week 3

Before the week 3 workshop, we had a production meeting in the library. We were told that we would be recording a news programme, and we had some things to establish before. Firstly, we assigned each other roles. I chose to be the PA that week, as it was the only role that I was really interested in, and I still hadn't tried it out. 

"The producstion assistant (PA) helps the director and/or producer with production needs. These may include supervising the production office (making copies, making coffee, and running errands), prerehearsals, and s or location organization. Their responsibilities may also include loging tapes, taking notes during production meetings, and similar tasks. During rehearsals and recording, this person may assist the producer/director with graphics or serve as a floor manager." (Millerson, 2012)

Then, we had to choose 6 stories from local newspapers or the Internet, and write the script for the workshop. We also had to prepare captions for each story, that we would then incorporate in the recording programme. I decided to write a story about a lady who raised money for a breast cancer charity. 

It was the first time we actually had to write a script, and it did not go that well. Przemek was not happy with it, as we were missing a lot of the formatting. We spent the first half an hour on correcting it, which took away the time to record the programme. 

The thing that we were missing in the script was the number shots that are really crucial for the PA. They are the cues for them to let the others know what shot we are now at and what is coming next. 

After we corrected the script, we read the script out loud just for practice. As a PA I was struggling for a while, as I was constantly confused by the numbers of the shots - it was a lot to take in. It was especially difficult when the shots were only two lines away from each other. 

Then we went to the gallery and took our seats. Przemek talked a little bit more about Autocue, which was a very important role that week, as the presenter had to read the script off of the screen.

I was sat between the director and the sound mixer, which gave me a great opportunity to observe their roles. I was not familiar with the sound mixer role that much, and to be honest, I was quite scared of the sound board.

We recorder the programme, and even though at first we struggled and had to have several takes, we managed to finish the recording smoothly. At the end of the class, we watched what we recorded and talked about the negatives and the positives. 

I was really satisfied with this week and I actually enjoyed being the PA. I think this role made me more confident and excited about the upcoming workshops. 

Bibliography:

• Millerson, Gerard and Owens, Jim (2012) Television Production, CRC Press