BBC World

B&B is 'Black and Burst'.  It just means a black picture, which is not the same as no picture/signal.  The 'burst' means that it has a few cycles of colour burst sub-carrier on the back porch (just after the sync pulse).

B&B is used normally to synchronise television stations and equipment together.  There is a master B&B generator (SPG) at TV Centre which feeds to every bit of video equipment in the Centre (every camera, VT machine, vision mixer, studio etc.)

Sorry - technical answer, but you did ask.  

BTW, it gets far more complex and engineers have written huge books on the subject.  My few months at the BBC's training centre in Worcestershire just scratched the surface!

I think (but not 100% sure) that they changed the main plasma in the World studio for a new one earlier this year, and the old one went into the World special/sport today set.  I heard rumours of around £7k.  But the main one now has BBC News burnt in it.

Thanks, and I did ask

So is SPG 'signal pulse generator'? (and that is the equivalent of a 'genlock' ?  )  

On a general point,  I'm quite interested in learning more about vision mixing,  are there are good books/documents available (either in print or on the internet) - or is it the sort of thing you have to go on a course first to get any real information about?

William

(Edited by william at 8:59 pm on July 21, 2001)


(Edited by william at 9:00 pm on July 21, 2001)

SPG is a 'Sync Pulse Generator', the pulses are used to lock all the equipment together.  These are very accurate devices, and the BBC used to have it's own atomic clock to refrence the pulses to.  Genlock is sometimes refered to a device that can be locked to an external reference - for example some kind of device connected to a computer to make it's output synchronous to the rest of the equipment so you could connect it to a vision mixer.  Or sometimes refered to as any video equipment  'genlocked' together (same as saying locked to the same reference).

As for vision mixing, it depends what you want to do.  If it is news vision mixing, then these days it is often the job of the director to vision mix themselves (called a Technical Director).  Get a grounding in television news operational work - sound, vision, VT etc, and work your way up to TD.

If you want to mix programmes (such as entertainment) then things like the ability to read music is quite important.  These days most vision mixers (the people) are freelance, and as there is less and less non-news studio programmes being made, then it would be a difficult job to achieve.  I guess any work you can get in a TV gallery would be good.  Maybe being a PA would be a good step.  You would also need to master Digital Video Effects (DVE), and be able to knock up effects really quickly - which is not easy - I can assure you.

And of course, on-line linear VT editing uses vision mixers, so you would certainly get to play with them in an edit suite, and the DVE's too.

There are courses, try BBC Wood Norton, or Ravensbourne College. I guess most media courses with a TV production element will cover the subject.

Or if you want to look at the kit, then manufacturers like Sony, Thompson and Grass Valley are some of the big players.

I used to be a vision mixer many moons ago (drag out the zimmer frame Grandad!!) The way you became, and still become to a certain extent a vision mixer is to work your way up the ranks.

The thing is, to become a good vision mixer you need to understand about the whole vision chain, from start to finish, so it's ideal if you've worked or have experience in all the ancillary areas, such as VT, GFX, OB's, Cameras etc etc.

The art of vision mixing isn't just about 'pressing buttons'. It's about timing, and in this profession it is classed as an art form, because there is an amount of creativity, especially when programing a DVE.

Andyrew is right, there are fewer & fewer jobs now for vision mixers. More & more productions tend to scrimp & save & the Director will mix their own programmes, not just News, but other programmes which don't necessarily need an experienced mixer.

As Andyrew says, the BBC's training centre is probably the best place on the face of the planet for any form of TV/Radio training. Find them here... BBC Training. It's open to everybody, not just the BBC. Call them and ask!

Probably your first step though would be at a Media school. There's lots of courses around & the government will pay for it, whereas you'd have to stomp up the cash yourself for the BBC Training Centre (approx £1000 per week depending on course)

I hope you succeed in your chosen profession.
Good luck

BTW, I didn't leave vision mixing because I wasn't any good! I left because I was too experienced & cost too much money

I used to be a vision mixer many moons ago (drag out the zimmer frame Grandad!!) The way you became, and still become to a certain extent a vision mixer is to work your way up the ranks.

The thing is, to become a good vision mixer you need to understand about the whole vision chain, from start to finish, so it's ideal if you've worked or have experience in all the ancillary areas, such as VT, GFX, OB's, Cameras etc etc.

The art of vision mixing isn't just about 'pressing buttons'. It's about timing, and in this profession it is classed as an art form, because there is an amount of creativity, especially when programing a DVE.

Andyrew is right, there are fewer & fewer jobs now for vision mixers. More & more productions tend to scrimp & save & the Director will mix their own programmes, not just News, but other programmes which don't necessarily need an experienced mixer.

As Andyrew says, the BBC's training centre is probably the best place on the face of the planet for any form of TV/Radio training. Find them here... BBC Training. It's open to everybody, not just the BBC. Call them and ask!

Probably your first step though would be at a Media school. There's lots of courses around & the government will pay for it, whereas you'd have to stomp up the cash yourself for the BBC Training Centre (approx £1000 per week depending on course)

I hope you succeed in your chosen profession.
Good luck

BTW, I didn't leave vision mixing because I wasn't any good! I left because I was too experienced & cost too much money

If anyone still hasn't got to see this yet, the best chance is when they're interviewing someone in the World Service studios, it's so strong it looks like it's really behind the person until they cut to the person being interviewed and you realise it isn't there.