WASHINGTON—Judy Woodruff, award-winning anchor and managing editor of “PBS NewsHour,” addressed the challenges of presenting a news program at a Government Video Expo keynote conversation with Paul McLane, managing director of content for Future US.

Woodruff was asked about maintaining integrity and credibility in today’s media climate where the perception of the American public is that the news is biased, fake or opinionated. She said the best way to combat that was “to do the best job we can to cover the news; to make sure we get our facts straight as best we can; to admit it when we make a mistake or when we find out some information we had wasn’t right; correct it as quickly as we can; and to be transparent about what we’re doing and how we’re gathering the news.

“We’ve got to be much better about separating out our own views as we share news on the air and in writing because we do run the risk of hurting our credibility. And in the end, all we really have is our credibility. If the people can’t trust what we’re reporting, if they can’t believe us, then we don’t really have value anymore. So that is the most precious thing we have and we have to guard that,” she said.

THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS

Woodruff discussed the difficulties of preparing for each day’s program and praised the “PBS NewsHour” team. How much time do you spend on a particular piece of news? Should that be a topic covered that day? It is a day-long debate that the staff works on together to figure it out. And a final program can be completely scrapped for late-breaking news.

“It’s an ongoing conversation about what matters,” said Woodruff. “Every day it’s a discussion. Do we run three minutes or 90 seconds? Did we run the story last night? Can we do it better tomorrow night when there might be a more important guest available? We’re including these taped pieces that we’ve worked on for weeks and weeks at the same time we’re covering breaking news.

It’s a constant judgment call and decisions are being made right up until the time to air, according to Woodruff. “Sometimes there is a complete show prepared to go on the air and some late news causes you to throw the whole show out and start over. You have to be flexible,” she said. “Fortunately, I work with an amazing, flexible team of smart people.”

Today’s viewers have so many choices in how they receive their news. As Woodruff pointed out, in addition to the traditional broadcast networks, consumers also get their news from cable channels and social media.

“What that has meant for us at ‘PBS NewsHour’ is that, yes, we are still a traditional news program,” Woodruff said, “but we are also a place that is constantly thinking about how we reach people today where they are… Therefore, we are working on streaming; we work with Apple News; we work with Facebook; we work with so many of the folks who are digitally so far ahead of where we were when we just did television.

“Frankly, [‘PBS NewsHour’ has] an audience that has exploded in size in the last few years due to the interest in news,” she continued. “We have that legacy audience that we are bringing along with us, but at the same time we are reaching people through so many other ways that people couldn’t even imagine a few years ago.”

GETTING YOUR START

Woodruff didn’t actually plan to go into journalism as a career, having spent time as an intern on Capitol Hill. When she was told that Washington didn’t take women seriously, her professor suggested she cover politics as a reporter. After some entry-level newsroom positions and a brief stint as a weather girl, she was offered the position as a reporter covering the Georgia State Capitol and Atlanta politics.

“I thought I’d died and gone to heaven,” she said.

A teacher in the audience brought up the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Lab program, in which her students participate. The labs are classrooms, after-school programs and clubs that produce original reports about how national and global issues affect local communities.

“The Student Reporting Lab is something I’m so proud of,” said Woodruff. “It’s one of my proudest things about the ‘PBS NewsHour.’ We work with high schools across the country, I think in all 50 states now. What the students have come up with will just blow you away. They see things that the rest of us don’t see.”

Asked about advice she could share as they teach students to maintain quality and integrity, but still keep them excited about telling stories that matter, Woodruff stressed the importance of values.

“In terms of what you give them, I think you give them the ability to imagine and create the news in the way they are conceiving it. At the same time you teach them the important values; the importance of getting your facts right; of talking to all the people involved. And of course, talk to them about doing quality work in the technical side of it. You may have the greatest story in the world, but if you can’t convey it, if it isn’t lit properly or if there’s no sound, you’ve got a problem. Teaching them values at the same time you’re teaching them the skills, is all matters.”

WASHINGTON—We are on the cusp of a new age of consumer technology, said Steve Koenig, vice president of market research at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) during his “2019 Tech Trends” keynote at the 2018 Government Video Expo in late November. At some point over the course of the last decade, which he describes as the “connected age,” we began to take the internet for granted, expecting our consumer devices to be online. “We’re streaming audio, video—most of our waking hours are spent online either passively or actively.” 

