Collaboration in the studio 

How do you feel you went in your role? 

I was assigned to two different types of roles, the second one being a last minute decision in order to help a group out that lacked group members. My first role of the day was the Vision Mixer! For those unfamiliar with what a vision mixer does, you could also call me an Editor. What my role composes of is basically the switching of screens – what the audience saw on the live screen but also the point of view of all three cameras. This gives myself and the director the opportunity to correct any potential errors and get the desired shot that we want. My performance in this role was somewhat subpar, only because I was not used to the various stimuli going on around me. I realised I had to focus on three things at a time – both the screen, script and audio. I totally underestimated the expectations and roles of a vision mixer. Nonetheless, it was still a good learning experience and I was able to soak in a lot of information, especially as a Vision Mixer.

The second role I got was in charge of Audio! You could say that I was an audio mixer (lol?), however, it did not hold as many responsibilities as it did in comparison to the role of a vision mixer. My main responsibilities were ensuring the talents’ microphones were working and that the right microphones were given to the right person. A fun fact that I’ve learnt on set today was that there were certain microphones assigned to each of the talents (in this case to the two of them), depending on their positioning. I was then showed the complexities of the audio mixer and how each dial is connected to a certain part of the machine to the next. It’s easier to explain in real life, I swear. Other than that, I found operating on the audio fairly easy and manageable. Having already been in the studio beforehand with the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt skit, I got the gist of the studio operations for my second try as a sound operator.

What were the differences to other media productions you’ve crewed on? 

(Screengrab taken on 24th of March)

I have only crewed in one studio show and that is the production of In Pit Lane, under RMITV Studios. Located in Building 10, the show goes live every Tuesdays at 9 PM. Most of the crew members are well-seasoned veterans and are fully knowledgeable about what goes on during the live television – the show has been airing for over twenty-two years! The difference between this studio class and the In Pit Lane production that I’ve crewed on is that everyone is a beginner in this class whilst everyone in the professional studio is well, a professional.

In this studio class, it was a less stressful environment and was, therefore, a more comfortable environment to make mistakes – as a first-time vision mixer, I definitely made a mistake or two (or even more). For In Pit Lane, I was assigned as the camera operator and will continue to be my role for the remainder of the show. Despite it being officially live, I definitely felt the pressure as a camera operator but was also a good experience because everyone around me was extremely helpful. All in all, the ultimate difference was that in this studio, we were at the beginning of our studio journey whilst the people around me in In Pit Lane were already experienced.

Do the different crew roles interact and collaborate? 

Definitely. From the control room to the actual studio itself, we all communicated to one another. Some examples of the roles that required constant communication was the role of the Director to the Vision Mixer. Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe that both Lizzie (the director) and I required the most interaction and communication with one another, especially when she was instructing me when to switch the camera whilst following the script. Essentially, the director has communication with all the roles within the studio, communicating with the roles in the control room and on the floor.

I would say that the second most important roles are the Director’s Assistant and the Floor Manager – they are both the leading roles that keep the Director in check, whilst also managing the various roles that form the studio altogether. Without these leadership positions, communication would be hard to come by, especially in a studio where the directors, talents, camera operators, etc aren’t together in one room.

So in essence, the different crew roles do interact one way or another, even if some of these roles are unrelated. I was privileged enough to be paired with a group that were lovely to work with, some of them being my friends from my first year of my media course.

What was it like watching as an audience member? 

From the readings of Giotta and Gadassik, it heavily discusses the importance of the response from the audience. Giotta mentions the that the presence of a live audience became integral to live television, only because it helped home viewers interpret the content on television. As an audience member for the other groups, I felt all of us had a role to play as an audience – to spectate and react. Even though none of the talents were professional actors/actresses, the lines of the script still ignited laughter from the audience, giving the crew members a sign that we were on the right track.

I also pondered about Gadassik’s reading and how the audience is always looking for something controversial or natural to happen. As an audience member, it would have been definitely interesting for something amusing to happen but having also experienced crewing, I did not want anything wrong to happen. However, there is still that nature in me to think of the worst no matter what experience I have had through media. Overall, I had a great time seeing the different styles of crewing and was a knowledgeable experience to be part of.

What were the differences in shooting these scenes for multi-camera vs. single camera? 

If we were to shoot this on a single camera, it would have been a much longer process to complete in comparison to the multi-camera method that we did during Thursday’s studio assignment. Roles that exist in a multi-camera studio would have definitely been eliminated if we were operating on a single camera. These roles are the vision mixer and the two other camera operators. If we also used one camera, this would make the camera operator’s job harder, forcing them to move around more and potentially getting a messier and slower footage.

It is much more convenient to be operating under a multi-camera studio, especially if it were a live program – more roles are able to assist one another and it would be a more efficient and easier process.

Reading: Sounding Live: An Institutional History of the Television Laugh Track (Gina Giotta) 

The reading gives a deep knowledge of the laugh track’s origins and how it has developed over the years with the advancement of technology. Giotta also incorporates their own personal opinions of the laugh track and how it “serves as a language of unoriginality for the medium of popular culture”. This statement acknowledges that the culture of entertainment has evolved (and is continuing to evolve) – this questions the existence of the “laugh track” and whether it is relevant to the current scene of entertainment.

