Newsletter from 08/12/2011
Live Production Catalogue Entries Are Continously Growing
MOBILE PRODUCTION
IMS Productions HD2
As the media and technology partner to the world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway as well as the Indy Racing League, IMS Productions provides a full range of media services. The multimedia-savvy staff includes Emmy Award-winning producers, as well as videographers, editors and graphic artists who have earned numerous Telly and Summit awards. The production unit also won the prestigious CINE Golden Eagle Award for its festival-winning documentary work. The remote productions department provides production facilities for every major network. Whether it is entertainment or main event sports, IMS Productions has the facilities and experience to execute any event. For over 50 years the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network has been the “Voice” of the Indianapolis 500 and lives within IMS Productions. In addition to the Indianapolis 500 the IMS Radio Network provides coverage of the entire IndyCar Series season, NASCAR’s Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and the Inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP.
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TVM OB7
Since it's establishment in 1986 by Bart and Helen Arnold, TVM has established an enviable reputation for combining the very latest technology with an experienced and enthusiastic crew. TVM is continually expanding its fleet and updating its equipment and remains Ireland’s leading Outside Broadcast Facilities Provider. TVM is proud to have introduced OB6, a new triple expanding HD/SD OB unit to its fleet in April 2003. TVM has earned worldwide recognition as a reliable, quality outside broadcast service provider. TVM will recce each job and by combining its experience with customer requirements, TVM will tailor a total package to meet the customer needs, including everything from accommodation and catering to worldwide satellite links. TVM has a dedicated full-time technical crew who, by attention to detail, will ensure each OB runs smoothly. In addition TVM utilises a large pool of contract and freelance operators, who are prepared to 'go the extra mile' to bring you the professional, friendly service that is its hallmark.
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Italian Outside Broadcaster Telerecord Buys Artemis
One of Italy's most successful private OB facilities providers, Telerecord SRL, has agreed the purchase of a Calrec Artemis console for use in one of its OB vehicles. Founded in 1976, Telerecord was the first OB company in Italy to use digital transmission equipment and the first to offer the ability to transmit in High Definition (2004) and 3D (2007). The Calrec Artemis console is being bought for one of Telerecord's larger multi-camera high-definition OB trailers. The sale of the Artemis was agreed in August. According to Alessandro Asti of Calrec's Italian distributor Aret, delivery of the console took place in Autumn 2011, while the truck was due to enter service before the end of 2011.
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Eutelsat's KA-SAT Satellite Proves its Efficiency for Fast Video File Delivery
The mobile facilities company Jackshoot is the first to deliver TV rushes over the KA-SAT satellite of Eutelsat Communications in order to bring the programme ‘Live and Lost with Blackberry’ to the UK’s Channel 4 television station and YouTube. Jackshoot’s location crew were able to deliver rushes and proxy files direct to Pulse Film’s central London editing suite over KA-SAT, demonstrating how Eutelsat’s new High Throughput Satellite is game-changing technology for fast video file delivery for the media industry. Channel 4’s programme ‘Live And Lost with Blackberry’ lets viewers decide which route a band takes to a show, resulting in a journey that frequently takes in rural locations. Three of the biggest music acts (Chipmunk, Rizzle Kicks and Parade), equipped with a BlackBerry and £20, were left in a remote location with five days to make their way across the UK. The show is shot on location a few days before transmission and episodes are posted daily onto YouTube.
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Trickbox TV Keeps Processes Simple, Costs Low with AJA Ki Pro
London-based Trickbox TV provides technical know-how, equipment and crew for the production of broadcast shows, music shows and festivals, corporate events, webcasts and more. Specializing in multi-camera shoots, they create the setups clients need, and also provide crew. Recently, owner and managing director Liam Laminman has noticed a growing client demand for AJA Ki Pro digital recorders to be included in their production packages. Recently, Trickbox TV provided engineering support for Objective Productions, one of Britain’s most influential independent production companies, on the BAFTA Award-winning game show, The Cube. The third series of the popular game show was captured with nine HD studio cameras, along with slo-mo cameras, in a month-long shoot. Ten AJA Ki Pros were used for digital capture – nine ISOs and, one recording the line cut. Each Ki Pro recorded the day’s footage (about six hours worth of Apple ProRes files) onto 500GB drives, which were transferred overnight and ready for editing on Apple Final Cut systems, without requiring transcoding.
