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On Projeções supports electronic and techno music events in Brazil with Christie Griffyn projectors
27/08/2024
University of Greenwich chooses Alfalite displays for its new Hub for Immersive Future Technologies
06/08/2024
Marshall cameras deliver hybrid courtroom video conferencing and streaming solution for S&L
09/05/2024
On Projeções supports electronic and techno music events in Brazil with Christie Griffyn projectors
On Projeções, a creative provider of visual technologies - one of the largest in Latin America, also operating in Europe - selected Christie Griffyn 4K50-RGB pure laser projectors to play a starring role at two of São Paulo’s most prominent electronic and techno music events: Time Warp Brasil and Illusionize in Saturn.
Established in 1994, Time Warp Brasil is one of the world’s largest techno and house festivals, with events in Mannheim, Madrid, New York, and São Paulo. For Time Warp Brasil’s 30th anniversary, the festival commissioned On Projeções and The Force agency to project onto the building opposite the event venue to enhance the attendees’ sense of immersion.
To achieve this, On Projeções used two Christie Griffyn 4K50-RGB pure laser projectors to map abstract images and photos onto the building’s two facades, one measuring 33 x 27 metres (108 x 89 feet) and the other 12 x 31 metres (39 x 102 feet), with a total resolution of 12,068,480 pixels.
Illusionize in Saturn, an electronic music party led by DJ and producer Pedro Mendes (also known as Illusionize), took place at Arca, São Paulo’s premier indoor venue for electronic music events. Illusionize in Saturn requested that the planet Saturn and its rings be projected where the DJ was situated.
To achieve this, On Projeções used two Griffyn 4K50-RGB pure laser projectors to cover a 30 x 20-metre (98 x 66-foot) surface with images simulating Saturn’s environment, with a total resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels.
(Photos: Alisson Demetrio)
JVC PTZ cameras selected to livestream this year’s Filmscape Conference
Filmscape, an educational, non-profit organization that helps develop resources in the Chicago metro and surrounding areas for people pursuing careers in film and television, provides content covering all things production. To build knowledge for those working behind the scenes in the industry, the organization hosts its Filmscape Conference each year.
To livestream this year’s sessions on YouTube, the Filmscape deployed one KY-PZ510WU and two KY-PZ400NWU PTZ cameras, managed by the RM-LP100U remote camera controller, from JVC Professional Video. The KY-PZ510 was used as the primary camera to track the individual presenter, while the two KY-PZ400 cameras flanked the stage for panel discussions.
“The low profile of the JVC PTZ cameras enabled us to place them in environments that are otherwise not possible with a traditional camera setup”, says Gary Adcock, Executive Director of Filmscape. They mounted one of the KY-PZ400 PTZs on a wall, suspended the other KY-PZ400 from the ceiling, and placed the single KY-PZ510 PTZ on a large stand.
Adcock adds that the JVC PTZ cameras helped expand the floorplan, bringing the attendees closer to the stage. “Having PTZs out of the way of traffic meant we no longer had to lose those seating positions for the cameras; we were actually able to add seats in this environment”, he says. “This allowed us to livestream this content in a way that we hadn’t previously been able to do.”
JVC’s AI-enabled auto-tracking feature followed the speaker throughout the presentations. “It simplified the process for the film crew as they didn’t have to manually track the speaker”, says Adcock. “This also benefitted the speaker, as they could walk around the stage without worrying whether they were in the shot.”
The cameras enabled the staff to livestream directly to the YouTube channel. “The built-in technologies of the JVC PTZs, the ability to connect over Ethernet and control the cameras in multiple ways, is amazing to me”, says Adcock. “These features allowed the camera operators to perform at a higher level. Creating a seamless livestream can become very complicated when you have more than 1,000 people around you while you’re trying to run simple, efficient camera workflows with non-traditional camera placements.”
(Photos: JVC Professional Video/Filmscape)
Audio Animals streamlines audio production business model with Flock Audio Patch
Since 2012, UK audio production studio Audio Animals has delivered mixing and mastering services to clients all over the world. The studio established an “online-only” á la carte business model that streamlines the studio experience to focus on clients’ specific needs, allowing Founder and Lead Mixing and Mastering Engineer Paul Ashmore (pictured) and his colleagues to work more quickly and effectively.
In keeping with this mindset, Ashmore has adopted the Flock Audio Patch digitally controlled all-analog patch bays as the brains of his mixing and mastering setups, allowing him to integrate analog elements into his workflows. “With a predominantly online workflow, we saw that we could basically ‘trim all the fat’ and streamline the process for clients who were predominantly looking for mixing and mastering services”, he explains.
“By being more transparent about our services and making communication more efficient, we could accomplish much more than a studio where people are sitting in the control room with you and charge much less as a result”, he adds. “That idea was the spark of our entire business model, and during COVID when everyone had to move to remote workflows, we were already ready to go and it tripled the amount of jobs we were getting as a result.”
“We have clients at all levels, from major artists like Beyonce, Lil Wayne, and Swedish House Mafia to independent artists looking for a professional mix on their first single”, continues Ashmore. “There’s no compromise in the quality of what we offer, we’ve just found a way to do it that can work at the speed that our clients require and the industry demands.”
Although he predominantly works “in the box”, Ashmore still prefers analog processing for his mix bus and mastering chains. Seeking a way to meld his streamlined, digitally-inclined approach with his favorite analog gear, he sought out the Flock Audio Patch. In addition to giving him instant access to his favorite chains of outboard equipment, his fluid use of Patch APP DX has eliminated time-consuming recall procedures. As someone who is frequently jumping between multiple projects in a workday, this has been a major time saver.
“I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve been asked to recall a setting from a piece of gear and had to spend hours digging through hard drives to find pictures from the session”, he explains. “The great thing about DX is that everything is in one place and all you have to do is pull up the session and you have all the photos and notes you need. Everything is on the iPad and the impact that has on a fast-moving session can’t be underestimated.”
(Photos: Audio Animals/Flock Audio)
Arkrys calls on ChamSys to power Eurosport Paris studios
The three recently remodeled Eurosport studios in Boulogne, France, that broadcast coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris blazed new paths in TV technology. Designed and installed by Arkrys, working with Georges Krystkowiak (Director of Photography), and Baptiste Arnaud-Benaïs (Gaffer), along with the TD of Eurosport France, Florent Marquer, the fully automated studios aired coverage from throughout the Olympic sites with ten commentary positions embedded in a virtual setting.
Controlling the lighting setups at the studios were the ChamSys MQ250M Stadium Console, along with two GeNetix 10Scene Gateways and two 10Scene Wall Plates. The new setups featured a broad array of features, including preprogrammed settings for greater speed, remote troubleshooting capabilities, and a media player and pixel-mapper in MagicQ. “The ChamSys solution allowed us to benefit from a high level of interoperability and to take control of the kit at any time”, says Arnaud-Benaïs.
