The Technical Director (TD) is the person that turns the Director’s words into the actions seen on the screen. When the Director yells ‘Ready camera 3, TAKE camera 3’ it is the Technical Director who physically pushes the button that "takes" camera 3.
Technical Directors sit next to the Director in the control room, in front of a large control board called a ‘switcher’. The switcher is the Technical Directors tool kit, full of buttons and levers that control the visuals seen on screen.
The mantra of the Technical Director is practice, practice, practice. Learning the switcher well enough to work a live broadcast is not an overnight procedure. Becoming skilled at a control room switcher can take months, mastering it can take years.
Technical Directors often double as Broadcast Engineers, monitoring the technical aspects of all incoming video sources, including gain levels and synch timing. In these instances, it is the Technical Director’s job to ensure all video sources are the highest possible quality.
Learn the Secrets of Becoming a Top Technical Director:Q&A; with Portland Trailblazers Technical Director, John BurnsQ&A; with NFL on Fox & Seattle Sounders Technical Director, Glen WilhelmQ&A; with CNN Technical Director, Ellen Sagun |
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You are good at taking direction.
Nothing aggravates a Director more than a Technical Director who tries to predict what they are going to say next. You may assume that the Director will want to ‘Take Camera 2’, but you can’t act on your instincts until the Director says so. The best Technical Directors listen well and wait to do anything until they are instructed by the Director.
You play drums or video games, since being a Technical Director means you’ll use your hands, eyes, ears and feet all at the same time!