SOME ENGINEERING ASPECTS OF VIDEO TAPE RECORDING PRODUCTION

Edward E. BenhamKTTV Inc.

Hollywood 28, California

In 1956, the Ampex Corporation demonstratedthe first commercially available video taperecorder. The importance of this demonstrationwas quickly apparent by the fact that within avery few hours Ampex had received orders for inexcess of 80 of these units. Until the day ofthis demonstration, the group of engineers in-volved with its development had considered itfundamentally a replacement for kinescope filmswhich were then used by the networks for timedelay. Many broadcasters present at thisdemonstration visualized the use of electronicproduction of programs using magnetic tape asits storage medium and ordered video taperecorders for this purpose. Many of thesebroadcasters saw the possibility of economiesby more efficient use of crews. Some of themenvisioned television programs which were beinglost on one-time showings that now could becomesyndicated tapes. In general, the televisionindustry as we knew it entered an entirely newphase.

In Hollywood, many things happened simul-taneously. One of the first groups to feel thefull impact of video tape was the film labora-tories which previously had been processing themillions of feet per year of time delaykinescope films. In Hollywood, our industry,which should be considered a combination ofboth film and television, is made up of manyunions and guilds. The feeling that tape wouldsomehow replace film entirely caused thesevarious guilds to take a restrictive approachwith regard to any usage of electronicproduction and tape. This caused a virtualstalemate resulting in a delay in the use ofvideo tape.

Los Angeles, as the third largest market,has seven television broadcast stations whichare generally considered major productionactivities. At the present time, there areat least eleven video tape production unitsin Hollywood. Three of these are associatedwith the networks, four of them with indepen-dent broadcast stations, and the balance arecompletely independent of any previous tele-vision activity. They have found many ad-vantages to electronic production methods;however, there are good reasons why video tapewill never completely replace film. As thesepoints became clearer throughout the last twoyears, much of the upheaval subsided. Therehas been a continued growth in the use of theelectronic method and the production peopleare finding that their contributions are stillvaluable and necessary whether they work infilm or video tape.

The thousands of square feet of stagespace presently allocated to electronicproduction appear to be consistently active.The Times Mirror Broadcasting Company, whichowns KTTV, has two syndicated programs thatare financially successful. This companyreceived its first video tape machine in Marchof 1958 and immediately started the preparationof syndicated programming as well as theproduction of commercials. Our experience hasnot shown a saving in money by using videotape but rather an increase in costs, coupledto a favorable increase in income. KTTVbelieves that the greatest advantage of videotape, exclusive of time delay, is in theproduction of commercials. The economicadvantages to the sponsor, accompanied by agreater flexibility of production should resultin more entertaining commercials.

In order to discuss the productiontechniques as they are developing today, itis necessary to include all of the elements.These can be divided into five generalcategories: pre-production planning, physicalproduction, post-production processing,distribution and exhibition. As a producerof video tape, it is necessary to understandat least partially all of these divisions.Even though video tape has many advantages,there are still productions which cannot bedone as economically with tape as with filmand I believe it is important that video tapenot be sold as an economic cure-all or abogey man which will eventually drive filmfrom the business. Video tape, as well asthe television system in general, haslimitations which cannot be overcome. However,television-VTR productions can offer muchvariety now excluded either economically ortechnically from the viewer's screen, and,consequently, from the sponsor's pocket book.The use of magnetic tape as a recording mediumor "load for the camera" means that we utilizeour basic television production techniques.However, our live television producers now findthat with video tape they are not restrictedby a time clock, availability of talent andmany other creative integrations which wereimpossible with an all electronic system whichhad no adequate storage medium.

Today, video tape production techniquesare moving toward many of the proven methodsof film. Indeed, one of the problems facingtape production is that we may end up with asystem which becomes even more cumbersome thanfilm, and, consequently, will lose its economicadvantage.

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Video tape and the electronic productionof programs have required that the televisionengineer assume a broader responsibility forthe end product. Engineering assistance isvaluable from the introduction of the story-board through to the reproduction on the homereceiver. The storyboard, as you know, is ascript coupled with a series of still sketcheswhich provide a visual concept of what thewriter and producer wish to create. At thispoint, adequate engineering advice saves timeand money as the director plans his lighting,camera angles, his electronic transitions andoverall flow of production. We have found itadvantageous to actually pre-plan and pre-seteach camera shot of an important commercialbefore an attempt is made to even rehearse therunthrough of the entire segment. In theshooting of an entire scene as a continuousflow of action, it is possible to be on acamera as little as three or four seconds. Inthe pressure of speed, poor lighting or a badcamera angle may be missed until later in thecalm of the screening room where it standsout to the detriment of the entire segment.It is possible without taking too much time toindividually look at each shot. In a programsuch as DIVORCE COURT, which is purposelyshot like a "live" program with the entirehour produced in a continuous fashion, this isnot necessarily true. In this case, of course,you have many ad-lib shots and the importanceof individual camera cuts is less than for aone-minute commercial. In the case of theone-minute commercial, you will probably haveas few as eight to fifteen different shots.In this case, each one should be analyzedindividually. KTTV has produced a singleone-minute commercial which has required asmuch as two days' stage time. Conversely,commercials have been produced eight or tenper hour. The ability to encompass such awide category of commercial quality in itselfproves the tremendous flexibility of videotape techniques.

