TV Technology - January 7, 2009 - (Page 28)

FEATURES gram flow; in fact, they can be destructive because they take time to execute. This may disturb a creative producer who will then try to contribute to TV production history by showing a wide shot of the room. This shot only serves to reveal the hardware of the lighting setup and removes the mystery. This is not to say that a clean and interesting establishing shot is not possible on location, but it may become quite time consuming and compromise the budget by requiring additional personnel and a rigging structure. This shot is practical and more achievable when shooting the interview in an installed television studio. FOCUS ON FILL LIGHT LET THERE BE LIGHTING Bill Klages To Light the Ear… or Not T he face-to-face interview is one of the most fundamental setups in television broadcasting. The basic lighting of this setup is heavily covered in all TV lighting “how to” manuals and texts. But recently, while watching an interview on a national channel, I was reminded that even the best of intentions can backfire in an interview situation if there is an unexpected consideration. In this case, it was the talent. The talent was a very attractive woman of slight stature and certain age, who, as a result, had very prominent neck cords. These were heavily accented by the fill light, which was in proper textbook position and acting as a cross light. The unfortunate result was that the talent was, literally, cast in an unflattering light. But what would have been the solution? To find the answer, we need to take a closer look at the principles of the face-toface interview. INTERVIEW PRINCIPLES The face-to-face interview can take place on location or in the more controlled environment of a studio. The shots are very simple: A waist or close-up shot of the guest with matchowned businesses to own radio and television stations is fundamental to creating the diverse media environment that federal law requires and the country demands. As president, Obama said he will also clarify the public interest obligations of broadcasters who occupy the nation’s spectrum. The administration will promote greater coverage of local issues and better responsiveness by broadcasters to the communities they serve. In announcing his public works program, the president-elect said it’s unacceptable that the United States ranks 15th in the world in broadband ing shots for the interviewer. There may be a slightly wider cross shot across the back of the one person in the foreground with the other person in the background. (Don’t “cross the line.”) This establishes the physical relationships. The shot of the interviewer, however, shares only a small part of the total program time and many of his questions are voice-over. Sometimes, on location, there is only one camera and the interviewer’s close-up is shot separately and is required for editing purposes. Usually, there are no other views as they do not add anything to the proadoption. “Here, in the country that invented the Internet, every child should have the chance to get online,” he said. Obama promised to invest record amounts of money in the vast infrastructure program, which not only includes expansion of broadband access, but smart electrical grids, work on schools, sewer systems, mass transit, dams and other public utilities. He will create jobs working with alternative fuels, windmills and solar panels; building energy efficient appliances, or installing fuel-efficient heating or cooling systems in government buildings. “We will create millions of jobs by So what’s the problem here? In its most simple, bare-bones version, the lighting setup has a main light for each person. The instrument is posiLIGHT, PAGE 29 Internet CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s,” Obama said. STAYING TRUE TO HIS WORD some Web sites and Internet applications over others. This principle will ensure that the new competitors, especially small or nonprofit speakers, have the same opportunity as incumbents to innovate on the Internet and to reach large audiences. Continuing on diversity in media ownership, Obama noted that over the past several years, the FCC has promoted the concept of consolidation over diversity. The president-elect said providing opportunities for minority- 5600°K Daylight Balanced 4200°K 3200°K Tungsten Balanced One Light. Variable Color. Finally, ultimate color control right at your ﬁngertips. A soft, high output light that lets you quickly dial up variable color any color – from cool white daylight dial to warm white tungsten. The new Litepanels® 1x1 Bi-Color lets you adjust color temperature instantly so you can adapt to different shooting conditions and skin tones on the fly. Litepanels® 1x1 Bi-Color Features: • Dial-up variable color • Dial-up brightness • Runs on battery or AC • 1’x1’ square & 1.75” thick • Cool to the touch • Ultra-lightweight, 3 lbs. (1.36 kg) • Integrated DMX • Inﬁnite dimmer dial • Presets or variable color settings Litepanels 1x1 Bi-Color: Anywhere. Anytime. Any color. • Snap-on battery option for wireless lighting Makers of the award-winning Micro, MiniPlus, 1x1 & LED Ringlites®. ® NEW! The president-elect noted that the FCC now defines “broadband” as an astonishingly low 200 kbps. “This distorts federal policy and hamstrings efforts to broaden broadband access,” he said. “We can get true broadband to every community in America through a combination of reform of the Universal Service Fund, better use of the nation’s wireless spectrum, promotion of next-generation facilities, technologies and applications, and new tax and loan incentives.” Looking to hold Obama to his promises is Free Press, an Internet advocacy group that just released its “2009 Media & Tech Priorities: A Public Interest Agenda.” This document outlines media and telecom policy that Obama and congress should implement in the coming year. “The core of the Obama agenda aligns squarely with the public interest goals of creating a more democratic media system and promoting universal access to communications technologies,” said Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press. The group advocates four public interest priorities for 2009: to protect an open Internet, to promote universal, affordable broadband technology, to increase diversity in media ownership and to renew public media. To download Free Press’s public interest agenda, visit www.freepress.net/ files/2009techpolicy.pdf. Frank Beacham is a New York Citybased writer. Visit his Web site at www.frankbeacham.com. 818 752 7009 • info@litepanels.com • W W W. L I T E PA N E L S . C O M 28 January 7, 2009 • TV Technology • www.tvtechnology.com http://www.freepress.net/files/2009techpolicy.pdf http://www.freepress.net/files/2009techpolicy.pdf http://WWW.LITEPANELS.COM http://WWW.LITEPANELS.COM http://www.frankbeacham.com http://www.tvtechnology.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of TV Technology - January 7, 2009

TV Technology - January 7, 2009 NFL Enters a New Dimension Mobile DTV Looms Large in 2009 Contents A ‘Flexible Framework’ Doing More With Less ‘X’tra-Streamlined Finish Line in Sight for BAS Transition Ahead of the Relocation Curve DTV Transition Survival Guide ENG and the Lines of Communication DTV Transition Survival Guide Who Do We Really Work For? Obama to Expand Internet Access The Wizard Takes a Holiday The Solid-State Disk Revival To Light the Ear... or Not Hulu Gets It Right—the First Time User Reports—Video Servers & Recording/Controllers Reference Guide Product Showcase Classifieds Marketplace TV Tech Business

TV Technology - January 7, 2009

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