Production Tips

Express Studio Technician Cheat Sheet

Use this sheet to avoid total disaster…

A few tips:
Before even getting started with all the fun technical aspects of being a Studio Technician like Phasing the cameras, grabbing the necessary microphones, or making sure the Producer even has acquired a tape to record on, you’re going to have to get the dirt on what the show is, what the show is about, and what brass tacks the show is going to need to work. To make life easier, find the Xpress Studio folder located at the front desk and check it for that day and the days coming up you will be teching to see what shows are taking place. If there’s a show you’re not familiar with, find the “Reservation Request” form the producer filled out when they signed up for the date to see what the special needs are for the show, how many guests, and any other useful information. The forms are located in a manila folder located behind the studio folders at the front desk entitled, “Approved Express Reservations”. If you don’t find any info that helps, you’re going to have to call the Producer and have them to provide everything either over the phone, email or fax. Or, have them bring everything when they show up.

1) Preliminary Set-Up procedures:
Turn everything on at least a half an hour before the producer arrives so the equipment can warm up for phasing purposes. Equipment power switches are:

- Scala – turn on both computer monitors. The Amiga computer should NEVER be turned off.

- Record deck, Play deck, Edit Controller Rack – Power switch is a red switch on the upper right hand corner of the rack. At the bottom of the rack is a power switch as well – NEVER turn this one off. It too should always be on, but if it is off… You know what to do.

- Switcher & Cameras – Hit the ON switch for each of the components; the Switcher, all 3 CCU’s (Camera Control Units), and all 3 Camera Preview Monitors.

- The talent’s Sony TV Monitor – Hit the ON switch located on the lower right and make sure it is facing the stage so talent can see it.

- Overhead Florescent Lights – All overhead florescent lights are routed through two power strips located on the wall behind Camera 1 and in front of the Switcher near the window. Hit both of the power strips on, then kill the switch to the house lights located next to the door to the studio.

- Now, set the “atomic” digital clock to the time on the Head End display (The clock is usually a little off - the fact that it’s “atomic” makes no difference, because it will lie – BCM’s thick cement walls prevent it from finding the broadcasted FM frequency it uses to set its own time.) Set the time to the exact second of the programming time so you’ll be in sync and know exactly when you’ll be going LIVE. It’s also important to let the producer and talent know every 10 minutes or so how much time there is until showtime. It’s especially important to remind them frequently in the last 10 minutes.

2) Phasing & Other Technical Procedures:

A) Setting Horizontal Phasing
Purpose: To align the color bars in each CCU with the color bars being represented through the Switcher/Record deck.
Reason: To eliminate any horizontal (or offset) video shifts in shot compositions between all video inputs.

Each of the CCU’s (which is the brain for each camera) have internal color bars generators. There’s a switch on each CCU that toggles between BARS and Camera, and it needs to be set to BARS. There’s also a toggle switch on the bottom of the Switcher and it should be set to Bars not Input 5. Now select the Wipe option and the transition type right above it, which is the Horizontal wipe on the Switcher. the Switcher to view the Copy Cam bars on bottom and Camera 1 on top using the fade switch located on the upper right of the Switcher. Tweak the H Phase adjuster on each CCU to align each Camera color bars with the switcher color bars on below.

B) Setting Vectorscopes/Waveforms
Purpose: To calibrate as closely as possible all “light” levels (represented by Waveform) and “color” levels (represented by Vectorscope) in all video feeds; the Switcher and each Camera. Note: The Play Deck for roll-ins does not need to be calibrated.
Reason: So colors and brightness levels aren’t bouncing all over the place when switch between inputs.