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SPORTS
Olympic Games 2012: Beach Volleyball
At London 2012, both the men’s and women’s Beach Volleyball events will begin with a preliminary phase: the 24 teams in each event will be divided into six pools of four, and each team will play every other team in their pool. A total of 16 teams from this phase will qualify for the knockout phase, with the winners of the semi-finals eventually going head-to-head for the gold. Six groups of four play a round-robin, with the first two teams automatically through to the knock-out stages. Two of the six third-placed teams go through as well, with the other four playing off for the final two places. The sand used during the Games will be high-quality Redhill 28 sand from a quarry in Surrey. 2,274 tons will be needed to fill one competition court, two warm up courts and two training courts.
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Olympic Games 2012: Boxing
At London 2012, all Boxing events will be run in a knockout format. The winners of the two semi-finals in each weight category will fight for the gold medal, with the losers of the two semi-finals each awarded a bronze. The London Boxing competition will be held at ExCeL, a multi-purpose events venue that will also host a number of other Olympic and Paralympic sports. Countries can enter a maximum of one athlete per weight class (10 for men and three for women). As hosts Team GB are automatically given one female and five male spots. In the men’s competition the top two finishers at each weight class in the World Series of Boxing Individual Championships in May 2011 secure Olympic spots. A top 10 finish (six for heavyweight and super-heavyweight) at the World Championships also secures qualification. Remaining places are filled via continental Olympic qualification tournaments and invitations. In the women’s event the top eight finishers at the World Championships qualify for the Games.
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wTVision Surfing Around the World
Since October 2010, with the Rip Curl Pro Search held in Peniche, Portugal, the company has vastly expanded its graphics services for Surf events. From Hawaii to France, wTVision accompanied several surf competitions in their never-ending search for the perfect wave. As the number of Surf fans is steadily increasing, the production teams and the sponsors needed a more dynamic presentation for their competition’s broadcast. wTVision accepted the challenge and, together with the producer Medialuso, for the first time in Surf history, an event was broadcast in both HD and in stereoscopic 3D, with spectacular on-air graphics to match. Because surf events are scattered around the world, wTVision developed a solution that could deliver state-of-the-art on-air graphics while being absolutely mobile and having a very fast deployment. With this concerns in mind, the company created a surf-oriented version for it’s SportStats CG software and data integration procedures that allowed a single operator to manage everything.
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New Technological Prowess for EMF and Sony
After a series of successful tests carried out on the PSG vs. Nancy match (produced by Jean Jacques Amsellem), this weekend's derby (produced by Laurent Lachand), repeated online on Canal+, was the first match in France to benefit from this system - a simultaneous combination of new images and a tool to enhance raw contents. The tools enable the TV viewer to watch sport in a new, more immersive and informed way. It also allows players and trainers to gain a better understanding of the game's development. Three Sony HD cameras were assembled at the centre of the stadium, each covering one third of the pitch. The three Cameras, a video server and the MPE-200 processor box were used to create a panoramic image (6k X 1k). The operator tailors the frame to suit the story he wants to create. Permanently recorded on the server, the panoramic image allows you to navigate through space and time so you do not miss any of the action. While scanning the panoramic image for the elements he wants, the operator can digitally edit out any previous action at any stage in the process.
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Studer Vista 5™ M2 Makes French Debut at Paris Hippodrome
The 35,000-capacity Hippodrome de Paris-Vincennes, which over the years has been as well known for hosting rock concerts as for its main purpose of horse racing, has recently upgraded its production infrastructure. One of the steps taken by the technical department was to replace its old analogue mixing console with a Studer Vista 5 M2 digital desk, configured with 32 mic/line inputs, 72 line out and eight AES I/O. This was the first sale of the new console in France (and one of the first to be shipped anywhere in the world). The large venue, with its 3000 sq metre Grand Hall, is a world famous venue for trotting events, with the jockeys pulling a two-wheel cart known as a ‘sulky’. The main track itself measures 2km in length (whereas it is generally only 800m or 1600m in other horse racing arenas). It is to these meetings, which include the famous ‘Prix d’Amerique’, that the control room itself is dedicated, while the races themselves are displayed on a 100 sq. metre large external screen, one of the largest in Europe.
