......_-_...-.

-1_-
17.2
Dealing with Schedules,
LegalMatters, and Ratings
As a producer you need such sl>cci fic production skills as
designing an efficient time line and quickl y accessing ac-
eurale information. Although you may have the services
of a kgal department , you will inevitabl y have 10 deal with
broadcast guilds and unions as weU as copyrights and other
kga! mailers. Finall y, you must be conversant in the rudi-
ment5 of ratings.
.... TIME LINE
Thedaiiyrime/ine,{' ven/sequencing.ond prodvc-
rion Khe4lJfe
.... INFORMA1JON RESOURCES
L(Xci'{' lOu'ces, Compuler ondbasiCreference
booIc1 ond(lirec/on s
.... UNIONS AND lEGAL MATTERS
NontechmcolGildtechnical andcli!olonce$,
orldocher/eg<J1 romidNorioM
..... AUDIENCE AND RATINGS
TorgelDudlence,andral ;n95ondshare
TIME LINE
The daily lime lille is normal.ly \,'orked out by the direc tor,
the line producer, and/or the producti on or unit manager.
This person is in charge of the day's production-from
loading the EFP vehicles or unlocki ng the st udio doo($
to puuing b;)ck the equipment and filing the crew's lunch
receipts. In smaller operat ions, hm,'ever. the producer
functions not only as the preproduction organizer but "Iso
as the production manager of the various acti vit ies during
the production day. In case you need to know how to
design a maximally efficient time line, whi ch will save nOt
onty time and money but also-and especiaUy-energy.
Even if you 3re not d irecll y responsible for the day to-day
ti me line, you should keep an eye on it and see that it is
maximall r efficient.
The effi ciency of the producti on schedul e depends to
a largt: extent on proper evclII sequencing. For exampl e. do
not orda:l complicated opening titl e sequence froln the art
department if the wri ter is still stluggling with the script.
Nor should you argue with 1he dirt'Ctoc over Ihe lighti ng
requirements or number of cameras before you have visitl-'d
the remot e locat ion or seen a fl oor plan.
Emt... In EFP especially, the event sequenc.:: shoul d be de
EfJ""'" termined by production requiremelll s (l ocation,
weather. SCIS, and the likl and not by t he
scripted sequence. See which events can be scheduled to-
gether, such as the opening or closing of a show, or other
wi del )' spread scenes that nevertheless pl ay in the
\o,: al lo n. Although moving from set to set in a studio pro-
duct ion asscriptcd may not cause toO many logistical prob-
lems, unnecessa ril y changing locations in the field d(X's.
Establi sh a temati ve schedule of event s and try to fit
Ihem into the production schedule. Such an eve nt schedule
will show you not onl y how a single product ion day should
progress but also the AOI" of an ent ire production series .
For example, you may find Ihat with onl y a few chauges ot
Sl' t properties you can use a single set for the whol e series,
or that you can shoot several sequenct'Sat the same location
although the va ri ous shows may ul timately be shown in a
differen t sequence. su 17.7
INFORMATION RESOURCES
As a producer you muSI be a resea rcher as well as somewhat
of a scrounger. On occasion )'ou onl y a half hour
to get accurate information, (or exam ple, about a Cormer
mayor who is celebrating her ninetieth bir thday. Or you
Rlay have to procure a skelet on fo r your medical show, a
model of a communications sa{elli{e for your document ary
on telecommunications, or an eighleenth-centur y wedding
dress for your se ries.
Fort unately, the vast resources on the [nternel put t he
world's informati on at your fi ngertips. And if you know'
the site address, it is practicall y instant aneous. You may
407
408 Chapt e r /7
PRODUCING
Subject Date/Time Loc at i on Facll H les
CO>'\SU'J<iT'oOo'\
SCV\eS I oR. ?
opvi''''''5S &. dos"""5S

4,30
sob- \..t.:Ii''''''5
pboT

"'J"-),("
7/?
