I do wonder where they got the two standins from. Did they just kidnap some people from administration? Are they other members of Crew 6? Unwitting members of the public?
18:52 noticeable difference in level when they mix in the graphics (vertical line down the center of frame) which is an artifact of this era. In later years graphics were "supered" (super imposed) by what is called "last key out". Which just means the studio output goes via the graphics generator (Chyron) so when the director calls for a key (anything being supered by graphics generator), the graphics operator controls it's appearance and removal, not the vision switcher (person sitting to right of director physically controlling the vision) mixing between the non-graphics content (camera or VT) and the input into the desk from the graphics generator which the operator has switched to the identical input the vision switcher is mixing/cutting from and back to. To put it another way, a standard switch setup would be cameras 1, 2 and 3 on inputs 1, 2 and 3 and possibly input for held in reserve for a 4th camera if one is ever used. Then VT's A, B, C and D would be on inputs 5, 6, 7 and 8. Then the graphics generator would be on input 9. But the graphics generator would also have duplicate inputs to it from the cameras and VT's. There would be other inputs to the switch than this but they aren't relevant here. So to produce the graphics as you see them in this video the vision switcher is mixing off camera 3 to input 9 (graphics generator with camera 3 selected on it as it's input) and then off input 9 back to camera 3. This mixes the graphics on and off. But the limitation is since this is a mix, a consistent vision level is not maintained which is why as you see the graphics in this mixing on and then mixing off, during the middle of the mix, the picture dimms slightly (in the middle of the mix). You can clearly see this in the mix just after the time I've started this comment with. With last key out, the graphics generator receives the studio output (which is always going through the graphics station, not being mixed on and off). When the director calls for keys, the vision switcher does nothing, the graphics transition is handled entirely by the graphics operator by mixing the graphics on and off. As apposed to the vision switcher switching or mixing between 2 different inputs at the switch. And because there is no mixing between 2 different inputs there is no change in vision level during the transition. This was the logic for last key out. It also means a lot less work for the vision switcher because it only requires the graphics operator to do the transition over the top of what ever the studio is out putting. The standard TV vision control room arrangement is (from left to right with the wall of TV monitors in front of them - so looking from behind them) 1 Graphics Operator - Chyron who does all the keys 2 Technical Director - who has lots of stop watches and timers in front of them so they can keep track of duration and timing 3 Director who verbally co-ordinates the whole crew, control room listen to them by virtue of being in the same room, floor staff (studio) listen to the director on their headsets. The directors calls tell the whole crew what is happening or about to happen "ready camera 2, take camera 2". This tells the camera operator their camera is about to go on air, it also warns the vision switcher what shot they are about to take so they are ready to press the right button on the switch. "Ready mix A, roll A, mix A" warns the vision switcher they are about to mix to VT A, roll A instructs the VT operator to press play (tape is cued ready to go beforehand) and after 2 seconds from the VT operator pressing play, the start of the video item will be reached at which point the director issues the third call which the vision switch follows and mixes to VT A. 4 Vision Switcher who presses the buttons that switch between the different inputs or operates the paddles to mix between different inputs as the directors calls instruct them. 5 Production Director who is responsible for CCU which among other things includes ensuring the cameras are white balanced correctly (so different colours all look the same on each camera). Today because the days of video tape are long behind us, the VT calls are carried out by the Technical Director since it's just a matter of pressing a button in front of them for which ever VT the director has called for. There are no physical VT machines anymore requiring operators.
I've just got to the point in this video where they show the captions are on paper on a flip stand, not generated electronically. So the explanation I gave above is correct except that the super is from another camera being cut or mixed to not a chyron. By the 90's captions were done entirely by chyron.
Derek Brechin was only 31 when he presented this, but yet he looks and sounds 51 to me! He died aged only 57 in 2009.
Great, thx!
13:26 The girl was trying so hard not to laugh
I do wonder where they got the two standins from. Did they just kidnap some people from administration? Are they other members of Crew 6? Unwitting members of the public?
