Newsletter from 26/03/2013
Pre-Olympic Test Productions in Sochi – Remote Production in Germany – Live from Kazakhstan
MOBILE PRODUCTION
On the Way to Sochi: Pre-Olympic Test Events covered by ANO Panorama
ANO Sports Broadcasting (Panorama) was the host broadcaster for 17 test events in Sochi. Already in December 2012, Panorama produced the first two international events. The television signals of the Figure Skating Grand Prix (December 6-9, Iceberg Winter Sports Palace) and of the Ski Jumping World Cup (December 7-9, "Russian Hills") were shown to a worldwide audience. The events were produced in HD by the crew of Panorama, which was consisting of 173 television professionals. For the production state-of-the-art TV equipment was used. The equipment was manufactured according to the technical requirements of Panorama by leading foreign and Russian manufacturers and system integrators. In particular, one 24-camera, two 16-camera and one 10-camera HD OBVans with related tender trucks, three DSNG vehicles, five mobile power systems, and special camera equipment was engaged. The unique Robycam system (“Spider-cam"), developed by Russian engineers, provided the opportunity to see skaters from the most spectacular angles.
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Germany Overpower Kazakhstan
The international signal in Astana was produced with a flight case system provided by TopVision. The System consisted of 19 cameras (4x Sony HDC-1000, 7x Sony HDC-1500, 4x Sony HDC-1550, 1x Sony HDC-3300 and 2x LMP HD1200 In-Goal cameras). Two more cameras were on location - one in the press conference and one in a studio. All Sony Cameras were shooting with Canon lenses. For signal distribution a Grass Valley Trinix 512 x 512 routing matrix was set-up and delivered the camera signals to a Sony MVS-8000 vision mixer and six EVS XT2 servers for the SloMo and SuperSloMo replays. Audio mixing was carried out on a Yamaha O2R mixing desk. Uplink of the live signal was provided by HD SAT Com while the downlink facility was coming from TopVision. The live signal was recorded in parellel on HDCAM and XDCAM HD. The set-up of the production system started on 18 March 2013. In addition to the 19 camera system for the production of the international feed TopVision had installed an Avid edit desk and two additional EVS LSM controller for ZDF which helped to enhance ZDF's pre- and post-programming of the match.
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Overon @ The Vatican
Overon’s coverage included a total of 12 stand-up camera positions in key locations such as the Piazza Pia, opposite Sant’Angelo Castle; in the Piazza San Pietro in the Vatican; and in Via della Conciliazione; and in a terrace at the Atlante Hotel, all featuring wireless cameras. In addition, it also built a set and a production studio. Since the 1st March, the number of live up-links has topped the 300-mark, a figure which reached the 400-mark for the official coronation ceremony on Tuesday 19th March. panish Clients included: TVE, Antena 3, laSexta, Telecinco, Cuatro, TV3, ETB, 8TV, TVG, Castilla-La Mancha TV, Telemadrid, IB3, 13TV, and Intereconomía; as well as high-profile international channels such as: Televisa, Canal 3 and the producer IMS (Mexico), Canal 5 (Argentina), TVN (Chile), Telesur (Venezuela), Tele Amazonas (Brazil), Al Jazeera Arabic (Qatar), M-6 (France), VTM (Bélgica), RTL (Holland) and Digi 24 (Romania).
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TNDV Advances to the NCAA Final Four Big Dance® Concert Series
The Big Dance Concert Series brings several local and national acts to the same stage each night. Each concert is treated as a unique event, with different daily sponsors and special needs for each band. TNDV will work alongside production specialist GoVision, which hired TNDV and will provide all large format video displays for the concerts; and Unlimited Visibility, which will oversee lighting and staging among other production tasks. Aspiration is built to support large, multi-faceted productions such as the Big Dance Concert Series, with multiple cameras, high-capacity routing and switching, and a comprehensive audio suite on board. However, the production challenges of injecting additional excitement across multiple events — and re-creating that excitement for home viewers — requires intense focus and dedication.
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STUDIO PRODUCTION
Remote Production Test by Sportcast
For the first time in Germany a true remote production was demonstrated, with cameras, microphones and intercom in the stadium but all the rest of the equipment – switchers, synchronizers, camera control (for one camera), intercom and so on – at the remote location in Cologne. f course, right now, production companies working for Sportcast have invested and currently still investing in HD OBVans and will want to get the most out of that investment, however when the HD OBVans come up for renewal production companies may consider remote production and may invest in camera trucks only. Production company TVN had set-up twelve cameras and related microphones at the VW Arena in Wolfsburg to cover the match. All audio, video and intercom signals were sent via one physical 10 Gb/s line to CBC in Cologne. The physical line was split into various virtual lines which also included the return paths for the camera shading control, the red light signaling and the intercom lines to and from the stadium in Wolfsburg.
