Salt Lake City TV, Video and Web Production Studio

Salt Lake City Studio is the official training and testing center for NewTek TriCaster operators in the Salt Lake City region.

The NewTek TriCaster Certified Operator Exam is a new opportunity to test your abilities at mixing and recording a live production using the TriCaster. Your official Certification from Newtek gives event producers, directors, and production managers confidence that you are an experienced and proven TriCaster operator.

Benefits to Being a Certified Operator

certified logo Obtaining the TriCaster Operator certification will likely improve your future employment. You'll also have an advantage over non certified operators, because many event producers seek out certified operators first. Once you're qualified, the certification tells your clients and customers that they'll get a high-quality production with you at the controls.

Specifically, you can expect the following benefits:

Get hired for better, higher paying jobs
Differentiate yourself from non-certified operators
Customers will be more confident in your abilities
Be recognized by other industry professionals
Become qualified to teach TriCaster skills to others

Ready to Get Started?

The TriCaster training curriculum is online, in the form of video training, and you can access it free, here: http://tv.newtek.com/certification/

The TriCaster certification exam costs $150, and is payable before the exam.
To book your exam at Salt Lake City Studio, or to find out more information about the TriCaster certification, email: tricaster@saltlakecitystudio.com

Want to get up to speed on the TriCaster, with practical hands-on training. We offer one-on-one training in the control room of the studio. To find out more about pricing and availability, email: tricaster@saltlakecitystudio.com

Cost & Scheduling

The TriCaster Certification exam costs $150.
Candidates must bring a valid picture ID to the testing center and must have an email account that can be accessed via a web browser on the day of the test.
We usually need a few days notice before the desired testing date to schedule your exam.
Payment can be made by credit card over the phone prior to your test, or you may bring cash on the day of the test.

Testing Rules

You may not bring any personal materials with you into the testing area, and you will be required to leave cell phones, Blackberries, computers, backpacks, iPads, etc. outside the testing room.
You may not talk with anyone or get any help with the exam during testing.
The contents of the exam remain NewTek property, and you may not divulge the questions or answer choices to anyone.
You are required to agree to the terms of the Certified Operator Agreement

How to Prepare For the Exam

Operating TriCaster in a real-world setting is the best training of all, but other resources exist.
The videos on NewTek TV are a good place to start.
Much of what is needed to pass the exam can be found in the official PDF manuals.
A TriCaster FAQ list is on the NewTek website.
A busy Discussion Forum, with topics ranging from technical questions to feature requests.

FAQ

What should I bring to the exam?
You'll need to bring a government or school-issued photo ID and an acceptable form of payment to the testing center. You'll also need an email account that you can check from a web browser.
Can I use study materials or a calculator during the exam?
No study materials are permitted during the exam. You will be required to leave your cell phone, laptops, backpacks, etc. outside the testing room during the exam. You may not talk with anyone or get any help with the exam during testing. There are no questions requiring calculation on the exam.
What is the exam like?
The exam is a 75-question multiple choice and multiple response exam. The time limit is 90 minutes and the passing score is 70% (53 questions correct). The test items are drawn randomly from a large bank of questions which are divided into nine skills and knowledge areas. For some questions, a description of the initial conditions for the question, and often an image, appears above the question. Read each question carefully, then pick the best response from among those given. None of these are "trick questions", but the available responses are not meant to describe the complete behavior of TriCaster, only to test your knowledge of how TriCaster and a qualified operator work together to produce the best live production. To get the highest possible score, pick the most applicable answer.
What happens if I pass?
Within a few days, you'll receive an email with an official, personalized, printable certificate as a PDF attachment. This certificate is suitable to display proudly, and attests to your knowledge of TriCaster operation. Additionally, if you choose, your name and contact information will be added to the searchable Certified Operator Directory on the NewTek website, so potential employers and customers can easily find you and verify your certification.
What happens if I don't pass?
Often, this indicates a need for further study and practice with TriCaster to attain a level of proficiency required to pass the exam. Don't be discouraged; some don't pass the test the first time. Instead, use this as motivation for further study and practice. You must wait one week before attempting a retest. The retest is the same price as taking the exam the first time.

