134
Television
P roduction & Broadcast Journalism
room tone:
The sound
present in a room or at
a location before
occupation..
Production Note
In broadcast journalism, a reporter can record voiceover narration at
the studio in a sound booth or conduct an interview in a quiet location (to
ensure good sound quality) about a topic which includes action. In each
of these situations, B-roll shots with nat sound become very important in
the editing process to provide visuals and sounds of the action associated
with a story. The B-roll video with nat sound audio of related action shots
can be mixed with the voice track from the A-roll. As the clips with nat
sound are inserted into the story during the editing process, the nat sound
audio level can be controlled to ensure the volume doesn’t overpower the
reporter’s voiceover. A talented and experienced reporter can plan/pace
their voiceover to incorporate the nat sound during pauses in
speech (at commas or periods in scripted narration). This way,
the nat sound, which was recorded because it is an important
part of the topic/event covered, becomes an important piece of
raw material the reporter can use to build the story.
Nat sound
is environmental
sound
that
helps
call
attention
to what
a
reporter
is saying
and
entices
the
viewer
to continue
paying
attention
to
the story.
Nat sound
is only
the
environmental
sound
that supports
the
story.
Where
things
get tricky
is the
processing
that
must
sometimes
be
done
to
make sure
relevant
nat
sound
is
present
in
a recording,
without
the
unwanted
background
sound.
Visualize This
A busy roadway with holiday weekend traffi
c, horns honking, loud
music playing, and motors revving are all part of the background sound
to a traffi
c report. The reporter and photog must be very careful to make
sure the reporter’s audio is in the foreground and the traffi
c sounds are
in the background. However, this same traffi
c scene can be shot without
the reporter, taken back to the studio, and used as nat sound behind
the reporter’s voiceover. The traffi
c sounds can be coordinated with the reporter’s voiceover, so that the honk of a car horn happens right when
the reporter fi nishes a sentence and acts as an “exclamation point” for the
story. When natural sound is used this way, it is placed with the visual that
accompanied it in reality.
If nat sound is extracted from a video recording and manipulated,
ethical issues arise about modifying reality. Using a shot and
its accompanying sound to illustrate the reporter’s narration
is ethical. The only acceptable alteration of audio in news is
to reduce the volume of nat sound to better hear the voices of
those
speaking.olume
Room
tone
is the
sound
present
in
a room,
or
at a
location,
before
human
occupation.
Room
tone
is the
“sound
of silence”
in
the shooting
environment.
If
shooting
on
location,
it
is important
to
clear
the set
for
a
few
minutes
after
the equ
quipment
is set
up. Once
all
the talent
and
crew
have
left
the
location
set, turn
on
the
recorder
and
record
at
least three
minutes
of
the existing
environmental
sound.
Having
the
environmental
mpanying
sound
is ethical.
The only acce
educe the
v of
e speaking.
o o om om m m m m m m
t one t
i s t h
e so
o ccup
at
i o n .
Roo m
m
e n t.
I f s h oot
in g
u tes
a f te r
t h e e
t h
e l o c at
i o n
set,
o f
t h e e
xi st in
g e n
r oom t
one:
r r
The s
s ound
prese
nt
in a room
m or
at
a loc
atio on
bef ore
h uman
occupatiion
et
to re
those
Room
o
hum
a n
e n v
ir o nm
f ew
minu
h ave
l e
f t
minu
tes
o
!human
302
Television
P
roduction & Broadcast Journalism
incandescent lamp:
Type of lamp that
functions when
electricity is applied and
makes a fi lament inside
the lamp glow brightly.
fl
uorescent lamp:
Type
of lamp that functions
when electricity excites
a gas in the lamp, which
causes the material
coating the inside of the
lamp to glow (fl uoresce)
with a soft, even light.
Safety Note
Doexposed
not
use wooden dowels or cardboard to make a fl ag.
When to the heat of a lighting instrument, these
materials become a fi re hazard.
Other
ways to
remove a
light
hit
include:
•
Spray the
item
with
dulling
spray
available
from
photo
supply
stores.
The
spray
can be
removed
with
a
damp
cloth
after
the
shoot.
•
Spray
the
item
with
inexpensive
hair
spray. Hair
spray is
also water
soluble
for
easy
removal.
Fluorescent Lamps
The
types of
instruments
discussed
to this
point
in
the
chapter
use
incandescent
lamps.
Incandescent
lamps
contain
a fi
lament
inside the
lamp
that
glows
brightly when
electricity
is
applied.
Incandescent
lamps
used
in
television
production
are
usually
tungsten,
tungsten
halogen,
or
quartz
halogen.
A fl
uorescent
lamp
functions
when
electricity
excites a gas in
the
lamp,
which
causes
the
material
coating
the
inside
of the
lamp
to
glow (fl
uoresce)
with
a
soft,
even
light.
Older fl
uorescent
lamps
were
unsuitable
for use
in
television
production
environments
due to the
bluish
or
greenish
color
tem-
perature of
the
lamps.
Professional
television
lighting fl
uorescent
lamps are
available in
various
shapes,
sizes, and
color
temperatures,
Figure
15-9. The
most
important
color
temperature
in
the
television
industry
is
3200°
Kelvin.
Color
temperatures
are
discussed in
detail
later in
this
chapter.
Figure 15-9.
Fluorescent
instruments can hold
multiple lamps and can be
hung from a grid or placed
on lighting stands.
(Photo courtesy of Lowel-
Light Mfg., Inc.)
5
Production Note. The
information in these text
features may provide additional
information that relates to a
chapter topic or may provide
professional production tips.
Safety Note. The information
contained in these features provides
important cautions related to
equipment, environment, and the
well being of all individuals involved
in a production.
Visualize This. These features
help students create a vivid
picture in their mind to assist in
fully understanding a topic or
concept.
Running Glossary. Defi nitions for
Professional Terms are provided in the
margin on the page that the term is
fi rst introduced.