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Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

LESSON 31

INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR

The visual broadcast as we have seen in some previous sessions has been more demanding

in terms of communicating the real face of what camera could see. Since this type of

broadcast required both voice and the visual, a problem in any of these areas would lead to

serious problem, especially when it is a live transmission.

Ever since the change that has occurred from radio broadcast to TV broadcast, there has

been a strong feeling among people involved in the electronic communication that the visual

medium is more difficult to handle for this channel comprises many sub channels which are

inevitably involved in the overall communication. But here we are more concerned about the

way broadcast takes place. Although the two broad categories we would be talking in this

chapter are common for radio and TV, the set-up we keep in mind belongs to a TV broadcast.

Broadly speaking the TV broadcast could be classified in two segments the interior

broadcast and the exterior broadcast. Both have their own specific requirements to enable a

meaningful transmission.

Interior

If you ever happen to see a script of some TV program, the first thing you may notice is the

marking of initials INT or EXT which stands for interior and exterior respectively.

So important is marking a shooting script with these initials that a small error here may lead to

a completely wrong camera work of a program.

The interior coverage means operating the camera under artificial lights. The programs which

are essentially done in the interior are;

News

Shows for children, general viewers, women etc

Discussions / seminars

Indoor games

Scenes of dramas to be managed indoor

Interviews

Music programs

NEWS and Interviews

Usually the news coverage is done with two camera arrangement with collar mike hung at an

appropriate point. It is easy to control the sound and the lights for usually one or two persons

are engaged in the studio.

The coverage of interviews is also done with similar camera, lights and mike positions with the

only difference that in this case the two people are facing each other and to cover them some

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Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

different camera shots are applied. There are occasions when interviews of more than one

person are conducted. In such cases the microphone and lighting arrangements have to be

redesigned and the position of the interviewer and the interviewees is redefined. Some time a

panel interview is desired more than one people asking questions from one person, in such

a situation the lighting and microphone position is also rearranged to facilitate a proper

production.

Shows and Discussions

The shows and discussions where more than two people are involved require a lot of effort in

setting up camera points and the adjustment of mike to capture appropriate images and the

sound. With Gibb shots with a huge crane are getting very common these days a lot of space

is also required to make arrangement for these types of interior coverage. And in programs

like seminars where some audience have to be allowed to sit inside the studio and be a part of

the program as a panel of experts gives their opinion on some subject, the interior coverage

has to be given a close look for covering this small crowed under the artificial lights.

Dramas and Music

There are more occurrences of outdoor shots in dramas these days but there was a time

when almost the entire play was recorded under the artificial lights at the TV studios. Still a

major part of soap dramas, or long plays, is recorded at the studios with special light effects

on. Exactly so is the case with music programs which are mainly held at rather a large studios

but under the artificial lights.

As we mention of the interior coverage of the TV programs, the emphasis is on to make you

understand the different nature of this broadcast which require special script from news to

dramas and insertions of announcements during a music program, staff trained for this

purpose and the whole process of production.

Exterior Visual Broadcast

It is a very hard experience to do exterior shooting for the purposes of visual broadcast. In the

interior shooting one can always control the artificial lights, their angles, intensity and height.

But in the exterior camerawork the light is not in your control. Its angle keeps changing with

the orbiting of the sun. Not only this weather keeps changing. It is clear blue sky at the start of

the program, half an hour later it is hazy and after some time it may be cloudy or even slightly

raining. You have no escape but to cover the program as it has to be broadcast later in the

day, or may be it is a live telecast, to make matters worst.

Let's see where we need exterior coverage

Sports

Dramas

Live music shows

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Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

VIPs movement ... arrival of a foreign PM at the airport

Road shows

Gather public reaction / opinion on certain issues

Sports

Half the stadium is under full sun, rest under shade. There is hardly a camera available which

could operate on some mean setting to give you an equal and balanced view of the scene.

The situation becomes very embarrassing when it is a hard sun out there and the shadows of

one side of the stadium are falling on the playing area. It is a real test of the camera team to

make a sensible piece of broadcasting under these odd conditions.

Dramas

Make up of the talent is done under given light intensity and temperature... as other matters

are complete; the lighting composition changes... redo the make ups. That is why outdoor

shooting of dramas take not days but weeks to complete scenes which if done in the interior

may complete in a day or two.

VIP movement

No escape. Coverage has to be done under all circumstances, sun, clouds or rain or even

snowfall.

Again, the purpose of talking about the exterior coverage is to stress the point of specialized

training, script and use of cameras and mikes to record maximum of an activity to ensure an

effective broadcast.