Technically, the quality requirementsof our business have increased since we havebeen required to "face ourselves in themorning." When a crew can the next day sitand view the product several times, the smallflaws begin to stand out and the engineerfeels the need for better quality, and, mostimportant, can now determine what he shouldhave done.

The producer is learning the importanceof adequate engineering advice and it becomesequally important that the engineering groupbe capable of supplying this information interms which the producer can understand andwill accept. In Hollywood, we are findingmore and more film-indoctrinated producers and

directors using video tape. This fact alonehas required integration of live televisionand film techniques. Many things are requestedand expected of the engineer which are difficultand time consuming and which, until recently,due to a one-time showing, would have beeneconomically prohibitive.

The major engineering aspects of videotape production from a purely technicalstandpoint still remain those of grey scale,signal to noise and resolution. The improve-ment in pickup tubes as well as electronicsin general is leading to an improvement ofall three of these technical factors, and,consequently, an increase in our overallproduction quality. The improvement in thelenses and tube sensitivity are allowing aconsequent improvement in the quality oflighting which in the past would not havebeen possible. The announcement recentlyof cameras using a 4½ inch image orthicontube with a special target mesh will provideanother step forward. Cameras using thistube, because of its greater sensitivityand larger target area, will allow a higherresolution, lower noise picture. The targetmesh which eliminates the "redistributioneffect" provides a longer and more lineargrey scale, giving us an opportunity toprovide a type of lighting that will attractmore and more producers. In addition to thefundamental factors of grey scale, noise andresolution, engineering can presently provideother electronic devices which are usefulproduction tools. The "special effectssystem," for instance, is very useful forproviding a variety of transitions as wellas keyed optical effects which results ineconomy as well as creative artistry. Theseeffects in film from simple transitions tomatte opticals can be extremely expensive.Using a keyed generator allows us, in manyinstances, to use a photograph for a back-ground rather than the construction of whatmight well be an expensive setting.

The use of remote locations is still animportant factor in electronic productions.At least four of the video tape producers inHollywood are equipped with units containingvideo tape machines as well as cameras, filmand other television equipment. The abilityto take your production unit to locationareas can provide a variety of settings whichcould not be produced by any other method.There is a unit presently being constructedwhich will be capable of doing video tapeproductions anywhere in the world. It willconsist of a caravan of three 45-foot trucks;one to contain color cameras and controlequipment, the second to contain color videotape recorders and film projection machines,

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the third to produce adequate power by self-powered generators as well as containing shopspace for maintenance and construction.

There are two factors in video tapeproduction which inevitably arise in any dis-cussion. These are animation and editing.

Animation has always been a valuabletool in the presentation of products andprograms. The ability to do frame-by-frameaction is necessary to complete our productionsystem. Since the beginning, several proposalsto expose the tape frame-by-frame have beenmade. However, in each case, these proved tobe inordinately complicated from a technicalstandpoint. KTTV conducted a study of thisproblem from a non-technical standpoint andfound that the cost of animation is almostcompletely in the original artwork. Themedium upon which the still frame action ishandled is a relatively insignificant factor.Therefore, it seems that the best way to handleanimation on video tape is to use film frame-by-frame and transfer the continuous motion tovideo tape. We presently use film for manyintegrations into our video tape production andfind that the loss in transfer is insignificant.

Editing is one of the most important partsof our post-production processing. In a film,at the conclusion of physical production, theproducer has many bits and pieces of film whichcontain various scenes or individual shots.These are now turned over to a film editor,who literally splices together the final product.In video tape production, we have a multipleadvantage. Not only is it possible to do post-production splice type editing, but, with theproper pre-production planning, most of thisediting is done in the control room at the timeof physical production. We once again have theimportance of our pre-production planning andthe necessity of the engineer to provide thenecessary elements. Post-production editingin video tape is actually a relatively cumber-some method as compared to film. The tapeitself is difficult physically to handle andeven the best of splices are somewhat lessthan perfect. After the editor locates thepoint at which he desires to splice, then"develops" the tape, finds his edit pulse andmakes his cut, he still is not sure of controltrack continuity. A few degrees of controltrack displacement can cause an annoying motionwithin the frame of the picture even though itdoes not create a roll. We have found fromexperience that wherever post-productionsplicing can be avoided it proves to be an ad-vantage both technically and economically.Recently, there was demonstrated a devicewhich allows a video tape machine to be lockedto an external synchronizing source or anothertape machine. This device allows the picturefrom two tape machines, or a live and tape

machine picture, to be supered, dissolved,or even portions of these pictures to bekeyed into one another. In this manner, wenow can do a great deal of our post-productionediting all electronically. The use of thismachine for post-production editing requiresa tightening of our over-all quality becauseour composite master, by necessity, becomesa second generation. With adequate controlof grey scale and noise in the video tapemachines themselves, it is possible toproduce second generation or "dupe" masterswhich are completely satisfactory. There areimprovements even now in design which shouldmake multiple generations indistinguishableone from the other.

