When television was first being introduced, radio comedian Fred Allen quipped, "Television is the triumph of equipment over people." There are times (when the camera focus goes out and the computer graphics generator crashes and the audio cable develops a short—all in one day) that cast and crew members may feel that equipment has, indeed, triumphed over them. But as important as equipment is to the production process, it is really the people behind and in front of that equipment who are the driving force and the deciding factor regarding the quality of any TV production.

This chapter gives an overview of the duties of the various people involved in production. For the most part, it discusses the positions and tasks required for studio production with the assumption that the program is being sent out live or is being recorded from beginning to end with very few, if any, stops. This type of production requires a large crew because many things must be done all at once. However, the cast and crew for studio productions vary from place to place and time to time. Facilities that are unionized are likely to have more people than nonunionized shops where people switch jobs and often undertake several functions. Other factors that can affect crew positions are the degree of the production facility's automation and the health of the economy.

The crew positions covered in this chapter are the ones that are at least somewhat standard in the business. Each crew position is discussed in terms of what you would need to do before the actual production process begins, what you do during rehearsal and while the program is being recorded (or aired live), and what you do after production is over. This will give you a general overview of what you should do for your very first production exercise. Because many of these positions are involved with producing or directing or with operating specific pieces of equipment, the chapters that follow will, by nature, give even more detail about the jobs. This chapter should allow you to get started with production, and then you can hone your skills as you learn more details.

You and all the other people involved in a production must undertake certain techniques in order to accomplish the given tasks. A technical director must know which buttons and levers to push in order to dissolve from camera 1 to camera 2; the videotape operator must know how to check various meters to make sure picture and sound are actually being recorded; an actor must be able to memorize lines. But you also need the disciplines that will ensure a smooth production. Television production can involve a great deal of "hurry up and wait," and cast and crew members need to be at the ready so that they can undertake their duties when the need arises. To delineate the techniques and disciplines involved with production, this chapter covers the following:

• The intensity of the producer's work during preproduction (2.1)
• The "orchestra conductor" role of the director (2.2)
• The timing of a production and the other duties undertaken by the AD (2.3)
• The various ways the stage manager keeps control in the studio (2.4)
• The basic functions of the camera operators (2.5)
• The prompter operator's role in relation to the script and the talent (2.6)
• The preproduction role of the lighting director (2.7)
• The audio operator's duties in terms of both the studio and the control room (2.8)
• The technical and aesthetic duties of the graphics operator (2.9)
• How the technical director assures that the proper picture gets on the air (2.10)
• The videotape operator's responsibilities in terms of recording and playing back (2.11)
• Work that the editor does, especially after the production (2.12)
• Other positions that are often needed for production (2.13)
• The difference between performers and actors (2.14)
• Performing tips for people who are in front of the camera (2.14)
• Clothing, makeup, and hairstyling considerations for those on camera (2.14)