Due to their augmented reality features, the revamped studios are able to deliver large, immersive live broadcast images. Lighting at the larger “Set A” is 100-percent automated with sixty moving heads. All these LED projectors are remotely operated by the MQ250M Stadium Console.
At the smaller B and C studios lighting is triggered in with the 10Scene Wall Plates, with preprogrammed settings. This eliminates the need for a console operator at all times. Operators use the 10Scene Wall Plates for instant access to presets with no risk of changing any settings. On set C, the media player and pixel mapper of the MagicQ console allow for pixel-by-pixel control of the light strips.
(Photos: ChamSys/Eurosport)
Pronology and Haivision streamline video production for Conan O’Brien’s podcast studio
Conan O’Brien’s podcast studio hosts a range of shows from “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” to “Where Everyone Knows Your Name” with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson. With a busy shoot schedule, the studio required an efficient and secure way to record its multi-camera productions. The Hollywood-based podcast studio turned to Pronology, a developer of broadcast workflow solutions, and Haivision, a global provider of mission-critical, real-time video networking and visual collaboration solutions, to optimize the video production workflow.
The studio is utilizing the Pronology StreamFile Core platform for the ingest of its multiple camera feeds and other sources in conjunction with the Haivision Makito X4 encoder that delivers video at ultra-low latency with secure and reliable streaming over IP. Prior to this new workflow, the studio team would record the cameras as baseband SDI signals with on-premise video recorders. With this simplified, cloud-based StreamFile Core workflow, the camera feeds are streamed and recorded directly to Amazon S3, saving production time and money, as one person can manage all cameras and recordings from a single web interface.
“Our new workflow has allowed us to manage the feeds from our various shows”, says Sarah Federowicz, Team Coco, VP of Operations and Chief Operating Officer. “The Pronology and Haivision teams helped us set up the video production workflow, and we have been using it seamlessly ever since.”
(Photos: Haivision/Pronology)
Omroep Brabant adopts QuickLink StudioCall for guest interviews
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Omroep Brabant, the largest regional broadcaster in the Netherlands, has integrated QuickLink StudioCall into its production workflow, enabling remote guest capabilities for live broadcasts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Omroep Brabant used multiple video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom and Skype, to connect external guests to broadcasts. However, the station recently sought a more efficient alternative for introducing remote guests that was also straight-forward to implement for both operators and external guests.
In addition to low latency, QuickLink offers a range of configuration options to optimize the connection based on guest conditions. Omroep Brabant deploys invitations to remote guests via SMS, WhatsApp, or email. Once connected, operators have full operational control of virtual rooms and device settings from a central web-based portal, accessible from any global location. Using the remote management controls, Omroep Brabant’s operators can pre-screen, control, and manage their remote guests, including camera/microphone/speakers selection, resolution, audio mode/gain, and more.
“StudioCall allows us to fine-tune the remote guest process”, says Jasper de Bruijn, Media Technology System Specialist at Omroep Brabant. “External guests who have a somewhat poor internet connection can be identified, taken into account, and adjusted as needed.” The QuickLink solutions were provided to Omroep Brabant by CUE-Support, a Netherlands-based audiovisual provider to the broadcast and proAV industries.
(Photos: CUE-Support/Omroep Brabant/QuickLink)
University of Greenwich chooses Alfalite displays for its new Hub for Immersive Future Technologies
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The University of Greenwich, located in the borough of Greenwich in London, England, is now using an Alfalite Modularpix Pro 1.5 Orim VP XR LED Wall for its new centre of excellence for education and research in audiovisual content and process. This centre, which has been named Shift (Shared Hub for Immersive Future Technologies), aims to be a pioneer in the study and development of advanced audiovisual technologies.
The Alfalite LED Wall will provide a platform for the creation and display of XR content, which is central to the institution’s research and education activities. Mo-Sys has been responsible for the supply and integration. In addition to Alfalite’s LED Wall it has also integrated its StarTracker Max systems and other XR solutions for a complete VP XR solution.
Through this new centre, the University of Greenwich will design virtual production training programmes for industry professionals, participate in research and knowledge exchange projects to identify new products in the sector, and offer employment and internship opportunities for students in the competitive film industry.
The LED Wall at the University of Greenwich is being managed by Brompton SX40 and XD Unit LED video processors. This project therefore stands out as the only 100 percent European VP XR solution.
(Photos: Alfalite)
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Tateside supports MoneyGram Haas F1 Team with managed AV services
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London-based AV and IT integrator Tateside has announced an ongoing project in collaboration with the MoneyGram Haas Formula 1 Team. Tateside is set to support the F1 team’s digital signage requirements throughout the 2024 racing season. Having been introduced to the Haas team back in 2018, Tateside has provided installed solutions both within the team’s factory in Banbury and trackside.
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team sought to rebuild and update their garage in 2023 and the team’s Creative Services Manager, Peter Julian, enlisted Tateside to support the team in distributing its marketing visuals and live-streamed data across the garage. “We were looking for a solution for displaying content, such as sponsorship material or timing data, on the garage screens”, says Julian.
Tateside opted for a networked ecosystem of Brightsign Players, each serving an LG 55’’ video wall display. “Using a combination of XD1035 and XD235 players, we can deliver synchronised and scheduled content across the front and back of house garage screens”, explains Jack Cornish, Technical Manager at Tateside. “These screens need to display a variety of material, from sponsorship stacks and animations to the main live feed and timing data, critical for the in-garage mechanics and engineers.”
Joby Morris, Project Manager at Tateside, works closely with the marketing and IT trackside team to ensure the correct content is uploaded, programmed, and displayed in advance of the race week. “The Brightsign players are programmed to run multiple presentations for the various race week events, such as qualifying or free practice sessions”, he says. “During these sessions, the Brightsign players display various content and data. This functionality is triggered via UDP commands, using a custom application built by the team.”
2024 will mark the first full race season of Tateside managing AV services at the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team. “Having been involved in the AV side of the garage upgrade and supporting the latter races of 2023, we’re looking forward to supporting the team during this busy upcoming season”, continues Morris. “Through our Managed Services department, we’re on hand to provide contracted support.”
(Photos: Tateside/MoneyGram Haas F1 Banbury)
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DraftKings Sportsbook “cascades” TVOne Coriomaster2 processors to feed video walls
DraftKings’ new Sportsbook facility has opened in Scottsdale, Arizona, featuring 3,400 square feet of video walls driven by two TVOne Coriomaster2 video processors. For the first time ever, two Coriomaster2 units are being “cascaded” to offer DraftKings more inputs and outputs than ever before.
Constructed during 2023, the Scottsdale DraftKings Sportsbook is located adjacent to the 36-hole TPC Scottsdale golf complex. The building offers 13,000 square feet of indoor space, which includes 32 betting kiosks, six windows to place bets, and wraparound LED screens, allowing customers to watch live sports action and related video from practically any seat or space.
