#technical information

If you know me, you know I'm a bit of a film nerd (by educated choice) and a sucker for talking about the technical components of a shoot. @zanite8 expressed some interest in more of this sort of thing on this post by @cake-emu, so I thought I might supply a little bit of info on the elements that I noticed which upped the production value of this special episode.

1. They shot with different cameras.

For a traditional episode of Coronation Street, the camera department works with a line of cameras from Sony called the HDC-3500. (ITV bought 21 of them in 2019, with the intention of preparing Coronation Street for adaptability to ever-changing production needs and technological advancements.)

These (broadcast) cameras meet the day-to-day needs of a production like Coronation Street - with the ability to shoot higher-resolution picture quality than is currently required, plenty of output options, a range of frame rate capabilities, low-key saturation (for vibrant colours in low light), etc, etc. Sony boasts that this line of cameras "anticipate tomorrow's production needs while maintaining full compatibility with today's workflows and system hardware."

Knowing that Coronation Street is sometimes (often?) shot as a multi-cam production, it makes sense why ITV opted for cameras of this variety for this specific show.

For Corriedale, they went a different route.

Meet the Sony FX6: one of the most popular compact, full-frame cinema cameras currently available. They pack a hell of a punch in a tiny, cost-effective body.

(When Sony visited my cinematography class during my time at film school [to demo the latest of their equipment for us], this was one of the cameras that met all the criteria of incredible quality on a reasonable budget. I won't lie to you and say the film bros were thirsting over it, because there was a Sony Venice in the room, but I believe the school ended up buying at least one of these and couple FX3s after I graduated. I'm obviously jealous.)

In comparison to what the camera teams for Coronation Street (and Emmerdale) are used to, the Sony FX6 would feel like stepping into the big leagues. From my own experience working with a few (they seem to be becoming an industry favourite for smaller budget production), I can say they're a dream come true for having control over and versatility in creating your final image.

Personally, I am so, so happy that the production team selected this camera for shooting Corriedale. I know it was a fantastic option for (not blowing the budget and) achieving the cinematic quality that made this special episode so enthralling.

2. They used prime lenses.

To put it very simply, a prime lens is a type of camera lens with a fixed focal length - meaning, you can't zoom it in or out. The advantages of working with a lens like this is they create sharper images and have a faster maximum aperture rate (I'll explain this in a second). When you've got a cinema camera for your shoot, like the Sony FX6, prime lenses are what you want (need, must) to be working with.

(I was able to verify that they were, in fact, using prime lenses thanks to a few shots of the monitors on set. The numbers around the edges of the image are all important information for the crew, about the camera settings. On the bottom left, next to FCL [which stands for Focal Length], is where you can see the lens being used. 25mm, 35mm, and 75mm are all prime lenses often found in 6- or 7-lens kits. At the top middle of the monitor, you can also see the Iris numbers. T1.4 is an example of a fast aperture rate.)

In a typical episode of Coronation Street, the standard shot has a very wide depth-of-field (or, a large area of focus). This means that viewers can see the entirety of the characters' faces clearly and the space around them, and that multiple characters can be visible in the same frame. This makes the crew's life easier on a normal day, when each of the 3-4 shooting teams are going through 30 pages in 12 hours (a fucking marathon of a shooting schedule). It allows them to get a lot of scene coverage (and details for the audience!) in a shorter amount of time and with fewer shots or setups.

However, with a faster aperture on a prime lens, crews are able to shoot with a much shorter depth-of-field (or, a smaller area of focus): narrowing in on just one character's face or minute details of their expression. We're used to seeing this style more on big budget TV shows and films, when production has more time for a lot of setups.

(Personally, a shallow depth-of-field is one of my favourite methods for shooting anything. In photography, it allows for really juicy macro shots with fine detail in the tiniest of spaces. In cinematography, it means you can create grand, captivating shots with rack-focusing and panning and dolly moves. It has its time and place, of course, but the results are gorgeous. [And you surely know that all of us film nerds have been lusting after the incredible rack-focus shots used in Corriedale. An example of one is below.])

The use of prime lenses for this shoot is the reason every shot looks so picturesque: soft edges around faces, bokeh effect on lights behind characters, the smoke creating an ethereal haze around the scene, etc.

When Jonny McPherson said in the behind-the-scenes that the cameras were making their faces look incredible, he was not lying.

3. They used Steadicam operators.

That sentence sounds misleading, as Coronation Street does employ Steadicam operators for shooting typical episodes. However, for the purpose of Corriedale, director Duncan Foster used Steadicam in a different way than we normally see it.

