The Basics

Multi Camera Job Roles 

When broadcasting something over the media, there are many job roles allocated to a team who are producing whats being made. I am going to focus on the main job roles used for a Television broadcasting team, and like any organised team their is a hierarchy; something that is placed within a team to show the status of each job roll.

The Job roles i am going to look and also state where they are within their own hierarchy.
JOB ROLES

• Camera Operator 
• Sound Making 
• Vision Mixing 
• Directing 
• Set Designer 
• Lighting Desk 
• Floor manager 
• Graphics Generation 
• VT operator

Director - The director of a multi-camera show will either direct the action from the stage floor or from a booth. In most multi-camera sit-coms like “Everybody Loves Raymond”, “Friends” and “Two and a Half Men”, the director will be on the stage floor so that they can interact with the writers and actors on the stage. 

Duties

·         directors owe duties to the corporation, and not to individual shareholders, employees or creditors outside exceptional circumstances

·         directors' core duty is to remain loyal to the company, and avoid conflicts of interest

·         directors are expected to display a high standard of care, skill or diligence

·         directors are expected to act in good faith to promote the success of the corporation

Skills

Directors must have exceptional artistic vision and creative skills to develop an engaging and original film. A  Positive commitment and a deep passion for film making are essential, along with the ability to act as a strong and confident leader. A  Directors must constantly make decisions, but must also be able to delegate, and to collaborate with others. An Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are vital to get the best from the film making team. A  Directors must inspire and motivate the team to produce the film they have envisioned. A  They need an extensive understanding of the entire film making process, from both technical and creative points of view. A capacity for long hours of intensive work, attention to detail, and the ability to remain calm and think clearly under great pressure, are key skills for this role. A  Directors also need great self-belief and the determination to succeed. ( All information is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_crew ) 

Camera Operator - 

Qualifications:

There are no specific qualifications for this job as most of the skills are learnt through experience whilst working up through the positions of Trainee, 2nd and 1st Camera Assistant and then on to Camera Operator. Although having qualifications in Media, Film and TV production and Cinematography may provide additional knowledge.

Duties:

One of the main duties of a camera operator is deciding what camera, lenses and other equipment to use for each section of filming, This requires a knowledge of the equipment in use and what equipment is best suited to the needs of the shoot. Another duty is to help with making the decision on where the final position of the camera should be, this is made easier by understanding how the camera reacts to certain conditions of lighting and the environment. They also have to take responsibility for the 1st and 2nd Camera Assistant as well as the Camera Trainee.

Skills:

• Knowing how to operate the equipment safely and proficiently
• Being able to provide creative input
• Having an understanding of all relevant equipment and to be proficient in the use of equipment

Sound mixer

A sound mixer is in charge of the levels of sound, and mixing them so that they are all at reasonable and desired levels. They also control the volume of say, the intro music, so they can fade it out to 0 so that the music is no longer he-arable on the broadcasting footage. They often work throughout the whole piece, and the graphics action is the usual place where they use music and fade it out.

Duties:

The sound mixer, like all roles, will have a set of duties that the candidate or employee must fufill, these are not skills, they are things that have to be done in the job. Failure of a duty is placed upon the candidate, as they should have the skills to cope with them, failure is not an option. The duties of a sound mixer, are as follows...

• They are responsible for mixing sound levels on/at live broadcast transmissions. (They must mix levels, and types of sound to make a stable and desired output, they also control the levels of volume, they choose how loud/quiet individual sounds are, such as treble, mid, and bass, also if they want any sound to be absent, such as the title music.)
• They are to follow directors sound directions, if any. (They must listen to the director, in case of the director asks for certain sound inputs to be activated, like music ques, etc.)
• They are in control of  sound dubbing operations. (They must adjust levels of sound within dubs to quire the best sound levels, and smooth sound levels, so people are not to loud or too quiet, or both, but just right.)
• They are to oversee the boom, and other related sound crew members in non live productions. (They are to oversee where the boom and other sound related fish poles, or recording devices are placed, and with some health and safety in concern, also to make sure they are out of shot.)

From looking at these duties, we can see a rough idea of what they are responsible for, therefore giving us an idea of their authority level within the music sector, and the general department. They do have some authority as we can see, as they overview boom members, and the setting up of fish poles, they also need health and safety so that they can tell if a piece of apparatus is in a safe place.