Agility AVL’s Art Martinez and his team were engaged to specify and install a complete AV solution for the project, designing and delivering audio, LED, control, video processing and displays. “This was a first of its kind for DraftKings and PGA in terms of partnering to build a completely standalone Sportsbook which is not attached to a casino or hotel”, says Martinez. “With the large amount of video wall space, we chose the Coriomaster2 as our video processing solution.”
Martinez specified Transtech LED for all the screens, installing twelve 2.4 mm pixel pitch screens ranging from 11.8’ x 7.8’ to 53’ x 9’ in size. A further eleven 3.9 mm pixel pitch screens are rigged ranging with the largest measuring 21.3’ x 4.9’ and including seven 10’ x 9.8’’ tickers. They were sourced from Wright Hospitality and US Distributor Legends. “We chose AMX as our control system because of its reliability in the market”, adds Martinez.
“Being a Sportsbook, the primary focus of the displayed content is sports, via DirecTV”, he continues, “but they are also using media servers for their marketing as well as other content. Initially, there were challenges in relation to the number of inputs/outputs that they needed, but we challenged TVOne to do something they never had before with the Coriomaster2 - cascade two machines.”
The day-to-day operations at the Sportsbook are being taken care of by the venue’s technical team, which involved a training period by the Advanced LED and the Agility AVL team. “We provided service support both locally and remotely”, explains Martinez. “The Coriomaster2 video processors are running the entire video system with 32 DirecTV receivers, four Cox receivers, and twelve NUC PCs.”
Art Martinez thanks Nick Frush at TVOne, Mark Wright from Wright Hospitality Group, Keith Hanak at Legends Hospitality Group, Transtech LED’s Engine Xu, and Tony Zxu, Kerri Zimmerman at Newline Displays, Steve Gorski at SG Western Group, the DraftKings team including Frank Kunovic, Carmen DiMichele, Joel Soukup, Jillian Hawkins and Meahgan Manzi, and all of the installers and technical team including Josh Martinez, Mack Montoya, Adam Perez, Nate Vitelle, Ryan Bentley, Darrin Oxford and Lucas Beck.
(Photos: TVOne)
Sterling Event Group streamlines live event productions with AJA
Sterling Event Group provides sound, lighting, video, sets, stages, and other live event production services to clients across corporate, private, public, sporting, and live music event productions in the UK and overseas. When working on a project like the British Small Animal Veterinary Association’s (BSAVA) Congress in Manchester, which wrapped in late March 2024, Sterling Head of Vision Joseph Timmons often uses AJA Ki Pro Go and Ki Pro Ultra 12G recorders.
“Ki Pro Go has become our hardware of choice for HD video recording because we can record synchronized, multi-channel video with flexible encoding settings”, says Timmons. “The fact that we can also use ‘off the shelf’ media and Ki Pro Go generates compact clip file sizes means our clients can access footage immediately after an event finishes.”
A multi-space conference and exhibition, BSAVA brought together veterinary professionals from across Britain. Throughout the event, Sterling was tasked with producing sessions in small breakout spaces, as well as larger-scale panels and talks in 1000-seat halls. Timmons tapped AJA Ki Pro Gos to record live footage in H.264 and content from nine separate event spaces to a centralized NAS drive using the network (SMB) recording feature.
The setup eliminated the need to collect and distribute physical media from each space, and Timmons was able to deliver footage immediately to off-site editors. With the latest firmware update for the device, his team was also able to remotely monitor all live event videos in real time. Built-in Ki Pro Go support for redundant recording to USB media provided the team with a physical backup should the need arise.
Sterling has grown considerably over the last several years and plans to continue scaling to accommodate new growth. As it does, Timmons is paying close attention to trends like AV over IP and higher resolution workflows: “Whilst we still see live event signal flow predominantly running in HD, the demand for 4K/UltraHD is increasing, and AV over IP is going to help facilitate improved transmission of high-bandwidth standards while providing interoperability, versatility, and reliability.”
(Photos: AJA Video Systems/Sterling Event Group)
Christie Pandoras Box and Widget Designer power new immersive experiences at Wonderland Science Fiction Exploration Hall
Christie Pandoras Box and Widget Designer power the visuals of an immersive entertainment experience targeted at teenagers and young adults. Located at the ZGC Science Fiction Industry Innovation Center in Beijing, China, this new attraction aims to engage guests through an interactive adventure.
Visitors at the Wonderland Science Fiction Exploration Hall are transported into a sci-fi adventure set in deep space. Divided into two themed experiences, Space Rescue and Space Dinosaur Base, participants must engage in specific tasks and games to successfully complete their mission. Space Rescue tasks participants with piloting a replica return capsule, docking with a space station, and restarting a control system at a biological base, all while wearing astronaut attire. Meanwhile, Space Dinosaur Base participants explore a chaotic space dinosaur base.
By utilising advanced film industry technology and digital interactive tools from Christie Pandoras Box, the attraction pioneers the fusion of digital and real spaces, creating an immersive experience. Pandoras Box Software and Widget Designer were supplied and installed in this facility by Christie’s trusted partner Beijing De Yi Jia Chuang (Audiovisual) Ltd.
Christie Pandoras Box facilitates the transition of distinct gaming scene effects for both immersive adventures, integrating multi-scene audio and video content with Widget Designer’s control algorithms, which adapt to various environments. The software is installed in two customised multimedia servers, each dedicated to immersive audio and visual integration for the respective themed experiences.
“This setup allows for precise control of multi-scene storyline effects and efficient network distribution, ensuring unified reception of multi-channel input/output signals and control of game modules”, says Daiyuan Wang, general manager of Beijing De Yi Jia Chuang. “This empowers the operator to achieve real-time and precise playback control of various audio and video content.”
(Photos: Wonderland Science Fiction Exploration Hall)
Christie projection set to deliver cinematic experiences at Festival de Cannes
Christie will power screenings at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, from May 14-25, 2024. This marks the 18th year Christie has partnered with Cannes, and its projectors, both RGB pure laser illumination and its new series 4 Xenon-based systems, will be used in 24 spaces throughout the festival, including at the flagship Grand Théâtre Lumière room.
“It’s been our pleasure to support the film festival for nearly two decades”, says Adil Zerouali, senior sales director, Cinema EMEA, Christie. “The Festival is amongst the most well-loved on the global stage, and this year, we will be able to showcase the latest releases using a broad range of technologies. We continue to work with the Festival and the Commission Supérieure Technique de l’Image et du Son (CST).”
Christie CP4435-RGB pure laser projectors have been installed in the Grand Théâtre Lumière and Debussy rooms, as well as at La Plage, the festival’s picturesque outdoor theatre on the beach. Xenon-illuminated CP4420-Xe projectors will power screenings at Bazin, Bunuel and Varda rooms, and CP2306-RGBe projectors will be used throughout the festival.