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Autoscript Teleprompters Chosen for Comic Relief's Big Chat with Graham Norton
"The teleprompting system was set up on the Tuesday ahead of rehearsals on the Wednesday," explains Charlotte Latham, Head of Rentals - Autoscript. "This was a ten camera show of which six on-camera units were driven by an operator controlling a laptop PC running our WinPlus Prompting Software. The prompt script was routed via the studio control room to each camera in Studio Three. Live transmission took place from 7 pm on the Thursday right throu gh to the small hours on Friday. The operator had to be on the ball and alert to sudden changes from production whilst supporting the presenters needs at all times." The evening was a great success for everyone involved. Graham Norton achieved his ambition of breaking the world record for the most questions asked during a television chat show, reaching a total of 175. During the programme viewers donated £1,022,982 for Comic Relief.
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United Expands in Amsterdam
Dutch company United, based in media city Hilversum, wants to expand in the world of entertainment in the coming years. With that growth come large, well-equipped studios - preferably in desirable locations. United is therefore expanding into the new building ‘Mediahaven’ in Amsterdam, less than 10 minutes away from Central Station. United will not only operate the two studios: customers in and around Amsterdam will also be able to make use of ENG’s and Post Production there. United can count on an explosive opening right from the start: for three weeks in March, the bigger of the two studios will be the location for recording the hit show ‘X factor’. Later this month, the editing suites also open their doors to customers. They will offer the same comfort and technical features as United’s PostPlaza suites and as those of its subsidiary, Online Media in Hilversum: Mediahaven is linked to Hilversum with a 10 GB fibre-optic connection. The ENG’s, which are available to hire complete with crew and car from Mediahaven, complete United’s full-service concept in Amsterdam.
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SPORTS
AFP and deltatre Team Up for the Olympic Games
AFP will enrich its Olympic editorial content with real-time sports information including live results, medal tables, event schedules and athlete profiles to be available on PC, tablet and mobile devices. This turnkey service will give AFP's clients a great user experience for the next Olympic Games. Emmanuel Hoog, Chairman and Chief-Executive Officer of AFP said "Combining deltatre's world-leading sports technology and AFP's unrivalled editorial content, our clients will have access to a whole new set of premium interactive applications. This partnership matches perfectly our global sport strategy on web and mobile. We are looking forward to developing a long-lasting relationship together."
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FIS Alpine Ski World Championships: Live from the Slopes with Blackmagic Design
The FIS Alpine Ski World Championships was one of the most highly anticipated events on the winter sporting calendar. Nestled in the heart of the Styrian Enns Valley, known as the ‘four mountain region’, this idyllic Austrian ski resort has played host to the championships for more than three decades. With 400,000 visitors, 650 of the world’s top athletes from 70 nations competing for 33 medals; this year’s championship in Schladming, Austria was a ski spectacle. To keep fans on the slopes entertained between races, organizers turned to Vienna based event management company K-Zwei Kommunication, who have been responsible for the entire entertainment program at the championship for the past four years. That includes everything from presenting through to creation of editorial content and even music programming.
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SHOWS
Around the Globe: grandMA2 Tours with Maroon 5
LA pop rock band Maroon 5 has begun its “Overexposed” world tour and grandMA2 is along for the ride. Maroon 5’s new North American tour is in support of the band’s eponymous studio album released last summer. Since its debut in 2002, Maroon 5 has sold over 10 million albums in the U.S. As always, noted production designer and artistic director Demfis Fyssicopulos took an innovative and forward thinking approach to his design philosophy for the tour, which entailed utilising the grandMA2 full-size. “It’s the most advanced control surface in the market,” he says. “In addition to the lighting for the show, a plethora of media servers and custom Control Freak System solutions are all controlled from the grandMA2 full-size. Centralised control ensures coherence and a show that looks well put together.”
