AS LIVE PRODUCTION; VT OPERATOR RESEARCH

My other role for Steal the Style was being a VT operator. Originally I wasn't too sure what a VT operator was so I did some research on it. I found that a VT op is the person who is knowledgable around the technical equipment that is used to play the VTs out in a live production. I discovered that a VT op would play a clip, at the directors count, and that clip would then be vision mixed into the studio. I haven't had much work in this role yet as we are only on our first rehearsal day.

Originally, i thought the role of a VT operator would be fairly simple, however i soon learnt that this wasn't the case. The hardest thing, as i found with my research and through the first rehearsal day, was that all the clips/VTS have to be in the correct format in order to fully work on the VT system. We found that we needed to use an entirely different programme to render the clips into the correct format in order to work on 'Blackmagic' the programme we were using to play the clips out to the studio. If they were not in the correct format and we tried to import them into the programme, then the programme would crash completely.

Another aspect of being a VT operator is 'making tapes and labelling them'. This means that they record the production as a whole, a machine would record it directly from the live feed that is being vision mixed, therefore a VT operators role is very important. Overall looking at different research sites, a VT operator needs to be extremely knowledgable on the programmes that they are using, and be able to solve technical problems on the production. This role I think sounds daunting, personally i prefer to steer away from the more technical roles, and the machines we are using are quite complicated, however I am confident that through our few rehearsal days and with the help of The Maidstone Studios technicians, that I will be able to competently complete this role