Not only have we been using these devices to stay connected, they have been using us, collecting data on what we watch, where we go and what we like to buy.

AI

So what’s on the horizon? “Get ready for the data age of consumer tech,” Koenig said. “More and more business decisions, more and more consumer choices are guided and informed by data. Just think about your Netflix queue. Those recommendations about what you might like, that isn’t just magic. That’s all built off of data. So we look across the whole tech ecosystem, I think data is the common denominator. Whether it’s Netflix or a self-driving vehicle, data is behind much of what we do, and that’s only going to grow and multiply exponentially as we get into the next decade.”

This era will be driven by advances in AI and machine learning, which Koenig anticipates will be a strong theme at the upcoming International Consumer Electronics Show, which the CTA produces every January in Las Vegas. Drawing an anticipated 180,000 trade professionals from 150 countries this year, according to Koenig, CES is probably the world’s largest consumer technology event.

About AI, Koenig continued, “Companies have massive amounts of customer data ... that they want to make sense of that would take us humans years and years” to sort. And AI will potentially be able to do it in real time, translating this data into instant, actionable information.

Stressing the importance of AI as a technology enabling the future, Koenig mentioned a study released by the McKinsey Global Institute in September. “Just to kind of underscore the significance of AI, they likened the global economic impact of AI in terms of GDP growth globally to the invention of the steam engine or the steam locomotive 150 years ago... They go on to say that through 2030, AI will add 1.2 percent to global GDP growth. It’s such a small percentage, but what’s behind that is quite literally trillions of U.S. dollars. Trillions. That’s how significant AI is. You don’t have to look too deep to uncover other statistics about the vast majority of commercial operations that are either using AI now or making plans to.”

5G

With the speed of technological progress, it’s not surprising that Koenig noted another change we’ll be navigating over the next few years, and another enabling technology. “We’re bridging into the data age, and 5G, which is the next generation of wireless connectivity, is essentially going to become the central nervous system of the data age.”

The hallmarks of 5G—faster speed, greater capacity and lower latency—are all critical elements to enable emerging technologies such as self-driving vehicles, smart cities, 8K video and others.

In its publication “5 Technology Trends to Watch in 2019,” the CTA noted that the U.S. “is beginning a transformation that will create lucrative business opportunities for many. 5G is coming and its rich bandwidth will reduce latency, allow a fast data stream and incentivize new services that cross the borders of all tech sectors. Combined with low-cost sensors, deep data analytics and AI, 5G will be the backbone for much of the smart city infrastructure that will help drive resilience for unforeseen disasters ... 5G will also fuel the connected home, transform digital healthcare and create immersive experiences for global sports fans. Of course, AI will be at the core of each of these areas, supporting them with data to make informed actions.”

Describing the many potential opportunities it may unlock, Koenig explained that 5G, deployed as fixed wireless broadband, has the capacity to bridge the digital divide in the United States and other large countries with geographically dispersed citizens. Noting that it is too expensive to lay fiber to support access to broadband internet for all the residents of the Appalachian Mountains, for example, “fixed wireless 5G brings those super-fast speeds of broadband to places that heretofore have not been able to get a robust internet connection.”

[Read: 5G—The Future Is Now]

He added that 4G and 5G are going to coexist for a time while networks are built out to support 5G deployments and 5G smartphones are put in the hands of consumers. Koenig predicts that by 2022 or 2023, the majority of handsets shipping in the U.S. will be pure 5G.

8K

Koenig positions the 2019 International CES as “the coming-out party for 8K TV,” based on monthly shipment data CES tracks in the U.S. market: “In the October year-to-date data for TV shipments, we have breached the 1 million mark [for the first time] in terms of unit volume shipped for TV sets 70 inches and above,” the target screen size for 8K resolution.

He admits that there’s little native 8K content now and no 8K transmission in the United States, but we were in a similar position when HDTVs first began to appear around the turn of the century.

As for how many 8K televisions are going to sell in the coming year, Koenig said, “Right now my current thinking is 100,000 or less. It’s going to be pretty small simply because it’s a brand new technology.”

