Chapter 3 The Video Camera and Support Equipment
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Wrapping Up
The television production industry is labor and skill intensive. Careers in this
industry require long hours of work. On the other hand, it is difficult to find
anyone working in the television production industry who does not genuinely
like his or her job.
Think about football players. They practice long hours in both wilting heat
and humidity and freezing cold temperatures. Why? If you ask, you’ll often
hear, “I like to play football.” Similarly, professional athletes don’t say that they
are going to “work.” They are players and their job is to play a game! Most
professional athletes, musicians, dancers, and actors feel the same way about
their jobs. This is also true of people working in the television industry. It is very
demanding work with long hours. Yet, when you talk to industry professionals,
you hear things like, “I have a shoot today,” “I’m going to the studio,” or “I’m
starting to edit now.” What you don’t hear is, “I’m going to work today.”
Check Your Television IQ
Now that you have finished this chapter, see what you learned by taking the
chapter posttest.
www.g-wlearning.com/visualtechnology/
Review Questions
Answer the following using the information provided in this chapter.
1. List the parts of a studio camera and note the function of each part.
2. What is the focal point of a zoom lens?
3. Explain the significance of the numbers printed on the f-stop ring of a
camera lens.
4. What are the challenges of hand-held shooting with a professional
camera?
5. List the benefits of using a tripod when shooting outside of the studio.
6. What is the difference between a friction head and a fluid head?
7. What are the appropriate materials to use when cleaning a camera lens?
Activities
1. To illustrate the proper result of focusing a camera lens, perform the
following:
1. Lay a black sheet of paper on a flat surface and place a sheet of
white paper on the right side of the black sheet.
2. Point a camera at both pieces of paper.
3. Move the lens so that the camera is out of focus.
4. Notice that the left edge of the picture is clearly black and the right
edge is clearly white. It is difficult to determine where the image turns
from black to white, as the center of the picture is gray.
5. Twist the focus ring of the lens, slowly bringing the picture into focus.
6. The center of the picture becomes less and less gray and the image
becomes sharper. When the picture is completely “in focus,” the sep-
aration between black and white is as sharp as possible.