Newsletter from 16/12/2014
League of Legends World Championships
MOBILE PRODUCTION
Mira Mobile M-14HD
MIRA Mobile Television is a remote television production facilities company founded in 1982. Our primary client base consists of national and regional sports networks as well as professional sports teams. In August 2014 NEP acquired all assets from MIRA . This transaction integrated MIRA into NEP's US Mobile Units operations. MIRA's nine HD mobile production units joined NEP's fleet of over seventy HD units worldwide, and their renowned engineering and support staff became part of NEP's team of top experts. NEP's worldwide network includes operations across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Brazil offering solutions for remote production, studio production, video display and host broadcasting. They will retain MIRA's Portland and Bay Area field shops, which will join NEP's current US facilities, including their headquarters in Pittsburgh and satellite locations in New York, Allentown, Chicago, and Van Nuys.
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Mediatec HD11
Mediatec is one of Europe’s largest corporations delivering integrated technical solutions for event and television productions. The mission is to supply the right technology and to make sure that it works. Mediatec provides technical solutions for the media, event and sports industries and for corporate events across all industries. To meet the different needs of clients, Mediatec works in four interrelated areas: Broadcast, Display, Event and Installation. Every event is unique be it sports, entertainment or corporate. No matter size, industry or type, Mediatec has the resources necessary to make any event successful. Experience and size coupled with innovative integration of broadcast, display and other technologies, gives Mediatec the tools to deliver the difference.
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Outside Broadcast Unit 16
Founded in 1989, Outside Broadcast NV started to build its reputation of a first class service provider in a variety of work, from small daily soap productions to large music or sporting events. In 2002, Outside Broadcast NV believed that High Definition would be the standard for the next decade, and invested in a full blown HD Truck. As a European pioneer in HDTV facilities, Outside Broadcast started to produce European-wide for broadcasters all over the world. Today, all units & equipment is multi-format, capable of all high definition formats.With a fleet of HD OB trucks, Outside Broadcast NV has the capability to cover any event. With an unquestionable track record in high-quality live productions and more than 20 years of experience, some of the biggest music, sports and entertainment events are among Outside Broadcast’s NV credits.
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Token Creek Steps Up Image Quality with Fujinon Lens Addition
Madison, WI-based Token Creek Mobile Television has added three XA99x8.4 ultra-wide field production lenses and four HA18x5.5 HD zooms to complement Grass Valley LDX80 cameras on its Sioux truck. The lenses have already been used for coverage of the Minnesota Vikings National Football League (NFL) home games, National Basketball Association (NBA) play and PAC12 college football. The XA99x8.4 combines high-performance imaging, a long zoom reach, and an ultra-wide angle. It offers a zoom range of 99x, a focal length of 8.4 to 832mm, and MOD of 2.9m. It features a newly developed patented image stabilization technology for rock-steady performance, which is especially critical for long-distance HD shots. High-resolution 16-bit encoders are standard, making it suitable to virtual, robotic, and digital signage, among other applications. FUJINON’s exclusive GO-Technology improves image resolution and chromatic aberrations at all focal lengths.
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United Relies on RTS Comms for MTV EMA Anniversary
Airing in more then 160 countries and territories, the 20th anniversary of the MTV EMA awards took place on November 9th in Glasgow. With performances amongst others by U2, Alicia Keys and Ed Sheeran, the 2014 edition of the MTV EMAs set a new record with millions of viewers worldwide and 389 million mentions across social media platforms. To ensure a seamless broadcast of the live event, the organizers relied on Hilversum-based broadcasting specialist United. For the high profile event, United brought in five OB trucks and an additional audio truck. Crucial to a positive outcome is the quality of communications between the individuals involved. In all six trucks deployed United therefore relied on intercom systems from RTS.
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STUDIO PRODUCTION
“The Rich Eisen Show” Goes on Air with Elation TV Studio Lighting
When one of U.S. television’s most visible sports anchors launched his new sportstalk TV/radio show in early October, lighting designer Victor Fable turned to a lighting package of studio-optimized Elation lighting equipment including DW Series and TVL Series professional white light LED fixtures to light the set. Rich Eisen, well known by U.S. football fans as host of NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network and a mainstay on ESPN’s SportsCenter from 1996 to 2003, hosts “The Rich Eisen Show” broadcast live Monday-Friday from DirecTV's El Segundo, California Studios on the Audience Network, as well as Fox Sports Radio. In the summer of 2014, while the space was being refurbished into a television studio for the 3-hour show, Victor had time to contemplate his design and the lighting fixtures he would need.
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NEP Australia Takes Full Ownership of Media City Melbourne TV Studios
NEP Australia (formerly Global Television) has acquired the Seven Network’s 50 per cent share in Coventry Street Properties, owner of the Media City Melbourne (MCM) television studio complex. This means NEP now fully owns the production facility at 55 Coventry Street, Southbank, which is currently home to shows including Dancing with the Stars, Million Dollar Minute, Family Feud and Fox Footy Channel programs. Independent producers such as Endemol Australia, FremantleMedia Australia, Roving Enterprises and Shine also use the NEP-operated studios and facilities. The Seven Network will remain an important client with a multi-year commitment to continue productions at MCM.
