Let There Be Light

Upon entering the studio environment for our production class, I anticipated the position of technical director the most. After trying out the role in a basic production class a few years prior, I knew that the inherent pressure of the position, making sure that each take is ready and transitioning properly, was more fun than stressful. On the survey we were provided, I made sure to indicate that I wanted more experience with technical directing - but I also mentioned that I had little interest in lights.

I was wrong.

From the moment we began our test programs, I found myself concerned with what was happening with the lights in the studio, even if it was not my assigned role for the program. Although we had mentioned a basic three-point-lighting set-up should be in place, there were several days when only the overhead lights could be used in the room due to power failures, or the lights were deemed 'okay' quickly in favor of making adjustments elsewhere. I was reminded of the saying "Lights, Camera, Action!" - and how it seems that lights should always come first.

VeldaZ @ Flickr

If you don't have your lighting where you want it to be and make changes to it later, then you might be forced to change where the talent is seated, how you've set the white balance and exposure on the cameras, maybe even how you've utilized the space on the set. I didn't realize how much of a perfectionist I would be in terms of lights, but now that I recognize the need in me to be sure that all lights on set are in place, I also understand the importance of that concept.

Each time we discuss program ideas in the classroom, or even in the studio, I continuously ask questions about the lights. There are things I have knowledge of that I would love to be able to bring to each production. For example --

Light Safety - the Ari lights we have on set get very hot, and there should be gloves available for those who choose to use them in the studio to protect their hands. Students should also be told not to touch the bulbs of the lights at any point in time, even when the lights are off, because the oil in their hands can actually cause the bulbs to shatter when the lights come on at a later time - another reason for gloves! Another safety tip is to call out 'Striking!' whenever you turn on a light, because you never know who might be looking toward the light without being prepared for it to turn on. You wouldn't want to blind the talent on the set!

Color Correction and Scrims - it's amazing what you can do with lights if you have scrims available. They usually come in the Ari light kits, and they reduce the harshness or intensity of the light if need be. Color correction gels for lights can change the atmosphere of the set entirely! A CTB gel can make it appear as if the light source is coming from natural light, turning a regular shot into an outdoor-like scene, and depending on how much you use can also make it look like night. A CTO gel can match the lights in the room to tungsten light bulbs of a home.

Power - We have 650 lights in the studio, which require enough power that only one light should be plugged in to each outlet. I actually once had to learn some formulas for determining whether a light can be used in a particular outlet, but I think common sense is enough in this case!

Becoming ill and being absent made me miss some other positions I would have liked to try, and I feel that was my weakness in the test programs as a whole. However, I knew I could make up for what I missed by helping with troubleshooting - like remembering that the microphones on the cameras needed to be unplugged, or making suggestions for camera angles about head room, and I am even more confident in my ability to help with lighting in the future.

I'm looking forward to more opportunities to help the Shepherd University Studio settle in to a good rhythm, with safety and creativity as equal priorities!

Say Yes to the CMS

It is entirely possible that I am one of the only people left who types every blog entry with html codes for even the slightest change of text. Although I can see how easy it must be to press that B button be done with it, I meticulously type every code required for my text to turn out bold, or my image to be centered, or to separate my paragraphs with a spontaneously underlined phrase -- it's how I've always gone about blogging.

Meticulously typing out every piece of code necessary for a much broader, grander website - however - sounds like a nightmare I would not want to pursue. My fear of overly complicated web development is likely shared by many, which is what makes the appeal of Content Management Systems (CMS) completely understandable.

So, what is a CMS?

CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: a database-driven software that sits behind a website that enables the site manager to quickly and easily update the website pages and structure (the content) {source}

Popular content management systems currently utilized by web developers are WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. 

The Benefits
{with help from webhostinggeeks.com}

• Cost Effective - rather than paying a web programmer to keep up with updating the company site, any company employee can now easily update content (and quickly!)
• Grants Control - CMS makes it possible to save drafts of content before publishing, moderate who is able to post content to the site, and even manage comments on blog-based sites
• Not Time-Consuming - instead of removing files from the web, altering them, and sending them back up through FTP, changes can be made almost immediately through settings, widgets, and editors
• Allows for Growth - when new ideas are brought to the table, they can be picked up easily by any website wishing to utilize them - a spirit of sharing exists in CMS

 Which CMS do I use? 

