As Live Production | Factual Programme Research: Top Gear

Top Gear (2002- ) is the most watched factual programme in the world and whilst it focuses on cars and not fashion, it is shot as-live in a studio and is renowned for its high-quality production values - particularly in the editing department.

**Note: I am focusing on episode 1 of season 25 with Chris Harris, Rory Reid and Matt LeBlanc.

Top Gear's studio is a large aircraft hangar, converted into a studio and shoots with a multi-camera setup, including at least one large jib.  Their open studio set-up allows for the standing audience to 'decorate' the backdrop, and allows for some interaction, such as applause, a show of hands and sometimes sharing their input on debate.

The show features a mixture of scripted PTCs and ad lib for discussion on particular cars.  The scripted PTCs, as we would expect are used to lead us between the segments and conclude on what we have seen in the VTs.

Top Gear relies heavily on its VT content as most of the show involves the presenters travelling around various parts of the world in different cars and taking part in challenges.

Editing and vision mixing:

The show begins with a short opening sequence, where we are given teaser shots of cars imposed on a 3D title, which builds up to reveal the iconic logo.  In previous seasons of Top Gear, silhouettes of the three presenters were shown in the titles before we get a brief teaser of what was to come in the show with Jeremy Clarkson providing a voiceover (we still get a teaser of what is to come, but with a PTC from Matt LeBlanc preceding a VT clip with no VO).  It can be argued that Clarkson, Hammond and May were the real substance behind Top Gear and since leaving the show, the series now seems to focus more on the car aspect of the show without relying so heavily on the personalities presenting them.  This could explain why the opening titles no longer feature the silhouettes.

In 'Steal the Style', we will need to work out how much the personalities of our presenters come through in the show and whether they are the driving force or we instead balance the show more towards fashion.

In their typical 'road trip' segments, they usually start with wide and aerial shots of the location before revealing the car and presenter.  In order to create a sense of intrigue, they may start with a shot of the presenter so that the reveal of the car is more surprising or exciting.

Every VT on Top Gear features a voiceover from the presenters, usually narrating what they are doing or to add to the story they are telling.  These come into play with the PTCs which usually lead in from the voiceovers, as if we are being brought in to the car, creating a sense of immersion as the presenters guide us from looking at the car from the outside to experiencing it from the inside.

The music used in Top Gear is always appropriate to the tone of the VT: whether they are doing something fun or information-heavy, the music always fits and adds to the atmosphere of the piece.  The editors frequently cut to the music and adjust the audio levels to beats within the footage, which is very satisfying to watch and gives a rhythmic quality to the footage.

In the 'Old to New' segment for our production, I want to utilise similar styles of editing, by cutting to the music when showing off the outfits.  Top Gear has also made use of the aspect ratio effect I wanted to use as well.

The studio interview segment 'Star in a Reasonably Fast [previously 'Priced'] Car' is ad lib, therefore the vision mixer must judge where to cut.  The vision mixing in the interview is effective in portraying the reactions of the hosts and interviewee.  I will need to do this when mixing for 'Steal the Style'.

We do not see much variety in the studio mixing, the shots are almost all split between cuts, but the VTs are brought in and out with a mix.  This is likely because the studio relies on a lot of speech rather than visuals, like the VTs, and so we likely do not see many interesting cuts in the studio so we are not distracted and can retain what the presenters are saying.  The transitions in the VTs, on the other hand, vary a lot and add work to move us from each shot and scene in a more exciting way.  The transitions in the VTs really contribute to the thrill and excitement of driving.

From watching Top Gear, I have picked up a few things to consider for our studio production and my role as VT editor and Vision Mixer:

• The transitions between shots in the studio should not distract from the content of the show - too much variety would not fit in with this.  This could be different for scripted sequences, for example, the drag act at the end of our show may be able to utilise more creative mixing.
• Interviews require a level of skill to cut at the right moment to capture reactions of the hosts and interviewees.
• The VTs will allow for more creative editing as we will have more time to produce them, but they must also be consistent with the quality of the rest of the show.
• Switching shots around can be useful to provide a 'reveal' - as we saw this with the reveal of the different vehicles in Top Gear, but this could potentially work with items of clothing in Steal the Style.