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Making Millionaires
Globe TV, based in Saarbrücken, Germany, has been responsible for the live production of Germany’s national lottery draws since 2013. A key element of the production company’s approach was to bring flexibility to the lottery broadcasts, not only in the studio infrastructure, but also in the way in which viewers interact with the draws. The production also takes advantage of the switcher’s software and hardware control. In the run up to the live TX, staff prepare clips and lower thirds content using ATEM Software Control, a full control panel which enables the team to operate the switcher from a laptop. Once the program goes live, the vision mixer switches to an ATEM 1 M/E Broadcast Panel to cut between the camera channels from the studio.
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SPORTS
27 Million People Watched the League of Legends World Championships
The Riot World Championships is officially the most watched eSports event of 2014. More than 27 million people tuned in to the League of Legends tournament, which ran from September 18 to October 19 earlier this year. In September the top teams from the American, Asian and European Leagues got together for the group matches (in Taipei and Singapore) to qualify for the quarter finals in Busan, and the semifinals and the final in Seoul. Due to the excellent performance TV Skyline has shown during the production of the European League of Legends matches in Paris and Cologne, Riot Games has placed the order for the group phase and the knock-out matches up to the final in Seoul again with TV Skyline. For the European matches the Ü7 OBVan was on location, however for the Asian tour with stages in Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea TV Skyline needed to set up two high spec flight packs.
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Moving Forward to Mark 15 Years of HBS
As HBS’ fifteenth anniversary year nears its end a fresh start approaches at the company’s new Paris office. After 15 years based at 39 rue de la Saussière in the Boulogne-Billancourt suburb of Paris, Tuesday 2 December will mark the first day at work in a new complex just under one kilometre away at 148 Route de la Reine. The new premises will be within the modern glass-fronted ‘Le Prisme’ complex and will see all HBS departments housed on a single large open-plan floor. With the dust finally settling on the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ project and preparations/planning already underway for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, it is the perfect time to relocate HBS’ main planning centre – as well as to take a moment to reminisce over all that has come before while emptying cabinets and cupboards for the move.
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Red Bull Air Race Back in 2015 with New Stops in Russia, Japan, Hungary
The eight-race 2015 Red Bull Air Race World Championship will feature two new stops in Japan and Russia along with a return to Budapest, Hungary. The world's fastest motorsport series will also be back at five popular locations in 2015 with stops in Abu Dhabi (UAE), Ascot (GBR), Spielberg (AUT), Fort Worth and Las Vegas (USA). The Red Bull Air Race World Championship sees the world’s best pilots put to the test in a pure motorsport competition, combining speed, precision and skill. The pilots use the fastest, most agile and lightweight racing planes to navigate a predefined, low-level aerial racetrack of air-filled pylons (Air Gates) with the aim of finishing in the fastest time possible, incurring as few penalties as possible.
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More World Records Broken in Doha than Ever Before
The record books prove Doha 2014 was an outstanding success in the pool but the electric atmosphere created by daily capacity crowds at Hamad Aquatic Centre was equally as impressive and fitting of the one-in-lifetime occasion which will last long in the memories and hearts of local sports fans that experienced the spectacle. XD motion was on location to help capture the highlights in Doha for the worldwide broadcasts and achieved a world's first: an underwater slow motion shot with a "PICO" camera on a Polecam. XD motion provided also a X track double head near to the swimming pool, a remote head on the ceiling, 2 Gopro cameras at the starting plunges, and 2 underwater remote heads.
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SHOWS
Studer Comes Dancing at the Tower Ballroom
When BBC’s flagship Saturday night Strictly Come Dancing entertainment show relocates once a year from Elstree Studios to the coruscating Blackpool Tower Ballroom, all the production infrastructure likewise heads north, with the OB recording trucks set up in a co-opted scanner park. With the hit show now in its 10th year, BBC Studios and Post Production’s Andy Tapley, and lead Sound Supervisor, Tony Revell, evolved an elegant workflow in Blackpool, mixing the show entirely on three HARMAN’s Studer digital consoles. For the first time on a Strictly OB, the topology was based on a conjoined Vista 8 and Vista 5, alongside a Vista 1, which handled the surround sound mix within Red TX’s reconfigured Red II 3D/7.1 OB truck. This also housed a dedicated grams area.
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Robe Pointes for 2014 Latin Grammys
The 15th Annual Latin Grammy Awards took place in a blaze of glamour at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and was attended by some of the biggest names in Latin music and a sold-out audience of nearly 17,000. Almost 10 million television viewers - the highest figures to date - tuned in for some or all of the three-hour live broadcast on the Univision network. For the fifth consecutive year, the lighting was designed by Carlos Colina, LD for all of Univision’s major shows and events. After using Robe’s Pointes for a successful show-stopping ‘special moment’ last year, he chose Pointes again this year to add extra elements of magic to key moments in an evening of great entertainment, unique collaborations and landmark live performances, plus a string of Awards.
