Producing TV
Wednesday 2 December 2009
There's a lot of work that goes into producing live TV shows like X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing. We spoke to Joe, a TV professional, about what goes on behind the scenes.
Off camera
Creating live television is a lot harder than it seems. There's a lot of pre-production tasks as well as rehearsals and technical work that goes on to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Pre-production
Every show, whether it’s live or pre-recorded, needs to be planned. Producers are responsible for a large amount of the research that goes into making sure there is enough visual content to run the length of the episode.
We spoke to Joe, a TV professional at a top live show, about what producers do. "Producers research topics and take control of celebrity hunting, which means lining up famous guests to take part in the show. They may also have to select a range of user content, like audience call ins and emails and texts, to use as talking points."
VTs
Most live shows don't just depend on the main features to make good TV. They also use a lot of other content like pre-recorded VTs, or video tapes, to keep the programme fun. "VTs can feature anything from contestants at events and activities to run throughs and rehearsals," says Joe.
Designing the set
All the stage sets you see on TV are organised before the live show. Production designers plan the set and come up with creative ideas using props, lighting and VTs. Then the set designers collect all the materials needed and put the stage together.
At this point the production designers may also speak to the creative director to make sure the whole scene, from props to scripts and performances, work well together.
Rehearsal times
Producers of shows like X Factor and Strictly also have to make sure that there is enough time for contestants to practice their routines.
"Contestants will probably have a lot of rehearsal time during the week. During these rehearsals they get time to practice their songs and choreography," explains Joe.
Ever noticed how the contestants always know which camera to look at during their performance? That’s because they’re told which one will be on them during the live show.
The rehearsals are the best time for the producer and director to visualise how everything will look – from stage set, camera work and lighting arrangements. It’s also a good time to make any last minute changes. What seemed like a good idea at first may not work out at all. On the other hand, other ideas could pop up.
In make-up
Presenters and guests on live TV may look cool and collected during the show, but creating their image takes a lot more than a flashy outfit and make-up. Everyone who appears in front of the camera will have make-up applied, but they will also have to speak to directors, wardrobe people and hairstylists to make sure that their looks complement each other.
Live time!
Everything we see on screen is carefully managed by the director and producer from the control booth.
The booth is a room filled with monitoring equipment that enable the director and producer to watch the show from every perspective. The director is in charge of selecting which cameras go live and adjusting sound and lighting too.
Whilst all that is going on, floor managers maintain the flow of the show. They make sure that the sets are up, microphones and earpieces are working and presenters know when they’re about to go on air.
What if something goes wrong?
"Most live TV shows are planned so carefully that a lot of technical issues are normally solved before transmission," Joe admits. There are some things however, that just can’t be prevented. When this happens, the director's job is to correct the blunder as soon as possible. Often he or she will do this by switching to a different camera.
We've still been able to spot a few blunders on live TV. Did you catch Calvin Harris running on to the X Factor stage? You couldn’t have missed Whitney’s outfit falling apart during her live performance either!
