Electronic Field Productions

For six years, during summer exercises at CFB Petawawa, LFCATC Meaford and at Burwash, Roberts managed a mobile military video production team. This was the first time that the Canadian Forces had deployed a broadcast video production system into the field during exercises. Over the years the team consisted of, the late MWO Sandy Reid, Sgt Gerry Mendoza, Cpl Al Perseler and Cpl Frank Vilaca. Their raison d' etre was to record scenes of the exercises, then select and provide stock footage to visiting television news crews. They were equipped with a Betacam SP camera and editing system. The first year they deployed to the field was in 1990, and the equipment had to be transported in a van between locations and set up in whatever building was available. Because the concept was new and unique to the Army, it caused a distraction with people stopping to watch the editing. For time-to-time senior officers that were passing by would ask for the tape to be stopped, and played again so he could review a specific element of the training. Based on the lessons learnt in 1990, for the following years the system was housed and transported in a Winnebago.

During his visit to Exercise On Guard '90 at Meaford, the current Auditor General, Mr. Kenneth Dye was invited by LCFA Commander MGen Bob Stewart to see how the Betacam editing system worked. Video editor, MWO Sandy Reid, provides a demonstration and explanation. This equipment was used in both MTSC Meaford and CFB Petawawa, it had to be dismantled and trucked overnight between locations. In Meaford the camera was used to document the recovery of a downed CF helicopter. Most of the equipment used was rented, some of it including microphones, microphone cables, television lights, flexi-fills, the 286 computer and the picnic table Roberts provided.

From 1991 on, a Winnebago was used as a Command Post. This type of vehicle was ideally suited because the editing system has to be protected from dust and heat. Roberts brought along his SCUBA tank as a source of compressed air to clean the video camera equipment after being in the field to minimise the migration of dust. With a generator on board they were able to use the editing system while moving from one location to another, reducing down time. At Burwash while in location, electrical power was provided to the tent on the right for the other public affairs staff's computers. There was no room to sleep in the Winnebago, Roberts's hooch is attached to the rear bumper. That was because Cpl Vilaca scored the last available tent space. Part of the tent is in the left hand corner of the photo.

Sgt Gerry Mendoza, 7 Toronto Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, video taping during Central Area Concentration '91 at CFB Petawawa. Sgt Mendoza brought extensive experience to the production team. His unit also valued his skills, but as a detachment commander on the 105mm Howitzer. Unfortunately the guns deployment during summer training coincided with that of the video team, so Sgt Mendoza's services were only available for a couple of years. He has now formed his own company, and works on the production of feature films. Please visit his website at: http://www.interlog.com/~gmendoza/

Camera Operator/Editor Cpl Frank Vilaca in editing suite. At the time Cpl Vilaca, was a member of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, and worked for CHEX-TV in Peterborough as an ENG camera operator. Unfortunately because of the pressure of busniess Frank has left the reserves. The good news is he has his own company Stonehouse Productions and is a highly successful camera operator. Some of the places Frank has been sent to are, Bosnia to do a documentary on mine clearance, Kosovo after the war, CFB Alert, and the NORAD Headquarters. Frank has a propensity of going where the acting is, in the 2002, he spent several weeks in Afghanistan with CNN. The television monitors were placed in the bunk positions over the driver's seat. The editing equipment was placed on a purpose built plywood and 2x4 stud table in dinning area. The table was held in place using the passenger seat belts. Because Vilaca and Roberts had just returned from recording scenes with the infantry, their faces are still camouflaged, not just dirty. (Photo by Col Hugh Stewart)

The rear bedroom area was turned into a workstation for administration and video shot listing. Equipped with a Betacam SP unit, a monitor, a computer and a printer. The shower was used to store the tripod and case and lighting equipment. The fridge, as the Commander of LFCA, MGen Nick Hall found when he opened it, only contained rolls of 35mm film for the still photographers. (Photo by Cpl David Batten)

Double-ender interview from the field

Two scenes from a double-ender interview recorded in the training area at CFB Petawawa by the PAff production team. The interview was recorded the day after a coup d'etrat started in the former Soviet Union, and at the time Chairman Mikhail Gorbachev was still missing. The Assignment Editor at Ottawa's CJOH-TV said that because of the coup, and because of commitments to the CTV network he could not possibly spare a crew to drive the two hours each way to CFB Petawawa to do story on the Canadian Forces. Roberts reminded him of the double-ender that had been done with station from Cyprus 18 months before, and broadcast on Remembrance Day. The assignment editor said yes he did, and asked Roberts if he had a video camera, and who could be interviewed? The next day after another conversation and establishing a story line, the station sent a $ 1,500 double-ender box to Petawawa by bus. The double-ender box interfaces between the telephone and the video camera audio system. It make it possible for the soldier in the field who is being interviewed, and the reporter in the television studio to have a telephone conversation, and for both sides of that conversation to be recorded on the camera's audio system.

The interview with the Ottawa District Commander, Colonel Douglas Campbell, took place in the tent of an infantry command post on Duke Plain, CFB Petawawa, at 5:30 pm. The interview tape, a second with stock footage scenes from the exercise, and the double-ender kit were hand delivered to CJOH's studio in Ottawa by 8:00pm by an officer who was going that way. CJOH-TV edited the interview and stock footage scenes into a 5 minute 42 second report which was broadcast that night during their 11:00pm regional news program called "Nightline".

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