Your Public Best - Lillian Brown [103]
“Start your clocks.” Cue for starting stopwatches and timing devices in order to synchronize timing of a segment, interview, or program.
Sweeps. The quarterly measurement of a show’s numbers of viewers and audience share. Advertising rates for each show and time slot are then pegged to the ratings.
Talent. Nickname for an anchor person, newscaster, or anyone else appearing on camera (usually a person paid to appear on camera).
Tally light. Red light just above the camera lens (with smaller versions of the main tally light appearing at the back and sides of the camera for the use of the technicians) that is lit when that particular camera has been selected for use by the director.
Tease. An introductory statement that previews the contents of an upcoming show; it is used to establish interest in what is to come.
Tech. Nickname for a technician—a technical person who operates equipment such as the camera, lights, audio, prompter, etc.
Teleconference. Televised conference transmitted by satellite to two or more remote locations.
Time cue. Finger or hand signals given by the floor manager to indicate the amount of time left in an interview or segment (i.e., two outstretched fingers usually mean that there are two minutes left).
Two-way. An interview whereby the interviewer is in one location (often the main studio), and the interviewee or other broadcaster is in a second, remote location (often a studio in another city, in an outdoor location such as during a “man-on-the-street” report, or on the White House lawn). The two sites are usually linked by audio and video (via monitors), incoming to the interviewer. The interviewee normally just hears the interviewer.
Video. The visual or picture portion of a program.
Viewfinder. Device that shows the camera person the scene his or her camera is shooting.
Voice over. A voice soundtrack to be played over visuals. An example in a newscast would be when pictures of an airplane crash are being shown and the sound is not of the crash but of the voice of the anchor describing what the viewer is seeing; or, the natural sound on the tape of the crash may be heard turned down very low, as the voice of the anchor is heard, too.
VTR. The Video Tape Recorder.
Wireless audio prompter. A device that enables the broadcaster to bypass prompter or cue cards and look at a product or in any direction he or she chooses. It consists of a small device hidden in the ear, which delivers previously recorded script lines from a small pocket tape recorder. The performer has recorded the spoken material in advance, and simply rolls the audio tape and repeats what he or she hears.
Wrap. “That’s a wrap” means that the segment or program is completed (see “goodnight”).
The Physical Layout
On First Seeing the Studio. I remember clearly the first time I walked into a television studio (it was about 1950, believe it or not). I was escorting a couple of my children who were to go on a televised nursery-school show. I remember looking with fascination at all of the equipment scattered about. Of course, since those days the technical equipment in TV studios has been vastly improved and even scaled down. But things can still look cluttered and crowded, and you may well ask yourself, as I did that day, “Just what do they do with all of this stuff?”
Though this myriad equipment may at first appear confusing, in reality it is organized and necessary for the generation of a television program. You are aware of a kaleidoscope of scenery, backdrops, furniture, cameras, lights, monitors, microphones, and prompters. There may be technicians and a lot of other people milling around, checking lighting, adjusting equipment, asking questions, or giving instructions to each other.
Naturally, some studios are larger than others, depending on the type of shows that are routinely telecast from them. Interview studios need not be as large as ones used for dramatic productions or newscasts. Television studio sets range in size from a tiny set for interviews with perhaps only two chairs