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Clay Paky Fixtures Hit the Road with Fleetwood Mac
The iconic rock band Fleetwood Mac never stops thinking about tomorrow – and planning their next tour to delight fans. For their current “On With the Show” tour a complement of Clay Paky A.leda B-EYE K20 LED-based moving lights and Sharpy Wash lights have been specified by lighting designer/production designer Paul “Arlo” Guthrie. The band launched the 40-city North American tour September 30 and, after playing to packed houses, added at least 28 more dates in a second leg, which will begin in January 2015. “On With the Show” marks the first full-member tour for Fleetwood Mac since 1997. Guthrie added a big upstage videowall, three above-the-head ribbon videowalls and 12 lighting pods.
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PRODUCTS
INA Invests in Lawo mc²56 and Riedel MediorNet
Today, INA is one of the largest repositories of digital audio and video in the world, accessible to everyone. It is also one of the most important centres in France for AV research and training. INA has recently invested in a 48-fader mc²56 console as part of the upgrade of their audio production training facilities at INA’s headquarters in Bry-sur-Marne just outside Paris. In order to provide media resource sharing between the various production areas at Ina, Riedel's MediorNet supports the real-time transport of all types of signals including 3G/HD/SDI video, cameras, audio, Ethernet, RS data, GPIO, sync, and intercom. An optical fiber ring was installed between the various control rooms and TV studios at Ina. A MediorNet Modular frame was integrated into the main control room with MediorNet Compact frames in all other locations.
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VER Adopts Optocore as Fibre Network Platform
VER (Video Equipment Rentals), one of the top A/V rental companies in North America, with locations in Canada and Europe, recently purchased an extensive Optocore fibre optic audio system in its ongoing commitment to provide their customers with leading edge technological solutions. The 500+ audio channel network will additionally support routing and distribution of video, digital intercom and a variety of DSP based control and communication via the high speed 100 GBit Ethernet capability. The first use of the system was for the recent MTV Video Music Awards, staged in Los Angeles at the Forum in conjunction with ATK Audiotek, the incumbent audio production company supplying PA and broadcast feeds to the recording mobiles.
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Portland Community Media Upgrades Field Production with JVC PROHD Cameras
Portland Community Media (PCM), the government and public access provider for Portland, Ore., has purchased 22 JVC GY-HM600 and nine GY-HM850 ProHD camcorders to support local programming production for its six channels. The new cameras are replacing a fleet of JVC GY-HM100 and GY-HM700 ProHD cameras that are still working but have been in use for five years. PCM transitioned to a file-based production workflow when it acquired its first JVC cameras in 2009, and JVC’s native file recording has streamlined post production with Apple Final Cut Pro. Producers have also benefitted from the use of non-proprietary SDHC recording media.
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3D/4K ARISING
ALEXA 65 Impresses at Los Angeles Launch Event
ARRI Rental’s ALEXA 65 camera system was officially launched in front of a packed audience at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Los Angeles. Attended by ASC members and key Hollywood figures, the launch event came just 11 months after proof of concept allowed the ALEXA 65 project to be green-lit in January this year. The system, comprising camera, lenses and a complete image workflow, will be available to productions from January 2015. Significant interest has already been shown by cinematographers attached to high-profile feature films. Harking back to the golden age of 65 mm widescreen filmmaking, the ALEXA 65 camera is a scaled-up version of an ALEXA XT, equipped with a sensor slightly larger than a 5-perf 65 mm film frame that is able to capture an uncompressed ARRIRAW 65 mm image of staggering intensity and definition.
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4EVER Captures UHD Phase 2
The French 4EVER consortium, which is testing and developing technologies for Ultra-HD, says that it captured the Trans Musicales festival in Rennes) in the UHD Phase 2 format. UHD Phase 2 demands higher dynamic range in its image capture and high frame-rates. France’s premier seen-them-here-first festival, Transmusical de Rennes sweeps through the genre spectrum from rock, pop and folk to RnB, hip-hop and electronic music, picking up cartloads of gems year after year. A glance through the 35 previous editions reads like a who’s who of seminal artists, from Björk (still with The Sugarcubes) in 1988, to Nirvana in 1991, and Daft Punk and the Chemical Brothers a few years later. This year’s leading light Ten Walls is beyond the fresh-faced stage of his career, but the supporting cast is bristling with promise and Les Trans never disappoints. Long live the next generation.
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BMG Uses AJA Ki Pro Quad to Capture 4K Video of Mississippi State Football Team
Broadcast Media Group (BMG) is a full service production shop based in Starkville, MS. The company works with clients nationwide, and also provides production services for projects to sister company Tellos Creative, a full service advertising agency. For the past three years, BMG worked with client Mississippi State University to produce a 60-second in-stadium video that plays on massive 110 foot screens at the beginning of each home football game. This year, BMG also produced the video of player’s headshots that introduces each player in the game’s lineup. BMG has been a longtime AJA customer, using multiple KONA, Io 4K and T-TAP products in its studio over the years. For this latest project, the BMG team relied heavily on a portable AJA Ki Pro Quad 4K/UltraHD 2K/HD ProRes recorder.
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