Hey all,

I'm working on translating my CV into German and could use some help with some technical terms. Hopefully someone here works in TV and knows what is commonly used in CH.

Technical Director (specifically someone who operates a Switcher)
Switcher (see attached pic)
IFB (interruptible foldback, aka that earpiece anchors wear)
Ingest (as in, ingesting video into a server)
Dubbing (like copying tape-to-tape, not voiceovers)
Tape-to-tape
On-air
To screen (to show a movie)
B-roll
Roll (to play tape)
Video editing/to edit video

Even if you're not in the industry, I'd appreciate any help. If you do work in TV, feel free to add any relevant vocabulary that might not be in the dictionary. Slang, I might not use in the CV, but is good to know anyway. German, Swiss German--even French would be useful for future reference.

Thank you!

I worked in film production in a past life, but not TV. Some terms overlap, but it's been too long for me to give you reliable input.

What I can recommend, however, is the film dictionary "Film Talk" by Paula K. Read and Anja Baertschi, Verlag für Medienliteratur if you can get your hands on a copy.

Technical director could be: Technischer Direktor or Bildtechniker
Switcher: Bildmischer (not 100% sure)
Holdback: Mithörkontrolle
Ingest: einlesen (?)
Dubbing (in this sense): kopieren or überspielen
Tape to tape: ... von Video auf Video (überspielen) - use English term
On air: auf Sendung
To screen: aufführen, vorführen or zeigen
B-roll: use English term
Roll: abfahren, durchlaufen
Video editing: Videoschnitt

A lot of the technical terms used on a daily basis are in English, so just say these where you're not sure. Hope this helps.

Bildtechniker colour balances cameras but in CH just turns knobs looking busy.
Switcher: Bildmischer
Dubbing (in this sense): kopieren or überspielen
Tape to Tape is history, nobody will know what your talking about
On air : On air
B-roll: use English term
Video editing: Videoschnitt

English terms are 'cool' even if they don't understand they will never admit!

If you want the verb of Videoschnitt, would it be "Ich schneide video"?

TV editors often call them selves 'cutters'

I've still been looking for a good translation for Technical Director, which in my old TV station covered Switcher, Audio, Graphics and playback in a live control room. Through my job search in Switzerland I've come across the term "Fernseh-Techniker" with a description that seems to fit the kind of things I've done as a Technical Director.

I know, however, that a "Fensehtechniker" is known as someone who fixes televisions--not working in television production in a control room. Does the hyphen make a difference? If I used "Fernseh-Techniker" on my CV, would it be clear enough?

They would have no idea what you were talking about, so would bin your CV.

Are you directing the show? Often the person selecting the cameras then saying '' over the talkbacj is the Director.

No, I'd be operating the switcher at the direction of the Director. Or doing audio, playback or graphics. We rotated those positions so the official title was just Technical Director. Also in charge of doing technical checks on colour, tone, etc. There must be German terms for the individual positions at least. Maybe I should just list all of them? Bildtechniker? Tonmeister? Grafiker?

In our control room, no one had a monopoly on saying "fuk" over the intercom.

Generally the Director pushes the buttons in TV in CH.
A Ton'meister' would generally write music & mix sound as well as some recording.
A Technical Director would be responsible for the design & implication of a studio, it's not an operational position.
A 'Grafiker' generally has a degree in Graphic Design-
A Buildtechniker would white balance the cameras at the start & fiddle throughout the production so the cameras don't match at all.

What qualifications have you got & who have you worked for?

Great. None of those are exactly equivalent.

I guess I need some kind of generic term for working operational technical jobs in television. I worked in news, so we didn't do anything particularly fancy in any of those positions.

I'll PM you the names of the qualifications, TV station.