Using the Studio Camera

1
Using the Studio Camera

• Sam Edsall

2
Setting / Striking the camera

• Once you set up the camera, do not leave it
  unattended
  
• Once you are done using the studio camera be sure
  to stow it properly
  
• Never just walk away from your camera position

3
Setting up the camera

• The very first thing you do when you set up the
  camera
  
• Unlock the camera head pan and tilt locks
• Locking the pan and tilt locks is the very LAST
  thing you do when you stow the camera

4
Setting up the camera

• Unlock the camera head cable locks
• Now that the head locks are off you can now tilt
  the camera to get the cables loose
  
• Stowing the cables
• Dont leave them dangling
• They will catch on the steering wheel and break

Loosen here
Stow here
5
Setting up the camera

• Raising the pedestal
• Loosen the inner ring if necessary
• Counter-clockwise
• Pull the steering wheel up so the camera lens is
  even with your target
  
• Lock the inner ring to keep the pedestal at the
  proper height
  
• Clockwise
• You may need both hands to tighten the inner ring

Inner ring pedestal lock
Pedestal steering wheel - Pull up here to raise
the pedestal height
6
Setting up the camera

• Turn on the teleprompter
• You should see News King on the screen after it
  warms up
  
• Dont forget to turn this off when you stow the
  camera

Teleprompter power switch
7
Setting up your shot

• Now that the camera is ready for operation, its
  time to set up your shot
  
• Like any camera you need to calibrate your lens
• Calibrate procedure
• Zoom all the way in on your subject
• Zoom all the way in to the subjects eyes
• Zoom control is in your right hand
• Thumb control

8
Setting up your shot

• Calibrate procedure
• Focus on the subjects eyes
• Focus control is in your left hand
• Rotation control
• Their eyes should sparkle if you have the focus
  set correctly

9
Setting up your shot

• Calibrate procedure
• Zoom out and set your shot
• Types of shots
• One shot without box key effect
• One shot with box key effect
• Two shot
• Four shot

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Types of shots

• One shot
• Most of the time this shot includes your camera
  shot with an anchor box key effect
  
• You will need to pan right to make room for
  anchor box key
  
• If this effect is in preview, you can see this
  effect by pressing the preview button above your
  zoom control

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Types of shots

• One shot
• If the anchor box key effect is not used, then
  center the target in your field of view
  
• There may be occasion when the key is removed
  live
  
• In this case you will need to pan left slowly and
  smoothly to center your target

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Types of shots

• Two shot
• This shot could be
• Both news anchors
• News and weather
• News and sports
• Keep both subjects centered in your field of
  view
  
• Four shot
• All the anchors are in your field of view
• Keep them as centered as possible
• You may need to dolly back to include all the
  anchors in your field of view

13
Camera motion

• Pans and tilts
• These motions do not change the location of the
  studio pedestal
  
• Which way is up, down, left, and right?
• Just keep in mind What direction does the lens
  go?
  
• If you are told to pan left you need to move the
  lens to the left
  
• This means you need to move handles to the right
• If you are told to tilt up you need to move the
  lens up
  
• This means you need to move the handles down

14
Camera motion

• Setting the right headroom
• You may be asked to adjust headroom
• If you need more headroom tilt up
• If you need less headroom tilt down
• Do not zoom unless you are told to
• Shots between camera 1 and 2 will no longer
  match
  
• One camera will be more zoomed out than the other

15
Camera motion

• Some camera motions require you to move the
  entire camera pedestal
  
• These movements have their own names
• Dolly
• Moves the camera closer to or further from your
  target
  
• Dolly in move camera closer to target
• Dolly out move camera away from target
• Truck
• Moves the camera laterally left or right
• Truck left move camera laterally to your
  left
  
• Truck right move camera laterally to your
  right
  
• Moving the pedestal means you must recalibrate
  your lens
  
• Moving the pedestal changes the distance to your
  subject
  
• So you will have to zoom all the way in on your
  subject again, focus, then set your shot

16
Camera motion

• Changing the direction of the pedestal wheels
• Look for an indicator on the steering wheel
• This will tell you what direction the wheels are
  facing
  
• Turn the steering wheel to the desired direction

17
Camera motion

• Pedestal wheel direction indicator
• Have the indicator face you or toward your
  subject to dolly in or out
  
• Have the indicator face left or right to truck
  left or right
  
• Wheels roll forward and backwards
• When the indicator is facing right you can still
  truck left (or right)
  
• When the indicator is facing toward the subject
  you can still dolly out (or in)

18
Camera person etiquette

• Camera people are mute
• There is no need for you to talk on your headset
  during the show
  
• Your voice may be picked up by the talent mikes
  during the show
  
• You may speak if necessary when you hear mikes
  are out from the floor person
  
• Take care of your equipment
• Set up and stow the camera properly
• Keep headset, intercom box, and cables off the
  floor
  
• Dont pan or tilt with the camera head locks on
• Dont point the camera into a studio light
• Use your head
• If something seems unusual or doesnt seem to
  work right get someone who can help

19
Stowing the camera

• Turn off the teleprompter
• Turn off the red switch

Teleprompter power switch
20
Stowing the camera

• Lock the camera head cable locks
• Put the cable locks on BEFORE you lock the camera
  head locks

Tighten here
21
Stowing the camera

• Lower the pedestal
• Loosen the inner ring
• Lower the steering wheel to the base
• If the camera is being moved be sure to lock the
  pedestal with the pedestal lock
  
• Otherwise you dont need to lock it

Inner ring pedestal lock
Pedestal steering wheel lower the pedestal to
the base
22
Stowing the camera

• Lock the camera head pan and tilt locks
• Put your headset on the viewfinder
• Put your intercom box on the camera plate
• Just above the head locks
• Dress your intercom cable so its off the floor
• Make loops of the excess cable and drape over the
  handle
  
• You are done!
• Good job!

23
Using the Studio Camera

• Sam Edsall