(Photo: Mathilde Petit)
Nocturne Drones und Insglück inszenieren Drohnen- und Tanz-Performance für Eröffnungsfeier der Hannover Messe
Während der Opening Ceremony der weltgrößten Industriemesse, der Hannover Messe, hat Nocturne Drones seine neueste Innovation enthüllt: die Flying Screens. Die Performance der Videodrohnen wurde in Kooperation mit der Hannover Messe und der Agentur Insglück präsentiert.
„Der Einsatz dieser neuen Technik, die intuitive Interaktion der Tänzerin Aischa Dawn Ibrahim mit den Drohnen, die komplexe Choreografie und die eigens dafür produzierte Musik haben ihre ganz eigene Faszination entfaltet“, freut sich das Konzeptions-Team Rebecca Hutter und Damián Barnett von Insglück.
„Ein großer Dank geht an unsere Special Units Nocturne Drone Shows und Nocturne Special Projects sowie deren Ingenieure und Softwareentwickler, die das System entwickelt und umgesetzt haben“, ergänzt Jens Hillenkötter, CEO von Nocturne Drones.
Die Verwendung von Industriedrohnen dieser Größe bei einer Indoor-Veranstaltung stellte hohe Sicherheitsanforderungen, was intensive Abstimmungen - nicht nur der Gewerke untereinander, sondern insbesondere mit den Sicherheits-Behörden - erfordert habe. Die Flying Screens sind für In- und Outdoorshows geeignet und ab sofort bei Nocturne Drones verfügbar.
(Foto: Christian Drost/Kai-Uwe Knoth)
FashionStock Productions elevates runway filming with cameras from JVC
For more than three decades, FashionStock Productions has been a trailblazer in capturing the essence of fashion runways and events across the globe. As the owner of the production company, Anton Oparin looks to keep his video quality as pristine as possible, using a selection of cameras from JVC Professional Video, a division of JVCKenwood USA Corporation.
Included among these are a trio of JVC GY-HC500 Series Connected Cam handheld production cameras, which he deploys alongside other JVC camcorders. FashionStock Productions boasts an archive of over six million images and more than 10,000 hours of video, spanning iconic fashion week events in New York, London, Milan, Paris, Miami and Los Angeles.
The company will be on the runway in South Beach, May 29 to June 3, at Miami Swim Week 2024 with a variety of JVC solutions, including Oparin’s three GY-HC500 series cameras. “This season, we will completely upgrade our live video shoot, edit and broadcast to a 4K/60p format. This multi-camera broadcast setup does not exist anywhere else in the fashion world, and we look forward to seeing the plans come to life”, says Oparin.
The 500 Series Connected Cam production cameras bring advancements that are beneficial to FashionStock, including a 28-300 mm branded lens with continuous auto-focus and multiple face recognition options. Oparin highlights the importance of these features in capturing dynamic runway shows where fashion models move rapidly.
“The auto-focus and face recognition options make it possible to follow the models no matter how fast they’re moving down the runway, especially when a solo operator needs to adjust for light and dark clothing quickly”, he says.
At New York Fashion Week, Oparin’s team livestreamed multiple shows in challenging lighting conditions. “With live productions, it is important to have reliable remote controls - this is where the JVC Connected Cam features really excel”, he explains. “Being able to control and monitor the camera over IP with any mobile device or computer has been great.”
“The possibility to correct exposure or color for remotely rigged cameras using Wi-Fi is beneficial because many times the team has to rig the cameras prior to the lighting aspects of the space being set up”, he continues. “We can also start/stop recordings remotely, which brings peace-of-mind and saves space on memory cards or the internal SSD drive. We sometimes do not have direct access to the cameras throughout a shoot, so having reliable remote controls is essential.”
Some of Oparin’s other favorite features include the end-to-end streaming capabilities with the Connected Cam models and built-in LCD screen, which eliminates the need for an external monitor.
(Photos: JVC Professional Video/FashionStock Productions)
Hippotizer unmasks visuals for “The Masked Singer South Africa”
Hit TV series “The Masked Singer” kicked off its second season in South Africa in April 2024 with sixteen celebrities battling it out in flamboyant costumes to hide their identities. The production team ramped up the staging, lighting, and visuals for the 2024 contest using TVOne’s Green Hippo brand of Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Servers alongside a GrandMA3 console to create projections and LED screen animations.
On stage, a 11 m x 4 m 2.9 pixel pitch Absen LED main wall backed each performer, displaying custom-made content designed in collaboration with “The Masked Singer South Africa” Creative Director Barry Pretorius and Set Designer Michael Gill. In addition, there were two 2 m x 4 m LED walls for Unreal Engine 3D effects rigged behind two stage left and right mask-shaped surfaces, which were projection mapped using the Boreal+ MK2 via four Christie projectors. Behind the judges’ table the team also rigged an 8 m x 2 m LED wall.
Blond Productions supplied all technical equipment for the show, including sound, lighting, LED walls and playback for the clue package (VTs designed to hint at each performers’ identity) and studio phases respectively, operators and the Unreal Engine. The team also used their own Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Server, which was purchased from DWR Distribution.
“The Boreal+ MK2 was perfect for this production”, says Ryan Lombard, Head of Department Show Lighting at Blond Productions and Co-Owner of Blond Digital, who co-designed and operated the show. “It has 4 x 4K outputs and ours was fitted with a dual capture card to receive SDI and DVI. The SDI input was used for the broadcast feed and the second was used to run Unreal Engine on the LED walls behind the masks. We ended up using seven outputs and two inputs from one device.”
For the production, the team needed to manage various feeds and graphic elements, including the show graphics, live feed and visuals from the Unreal Engine. All content was created by Digital Union, with each song graphic crafted based on direction given by Pretorius.
“In the clue package phase, we played back graphics from Digital Union”, explains Lombard. “In the studio elements we had graphics made for the general look and feel for the holding state and logos and elements specifically made for each song. Songs included graphics for the main LED wall and the masks being projection mapped, fed from the Boreal+ MK2. Each mask had two projectors allocated and aligned to them. The clue packages were sent from a Tricaster and fed to the Boreal+ MK2. These were playbacks of the clue packages we had previously shot, or sometimes clips that came in last minute that needed to be fed in. We also fed Unreal Engine into the system to create a set extension behind the masks, and this world was created and managed through us.”
The team used many of the built-in effects from Hippotizer, most of which were used to create some flare and interest at the end of show sections. “There were so many moving parts in this production and having a single media server solution driving all these different elements with ease and being able to control it from a lighting device simplified the process immensely”, says Lombard. “On the main set we used the Hippotizer’s ability to scale outputs for pixel perfect fits to the LED walls, bypassing the need for LED wall scalers. Some layers had to be alpha keyed as the show heavily relies on layers to build perfect looks. We also used the masking tool to mask out the projectors on the masks to minimise light bleed on the set, and masks were also heavily used on VS show graphics to blend certain graphics together.”