With the rich description of how the laugh track has grown with time, it has given me a perspective of how the laugh track has revolutionalised TV in the era it was found in, making it a highly important device for live television. It has also made me question its relevance over the years –

• Despite its contribution to live TV, will it still continue to be an imperative device for the advancement of television?
• As we are constantly bombarded with new information, how can the laugh track catch up with the rapid changes around us?

Those are the few questions that I have considered whilst going over the reading. I will conclude this reading with a question – the laugh track has changed the way we see TV, but how long will it stay applicable?

Pre-production/Planning Stage (Week Three’s Class): 

(Image source)

We began Week 3 by discussing the reading as a collective. Despite my own personal thoughts about it (refer to the top), the whole class condensed the reading in what it was trying to imply – the relevance of the laugh track, its origins and the emotional trigger it invokes from an audience. What I found interesting was the video that was shown in class – the live audience for Big Bang Theory. I found it intriguing that not only game shows and talk shows required a live audience, but also sitcoms and comedy shows like the Big Bang Theory. The video explained how they would do multiple takes on each scene and how the audience’s response was a big part of the production.

For the second part of the lesson, we were taken on a tour of the RMITV Studios – a place that had already been familiar to me for the past two weeks.

I have been committing my time at the RMITV Studio for the live show, In Pit Lane! Two weeks in and I have been soaking in a lot of information, so I was pretty familiar with how a studio operated. I still managed to learn a few things from the tour because I saw more rooms such as the smaller studio (in front of Studio A)  and the green room. Overall, my thoughts on the studio was that it was definitely a knowledgeable experience and only added more to my existing knowledge of what goes on in the studio and in the control room behind the studio. It also made me realise the plethora of roles in the studio and how there’s a large-scale operation that occurs behind the studio.

For the third and final part of Week Three’s studio, we were assigned into our groups for Assignment #2. One of my group members and friends, Alex, took the initiative to create a Google Doc file, connecting each and every group member with one another. In the Google file, it contained all the studio roles that was going to be filled in by each group member. Most of us didn’t have any considerable amount of studio experience so everyone was happy to fill in any role that they were interested in.

My thoughts on getting the Kimmy Schmidt scene were both exciting and curious, only because I don’t watch the TV show (and wasn’t too much of a fan of it, to be honest). However, we did watch the assigned scene as a group and I immediately envisioned how we would be working as a group. As the role of a Vision Mixer/Editor, it is my job to alternate between Cameras 1, 2 and 3. In relation to the transition of the single-camera use to the multi-camera use, my role of vision mixing directly links to the transition of each camera angle, making sure I directly switch the cameras when relevant.

These are my thoughts and opinions on the happenings of Week 3 – the reading, the tour of the studio and what I will be expecting as a Vision Mixer for the production of Assignment #2.

…participation during broadcast, or how these programs use live stream options to draw audiences in.” 

A well-known and worldwide example of a live television program facilitating social media to interact with their audiences is Big Brother. However, this is the Filipino version of the show called, Pinoy Big Brother. How does it use social media to talk to its viewers and audiences? An example I can use was during the big finale of the TV show – the finalists of the show gather in a well-known arena in the Philippines and wait to find out their winning title. This is whether they’ll be placed first, second, third and so on. How the show implements social media is through the use of mobile phones and Twitter. With mobile phones, it instructs viewers to text to a certain number in order to vote for their favourite member:

With the usage of Twitter, it live Tweets the current premise and highlights of the show. This generally includes the announcements of the hosts, the big reveal of the winner and so many more. And of course, the interaction includes mentions, retweets and favourites on Twitter, making the news widespread online and also gives access to fans who may not be able to watch it on live television.

Not only do they live tweet the show but also communicate with their “online team” – the Filipino Big Brother has an online show where they show the ongoing “behind the scenes” and even interview some of the previous house members. The Filipino version of Big Brother has a huge online presence because of the show’s strategies and attempts to communicate with their viewers not only through SMS, but also through Twitter. These approaches enable the show to receive high ratings and even worldwide viewers, such as myself.

In relation to the previous readings from Marriot, he states that “…that they offer the viewer the opportunity to see nature ‘as it is'” – this transcends beyond television and into the online community. The modern approach to live television gives most TV shows interactions and also expands their domestic reception (as Bourdon has discussed as one of live television’s characteristics).

Social media has a huge role in modern television shows, spreading their presence nationally and even internationally thanks to the Internet. Big Brother has facilitated and benefitted from social media, implementing Twitter as one of the main forms of communication between the audience and the show.

The live stream can be found on here

Paired with Jasmine and Alex, we roamed around within the chosen vicinity of Melbourne city. These locations included the State Library of Victoria, a tram headed towards Bourke St, Bourke St. itself and even the tram stops outside of Melbourne University. To be completely honest, we did not have a solidified idea of what and how we should live stream, and therefore, it was all in the spur of the moment. We live streamed what we found interesting right off the bat. Some examples were buskers performing, chess matches outside the library and the movement of the trams.

