Fundamentals of Television Production

With a comprehensive approach to TV production, Fundamentals of Television Production balances a discussion of basic "how-to" and "hardware" against a discussion of aesthetics, writing, performance, directing, producing and other important skills.

Fundamentals of Television Production makes the basic technical concepts of television easy to understand, while "Tech Manuals" provide more detailed technological information. Beginning with an overview that walks the reader through three types of production, the book moves on to comprehensively cover everything from camera composition, scriptwriting, and television announcing and performance to production design and producing. Throughout, the role of aesthetic consideration in communicating mood and meaning is a constant theme.

While the authors stress the importance of hands-on experience, they also underscore the importance of pre-production planning throughout the text, noting that most productions should only involve the execution of plans formed well in advance. The book’s readability, made even more understandable by the use of examples from popular TV programs and motion pictures, represents an approach to TV production teaching perfected over the authors’ combined century of experience in the classroom and studio.