Who Should Take the Exam?

If you've been working in live event production for years and have some experience with TriCaster, you may be ready to take the exam today. If your experience is more limited, but you've been through a school or training program that included significant experience operating TriCaster, you may also be ready to take the exam. Review the exam topics below and assess your level of knowledge in each of the areas and decide for yourself if you're ready.

About the Exam

The NewTek TriCaster Certified Operator Exam is a 75-question multiple choice and multiple response exam. The time limit is 90 minutes and the minimum passing score is 70% (53 questions correct). The test items are drawn randomly from a large bank of questions which are divided into nine skills and knowledge areas. For some questions, a description of the initial conditions for the question, and often an image, appears above the question. Read each question carefully, then pick the best response from those given. None of these are "trick questions," but the available responses are not meant to describe the complete behavior of TriCaster, only to test your knowledge of how TriCaster and a qualified operator work together to produce the best live production. To get the highest possible score, pick the best available answer.

The nine areas cover a wide range of skills and knowledge of TriCaster operation in many types of live events. Being a "NewTek Certified Operator" means being ready to take on challenging productions; therefore, the exam is aimed at the high-end Tricaster units including the 855 and 8000.

1) Physical set-up and general video knowledge (13%, 10 questions) video cabling and signal flow-path proc amp adjustments and white balancing media drives waveform monitor and vectorscope genlocking and latency video sources and signal types video resolution and framerate	2) Software set-up (7%, 5 questions) software and hardware add-ons interface preferences and configuration registration updating and restoring getting help monitor set-up
3) Working with sessions (11%, 8 questions) making new, renaming, and deleting back-up and restore record formats and setting session directory structure framegrabbing time code	4) Transferring, loading, and creating media (11%, 8 questions) populating playlists with playable formats importing, exporting, and storage scheme using preset bins editing Title template pages transcoding media
5) Networking and streaming to the web (9%, 7 questions) streaming settings and formats networking iVGA set-up and use bitrates and framerate IP addresses Apple Airplay	6) Live operation (16%, 12 questions) bus switching and transition controls Utility and T-bar delegation DSK controls and Fade To Black Control Surface operation framebuffers interpreting input monitors
7) Media players (9%, 7 questions) media player operation playable file formats single/autoplay/looping functions in/out points warning colors	8) Virtual inputs, virtual sets, LiveMatte (13%, 10 questions) input set-up and operation using LiveMatte using LiveSets zooming using the overlay matching a camera to a LiveSet
Working with audio (11%, 8 questions) input set-up and configuration signal types output set-up and audio levels grouping and audio follow video compressor/limiter controls solo, mono, mute, and talk

A Practice Exam is provided to give you an idea of what the format of the actual exam is like, along with a sampling of the types of questions asked. The Practice Exam is not intended to assess your ability to pass the actual Certification Exam, only to give you a sense of the format and questions provided. Numerous industry acronyms are used in the exam. Read the list of acronyms.

Exam Outcomes

If you pass…

The passing score for the exam is 70% (53 questions correct). If you pass, you will join the ranks of the elite force of live event producers. Within a few days, you'll get a congratulations email with an official, personalized, printable certificate as a PDF attachment. This certificate is suitable for framing and displaying proudly, and it attests to your knowledge and experience with TriCaster operation.

Additionally, if you choose, your name and contact information will be added to the searchable Certified Operator Directory on the NewTek website so potential employers can find you easily and verify your certification. TriCaster Certification expires after two years. The Certification Exam is periodically updated to reflect the latest shipping version of the software and hardware.

If you don't pass…

Often, this indicates a need for further study and practice with TriCaster operation, in order to attain a level of proficiency required to pass the exam. Don't be discouraged; some do not pass the test the first time. Instead, use this as motivation for further study and practice. You must wait one week before attempting a retest. The retest is the same price as taking the exam the first time.

If you are ready to join the ranks of the elite force of live event producers then please email us: manager@saltlakecitystudio.com to schedule your training and/or testing. Congratulations on taking the first steps to becoming certified.