As-Live Production | Entertainment Programme Research: Have I Got News For You

Have I Got News For You (or HIGNFY) is a BBC comedy panel show based on politics and current affairs.  Aside from a few new rounds, updating the set every season to match with current events and the change to guest hosts after a scandal involving host Angus Deayton, the format of the show has remained largely the same since it inception in 1990, as we can see from this clip from the pilot episode:



I feel that the format has survived for over fifty seasons due to the topical nature of the show, which has worked because the show has been able to take current affairs and point the satirical finger at the these events almost as they happen.  This is made ever more watchable due to the chemistry between the panelists such as Ian Hislop and Paul Merton who have appeared together on and off since the pilot.  The show has also often sailed close to the wind with how it approaches some topics which have sometimes bordered on slander so there is an appeal in the risque nature of some of the humour.

On a technical level, HIGNFY relies on VTs and graphics throughout as panelists answer questions relating to the different segments, as well as a number of sound clips played through the studio.

Editing and vision mixing:

The opening titles to HIGNFY have changed throughout the years to reflect the current political climate, and more recently it has switched from cartoon style animation to incorporating more 3D elements yet still in keeping with the satirical tone.




Every shot in HIGNFY is a cut, rather than a mix or wipe which gives the show an edge and allows the director and vision mixer to cut immediately to reaction shots and graphics as soon as they are needed.  We do however see elements of keying after the opening titles are finished and also during the end credits which are played over a shot of the audience applauding.  This is something that the vision mixer and graphics operator would need to work together in order to add to the show.  The vision mixer can set a colour key to the graphics (usually chroma green) which is then removed and added as a layer in the mixing desk so that it runs over the top of the camera channel.  This is something that we would need to use in the show as we are using astons / lower third graphics to introduce guests, therefore I will need to liaise with Simon and Danny on graphics to ensure that they use the correct key colour and I will need to key it into the desk.

The VTs featured in HIGNFY are usually short video clips without sound to allow for the panelists the discuss them in the studio.  There also usually have little to no editing other than clipping clips down to fit into a time frame.  Our VTs will be self-contained and will not require any voiceover in the studio as it will all be SOT (sound on tape) however I will need to discuss with the directors how they would like them to transition in the studio.  We will however be using similar sorts of graphics in the sense that they are still images that are punched to full frame which is something I will need to do on the mixing desk.  It would also be nice if we used a consistent background, as HIGNFY does to show the graphics to give a sense of consistency, but that is something for the graphics department to work with.

As Live Production | Vision Mixer Research

Since vision mixing was entirely new to me, unlike my other two roles, I needed to carry out some research to get a better idea of what the job entailed.  This was also important for me to do as I could only practice vision mixing in the gallery during rehearsals.

It is the job of the vision mixer to “cut the programme live […] listening carefully to [the director’s] instructions” (Brown, 2016:50).  As the director calls the shots, the vision mixer must be able to cut in time to dialogue and musical cues.  The vision mixer may have some control as to where and when cuts must be made, for example in an interview, when there may be a delay between the director picking up on reaction shots and calling them, the vision mixer will be able to instantly see which shot to pick and may do so, provided that the director is comfortable with this.  For mixing our show, I will ask the studio directors, George and Gavin, whether they would rather I stick exactly to which shots they call or if I should use my own intuition in certain situations.

In some cases, the director may also work as the vision mixer - Del Brown, for example, works as a freelance director/vision mixer for QVC.  This sort of content requires quick reactions and a fast turnaround from pre-production to live transmission, therefore if he calls the shots, there is no latency between calling the shots and the shots making it to transmission.  There can also be two VMs for more “complex content” (Singleton-Turner, 2011:xxix).