I have built blogs with Joomla and I have built shopping cart websites with Wordpress. It just depends on what you need it to do, your familiarity with the system, and how long you have to work on that program. In fact, that is something that is misunderstood by many people - if you don't like using Drupal, that doesn't make it less valuable, it just makes it less useful to you! {source}

I have to agree! If you feel comfortable with one content management system and truly learn its ins-and-outs, it wouldn't be unreasonable to say that you can achieve anything you want with that CMS. There are, however, a few key differences that can help in making a decision.

DRUPAL LIKES DEVELOPERS - of the three most popular content management systems, drupal is the most known for being developer-friendly. If you are not someone who enjoys working with large amounts of code, it might not be the CMS for you!

WORDPRESS LIKES BLOGGERS - the site is known for being preferred by blog-based sites. WordPress makes it easy to update with articles, entries, and content - and is simple enough for most people to understand. If you aren't someone who plans on updating often, it might not be the CMS for you!

JOOMLA LIKES THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD - the site is welcoming for designers, has some possibility for developing codes, and is simple to understand overall. If you're looking for one extreme over another, this might not be the CMS for you!

Overall, content management systems are popular because there is nothing that web users like more than instant gratification! Easy to use, quick to update, and cost effective - what wouldn't a company love about that?

Everybody Think Inside the Space

Hamish Hamilton is a director who might, at least initially, seem to be on a separate echelon from directors with limited production capability in a studio environment. Sprawling stages, massive crowds, powerful bursts of audio-visual content, and as many as fifteen or sixteen different cameras provide Hamilton with the opportunity to wow even the casual, couch-lounging viewer.

How can two cameras in a small room possibly compete in terms of eye-catching content?

For the purposes of Shepherd University's round table discussion program, two of Hamilton's direction techniques are key: use every body on set and think inside the space.


The Little Details

Hamish Hamilton is merely the head of the caterpillar. Without the multiple segments of the body, and the several working legs, the caterpillar does not move. If a director requests a two-shot from Camera 1, but no one is there to operate said camera, what has the direction really added to the program? When the Studio Production class operates as a team, the entirety of the production benefits.

If Hamilton has sixteen cameras in a space, he also has sixteen people to direct. Sixteen people who could potentially ignore direction or make mistakes. The director has to trust that they will be there to work with him. The Studio Production class must also have this faith in one another. One bad apple, in this case, could end up spoiling the bunch.

The Big Picture

A round table discussion program might not have the dramatics of a Lady Gaga theatrical performance or the overwhelming energy of a rock concert, but it can still be an experience for the target audience. Although Hamilton used one single camera for a significant portion of a Kanye West television performance, he utilized the space he had to make the performer appear first as small as an ant, then larger than life. When presented with a simple box for a stage, Hamilton thought of how to work inside of that box to create a visual journey for the viewer, playing with perspective and lights.

Shepherd University's television studio has a limited amount of space. Instead of focusing on the limitations, the Studio Production class can come together to find new ways to use the existing space instead.

Hamish Hamilton, therefore, sets a great example for the Studio Production class -- Everyone Needs to Think Inside the Space. Not only does this mean that students should find the best ways to creatively use the studio for programs, but they should also literally think about how they influence what happens within the studio environment.

and in my head I paint a picture

It was a horrible disappointment to have the redhead roundup end in failure. Although I put a lot of effort into recruitment and reminders, only one person showed up on the day. In spite of the bad turn out, I learned how to really put myself out there and not be so afraid to approach people, and was also reminded that sometimes? Being a student relying on other students is tough.

It was not, however, a total loss. I had a lot of fun conversing with Matt and think there is great audio to use for my podcast. We discussed a lot of redhead myths at length, taking a full hour just to chat and record.

There is still so much to be done for this project. Having more time to complete things is a huge relief for me. I don't think that I have slacked this semester, but I do think that I approached the project with the sense that I would already know what to do and get it done quickly. Instead I discovered that putting together a podcast with no prior experience is tricky! There are a lot of factors that go into forming an episode, gathering audio and editing, and without any established template to work from - a lot of creative energy and research required.