“The Masked Singer South Africa” is produced by multimedia company Rose and Oaks, under licence from Primedia and format owner Fremantle, and broadcast on SABC channel S3.
(Photos: TVOne/Rose and Oaks/SABC)
Marshall cameras deliver hybrid courtroom video conferencing and streaming solution for S&L
S&L Integrated Systems has recently transformed courtroom experiences throughout Georgia and the surrounding region with the integration of the CV503, CV504 and CV-355-10X POV cameras from Marshall Electronics.
The video conferencing and streaming solution has been implemented in over a hundred courtrooms, with an additional fifty installs scheduled for 2024. This initiative enables a hybrid approach that accommodates remote participation while maintaining the integrity of the legal process.
“The onset of the pandemic disrupted court proceedings, leading to delays, extended incarcerations and financial implications for several counties and personnel involved with the legal process”, says Stan Mobley, Senior Account Executive at S&L Integrated Systems. “Overnight, there was an immediate need to adapt to the changing environment within the court system, where traditional in-person proceedings faced significant restrictions due to social and physical distancing requirements. In response to the changing environment, the Supreme Court implemented changes allowing video appearances, sparking the need for an efficient video conferencing solution in courtrooms.”
S&L Integrated Systems collaborated with Marshall to develop a four-camera video conferencing solution tailored to the unique needs of courtrooms. The key innovation involved using two Marshall CV503 and/or CV504 fixed lens cameras and two CV-355-10X cameras strategically placed for capturing dedicated views of the judge, witness, prosecution and defense. The quad view arrangement ensures that participants always have a front-facing video feed, offering high-quality visuals and audio.
One of the key features of the solution was the integration of a fifth Marshall CV-355-10X camera dedicated to live streaming. Controlled by the judge’s touch panel, this camera facilitates on-demand live streaming of court proceedings, addressing the legal requirement for open court accessibility. The system ensures that the public can follow hearings remotely while adhering to social distancing measures.
“The courtroom has evolved into a hybrid environment, with an emphasis on convenience for judges to continue utilizing video conferencing and live streaming even when physical attendance is possible”, adds Mobley. “The ability to trigger individual cameras, such as focusing on the judge or witness greatly enhances the system’s flexibility and user-friendliness.”
“The Marshall cameras have successfully standardized courtroom solutions across multiple jurisdictions in the area”, concludes Mobley. “The implementation includes comprehensive training sessions for court personnel and a client care service agreement, ensuring ongoing support and maintenance from S&L Integrated Systems. The project has not only facilitated court proceedings during the onset of the pandemic but has also become a long-term solution for efficient and convenient legal processes.”
(Photos: Marshall Electronics/S&L Integrated Systems)
WePlay Studios transforms future of live event storytelling with AJA gear
By 2032, the esports market is expected to grow to $9.29 billion, bolstered by a global player count and fan following that both continue to climb. The 2023 League of Legends World Championship Tournament alone drew in an audience of over 6.4 million.
Considering esports’ massive fan following, many of whom tune in via dedicated live streams, the pressure to deliver live productions that align with fan expectations is real for companies like WePlay Studios. With dual headquarters in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Los Angeles, California, the content production company fuses gaming, technology from companies like AJA Video Systems, and storytelling to craft gaming shows and esports tournament experiences for top-rated titles like Dota 2, CS:GO, Valorant, and Rocket League.
But, as WePlay has uncovered, there’s also a huge demand for expertise in live event productions like The VTuber Awards, which WePlay’s team completed a full virtual production for last year. Hosted by Filian in partnership with talent management agency Mythic Talent, the five-hour event celebrated the top virtual creators online. WePlay Studios helped bring the event to audiences worldwide with a virtual broadcast by blending physical production facilities and equipment with extensive virtual production engineering and design.
“Storytelling and technological innovation drive every show we do, and we pride ourselves on creating iconic content that leaves a lasting viewer impression”, says Aleksii Gutiantov, Head of Virtual Production. “While we’d previously incorporated AR into live esports productions, this show marked our first foray into a fully virtual event managed with virtual cues; it’s the most challenging technological endeavor we’ve ever taken on.”
To successfully pull off the event, Gutiantov managed and coordinated the production in Los Angeles remotely from his laptop from Europe, using intercom communication with more than a dozen team members and orchestrating eight days of pre-production to deliver the broadcast. His team first created a real-time rendering of an entirely virtual Filian to incorporate into the live production using motion capture (mocap) technology. They tapped twenty witness cameras for full-body performance capture, including precise finger movements, and combined it with additional technology to stream facial mocap data.
The live event stream included a vast virtual arena, but Filian’s character was located on a smaller stage, encircled by a digitally reconstructed version of WePlay’s physical LA arena. To ensure every physical pan, tilt, and focus pull translated directly into the virtual render environment, WePlay Studios’ camera operators managed three cameras that were synced to virtual cameras. Camera operators in the practical/physical set were then able to switch among various angles within the virtual stadium using iPads connected to virtual cameras, creating the illusion of using a dozen cameras instead of three.
To make the production look more authentic, WePlay Studios connected the physical stage lights to the corresponding virtual lights, which allowed the team to manipulate the virtual stadium’s lighting environment through the activation of a real environment via a lighting control console. Video playback was also integrated into the virtual world, with software for live event visuals connected to the virtual venue used to launch and control the graphics displayed on the virtual stage’s screens. AJA Kona 5 video I/O boards played a crucial role in the 12G-SDI signal chain, and the final SDI feed was forwarded to an AJA Kumo 3232-12G video router for availability across the entire broadcast pipeline.
“Our Kona 5 cards were instrumental in allowing us to receive 12G-SDI signals, integrate them into an Unreal Engine 5 environment, and composite the final in SDI”, says Gutiantov. “And, our Kumo routers let us build infrastructure for large remote and on-site productions like this one and manage everything from a single web interface thousands of kilometers away.”
Kona 5 enabled WePlay Studios’ team to use Unreal Engine to create a comprehensive virtual production hub capable of handling 12G-SDI workflows. This allowed them to fully harness the potential of AR technology, from camera tracking to motion capture and data-driven graphics, while ensuring live virtual production broadcasts without technical mishaps in compositing. It also allowed them to produce UltraHD fill and key signals from one card in all known formats, using Pixotope as a keyer for 4K with the failover features known from FHD workflows.
In addition to Kona 5 and Kumo, WePlay also used a cluster of AJA Ki Pro Ultra 12G recorders to meet the recording standards demanded by the project without any interruptions. “The devices allow us to support multi-channel HD recording or single-channel UltraHD, and we can swap out recording media on the fly, which is convenient and reliable, especially for long-format live broadcasts and when clients require high-bitrate UltraHD materials for post”, says Gutiantov.
Due to the special setup of WePlay Studios’ Los Angeles facility, the team developed a preview infrastructure comprising a series of Mini-Converters to facilitate 12G-SDI signal down conversion and forward 3G-SDI signals to their AJA Kumo video router. Using AJA HD5DA SDI distribution amplifiers, the team then spread preview signals across all arena monitors for more straightforward management of all preview signals.
