[Tig] backdrops (journalism)

[Ted Langdell]

On Jul 5, 2008, at 8:52 AM, Bob Friesenhahn wrote:

> On Fri, 4 Jul 2008, Ted Langdell wrote:
>>
>> On Jul 4, 2008, at 3:16 PM, Rob Lingelbach wrote:
>>
>>> doesn't it seem self-ludicrous how on news shows, the on-location  
>>> journalists most often appear matted on a background photo or  
>>> image loop of the supposed wide-angle background of the location  
>>> from which they're supposed to be reporting?
>>
>> What news shows are you talking about?
>
> CNN!
>
> Bob


Which shows Bob and Rob?

If you're referring to talking head shows and some news interviews...  
where a guest is being uplinked from a remote studio location, you're  
usually looking at the guest in front of a photographic image blown  
up big and used as part of the set.  Back lit if a transparency.

It's rarely chromakey or matted.  Takes too much time and resources  
to do and networks or local stations don't want to pay for the added  
facilities and staff it would take.  And it can look faked if not  
well executed, creating ethical or integrity problems.

What's wanted a something simple: Quick in-quick out for the guest...  
and as little set up time as possible to get the shot lined up, on  
the air and off the bird.

A single camera can be routed to the uplink transmitter through a  
router or hard patch. Doing a CK or matte takes a production  
switcher, tweaking time, and more people. If they aren't tied up  
doing something else.

There are studios all around the world that have a separate insert  
stage just for handling these kinds of guest shots. Or a little area  
in a studio with a chair, "beauty shot" photographic background of  
the city (sometimes changeable to match the local time of day) and  
pre-set lighting. Some even have a camera locked in place.

The network calls up... says "We want to do an uplink of so and so  
from X:XX our time to X:XX our time." They provide the satellite  
coordinates, transponder, numbers for the satellite operator and  
other facilities involved in the uplink."

The facility swings the dish and when told to do so by the satellite  
control center, lights up the transponder with Bars and Tone... and  
when things look good, switch to the camera shooting the guest.

Interview happens... remote location gets a "thank you and good  
night" and kills the uplink and fills out the papers for the invoice.

Some facilities are linked via fiber to switching centers that can  
route the signal to where it's desired.

There are brokerage houses (among other businesses) that have  
corporate facilities set up just for this kind of thing... with as  
little staff support as needed.

Their analysts or execs may often get asked to be on so and so's  
financial show, and with an in-house studio, it's a pretty easy thing  
to do.  It keeps the businesses' people from having to waste a lot of  
time traveling to some other studio, and it is can be used for  
corporate intra-net broadcasts.

The lighting on some of these sets doesn't help make the photographic  
background look more realistic... but given some attention, (and  
backlighting if the background is a transparency) it can look very  
much like you're looking out a window.

Live or live to tape shows like 20/20, CNN Morning, etc actually DO  
have Times Square studios and the BG is what's happening live out the  
window. Just like Today,Good Morning America and the CBS Morning Show.

Or Dan Rather or Katy Couric or any of the other network anchors,  
broadcast or cable when they're shown reporting from some location  
outside the "home" studio. (Or on youtube discussing whether they  
should have their coat open or closed.)

News reporters generally ARE where they are seen reporting from...  
even if it's an open and close to a package... like shots of the US  
Capitol behind he reporter, even if they're in a studio. Facilities  
choose locations with rooftop views or out-a-window beauty shots for  
that reason... pay large rents for the opportunity and build the  
expense into their charges.

I've seen networks rent someone's high-rise office for a couple of  
days when an anchor is "on the road" just to get a good, REAL visual  
identity of where he/she is.

I've noticed more use of "virtual sets" involving complex blue or  
green screen matting for the presentation of some long-form news  
broadcasts I've seen out of the UK.  But what I've observed is it's  
being used to show things like swirling backgrounds and graphics,  
rather than an attempt to deceive the viewer into thinking the  
anchors (or guests) are somewhere they're not.

There ARE some really cool things that technology can do.

After playing around in the Ultimatte booth with the crane the last  
couple of NAB's... I'm convinced that virtual sets with great  
backgrounds are a lot more practical than they were years ago. The  
background can look very real and can track with the camera moves  
(until you pan off the blue or green screen :(

I had particular fun with the one at this year's NAB.

But I don't observe a wholesale adoption of the techniques for simple  
in and out stuff like talking head interviews.  Not cheap enough  
(yet) to keep tied up for occasional uplinks.

Ted

Ted Langdell
Ted Langdell Creative Broadcast Services
Marysville, CA
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