Ultimately, we chose Jasmine’s footage – she filmed what a tram window would see from the outside. Here is a screenshot example:

Along the streets of Swanston St., we can see the masses of students walking to and from Building 80. We chose this live stream because it perfectly encapsulates student life and culture, especially for RMIT students.

As for my experience with using Periscope, it is a different application in comparison to Facebook and Instagram live. It is not exactly as user-friendly as I thought it would have been but once you have figured out the controls, it is quite easy to use. From my personal experience of live streaming, however, it is not the most user-friendly out of the other applications. For example, it’s almost impossible to get a flawless hand-held recording without you having to swipe up to stop the recording, swapping the camera and manually typing whatever it is you must type.

All in all, my experience with Periscope has been enjoyable and has given me an insight into the world of live – that is the unpredictability of the world around us. In fact, it has given a new perspective of how live TV operates and interacts with their following.

Live television is dynamic, stressful but at the end of the day, the results are satisfying.

Reading #2: Live Television: Time, Space and the Broadcast Event (Stephanie Marriott) 

Despite all the glitz and the glamour that we see on live television, there are also the downsides that come with it. Marriott discusses the anxieties and the stresses that occur when working on live television – she describes it as a matter of gambling.

There’s a good reason why these feelings occur when one is working on live television, especially if it were to involve large-scale events such as weddings, funerals, national/international sports matches, election nights, etc. A central motivation for people to work in live television (despite the downsides) is that these events going on live give the audience the opportunity to experience it first-hand (or second-hand in this case), giving the public a sense of inclusion.

The uncertainty of the moment is what makes live television important, mainly because of the benefits it gives for people who are unable to be there in the moment. Instead, live TV offers the accessibility to the audience who aren’t able to be there.

The excitement of Week 2: 

More theories were discussed in class, especially the Marriott reading that introduces further information about what happens in and out of live TV. As a class, we explored deeper into the realm of live television and what it entails both in the whole discourse itself and the aspects of it.

Yet again, it also highlighted the programs that go under the category of live television; Instagram live (social media), Reality TV shows, Oscars’, etc. This week, there was a large emphasis on the power of social media and how it has the ability to manipulate the following and the viewership of a live program. These were the main topics of Week Two’s lesson in order to prompt us for Assignment #1. 

Going into the second session of the lesson, we were all assigned to groups and I was fortunate enough to be paired with my friends, Jasmine and Alex! We had no idea what kind of location we were going to record but we decided that each of us was going to pick at least one location. These were the following places and ongoings that we live-streamed;

• A chess match in front of State Library
• A busker in Bourke St
• The window from the inside of the tram
• The tram stop in front of Melbourne University

Essentially, this assignment gave us the general idea of what to expect when getting into the elements of “liveness” – there will be a lot of unexpected moments that are unscripted and unplanned. I had a lot of fun exploring how to use the Periscope app whilst also getting to know more about the concept of live.

Week One Reading: Live Television is still alive: on TV as an unfulfilled promise (Jerome Bourdon)

As an introduction to the course, the reading goes straight to the basics of live television and the ongoing operations that happen behind on and off-camera. One of the main contents of the reading are the characteristics of live television and they are the following;

1. The liveness 
2. Screen size 
3. Domestic reception 

There is an ongoing discourse about the evolution of live television and its continuing growth – notions such as the ‘authenticity’ and the ‘truth’ were discussed and how major television networks have started emphasising on the stylistic choices that occur within live TV. A notable example is the Barcelona Olympics. It included refined digital effects that the images (reprocessed and manipulated) being projected on TV, are in fact, LIVE!

Finally, the reading highlighted that live television comes in different styles and is not limited to one category of “live” – this can range from the live connection of different locations within a programme, using amateur videos (or what is known as ‘live footage’ on newscasts) and major events that get projected live such as the Eurovision, the Oscar’s, the Grammy’s, etc.

To conclude the reading, it has given me a good sense of live television and the procedure of how TV operates, both live and behind the scenes.

My take on Week One’s class:

Despite running late to class, I managed to catch up with the discussion and grasp the concept of “liveness” and the class’ perception of it. It’s shown as its happening, scheduled chaos, broadcast in real-time. These descriptions both covered the experiences of the audience to the people who were operating on set.

Ruth had shown us a few video examples in order for us to be prompted more about what to expect when working on live television. Of course, this came with the notions that we had about live TV and what we should also prepare for when stepping into the realm of live broadcast television.

What I found the most interesting during Week One’s class was the video from the Pyeongchang Olympics’ Opening Ceremony – I discovered that some of the footage displayed on live TV was already pre-recorded, whilst incorporating the elements of liveness to it. Therefore, it was both a mixture of preparation and spontaneity.

My first impression of this class is that this course will dive deeper into the practice of live television and get to know the insider information of live TV, rather than just using my knowledge as an audience. I will now be one of the many people who operate behind the scenes on live television!