Ch. 1 Notes

What is Video? Before video, there were just two main audiovisual media: –Film-Television

Film Film was the medium used to create most audiovisual programs (movies, TV commercials) It was (and is) an excellent medium because: –Film equipment is portable, so location filming is practical –Film’s ability to reproduce quality images in black/white or color is highly refined –Film picture/sound tracks are usually recorded on separate strips of film so sophisticated editing can be done

Television TV was the medium used for broadcasting studio programs as they happened live and for other programs previously copied onto film. TV was not an ideal medium because: –Its equipment was heavy, complex, and tied down by cables to its control systems –Its image quality was lower than film and its ability to render shades of gray from black to white was limited; color could not be reproduced at all –It could not be recorded for later editing, except by copying the live signal to film then treating it as if it were a filmed program

Camcorder Introduced As the popularity of television grew over the years, equipment manufacturers began to solve most of its problems by miniaturizing hardware until a broadcast-quality camera and its recorder could be combined. The result was the camcorder. It had improved picture sharpness and high-quality color, and they perfected videotape recording so the TV signal could be electronically copied and edited. The electronic production technology that began as television has changed so much that it needs a name of its own – that’s why it’s called video.

Video vs. Film Some film makers think that video is less desirable than film because: –Video picture clarity is coarse since its resolution is low –Video color lacks richness that’s easy to see in film –Sound editing is less flexible in video In other ways, film is less desirable than video because: –Film sound is more difficult since it’s recorded on a separate tape recorder –Film color balancing is time-consuming and expensive –Film titles and effects must be created separately in the film laboratory –Film editing requires negative cutting

Converging Technologies The arguments for and against film or video are quickly growing outdated. Whatever the weaknesses of film or video are, they are not as important since the two media are growing closer together. High definition video is very close to the visual quality of film. Visual hybrids are becoming common (ex. – commercials are shot on film, then transferred to video tape and the rest of the process is pure video)

Types of Video Production Commercials Miniseries Specialized Videography (medicine, industry, science, law enforcement) Entertainment Education/Training Persuasion

Video Talents / Jobs Writing Directing Editing Art direction Set /Costume Design Makeup Camera Operation Lighting Audio Recording Audio/Video Engineering Video Production Management