Jim Krause | Classes | C228 Multi-Cam TV Studio Production 1
Remote Multi-Camera Proposal and Budget Exercise
20 points. Due date extended to: 12 PM Monday, April 26, 2021
Objective: The purpose of this assignment is to provide students with an opportunity to plan a remote multi-camera shoot. This includes: finding a suitable location, carrying out a site survey, designing the camera and lighting, and budgeting the production. Note: this is a fictitious program created for the assignment.
Note: You will need a Radio TV Services Rate card in order to carry out this assignment:
If you'd like to see an example, here's a link to one (thank Maddy!)
Scenario: You have been hired to produce and direct a Profiles in Performance. This TV show is produced by WGBH out of Boston. They would like to shoot an episode in Bloomington, IN and have picked YOU to be the field producer/director. This multi-camera TV show is an hour long and includes an interview interspersed with performance footage. You need to pick a well-known solo performing artist to feature in the program. (an actual solo performer: comedian/musician/poet.) They are flying Milton Chase, the show's host, out to Bloomington for the production. There can be a small studio audience (10-20 people) if there's room and it's appropriate, but an audience is not necessary. The show will be shot with 4 cameras in HD.
Location: The show's executive producer (Rosemary Parker) wants you to find an indoor location in Bloomington (or your hometown), that looks nice, is quiet, has plenty of room for cameras, and at least 15 feet of headroom for lights and the jib. She really likes jib shots and uses them in all of her Profiles in Permorance programs. In terms of the "look", the show feels more like an intimate interview or living room concert than a performance.
You need to find a real world location that could actually work for this shoot and perform a site survey. You do NOT have to be concerned with the cost of renting the space.
Crew/Equipment: You can hire IU's RTV Services personnel and gear for this project. You'll need 8 people to setup lights and equipment for this remote production and crew the show. Your 8 people will consist of:
- 4 camera operators (who can also help set lights)
- a technical director
- an audio engineer
- a video engineer/tape operator
- a production assistant (Go get us some lattes, OK?)
You'll need to rent lighting equipment. It would be wise to get both an interview setup (such as the Kino Flo interview kit) and a setup for the performance segment (such as the Arri softbank kit).
For audio gear, it would be good to have both an interview setup (mics for both Milton and the performer) and a mic on a stand for the performance section.
RTVS has a multi-camera fly-pack. It includes 4 cameras (three of which can be mounted on tripods with the 4th mounted on the jib).
RTVS crews need adequate time to load gear, travel, and set everything up. On-site there needs to be enough room to place cameras, lights, and the "behind the scenes" gear, such as the production switcher.
Timing/Schedule: The show's executive producer wants you to roll tape Saturday, May 15 at 1:00 PM. She wants you to record anout one hour of interview footage and one hour of performance. You do not need to edit the show or be concerned with post-production. (WGBH's editing crew will cut it into a 1-hour program and supply the standard program graphics, credits, etc.) With setup and teardown, the production should just fit into a 10-hour day. Consider the time it takes to load gear, travel to the site, set up the jib (about 2 hours), set lights and audio, as you will need to submit a schedule.
Your job: As producer/director, you'll carry out all of the pre-production work including a site survey, preparing location sketches, creating a production plan and schedule/timeline for the day of the shoot, and coming up with an itemized estimate. You'll send a copy to the show's producer Rosemary, who will be curious as to what location you chose, why you chose it and your production strategy. She is also going to be concerned about the host and guest having comfortable facilities to freshen up before going on-camera.
Itemized Estimate: In addition to the stipend for the performing artist, the $1,000 they're paying you, WGBH, (a not-for-profit PBS affiliate based in Boston), has a $8,000 budget for the production. Rosemary wants an itemized estimate to see how her money is being spent. With an RTS rate card in hand (along with the information provided here) you should be able to estimate the cost of the the production. Note: Do not worry about rental costs of the venue. This comes from a separate budget line.
IU RTS Rate Card: In order to figure out how much everything will cost and keep it inside the $8,000 limit, you'll need an IU RTVS rate card. Even though you'll direct the live cameras, they will each be ISO recorded, in order to keep options open for editing. (This means all 4 cameras will be recording to individual decks).
Keep in mind that:
- RTVS has a multi-camera fly-pack kit that incldues 4 cameras & XDcam recorders, with studio controls, CCUs, a switcher, mics and video recorders.
- The XDcam decks can record about 100 minutes of HD content on a dual layer disc. (recording at 50 Mbps/4:2:2). Remember that you'll need enough media to record on all 4 XDcam decks for two hours + during the sound check. So you'll likely need at least 8 dual layer XDcam optical discs.
- The sound man and two TV engineers get paid $40/hour, the same wage as the mini-cam operators (see rate card)
- The PA gets paid $30/hr
- You'll need the cargo van for the full day.
- You need to rent lights
- You need a wireless microphone for both the host and guest(s).
- The crew needs to travel together and expects coffee/snacks throughout the day along with lunch.
- You should also make sure that the host and guest(s) get a nice lunch. The crew can eat Subway or box lunches.
- Do not concern yourself about paying rental charges for the venue.
- Your salary ($1,000) is not part of the $8,000 budget you have to work with.
You should turn in a professional-looking production packet in PDF form that includes:
- Title page: production name, artist, location & date
- Production strategy (Describe your approach with the camera & jib setup, audio & lighting, etc.).
- Schedule for the day of production
- Site survey info which should include:
- A) Photos of the venue
- B) Bird's-eye site overview: should show parking, hookups, dressing/makeup areas, bathrooms, placement of video and audio control, etc.
- C) Detailed floor plan & lighting plot: should accurately show the production area with important set elements, lighting, and positions for jib, cameras, talent, switcher, audio etc.
- Itemized Estimate *
* An extremely condensed example of an itemized budget might look something like:
Item |
Unit |
Price per unit |
Price |
Hitachi 3CCD camcorder |
8 hours |
$ 80 |
$ 640.00 |
Extra light kit |
8 hours |
$ 10 |
$ 80.00 |
30 minute Beta SP tape |
2 |
$ 20 |
$ 40.00 |
Personnel Expense |
|
|
|
Production Assistant |
8 hours |
$ 15 |
$ 120.00 |
Miscellaneous Expenses |
|
|
|
Lunch |
|
|
$ 30.00 |
Case of bottled water |
|
|
$ 5.00 |
Total |
|
|
$ 915.00 |
Remote Multi-Camera Proposal & Budget - Grading Rubric:
- Overall Presentation: (Cover page with artist, date, & event info, etc.)
/2 - Production Strategy: (Description of approach to production including location, camera coverage, etc.)
/3 - Schedule for day of production:
/1 - Site Survey and Floor Plan (overview map showing building location & parking, photos of venue, clear floor plan with camera & lighting placement)
/7 - Itemized Estimate ($8,000 budget with a possible 10% Discount applied on all but direct costs. Are all 4 cameras being used? Enough media?)
/7
Total: /20