As with editing, it is the job of the vision mixer to “fulfil the Director’s vision” in a production.  Directors will instruct the vision mixer on which shots they want to for transmission, either both through scripting and through less predictable content such as interviews as I mentioned earlier.

The director will use phrases such as ‘And cut’, or ‘And mix’ – by saying ‘and’, the director is “indicating control” with the word ‘and’ working as a “stand-by”-like phrase to prepare the vision mixer to make the next cut (Singleton-Turner 2011:82).

In Studio 2 at Maidstone Studios, I will be using a Sony MVS-6530 video switcher:

A - Here we can see four rows of buttons:

• The bottom row is the preview bus, which controls which video source appears on the preview monitor.
• The next row up is the program bus, which controls which video source is sent out live.  The vision mixer can cut and mix between which video source is selected on the preview bus to the program bus.
• The top two rows are the key bus which is used for more complex mixing.
• This desk has three sets of buses - the bottom is the program bus, and the other two are mix effect buses which can be used for mixing to other outputs and for more complex cutting such as split screen.

B - This is the T-bar (also known as the fader bar, or transition lever), which is used for mixing between video sources.  The vision mixer can apply various wipes and transitions between the two sources, the speed of which these transitions take place depends on the speed that the bar is pulled.

C - This is the control panel which serves as an interface for more advanced features of the switcher, such as adding mattes to wipes, keying out colour, storing frame memories and more.

D - On the left is the transmission monitor which displays what is being sent out live, and on the right we see the preview monitor.

E - These are the various preview monitors dedicated to each video source.

I am really looking forward to mixing in the rehearsals and of course over the course of the show itself.  Vision mixing is not something I had really considered looking into but the more I research and practice on the mixing desk, the more I am enjoying the experience.

Brown, L. (2016). The TV studio production handbook. London: I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd, pp.50-51.
Singleton-Turner, R. (2011). Cue & Cut: A practical guide to working in multi-camera studios. Manchester: Manchester University Press, pp.82.

As Live Production | Mockup VT and Experiments

So that we could get a better idea of how we will be shooting the VTs, we were set the task of creating a mockup VT.  As a production team, we decided to create a mockup of the 'Old to New' VT as this would require the most creativity and experimentation to show off a selection of clothing items.

The two VT teams decided to shoot on the same day so that we could share some of the roles and get an idea of how each team was planning to approach the VTs.  This meant that we would have a better idea of how to keep the format consistent between the VTs and that we had plenty of hands free on the day to help out with operating the cameras and sound, as well as modelling (which Aimée and I did for the mockup 'old to new' VT).

In terms of sound, I did not have much to do for the 'old to new' VT, as we agreed that the VT would rely on non-diegetic sound such as music.  I still ensured that the rode mic was still set up to record audio to the camera in case I needed any of this audio in the editing process.

As VT editor, I will need to put together the VT clips in an appropriate and consistent style that matches the rest of the show, but also fits in with the mood of the VT piece.

George (VT director) and I wanted to attempt to edit some of the footage to look like super 8 film to fit in with the 'old' theme.  There are several things I needed to consider changing about the footage we had from the mock shoot:

• Aspect ratio: Super 8 film is 4:3, so a good way of transitioning from 'old' to 'new' would be to change the aspect ratio from 4:3 to 16:9.  I remembered an effect from the latest episode of Doctor Who which merged footage shot in 2017 and 1965 by recreating the original scene then fading from the recent to the original footage using an animated overlay.  This is something I thought would work very nicely with the tone I was aiming for.

• The video effects I apply to the footage is also important to establish the era we were trying to recreate.  I researched how to recreate a super 8 film-look to get a better grasp of the effect I was going to achieve.

I found some footage online that used a Holga lens - Holga plastic cameras were popular in the 70s and 80s, and so by using this lens, we could potentially hit the mark for a more authentic vintage look.  I applied the other effects I had researched to get a good idea of how we could make the footage look older.