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EURO Draw Throws up Fascinating Group Tests
Poland will launch the tournament on Friday 8 June at 18.00CET against Greece in Warsaw followed by the other Group A opener between Russia and the Czech Republic at 20.45CET. The next day the Netherlands face Denmark in Kharkiv and Germany take on Portugal in Lviv to begin Group B, and on 10 June Group C starts as holders Spain play Italy and the Republic of Ireland are matched with Croatia. Ukraine are involved in the last of the opening set of fixtures, meeting Sweden in Group D in Kyiv after England tackle France in Donetsk. The group stage runs until 19 June, then, after a rest day, the quarter-finals take place over four consecutive nights. The semi-finals are on 29 June in Donetsk and the following evening in Warsaw, before Kyiv stages the 1 July decider. Former champions the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany have come together with 2004 runners-up Portugal in UEFA EURO 2012 Group B and unsurprisingly all four coaches agree that it is probably the toughest of the four sections.
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SHOWS
HES intellaspots Shine on Keep a Child Alive Fundraiser
Six High End Systems, a Barco company, intellaspot automated luminaires helped shine the light on Alicia Keys’ charity fundraiser - the 2011 Black Ball New York for the Keep a Child Alive Foundation. Keys started the organization in 2003 to aid HIV/AIDS victims in Africa and India. The music and media content reflected the foundation’s recent inroads into India this year, with a special honor given to The Beatles’ late guitarist George Harrison for his philanthropic commitments to India and his 1971 concert for Bangladesh. Alicia Keys is the global ambassador of the charity and each year, she performs with her band and special musicians. This year’s musical lineup with Keys included Midival Punditz, Gary Clark Jr., Jay Sean, Richie Sambora, Norah Jones, Usher and Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas.
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Sennheiser at MTV European Music Awards
Actress and singer Selena Gomez used a ‘custom bling’ Sennheiser SKM 5200-II with a Neumann KK 105 S capsule for her duties as the show’s host; further SKM 5200-IIs and KK 105 S combinations were used by those presenting the awards, including David Hasselhoff, Hayden Panettiere and Jessie J. All show wireless monitors were Sennheiser G3, G2 or 2000 series, while some of the highest profile performers to use Sennheiser mics for their performances were Lady Gaga (SKM 5200 with MD 5235 capsule), Snow Patrol (SKM 5200 with KK 105 S capsule), Bruno Mars (SKM 2000 with MMD 935 capsule) and Queen and Adam Lambert (SKM 5200 with MD 5235 capsule). “As with other events such as the Brit Awards, the RF spectrum of the MTV European Music Awards has become increasingly complex to manage, with the ever growing use of radio microphones, IEM systems and guitar packs,” says Derrick.
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Lighthouse VideoBlades Off the Wall in Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour
Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour unfolds Michael Jackson's artistry before the eyes of the audience. Aimed at lifelong fans as well as those experiencing Michael's creative genius for the first time, the show captures the essence, soul and inspiration of the King of Pop, celebrating a legacy that continues to transcend generations. VideoBlades™, a result of an alliance between Lighthouse and Pix2o, is a revolutionary large-scale LED video display technology that straddles the worlds of video and lighting in the entertainment, events and architectural markets. VideoBlades™ 12 provides a 12.5mm pixel pitch, modular LED video screen that delivers superb image quality both indoors and outdoors, with a literal twist… For Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour, over 2500 VideoBlades™ create the nearly 200 square meters of LED Video display that is the show's main display surface.
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PRODUCTS
Remote Recorders Steps Up Control Room with SSL C200 HD
Remote Recorders is one of Australia's foremost specialists in live music audio production and post-production for radio, television, DVD and instant delivery,” says Cameron McCauley, director of Remote Recorders. “We had a very successful run over the years with an SSL 4000 series console, but the time had come where we needed to move into a digital console with more capacity. The C200 gives us the digital console version of Total Recall™ so recalling the settings of a project is very fast. We have the familiar SSL automation and channel layout our engineers have been used to with the 4000, plus we continue to be able to offer SSL’s sonic heritage to our clients. As a bonus, we have a console we can easily upgrade and expand at a later date. The C200 covers all bases for what we do.” Remote Recorders has worked with a raft of top acts including everyone from Kanye West, Coldplay, Mia and Muse to The Pixies, Chemical Brothers, Moby, Iggy Pop and Blondie, to name a few. Some other recent projects include live DVD’s for the Powderfinger “Sunsets” tour and the ARIA iTunes countdown for Live Nation.