Steadicam is a method of camera stabilization that helps to achieve smooth, dynamic camera movements that usually aren't possible with a dolly, a crane, or on a tripod (which I've always heard lovingly referred to as 'sticks' or 'legs'). Images shot this way are much, much smoother than anything that could be captured by a handheld camera.

This method of image stabilization typically requires a piece of equipment worn on the body of the camera operator, which helps to manage some of the weight of the camera and allow the operator to move around more freely with it.

These harnesses can also include a multi-axis Gymbal attachment (like the Ronin, seen above), which utilize motors to help stabilize the camera even further.

It's the use of Steadicam that made it possible to have shots where the camera moved through space with the characters. Every time a shot followed actors between vehicles, across the dance floor, through a room, along the road... that feeling of immersion within the episode (and in the lead-up episodes) was thanks to this technology.

4. They used an LED Volume.

(Big thanks to @cake-emu for adjusting my terminology on this one. Here in Toronto, spaces with this equipment all seem to be called Immersion Rooms, so I've always called these immersion screens.)

This probably makes the minimum amount of difference to anyone, but I think it's worth mentioning from a technical standpoint. Firstly, because it made it easier for the crew to shoot within all the vehicles that were part of the crash. And secondly, because it allowed the production team to keep the lighting and out-of-car visuals standard for every shot, every angle, every bit of coverage that was captured of characters in the cars and mini-bus.

(Maybe it's just my nerd brain, but that is huge.)

An LED Volume is a collection of screens with no edges, which can be used to create virtual sets for production. (Katie Hill talks about it in a behind-the-scenes video here, but she calls the screen "a big projector".) You can see it in use in the image above behind the side windows of the mini bus: a cloudy, sun-setting sky.

(Coronation Street has used them [at least] once before [from what @cake-emu was able to help me find], when shooting the rooftop scenes in 2022. They were actually the first continuing drama to use these virtual production capabilities!)

With this technology, a production can create a completely imagined space for their actors to perform in or they can gather footage from the real world and recreate a space that already exists - without the fuss of changing daylight, weather, or the unpredictability of interruptions from being on-location. As an added bonus (which blue or green screen doesn't offer), the actors are able to see exactly what they're performing with, which creates more authentic portrayals. And better lighting!

5. They used colour grading.

If you've ever made a gif of Coronation Street, you've probably griped a time or two about the colour correction on the show. We've all had our grievances with too much magenta or greens in certain shots, fiddling around in Photoshop to make it look just a little bit better for Tumblr.

Colour correction is not the same as colour grading, though.

Where colour correction is used to adjust the camera's captured colours to make them look true-to-life, colour grading is used after colour correction to create a specific mood in storytelling. Its intention is to evoke feelings in the viewer.

For Corriedale, Duncan Foster chose a palette that washed everything in dark, tonally muted shades - a grading that emphasized the blue and red tones of various lights, injuries, wardrobe choices, etc. This choice allowed for even more of a visual punch from the lighting design.

( @oneacreplot mentioned that these contrasting reds and blues in the lighting design were also used for pivotal moments of several couples. Several times, one half of a pairing would be getting hit with blue lighting, while the other was washed in red. Some examples...

At points, these colours would meet and create a soft, almost purple, hue - like when Betsy joined the shot with Carla and Lisa.

Stylistically, I'm a big old nerd and I'm glad I have friends who are, too.)

The importance of red and blue light was a theme across the episode and choosing to colour grade was an important part of what made this lighting design so impactful.

This colour grading was used across the board - in the pre-episodes of both soaps, as well as the entirety of the Corriedale episode - which resulted in everything feeling cohesive.

...

To sum it all up... those are just five technology-based things I noticed that I think played an important part in turning Corriedale into the cinematically engaging piece of media that it is.

(There is so much more that could be said on this topic [like the change in aspect ratio, eh @cake-emu?], but only 30 images are allowed in a post and I've reached the limit with this one.)

Seeing the final product and the behind-the-scenes footage they've shared with us thus far (please give me more), I can completely understand why the cast have said it felt like shooting a film. My little nerd heart hopes they get to employ more of these techniques in the future because I love the episode they were able to create with them. Plus, it's fucking fun for the cast and crew!

If you'd like to know more about how the production of Coronation Street occurs, from the mouth of the people who make it, please check out this really great article from MetroUK that outlines just some of what occurs between the formulation of these stories to the episodes airing on screen.

Your guide to the intercom system and radio channels on a B-17 as well as the related crew equipment. As always, please let me know if you have any follow up questions!

Some of my graphics come from this brief, but super helpful video on the intercoms of the B-17 Flying Fortress. I definitely recommend checking it out!