The setup, which also used Salvo routing configurations for SDI signals regardless of the data source’s nature, enabled precise control over the view of the production that WePlay Studio provided to its partners, talent, camera operators, motion capture team, and the entire production crew at any moment. AJA ROI-DP DisplayPort to SDI Mini-Converters proved a key part of this preview infrastructure design, allowing the team to duplicate computer monitors into the broadcast pipeline to manage conversion with region-of-interest scaling.
WePlay Studios plans to open up a new virtual production studio in Los Angeles this year that will feature a screen area larger than 2,500 sq ft with a 1.8 mm pitch and the first-ever Pantone-certified LED color pipeline, utilizing advanced flip-chip technology - which will be dedicated to film and entertainment projects beyond gaming and esports.
(Photos: AJA Video Systems/WePlay Studios)
Tateside helps Halkin set meeting room standard at King William Street workspace
Halkin recently opened new premises on King William Street, in the heart of the City of London’s financial district. Distributed across four floors, the workspace required an extensive AV system that would fit the brand’s technology standard and enable collaboration and ease of use for clients. London-based AV and IT specialists Tateside led the integration of a complete AV system across a total of eight meeting rooms.
“We have worked with Halkin on several workspaces over the past couple of years”, says Jack Cornish, Technical Director at Tateside. “We started out collaborating on smaller jobs such as upgrades of existing meeting rooms. The complete integration of the new office spaces at King William Street is our largest project with Halkin.”
Halkin has established a technological standard across all their sites, based on Neat brand meeting room solutions. “Halkin is a Zoom-room user, utilising Neat technology including Neat Bars, Neat Boards and Neat Centers, across all their sites”, continues Cornish. “In collaboration with the team at Halkin, the project focused on using high-quality products and ‘doing meeting room technology properly’, to the same standard across all their spaces.”Tateside was involved in the project from the early stages, working with the initial room designs and client requirements.
Providing a complete meeting and collaboration package within one device, Neat Boards were integrated into almost all of the meeting rooms. Each Neat board comprises a 65-inch multi-touch screen, a built-in audio system and a wide-angle camera. The addition of a Neat Pad in each room allows for seamless control of the Neat Board display. In several rooms, an additional Neat Bar is also installed, providing further options for users.
Empowering bring-your-own-device (BYOD) capability, Tateside deployed four USB-C powered Taurus UCX universal switchers from Lightware. “Taurus UCX offers something unique, with built-in control and automation available, as well as the physical UI of the two USB-C inputs allowing for plug-and-play functionality, the latter being the key point we needed to achieve”, says Cornish.
An exception to the Neat standard can be seen in the 24-delegate boardroom space. In this larger space, immersive visuals are provided through the integration of two 75-inch 4k Samsung displays and an 85-inch Samsung Flip 3 collaboration screen, allowing participants to actively interact with content via the touchscreen. For discreet audio coverage, eight Bose DM5C loudspeakers are deployed, whilst two Shure ceiling array microphones ensure delegates throughout the room can be heard clearly.
Three Yealink PTZ cameras, including one tracking model, ensure the desired hybrid meeting experience and visual pick-up. User control is made simple through the integration of a Yealink MCore kit mini-PC and touchscreen, whilst device switching and network connectivity in the boardroom are handled by Blustream transmitters and receivers.
In addition to meeting room solutions, Tateside also integrated digital signage and a background audio system on all four floors at King William Street. Bose DesignMax DM5C in-ceiling loudspeakers were chosen and custom-sprayed, allowing for seamless integration with the décor of the office space. For digital signage in the reception area and throughout, Samsung Frame 4K HDR Smart TVs provide functionality in a design-led format. Some bespoke elements were also incorporated, such as custom brass finishes on Kramer Cable Cubby units.
(Photos: Halkin)
WDR Filmhaus nutzt zukunftssicheres Medien- und Intercom-Netzwerk von Riedel
Der Westdeutsche Rundfunk (WDR) hat sich im Zuge der Erneuerung der technischen Infrastruktur im WDR Filmhaus in Köln für ein auf Riedel-Technologie basierendes Medien- und Intercom-Netzwerk entschieden. Die Riedel-Lösung des Hamburger Systemintegrators MCI hatte im Rahmen einer öffentlichen Ausschreibung den Zuschlag erhalten.
Das Filmhaus in der Kölner Innenstadt ist das journalistische und technische Herzstück des WDR. Rund 700 Mitarbeiter werden hier die reichweitenstärksten Programme des WDR produzieren: von WDR 2 bis zur „Aktuellen Stunde“, vom „ARD Morgenmagazin“ bis zu „Brennpunkten“, den Zulieferungen für die Tagesschau und die digitalen Kanäle.
Das bestehende Filmhaus wird grundlegend saniert, um das Gebäude an die heutigen und zukünftigen Anforderungen der Medienproduktion anzupassen, und soll neben Büro- und Konferenzbereichen auch Redaktions-, Studio- und Aufnahmeräume für crossmediale Produktion beinhalten.
Im WDR Filmhaus kommen nun Artist Intercom und MediorNet HorizoN von Riedel zum Einsatz. Die software-definierte MediorNet-Infrastruktur mit MediorNet HorizoN, MicroN UHD und MicroN erlaubt es dem WDR, Audio- und Videosignale (Baseband & IP) flexibel im Filmhaus zu verteilen und kann zudem auch leistungsstarke Multiviewing- und Processing-Funktionen abbilden.
Nachhaltigkeit und Zukunftssicherheit waren entscheidend in diesem Schlüsselprojekt; da der WDR eine Öffnung hin zu einer umfassenden Medien-over-IP-Infrastruktur anstrebt, wird Riedels hybride Processingplattform MediorNet HorizoN eine zentrale Rolle im Filmhaus spielen.
„MediorNet HorizoN gewährleistet, dass die neue Infrastruktur im Filmhaus offen gegenüber zukünftigen Technologieentscheidungen bleibt“, sagt Patrick Mandl, Product Manager Video, Riedel Communications. „Mit seinen 128 IP-Gateways pro HE fungiert es als Brücke von der SDI-Welt in die offene ST-2110-Umgebung und bietet dem WDR die Möglichkeit, in den kommenden Jahren schrittweise innovative IP-Produktionskomplexe zu integrieren.“
Das verteilte MediorNet-System erlaubt es dem WDR, die Video-Kreuzschienen direkt zu den Signalquellen zu führen, und so auf kürzeren Wegen die Signale effizienter zu distribuieren. Zudem kann der WDR mittels MediorNets integrierter Glue-Features auf eine Vielzahl von Zusatzprodukten verzichten, was den Kosten- und Verkabelungsaufwand verringert sowie die Überwachung im Fehlerfall vereinfacht.