Howard should have adjusted that pedestal better for walking backwards, as per Ep 1
Are these split screen effects and vignettes, showing both the camera and what it is looking at, early uses of Quantel?
I worked there during this era. The mixers could create the wipes and vignettes.
@@markburton3306 Very interesting! Thank you.
It's all done on the switch (mixer) @@zh84
18:52 noticeable difference in level when they mix in the graphics (vertical line down the center of frame) which is an artifact of this era. In later years graphics were "supered" (super imposed) by what is called "last key out". Which just means the studio output goes via the graphics generator (Chyron) so when the director calls for a key (anything being supered by graphics generator), the graphics operator controls it's appearance and removal, not the vision switcher (person sitting to right of director physically controlling the vision) mixing between the non-graphics content (camera or VT) and the input into the desk from the graphics generator which the operator has switched to the identical input the vision switcher is mixing/cutting from and back to.
To put it another way, a standard switch setup would be cameras 1, 2 and 3 on inputs 1, 2 and 3 and possibly input for held in reserve for a 4th camera if one is ever used. Then VT's A, B, C and D would be on inputs 5, 6, 7 and 8. Then the graphics generator would be on input 9. But the graphics generator would also have duplicate inputs to it from the cameras and VT's. There would be other inputs to the switch than this but they aren't relevant here.
So to produce the graphics as you see them in this video the vision switcher is mixing off camera 3 to input 9 (graphics generator with camera 3 selected on it as it's input) and then off input 9 back to camera 3. This mixes the graphics on and off. But the limitation is since this is a mix, a consistent vision level is not maintained which is why as you see the graphics in this mixing on and then mixing off, during the middle of the mix, the picture dimms slightly (in the middle of the mix). You can clearly see this in the mix just after the time I've started this comment with.
With last key out, the graphics generator receives the studio output (which is always going through the graphics station, not being mixed on and off). When the director calls for keys, the vision switcher does nothing, the graphics transition is handled entirely by the graphics operator by mixing the graphics on and off. As apposed to the vision switcher switching or mixing between 2 different inputs at the switch. And because there is no mixing between 2 different inputs there is no change in vision level during the transition. This was the logic for last key out. It also means a lot less work for the vision switcher because it only requires the graphics operator to do the transition over the top of what ever the studio is out putting.
The standard TV vision control room arrangement is (from left to right with the wall of TV monitors in front of them - so looking from behind them)
1 Graphics Operator - Chyron who does all the keys
2 Technical Director - who has lots of stop watches and timers in front of them so they can keep track of duration and timing
3 Director who verbally co-ordinates the whole crew, control room listen to them by virtue of being in the same room, floor staff (studio) listen to the director on their headsets. The directors calls tell the whole crew what is happening or about to happen "ready camera 2, take camera 2". This tells the camera operator their camera is about to go on air, it also warns the vision switcher what shot they are about to take so they are ready to press the right button on the switch. "Ready mix A, roll A, mix A" warns the vision switcher they are about to mix to VT A, roll A instructs the VT operator to press play (tape is cued ready to go beforehand) and after 2 seconds from the VT operator pressing play, the start of the video item will be reached at which point the director issues the third call which the vision switch follows and mixes to VT A.
4 Vision Switcher who presses the buttons that switch between the different inputs or operates the paddles to mix between different inputs as the directors calls instruct them.
5 Production Director who is responsible for CCU which among other things includes ensuring the cameras are white balanced correctly (so different colours all look the same on each camera).
Today because the days of video tape are long behind us, the VT calls are carried out by the Technical Director since it's just a matter of pressing a button in front of them for which ever VT the director has called for. There are no physical VT machines anymore requiring operators.
I've just got to the point in this video where they show the captions are on paper on a flip stand, not generated electronically. So the explanation I gave above is correct except that the super is from another camera being cut or mixed to not a chyron. By the 90's captions were done entirely by chyron.
Is that an intercom panel below the viewfinder ?
OMG and ash tray!!!!!! This is criminal behavior.
Soft soled shoes (trainers) to always be worn on the studio floor 🤣