STUDIO PRODUCTION: VISION MIXING TASTER

Today's session was the first in the studios and where we all got to have a go at Vision Mixing, Directing and every other job role. The main roles I took from this was that of the Floor Manager, Vision Mixer and of course, the Director. My first go through was Vision Mixing.

I found Vision Mixing both difficult but structured as I didn't do anything until instructed by the Director, although I did learn how important it was to have good communication with the Director as if I didn't hear them, I would have messed up the mix of the show. Operating the desk with the way Del said, each finger is for a button and your other hand is for the right of the board to mix, picture in picture and split screen. I actually found this the easiest as that's the way I would have done it myself. with only using 4 buttons as the example and no VT's or graphics it was easy. However, I wouldn't say Vision Mixing is easy in the slightest, With over 5 cameras, graphics, VT's and doing mixes, split screens, picture in picture and getting graphics onto a screen on the set as well, I can see this jo being very difficult and stressful.

I got to practice Directing with this little run through as well, which I found very stressful. Trying to decide and communicate with everyone on the floor as well as talk to everyone in the gallery was difficult. This was only a simple exercise as well as we were only cutting between cameras, we weren't doing anything complicated it was only cuts and this was quite difficult as well. But I worked through it.

What I took from this workshop was how much stress everyone has. As camera, you know the Director could cut to your camera at any minute, Vision Mixing if you get it wrong it could ruin the show, Floor Managers have to work all through the floor and cue on presenters, communicate with the camera department, they are also the main ones to talk to the gallery. Sound, 50% of the programme is sound so they have a lot of stress if a mic doesn't work or if Music isn't cued in correctly.

Everyones job in this show is important and clearly the way to get this done is with team work and communication.