Jack Box Channels

The interphone jack boxes are what was used to switch the radio channel an individual was listening to. There were eleven or twelve jack boxes mounted throughout the aircraft depending on the plane, one for each position.

Three were located in the nose for the navigator, bombardier, and forward gunner (like Bucky in ep 3)

Three were on the flight deck for the copilot, pilot, and top turret gunner

Two in the radio compartment, one for the radio operator and one for the Mickey operator/radar operator (PFF aircraft)

Three in the waist compartment for the waist gunners and ball turret gunner.

One in the tail for the tail gunner

These interphone jack boxes had five different switch positions, as follows:

COMP

The Compass Radio Receiver was a navigational instrument with a couple of different uses, though it had no transmission capability.

“The radio compass was used for aircraft navigation / homing: a beacon or broadcast transmitter could be tuned in, a loop antenna was rotated automatically to the transmitter direction and the result was displayed on the indicator.”

— radiomuseum.org

Here’s an excerpt from Crosby’s memoir, A Wing and a Prayer, that explains how the radio compass might be used by a navigator.

“Lead! I wasn't a lead navigator. On all my missions so far, I had been comfortable in a Tail-End Charlie plane. I could, more or less, keep track of where we were. On a practice mission, when engine trouble made Brady's crew drop out of formation and we had to come back alone, I found our way home. The radio beacon at our field, Splasher Six, was R5, read loud and clear, and with the radio compass I zeroed in on that.

But lead? If there were no clouds I could get to Liverpool, I could see the navigator's friend, a train track, the whole way, and when we got to the end of the railroad, Liverpool would be on the coast. On the northern leg of the flight I could follow the Scottish coastline all the way. On the way home I would tune in on Splasher Six, our base homing beacon, and let the radio compass get us back to the base.”

— A Wing and a Prayer by Harry Crosby

Going one step further, the radio compass could be used to cross reference the radio beacon schedules with the radio beacon bearings to triangulate an aircraft’s position.

LIAISON

The liaison channel was used to communicate with aircraft and with ground stations over large distances, upwards of 3000 miles depending on weather conditions and method of transmission. This would consist of things like reporting to HQ, receiving orders, providing confirmation of an attack, reporting recon results, etc. This would include receiving the code to recall the formation back to base.

Any crew position could listen to this channel, but only four jack box stations could transmit: the pilot, copilot, navigator, and radio operator.

COMMAND

Similar to the liaison channel, the command radio was used for short-range communication with other aircraft and with ground stations. This means on missions, planes would communicate to each other using this radio. This would usually include talking to control towers, issuing and receiving instructions from other aircraft in the squadron, etc. The reliable transmitting distance was approximately 25 miles, though with ideal weather conditions this distance was greater.

Note, usually fighter aircraft had only Command radio equipment. In Crosby’s book, he mentioned listening to their P-51 fighter escort talking to each and complaining that “the Berlin guys got all the action.”

Although any position could listen to the command channel, only the pilots and copilot had the transmission key. Meaning only they could make transmissions. The control box for the command radio was located on the ceiling of the cockpit, situated between the copilot and pilot.

I’ve included a section from Crosby’s memoir below to show how they interact over the different channels, specifically with the command, or in this case “task force,” channel.

I made a post a while back about callsigns used between aircraft and squadrons on missions. Feel free to check that out here.

INTER

The intercommunication system for use between crew members. Most flyboys kept their jack boxes on “INTER,” having no need to switch to any of the others. Unnecessary chatter was often kept to a minimum, but obviously there are exceptions when you throw ten young men in a tin can for eight hours straight.

Having multiple people talking over the intercom at the same time would cause issues, so they were instructed not to speak while someone else is using the system, unless it was very important.

CALL

A transmission channel that enabled the user to over-ride reception on all other jack box stations on the aircraft. A spring returned the selector switch back to "INTER" so that it cannot be left on “CALL” for extended periods of time. This was not commonly used as crews were told to avoid using it unless necessary.

Equipment: Headsets

Every crew member had a headset, and they were instructed to keep it on at all times. Their sheepskin flying helmets also had receivers built in, so they were able to switch to those once at the same time that they equipped their oxygen masks.

See the image at the top of the post for a labeled diagram of the typical headset and throat mic setup. The image below features two actors on set of Masters of the Air. You can see the microphone switch box and throat mic on Anthony Boyle who plays navigator Harry Crosby. Comparatively, David Shield, who pilot Everett Blakely, doesn’t have a microphone switch box because he is a pilot (see below for more info on this).

Their standard uniform caps, however, were often uncomfortable due to the grommet. Flyboys would remove the grommet so that the headset would sit properly on their head—a look that would be dubbed the “fifty mission crush,” alternatively called the “hundred mission crush.”