"_l B,1I
W U't.'rI as
D Im-roe.: :JoIv! '\\

su'1'oOo"lS' 0'1
so\or \..t.:I-r......,
pboT
1'/JfV"'Ia\ EFfl
"'J"-), ("
:Jo.-,t." &.. B',II
EFfl ( 'f.y.J os
:>030 70 ::Jo\.w, '\\

'o1SJallaT.o."\ sob-
\..t.:IT""5

'?,
4,30
TV<"O L:...Ja
T;...'"'5

<P"MOI EFI'
"'J"-), ("
70
tVJ1'(I\e.,1' (oJ.o. .... F "1')
E:F9 c.tV..'rI os
D IQ.(I.TW.: :Jol,.,., T\
17.7 EVENT SEQUENCING
Event seQuencing result s in a production schedule that shows all scenes shot in a specific 1oc3tion.
tlnd, however, Ihal the sheer vol ume of online informa-
tion makes it difficult to fi nd (l specific item quickl y. It rna)'
sometimes be fast!?r and more convenient 10 use re<ldily
avail able printed sources or to caU the local library. For
exam ple, a call 10 rhe local hospital or high-.5Chool science
deparcment rna )' procure the skeleton more quic kl y than
initiating a Web searc h. You could ask the communit y
college science depart ment or perhaps even t he local cabl e
company ror the satellite model, and conta" the histo ri -
cal w<:iery or the coUege theOl ler arts department fo r the
wedding dress.
Besides Inrernet sources. the foUowing are sorn o! ad-
ditional re[erences and servi ces yOll should have on hand.
Telepholle di rectories. There is a great deal of informa-
tion in a telephone book Gel the di rectories of your city
and the outl yillg areas. Also try to get The telephone directo-
ri es of the larger institutio ns wi th ",'hich you have frequent
contact, such as city haU, the police and fir e departments,
other ci Ty or county agendes, major federal offices, city and
county school offices, newspapers and radi o stati ons, col -
leges and universi: ies, and museums. On the Internet }'OU
ca n obtain in seconds the \elephone number of practicaUy
any phone user in the world.
Airline$Chedules. Even if you have easy on line access to
airline schedules, keep up-lo-dare di re<t ories of the major
ai rlines. Have a reli able cont an person at the lOCal airport
and at an established travel agency.
Tmnsportatl011 and delivery. Have the numbers of one
or two taxi compan ies as weU as bus and train schedules.
Keep in mind that taxis ca n transport things (such as the
skeleton for your medical program) as well as people. Es-
contact "' ith at least two reli able i oter- and intracit y
deli very serv ices.
RefereJlce books mui CD-ROMs. Your own referenc/.'
li brary should have an up-t o-date dictionary; a se t of
Who') W110 in America and the regional volumes; a recent
international biographical dict ionary; an up- to-dale ency-
clopedia that presents subj ects cl early and cuncisely (you
may fi nd the simple )'et concise World Book encyclopedia
more helpful than the detai led Encyclopaedia BfJtallllica);
and a comprehensive, up-to-date atlas. Most current refer-
ence books are also avail able on CD-ROM. Aho have on
hand the phone number of the reference desk at rhe locaJ
library. An effici ent reference librarian can, and is usuaUy
happy to, dig up all sorts of information with amazing
speed. They can also do quick I nternet research in libraries
worldwide.
If YOll work for a cable compan)' or television statio n,
collect some ba5ic re ferences. Besides professional journals
and yearbooks, put some of the latest editions ofbroadcast
Section! 7.2 Dealing with Schedules, Legal Mailers, and Ratings
text books on your shelf. These volumes will give you q ui ck 17.8 NONTECHNICAL UNIONS
and accurate information about a variet y of issues.
Orhu reSDUfCC$. The loca l chambe r o( commerce
usually maintains a lis! of c.ommunity organizations and
A list of the major foundati ons and their criteria
for may also com.. in handy. If you are doi ng a series
all a spedfic !.ubject . suc.h as medical pract ices. energy
conservation, or housi ng developments. you will have to
gel some major reference works in thai area.
