WAVM History
Just Beginning  
The Faculty Advisor  
The Early Years  
Church Services  
The Beacon Santa Telethon  
Cable Television  
Talkin' Trash  
YMCA  
The Maynard Web  
Expansions  
The Awards Banquet  
The Friends of WAVM  
Generations  
Just Beginning, Part II  
Credits  

The Production Process

Compared to WAVM's radio broadcasting system, the station's television production unit is far more complicated and time consuming. On a radio show, for example, a student has to devote about two hours week, while for television, the taping alone could take the same amount of time. That, however, doesn't include the planning time before or the editing time after the taping--not to mention the actual broadcast of the program.

Compared to radio, there are more factors involved in TV as one is dealing with both visual and aural elements instead of just aural. And for WAVM in 1982, this meant there had to be a new level of dedication as well as patience among the students as they learned the new process of television production, which has three phases: pre-production, production, and post-production:.

The Pre-Production Phase:
The pre-production phase includes generating ideas for shows, fleshing out these ideas and writing an outline or script. After pitching the idea to the Faculty Advisor and getting approval, the production and post-production phase is planned. In short, a crew is recruited and organized for the "shoot" and subsequent editing of the program.
The Production Phase:
The production phase encompasses recording all visual and aural elements necessary to complete the show. WAVM was set-up for two types of production: single and multi-camera.

Single camera production, as the words state, uses a one-camera shoot to collect the shots. This style is most commonly used outside a studio for film or documentary-like programs. As far as equipment is concerned, WAVM currently uses single chip video camcorders. In the past, there was a camera unit and a separate, bulky recorder unit capable of crushing small Freshman.

The multi-camera shoots are usually, but not limited to, in studio productions. The shoots use two or more cameras, which send their signals back to a control room video switcher where the shots are chosen and intermingled by a director. WAVM currently uses three 3-chip cameras in Studio A and three tube cameras in Studio B.

The Post-Production Phase:
The most common aspect of post-production has footage being edited. The program is tweaked. Titles, credits and music may be added, and finally, the program is screened for quality and errors before it goes to air in the Control Room. (When WAVM has a multi-camera shoot, the programs usually aren't edited as the show is made ready to air. However, with single camera production each shot needs to be compiled on a master reel, because these shots were recorded separately.)

WAVM has two video editing systems that are both capable of handling 1/2" and 3/4" formats. The process involves having a blacked tape (a black tape has a control track which allows a stable signal) in a recorder deck. From either of two player decks footage is rolled and recorded onto the recorder deck according to the editor's wishes. A CD player, cassette deck, and graphics system providing additional elements are also used as player decks.


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