Television Production Staff

Directions

You may click through each slide in order to learn about the various jobs on a Television Production Team (Staff). Just click on the to take you to the next slide.

You may start on the slide and click on each job for a description and then click on the home button to come back to the home slide.

Television Production Staff

Executive Producer Producer – Non news Producer – News News Director Director Production Manager Production Assistant Floor Manager Camera Operator Photographer Photojournalist

Reporter Assignment Editor Anchor Video Engineer Audio Engineer Lighting Director Script Writer Graphic Artist VTR Operator Robo Operator

Editor Makeup Artist CG Operator Grip Maintenance Engineer

Executive Producer

Provides the funding necessary to produce the program.

For large productions, you may have more than one EP

Once the money is in bank, he hires a producer to manage the money.

Producer – Non News Environment

A producer in a non-news environment purchases materials and services need to create a finished program.

Hires director, designers, crew, materials, talent, etc.

Skills require attention to detail and organizational skills

Works with all four phases of production

4 phases of Production

Pre-production – Any activity prior to the cameras rolling (script, set design, etc.)

Production – The actual shooting of the program

Post-production – Any activities after the program is shot (editing, audio overdubs, titles, etc.)

Distribution – DVD authoring, duplication, sales

Producer – News Environment

Coordinates content and flow of the broadcast

Decides what will be aired, the order and developing promotions

Decides whether to interrupt a broadcast with breaking news

News Director

Responsible for the structure of the newsroom – managing the budget, effectiveness of the newsroom

Personnel matters – performance evaluations, hiring/firing

Final authority on which stories will air during the broadcast.

Director

The director is in charge of the creative aspects of the program

Cast talent

Work with EP and Producer

Reviews script and visualizes the production

Guides performance of talent and crew

Production Manager

Handles business portion of production

Negotiates prices, services and other contracts

Ensures program and scripts meet broadcast standards

Manages budget and resources

Production Assistant (PA)

Also called the Assistant Director (AD)

The PA is a jack-of-all-trades and master of none

Generally serves as a “gofer”

May be used to fill key personnel positions when someone is sick or unavailable

Floor Manager

Also called the Floor Director is the director’s “eyes and ears” in the studio.

The floor manager relays the director’s commands to all studio personnel, except camera operators

The floor manager is the only person in the studio who may say, “Cut,” other than the director.

Camera Operator

The camera operator runs the cameras responsible for capturing the video images

Responsible for framing the shots

Directors may call for a particular shot, and the camera operator must provide the shot requested while framing the shot so that annoying or inappropriate background images do not detract from the image.

Photographer

Also called a “photog” or “shooter” is the camera person who goies into the field on location with a reporter in a news operation.

The photog’s responsibilities include all things technical, transporting the camera, tripod, mic, all the cabling and any batteries necessary.

The photog monitors the audio of the reporter and interviewee through headphones.

May also be responsible for setting up and taking down equipment.

Photojournalist

The photojournalist is a photographer who regularly performs duties of both the reporter and the photographer.

This can be an advantage in the industry to be able to handle both ends of the camera – reporter and photographer

Reporter

Reporters are responsible for gathering information from various sources, including research for interviews, for writing news stories and often editing their own stories.

Some stories may require the reporter to do a voiceover, even if they are never seen on screen.

Assignment Editor

The assignment editor schedules the equipment and personnel to cover the stories.

They also pair reporters and photogs and schedule photojournalists

Typically the assignment editor assigns each report two stories per day.

Anchor

The anchor delivers the news from the news desk set in the studio.

Reading content displayed on a teleprompter

Provides the intro and closing of taped stories that are inserted into a live telecast, and conducting converstations with reporters in the field reporting live.

The greatest expectation of an anchor is to accurately read and relay the news and related information.

Video Engineer

The video engineer is responsible for the technical quality of the video signal.

One of the video engineer’s responsibilities is to make sure that the images captured by each studio cameras match exactly.

Consistency is important when cutting from one camera to another

Audio Engineer

The audio engineer is responsible for the audio/sound quality on the production.

The audio engineer often operates the microphone mixer, as well as the music and sound effects recorders/players.

The audio engineer mics the talent and is responsible for overall audio levels on the studio’s master recorder.

Lighting Director

The lighting director decides the placement of the lighting instruments, the appropriate color of light to use, and which lamps should be used in the instruments.

The lighting director’s assistant called a gaffer, does the actual hauling of heavy instruments up and down the ladders.

Scriptwriter

The scriptwriter is responsible for placing the entire production on paper.

The script must meet the objectives of the producer and the message to the viewer must be clear.

A content specialist might be hired to work with a script writer.

A content specialist reviews the entire script before production begins and is often present at the shooting to ensure accuracy

Graphic Artist

The graphic artist is responsible for all the artwork required for the production.

This includes computer graphics, traditional works of art, charts and graphs.

Example: charts for economic forecasts or weather graphics

VTR Operator

The VTR operator is in of recording the program to video tape.

In many newer stations, programs are now recorded to DVD’s or directly to a hard drive.

In a “tapeless” environment, the job is called a video operator.

Robo Operator

In some studios, camera operators have been replaced with remote controlled robotic camera mounts.

All of the cameras are then controlled by the Robo Operator from one location in the studio such as the control room.

Editor

The editor puts various pieces of the entire program together.

Individual scenes are placed in proper order

A skilled editor must be aware of the theory of movement and the passage of time

Everything must flow together naturally

Makeup Artist

The makeup artist applies cosmetics to the talent that will be on-air

Makeup may enhance facial features or balance skin tone under the lights

CG Operator

The CG Operator creates the program titles using a character generator.

Many new digital mixers also include the character generator in the software

Grip

A grip is a person who moves equipment, scenery, and props on a studio set.

In theater productions, a grip is called a stagehand

Maintenance Engineer

Keeps all equipment working to factory specifications

Assists in troubleshooting when need arises

Main function is to make all equipment is working properly

Source

From Chapter 2, Working in the Television Production Industry of Television Production and Broadcast Journalism by Phillip Harris

©2012