Beim Ausbau der Kommandoanlage im Filmhaus setzt der WDR auf Artist-1024 und SmartPanels der 1200er-Serie, die mittels Trunking in das bestehende Intercom-Netzwerk des WDR integriert werden. Dieses Artist-Netzwerk umfasst alle Produktionsbereiche in der Kölner Innenstadt und ermöglicht dem WDR eine komplette gebäudeübergreifende Kommunikation am Standort Köln.
(Foto: Riedel Communications/WDR)
Christie RGB pure laser projector powers first Oma Cinema
A Christie CP4435-RGB pure laser projector is being used at a new cinema experience at Oma Cinema in Mougins, France. Inspired by traditional Italian-style opera house balconies - and resembling a futuristic sci-fi layout - Oma Cinema features innovative architecture, utilising circular seating pods as part of an auditorium concept to improve viewing. Christie partner Cinewest chose the CP4435-RGB projector to deliver advanced DCI compliant cinema projection, paired with a custom 7.1 sound system.
“We wanted to bring something different and offer viewers something special as part of an in-person visit, which couldn’t be replicated at home”, says Nicolas Chican, co-founder at Oma Cinemas. “We saw a lack of evolution in cinema design in recent decades and felt that architecture could be a powerful tool to deliver something unique.”
Oma Cinemas in Mougins is the first ever Oma install, and features 160 seats, with five individual pods, as well as orchestra seating. Designed by architect Pierre Chican, the patented concept’s “vertical” seating structure is designed to concentrate seating pods in the optimal viewing area, moving the traditional “first row” seats further back in the theatre, and the “back row” seats closer to the screen. Due to this design, the projector is also able to be installed mid-centre to the screen, eliminating image distortion.
Christie CP4435-RGB features CineLife+ electronics and Real Laser illumination as a compact, all-in-one projector. “We’re delighted that Cinewest chose the Christie CP4435-RGB for this exciting project at Oma Cinemas in Mougins”, says Adil Zerouali, senior director of sales, EMEA Cinema, at Christie. “We believe that cinema delivers a shared experience like no other, and we want to inspire and engage moviegoers together with our partners. It’s great to see innovation in the industry.”
The Oma concept is fully customisable, and is available to be rolled out to other screens across the globe, to either renovate existing theatres, or be built from scratch. Each pod features its own unique access point, and is customisable with different seating configurations and comforts. It is also possible to incorporate a stage beside the screen to allow an Oma room to be used for live events and conferences.
Rear access ensures no visual distractions - such as signage or other exits - intrude on the viewer’s perspective. Due to the more vertical seating structure, space is saved at the rear of the screen, providing room to locate dedicated food and beverage areas and lounge bars. The first public screening at Mougins will take place on April 24, 2024.
(Photo: Cinewest)
Christie cinema projectors power new Chilean multiplex Muvix Talca
Chilean cinema chain Muvix has equipped all seven theatres of its new multiplex in Talca, Chile, with CineLife+ cinema projectors from Christie. The new complex has a capacity of 1,313 seats across seven theatres with screens that range in size from ten metres (33 feet) to sixteen metres (52 feet) wide. Auditoriums are equipped with Christie projectors that deliver brightness of 9,000 to 22,000 lumens.
Theatre 7, called Aera, includes Dolby Atmos sound and a sixteen-metre (52-foot) large-format screen powered by a Christie 4K projector. Muvix and its sister chain, Cine Star, belong to Grupo Syem, the only Chilean-owned exhibition company in the country. In addition to Muvix Talca, the company also has twenty Christie projectors distributed in its various cinemas throughout the country.
(Photos: Christie/Muvix)
ATK Versacom und Riedel kooperieren bei US-Broadcast-Events
ATK Versacom hat mit Kommunikationssystemen von Riedel eine Musikpreisverleihung in Los Angeles und ein US-Footballspiel durchgeführt. Bei der Musikpreisverleihung setzte ATK Versacom drei Artist Intercom Nodes und 35 SmartPanels ein, um die Kommunikation zwischen den Crews zu gewährleisten. Riedels drahtloses Intercom-System Bolero ergänzte die kabelgebundene Infrastruktur mit einem kombinierten 1,9/2,4-GHz-Netzwerk, um trotz begrenztem Spektrum die notwendige Kapazität zu erreichen.
Das Bolero-System sorgte für Mobilität am Veranstaltungsort und ermöglichte eine nahtlose Kommunikation zwischen allen Abteilungen. Bei der Produktion wurden mehr als 100 Bolero-Wireless-Intercom-Beltpacks eingesetzt, 65 über 1,9-GHz- und 36 über 2,4-GHz-Frequenzen. 43 Antennen kamen zum Einsatz, um jeden Winkel des Veranstaltungsorts abzudecken, einschließlich der Suiten, der Außenbereiche und der Umkleideräume.
Anschließend stellte ATK Versacom das Riedel-System für die National Football Honors und die Halbzeitshow eines US-Footballspiels ein. Dabei nutzte ATK Versacom die Port-Implementierungen des Systems, die eine Anpassung an unterschiedliche Veranstaltungsgrößen ermöglichen. Mit Hilfe der Bolero-Antennen und eines von der Federal Communications Commission (FCC) bewilligten erweiterten 1,9-GHz-Spektrums konnte das Unternehmen eine größere, dichtere Verteilung von Beltpacks realisieren als dies normalerweise in einem einzelnen Gebiet möglich ist.
Wenige Wochen später setzte ATK Versacom Riedels Lösungen auch bei der Verleihung eines Filmpreises ein.
(Fotos: Riedel Communications/ATK Versacom)
Riedel unterstützt Raumfahrtunternehmen mit Kommunikations- und Videoübertragungslösungen
Interstellar Technologies, ein Raumfahrtunternehmen mit Sitz in Hokkaido, Japan, kooperiert mit Riedel, um technische Herausforderungen bei der Kommunikation und Videoübertragung zu meistern. Riedel lieferte ein Kommunikationssystem für das Team sowie ein IP-Videosystem, das mit reduzierten Delayzeiten und verbesserter Bildqualität für die 4K-Kameras die Medieninfrastruktur des Unternehmens optimiert.
Dadurch soll eine reibungslose Entwicklung der nächsten Generation von Interstellars Kleinsatelliten-Trägerrakete Zero ermöglicht werden. „Wir sind sicher, dass die Riedel-Lösungen bei den Startvorgängen von Rocket Zero eine entscheidende Rolle spielen werden“, sagt Kazunori Makino, TT&C Group Leader, R&D Department bei Interstellar. „Während wir uns auf die Markteinführung von Zero vorbereiten, möchten wir das System weiter ausbauen. Die Riedel-Lösung wird nicht nur von den Interstellar-Mitarbeitern, sondern auch von den beteiligten Satellitenfirmen genutzt, sodass wir ein Höchstmaß an Qualität bei unseren Raketenstarts gewährleisten können.“
Durch die Verwendung digitaler Funkgeräte sei es bei Interstellar in der Vergangenheit zu erheblichen Kommunikationsverzögerungen in den beiden Haupteinrichtungen, der Kommandozentrale und dem Verbrennungstest- und Startgelände, gekommen. Darüber hinaus war ein latenzarmes Videosystem für den bevorstehenden Start der ersten Rocket Zero von großer Bedeutung. Nachdem Interstellars R&D-Abteilung von Riedels Lösungen für die Formel 1 erfahren hatte, wandte sie sich an den Riedel-Vertriebspartner in Japan, die Otaritec Corporation. Gemeinsam mit Riedel Communications Japan entwickelte Otaritec eine maßgeschneiderte Lösung entsprechend den Anforderungen von Interstellar.
