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March, 2008 |
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By Phillip Harris, author of Television Production Story-telling skills and many production skills can be taught with a bare minimum of equipment. With today’s technology becoming more available at the consumer and prosumer level, it is possible to offer students new digital technology without huge investments. In order to interest and encourage this generation of students in a field which is highly technical, a school system must make every effort to make modern technology available. However, the terms “modern technology” and “school budgets” rarely can be used in the same sentence. Technology changes so rapidly that this document would be instantly obsolete if it listed specific brands and model numbers of equipment recommendations when it comes to the equipment outfitting needs for your studio. We continue from the March issue with suggested configuration for “Level One” purchases. Level 1 Suggested product: · “Morning Announcements” type of program with occasional short packages or VO · Event videography such as archival recordings of athletic events, programs, graduation · Production services (instructional tapes, highlight tapes, etc.) for in house use only Location gear for television production: 3 Camcorders with batteries and cases for location shooting in one of these formats: Mini-DV or direct to DVD or direct to on-board hard drive Extra Camera batteries and chargers try to get at least 2 batteries for each camera so one can be on a charger at all times. Notes on Camcorders: The most frequent question about camcorders is how many camcorders are necessary and what is needed as a basic camcorder to use for a starting program. Here is a simple formula: buy one camera for every four students in your class. Nothing will stall a hands-on program like the lack of equipment! Know this as well: your class will quickly become quite popular, so plan accordingly. Camera features to include: Image Stabilization: electronic or optical. This feature helps to diminish the shakiness of the hand-held camera – notice the word is “diminish” not “eliminate.” Microphone In jack – Do not use the microphone built into the camera! You need to connect an external microphone Headphone Jack: Used to monitor audio playback The number and size of CCDs (charged coupled devices) the camcorder has. Three CCDs provide greater image quality. As your facility grows, you are going to want to upgrade your cameras. Of course, upgrades are usually hand in hand with higher prices. You are encouraged to discuss “moving on up” carefully with your systems designer. Items to consider: Direct to DVD camcorders Direct to on-board hard drive camcorders – thus going “tapeless” and vastly increasing your quality of product as well as eliminating the not insignificant budget item: videotape Better zoom lenses Mic inputs that are XLR instead of mini jacks Larger CCD’s – not only does a 3 CCD camera provide a better image than a 1 CCD camera, the larger CCD provides a significantly better image. Be prepared for sticker shock. Large CCD’s are expensive. 3 friction tripods Notes on friction/fluid tripods: The top of a tripod where the camera attaches is called the tripod head. There are two types of tripod heads: friction and fluid. The friction head is very inexpensive (the entire tripod and head may be $60.00). This is not a professional grade by any means. The friction head keeps the camera in place by the operator tightening a screw which presses two plates together. This pressure on the two plates keeps the camera from tilting of panning. Unfortunately, the only way to tilt and pan is to loosen the pressure between the plates. The friction system is an “all or nothing” system. Once loosened the camera is completely loose and is susceptible to every tiny muscle twitch of the operator. It will even move with normal breathing on the part of the operator. The fluid head is professional level gear. Tripods begin in the $400 range and go upwards depending on the degree of “heavy duty” they are designed for. Get a tripod rated appropriately for the weight of your camera – think for the future not just for today. Tripods can last 20 years. The fluid head keeps the camera in place by placing pressure on a very thick liquid of grease between two plates. This pressure can be gradually increased or decreased making it possible to move the head but only with moderate pressure on the pan handle. This makes the camera much more stable. 3 25-foot extension cords 3 handheld mics Notes on microphones and types: The dynamic mic is considered the most rugged professional microphone. This type of mic is a good choice for electronic newsgathering (ENG) work, where a wide variety of difficult conditions are regularly encountered. These typically are the handheld mics used by on-camera talent or used for on-location interviews. The dynamic holds up well in school environments. Condenser mics are not as rugged as dynamic mics, however, usually these provide a better quality sound than dynamic mics. Also, problems can result when they are used in adverse weather conditions; therefore, they are best used under controlled environments such as with anchors or in inside interviews. An example would be the Personal mic (lavaliere or lapel mic),(Usually attached to clothing) These are all referred to as personal mics. These mics require a preamp; this means that, unlike the dynamic mics discussed earlier, condenser mics require a source of power, either from an AC (standard Alternating Current electrical power) supply or from batteries. Shotgun mic - used for on-location production to pick up sounds emanating from a moderate distance from the camera. These are usually used in ENG situations. These mics have a very narrow pickup pattern and are good for eliminating noises coming from either side of the mic. Boundary microphones - also called PZM mics. PZM is actually a product name created by a manufacturer however, like Kleenex is to facial tissue, PZM has become a synonym for boundary microphones. These rely primarily on reflected sounds from a hard surface such as a tabletop or stage floor. They can be used in multiple, round table-type interview situations. Several of these on the front apron of a stage can actually cover the sound of a theatrical performance. |
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Build a Studio, Purchase Equipment: Part 2 |
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