View From The North Side: MTN Playback
Facilities Magic in Playback by Tony Clark
What I'm going to tell you - is something that can change the way people see your program. I'm going to introduce you to the magic of bars & tone, a slate and countdown. I call them magical due to their unseen influence on the quality of your program's playback.
So here's the deal; the technicians at playback are using these items to adjust equipment, insure accuracy and, in general, properly play your program for the viewing audience. Additionally, having this one minute of video at the start of your tapes has an unexpected benefit. According to the folks that keep track of such things (this time it's videotape manufacturers), something like 90% of tape damage occurs in the first minute of the tape. Usually damage occurs during the loading & unloading of the videotape. So these bits of video at the start of your tape can protect your show.
Thirty seconds of color bars & tone provides a reference to adjust the TBC and establish audio levels. Using the bars & tone tape from checkout, you should adjust the TBC's, monitor and audio levels in your edit suite, then do this each time you start an edit session. This will insure that the video you edit will look and sound the same as you saw it during each and every playback.
Inserting a 20 second slate between the bars and countdown will let the playback staff double check the total run time, episode or taping date and any special notes concerning the recording. Total run time (TRT) is the actual length of the show you want on air. We ask that your program run about one minute less than the time slot. That minute lets us identify the channel to the audience and promote the next show, like your show was promoted just before it came on. It is likely that you won't know the TRT until you've finished the show. You can also leave a note to the playback technician if some part of your show has low audio or may flutter a bit. By knowing ahead of time, they can make changes. Not knowing makes it likely we'll miss some things.
The countdown serves a double function. A 5 second countdown consists of the numbers 5, 4, 3, 2 and black for exactly two seconds. All video decks need time to get up to speed & synch, that's why the edit decks back up 5 seconds before starting the edit. Technicians tend to pride themselves on not putting countdowns on the air, so if there's not at least a second of black before your show, it won't start at the proper point. They also use the end of the countdown to time the TRT. If you don't do the same the timing information you give us will not be accurate. And add a couple of minutes of black after your show to let the technician transition smoothly into the station identification graphics.
The newly remodeled playback operations have given the technicians added capacity to make your program look & sound exactly the way you saw it, but only if you help us by providing the "magical" video clips. Use those tapes from checkout to put accurate bars & tone, a slate & the countdown on every program you edit.
MTN Appreciation Night Was Magical
The stars of public access television came out and shone on MTN's first ever Appreciation Night Awards Show, October 23rd. Dr. Sphincter and Larry The Hand were the host and announcer, and kept a tight ship for the evening. Own provided music and a live audience of public access TV producers, stars and fans filled MTN's Studio A and provided enthusiasm and a very high level of energy. Nearly half of the Minneapolis City Council was on hand to help present awards to some of the best and brightest talent from the MTN community. A fund-raising raffle helped to provide more excitement, as dozens of fabulous prizes and a grand prize color television were awarded throughout the show. --- It was truly a night to remember.
In this Issue:
Page One: MTN Appreciation Night
Page Two: Programming Notes
Page Three: MTN Profile
Page Four: View From the Northside
Page Five: E-Mail from Derrik and Open Studio 1999
Page Six: MTN Features
Page Seven: MTN Appreciation Night Awards, Oct. 23, 1998