Die Lösung umfasst ein Artist-1024-Intercom-Netzwerk, acht RSP-1216HL-SmartPanels, eine Bolero-Antenne in der Kommandozentrale sowie zwei Bolero-Antennen und sechs Beltpacks an den Verbrennungsprüf- und Startplätzen. Für die Videoübertragung wurden zwölf MediorNet-FusioN-6B-Standalone-IP-Konverter installiert, die über den Videocodierungsstandard JPEG-XS den Austausch leicht komprimierter Videos mit geringer Latenzzeit zwischen den Standorten ermöglichen. Das neue System habe die Kommunikation und die Videoübertragung erheblich verbessert und sorge für einen reibungslosen Betrieb zwischen dem Kommandoposten und dem Testgelände, heißt es von Interstellar.
„Riedel und Otaritec sind hocherfreut, mit Kommunikations- und Videoübertragungstechnologie zu diesem außergewöhnlichen Raumfahrtprogramm beitragen zu dürfen“, kommentiert Guillaume Mauffrey, Director Sales Asia bei Riedel Communications. „Unsere Lösungen wurden für den Betrieb in missionskritischen Umgebungen entwickelt, deshalb freuen wir uns sehr, dass sie nun eine Rolle bei der Entwicklung der Weltraumforschung spielen.“
(Fotos: Riedel Communications/Interstellar Technologies)
Immersive Design Studios unifies live event broadcast looks with AJA ColorBox
Immersive Design Studios’ Canvas platform combines real-time game engine and cloud technology with video capture, playback tools, and artificial intelligence (AI) neural networks to ensure immersive live event activations. Immersive Design Studios works closely with clients to support every production and broadcast or stream it live. To achieve a uniform look for broadcasts that comprise footage shot on different cameras, the team deploys AJA ColorBox with Assimilate Live Looks for live grading, most recently for Worre Studios.
“We’re constantly brainstorming ideas and testing them across client projects”, says Immersive Design Studios Co-Founder and CEO Thomas Soetens. “When we started thinking about Worre Studios and began LUT (lookup table) work, we realized we could use our cinema cameras with AJA ColorBox and Assimilate Live Looks to push the loads. We ordered multiple ColorBoxes and were using them with Live Looks in under a week.”
Worre Studios - a Canvas-powered facility that’s been tapped by Fortune 500 companies, celebrities, and more for live hybrid in-person and virtual events - features a circular LED stage. The venue comprises four LED walls - each 60 feet wide and 14.5 feet high - totaling a combined resolution of 38K. It accommodates an in-person audience of up to 350 people, as well as the capacity to reach 500,000 virtual attendees. Canvas outputs the experiences onto the LED walls, but most often, everything that happens in-studio is also broadcast or live streamed to remote audiences.
Ensuring a Hollywood-caliber viewing experience on a production like this meant that anywhere there was an interaction between the LED wall, speaker, and virtual production background, the look had to be uniform. Soetens and team leaned on LUTs as a solution because they support camera calibrations that move beyond adjusting the white point and an even balance between the colors. They output feeds from ten different cameras through a video mixer and into AJA ColorBox units, which helped them unify the look and feel of the color to a prespecified LUT the team wanted applied to the broadcast.
“Our ColorBoxes sat between every camera and the switcher in a very simple way, introducing essentially zero latency and making them quite handy kit”, says Soetens. “We just had to configure the devices and talk to them over the network, and we got powerful outcomes; they’re small and portable, so we could place them anywhere and access them remotely via the browser-based web UI. This approach gave us far greater control over the outcome.”
Establishing a uniform look when working with a broad range of cameras, however, can be challenging as each camera has unique attributes. Recognizing that learning multiple camera models and brands, and their different LUTs and calibration approaches, just wouldn’t be efficient, Soetens and team saw ColorBox and Assimilate Live Looks as a centralized solution that would allow them to unify and color grade footage from multiple different camera types with low latency. “We were able to swap the look and feel between shots and make every camera source ultimately look the same”, he says. “It allowed us to deploy multiple LUTs on multiple ColorBoxes, test them, and bring them together seamlessly for a cohesive program output.”
In addition to using AJA ColorBox, Immersive Design Studios leverages many other AJA solutions across projects from Kona I/O cards to FS frame synchronizers, Mini-Converters, and, more recently, Bridge NDI 3G. “Bridge NDI 3G is a symbiotic fit for a lot of our clients”, says Soetens. “Especially considering Canvas can ingest hundreds of NDI streams; most of our clients are using it as a set-and-forget solution for SDI to NDI encoding/decoding needs.”
(Photos: Immersive Design Studios/AJA Video Systems)
Christie RGB pure laser projector lights up Infinite screen at “Le Grand Rex”
A Christie CP2415-RGB pure laser projector is powering screenings in the new Infinite room at the storied French cinema “Le Grand Rex”. The Parisian institution’s most recently refurbished space is a 296-seat screen featuring Dolby Atmos, a RealD Ultimate screen, luxury reclining leather seats, and 2 km of customisable LED lighting throughout.
CineDigital provided the projector to Cinemeccanica France, who carried out the technical studies, sale, and installation of the projection equipment for the new 9.5-metre-wide (31-foot) screen at “Le Grand Rex”.
“My father built the room fifty years ago, and it was time to upgrade”, says Alexandre Hellmann, deputy general manager of “Le Grand Rex” and recipient of the 2024 Cinemacon Award of Excellence in Cinema. “The room has unusually low, angled ceilings, which created a challenge for us, and the Christie CP2415-RGB pure laser projector was the only model that would fit into the space. With its low lens position, the projector was able to project without hitting any part of the ceiling.”
With the projector now housed in an enclosure in the ceiling, the former projection room at the back of the screen has been replaced by a bar area, allowing guests to purchase refreshments without having to leave the new space. ABP was the architect responsible for the redesign of the Infinite room, which is located underneath the “Le Grand Large” auditorium.
The customisable LED lighting system allows the cinema to color-match the film being screened. Brown was chosen as the colour for the seats and the walls to absorb optimum light and further enhance the lighting effect. “Le Grand Rex” now offers seven screens throughout its building, which first opened its doors in 1932.
(Photos: Christie)