UNIONS AND LEGAL MATTERS
Most directors, writ ers. and talent belong to a guild or
union, as do almost all belol v-the- line personnel. As a
proOucer )'Ou must be alert to the va rious union regul a-
tions in your producti on area. Most un ions stipulat e not
onl y !.al aries and minimum fees but also specinc working
condirions, such as overt ime, turnaro und time (stipulated
hours of rest berween workdays), rest periods, who can
legally run a stu dio camera and wh o cannot, and so fOrlh.
If you use nonunion personnel in a union stalion. or if
you plan to air a show that has been prepa red the
station with nonunion talent , check with tht> respecti ve
unions for proper clearance.
UNION.S
l bere are two basic tylX's of those for nomedmic.al
person nel and tll o!.e for technical personnel. Nontechnical
unions are mainl y Ihose for performers. writers, and di re.::-
tors. SEE 17,' Technical unions include all television techni-
cjans, engineers. and occasionally a vari ety of production
personnel, such as microphone boom operators. ENG/EFP
camera operators, and floor personnel. sa 17.'
De especiall y careful about asking studio guests to do
anything uther than answer questions during an interview.
If the}' give a short demonstrati on of their talents, they
may be classified as performers and automatically become
subject to AFTRA fees (see figure 17.8) . Likewi!.e, do not
request the floor crew to du anything that is not directl )'
connected wit h their regular line of duty, or they too may
coUect \alen! fees. Camera operators usually have a contract
clause that ensures them a substantial penalty sum if Ihey
are willfull y shO\vn by camera o n the television
screen. Acting student s who a ppear in television plays
produced at a high school or coll ege may become subject
to AFTRA fees i(the pl ay is shown on the air by a broadcast
statiOn, unless you cl ear their on-t he-air appearance with
!.he SiMian and/or tht: local A FrRA office.
ArYRA Amer\cin FtdtritionofTfRwlsion and RadIo Altfsb. this
il tilt ITIdjor union lortmision t.Altn1.
brIo!'M) 10 ArTRA, epeNlly when IMy doublt i5 annoull(ers
and AFTRA presuibts basic minimum 1m
"lied which differ from area to afN. Mo!.t
(SlKh.H promintnl Klorsand local newsanchors)

DGA DilldoB Wild of Ameria. Aunion for ti!IeYi!oion and
motion dirtctofl and .Hsodate dirtctoo. floor
malligtfl and prodUCtion .Hsklanls of large stations and
nelWOfb somtIimes btIong 10 Guild.
W6A Writen Guild of Americ.J. Aunion for WTitm ofte\MiGn
and film
SA6 Sattn Actors Guild..lmpottant Of901nilation. epKially
when film is invol'i!d In tMlsIcn prodUdion. i\ko
some a<tors ff)(videotapeod commtrdal\
prodlK1ioM.
S6 SaHlI ExtriS Guild. Aunicn icf mfU partidp.J1ing in
major fi lm Of vicIe(I productloni.
AFM Fedtralion of United Stilts
ind Cinadl.lmporUnt only illiw: oniI6tr.H art used in
th! production.
COPYRIGHTS AND CLEARANCES
If you u.s.e copyrighted material on your show, YOll must
procure proper clearances. Usuall y. the year of the copy-
right and Ihe name of the copyright holder are printed
right after the e cop)'fight symbol. Some photographs,
reproductions of famous paintings, and prinrs are often
copyright ed as are. of course, books. periodicals, short
stories, pl ays, and music recordings. Shows or music that
you may record off the air or download from the Internet
as well as many CD-ROMs and OVDs are aho subj ect to
copyright laws. When you asan arl ist are trying 10 protect
your you may find that the copyrights are rather
vaguE"; bUI when you as a producer use copyrighted mate-
rial , yo u usually run into stringent laws and regulations.