This week and Thanksgiving break will be spent adding all the finishing touches, of which there are SEVERAL. Making sure the music fits the way I would like it to, cutting down on interview time if necessary, making sure each episode has around the same running time, and posting everything to the web. Although I've worked on this as I've gone along, I know it won't be a short and easy thing.

One surprising moment in the week? Finally hearing back from the ragtime performer about the Redhead Rag music I wanted to use for the podcast. It is entirely possible that he will be sending me an mp3 recording of the music to add in. Hopefully he will be more prompt with it this time.

Still busy, but fun busy. I'm glad I made the decision to try something new!

a Scottish play and no mention of Brigadoon

Watching Saturday night's performance of Macbeth was incredibly similar to watching a foreign film with only a slight grasp on the conversational language. I desperately longed for subtitles. Every so often I'd be able to pick out a word or phrase, make a connection, and grasp that someone was dead and someone wanted revenge or felt remorse about murder and so on. Mostly I just liked the sword fighting.

There were some things that already biased me against the play, that is true. One was that I have a dislike of Shakespeare's tragedies and much prefer the comedies, and even if people laughed at points during the performance, I have a feeling that it wasn't at any intended comedic moments. Another was that the play lasted for two and a half hours without even the shortest intermission. In the age of 140 characters, sound bites, and "multi-tasking" - it's a bit difficult to keep up the attention span. It would have been much easier accomplished if I understood half of what was occurring at any given moment.

The worst was when the guy seated behind me started reciting a monologue of Macbeth's loudly and at a different pace than the actor. I appreciate a theater enthusiast but that was a bit much. Eventually someone shushed him, but how rude!

For all my complaining, I could appreciate the quality and the effort that went into the performance itself. I loved that they stayed true to what would be a Shakespearean performance - minimalistic sets but with big energy, music that suited the time period, even the language and mannerisms were carefully thought out and executed. It was also a great way to look back on what was the birth of so many common expressions we have today. OUT DAMN SPOT! and something wicked this way comes, just to name a few.

CULTURAL EVENT 02

can now certainly get some satisfaction

The first thing that stood out for me about Thursday night's performance of In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) was a sense of nostalgia. Not because I've ever been diagnosed with hysteria, or suspected love and science couldn't co-exist, but because of the routine I got into in my freshman year of college. Every other week I had to attend a play performance for my Playwriting II course. Some were large scale productions in prominent theaters on Broad Street (Philadelphia). Others took place with minimal sets in a room above a restaurant that sold nothing but crepes (and the crepes were delicious). That year I discovered just how much I enjoyed seeing a play with only a few other people around, with the actors so close they might as well be sitting with you at your dinner table.

In the Next Room really felt like you were in an intimate space. Although the theater was pleasantly crowded - I like to see a full house in support of the arts - there was no sense of grandeur. It suited the content of the play, which focused not so much on the invention of the vibrator, but the period of misunderstanding in the upper classes about love and sexual gratification in the 1800's. The wet nurse, for example, understood more about intercourse than the aristocratic women, who thought of sex merely as a man's need and a means for reproduction.

Big sets, dance numbers, and multiple cast members weren't necessary. The emotion of the play was the important thing, with the humor acting as a relief system. I admit it was pretty uncomfortable to watch women act out an orgasm every couple of minutes surrounded by strangers. It kind of made me wonder what it was like for the first audience to ever watch When Harry Met Sally. It was the jokes, the hilarious expressions on the faces of the actors as the new experiences changed things up for them, that made all the discomfort worth it.

I felt as if the entire audience loosened up their corsets and let the message sink in. Love is a much happier thing if both parties get a little somethin' somethin' out of it (and that includes same sex relationships too!).

CULTURAL EVENT 01

lighting a fire beneath my chats

This week is going to be madness, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. All the pieces of my project are finally starting to come together. There is still a lot to be done, but I'm enjoying the work. This week's tasks include finishing all audio recording, wrapping up each podcast episode, the tri-fold board, and getting the website up.

WEEKLY PROGRESS REPORT
This week I managed to --

• Complete the set-up of a conference room for my redhead roundup. Emailed all those I'd previously recruited with the time and date, but plan to find a few more people before the interview.
• Collected audio for other segments of the podcast and organized them in garageband. Made many a person sign a release form.
• Registered a domain name, secured a webhost for the website.
• Watched Lynda.com videos to learn more about WordPress.