other. Paint the panels flat light blue or green, which will make  the  skin  tones  look  more  natural  on  color television To reduce glare and reflections from studio lights, you should use flat latex paint. Before painting the panels, you should check your color choices. Paint small squares of wood and compare them  on  camera.  There  must  be  a  distinct  difference between  set  tone  and  skin  tone  in  order  to  provide adequate contrast without being excessive. Make sure you select a color that provides suitable contrast when used with either dark or light skin. SET  ERECTION When  you  erect  a  set,  you  should  consider  the following three production areas: l l l Camera  and  microphone  boom  movement. The camera support and microphone boom must be allowed space on the set in which to move. This is especially important for camera angle or position changes and for recording quality sound. Talent  movement.   The  talent  must  have  free access if he moves around the set. Lighting.  The   set   must   provide   sufficient lighting  for  the  camera(s). CREATING THE ENVIRONMENT A set is used to create the environment or mood of the scene and must be appropriate to the purpose of the program. Sets are generally divided into the following three   categories: .   Natural l   Realistic l   Fantasy Natural A natural set does not represent any specific locale or  period  and  could  be,  for  example,  a  plain  gray background. This type of set can be used for a training program, because there are no background distractions. Realistic Realism  can  be  achieved  in  three  ways.  An  exact copy of a period or original scene would be a  replica, while a setting portraying a type of scene, such as an early sailing ship, is atmospheric. The suggestion of an office by the use of a desk and chair, or the shadow of a branch to suggest a tree, is symbolic. Fantasy The  use  of  abstract  shapes  or  textures  can  create character and mood Unrealistic settings have no direct relationship to the real world, but suggest to the viewer a feeling or sense of the location or time. TELEVISION  SHOOTING TECHNIQUES LEARNING   OBJECTIVE:   Identify   the   basic television  shooting  techniques. Television  pictures  are  subject  to  the  aesthetic  rules covered in Chapter 12. In fact, because of the wide usage of television, it can even be considered the standard by which we judge most picture composition. However, the following factors unique to television influence picture composition  to  a  certain  extent: l l l l Small  television  picture  size.  Because  of  the relatively  small  size  of  the  television  screen, objects must be shown relatively large. Inflexible aspect ratio.  The 3:4 aspect ratio of the  picture  cannot  be  changed  and  all  picture elements must be composed to fit it. What the camera sees is what the viewer gets. The  television  camera  serves  as  the  viewer’s eyes; therefore, camera movement, as well as the static arrangement of elements within the frame, must  be  considered. Time  constraints.  Because of the time limita- tions  placed  on  all  television  productions,  you may  not  be  able  to  predetermine  composition, especially during alive show. Sometimes, all you can do is correct certain compositional errors. In the television business, the picture on the screen is referred to as a shot. A shot may change when either the camera or talent moves. Shots can last for only a few seconds or be as long as a minute or two. In extreme cases, one shot can last the entire program. As a television camera operator, you must think in terms of shots and master the basic shots of television production. 14-29