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Studio Production Exercise
Non-Linear Video Editing Assignment
VideoLab DVD
Required Production Elements & Cues
       Every production should adhere to certain common practices to insure effective communication among everyone involved in the production. The following elements/cues are required for each production.

Position Ready Checks
       In the moments leading up to the production, the director needs to speak to, and hear from, all of the people involved in technical aspects of the program. This means communicating through the intercom system to each person involved. This should be done as early as possible before each production so that if there are problems, they can be identified and corrected.
- Floor Director, ready? (Should hear an affirmative response)
- Camera 1, ready? (Should hear an affirmative response)
- Camera 2, ready? (Should hear an affirmative response)
- Camera 3, ready? (Should hear an affirmative response)
- Audio, ready? (Should hear an affirmative response)
- Teleprompter, ready? (Should hear an affirmative response)
- Assistant Director, ready? (Should hear an affirmative response)
- Server Operator, ready? (Should hear an affirmative response)
- Graphics, ready? (Should hear an affirmative response)
    (Note: "Graphics" operates both the C.G. and Still Store)
- Technical Director, ready? (Should hear an affirmative response)

Pre-Show Cues
       The following cues should be given leading up to the production
1:00 before program starts Roll VCR in Record Position
(To record your program "live-on-tape").
:45 before program starts * "Take Bars & Tone"
:30 before program starts * "Take Black, Cut the Tone"
:25 before program starts * "Standy in the Studio"
* Give the first "ready" cues
:10 before program starts * (Begin Countdown)
:00 before program starts * (First "Take" Cues)

Ready, Take & Play Cues
       Each change in the show must be accompanied by a ready cue. A ready cue is usually given several seconds before a cue to take that element in the program. For example, if you are currently on Camera 1 and you are getting ready to change to Camera 2, you need to say the following:

Ready to Take Camera 2 (several seconds before the next cue)
Take Camera 2.
You must do this for each change in camera, graphics, C.G. etc.

       The video clips for the newscast are video files that exist on a computer called the "server." You need to let the "server operator" know when you want them to play the video clip. Then, you have to verify that the video clip is playing before you say "take server."

Therefore, the sequence of directing commands has one additional element and the sequence would sound like this:  

Ready to Play Server
Play Server
Take Server

There must be very little delay between when you say "Play Server" and "Take Server." For that reason, you may shorten the last directing cue to simply "take it" or just "take." Therefore, the actual sequence of cues would sound like this:

Ready to Play Server
Play Server
Take It (or Take)

"Mic & Cue Talent" Cues
       Whenever anchor people have been silent, such as when they first talk in a newscast or after a news package has aired, there needs to be a cue telling the audio operator to turn on their mic(s) and for the floor director to cue them to start talking. The director needs to utter the words "mic and cue talent" for this to happen. These words usually follow a take cue for something like a camera, but may follow an SOT portion of a story that continues with a VO. This cue should also be preceded by a "ready" cue several seconds before it is called for.
For more information about this web site, contact Dr. Steve Anderson at anderssd@jmu.edu.