He added, “It starts small but then we hit an inflection point. Now, when that big inflection point comes, I don’t think 8K is going to be a big majority seller simply because it’s domain is very, very large screens.”

The trend in the United States is toward increasingly large screens, so 8K sets may increase in prominence over time. “Ten years ago, under 40 inches was the lion’s share of TV shipments, and that has slowly modulated to where now shipments of TVs above 40 inches are the lion’s share. The size category that’s just crushing it right now is 65 inch. Three years ago it was 55 inch. You can start to see a trend here.”

Smart Speakers and Digital Assistants

This holiday season, tech spending is expected to reach a record $96.1 billion in the U.S. alone, according to CTA research, a year-over-year increase of 3.4 percent. Whether it’s emerging tech like smart speakers and smart home devices, or the popular categories like TVs and laptops, tech is an integral part of our lives.

CTA projects that smart speakers such as Amazon’s Echo and Google Home will sell 22 million units this holiday season, up 44 percent over 2017.

Discussing consumer purchasing trends, Koenig said, “About every five or six years there tends to be a must-have consumer tech product. It has the signature of hyper-growth and hyper-volume of sales, so almost overnight, millions of households adopt it. Today that’s the smart speaker.” Five or six years ago, the must-have consumer tech item was the tablet; before that it was the smartphone, and back in 2002 it was the DVD player.

Smart speakers provide an entrée into the home for AI via the speakers’ digital assistant. Microsoft’s Cortana, Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant are some very capable helpers, and they are changing the way consumers interact with and even purchase new technology.

“CES 2018 taught us three things related to digital assistants,” Koenig said. “The first is that these digital assistants are going into more vessels—this is everything from phones to PCs to cars.”

The second point: “Support for these assistants has now become table stakes, just like connectivity was mandatory several years ago.” If you brought forward a non-connected device in 2010, people didn’t have much interest in it; it’s the same now with devices that don’t interconnect with a digital assistant ecosystem.

This has become critically important in smart home products, where digital assistants have become the killer app, according to Koenig, which leads to the third point: these digital assistants are quickly establishing voice as the go-to user interface.

“Voice is really coming into the user experience,” he said. “I predict that within five years, things that we normally do on a website or through an app, that all gets pushed to the digital assistant that is omnipresent in our experience. They’re in our car, they’re on our phone, they’re on our laptop, they’re in the kitchen on the smart speaker, they’re integrated into the fridge—they’re everywhere. Therefore, they’re always standing by to help. So voice and digital assistants become the new search.”

Koenig isn’t simply speculating on this. The CTA conducted research over the summer that revealed several things about how American adults are using these digital assistants. Koenig noted, “The list is very long of the things that consumers are doing with these digital assistants—it’s not just a few things like checking the weather or setting an alarm. Point two: the things that they are doing are what we would normally fire up an app for or go to a website.” At least part of the time, consumers are starting to pivot to a digital assistant to make purchases or schedule their work and free time.

He added, “I’m belaboring the point, but what I’m trying to say is that we are on the cusp of a major shift in consumer behavior and it’s made possible by these digital assistants, and it will transform our interactions.”

Koenig will be at CES next month to track the accuracy of these forecasts. The 2019 International CES takes place Jan. 8-11 in Las Vegas.

WASHINGTON—The Government Video Expo, held Nov. 27-29, has an image of the U.S. Capitol building in its logo, but the reality on the floor is bigger than one building or just the federal government market alone. Indeed, a glance at attendee show badges on the exhibition floor or at the conference shows an eclectic mix of media professionals from many arenas.

While attendees included personnel from local, state and federal governments and all the agencies and contractors within that leviathan, this base was joined by representatives from state and local emergency personnel, defense-related contractors, educational institutions, houses of worship, and plenty of regional production types and broadcasters.

The conference schedule also reflected this. While many presentations and speakers were quite government-specific, broader topics such as live streaming, LED lighting advancements, SMPTE 2110, and high dynamic range video appealed to many modern media professionals.

TOPICS AND TRENDS

The SMPTE ST 2110 Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks suite of standards has been the hot topic at trade shows of late, and it was on the minds of many at GV Expo. The importance of the new standard was reflected in the addition of the day-long SMPTE in DC: Essential Technology Advances for Media Pros Conference, which attracted a number of local broadcast and media professionals eager to dig deep into the implications of IP on their media operations.

