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SELECTION OF REQUIRED CONTENT AND TALENT:Camera rehearsal

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TV News Reporting and Production ­ MCM 516
VU
LESSON 08
SELECTION OF REQUIRED CONTENT AND TALENT
After finalizing and idea, making the budget, getting the script, studying rather digesting it, next comes
the casting for the programme and we all know that talent hunt is a difficult job as to find the right
person for the right job is always challenging.
The producer has to be very keen at he stage of casting because the good acting or performance
removes, from the minds of audience any remoteness and must cause them to perceive living
personalities enacting a portion of life.
The performance of any actor must give the character meaning so the actor or artist must be accurately
chosen.
A poor cast can ruin a very good script and a poor script may sometimes be made into a fairly decent
show with carefully chosen performers, artistically blended.
The casting committee is concerned of two things:
What comes out at the screen?
What happens in the minds of viewer?
In the television either public or private sector productions now a days there are only contract actors are
available, although there are staff artist in radio. A producer can choose from existing artists, or if he/she
has time so auditions can be arranged for the fresh faces and new talent.
If a dramatic director does not know his potential coast, it is wise for one to hold auditions or tryouts.
He/she will carefully select the artists as per characters, keeping in mind, the audition may play their
part in casting a play, they are never wholly satisfactory because;
Actors never feels that he/she has done the best and
Director never knows what an actor can do until he/she has seen them in a play or performance.
It is best to cast an artist by watching him/her on screen with proper make-up, makeover and getup with
original lines and dialogues.
The director watches following things for the flexibility of performance
Displaying an understanding of lines
Varying speed according to material
Expressing emotions without shouting
Giving expressions, stresses and pauses
Throwing cue lines to co-artists
Delivering the dialogue in true spirit
In casting it is best to watch the talent on screen or monitor not in studio or the office unless he knows
his artist very well, he should try many. The actor should not read the script merely; they should deliver
the dialogues as emotions full of expressions.
Having decided upon the selection of the artists, the producer should fix the time of rehearsals,
which include:
·
Simple rehearsal
·
Dry rehearsal
·
Camera rehearsal
·
Full rehearsal
·
Final rehearsal
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TV News Reporting and Production ­ MCM 516
VU
It is good to distribute a copy of script to each performer, if they retain it they can thoroughly familiarize
with the characters they are to portray and also gain an idea of the whole drama, knowing the show well.
The artist will be able to give more intelligent reading of their lines and thus time will be saved in
rehearsals.
Since a producer has to work against time, each bit of time saved is valuable to him and to the channel
or organization he is working for.
Each actor underlines the character whose part he takes, each time it appears and if the speech is carried
over the next page, "more" is written at the bottom of the page, however every effort should be made by
the writer or the script typist to complete it within the page and next lines be written ob next pages.
First rehearsal is generally quite informal, merely reading the script without the microphone or the
camera. The director explains his idea of the script and tells the cast the effect he wishes to create. The
director should encourage the artist to interpret the part he or she has been assigned. He will guide the
actors but avoid dictating them the characterization. He gives the cast the picture as he desires it and
places them the responsibility of the achievement.
Dry rehearsal is in the studio, on the set or location with the talk back microphones, signals by the
floor manager and director makes further suggestions about the characterization, interpretation,
pronunciation and enunciation.
Camera rehearsal is for the placement and movement of cameras and all the instruments and apparatus
in place. Members of the play or show know their parts and duties.
Time management is also done in rehearsals. For ease a director can keep stopwatch to measure the pace
and tempo.
Final rehearsal is one before the recording but prior to that a director has fairly accurate timing of the
programme and he knows which part can be eliminated with out loss to the performance and story, so
the director can time each page of the script, writing down the exact time at the bottom pf each page.
The detailed timing is necessary for the perfect control of the time element while the programme is
being recorded.
It is good idea to cut a script down for required number of rehearsals and many factors enter in to
determination of answers;
The script itself
The ability of the artists
The amount of time
The degree of difficulty
The efficiency of director
No good director will stop rehearsing until he/she is certain that his show reached the highest degree of
perfection.
Run Through:
Begin a run through of your shots as soon as talent and cameras can get into position. Check all your
shots in the order that they appear in the program. Do this first run through in the studio, as you watch
the studio monitor. Any changes can be noted by your assistant director and incorporated into the first
rehearsal in the control room.
First Rehearsal:
Move into the control room and do your first full rehearsal from there, utilizing camera changes and
other notes that your AD took down during the run through. This will be your first opportunity to time
your production; so conduct a full rehearsal--do not stop for each and every mistake. Your AD can make
note of changes to be made before the next rehearsal.
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TV News Reporting and Production ­ MCM 516
VU
Second Rehearsal:
If you planned properly, your second rehearsal should go smoothly and should be videotaped just in
case this one is a "save". If the taping turns out well, consider this your final take. If it still needs some
fine tuning, go on to the final taping.
Talent: make sure they understand the order of the pgm, make them feel at ease.
Suggestion: Make a check list of all the details that need to be attended to at various times, i.e. the day
before, at setup and rehearsal, and just before rolling tape for the production. Attention to detail and
planning for the unexpected will save you from most disasters. Providing each crew member with a
detailed list of all that is expected from him/her will not only demonstrate your desire for 100% from
that crew member, but it should also make for a smoother production and taping.
Forms
Forms, who needs them? For a medium which depends so heavily on images and sounds, you'll soon
find that there is a lot of emphasis on print--specifically forms to organize your thinking and working.
There seems to be a form for every occasion. From talent releases, to script paper and storyboards, to
FAX requests.
I know what you're already thinking:
You're told that forms must be filled out, but you have a sneaky suspicion that nobody will ever read
them.
Forms slow you down. In the time that it takes to get through the paperwork, you could have completed
the project.