When in doubt . check with an attorney about cop)'right
clauses and public domain before using other people's
mat erial in your production.
409
410 Chap t er 17
17.9 TECHNICAl UNIONS
ISEW InttnWtiooal Brothefhood ofEitriu l Worbn.. This
union IMluoo rn.tStl'l' (onlrol, and maintl'llalKe
eI19inefl\ and Il!{hnicia ns.1t may also indude ENG/UP
Cilmera npenlOf'i and IIoor personnel.
HABET National Assodi tion of Broackast Empioymand
Tfdlnidoilns. Thi) ffigillt'ering unioo may also ioclude noor
and nonrngintering production peoplt (slKh .n
boom anddo/!)' I)J)tralors).
IArn IntrrMiorWll diincf: ofn.e,bkal Sbge EmployHs.
Moring Pictllr! Artists and .lI1itd ( rafts of thl!:
United Slat!S, Its Tfrr1toMs and (anda. Th is un ion
prim,lIit, st.lgl' Nocts. (lignting toomicidns), and Stagf
Floor and I.'ven fil m(aml'r'dand lighting
personnel (an al-.o belong.
OTHER L.EGAl CONSIDERATIONS
Check with l<'gal counsel about up-ta- dat e rulings on libel
(writt en and broadcast defa mati on), 51ander (l esser oral
defamati on), plagicmslI1 (passing off as one's own t he ideas
or writings of another), the right to privacy (nol lhe same
in aU state's), obscenit y laws, and similar matters. In the
absence.' of legal ( ounsd, Ihe news depart menu of major
broadcast stations or uni versi t y departments
generally have up -to-date legal informati on available.
AUDIENCE AND RATINGS
As a producer in a Ielevision slalion, you will probably
hear more {h.m you care 10 about the va rious aspeclS
of specific tel evision audiences and ratings. Rati ngs are
espedally import ant for commerci al stations because the
(Ost for commercial ti me sold by Ihe Ma tion isdt:termine-d
primar il yby the estimated size of the target audience. Even
when working in corporate television, you will fi nd that
audi ence "ratings" art: used to gauge the relative success
of a program.
TARGET AUDfENCE
J3roadcast aud iences, like those fm all mdSS media, are
usually cl assi fied by demographic and psychographic
charac teri sti cs. The standard demograpll ic descriptors in-
dude gender, age, marital status, education, eth nid t)', and
income or econom ic status. The psychographic descriptors
PROOUCING
pert ain to the general lift'style, such as consumer buying
habits and even personality and persuasivene.-;s vilri ables.
When you fill out the regist ration (ard th.lt comes wil h a
new eleclnmic product, you are a(lUall y supplyi ng highl y
val uable psychographic informatio n.
Despite sophisti cated Icchniqut's of cl assifying au-
di ence members ;md determining t heir lifesl yles and
potential accept,mct> of specific program or series, some
prod ucers use a neighbor as a model and ged r their
":o1ll munic;lI ion to tlu t parlicula r person and his or ha
Don'( be surprised if all exec ut ive producer turns
down your brilliant program propos;.l \\li th a comment
such as, "I don't thin.k my neighbor Cathy would like il." r"'Or
m:l ll y enterrainment pmgrams, such a subjl'ctiv;.> approach
to prejudging the worth of a program might be accept -
able. If ),ou ate asked 10 do a go..11-d irectt'd program such
as dri ver eduGllion or a commercial on Iht' imporlance
of wal er conser vati on, hml'ever, you need 10 and
analyze t he large! audience more spe-cifi cali y. The more
you knowabOUll he largel Judience, the more precise your
defi ned process message and. ult imately, the more effe ctive
th:u message will be.