Once we had shot the mockup VT, I got to work editing the sequence.  The main issue I found was a lack of coverage, particularly static shots, as the full outfit shots were all tilts and pans.  This can be seen in the edit as the shots of the outfit prices were very short in the first half.  Therefore, for the real VT shoot, we will need to ensure that we get as much coverage as possible, especially for static shots.

I liked the 'glitch' effect I had achieved as this broke up the sequences nicely, so I will try and develop this further for the actual VT.  The text also did not feel entirely right so I would like to work on how I handle the graphics.  I did however, feel that the motion tracking I used worked effectively to tie in the movement to the informative side to the VT so I will be incorporating this into the real thing as well.



Making this mockup VT really helped us to hone in what we want to do with the real thing.  Whilst I do like the aspect ratio effect, it may distract from the clothes to a degree so we may not end up using it in the real thing.  I also need to work on how I use fonts which look more interesting and aesthetically pleasing.  Coverage is also absolutely vital for this sort of VT, therefore we will need to ensure we get as much coverage as possible in future.

As Live Production | In the Studio with Del

We were down in the studio for a masterclass with Del as he went through the basics of using cameras in a studio environment.  This included things such as panning and changing the focus and exposure.  The cameras were all linked up to equipment in the gallery so each camera display appeared in the preview monitors in the gallery.  The cameras were numbered which allows the gallery team to distinguish between which shots to cut to in a live show.

We looked at the industry standard for colour correction and white balancing which involved using a greyscale so that the cameras could each adjust the white balance as well as achieving 'true white' and 'true black'.  This was also important to test each of the cameras against each other so that they all matched in the gallery.

We also looked at focusing the camera and, in groups, we tested focusing with movement by using a coin.  This was not something I found overly difficult, but doing it quickly was more of a challenge.  In a studio environment is important to frame up and focus as quickly as possible to ensure that the vision mixer can cut to your camera in the gallery.  This gave me a new understanding of operating a camera, where I am used to on-location shooting which can usually allow for a lot more time to set up a shot.

We then moved into the gallery and I was very excited to get a hands-on experience with the vision mixing desk, which would be my job in the live show itself.  This was my first time using the desk so I was not expecting to be an expert but I found the whole process of cutting and mixing between shots very natural.  Del said that we were supposed to keep one finger on each of the camera input buttons, i.e. pinky finger on camera 1, ring finger on camera 2 etc.  I struggled with this initially as I was tempted to use the same finger to cut to each camera.  I got the hang of it in time though and I was able to cut between the correct cameras without looking at the desk.

As Live Production | Research for Segment: 'Old to New'

As the show's format and structure is being finalised, everyone has been split into subgroups to look further into each segment.  I was looking at the 'Old to New' segment which focuses on vintage styles with some short fun facts about how some trends emerged, for example, Winston Churchill wore a 'onesie'-like outfit during the war which may have laid the foundations for the current trend.  We were also looking into how historical dramas such as Peaky Blinders were influencing fashion.

I found some potential contributors in the form of vintage clothing suppliers, which I shared with the rest of the group.

I also read some articles to find out why vintage is in at the moment.

• Initially people would buy second hand furniture because it was all they could afford, but now ‘old-fashioned’ is in fashion, non-vintage pieces can be painted or distressed to recreate the vintage look
• Vintage is on the rise
• Market is becoming saturated – sellers may call pieces of clothing vintage but they are just second hand
• ‘Vintage’ is actually high-quality products from the past but has become more generalised, so any old items may be considered ‘vintage’
• Quality of ‘vintage’ goods is going down – Oxfam, for example, has been mistakenly marking items as vintage when they are just second hand
• 1950s look is the most popular – more fabric was used in skirts etc, which would cost too much money nowadays

• ‘Why you should buy vintage’
• Vintage is unique – pieces can be one-of-a-kind or rare
• Positive environmental impact – you are recycling old clothes – modern conventional cotton shirts take 150 grams of pesticides to produce
• Vintage goods are often higher quality
• Vintage clothes have history behind them – more character
• Items may gain value over time

