Electronic field production

Electronic field production (EFP) is a television industry term referring to a video production which takes place in the field, outside of a formal television studio, in a practical location or special venue. In the field-defining text, Television Production Handbook, now in its 12th edition, author Herbert Zettl defines EFP as using "both ENG and studio techniques. From ENG it borrows its mobility and flexiblity; from the studio it borrows its production care and quality control. EFP takes place on location (which may include shooting in someone's living room) and has to adapt to the location conditions... Good lighting and audio are always difficult to achieve in EFP, regardless of whether you are outdoors or indoors. Compared to ENG, in which you simply respond to a situation, EFP needs careful planning."

Typical applications of electronic field production include awards shows, concerts, major interviews for newsmagazine shows like Inside Edition, Extra (TV program) and Dateline NBC, large conventions such as the Democratic National Convention, Republican National Convention or San Diego Comic-Con International, celebrity red-carpet events and sporting events.

EFP ranges from a camera operator or crew of two (camera operator with sound mixer) capturing high-quality imagery, to a multiple-camera setup utilizing videography, photography, advanced graphics and sound.

Sports television is one facet of EFP. Major television networks once owned their own production trucks for covering major events, but today, with the explosion in networks on cable and over-the-air, they rent television production trucks by the day or week from broadcast rental companies for more routine or remote broadcast productions.

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