T356 Critical Viewing Exercise

In this excerise you will analyze the first few minutes of a live, multicamera production.

Record the first few minutes of a newscast, talk show or a scene from a soap opera. (You'll need to record it so you can play it back to observe and analyze the opening.) Alternatively, you can use an existing commercial DVD as long as it was shot multicam-style. (concert, comedian, etc.)

Do the following:

• Write down the name of the show, station/network and the date and time it was aired
• Watch the first two minutes or so of the production
• Briefly describe the opening or the scene (What did you see and hear?)
• Draw a floor plan of the set and attach it to your responses. Do your best to note the camera positions.
• What observations can you provide as to the number of cameras used and their placement?
• Comment on the audio. For example: Was music or SFX used? How? Were there any microphones, lights, cameras or production elements visible?
• What observations can you make regarding the lighting or graphics?
• What did you like or dislike about the production?

Please type your answers and turn in at the beginning of 2nd lecture. Brownie points (extra credit) awarded if you supply a tape or DVD of the program. If you do bring in the tape, make sure it's cued to the scene or in the case of a DVD that you've noted the start time if other than the beginning.

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