Educational Mass Media

8/3/2019 Educational Mass Media

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PRODUCING FOR EDUCATIONAL MASS MEDIA

INTRODUCTION

Over the past decade in particular, education has generally attempted to become more precise, more

analytical, in its intentions, and the media have followed suit. in consequence this handbook - while it is

primarily concerned with educational mass media, with the applications of radio, television and

supporting print and audio visual materials to educational problems has to range further afield than

the technical specialism of the production process.

This is by no means a bad thing. In the first place, the producer of educational media materials ha a

specific job to do, and the more he knows about related fields the better a producer he is likely to be.

This is always the case, even in traditional television; the best producers are those who know something

of the technical instrument with which they are working, and who can plan to the limits of their studio

and equipment. If we add to this acknowledge other element of psychological, educational or social

theory, the producer become more flexible still.

Second, whatever we are creating, it always helps to be clear as to why, and for what purpose, we are

creating it. And this is exactly what the newer approaches to education in far more probing term. The

media can certainly benefit from the same degree of introspection.

It is no easy task to summarize a decade of educational thinking in the compass of a few thousand

words. Yet when the particular situation of the media producer is taken up, these changes amount to

half a dozen simple maxims.

1. The use of media must be proceeded by a clear statement of educational objectives and of the

contribution which media can be expected to make realizing these objective.

2. Media are part of an over all process of educational innovation and development.

3. Media do not exist independently of each other.

4. Media are constantly changing, in form, technology, technique and potential.

5. Mass and interpersonal media are linked in a common process.

6. Evaluation and research are indispensable parts of the planning process.

A discussion of these simple precepts should be enough to put the modern producer in perspective.





production unit, a small cell of people working in unison on a common project. Technical services can be

drawn on as required, from general pool. But the flesh and bones of each series the way in which it

fulfils educational objective can only be put together as long term joint operation.

The numbers of people will be found in the production unit, or production team, will vary according to

the size of the service, the resources available, ant the sophistication of program formats. They canrange from a single person to a group of six or more at the level of national broadcasting services. The

main function of the production teams are as follow.

Producer have overall responsibility for the program. They prepare the program format, liaise with

outside bodies, control the selection of script contents, visual (film and graphic) and cast (professional

actors and amateur participant). Coordinate the activities of the production unit, and responsible for

budgetary administration.

Directors ( when they independently of producer) oversee the translation of script and visual material

into actual program. They deal with the cast in rehearsal and during transmission and supervise the

movement of cameras in the studio.

Presenter (often known as anchormen or the television teacher) perform in the studio, using a variety of

illustration .

Script writer write the script of the program (with full dialogue and an indication of the forms of

illustration to be used but without technical instruction.

Production assistants assist the producer in program preparation and frequently direct both film

sequences and studio recording. They are often junior or trainee, producers.

Script assistants look after the administration of the production unit and assist the director in thecontrol room. They keep a full record of the productions history (including the budget), book artist,

prepare script, arrange planning meetings and rehearsals and book all studio services.

Research assistant carry out basic research for ETV program including film research.

Some of these roles may, in a smaller service. He conflated or eliminated al together. Producer as has

been said frequently double as directors, presenters are often responsible for their own scripts and it is

a very lavishly financed operation which can afford either independent researchers or production

secretaries (usually at the national level only)

PRODUCING PHASING AND BUDGETING

There are Five main stages in producing for educational media. First, program outline, indicating the

main requirements, format and organization of the projected program. Second to four stage continue

with process of preparation (including main strands of scripting, auditioning, casting and working with



performers, technical planning, graphic and design and filming). Stages 5infers the final production

process, where these several inputs are brought together.

A. The Program Outline

The preparation of a program outline is bound to vary from services to services, there is no

standard format or practice. Nevertheless the function of program outline is always similar, it ismeans of bringing together the thoughts of the producer in a coherent way, and of indicating to

him and to other what means and methods he expects to choose to realize the programs

objective.

So the outline is a brief statement of intent. It does not have to be overlong, indeed, brevity is

an advantages, as it encourages precision. It should state, first, the programs objectives, its

target audience, its duration, its relationship to other media and its relationship to previous or

subsequent program. Secondly it should summarize the main argument or content of the

program and the means of i llustration. A division into studio and film sequences will be very

useful (from the technical planning view point) and resources can best be spelt out by dividing

the outline into two halves, one representing content, the other format. A characteristicexample might therefore be as shown overleaf.

B. Program Preparation

In many ways the art of media production is the art of doing many different things in the same

times, without losing track of the whole process of which they are a part. We have already

isolated a number of major strands, each of a which will involve separate specialists and (in the

case of larger organizations) separate service departments. The principal items which we are

concerned here are those of technical planning, graphic and design, scripting, working with

artist and filming. Their contribution to the whole program has been expressed in the program

outline, but they must now be allowed to take their separate paths, before coming together

again in the studio production.

For the next stage of this work, therefore the producer has the following task to carry out.

First, he has to cost out the resources which he wishes to use, and obtain financial authority.

This will depend upon the complexity of the service within he works, but he will certainly have

to match his desires against a known resources level, or against a fixed budget for the series. Of

course, if the series has an overall budget, he can average out his requirements across all the

program, reserving film sequences for example, for only a few important elements.

Second he has to fix meetings with the various specialist department concerned ( example, with

designer, technical manager, film editor etc). At least one meeting should be a joint planning

meeting, where various specialist discuss the program design with the producer and his staff

and each has the benefit of the other reactions. It is important that, at this early stage, the final

production is still seen, thought of and discussed as a totality.

Third he must book ahead for various services and issue contracts as required. Film crews have

to be reserved in advance, so do studios and studio personnel. It may well be that certain special

effect (example back projection) will need special booking. Such complex processes as film





D. Resources Material

Availability of source materials is another limiting factor. Most services will want to use a good

deal of material which they cannot be expected to provide for themselves, particular areasbeing film, photographic, music and the use of literacy and dramatic works. Film can be taken as

a characteristic example. This has not only to be secured (often from abroad), print made and

edited, but copyright clearance and payment have also to be negotiated.

In the main films, like other materials, are protected by copyright laws and any use of them for

television purpose incurs two obligation. First, to secure permission to use the film material

(which may not always be forthcoming. Especially if only sequences or extract are required), and

second to negotiate, and pay for the right broadcast the material.

E. Production

The stage of studio production is the terminal stage of the schedule, the point at which allplanning processes converge. It is also the point at which the ability of the production unit to

work as a team Is tested in the fullest, in the environment of t he studio. As such it will be given

a separate chapter, later in this section.

F. Piloting

One aspect of program development has important implications for the producer is that of

piloting. As was a described in the introduction, the main function of media systems planning is

to make program and materials as relevant and specific as possible; hence the importance of the

evaluation process, which feeds data on program utilization and audience reaction back to theplanners and producers, so that they can modify weak links in the chain when the next

production cycle begins. Piloting might be describe as evaluation in advance. It involves the

production, in prototype form only, of selected materials at an early stage of development, so

that they can be tested with sample audiences, and modifications made before resources are

invested in final production.

The character of the pilot will also vary from medium to medium. In the case of television, a fully

assured studio quality production can rarely be under taken, except by lager organization, but to

some extent the shape of the program and its style can be inferred by a script, associated print

and audio visual material, sample graphics, roughs fill sequences. It may also by possible roughly

to record the program, or characteristic excerpts, on a helical scan video tape recorder, without

fully involving a broadcast studio.

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Educational Mass Media