COMM 3650 Study Guide - Summer 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Vision Mixer, Camera Lens, Broadcast Engineering
12 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
COMM 3650
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
The studio is the large space where the set for a TV program is located.
For a live news program, the anchors deliver the newscast from an anchor desk to the viewers.
The studio will sometimes contain smaller sub-sets that are used in conjunction with the
newscast, such as a weather center/desk or a dedicated interview space.
The control room is often nearby, attached to the studio by a common wall with or without
windows. It might also be removed, with some distance between, but either or, the control room
controls the operations of the studio. It’s important to note that some control rooms can control
more than one studio.
Post-production refers to the space in the TV station where video-editing activited are
conducted. Traditional editing suites (small rooms) may be available. Almost all stations have
moved to video file servers (server-based systems), so editing can occur just about anywhere
with access to the server.
Master control refers to the transmission control of the TV station itself. Incoming and outgoing
microwave and satellite signals are received/transmitted in this area and the final output mix of
the station is controlled here. Pre-recorded programs, advertising, promotions, and other
mastered (finished) video assets are managed from the master control area. Smaller TV
stations may not have their own master control. If this is the case, the stations are likely
“hubbed.” Hubbed stations are controlled from a “grouped” master control - controlling the
outputs of several stations - and can thus share various signal-processing and transmission
equipment.
The ideal studio (for audio control) is shaped like an egg. Large curtains or panels of fabric
called cycloramas are common in TV studios. Cycloramas, also called “cycs”, are mounted
on tracks, come in many colors, and most studios will have two or more that surround all or
most of the studio. Hard cycs can also be found in TV studio set-ups; essentially a set piece, a
hard cyc is a large, curving platform (shaped like a skateboarding quarter-pipe). Hard cycs are
used when utilizing software-generated, “virtual” sets.
The studio ceiling may be painted black in order to prevent light reflections. The ceiling height
in a studio is historically high for it allows for the efficient removal of heat generated from lights.
The most prominent feature near the ceiling is the lighting grid. The lighting grid is made up of
pipes called battens and the lighting instruments hang from these using large C-clamp mounts.
The lighting board is a computerized “on/off switch” for each lighting instrument. The crew
members that are responsible for hanging and aiming the lights are called Gaffers. In many
professional environments, Gaffers are certified electricians.
The typical studio will be equipped with 3 studio television cameras. Although many studios
have more than 3, it would be unusual to find fewer in a typical news set up. The video signal
that is generated by the camera can usually be recorded to a variety of video file formats
(.mov, .mp4, .wmv, etc.) The video signal can typically be acquired in different image shapes or
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aspect ratios (4:3 or 16:9, etc). The video signal that is generated can be acquired using one
of 2 different scan protocols (progressive or interlace). The video signal that is generated can
usually be acquired utilizing different line resolutions (480, 720, 1080, 2160). Historically,
studio cameras did not feature on-board recording capabilities (camcorders always did and still
do). Today, the advent and proliferation of flash memory technology in the camera industry
has reversed the situation. Nearly all studio cameras have on-board recording capability; and
the on-board recording format is almost always a type of flash memory. While the output of the
switcher is what represents the program video (what viewers at home will view or what will be
recorded), on-board recording permits in-camera ISO (isolation) recording as well.
On-board ISO recording is valuable for programs that are pre-recorded or produced in an “as-
live” environment. ISO recordings from each camera allow editors to fix problems in the
program video or create entirely different versions of the program after-the-fact. Control room-
based ISO recordings can be used in similar fashion or can be used for instant replay, slow
motion, etc.
All modern studios will be equipped with at least standard-definition cameras (SDTV); more
typical are high-defition cameras (HDTV), and a few may have ultra-high-definition cameras
(UHDTV or 4K).
The News Set
Risers - a platform to raise the height of the desk
Flats - vertical panels that provide a background or “flat wall” to the rear and sides of the desk.
● One type of common flat wall is called a duratran - a large image printed upon
transparent material (plexiglass) and backlit.
● A cheaper alternative to the duratran is the use of a large, independently “fed” studio
video monitors (LCD panels) or video projection.
Scene dock - set materials and props are typically stored inside this adjacent or attached room.
Storage room that’s connected to the studio and is also accessible from the outside of the
building.
Multiple video monitors will be positioned around the studio, so everyone can see what’s being
recorded. The production crew member responsible for studio set-up and assembling the set is
called a Grip.
The weather forecast is delivered in front of a green screen or chroma key colored cyclorama
(or chroma key wall) toward the back of the primary set. The unusual and highly saturated
color of the background permits the weather anchor’s camera image to be keyed over/layered
over the weather GFX.
On the walls of the studio are hook-up jacks for audio, video, clock, intercom, and other signals
that run between studio and control room. These hook-up jacks are located together and are
called patch panels. Prior to the show, the audio guy in the control room (Audio or A1) or
dedicated “studio” audio crew member (A2) will connect cables to route the audio signals from
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Document Summary
The studio is the large space where the set for a tv program is located. For a live news program, the anchors deliver the newscast from an anchor desk to the viewers. The studio will sometimes contain smaller sub-sets that are used in conjunction with the newscast, such as a weather center/desk or a dedicated interview space. The control room is often nearby, attached to the studio by a common wall with or without windows. It might also be removed, with some distance between, but either or, the control room controls the operations of the studio. It"s important to note that some control rooms can control more than one studio. Post-production refers to the space in the tv station where video-editing activited are conducted. Traditional editing suites (small rooms) may be available. Almost all stations have moved to video file servers (server-based systems), so editing can occur just about anywhere with access to the server.
