As part of our studio task we had to produce a breakfast show that had a duration of exactly 10 minutes which was a challenge. I decided to add this to my portfolio as this piece of work as this demonstrates teamwork, organisation and communication.

We knew that we needed to include at least two VT’s so we quickly allocated ourselves in to groups and assigned the roles so we could film them the following day. I was responsible for setting up the audio when we were recording one of the VT’s however I did face some difficulties. The audio sounded clear and on a high volume through the headphones when we were recording however when we reached the editing stage we noticed that the audio was very quiet and faced disruption through background noises. This may have been due the interviewers not holding the mic facing to who was talking as well as some wind interfering. We were using a directional gun microphone so the mic should have been pointed directly towards and close to the mouth of whomever was speaking to ensure it was clear and a high volume (Martingell 2008 p.81). We did use a fluffy cover for the mic and try to film in locations where it was not as windy however it was very windy that day and unfortunately affected the quality of the audio. When we were filming on the street we were very cautious when using our equipment to ensure we did not harm ourselves or others. Mitchell (2009 p.6) suggests that ‘production teams need to be constantly reminded of the risks of using their own equipment’ so I ensured that I did this.

When we recorded the breakfast show we knew that teamwork would be crucial to ensuring that everything is ready on time and the plan is stuck too. My role in the studio was ‘Tally’, this is an important role as it is important that the presenters know which camera they need to look at and which camera they will be looking at next to ensure that they are prepared and confident.

The final content that we produced unfortunately went 17 seconds over our maximum duration. This was due to a lack of communication as the interview carried on a bit longer than we initially planned, so the presenters had to wrap it up quickly so we could run the credits. This could have been prevented if we communicated better through the headsets so the presenters knew they had to wrap it up quicker. Other than this mishap we did communicate effectively as a group, which allowed us to film all our VT’s in our separate groups and edit the footage in time for our final shooting. Communication was the most important factor in this task as although we were delegated individual tasks, it was important to ensure everyone was aware of what we had to do, if there were any changes and that the deadlines were met.

 Bibliography

Martingell, P. (2008) Better Location Shooting – Techniques for Video Production. Oxford, Focal Press.

Mitchell, L. (2009) Production Management for Television. London, Routledge.