I Say Go!

I started this last week at the MC off by helping out with The Bay Show. It was my first time really working in the control room; most of the time I'm on the set. I have to say that it was quite an experience...

It took quite a while to start taping, and when we did the process itself took quite a while as well. In my opinion, the communication between the director and the talent wasn't as good as it should've been. Instead of listening to what the director had to say the talent wanted to do things their way. Talent wanted to be directing the show, so then why get a director in the first place? It would've been very helpful to have the director put his foot down and let everyone know that he was the one in charge. That way everyone would just listen to what he had to say, what he had to fix (on the set), so that the actual taping could go begin.

Working as switcher was simpler than I thought it'd be. It's not that it's, per se, "hard" but it can get a little stressful. Taking cues from the director hasn't sat well with me before. When I've done theatre shows at UCSC I've worked as a light board op., and sometimes I tended to call my own cues. I wouldn't wait for the stage director to tell me "go," I'd go all on my own haha.

I guess it's more appropriate for the director to switch, they know what looks good on camera and what should make it to the tape. Having someone else switch brings in this other perspective, and then other ideas of which camera shot should be on tape.

There were points when I wanted to put certain cameras on program, but then I'd be like, "no, I can't. It's not my show. I gotta hold back!" It was tough. Maybe next time I'll try and direct, then I can call my own cues without having a director reprimand me for them later.