between close-ups. As going from close up to close up is uncomfortable for the viewer and seems pretty intense. From watching this scene it seems they seem to have more cameras running when guests are on to make sure they have every angle. In the news segment, they don't need to worry about the close-ups as much as the news segment is generally about the cars rather than the people.

 I noticed that the grand tour uses a very cinematic depth of field creating a movie like quality in the studio. This high depth of field won't be possible in our show as the background will be close to the presenters, but it was important to realise how the depth of field can send a different message to the viewer. In our show, it will not be as much of a problem as we have a purpose build set which will have some nice details. However, in The grand tour, the show has a countryside background which is less interesting to a car viewer so the depth of field somewhat masks that!

After the interview, they cut away to the other presenters who are introducing the next part of the VT. It is important to note that the background in this is actually in focus meaning that they have a more normal depth of field in this shot. This could be because the background is automotive-themed, as well as having a live audience there which interact with the show with laughter and body language.

As of right now, I think the plans for the audience are not finalised. But I think that it is clear if you use the grand tour as an example, that having the audience being interactive and close to the presenters does add to the show. I like that you can see the expressions and in a way, you sometimes gauge your laughter on how the audience is reacting.

It then cuts to the next VT and the main thing I picked up from this was the use of graphics to back up information that is being talked about. Even though we will not need to worry about graphics as much as the grand tour, we will be using them in the live show. I feel they are a great way of reinforcing information that is being said. The use of them in the VT will probably not be needed in our shot as we will use cutaways of video instead of graphics. However, if need be I think they would suit the style of the show if they kept with the "brand"

Finally, they round up the show back in the studio with cameras focused on all of them as well as there being a safety shot. It is important to see all the contributors in the ending shots so we can close the show off in a way that is natural and also conclusive. I think the plan for our production is to get everyone who is apart of the show up on the stage at the end. I think that's a great way to round off a show that has a lot of great contributors!