Day 4 - Workplacement 29/9/11

Time Started - 9:30

Time Finish - 5:30

Total Hours - 8

Self Assessment Report -

Uniform: 5

Punctuality: 5

Initiative: 4.5
Cooperation: 5
Work Standard: 4
Development of Skills: 5

Today at my workplacement I was in News Edit the offices were the news scripts were written, were the details are gathered and where the vision that is filmed is edited thus news edit. Before my day began I got news from Marco in the morning regarding Eric the other boy I was doing work experience alongside. Marco informed me that Eric would not be returning due to his behaviour the day before while he was in studio 3 during the recording of the 11am news. From what I understand Eric was telling the director how to do her job whilst really offending her, he then preceded to call someone a f@#$%t during the live broadcast. After this Marco sent Eric to news edit where he then began to offend the editors and by calling their job boring. He was later escorted off the property by security and not alowed back on the premise again. Hearing about this made me realise how professional and unopinionated to work in the TV industry.

Upon making my way to news edit Marco told me how most of the news editors come from on air tapes then later become producers making their jobs as equally important as any other in the company. In news edit I was introduced to Kym one of many editors. Kym told me his day begins at 2am so that he has enough time to prepare material for the early news. Kym uses a program very similar to imovie that allows him to cut and paste vsion into a sequence. The footage Kym uses comes from vision filmed outside of the studio, off the internet and also at times from other networks like 10 and 7.  The news editors are in close communication with the script writers in terms of duration and content so that the vision matches the script. Communication is mostly done through email. So editors know what vision needs to be completed and who is doing what vision a cue sheet is devised that is used by all. The cue sheet also allows the directors in the news studio to see what is ready for broadcast. News edit was quite intersting to watch because of how stressing it was at times when things did not come in on time.

After a couple of hours in news edit I was sent by Marco to news connections which is where outside data is organized and collected. News connections is located directly behind the glass panel in studio 3. While I was working with my supervisor there I was advised not to stare directly at the glass. While I was there the employees were collecting data for A Current Affair that evening. After a couple of hours here I was sent ot lunch. Below is a video from studio 3, which you can see news connections in the background.

After lunch I was sent once again to studio 3 for the filming of the 4.30pm news with Wendy Kingston. Graeme was also there. Before filming for the evening news began there was a number of other things including qantas news updates for travelling passengers, live news broadcasts and iphone updates. While filming these Graeme told me specifically how the cameras worked. The brand of cameras used by the studio is called Cambotics, which is a company that specialises in robotic cameras. Their movement generally controlled by a joystick and touch pad. The touch pad lists all the different types of shoots that each camera can do which can also be cue up or be moved to during filming. Below is an article about the cameras being installed in studio 1.

The joystick which controls the cameras

http://broadcastengineering.com/automation/magna-supplies-channel-9-sydney-with-robotic-cameras-0414/
  

Frame similar to that in the studio



Another feature of the cameras is a screen which allows you to frame around a host depending on their height. In the middle of the frame there is a cross which ideally needs to line up with the middle if of the neck, the knot on a tie or adams apple. These cameras use framing rather then aiming. Like in studio 1 Graeme is also responsible for the colour and focus of the cameras which is controlled the same way through the iris and colour knobs. Along with these controls Graeme also has to control how the cameras are panned, tilted and zoomed in/out. While filming a iphone segment I was lucky enough to be given a practical job. I had to swap the type of camera shoot using the touch panel from a wide shoot with a graphic on one side to a normal straight on shoot of the host. The camera movement was done while a news real was being played so the camera movement would not be noticed.

A lighting cosole similar to
the one I used

As Graeme's jobs are very limited in studio 3 he is also incharge of the lighting. Most of the lighting is pre programmed meaning that there are certain faders that control the lights for certain shoots. The lighting console is made by a company called Express. During the 4.30 news I was also lucky enough to have another practical job. I was to swap the lighting settings on the console as the camera angles changed. This was simply turning one fader down and another up. Like swapping the camera shoots the swap had to occur at a time when the swap could not be seen by the audience such as when a sweaping graphic is played.

The inside of the studio

Before my day ended I also got a chance to talk with the directors assistant. Her main job as an assistant is to control the graphics on the show, everything from the rating to promos to 9 watermark. Her other main job is counting in all the production team for the start of a broadcast from an online cue sheet made in a program called ENPS. Out of all the production team the assitant director probably has the most work.

While I was at 9 today I also came across the name Scu which is the union that most of the 9 employees belong to. My day overall was very enjoyable. Tonight I have to prepare some thank you cards for all the peole I have worked with over the past week.