The director tells you when your shot is about to be used and when it is being used live. Even when your shot is not  live,  you  should  attempt  to  keep  a  shot  that  the director may find useful to the program. This will allow him  to  use  that  shot  for  coverage  if  something  goes wrong with another shot or camera. You may receive instructions from the director to move  the  camera,  either  to  a  new  angle  or  to  a  new position on the studio floor. It is essential to a successful television  production  that  all  camera  movements  be carried out correctly, quickly, quietly and smoothly. The director relies heavily on the conduct of the television camera operators, and his job is easier when you respond to his commands not only quickly but accurately. This is  particularly  important  during  unscripted  programs. (Television   shooting   techniques,   including   specific camera movements, are covered later in this chapter.) FLOOR  MANAGER The  floor  manager  stays  in  the  television  studio during a production. Through a headset system, he is in direct, two-way communication with the director in the control room. Normally, the talent is not able to use a headset and cannot receive instructions directly from the director.  It  is  the  prime  responsibility  of  the  floor manager to act as a liaison between the talent and the director. Since it is not practical for him to instruct the talent orally during a production, the floor manager stands or kneels next to the camera that the talent should speak to and uses a system of hand signals to relay the director’s instructions.   Although   any   hand   signal   system understood by both the floor manager and the talent will work, we recommend you use the universally accepted system shown in figure 14-11. The basic hand signals that both the floor manager and talent must understand are listed in the following text. l l l Stand by. For the hand signal to “stand by,” the floor  manager  raises  his  hand  and  arm  at  the beginning of the show or following a spot break Cue.  For  the  hand  signal  to  “start  talking”  or “begin  action,”  the  floor  manager  raises  his  hand and points to the talent. Cut.  For  the  hand  signal  to  “cease  talking”  or “stop action,” the floor manager draws his hand across his throat in a slashing motion. l l l l l l l l Stretch.  For  the  hand  signal  to  “stretch  it”  or “slow down,” the floor manager pulls his hands apart  as  if  stretching  a  rubber  band.  Longer amounts  of  time  are  indicated  when  the  floor manager places his hands farther apart at the end of the stretching motion; shorter time amounts are indicated when the floor manager places his hands  closer  together. Speed up. For the hand signal to “talk faster,” the floor   manager   rotates   his   arm   and   hand clockwise in a circle above his head. The speed of the rotations are related to the urgency of time. OK. For the hand signal that “everything is fine,” the floor manager makes a circle with his thumb and  forefinger. 30 seconds to go. For the hand signal that there are 30 seconds remaining in the show/segment, the  floor  manager  forms  the  letter  T with  both hands. 15 seconds to go/wrap it up. For the hand signal that   there   are   15   seconds   remaining   in   the show/segment  and  the  talent  should  wrap  up what  he  is  doing,  the  floor  manager  creates  a grabbing motion with his hand that results in a fist. Speak more softly. For the hand signal to “speak more softly,” the floor manager raises the palm of his hand to his mouth. Speak up. For the hand signal to “speak up,” the floor manager cups his ear with his hand. Speak  or  look  at  this  camera.  For  the  hand signal to “speak or look at this camera,” the floor manager  points  to  the  on-air  camera  with  his hand.  A  waving  motion  from  one  camera  to another   alerts   the   talent   that   the   director   is switching the shot to another on-air camera. Be  precise  and  deliberate  when  you  deliver  hand signals. Do not wave your arms in the air frantically — this will only confine and imitate the talent. During a television production, the studio floor is usually a maze of lighting and camera cables that can hinder the movement of the cameras and also be a safety hazard. The floor manager must make sure these cables are stored or positioned safely. Furthermore, he should find  out  from  the  camera  operator  and  director  how much camera movement is expected. 14-10