Newsletter from 26/01/2021
Farewell to Live Production GmbH
Corona is preventing the whole planet from having live events. Even the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo were postponed by one year and Corona still keeps a lot of question marks behind all live events in 2021 even the world now has first vaccines. However, the biggest impact of COVID-19 is actually a cultural one: It’s no longer about faster, better, cheaper and more powerful machines. It’s about people’s understanding that this planet is changing. And if we are not willing to save this planet following the guidelines of the Paris Climate Agreement the planet and the people on it will face even harder times. Our planet and our industry are changing at light speed, so we not only need to change with it, we need to stay ahead of it from a product, service and technology solutions perspective, and lean into the trends we’re seeing. The Live Production Community People are passionate about what they do and have a collective mind for developing customer-focused innovations that will harness at an even greater level so the community can deliver even more scalable, flexible products and solutions along the entire value chain in the events and sports sector industries as long as the planet stays stable. Different Qualifications are needed and no longer the reflections of a 72-year-old live production enthusiast. Therefore after 11 years we say Thank You to all our customers, sponsors, stakeholders and readers. We wish you all the energy needed to survive the challenges in front of you. And hope to enjoy again live events with crowds of spectators and fans in the not too far away future.
MOBILE PRODUCTION
City TV-Radio JSC UHD OBVan NEVA
The delivery of a 16 UHD-camera OB van to St. Petersburg broadcasting company City TV-Radio Agency JSC marks further success for Broadcast Solutions and brings innovative UHD technology to Russia. The OB is one of the first and largest UHD OB vans in the country and will serve the city’s own TV-channel “St. Petersburg” to produce large cultural or social events. For a lot of the events, City TV-Radio Agency JSC will produce international feeds or federal coverage to be broadcast to the whole Russian country. St. Petersburg City TV-Radio agency works with various technology providers reaching production capacities of up to 5 large OB vans. With the new OB van, named “Neva”, the company is even more flexible and of course, can now produce in UHD.
RTS-equipped Vertically Expanding Broadcast Truck provides flexible solution for COVID-19 safety
The 40 feet long, 640 square feet trailer provides remote work stations on two floors, with space for a show producer, director, replay associate director, graphics coordinator, show associate director and an EIC/audio operator. A two-person announcer booth is also included. All positions are a minimum of six feet apart and include Plexiglas partitions. Fully equipped, the vehicle weighs less than 20,000 lbs. M&J Systems Technologies, a Washington, NY-based facilities and integration company, has developed the first Vertically Expanding Broadcast Truck – ideal for use in COVID-19 restricted environments. Intercom solutions from RTS perfectly align with the truck’s compact and flexible design.
Specialty cameras with AR – a great way to take TV sports production to the Next Level
Augmented Reality technology has developed impressively in broadcast industry on an international level, sportscasters can be regularly seen walking through virtual line-ups of teams, moving in and around players, kicking virtual balls across the field and other seemingly unbelievable things. The technology that's driving this change is a tremendous improvement in the speed of computing and the integration of different aspects of visual graphics, including on-the-fly graphics generation, positional tracking of cameras, and keying technology.
DANISH FOOTBALL UNION SELECTS NEP & EVS' XEEBRA FOR SUPERLIGA VAR ROLLOUT
EVS’ video assistant referee (VAR) solution Xeebra has been chosen by NEP Denmark to provide exclusive VAR capabilities to the Danish League for its top football tier the 3F Superliga. Built on EVS’ industry-standard replay technology, the system has been deployed since the start of the season and will be used in all matches throughout the 2020/2021season. The deployment is being managed locally by NEP Denmark, a longtime EVS partner that has extensive experience in producing live coverage of Danish football. For this project, NEP is deploying custom-built VAR vans, each equipped with a Xeebra. Each multi-camera review system from EVS supports up to 16 cameras, including Super Motion cameras, and all camera angles can be accessed instantly during a match. This setup enables the VAR, assistant VAR, and replay operator – who are all stationed on-site– to accurately assist the on-field official in their decisions.