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ITV Bangladesh Chooses Snell Kahuna Multi-format Switcher
Launched in August, ITV provides 24-hour news programming from its main operations center in the capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka. ITV has installed two Kahuna switchers, one for news programs and the other to enable live-audience studio productions. "ITV's Kahuna systems represent Snell's first installation in Bangladesh, and they are helping ITV raise the bar on quality standards for broadcasters there," said Vanessa Ching, vice president of channel marketing and communications for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East at Snell. "ITV is filling a very important niche in the Bangladesh media market as the country's first international standard 24/7 news channel." Independent Television (ITV) is a private 24-hour satellite news channel owned by one of Bangladesh's largest conglomerates, Beximco Group. With headquarters in Tejgaon, Dhaka, ITV obtained its broadcast license from the government of Bangladesh in March 2010.
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EBU Drive Will Bring Hybrid TV into European Homes in 2012
More than 20 EBU Members have agreed to collaborate to unlock the full potential of Hybrid TV for a European rollout of the technology in 2012. The announcement came as the EBU opened its 67th General Assembly today, at the EBU headquarters, in Geneva. 'Hybrid' or 'Connected TV' combines traditional viewing with the added value of the internet and smart device applications for an enhanced media experience. This group of public service broadcasters will exchange best practices and support one another to push through a fast, comprehensive rollout of hybrid television services by EBU Members in 2012. Underpinning the cooperation is the shared conviction that only high quality, creative content can breathe life into the promise of hybrid technology, and only a flexible, cross-border approach will create the necessary impetus.
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3D ARISING
Burma – Encounters in a Forgotten Country
The 3D documentary “Burma – Encounters in a Forgotten Country” has won the award for the best feature film at KIFF “3D Korea International Film Festival”, the first 3D film festival in Asia. The film shared the award with the ZDF production “Die Huberbuam” in the “Best Feature” category for long films. Further awards went to the IMAX production Sea Rex, France (Budget 5 Mio) for “Best Use of 3D-Technology” and “Symphony in 3D”, by Fabien Remblier, also France. "Burma - Encounters in a forgotten country" was produced by Muvi AG in early 2011. “Shooting in Burma is difficult for political reasons, and shots from the hot air balloon are only possible with small equipment. As a result, we used the TwinLens camera AG-3DA1 from Panasonic for the entire film for the first time ever.
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Stereolabs Introduces the First 3D Multi-Camera Control System
PURE Commander is a centralized master control system that provides the ability to monitor and control up to eight 3D camera positions from one single location. PURE Commander gathers geometric, color and depth data from a network of stereo image processors and offers all the information required to enable fast decision-making and improve the quality of live 3D broadcasts. “Multi-camera live production is still a technical and economic challenge” said Edwin Azzam, CEO of STEREOLABS. “Production companies have been asking for new technologies that would help them reduce the complexity associated with multi-camera 3D shooting. With PURE, we have provided automated solutions to align rigs and correct geometry, color and depth issues for every 3D system in the field. With PURE Commander, we introduce the first system in the industry that improves the overall quality of 3D productions”.
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The Bundesliga in 3D – Powered by the AURUS
After a world-record renovation time of just a fortnight, TopVision demonstrated their fully modernised Ü2 OB truck. The Ü2’s main field of operation is sport. Since 2011 the vehicle has been used to produce the top match of the German Bundesliga in 3-D for Sky satellite TV and the IPTV platform LIGA Total. To make the truck 3-D capable, TopVision installed extensive new camera and video systems. These included a brand-new 3-D enabled SONY MVS 7000X video mixer, eight HDC1500R cams and four P1 cams from SONY, seven Element Technica 3-D rigs, six LMP1200HD mini cams with matching mini rigs and more. The audio control room was also completely revamped and enhanced with a large 40-fader AURUS digital mixing console. Before the renovation the vehicle was already home to a NEXUS audio network, which has now been expanded to a total of ten Base Devices including remote stage boxes for the sports commentators.
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