What does it take to broadcast a live television show?

Richard and Amy are ready to gomore photos

What does it take to broadcast a live television show?

It's not as simple as having your Uncle Fred wander randomly around a family event with a camcorder. We snooped around the set of Virginia Home Grown in April with a camera to get a sense of some of the moving parts involved in producing the show. While this article cannot cover ALL of the tasks and the staff required on the day of the broadcast, it gives you a little taste of all of the moving parts and coordination required to make the show happen. Some tidbits to give you an idea:

Before the broadcast

• Sets are designed with great attention to detail to ensure the proper look and feel for the show
• Just prior to broadcast, the Director communicates the overall plan and flow of the show to the crew, and the crew attend rehearsals and pre-production meetings to be sure everyone knows the plan inside and out

Highlights of the day of the broadcast

• In addition to the show hosts, Richard Nunnally and Amy Barton Williams, the show often features guest speakers who may talk about a particular area of expertise (e.g., caring for trees) or a particular program (the Virginia Grown program) - a member of the crew will welcome the guests to the studio and explain how the process works
• The Lighting Director ensures that the lighting is accurate for each set and changes for each set-up or scene on the set
• 3 cameras - and 3 camera people -  record the action in the studio
• The Floor Manager helps the Director get the hosts, guests and camera operators to the right place at the right time - and also supervises prop placement and makeup
• The Graphics Operator ensures that properly spelled names, websites and other text information is ready for display during the show
• The Video Engineer adjusts the color tone and light levels on all cameras to ensure they match
• The Line Producer keeps track of time so that all segments flow properly and finish as scheduled
• The Director oversees and coordinates all of the crew's activity before and during the show. Most of the crew wear headsets to hear the Director's instructions, such as directions about which cameras should go where for the best shots. The Director also communicates with the hosts during the show to give cues about timing and other information (using tiny speakers the hosts wear in their ears).
• Our Director also serves as a Technical Director, using a video switcher to coordinate the images being shown from the cameras, video tape, graphics computer, and still image storage devices
• And, because Virginia Home Grown includes a call-in segment, knowledgeable staff members take phone calls from viewers and record the incoming questions for Richard and Amy to answer

What happens when all the pieces DON'T come together? Yes, sometimes things go wrong - but the show must go on! So, for example, if the batteries on one or more headsets fails, the Director and crew have to come up with new ways to convey what has to happen - because no talking is allowed during the live portions of the show.

Want to see what it all looks like? Take a look at our slide show (click the link under Richard and Amy's photo that says "More photos") - and let us know what you think.