Skills

Skills are important things that you could have learned that would help you become a good candidate for the job, they also tend to help you fulfill certain duties, the skills set is as follows...

• A wide range of knowledge for sound and related equipment. (It is advice you have a strong knowledge on the topic of music and sound related equipment, so you can easily identify, and navigate other employees to do the right thing, quickly using proper terms. Also so that you have a knowledge of how they or so you can easily set them up and maintain them. This helps them in the duty of setting up sound equipment and monitoring levels on sound on them.)
• Knowledge of television production processes. (It is advice that you know ow the studio works, and the processes that happen within it, so you know who you are in command by, and what you should expect, helping you with the duty of listing to orders and fulfilling them.)
• Effective leadership and team working skills. (It is advised that they are extroverted in the sense of group controlling, as they will be overseeing groups of people, they must be able to firmly tell them what is expected and what should happen, this will help when overseeing the boom operator, or the setting up of fish poles and other related sound recording devices.)
• High level of organisation understanding. (They should have a high level of understanding for organisation, so they can easily, control music and sound operations without forgetting about other vital ones, this will help in the duties of overseeing the setting up of fish poles and booms, etc.)

As we can see from the skill set, most of the skills that are advised to have, help you fulfill the duties you would be set as the filler for that job. It also gives you an idea of what to expect, like long working hours, you need the stamina, so you will be expected to work those hours, and then you can think if you really want the job still after looking at the skills and duties, the skills seem to be merely amplifiers so you do your job better.

Information on sound mixer, is all from  :http://www.creativeskillset.org/tv/jobs/sound/article_5482_1.asp

Vision Mixer
Duties:
Vision Mixers are responsible for timing and executing the transitions between two shots of a programme, whilst simultaneously listening to the instructions of the director or producer. Another duty is being responsible for cutting away from a shot on a live programme if the shot becomes compromised in any way. Also Vision Mixers use rehearsals in Soaps and Sitcoms to practise where and when they will cut from one camera to another making the transitions in the finished programme smoother.


Skills:

• An understanding of the language used on set
• A good sense of rhythm to put transitions on the beat (music)
• Must be able to multitask in a high pressure environment

Qualifications:

No specific qualifications are required but a degree or other higher learning qualification in Media or a related subject will provide valuable additional information. The most desirable characteristic is experience due to the high pressure nature of the job so practical job experience is suitable.

Information from http://www.tvjobs.com/job_descriptions.htm

Set Design
Duties:
The set designer must present drawings of their design to the director and producer and adapt it where necessary. Another duty is selecting the types and styles of materials / furniture that is to be used on set. Also a set designer must integrate specific aspects from the script into their design and location whilst keeping within a budget.


Skills:

• Must have the ability to convey their idea through drawing / sketches
• The ability to design a set that uses the space available fully
• Being able to take criticism and the persistence to  see each project through to the end

Qualifications:

Most set designers have graduated from courses such as interior or 3D design as this has taught them how to enhance their creative abilities and contain it within set perimeters. Also some choose to complete a specialist course in theatre or film production design. Experience is also a vital aspect and so they may have to work as an assistant set designer until they have reached a certain level of experience and knowledge.

Floor Manager
Duties:
One duty of a floor manager is to check and prepare any equipment that is to be used in the production of each programme before filming to ensure the safety of crew and cast, as well as helping the show to run smoothly. On some studio productions a floor Manager may also be required to prep the audience before the live recording, this may involve explaining the rules of audience participation as well as giving cues for the audience to applaud or react in some manner. Another duty of a floor manager is to work closely with both the crew and talent/presenters to ensure that the whole production runs as smoothly as possible.


Skills:

• Must demonstrate a willingness to work long and unsociable hours during production
• A high level of maturity and competence is needs to keep to keep the crew motivated and working well
• Needs to be able to cope with the high levels of stress associated with this job

Camera operator –

Camera operators - will specialise in specific cameras or film. The job will expect you to direct photography, control the camera crane and setting camera focus. Camera operators will have to study the scripts, practise shots; trying out different angles to see what angle suits the scene best also they have to undertake instructions from the director. They have to keep up to date with any new equipment and be aware of health and safety issues.

http://www.creativeskillset.org/film/jobs/camera/article_4688_1.asp

Skills

·        a good sense of visual composition, perspective and movement

·        physical co-ordination and strength

·        ability to combine creativity with technical skills

·        precise attention to detail

·        effective communication skills

·        ability to collaborate, and to work as part of a team

·        diplomacy and sensitivity when working with artists and crew

·        knowledge of the requirements of the relevant Health and Safety legislation and procedures

