PRODUCTION & POST-PRODUCTION:Booking Shifts, Rehearsals

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Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

The script must be in hand before to think of other issues because it is the script which all

other people, involved in the program, must be following.

Anchorperson

Most radio or TV programs require anchorpersons, the talent who must carry out the

proceedings of the program, if the program is not a radio or TV play. Talk shows, discussions,

quizzes, interviews or any other disc jockey programs need a talent to help accomplish the

show. The question mark is always; should it be male or female, young or mature, novice or

seasoned, ordinary or literary, OR single or double. Again! not an easy choice.

Timings

A radio listener or TV viewer might not have realized, the decision on timing to air a program

takes lot of time. Usually electronic media has three categories of timings ordinary hours :

from morning to 6 O' clock in the evening, prime hours; from 6 pm to 10 pm and thereafter the

late night programs.

Prime time hours are usually allotted to programs which have the potential to earn revenue

through advertisements, or could be sold out to private productions. Now; if the new program

has earning potential it may find time during prime hours, otherwise it would be settled

somewhere in ordinary program hours.

Budget

All the more important aspect of any new program is to discuss and decide its cost per

program or for the whole quarter or any other period of the year it may continue. It is essential

that the program is cost effective otherwise the whole idea, however nice it may sound, could

be dropped all told.

The cost is worked out on the basis of payment to script writer, anchorperson, other talents

involved, technical facilities and the publicity if required.

In or outdoor

The nature of the program is also seen from the facts whether it is an indoor (studio based) or

outdoor show. This is more important in case of TV broadcast for making a program which

has completely or some of its elements done outdoor means a very different dimension, more

money, staff and risk of delays is very likely due to unseen factors. Out door shootings usually

cause an unexpected increase in the budget of the program which may lead to more

complications as the program makes progress. If there is an element of outdoor shootings, a

producer must talk to the relevant authorities about all these matters at the stage of pre

production to avoid any uncomfortable situation in the days to follow.

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Political / Social implications

As the programs are scheduled for recordings, a number of people are expected to take part

in them. The producer may not know what people of different shades of opinion would be

saying. He must apprehend it at the time of pre production that nothing is said which causes

problem for people of one sect or the province or a country. A small mistake in planning, as

who should be called to participate in various recordings of the program, may lead to a very

awkward situation. Likewise, governments are very touchy on the political front. It is at this

stage of planning that a producer makes sure that there would be no political fall-out in the

aftermath of the discussions taking place in his program.

Foreign affairs not hurt

If it is an ordinary program or a drama, its script must be cleared before recordings and should

not carry anything which is against the national interest or the social harmony in any manner

and country's foreign affairs are not going to be hurt. Not only the foreign affairs, the producer

is also responsible that there must be no mention of any things which may hurt the foreigners

living in the country or the expatriates earning their livelihood abroad.

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Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

LESSON 38

PRODUCTION & POST-PRODUCTION

Production, the middle stage of the whole production exercise, always keeps the producer

nervous. After having done so much in the first stage of pre production, a producer is very

enthusiast about executing the program in the second stage which is to record, or manage the

program when all the elements are in hand.

The production process for radio and TV are different not only in the sense of nature of the

programs but also due to variations in scripts and direction techniques.

For radio broadcast, the producer is likely to book a studio and ask the talents to give an

appropriate treatment to the script both for the purpose of recording or making a live

transmission.

For a piece of TV broadcasting, the production process is more painstaking and may require

long hours to complete recordings.

Here we shall examine the various aspects of production and post production process.

Setting time for recording

When every thing of pre production is done script, talents and approval, the program

producer is to set timing for recording the program. It is not easy because different people

involve in the production may be occupied elsewhere as well, and to work out a time at which

all members of the team are available is a real task to accomplish.

Not only that it is difficult to gather all the people involved in the production at one time,

especially the performers, producers in TV production are also faced with the problem of

availability of the studios. Since the number of studios is always limited against the rush of the

work, it is quite possible that a producer may not get the studio for the timings when other

people are available. This usually leads to anxiety and some time things may take an ugly turn

all this is taken as part of the game. It is toughest assignment in production to make every

thing available to every person involved in the production process.

Booking Shifts

As we now understand work is done in the form of shifts at most broadcasting houses. The

only difference is at some places a shift lasts for six hours and at others eight hours. During

this time studio, recording equipments and the talents are at the disposal of the producer.

Rehearsals

There is hardly a program which does not need rehearsals. The producer, who has conceived

the program knows the tone and the purpose and the target audience. He wants talents to

perform the script in a manner that the spirit of the program could be maintained.

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To achieve this target, all the people have to rehearse the script to an extent that it makes

possible for the producer to start recordings. But this is not as easy as it may appear, at times

an important member amongst the performers come up with the statement that the copy of the

script provided to him/her last week was lost. This is very irritating for the producer. True, that

a new copy of the script would be handed over to the talent but his/ her level of practicing the

lines would leave much to be desired a thing which no producer can afford to face.

Sets and Lighting

As the talents complete rehearsals and are in a position to read out their lines in style by

heart, the producer gets busy with the set designer and the lighting director.

The set design must be done in a way that it looks a new program. It must not appear as a

copy of some program. This means a lot of creative work and discussions between the set

designer and the producer. Now it depends on the nature of the program what type of setting

would suffice the need to execute the program.

No sooner the set arrangement and color scheme of what will be in the camera frame view ,

is complete the producer is talking to the lighting director to place lights of different intensity at

angles which do not disturb the talents, create shadows and help show texture of various

articles and the individuals on the set.

Props arrangements

All TV broadcast, specially the recorded programs, keep props on the set to enhance the

visual worth (communication value) of the broadcast. Props are the articles book, pen,

ashtray, wall hangings, clocks, vase, and rugs placed at different points with a purpose.

Articles which are touched upon by the talents are called the active props and other passive

props. The producer for a TV broadcast has to visualize what props are required to heighten

the overall communication worth of the program. So important is the props area that at times a

separate person has to be employed to take care of the articles required at the time of

recordings. The set designers work in close association with the props manager so that at the

time a set is being finalized for the purposes of shooting all the required items are in hand.

Continuity

May be not much a problem of a radio broadcast, the TV program which has to last a

minimum of a quarter of a year, is to face continuity problem. This means the sitting

arrangement, color scheme, props position and opening shots of the program have to be

consistent throughout the period a program continues. A change may invite criticism, or

reduce communicative value of the program.

Post production

Recordings, during the middle stage of production, are never done the way viewers see the

final program. There are always hitches as a talent forgets his/ her lines, producer is unhappy

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with the way a line has been said, if recordings get lengthy, makeup of some talents need re-

touching, lights may go off or microphones cause some problems. At times many takes of

certain shots are done.

All these snags are removed at the final stage called post production. The unnecessary shots,

sounds or lines are cut, background music, if required, is inserted and voice level of all the

talents is brought to a mean position.

A title and credit line is also prepared at this stage before declaring a program fit for

broadcast.

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