While there may be grains of truth in the above sentiments, reality is that forms are necessary for
efficient communication, teamwork, and for the organization of your thoughts and work. They force you
to plan more carefully, to consider other options, and to approach the task more logically.
While forms will change over time and from city to city, market to market, get used to them because
you'll be seeing some variation of them for as long as you're in the biz!
NOTE: Blank forms will be provided for your use. Please photocopy them before using and retain the
master, working only from your copies.
Talent Release Form
The talent release (sometimes called consent and release) form is a legal document that once signed
gives the television station or production company the right or permission to use the name, voice, and/or
picture of the person signing the form. A properly signed form prohibits the signer from later stopping
the broadcaster/producer from using the material, or from suing the same for its use. Following is a
fairly generic example of a talent release form. One thing that should be noted--the more general the
form the more likely that one form can be used for multiple applications. However, the more specific
the form the more likely that it will hold up in court if challenged.
Talent Release Form
Talent Name: ___________________________ (please print)
Project Title: ___________________________
For value received and without further consideration, I hereby consent to the use of all photographs,
videotapes or film, taken of me and/or recordings made of my voice and/or written extractions, in whole
or in part, of such recordings or musical performance
On _______________________ 19 ____
(Month) (Day) (Year)
by ________________________, representing (insert production company/station here) and/or others
with its consent, for the purposes of illustration, advertising, or publication in any manner.
Talent Name________________________________________ (signature)
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TV News Reporting and Production ­ MCM 516
VU
Address:
________________________________________________________________________________
Date: ________/_______/________
If the subject is a minor under the laws of the state where modeling, acting, or performing is done:
Guardian: ____________________________ (please print)
Guardian: ____________________________ (signature)
Address:
________________________________________________________________________________
Date: ________/_______/________
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Table of Contents:
  1. CREATIVITY AND IDEA GENERATION FOR TELEVISION:Video Procedures
  2. PRE-REQUISITES OF A CREATIVE PRODUCER/DIRECTOR:SET-UP RESPONSIBILITIES
  3. REFINING AN IDEA FOR PRODUCTION:Drama, Magazine Shows, Documentary
  4. CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT:Variable. Pure and applied research
  5. RESEARCH AND REVIEWS:Research Procedure, Review of available literature
  6. SCRIPT WRITING:Elements of a successful story, Characters, Effects
  7. PRE-PRODUCTION PHASE:Indoor production, Outdoor production, Essentials of PBE
  8. SELECTION OF REQUIRED CONTENT AND TALENT:Camera rehearsal
  9. PROGRAMME PLANNING:Checklist, Electronic Field Production (EFP)
  10. PRODUCTION PHASE:Floor plan, Traditional set, Representational set, Design elements
  11. CAMERA WORK:Movement of lens of camera, Types of shots
  12. LIGHT AND AUDIO:Importance of sound in TV, Use of microphone, Loudness
  13. DAY OF RECORDING/PRODUCTION:Rehearsals,Point to ponder
  14. LINEAR EDITING AND NLE:Episode, Scene, Editing, Production Switcher
  15. MIXING AND USES OF EFFECTS:Live Sound Effects, ARROW STRIKING
  16. SELECTION OF THE NEWS:Elements of news, Timeliness, proximity
  17. WRITING OF THE NEWS:The inverted pyramid, Lead, Credit line
  18. EDITING OF THE NEWS:Characteristics of good news:Process of editing a news
  19. COMPILATION OF NEWS BULLETIN:Hard news, Soft news, Investigative report
  20. PRESENTATION OF NEWS BULLETIN
  21. MAKING SPECIAL BULLETINS:Agriculture, Show biz, Fashion, Drama
  22. TECHNICAL CODES, TERMINOLOGY, AND PRODUCTION GRAMMAR
  23. TYPES OF TV PRODUCTION:Magazine Shows, Specific audience programming
  24. DRAMA AND DOCUMENTARY:Documentary film, Defining documentary
  25. SOURCES OF TV NEWS:Reporters, Correspondents, Monitoring, News Agency
  26. FUNCTIONS OF A REPORTER
  27. BEATS OF REPORTING:City reporter, Social reporters, Show-biz reporter
  28. STRUCTURE OF NEWS DEPARTMENT:Beat Reporters, Online media
  29. ELECTRONIC FIELD PRODUCTION:Sports, Electronic news gathering
  30. LIVE TRANSMISSIONS:Studio floor, Switcher, Master control room, Camera control units
  31. QUALITIES OF A NEWS PRODUCER:Determination, Awareness, Sharp an active
  32. DUTIES OF A NEWS PRODUCER
  33. ASSIGNMENT/NEWS EDITOR:Accuracy, Fairness and Reliability, Conflict
  34. SHOOTING A NEWS FILM:The Influence of telecast News
  35. PREPARATION OF SPECIAL REPORTS:Uncovering Truth, Reportage
  36. INTERVIEWS, VOX POPS AND PUBLIC OPINIONS:INTERVIEW, Information
  37. BACK GROUND VOICE AND VOICE OVER:Natural or Raw Sound, Sound Effects
  38. SPOKEN WORDS AND RELEVANT VISUALS:Digital Audio, Quantizing Error
  39. TALK SHOWS, FORUMS AND DISCUSSION PROGRAMMES
  40. FUNCTIONS OF VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS OF A TV SET UP
  41. PROGRAMMES DEPARTMENT:Program content, Television series by genre
  42. NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS THE PROGRAMMING & SCHEDULING
  43. COORDINATION AMONG DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF TELEVISION
  44. COORDINATION AMONG DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF TELEVISION - 2 SUB-DEPARTMENTS AND SMALL SECTIONS
  45. COORDINATION AMONG DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF TELEVISION 3