STUDIO / REMOTE PRODUCTION
Zurich Broadcast Center – the external production facility just outside of Zurich
Events are out. Budget cuts, time shortages, rising environmental awareness, and - at least temporarily - health concerns have been afflicting the traditional events model. What resort is there? The solution is within reach: make use of the possibilities of the Broadcast Center and get the most advanced studios and production solutions in TV format. Share your message with your stakeholders. Worldwide. Fast. Effective. Highly porfessional. Flexible. Cost effective. And tailored to your individual needs.
Lawo’s Remote Hand-Over of Multichoice’s Refurbished Studio 6
South Africa’s Multichoice, Africa’s largest satellite television channel service provider, has successfully completed the infrastructure rebuild of their Studio 6, which is mostly utilized by SuperSport, a content brand under the Multichoice umbrella that specializes in live sport production across almost 40 linear channels. The installation, carried out by local system integrator and Lawo supplier Inala Broadcast, comprises a vm_dmv-based Lawo V__matrix multiviewer solution and a Lawo mc²36 audio console combiled with an A__stage64 stagebox and a Nova73 router. In addition to the studio production audio workflows, the system interfaces into IP-based commentary booths to enable adding multiple languages into the IP audio backend. SuperSport’s overall infrastructure is controlled by an all-encompassing VSM virtual studio manager system which also controls 16 galleries used for turn-around operations of smaller events, adding the right logos in the right places.
One concert, many technical remote locations: Purple Schulz’s performance is completely remote controlled
In the 1980s and 1990s, Purple Schulz achieved great national fame as a German pop singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and radio presenter with titles such as "Sehnsucht", "Verliebte Jungs" and "Kleine Seen". In times of Corona he was also looking for ideas how to perform concerts despite the restrictions - with success. Recently, a collaboration came about that could not replace live music in the future, but could change it. Specifically, this involved a concert in which all the components were completely remotely controlled. On the technical side, a grandMA3 system, running grandMA3 software, was used for the control and for the lighting, among others, Prolights Pixie Zoom, Portman Lights P1 Retro and Portman Lights P3 PIX3L, as well as MAC Viper™ AirFX and MAC Viper™ Profile were specified by the design team.
WebClip2Go Integrates Ultimatte 12 Optional Add-On
WebClip2Go today announces the integration of an add-on capability for Blackmagic Design’s Ultimatte 12 keyer into its revolutionary video production system, thus further cementing its potential applications in the Broadcast and Pro-AV markets. Whilst the WebClip2Go system is designed to be a fully functional system, facilitating every aspect of high-level production right out of the box, in the past year WebClip2Go have extended the versatility offered by integrating custom options to extend the capabilities of the system and offer more flexibility to users, thus widening the markets and applications in which it can be effectively deployed. The existing high-level chromakeying abilities of the WebClip2Go system are achieved by software within the single WebClip2Go unit to maximize convenience and simplicity, but the Ultimatte 12 integration allows – for the first time – for external hardware to be added to significantly increase real-time processing power.
UNIVERSITY EQUIPS NEW STUDIO WITH PANASONIC CAMERA SYSTEM TO TRAIN NEXT GENERATION
The University of Central Lancashire has created a future-proof UHD-capable studio for improved teaching using Panasonic Professional Camera Systems. The £550,000 studio upgrade enabled the university to move from SD to UHD with the option of HDR, and a 12G workflow environment to reduce cable requirements, in a six week project carried out before the new academic year. The studio refit, completed by systems integrator Altered Images, included four Panasonic AK-UC4000 system cameras, including the AK-UCU600 Camera Control Unit (CCU), AK-HRP1000 Remote Operation Panel (ROP) and AK-HVF100 LCD colour viewfinder.
SPORT EVENTS
The Chase Center remote working during Covid
Chase Center, our home, is a new facility that opened for the 2019 season. The technical infrastructure is built on SMPTE ST 2110, with Imagine Communications as our video routing and processing technology partner. Remote working is really helped by a modern IP and IT infrastructure, but even more through having software-defined functionality. When we can do anything we want with our system through browser-accessible interfaces, it means we can do it from anywhere. The entire media fabric is like one giant crosspoint, with access to all the media conversions we need on the fly. Configuration changes can be made, from home, at a moment’s notice.
