Production Tips
What You Need to Know as A Television Producer
Do you want to become a television producer? Well, we have production tips to guide you in your pursuit. This guide covers various aspects of production from the composition to the sound, story, lighting, documentary and lots more. It is all a simple process once you understand the rudiments.
Elements of Composition
- There are certain rules for improving composition, and here are some of them.
- Establish your production goals and stick to them
- Ensure that you depict the emotional states with the right scenes
- Strive to achieve a unity where all elements such as lighting, settings, sets, colour, and custom are in consonance
- Focus on a centre of interest in individual scenes
- Make sure the subject is properly placed.
Sound
When it comes to television, it is important to get a good sound, especially when using simple instruments that the limited budgets of community television stations can afford. The fundamental tip to achieving this is to always use headphones. A decent headphone that is enclosed so that it prevents the ear from hearing any other noise is essential. With it, you can easily identify a problem in what you are listening to even if the meter is saying something else. In order to get the best sound, the microphone must be close to the person’s mouth, and it is better not to use the microphone of the camera alone. It is necessary to identify noises, especially the ones that are hard to correct later on, such as electrical buzzes and hums. Buzz has a high frequency while Hum has a lower frequency and they are both caused by interference from other electrical equipment or bad connections, if noticed, it is best to correct immediately. Another noise to avoid is background acoustic noise which might be due to location or where the mic is put, so it is best to determine the quality of the recording environment before starting.
Video Lighting
When it comes to video lighting, balance is the most important thing. This refers to the colour balance, and it is what gives the show its unique look. Next to this is the intensity which must also be balanced in the sense that a part of the video must not be too bright when compared to another part in the same scene. This is the mistake most people make by making the major character brighter than all others through the use of a spotlight. It is a bad idea in most cases. As the producer, it is important to work well with the engineer in your camera crew as that is the person who could correct any anomaly in balance. Angles also play a major role in helping you achieve balance, but it could become complex due to shadow issues if you don’t master it.