what is "crystal black"

[revolution summer]

I'm applying for a job and one of the duties is "overseeing the distribution and tracking of crystal black." Through four years of college as a digital video major, and a summer interning at PBS, I cannot recall ever coming across the term "crystal black." If anyone could help me out that would be great, as google has failed me and I don't want to sound like a complete idiot should I get an interview.

thanks

 

[Flash]

It's been kind of lost in the digital age, but it's basically "striping" tapes with a signal (usually just black) that serves as a control track (not as solid as time code), a consistent signal that the editing decks can latch onto for making insert edits.

 

[revolution summer]

It's been kind of lost in the digital age, but it's basically "striping" tapes with a signal (usually just black) that serves as a control track (not as solid as time code), a consistent signal that the editing decks can latch onto for making insert edits.

thanks, in school we had discussed "striping" analogue tapes with a control track, maybe I just wasn't paying attention when the term "crystal black" came up to describe the process.

 

[Flash]

I should probably qualify that, though. When they say "distribution and tracking of" it makes less sense. Maybe they're referring to the black burst signal that comes from the master clock. At a TV station or production facility this signal often goes through some kind of distribution amplifier and split a hundred times as sync inputs for everything from tape decks to switchers to time-base correctors, all to be on the same pulse so the (i forget what it's called) blanking intervals or something are in sync, so you don't get glitches when cutting between cameras and stuff.

If that's the case, it's still a similar principle as striping. You provide a consistent signal that other gear syncs up to. I've been in a pinch on a location multicam shoot before and just used a handycam with the lens cap on as the black burst, and split that signal out to all the other gear.