After meeting Del and finalising the structure of the show, I looked further into the specifics of the 'Old to New' segment by researching 'dad trainers' which would feature in this segment:

• Originated in the 90s, recently making a resurgence in high fashion
• Ian Connor (model) caused a stir a few months ago by wearing some Sketchers which are not a particularly fashionable brand
• This is not a new phenomenon, they have just been seen as unfashionable for such a long time, until now
• The ‘Balenciaga Triple S’ made their debut at Balenciaga’s FW17 show, and upon their release, were sold out almost immediately
• The variety of brands on offer has changed dramatically - Air Max, Asics and other ‘street’ trainers used to dominate the shelves, but now Ozweegos, Balenciagas and Sketchers are taking over
• Celebrities are pairing dad trainers with all sorts of clothing items such as jeans and dresses
• They can be worn for almost any occasion now that they are a fashionable item, combining comfort with style

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17667524 

http://www.ebay.com/gds/Why-Should-You-Buy-Vintage-Clothing-7-Great-Reasons-/10000000009769463/g.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/a-retro-revolution-why-do-we-love-all-things-vintage-2061798.html
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/fashion-blog/2012/jan/27/vintage-clothing-passe
http://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/shows-trends/a16665270/chunky-dad-grandpa-trainers-trend/
https://theidleman.com/manual/mens-trainers/the-dad-sneaker-trend-what-is-it/

As Live Production | Scripting / Production Values, Standards and Consistency (8th February 2018)

(Notes from lecture)

Studio script

• Cut lines - placed at the end of the word/action at which the cut is planned to take place for the Vision Mixer to work with
• Adding additional shots - amended during rehearsals - a letter is added after the number

Camera cards

• Given to each camera op so they can see which shots they are responsible
• Also known as crib cards
• Includes
• Shot number
• Position
• Description
• Notes
• Need to be simple

VT Scripts

• Title - should match VT clock and the script
• IQ and OQ (In / Out Queue) - first and last words are written on VT script so everyone knows when the VT starts and finishes
• Duration of the VT - must be accurate
• Capgens - information about captions and when they should appear on the VT
• Each piece of VT should have bars/tone and clock with appropriate idents

Script content

• A decision must be made as to how much scripted content the programme contains
• If there is a lot of script for the presenter, prompts will be needed
• For shorter pieces the presenter can learn their lines and refer to prompt cards for key information
• Links
• To link between different parts of the show
• Can be loosely written
• Ad libs
• Should work with timings
• Basic idea for ad lib is established and confident
• Brief for any ad lib content - AP
• Timings
• Many elements will necessitate approximate timings
• It is vital to keep on top of timings throughout the pre production and record process
• Magazine shows often have 'as directed' portions of the script

Good scripting

• Factually accurate
• Well written - spag
• Concise
• Appropriate tone of voice
• Write to pictures
• Correctly paced
• Allow for 'breathes'

VISION MIXER ABBREVIATIONS

VTs:

• Add value to the studio
• Provide talking points and background
• Illustrative - add explanation to content of the show
• Add variety
• Locations opportunities beyond the studio
• Purpose can vary by genre
• 'Beyond the studio'
• Practical
• Entertainment
• Informative
• Variety
• Should match the rest of the programme - maintain quality
• Comprehensible and comprehensive
• Topline for VT to plug/segway in the studio

Graphics:

• Opening titles
• Stings
• Subtitles / lower third
• On screen statistics
• Credits
• End titles

• Accuracy
• Branding/tone
• Clarity
• Layout / composition - 16:9 safe zone
• Font
• Purpose
• Synergy between images and words / spoken and onscreen

Text:

• Simple, bold typeface
• Limit number of fonts used
• Letter less than one tenth of the screen height
• Outlines and dropshadows for emphasis
• Don't punctuate abbreviations
• Leave space between title lines of about 1/2 to 2/3 of height of capital letters
• Ensure lettering contrasts well with the background
• Don't saturate with too much information
• Should be able to read it twice