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Clay Paky’s New A.LEDA Series Fixtures Hit the Luke Bryan’s Tour
Country singer Luke Bryan’s 20-city “Dirt Road Diaries Tour” may have a down-home name, but its lighting inventory includes some pretty cutting-edge equipment, including Clay Paky’s new A.LEDA Wash K10 and K5 LED moving heads provided by Elite Multimedia Productions. The tour is using 12 K10 and 36 K5 fixtures as part of its “big, powerful rock ‘n roll rig,” says Lighting Designer Justin Kitchenman of Fadeup Design Group. He was introduced to the A.LEDA Series at LDI 2012 where he was “looking for the next generation moving light.” After seeing the A.LEDA fixtures, “We feel we found the best the industry has to offer,” he says. The A.LEDAs on the tour are controlled by grandMA2 consoles. MDG the One digital fog/haze atmospheric generators and MDG Ice fog generators showcase A.LEDAs’ beams from the powerful lighting rig.
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PRODUCTS
TVN with the First Ikegami High-Speed Camera in Germany
TVN MOBILE PRODUCTIONS has acquired the new Ikegami NAC Hi-Motion II camera, offering UltraSloMotion images in broadcast quality. "Our clients know and appreciate our performance - the quality of our staff and our facilities are always the best on the European market," said TVN MOBILE PRODUCTIONS CEO Markus Osthaus explaining this investment. "With this camera we again underline that we provide all the professional capabilities to carry out any sporting or entertainment events." Masanori Kondo, president of Ikegami Electronics (Europe) GmbH, adds: "Due to its high sensitivity and very easy handling the Hi-Motion II is especially suitable for sports and entertainment productions. Therefore we are of course delighted to be partnering with such a significant private production house like TVN in Germany. "
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The Many Colours of White
“White is the presence of all colours. ETC wanted to make a white-light LED spotlight that would be worthy of professional broadcast, film, and video production,” says ETC’s Matt Armendariz-Kerr. So ETC has released the new Source Four LED Studio HD, which utilises the colour technology of ETC’s Selador x7 Color System for a more spectrally complete white light that can be finely tuned to the on screen talent. With a unique recipe of LED colour blending, the Studio HD is designed to perform in a high definition production world where people (with varying flesh tones) need to look their best. The Studio HD combines exceptional light output with an ultra-flexible, variable white light (2700K-6500K), for more accurate colour rendition on camera.
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Puerto Rico’s WAPA TV Upgrades to HD With ChyronHego’s BlueNet™ Graphics Workflow
“Investing in ChyronHego’s graphics solutions has put WAPA Televisión at the forefront of this type of technology in our competitive market,” said Enrique Cruz, senior executive news director at WAPA-TV. “With an unparalleled on-air presentation, ChyronHego’s impressive real-time graphics were the driving force behind our top Nielsen ratings during our 20-hour live continuous coverage of the 2012 Puerto Rican Election. With cutting-edge products, professional staff and first-class support, ChyronHego has saved us valuable time and money, and have helped to make our transition to HD a true success.” WAPA-TV’s BlueNet workflow consists of ChyronHego’s flagship HyperX³˙¹ on-air graphics systems, Lyric PRO™ graphics creation software, Channel Box² channel branding and promo systems, SHOUT™ social media software, and the CAMIO graphics asset management solution — all of which are seamlessly integrated to bring high-quality broadcast graphics to air quickly and easily.
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3D74K ARISING
Satellite 2013: “4K will be a TV Game Changer”
The ‘big four’ of top satellite operators at the Washington Satellite 2013 show, through their CEOs, exhibited some considerable differences in their timetables for the introduction of Ultra-HDTV. However they agreed that the rollout of Ultra HD will be a major driver of demand for satellite services. However, just an hour or two later in another well-attended conference room at the show, a panel of experts were also asked much the same question, and while there were some strong supporters of an early debut for 4K (and Eutelsat’s director of innovation Antonio Arcidiacono was a strong believer, along with Gary Yacoubian, CEO at Specialty Technologies LLC), others took a more cautious approach, suggesting that quite a few elements still needed to come together to make 4K a reality.
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Ultra-HD: Industry Needs More Work on 4K
While there’s a sense of growing enthusiasm for 4K/Ultra-HDTV transmissions from equipment vendors, display manufacturers, satellite operators and perhaps even some well-heeled early adopters, some experts are urging caution while almost pleading for various industry elements to pull their fingers out in order not to disappoint the public. Thomas Wrede, SES’ VP/Reception Systems, speaking on the margins of the huge Satellite 2013 show in Washington said that there was still a considerable amount of work to be done in the background. “SES is extremely serious about Ultra-HD, but we need an agreed standard for HDMI connectivity, for a start,” said Wrede.
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