RATINGS AND SHA.RE
A.n audience mt illg is the percentage represe nti ng an es-
timate of Iel evision households rheir sets luned to a
station in a given population (totalnumner of television
households). You get percentage b )1 dividing the pro-
jected number of households (uned to your station by the
total number of television households:
'/llmber oITV howeI/o/tis rrmetl in . fi
--- = ratlllg
torol mlll/ber o/TV households
VOT example, if 75 households of your ratmg sampl e
of 500 households are tuned to your sho ..,', your sho\v will
h<\\,(' a fat ing of 15 (t he decimal voi nl is dropped when the
rating fig ure is given ):
75 . .
500 = 0.15 -= 15 mlrng POInts
A share is t he percentage o f tel evision households
tUlled (0 your station in relation to all households u5ing
television (HUT). The HUT figure represents the total
pie--or 100 percent. Here is how a share is figured:
TV lImed /0 r Ollr .q(mOIl J
- - - = S !tire
all hOlise/toMs I/sillg televisioll (HUT)
For exa mple, if only 200 of the sample households
have their sets (\ctuaUy in use (HUT = 200 =100 percent ),
Secti on J7.2 Dealing wi t h Schedules, Legal Matters, and Ratfngs
the7S households tuned inl o your prog ram C0r"1stitute a ra......
shareof38:
75
200 =- O.J15 =share of 38
Various rating such as A. C. Nielsen, care
full yselect representati ve samples and q uery
thesesamplesthroughdi <l ries,telephonecalls,andmeters
attached totheirtelevis ionsets.
The problem with the rating figures is not SO much
the potenti alfOf errorin projectillgthesample to a larger
p" pulalion but rather that the fi gures do n()t indicate
whether the h o usehold whose set is turned on has any
p{'opl e\\latchingor, ifso, howmany. The figures al sodo
not indicate theimpactofaprogramon thevi ewers(the
actual process Consequentl y, youwill find thai
yourshowisof1en judged no tbythes ignifi cant:eofyour
mt'SSage, the impact it has onIheaudience.or howclose
theactualeffectoftheprocessmess.agecame10Ihedefined
efff'ct,butsimplybythe ratingalldsharefigures_ As I"rus-
tralmgasthe ratingsysteminbroadcast tel evis ion is,you
must realizethJtyouareworkingwitha massmediumthai
bydefmitionbases existenceon largeaudiences.
i l".! _
Careful e.... entsequencing greatly(aCilitates production
schedulinganda(li vities.ThisapproachIS especiallyhelp-
(ulforaproou<lioo
Apflxiu<er andreadyaccesstoagreatvariety
ofres.ourcesandinfOlmation.Thelot ernetisanalm05t
instantaneousand informationresource.Telephone
director ies,airlineandothertransportationschedules,and
basicreferen<e booksandCD-ROMSillealsoimportant
resources..
Mostnootedmkalandte<hnical PfOOUC\lOn personnel
belongtoguildsorumons, such theDire(lorsGuild01
Ameri ca (OGA) ortheNational of BroadCost
EmployeesandTechnicians (NABer).
Theusualcopyrightlawsapplywhencopyrightedmateriat
(suchoS videoandaudiO material,printedinformation,and
CD-ROMs) IS used.natelevisionpfOduCl'on.
An dudiencelalingisthepercentageofteleviSion house-
withtheirselstunedtoastationinagivenscunple
popul at ionowningTVsets.Ashareistheper(. 'nt3g eof
householdstunedtoaspecificst ationin retationtoall
other usingtel(>vision (HUT).
For your reference, or totrockyourwork,eachVideo-
Lao programcueinthiSchapterislistedherewithits
correspondingpagenumbef.
Em) Ideas 393
!rID
PROCESS7 Effectto-cause7 basic ideai
deSIredeffectIcause 395
!rID
PROCESS7 treotment 395
ErlD
PROCESS"" Melhods7 locationj studioj
single-camera I mUlti-camera 397
Em) Propo!>c"lh7 budgetluyit 397
ErlD
PROCESS7 Ideos"" scripts 401
!rID
PROCESS"" EffecHo-cause""",cluat effecl 405
411