Franklyn 'Chappy' St Juste tunes the lighting console in the control room ahead of a Digicel Rising Stars show.- Contributed photosA symphony of lights, meticulous camera angles and more action than hours can recount. Such is the weekly set-up of Jamaica's most successful televised entertainment showcase - Digicel Rising Stars. Through the tube comes this fascinating programme every Sunday, delivering captivating performances and jaw-dropping pitfalls as the characters - contestants, judges and hosts - all give it their best shot.
To the ordinary fan of the show everything is taken for granted, but the curious enthusiast would, upon closer scrutiny, encounter a mix of elements involving sound, set design, camera work and other production services and how they connect to create must-watch TV for five years running.
Sanjay delivers the cues
Between the excitement of the hundreds seated in the auditorium and the performances beamed to thousands at home there must be a mediator. And for the last five years the Digicel Rising stars team has benefited from the capable hands and charming personality of Sanjay Ramanand, the floor manager. This Clarendon-born, New York City-bred psychology major, who spends most of his days courting his own spotlight as a dancehall artiste, will be the first to admit that he doesn't take himself "serious enough to be nervous" about being "the voice of the director on the floor" - though he referenced a small challenge related to his beginnings.
"One thing that took some getting used to was having to focus - you hearing the director in your ears, the cameramen and all of that is happening while the show is happening and you really have to focus," he said.
The simple description of his role on set is to ensure that "everything and anything that happens on set is done at the time that it should be and that nothing happens that shouldn't, from applause to presenter's cue to ensuring that nothing crosses on camera", he explained in his usually upbeat manner. If you find yourself in the audience on entering the auditorium he will give seating instructions; you will get the pre-show directives from him, saying he will cue (signal to you) when to clap, the importance of not moving while on set among other things.
About a minute and a half before the show begins he might yell "stand by" and that means you should quiet down. With about half a minute to go he will yell "30 seconds" and give the applause cue. The show theme begins, he starts clapping and so do you and those seated next to you. Yendi looks to him for her cue (though you might miss it) and she says the first words of the evening, signalling that the show has started.
Sound approach makes it clear
Through the use of a highly structured two-way communication system, sound engineers and broadcast technicians join forces every week to ensure the technical success of the Digicel Rising Stars show.
There is no denying the crucial role that audio plays on the show and how this impacts on the overall presentation to the viewing audience. Ensuring that the show's sound elements are transmitted to homes across the island is a highly technical process that involves the coming together of different persons, each with his/her own unique roles and responsibilities.
"Audio is very important. It is definitely more important to hear (what's being presented), because it is a singing competition; audio is
first priority," highlighted Rohan Foster, senior sound engineer on the show.
With roughly six persons in charge of sound, working together to ensure that all microphones are functioning correctly and that all sound checks are made, technicians are better able to limit the occurrence of sound irregularities during the show. Additionally, they are also charged with the responsibility of ensuring on-time music inserts during contestant performances and continuous functionality of microphones.
"Each engineer wears a headset and this helps to ensure that adjustments can be made easily," Foster said.
From the host and the contestants to the judges and persons in the Sony Ericsson Chill Room, sound engineers have a collective duty to guarantee superior audio quality all around. This is ensured by underscoring the importance of not only rehearsals, but also preparing for eventualities that may arise. Dedication and consistency is certainly the name of the game.
The importance of rehearsals must also not be ignored. It is at this time that soundchecks are made in an effort to limit feedback and ensure that microphones are at an acceptable level to fit the show and the voice levels of the contestants, hosts and judges. With roughly 16 microphones -10 in the main auditorium and six in the Chill Room - engineers are kept busy throughout the entire broadcast of the show.
Signal goes through Phase 3
Also crucial to the whole process is the broadcast element, which is primarily responsible for transmitting the show from the Courtleigh Auditorium to the studios of TVJ for consumer viewing.
With a total of 25 crew members, Phase 3 Productions works assiduously to ensure that cameras and teleprompters are in place for the effective broadcast of the show. "We are responsible for setting up all cameras so that you get what you see on television," director of Phase 3 Productions, Delano Forbes said. "We provide all the production resources at the auditorium."
Starting at 5:30 a.m. and ending at 11:00 p.m. on a typical performance show night, broadcast technicians are charged with the responsibility of putting all cameras, cables and communication technologies in place before and during the live show.
"We have six cameras in the main performance area and two in the Chill Room. There are a lot of resources that go into producing a show of this kind. It's of an international quality and our role is crucial," Forbes said. "We're the last link before it gets to TVJ."
With the multiplicity of cameras within the auditorium, Phase 3 Productions ensures that all relevant angles are captured during the live performance show. "It's a pretty elaborate and efficient operation for us and it's important to have a dedicated and qualified team, a plan and a workflow," Forbes said.
With a chain of events starting at the sound engineers, which then moves on to the Phase 3 multi-camera broadcast truck and then to the studios of TVJ, all these elements somehow fall perfectly in place to ensure that at 8:00 pm on a Sunday night Digicel Rising Stars viewers are exposed to a high-quality live performance show.
Lights, camera, Chappy
If you've ever noticed the colourful display of light during a live performance show on Digicel Rising Stars, or even the dim lighting that suddenly comes on for a particular contestant, then you are one of the many who have witnessed a spectacle that takes time and experience to achieve.
With direct responsibility for lighting on the show, Franklyn 'Chappy' St. Juste is charged with ensuring that all the necessary lighting instruments are in place, directing and operating the control systems and determining the style, colour and look of the show. It's a very technical process that demands a certain level of not only experience, but also intuition.
"Without lighting you wouldn't be able to see the show. You need lighting for the television to record images properly and to create and establish a mood," St. Juste said.
Interestingly, the lighting elements which are employed during the show are directly related to the types of songs each contestant will perform on the night. Depending on the song choices, lights are then used to create a mood that will undoubtedly complement the songs. The shape of the auditorium and also the general requirements for television all play a significant role in determining the types of lights to be used on the show.
Having been with the show since its inception in 2004, St. Juste has a perfect understanding of the needs of the show and those lighting elements that will complement different features. His many years of experience within the industry also plays a significant role in helping to determine the lighting elements for the show.
"I'm a filmmaker by profession, not trade. I'm also a lighting designer on stage. The two come together for whatever I do. I enjoy working with light; I like to know what I can do with lighting to create different moods," he said.
Floor manager Sanjay Ramanand demonstrates the applause cue to the audience in the Courtleigh Auditorium.
A Phase 3 crew member prepares for the broadcast, which takes the signal from the Courtleigh Auditorium to TVJ studios.