The engineer involved in video tapeproduction should be willing to accept acertain amount of responsibility in assuringthat the product has proper exhibition. Aswe know, a video tape recording replayed ona similar machine normally makes an excellentreproduction of the original product. Theexcellence of exhibition will, of course,always be a matter of degree. It istheoretically impossible to reproduce withoutdegradation the information exactly aspresented to our original television camera.At KTTV we have found, for instance, that,in a large production which is in shootingover a period time, it is desirable to assigna video tape recording head assembly and usethis head for no other purpose during thisperiod. In this manner, what post-productionediting is required will prove to be moreeasily accomplished. Smal differences inthe physical position of control track headsas well as variable distance of penetrationtends to create problems if many differentheads are used in production. If details ofthis nature are carefully controlled duringproduction, higher playback quality becomesassured. Even though we provide an excellentmaster and video tape duplicates or prints,we are finding that throughout the industryexhibition on video tape alone is inadequate.

With proper preparation and processing,exhibition of our electronic production canbe made either on video tape or on film.There are still stations which have no tapemachines, and a considerable number that haveonly one tape machine. It is obvious thatthe station with no tape machine cannot playback a magnetic print, and the stations withone tape machine may find difficulty inscheduling playbacks around their ownproductions. In addition, handling videotape commercials within a video tape programrequires that splices be used to integratethem. Even the stations with multiple videotape machines are finding it uneconomical insome cases to have a $55,000 projector standing

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by for a long period of time to play back shortsegments of tape. The solution to theseproblems is in an adequate system for trans-ferring our video tape to a 16 or 35mm film.Back in 1956, with the advent of the videotape recorder to replace kinescopes, thequality of kinescopes was quite high. Sincethat time, due to the lack of demand forkinescopes, insufficient improvement has beenmade along these lines. It should be pointedout that the transfer of video tape to film,should also be considered from an economicstandpoint. For instance, in the case of aone-hour program in syndication, we have foundthat the distribution and exhibition on videotape is less costly than on film transfer.This is due to the ability of a video tapeprint to be played many times as opposed tofilm prints which have a maximum life expectancyin distribution of between ten and fifteenplays. We also find it satisfactory to theexhibitors to tie up their machines for longersegments such as a program. The main necessityfor film transfers is in the area of shortsegments such as commercials. Because of thedesirability in many instances of handlingelectronically produced tapes at the exhibitionpoint as film, the availability of a highgrade tape to film transfer will remove oneof the last production bottlenecks in the useof video tape for production. Several groupsare working on the improvement of kinescopesand one of those of interest is a system usedin England. In England, there is a fast pull-down camera manufactured by Rank PrecisionIndustries, with electronics by Marconi WirelessTelegraph Company, which, when available inthis country, might well provide a major stepforward. The British have, in this case,an advantage of a 50-cycle power system whichmeans a 25-cycle frame rate. They merelyincrease their film transfers from 24 framesto 25, which is a 4% change in speed apparentlyunnoticeable either in action or sound. Indoing this, they then can perform the pull-down

during vertical blanking and photograph fullyeach frame. In our system, having theconversion requirement from 24 frames of thefilm camera to 30 frames of the televisionsystem, requires a spliced frame to appearat regular intervals. This spliced framecreates one of the most critical problems ofthe film transfers today. The noise level,grey scale and resolution of many of our kine-scope systems is excellent. However, theinconsistency of removing the flickering "spliceline" is annoying to the point where manyagencies reject film transfers solely on thisbasis. This problem is being attacked frommany angles. The fast pull-down camera fromEngland ould allow, even with our 30-framesystem, an increase of the "dwell time"during which period a more accurate registryof the film itself can be accomplished.At such time as a high quality, "no flicker"transfer is available, the electronic systemof video tape production will show a markedrate of increase.

In January of this year, General Electricannounced a new system of electronic recording.This system uses a thermoplastic materialas its storage medium. The capabilitiesof thermoplastic in conjunction with thiselectronic recorder indicate the possibilityof a direct permanent transfer of an electronicimage to the equivalent of a film opticalnegative. This would mean that a film printcould be made directly from an electronicallyproduced negative. From a theoreticalstandpoint, thermoplastic recording couldcreate as dramatic a change in our industryin the next few years as magnetic has in thepast.

Whatever the medium of making therecordings, it appears that the age ofelectronic production is here. It is myfeeling that the position which the televisionengineer fills within this industry will belimited only by his own imagination andability.

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