Duties  

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/television_camera_operator_job_description.htm

·         offering advice on how best to shoot a scene, explaining the visual impact created by particular shots;

·         planning shots - when filming an expensive drama scene, such as an explosion, there may be only one chance to get things right so shots need to be meticulously planned beforehand;

·         practicing the camera moves required for pre-arranged shots;

·         studying scripts;

·         finding solutions to technical or other practical problems (for an outside broadcast, for example, the natural light conditions need to be taken into account when setting up shots);

·         being prepared to innovate and experiment with ideas;

·         taking instructions from the director or the director of photography;

·         working quickly, especially as timing is such an important factor;

·         taking sole responsibility in situations where only one camera operator is involved in the filming.

Qualifications required for the rolehttp://www.creativeskillset.org/film/jobs/camera/article_4688_1.asp

No specific qualifications are required to work in this role, although film schools and training courses offer a good basic grounding in the skills and knowledge required and in practice many Camera Operators have studied for higher level qualifications. The most useful courses offer practical experience and may also include work experience placements. Relevant courses include City & Guilds courses, BTEC HNC/HNDs, Foundation degrees, first degrees and postgraduate qualifications in media, film and TV production or cinematography. Basic stills photography, which develops visual and composition skills, also provides a useful starting point in training for this role.

Lighting Desk

The people at the ligthting desk are quite important, they are in control of the whole lighting for that set, especially when inside.

Like all the others they have certain skills;

- They must have the knowledge of how to handle technical equiptment - They are surrounded by electronics on the lighting desk, they must know how to behave and be responsible around such expensive equiptment.

- They must pay attention to detal and follow instructions - On lighting desks, there are a lot ofbuttons, levers and symbols. The lighting operators must know what each of these do, and must be able to follow instrustions by the director in a short period of time, with the correct precision and detail.

- They must have good colour vision - Not all of the lights and/or buttons are the same colour, they must know what button puts on which colour light so they must have that memory to know which is which aswell as understanding the order of the colours.

- They must have an excelent knowledge of the rules and safety regulations - They are working with electrical equiptment where there can easily be an accident.

The lighting desk also entitles duties such as;

- They must be on time to work - This is because they need to check that all the lights are in place, all the buttins work and all the bulbs and screens are in place and ready to go.

Vision Mixing

These people are in control of what the people see on their TV's. They edit the show live or as live, making sure it is interesting for the viewers to watch.

These are some of the skills they must have;

- They must have the knowledge of how to operate the mixing equiptment- knowing what each manoeuvre does and when to use it.

- They must also have skill to edit at the right time - Cutting it on time is probable the most important thing, so the audience stays involved and engaged to what they see on screen. If what they are watching is messy, they will not want to watch it.

- They must have the ability to multi-task - As they have to listen to the director, watch the screens and change what is being seen, they must be able to focus carefully with out being distracted.

The vision mixer has a number of duties to undertake aswell;

- They like everyone else, must be on time - As they are vision mixing, they are very important as they control what people see, they need to make sure tehy are on time, knowing what they will need to do for that day.

- They must also make sure they are energized, ready to work for long hours - They not only have to multi-task, but they have to focus well and work for long hours, they must make sure they are physically prepared.

Graphics Generator

The graphics generator is in control of the graphics/animations that appear on the screen.

These are the skills they need;

- Computing skills, knowing how to use software's - They must know how to use the softwares, otherwise they will be stuck and the graphics may not be to their best standard.

- They must know how to edit online, upload and animate such graphics - This is handy for making transitions from one graphic to another, not only this but to make it interesting for the audience at home, having different types of graphics but keeping it all linked to the current theme.

- They must have good communication skills - As they will be working with the set designer, the vision mixer, the director and other people on site, so they must be patient and able to communicate well with manners and patience.

Graphics generators also have duties;

- They must be on time to loccation with graphics ready to put in place - This is very important, without graphics the show would be dull and especially with interviews no one will know who is speaing and what they do...etc. 

- They must be reliable and responsible - They need to be reliable to make sure they will get everything done by the deadline, responsible enough to make it the best it can be, for the right times, the right theme.

Information for vision mixing and graphics generator was found from http://www.tvjobs.com/job_descriptions.htm