Inside TV Studios: Equipment, Sets, and Key Roles
The Physical Space of a TV Studio
The studio is designed to control light and sound. The studio floor is flat and clean, allowing cameras to move smoothly around the set. The walls can be constructed of many types of material, such as cinderblock, brick, or concrete.
Large fabric curtains called cycloramas are common in television studios. Cycloramas, sometimes called “cycs,” come in many colors, and most studios will have two or more that surround all or most of the studio. The ceiling is high to accommodate set materials and the studio lighting system. It may be painted black to prevent light reflection.
The lighting grid is made up of pipes called battens, and the lighting instruments hang from these with large C-clamp mounts. Another item, located either in the studio or in the control room, is the lighting board, a computerized “on/off switch” for each lighting instrument. The crew members responsible for hanging and aiming the lights are called Gaffers.
Studio Television Cameras
The typical studio will be equipped with three studio television cameras. These cameras are non-format-specific. In other words, the video signal generated (analog or digital) can be recorded onto almost any video format.
All modern studios will be equipped with standard-definition digital cameras (SDTV), and a few have high-definition cameras (HDTV). The cameras will be numbered Camera One, Two, and Three. The production personnel who operate the cameras are called Camera Operators. A growing number of studios have robotic cameras controlled by a joystick and a computer program. In the case of robotic cameras, only one production crew member is needed to “drive” them.
The News Set
The set for a typical television news program is often centered around a desk where the anchors sit to deliver the program content. The desk is designed to accommodate four anchors at a time.
In most studios, the desk is part of a permanent set that may include:
- Risers: Platforms to raise the height of the desk
- Flats: Vertical panels that provide a background
Numerous video monitors (industrial-strength television sets) will also be positioned throughout the studio. The production crew member responsible for assembling the set is called a Grip (or Dolly Operator).
The weather forecast is delivered from a spot in front of a green screen or chroma key-colored cyclorama (or chroma key wall) near the set. The unusual color of the background permits the weather anchor’s camera to be keyed over the weather graphics, making the weather anchor appear to “float” in the foreground over the graphics.
Patch Panels and Signal Routing
Located on the wall of the studio are hookup jacks for audio, video, clock, intercom, and other signals that pass between the studio and the control room. These hookup jacks are located together in what is called a patch panel.
Prior to the show, the person responsible for audio in the control room will connect cables to route the audio signals from the microphones to a patch panel. In some studios, the audio is routed to the patch panel through an audio snake that permits multiple microphone hookups.
Routing switchers allow audio and video signals to be “sent” to different locations in the studio and control room.
Floor Director
The boss of the studio is called the Floor Director. The Floor Director’s primary job is to communicate with, or cue, the news anchors. They can hear the commands of the Director using an intercom system that links the studio to the control room. The Floor Director will cue using voice commands or hand signals when a microphone is active, so it is important not only to listen to but also to watch the Floor Director.
The Floor Director communicates with the entire studio staff and is the ultimate authority in the studio once the program begins. They also act as a host for the news anchors and any guests.
Talent
Finally, the talent of the news program, the anchors, work in the studio during the live portion of the program. Often, the anchors will spend the last few minutes before the show goes live reviewing and editing a hard copy of the script.
In most network affiliate newscasts, the talent consists of two news anchors, a weather anchor, and a sports anchor.