Graphic design:

• Rule of thirds
• Golden ratio
• Columns
• Baseline grid
• Consider the impact of backgrounds
• Equally varied background can make lettering hard to read
• Strategies
• Simple colour background
• Defocused background
• Just because you can, doesn't mean you should

Promos and trailers:

• Blurred lines between social media and branded content

Camera Scripting Abbreviations:

• CU/BCU/ECU – Close up/Big close up/extreme close up 
• MS – Mid shot
• WS/BWS – Wide shot/big wide shot
• TRACK L/R– tracking shot left/right
• PAN L/R – move camera left/right
• TILT – move camera up/down
• OS – Over the shoulder
• 2-S/3-S- 2/3 shot
• PO – Pull out
• ZI – zoom in

Vision Mixing Abbreviations:

• X = Mix
• / = Cut
• W = Wipe
• CG, CAP = Caption Generator
• S/I = Super impose
• T/O = Take out
• Q, DVE, ADO, DPM, A-53 = Animate Digital Effect

RESEARCH SHOWS WITH REGARDS TO EDITING AND VISION MIXING

As Live Production | First Production Meeting with Del

In our first meeting with Del - freelance director/vision mixer (credits include QVC, British Superbikes and many more) - and we were discussing the overall format of the show and looking into the structure of the show.  Since I had the role of vision mixer, I was keen to talk with Del about my role and learn from his expertise in the field.

He also went over some key points and jargon relating to our individual roles including vision mixing:

• Vis mix - Mix to screen
• Punch to plasma - Mixing graphics to the plasma screen on-set
• half wipe - This is used to achieve a split screen effect
• TX - Transmission

We also worked out some very basic elements that could go into the show:

• teaser vt - silhouette drag act
• steals of the season - full frame and on plasma
• vt1 - budget challenge
• mannequins in studio
• fashion fails - audience - plasma/fullscreen mix
• vt2 - online shopping fails
• old to new - dad trainers - split screen w/ model and shoes
• vt3 - TBC more dad trainers
• interview with etsy seller - 2+1 interview
• vt4 DIY
• Drag act - interview about making the outfit
• Thank you to contributors + goodbye
• Credits

Now we had this worked out, the producers and individual VT teams could go off and begin work on the show itself.  I would also need to delve further into the world of vision mixing, especially as I did not have a great deal of time to practice in the gallery.

As Live Production | Production Management (1st February 2018)

(Notes from lecture)

Production Managers' jobs include:

• Organising the finances/budget
• Liaising with talent and contributors
• Managing/allocating tasks to people
• Scheduling the production
• Organising/negotiating contracts
• Negotiating deals with studios
• Obtaining clearances
• Keeping up with the latest tech and channel specs

Common mistakes:

• Leaving things to the last minute
• Not delegating / over delegating tasks
• Hoarding information
• Not knowing the role
• Not working with the team
• Thinking you know best

Things to do:

• Make a schedule
• Create call sheets
• Risk assessments
• Contact lists / book staff
• Are you on budget?
• Release forms
• Tech specs
• Collating floor plans, lighting plans etc
• Communication is key

Things to consider when filming on location:

• Access/permissions
• Parking
• Do you have/need power sources?
• Any sound issues
• Risks
• Conflicting events on shoot days
• Height restrictions
• The public
• Accessibility
• Feeding the crew
• Toilets
• Where is it in relation to other filming locations? Save on travel

Filming abroad:

• Find a good 'fixer'
• Sort out a 'carnet' - kit passport
• Visas / permits
• Baggage allowance
• Book far in advance
• If at the BBC, contact the IFA (International Filming Advice) and/or embassies for advice
• More prep = easier / organise tech recces if possible
• Make each day count

Studio hire:

• Can be very costly // tight schedule
• Dry hire = no crew / wet hire = crew
• Consider:
• Lighting - is there any available?
• Power costs
• Is crew included?
• Any restrictions
• Six hour working rule

Budget

• Staff/crew costs
• Post production costs