Studio Production: Vision Mixer Role

In my role as vision mixer for Teach 'Em A Lesson, I found that the best way to learn and perfect the role to the best of my abilities was to practice as much as I could. However, prior to workshops and rehearsals, I found research to be of good use in preparing myself for the role. Namely, the video below...

BBC Academy: Production - How to Be a Vision Mixer

The video above taught me the following about vision mixing...

• A vision mixer's main focus is on cutting the camera shots to the screen
• I need to constantly be aware of the preview screens of each shot
• The vision mixer is under full physical control of exactly what goes to air
• I need to be quick to react to the director's instructions or I'll miss the shot

The way that I learned the most about the role of a vision mixer and how to operate the vision mixing desk was through workshops with the unit's professional advisor, Del Brown. As a vision mixer himself, he was able to show me step by step over the weeks exactly how to operate the desk, the awareness and speed that I needed to have and the complexities of vision mixing.

When learning to operate the desk, I began by learning how to cut between camera shots along with the lingo and instructive words to learn from the directors orders. This involved learning the first two rules from Del:

1. Always only ever cut with your left hand, and move from left to right - little finger on camera 1, ring finger on camera 2, middle finger on camera 3 and index finger on camera 4, and never cut with your thumb. So if there's a fifth camera, use your right hand's index finger.

2. Don't look at the buttons when cutting between shots, keep your eyes on the screens ahead.

These two rules were made very clear and necessary and allowed me to begin using the board correctly from the offset. Following this I learned that shots are almost always put on preview first. For example if the director wanted to cut to camera 2, I would first need to display the shot on the 'preview' monitor, and then cut to it on the 'transmission' monitor.

When learning director instructions, the initial instructions that I followed were (for example if cutting to camera 2)...

"Standby 2" = I press the key on the board to present camera 2 on the preview screen

"2" or "Cut 2" = I press the key above, that presents camera 2 on the transmission screen, sending it to air

Throughout the weeks, I got to grips with cutting between shots as quickly but well controlled as possible. Then once the graphics were ready, I began learning how to cut in graphics on the vision mixing desk. This involved...

• Now using my right hand for both cutting to camera 5 and controlling graphics.
• Using a button marked DSK1 to present and control the graphics.
• Testing three different transitions: Mix - a fade-style transition to bring the graphic (or a shot) in and/or out. Wipe - presenting a graphic or shot from one side of the screen to the other. And Cut - simply cutting the graphic or shot from the preview screen to the transmission screen.
• Using either the T Bar (a handle that can be moved up and down at any pace) or a button marked TRANS for transition, with a set length for each transition - for example, mixing in a graphic over the period of 2 seconds.
• Learning new director terms for cutting the graphics with the camera shots

"Standby graphic" = Press DKS1 to present the graphic on the preview screen

"Animate" = Either cut the graphic onto the transmission screen or transition the graphic onto the transmission screen under the director & producers decision

"Hide" = Either cut the graphic off of the transmission screen or transition the graphic off of the transmission screen and back to the preview screen under the director & producers decision

Initially the director and producer decided to use the Wipe transition for graphics, however under tutor advice, this changed to mixing each graphic in on a set timer using the TRANS key.

Once all of the graphics were finished and prepared by the GFX Operator, I would cut them all in at scripted times. The graphics consisted of...

• Intro: Four lower thirds (Standby camera shot > DSK1 > MIX (readily prepared) TRANS (to mix on) > TRANS (to mix off))
• Teach 'Em A Lesson Logo for all VT's (Standby VT > BKGD* + DSK1 > CUT (to cut on) > Standby camera shot > CUT (to cut off))
• Round 3 Break Time & Round 4: Ticking clock (DSK1 > MIX TRANS > TRANS)
• End of show: Scores (DSK1 > MIX TRANS > TRANS)

*BKGD = Background, meaning the shot or VT on the preview screen. Cutting/transitioning this simultaneously with DSK1 cuts them to air at the same time.

Aware that the fourth and final VT to be created was one that consisted of the teacher's primary school students telling us what they think of their teachers, with the teacher's watching the VT live in the studio. The graphics operator and I had the idea to use picture-in-picture, creating a box in the bottom left corner of the screen, it allowed for the viewer at home to watch the teacher's reactions live in-studio while simultaneously watching the VT. This meant adding a second camera feed to the vision mixing desk under the key DSK2 and cutting on different camera keys between the two shots of the teacher's reactions.

The final part of vision mixing to learn were the VT's, as they were the last to be ready for the production. The VT's consisted of the opening titles, three historical event VT's to quiz the teacher's on, one to view the student's opinions on them, the closing credits, and four stings to introduce each round. Cutting in the VT's in line with director's instructions involved...

• Using assigned VT keys for both preview and transmission
• Cutting them to air under similar instructions as the cameras: "Standby VT" = I press the key on the board to present the VT on the preview screen & "Roll VT" = I press the key above, that presents the VT on the transmission screen, sending it to air
• Overlaying the logo graphic (BKGD + DSK1) over the four VT's during the show (not the opening titles, stings and closing credits)
• Overlaying the logo and the picture-in-picture over VT 4: (Standby VT > BKGD + DSK1 (logo) > CUT (to cut on) > Standby graphic - DKS2 (picture-in-picture) > MIX TRANS (on) > cut between 2 cameras > TRANS (off at 10 secs remaining) > BKGD + DSK1 to reset > Standby camera shot > CUT (to cut off))

After many extremely useful workshops to practice the above, along with many run-through's in rehearsals, I had every button placement and combination, every director instruction term and the order of the script memorised and understood. To be completely organised and prepared, I made sure my copy of the final script had each individual vision mixing detail highlighted. However I found that during rehearsals and during recording, I didn't require looking through it other than beforehand, due to the experience that Del's instructions, workshops and rehearsals had taught me.

2 pages of my copy of the script highlighted