Peterhansel wins record 14th Dakar title 30 years after first
French legend Stéphane Peterhansel kept main rival Nasser Al-Attiyah in sight on Stage 12 in Saudi Arabia to wrap up a record 14th Dakar Rally victory on Friday - 30 years after his first one - as Russian Dmitry Sotnikov earned his maiden truck crown and Chilean Chaleco Lopez a second title.There was no shortage of drama spread across the 12 stages of the Dakar Rally 2021 as competitors battled mountainous sand dunes under the glare of the unforgiving desert sun. As always, the race was much more than the sum of its parts. A total of 310 vehicles lined up on the start line of the 2021 Dakar. The number was comprised of 108 bikes, 67 cars, 58 UTVs, 42 trucks, 26 classics and 21 quads. By the Rest Day we had already lost 68 of those machines. Completing the entire 7,646km loop from Jeddah and back – including 4,767km of timed special stages – were a grand total of 206 vehicles. 104 race vehicles dropped out before the finish, with 19 re-entering the rally under Dakar Experience rules.
Dubai-Wuxi-Shanghai M-HUB Jing'an, the First Transnational Remote Production, SMT Shows in PMGC!
After four days of fierce competition, from January 21st to 24th, the 4AM team and the NV-XQF team will represent the PEL Game for Peace professional league compete with 14 other foreign teams for the title of the PMGC. Based on the requirements of epidemic prevention and control, the opening ceremony of PMGC will be held in Wuxi, and the team competition will be held in Dubai. SMT goes to the stadium to realize the first transnational remote production. In this e-sports event, a cross-city, transnational remote production method has been adopted to remotely transmit the signals from Dubai and Wuxi back to the production center of SMT M-Hub Jing'an in Shanghai, and then to produce and distribute the signals.
MC Rapder takes the crown in first Rap competition to use a virtual stage
Millions of fans tuned in live to witness the most ambitious International Final of Red Bull Batalla de los Gallos yet. Taking place at a TV set at Pinewood Studios in the Dominican Republic, Red Bull Batalla de los Gallos celebrated the victory of Rapder in the world’s first rap competition set in a completely virtual world.Speaking about his victory, Rapder said:“I’m really happy - it hasn’t really hit me yet. It’s not the happiness in winning, it’s knowing everything I’ve gone through in my life, knowing that you can make mistakes, fall down, and keep going. I’m really happy. I’m really proud to have won this. I can’t wait to be back in Mexico and celebrate with my family.”
SHOW EVENTS
Everything Clear for Robe on Billie Eilish Livestream Concert
Billie Eilish has wowed the world for being more than a global music phenomenon! A smart teenager with empathy, humanity, and honesty, she will tackle tough topics head-on and her many additional activities include fund-raising for crew and technicians affected by the global halt of live music and performance. Sweeping off with five Grammy’s earlier in the year, the fertile collaboration with her – also Grammy award-winning – music producing brother Finneas and their contrasty intricate works that connect the dots of life, surreality and expression in a brainy mash of art, reflection and audacity has energized a massive and diverse fanbase. The first arena-sized world tour, “Where Do We Go”, scheduled to run from March to September 2020 halted abruptly after three shows, so the recent “Where Do We Go” ‘Livestream Concert’ re-united many talents from her acclaimed creative team. Under the Creative Direction of Billie Eilish and Moment Factory, collectively they worked to script and stage this stunning XR pay-per-view stream that delighted fans and lit up the internet as much in awe of the production as the magical Eilish aura!
Elation lights for Southern California’s “Concerts in Your Car”
Drive-in concerts have become the necessary norm under the pandemic and Southern California’s moderate climate makes it possible for these fan-thankful events to take place late into the year. Enhanced by a complement of Elation Professional lights, “Concerts in your Car,” presented by CBF Productions at two SoCal locations, are some of the most popular. Helping to quench the thirst of live music fans, “Concerts in Your Car” debuted June 26 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds north of Los Angeles and branched out to a second site, the Del Mar Fairgrounds near San Diego, in September. Victor Ortiz, owner of full service audio-visual company Darvik Productions of Ventura, worked together on the project with CBF Productions founder and CEO Vincenzo Giammanco.