On the exhibit floor, the big buzz words were 4K, UHD and IPTV, according to Tommy Goodson, president of AudioVideo BrandBuilder (AVBB) Corp. “What we’re hearing at this show in particular is a lot about IPTV, with 2110 on the agenda … everybody who has come by is preparing for 2110.”

AVBB—a master distributor and manufacturer rep primarily for test and measurement specialist Phabrix and streaming company Teracue—said it was seeing great interest in the 2110-friendly Phabrix line, including the Sx-TAG model and the Qx IP, a fully flexible 2110 rasterizer.

Also popular was Teracue’s iCUE Grid Video Wall, is an IP Video Wall Presenter for multiple content sources within the video wall. It allows complete on-the-fly control over visualized live and/or on-demand content in any resolution.

AR/VR was present on the exhibition floor within products and at the conference, but the technology is a bit less in-your-face at trade shows now. The same can be said for artificial intelligence, which also had a decent presence on the conference schedule, but was not plastered on every booth on the exhibition floor as has been seen at events over the last few years. This may reflect the technology maturation, as AI or AR/VR are now established products or part of established products.

An example is Quantum’s StorNext media workflow file system. More than a year ago the company had announced it would offer Veritone Inc.'s multi-engine AI platform in a StorNext-managed environment. At GV Expo, the incorporation was a reality and AI is now just part of an overall system. There were no flashy robots on display representing the brave new world of AI, but representatives from Veritone did attend Day One of the show.

StorNext has applications across broadcast, security, defense and other environments that generate lots of data that needs to be evaluated and used. NewTek’s Tricaster multicamera production system also has a broad range of applications. It was on show at the booth of Washington Professional Systems, a dealer/integrator from nearby Wheaton, Md., that is also a NewTek Elite Dealer selling the systems across several market areas.

“The Tricaster product line is versatile enough that it is not just a broadcast switcher, there is so much more under the hood that allows it to be used in many AV environments,” said Jeremy Morris, Sr. Engineer & Certified Tricaster Operator with WPS. WPS’s booth also demonstrated products from Crestron, Christie and others.

WPS also had Sony broadcast and robotic cameras on hand, but the media world has seen a merging of the consumer and professional areas over the last several decades, so it makes sense that Sony had its own consumer electronics presence at the show as well. Highlights at this stand included still cameras capable of shooting some impressive video, and high end consumer camcorders such as the FS5 Mk II and the FS7 Mk II, both of which can shoot in 4K.

Sony professional cameras, along with units from Hitachi and JVC, were also present at the large, central booth of Digital Video Group (DVG), a supplier and system integrator of broadcast and production systems.

Alex Martin, DVG CEO, said the company was looking to expand its government business with its offerings, which also included asset management and shared storage from Avid, bonded cellular transmission units from LiveU, and more. Martin said show trends that cut across customers included the real need for 4K and preparing for SMPTE 2110.

PRODUCTION AS BREAD AND BUTTER

Whatever the resolution of the video is, and whether it is sent around a facility as an SDI stream or as an IP packet, production needs will always include camera support and lighting. These needs were front-and-center at Vitec.

On display was the Vinten flowtech 75 set of two-stage carbon fiber tripod legs with a removable mid-level spreader, rubber feet, and a 44-pound payload. This established unit was joined by the flowtech 100, which was only launched a few months ago. Compatible with all major 100 mm fluid heads, flowtech100 supports a payload of up to 66 pounds, making it ideal for heavy-duty ENG/EFP and a wide range of wildlife, commercial, and documentary productions.

Joseph Teodosio, Training & Product Specialist for Vitec, said the first day of the show drew a nice mix of local TV stations, government and military and house of worship (HOW) customers: “The LitePanels Gemini has been a real draw with its very high quality light, and the new flowtech 100 is also attracting people.”

Greg Smalfelt, senior cable television engineer, Communications Production Division, and Josh Bass, cable TV engineer, both with Fairfax County, Va.’s Channel 16, came to see the 100. “We’re an existing customer but we wanted to see the 100 for our bigger cameras, and get some questions answered,” said Smalfelt.

