Studio Director | Research ~ SP

As I have been given the role of Studio Director, I decided that I should do some more research on the role of a studio director, and what sort of jobs they have to do throughout the whole process of a studio production.

Another name for a studio director is a multi-camera director. Multi-camera shoots are commonly used for sports and news programmes, soap operas, talk shows, game shows, some sitcoms and live events where action cannot be repeated or replicated. These type of shows will either be studio based, or location based.

'The Weakest Link' director John Smith

Pre-production: the director will plan camera positions and shots. During the shoot they will lead the team and give clear instructions to the floor managers and camera operators on the floor, and the sound team, the vision mixer, while listening to the counting of the show coming from the production assistant.

The main requirements for a multi-camera director are patience, enthusiasm and good spatial awareness. The director spends a lot of time in the gallery which is quite a distance from the studio floor. Which means that they must be able to imagine where the cameras are positioned in relation to the others, and what shots each of the cameras will be able to get. If they are able to do this, then they will be able to instruct the camera operators better knowing what their limitations are.
Good communication skills are also extremely important. Through talkback, the crew on the studio floor will be able to hear the directors voice, so the director must communicate quickly and clearly tell the crew what is needed, while also being encouraging, motivational and positive to help everyone work well as a team together.
Some TV shows usually follow an established pattern, but one of the secrets of being a good director is having the confidence to try new things and experiment knowing what is capable.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/production/article/art20130702112135647

The director is responsible for turning the script into visuals that can be seen on the screen. Once the script has been written, the director will look at it and create a storyboard or a shot list, or even both, in order to create the visuals along with the dialogue and actions. All of the technical staff (the camera operators, floor manager, the sound operator, etc) work under the instructions of the director, and the director works with the producer as a team. They both have different responsibilities and it's important that they both respect their jobs and their visions. Ultimately, the director creates the Producers vision while also creating their vision at the same time, a lot of compromise and negotiation is involved.

During the studio recordings, or live transmissions, the Director works closely with the Vision Mixer and the Production Assistant, who are also known as Script Supervisors. They all sit in the gallery (control room) and visually create the programme.
The director will standby and cut to the different camera shots, while also cueing departments such as sound, lighting, VT's and more, and they must be able to make clear decisions and sometimes these decisions will be made on the spot and quickly.
When doing rehearsals they must have a clear and realistic schedule with room for breaks, so the crew aren't worked too hard. They also need to know what is happening next and what options there are to deal with any potential problems, this is especially needed for news programmes. For example; if a live link is coming up there must be a back up plan just in case it fails which means the director will need to come up with this beforehand and listen very closely to the PA.

Overall, the directors job is to make decisions and be clear with their instructions. Their communication with the rest of the crew is really important, and they must stay positive even if the situation is very difficult. They must be able to keep spirits high and motivate the rest of the crew in order for everyone to work well within a team.
They have a lot of responsibilities, but I'm excited to do this job, and even though it may be a very stressful job, it will still be a great experience. I am now ready to step into this role after doing this research on it.