Lighting the Louvre for David Guetta
Global music superstar David Guetta, France’s most iconic DJ and music producer playing a unique set live at one of the world’s most visually, architecturally, and historically impressive site-specific locations, Musee du Louvre in central Paris … Celebrating the monumentally symbolic roll-over from 2020 to 2021 in this breath-taking environment with style, cool, poise and some superlative dance beats, 116 x Robe iPointe moving lights on the rig helped make it THE New Year’s Eve livestream to remember from the year THAT WAS. It was also the third in David Guetta’s “United at Home” concert series to raise money for those in need in what’s been a universally tough year for everyone.
PRODUCTS
Next-Generation Lawo Audio Console Core and Most Compact mc² Mixing Console Unveiled
In a highly-anticipated debut streamed live from the Jazz Club Karlsruhe, just a few minutes from Lawo headquarters in Rastatt, Germany, the company today unveiled two bright new stars in the Lawo mixing universe: the Phase II of its incredibly powerful A__UHD Core audio engine, and the next generation of Lawo’s most compact, feature-filled all-in-one mixer: the mc²36 audio production console. Both products are designed to deliver maximum output using minimal space, weight and power requirements. The native-IP A__UHD Core just became Lawo’s new console core for mc² consoles and takes a decisive lead in processing power per cubic centimeter by delivering an astounding 1,024 channels of mc²-quality audio processing in just 1RU, while dramatically cutting power consumption — performance that previously required 5x the power and 10x the rack space. The new mc²36 mixer raises the audio production bar by more than doubling the DSP channel count of the original, as well as introducing an ultra-compact 16-fader version that delivers big performance in the smallest mc² footprint ever. And a major new feature, IP Easy, makes managing IP network devices simpler and more intuitive than ever before.
Demand for Sony VENICE soars as productions pick up.
“The demand is almost parabolic at times”, says Dynamic Rentals owner Brandon Zachary “In an overly saturated market, it’s rare to find something that everyone loves. In a context where rental houses are not only dealing with the financial impact of COVID, but also the S35 versus FF conundrum, it’s harder than ever to decide where to invest. The ability to switch between S35 and FF on the VENICE is definitely a plus within this context. We always go to CVP as our first port of call when buying digital cinema cameras and lenses. They know the market well, they realise having stock on the shelf is important and they always go the distance to make the deal work for us. In an uncertain world, VENICE is turning out to be a very safe bet for rental and by extension, production companies.”
PLAYING FOR CHANGE LIVESTREAMS WITH ATEM MINI PRO
Blackmagic Design today announced that livestreams for Playing for Change, an international foundation created to connect people through music, have been powered with the ATEM Mini Pro and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K. The organization brings together a diverse mix of musicians from all musical genres performing in their local environment. Concerts are broadcast via the Playing for Change YouTube channel, which has more than two million subscribers. Live producer and cofounder of LivestreamBCN, Carlos Larrondo, has been involved with the foundation for the past seven years. Livestreams for the channel that Carlos has produced direct from Barcelona have included performances from soul and reggae artist Hugo Soares and the Clarence Bekker Band.
Riedel’s Bolero is Wireless Intercom of Choice for Denmark’s European Tour Production
European Tour Production (ETP), a Danish provider of live event production services and equipment, has chosen Riedel Communications’ Bolero as its go-to wireless intercom solution. With Bolero in its rental inventory, ETP is able to offer its clients a native IP wireless comms solution that delivers maximum coverage and reliability, outstanding voice quality, and the flexibility to handle any size and type of production. Founded in 1994, ETP is a full-service provider of production services and staging, lighting, video, and sound equipment for a broad range of events, including music concert tours, sports events, and outside broadcast productions. During a recent expansion of its wireless department, ETP became the first production rental company in Denmark to stock Bolero. Jakob Refer of audio integrator Jakx consulted on the project, working with ETP to tailor Bolero to its requirements and providing all commissioning and support. The company’s Bolero inventory now includes multiple antennas and more than 20 beltpacks.