In the Air Force, a flyer wanted to be “hot.” He wanted to be able to handle his liquor and his women. When he got his picture taken, he wanted to look like a "rock," short for "hot rock." When a rock went into the air and put on his radio headset, the stiff top of his hat kept his headset from fitting close to his ears. So out came the stiff wire circular grommet. It never went back in, and the hat with the "hundred mission crush” was born. The more disreputable the hat, the better for the rock.

— A Wing and a Prayer by Harry Crosby

Equipment: Microphones

The throat microphone sensed and absorbed audio vibrations from the user’s throat. The oxygen masks would eventually become outfit with microphones as well, which made it easier when they were above 10,000 ft.

The microphone and radio headsets were kept on the aircraft at their stations, put on and cords connected once they were in position at their station.

You’ll likely never see them with their headsets outside of the plane. Crosby mentioned how he had forgotten to take off the headset from around his neck after one mission, so it is technically possible, but unlikely.

All microphone on the B-17 were push-to-talk, but not all of them had the switches on their person. The reason the flyboys would begin transmissions with things like “Navigator to pilots” or “Pilot to all crew” is because it was often difficult for them to distinguish voices, especially in the loud environment.

Speaking of background noise, according to multiple sources, the background noise on a B-17 varied from position to position. Those nearest to the propellers who have been exposed to more noise as opposed to those in the tail, or maybe even the nose of the aircraft.

The location of the intercom switches for each crew member were as follows:

Pilots

Pilots had a button on their steering column that triggered their microphone.

Ball Turret Gunner

The BTG had a switch on the side of the ball turret.

Top Turret Gunner/Flight Engineer

The flight engineer had a button on the handhold of the center column for the top turret.

Everyone Else

The Navigators, Bombardiers, Radio Operators, Waist Gunners, and Tail Gunners all had a push-to-talk switch on a lanyard around their neck.

“Sister-Ships To Cossack Are Building For Canada,” Toronto Star. May 22, 1940. Page 02. ---- Two New Destroyers Will Be Biggest, Fastest and Most Heavily Armed in Dominion’s Navy, Carrying 15 Guns and With 36.5 Knot Speed ---- Ottawa, May 22 (CP) - Sister ships of the illustrious H.M.S. Cossack of Altmark fame, two Tribal class destroyers are now under construction in Great Britain for the Royal Canadian Navy. They will be the largest, fastest, and most heavily armed destroyers in the service of this dominion, it was learned today.

Like the graceful, high-bowed Cossack, which rescued the British seamen on the German prison-ship and later participated in the Narvik campaign, the new Canadian vessels will mount eight 4.7 inch guns, four 21-inch torpedo tubes, and seven smaller quick-firing guns. They speed will be 36.5 knots.

The new destroyers will be of 1,870 tons displacement, compared with the 1,390 tons of the flotilla leader, H.M.S.C. Assiniboine, purchased earlier in the war and hitherto the largest Canadian destroyer.

Assiniboine ‘s main armament is 4.7 inch guns, half the number of the Tribal clsss, and she has six smaller guns compared to seven for the Tribal class, and eight 21-inch torpedo tubes compared with four in the Tribal class.  Assiniboine‘s top speed is 35.75 knots compared with 36.5 for the Tribal class.

The new vessels will have a complement of 190 officers and ratings compared with 175 for the Assiniboine, and 44,000 horsepower from their turbnes compared with 36,000 turned up by the  Assiniboine. The Tribal class overall waterline length is 355 1/2 feet, beam 36 1/2 and draught nine feet, compared with 326 feet length, 33 feet beam and 8 2/3 feet draught of the flotilla leader.

Hi @anais-pier!

I do! Since I found it hard to find information about filmmaking in high school, I was inspired to create this blog to gather resources for and give advice to aspiring filmmakers.

My first advice is to just make things. The best way to learn filmmaking is to get hands-on experience. Also, making stories is what makes you appealing when trying to get a job or apply to film school. Professionals like to see creativity and initiative. Technical skills are great, but anyone can learn how to use a camera. People are interested in your unique perspective, your ability to tell a story, and your willingness to work hard.

As for other advice, since my blog has a growing number of informational posts, I have made a short list of links that may help you start making your films.

If you are looking for technical information:

Some recommended texts

Youtube channels

Cameras for beginners

What you need for a short film

If you are looking for film school information:

How to look for the right school

Recommended schools

US

Canadian

International

I also currently have a page dedicated to screenwriting tips and will soon add a page with all my posts about filmmaking basics (technical info, vocabulary of the industry, directing advice…).

Good luck!

I couldn’t reblog for some reason, so have a link!

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