Panasonic was also out in force with a range of production kit for needs ranging from broadcast to HOW to government video entities. The AU-EVA1 compact cinema camera and a new class of PTZ remote cameras and controllers capable of operating in 4K 60 and 50p were joined by the AV-HLC100 small switcher, which is capable of direct streaming to YouTube or Facebook Live.

Smaller scale routing and switching needs were also key at AJA, where the company’s affordable Kumo routers and KiPro Ultra+ recorders were on display. Eastern region territory manager for AJA Dan Wingard said the duo were perfect for many of the potential customers walking the aisles. “We see everything from Federal, state and local government people through to community colleges, really a little bit of everything,” said Wingard.

Barbizon, a distributor of lighting, rigging, projection kit and more, said there was a lot going on in the world of LEDs in 2018. One of the big things this year is that a lot of the LEDs are now IP-rated, which has nothing to do with packets of data but is a measure of the protection an item will have against solid objects (dust, sand, dirt, etc.) and liquids, according to Kearston Dillard-Scott, Outside Sales representative for Barbizon. “Variety is also a trend,” said Dillard-Scott. “Many of the fixtures that were bi-color just from warm to cool can now do full RGB.”

Project Manager for Barbizon Sam Herbig added that the quality of an LED fixture’s light was increasing, and consistency within a product line has greatly improved from a few years ago: “It’s boring, but for anyone lighting to a level it is important,” said Herbig.

IP packets play a large role in an interesting product from Comrex that was on display, and due for shipping before year-end after being launched at the 2018 NAB Show: The VoIP-based Earshot IFB. The hardware-based system delivers live audio feeds to callers and is designed to provide telephone-based live studio program and IFB audio to field-based remote broadcasts, like TV ENG reports or in other applications.

Comrex also had an app called “FieldTap,” which allows a user to connect to Comrex codecs in studio from a cellphone with high-quality wideband audio.

According to Chris Crump, senior director of sales and marketing for the Devens, Mass.-based company, the Comrex LiveShot Portable IP video codec for live wireless newsgathering are in use across government sectors, particularly emergency management and security entities, along with community broadcasters. LiveShot delivers live, two-way, HD video and audio over a range of IP and cellular networks at latencies as low as less than 200mS, he said.

MISSION CRITICAL

Many government and defense video applications are defined as “mission critical,” a niche Oregon-based Planar covers with its narrow pixel pitch direct view LED and LCD panels. “These are purpose-built for mission-critical and mission-command applications, with higher image quality for indoor applications," said Alberto Reyes, director of federal business development for Planar. “We’re now finding other applications as well, any discerning 24/7/365 application in a signage environment really.”

Advances in projection display were evident at the booth of Christie Digital Systems.

“We’re trying to take a leadership position on RGB laser phosphor technology, said Jon Litt, senior manager, Business Development, Government, for Christie. “We’re also trying to bring it to a price point where it would work for more applications.”

Litt said the technology offered tremendous image fidelity, quiet operation, and the ability to run for years with little or no maintenance. Longevity is also a key selling point for the company’s DirectView LED screens, which Litt said had an expected lifespan of 100,000 hours or more while offering exceptional contrast.

HIGH SECURITY CAPTIONING

Captioning is often a government requirement and EEG has been offering encoders that connect broadcasters to iCap, the largest closed captioning and subtitle delivery network in the world, according to the company. While iCap provides 24/7/365 connectivity to thousands of certified caption partners around the globe, new at GV Expo was an option that allows customers to connect to an iCap network via a private VPN, with no public internet connection as part of the process.

“Some customers don’t want any public internet as part of the network, and now that is an option with iCap On-Prem,” said Dave Watts, marketing manager for EEG. iCap On-Prem is a companion product to EEG’s cloud-based delivery network, and it enables the deployment of iCap to private on-premises clouds for customers who require this configuration to accommodate extremely stringent internal security policies. Also on display was an automatic captioning product that relies on Ai and context recognition, and a SMPTE 2110 product.

Security was also key for IBM Watson Media, the end-to-end streaming platform formerly known as UStream: The tagline on the product’s data sheet is “Engage your employees with security-rich video.”

