First Blog:
When I first encounter the term ‘Multi-camera production’ in this class, I am not sure about this studio’s approach. Having previous interaction with the production mode ‘single cam’, which is historically based in cine, magnifies my insecurity about a whole different aspect. Not only though, I had no idea about either the workflow or technology in multi-cam projects. However, the more I place myself more into studio practices, the more I comprehend the outline of goals in studio descriptions. I am confident to stand up to new challenges which Ms. lovely Ruth assigns to our students. There are two big goals that I wish to achieve at the end of this course: to understand the workflow and technology of TV production, and comprehend how TV, as a cultural text and creative expression, would be able to thrive and prosper. In week 2, I take charge of the Director’s Asssistant, who monitors the set-in representation of the director and makes sure the crew completes their duties (Ruth, 2023). I also tried on Audio Director and especially Graphic (GFX) Operator, which will play a significant role in complementing the looks of future projects. After a few trials, I acknowledge basic pre-production and crew management for the talk show format. It is interesting to learn during the live tape-in, what responsibilities a team of core members (Director, DA, Floor manager, and so on) have to take charge of.
Some other great insights come from the viewing of historic multi-media shows, including “I Love Lucy”. The show on its own provides vivid explanations for the different aspects of multicam and single-cam production. Multi-cam or single-cam do not supposedly interfere with the quantities of cameras on the set, but rather their settings. Most of the prevalent single-cam shows such as talk shows, variety/late night, etc will have live-studio viewers and the recording is based inside an in-house studio set.
(I Love Lucy BTS)
I hope to learn both theoretical and practical aspects of live-studio production in this course. I am looking forward to reading more industry-insider articles and augments of analysis, which would enrich my application of theories into real projects. The reading on Week 2 is definitely a wholesome summary of multi-cam and single-cam practices – an example of how this course proves to be personally helpful.
Second blog:
One interesting idea in the reading “An Introduction to Television Style: Modes of Production” of Butler differentiates between two modes of production, in following to the aspects of production stage. In the pre-production, scripting is not always following the same framework. In one-cam products which call for high-quality visuals (commercials, animation, music videos, to name a few), shot list and storyboard are prerequisite. In the script breakdown, the writers tend to jot down detailed actions, even the expressive moods, with the camera directions (either be zooming in close to the face and panning to the side, for example).
(The example is the Dark Knight screenplay breakdown. As you can see from the extract, the action line is cap locked to specifically emphasize what actors need to follow. In some cases, directors will jot down the camera movement, but I bet Christopher Nolan has a sophisticated storyboard instead)
On the other hand, Butler (2018, p.193) illustrates that soap-opera and sitcom comprise mainly of dialogue, with gaps in between that director may write in camera directions, as the script “less image oriented and literally no camera directions at all”. The absence of storyboards and shot lists can track back to the minimal set designs of most one-cam shows. Likewise, in our first live tape-in talk show, there is no prerequisite for ‘acting’. We only need to have a framework of how the talk show will run and the discussion theme, to the most minimal effort. What Butler (2018, p.193) intends to phrase non-narrative programs (game shows, talk shows, reality TV) as “speak in their own voices” is the outcome we are seeking. If we look more broadly into the TV production, the blended nature of two production modes leads to less preservative ideology around each pre-production procedure. A lot of planning in advance will be forwarded by members to find the tailored solutions for each program. In short-film, they break down the scripts into set pieces, and complimentary shot list and storyboard helps visualize those pieces prior to shooting. Whereas in single-cam products, especially live to tape, the push to liveness is priority. However, Butler declares about how each mode borrows the aesthetic technique from the other (2018, p.196). How I met your mother is an example of how the show seems to multi-cam (the use of laughing track to imitate a live audience and live studio-set) but intrinsically uses technique from one-cam (more creative camera movements, time on set is longer) (Butler, 2018, p.197). I think it is necessary to think of two production modes as more of the tool to expressive artist souls. Rather than sticking to one style of production, it works better to learn the beauty from both extremes and develop it for the good of my own.
Third blog:
Before the recording day, my team does not have a sufficient script for the talk show. Since I expect that the hosts and the participants are assumed to speak in their own voices, we are negligent of the fact that an organized script helps keep a trace of undesired possibilities (Butler, 2018, p.194). That leads to the problem at the production stage: we have a vague idea of the theme and rush to finish all the tasks on time, especially during the typing for autocue. There are some of the things I expect from the first live-to-tape talk show: one is with the music topic, and second is with our freedom in the choice of props, set design and lighting. The insufficiency of discussion is accountable for the absence of good graphics and lack of coherence throughout the show. For example in Group 2, they boil down to the discussion of a particular person (Kim Kradashian in this case), or else in Group 4, they discuss the Moomba festival. I feel it necessary for a 3 minute show to focus on a specific topic to avoid too general questions. It should be working next time if we had more sophisticated planning.
(In group 2, the host has a deck of questionnaire cards for guideline and the crew prepares some graphics in advance)
Following on the music topic, we could skim down to a specific music theme location or a favorite artist. From that on, we retain our audience’s focus on that topic only. Second of all, I sense that the show’s overall design is a little bit underwhelming. I was watching a YouTube video titled “Using Color to Tell a Story in Film” by the channel “In depth Cine”. There is a part they mention about three ways that film can achieve the color desire and one of them is lighting (In depth Cine, 2022). The lighting is sometimes overlooked; however, it can work as a statement for the show. For example, people watching Who wants to be a Millionaire identify the blue with the show. As I mentioned, it can be solved with sophisticated pre-planning in future projects. There are still some positive points to discuss. I am more than proud of working with teammates who understand their roles and show uttermost respect in communication. Even though we do not start off with the planning perfectly, our team soon covers up the disadvantages smoothly on the set. I want to give special appreciation to Josh and Olivia for being wonderful floor managers and directors. The crew makes my job as director assistant less difficult and the whole communication during the set is on point. Olivia sets up extraordinary visions by giving concise directions to camera operators, while she asks me for suggestions on the camera positioning and so on.
During the on set, me and Josh communicate back and forth to manage the situation in and out of the live set. We are on tight with the running order as giving sufficient time slots for trial and live recording in the compromised time span.
Reference List
Butler, Jeremy. G (2018) An Introduction to Television Style: Modes of Production. In: Television: Visual Storytelling and Screen Culture, Milton : Taylor & Francis Group, Routledge, New York, pp. 185-198.
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/rmit/detail.action?docID=5264139&pq-origsite=primo
CBS (20 Aug 2020) ‘Behind the scenes of I Love Lucy’, CBS, accessd 21st March 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7yPwWoj4D8
In Depth Cine (28 Feb 2022) ‘Using Colour To Tell A Story In Film’, In Depth Cine, accessed 19th March 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbYjgJuvsDg
Lannom SC (2019) The Dark Knight Script: Screenplay Scene Analysis and PDF Download. Studio Binder, accessed 21st March 2023.
https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/the-dark-knight-script-pdf/
Richard, R (2023) Crew Role Glossary, RMIT Dashboard, accessed 21st March 2023. https://rmit.instructure.com/courses/117281/pages/week-1?module_item_id=4999647