Metropol

I know i'm in danger of becoming a troll. I know i've posted way too much recently, but circumstances allow me to troll TVF and MP24/7. I would apologise but i'm having way too much fun.. ( i really need to get out more).

I was thinking today about presenters and hosts and such like. They all have those earpieces that the director talks to them through. How the hell do they concentrate? That would really irritate me, i'd end up telling the director to shut the F**k up or taking the bloomin' thing out. Do they whisper into the earpiece or talk normally. What do they say? Do they natter all the time? Do they crack jokes to try and put the presenter off? What words are atually uttered through those earpieces?

From my personal experience, you hear everything being spoken in the gallery. Can be helishly off-putting but you would die without it.

Here's my little torture devise. Cutest bit being it having my name on it. Don't want to be getting anyone else's earwax...

Ooooh! You could sell that on e-bay oneday.

I wouldn't need an earpiece. I have a natural gift. It's called the gift of the gab! My gob has got me out of sooooo much trouble in the past. TV people should employ people who can think on their feet. It would save the host having to wear sticky, waxy earpieces. Then the director would have time to write their shopping lists

Most presenter these days use "open talkback", meaning they hear everything from the gallery.

Some make a point of using "closed talkback" which is were the Director has to press a button to be heard.

Sue Lawley told me that Moria Stuart uses closed talkback, resulting in an odd "glazed look" in her eyes when the director speaks to her directly.

Did I miss the episode of Metropol when Row explained why he has an earpiece?

Sput wrote:Did I miss the episode of Metropol when Row explained why he has an earpiece?

He made a post about it at some (long) time ago on TV Forum. I forget the nitty gritty but it was interesting IIRC.

Gavin Scott wrote:"closed talkback"

Usually called "switched"

From my experience the director speaks in his usual voice, and you do hear other people as well.

I am quite good at blocking out sounds other than the ones I want to hear, such as the read on command or the breaking news command, which hasnt been processed on to the autocue (in my experence breaking tends to be fed through during reports so its never too much of a problem).

Basically, just stop reading when you cut to reports, and listen for anything that affects you until the read on command comes.

Now... after saying command so much I feel like a dog. Could somebody please fetch me my water dish, and a bone and then scratch my fleas. Thank You.

It's actually surprisingly easy to filter out the bits that aren't relevant to you, I'm not sure how it happens, but you just get used to it. In fact, my experience is that you feel lost on a studio floor without talkback and knowing exactly what is happening.

Any good presenter should also want to know what's happening on the show and those that are natural don't even flinch at the suggestion that something MIGHT go wrong.

Yes, I ges you just get used to filtering and just pick up on whats relevant.

GNiel wrote:From my experience the director speaks in his usual voice, and you do hear other people as well.

I am quite good at blocking out sounds other than the ones I want to hear, such as the read on command or the breaking news command, which hasnt been processed on to the autocue (in my experence breaking tends to be fed through during reports so its never too much of a problem).

Basically, just stop reading when you cut to reports, and listen for anything that affects you until the read on command comes.

Now... after saying command so much I feel like a dog. Could somebody please fetch me my water dish, and a bone and then scratch my fleas. Thank You.

Aaaah! So you develop selective hearing! My Mum has that problem.

Where do you work then? And the Auto cue. Is that really easy to read? or do you need training so you don't sound like droning moron.