S. Scott Grizzle, WW Cloud Video Solutions Engineer with Watson, said the use cases between a broadcast customer and an enterprise or government customer were different, but there was a lot of crossover. He added that many customers across product sectors were become increasingly interested in video enrichment, where software can identify elements such as scenes, people, animals, etc. and place this information in to metadata.

Equipment aimed at consumers can do a lot of what many media pros need done in 2018. It is perhaps with this in mind that show organizer Future US just announced the launch of The Video Show, a new dual-event venture for December, 2019. The Video Show will pair The Photography Show, now an established U.K.-based event, with the iconic Government Video Expo, which celebrated its 23rd edition this year. 

The event takes place Dec. 3-5, 2019 at the Washington Convention Center. 

For any storyteller, there’s an immense benefit to serving on both sides of the lens.

Sgt. Matthew Callahan is one of those storytellers, a Marine who was deployed in Afghanistan and then returned as a combat correspondent with the Public Affairs office for the Department of Defense. For his work covering military operations in the field, Callahan was named both 2017 Military Photographer and Military Videographer of the Year, the first time both awards have been awarded to the same individual.

After breaking his leg during his deployment to Afghanistan in 2010 and recovering alongside other members of his Wounded Warrior detachment, Callahan had a camera placed in his hands. Callahan, who spoke with Susan Ashworth of Government Video about his experience, will give a Government Video Expo keynote discussion titled “Persistence of Vision” on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 3 p.m. in the Government Video Theater.

GV:Tell us a little about your background as a service member and as a photographer/videographer? Were you taking photographs before you entered the military?

Sgt. Matthew Callahan: I enlisted in the Marine Corps as infantry member and had my first deployment to Afghanistan in 2010 where I broke my leg in Helmand Province. I snapped it jumping a wadi, or canal, while on patrol in 2010. I was the first of many people who hurt themselves [in that same location].

I was transferred to the Wounded Warrior detachment. It took a year to get recovered and in that time I started to do on-the-job training with Public Affairs. I had no experience with photography at that point. I learned the craft when they put a camera in my hands.

I did not return to Afghanistan after my injury, but since I became a photographer [and] videographer, I travelled to several countries. Most notably, in 2017 I deployed on a Marine Expeditionary Unit and spent five months in Syria with an artillery battery as they supported Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve in the destruction of ISIS. Specifically, we supported the Syrian Democratic Force's taking of Raqqa, Syria, ISIS’ de facto capital.

GV:What do you think it is about your still images and videos that resonate with viewers?

Callahan: I think when you think about any kind of profession, there’s the wave tops — people’s perception of that profession. But when you dig beyond that and you find, no matter what you’re doing, there are these little idiosyncrasies, this little bit of culture you take from everywhere all around you.

What I’ve tried to do with my images for the Marine Corps is to take those little things you take for granted: the 5 pounds of crap in your pocket or you sleeping on a dirt floor. The things that people generally don’t think about.

I’ve been fortunate to be able to shed a light on the smaller moments. There’s a place for the big rah-rah moments as well. But there’s a need for the human moments too.

GV:What are some of the challenges you faced in the field?

Callahan: Let me talk about what worked well first. What’s easy in a garrison environment is that you have more control over what you’re doing. You can go back and shoot it again. [In comparison] when you’re in a deployment, what you have is what you’ve got, so you better be ready. You’ve got to be able to carry 40 to 50 pounds of gear and a tripod and a weapon and other things. That was challenging.

It’s about learning along the way and adapting to the situation you’re in. You do your job, maintain the gear, make sure it’s clean. That’s all you have with you.

GV:What was your reaction to being named the first service member awarded with both Military Photographer and Videographer of the Year honors?

Callahan: It was really exciting and humbling to win both. And I think on a bigger scale it’s almost a proof of concept in a lot of ways. [Winning both the photography and videography award] illustrates the possibility that not only can you dip into multiple disciplines but you can excel at them and do them simultaneously.

GV:Is there a favorite photo or video segment that you feel tells the story just the way you wanted to?

Callahan: When it comes to stills, some of my favorites images are the ones we talked about: those quiet, silly, stupid moments that you take for granted or are asleep for; the day-to-day or the in-between. That resonates with me and also captures what these folks were going through. It lets people see what they are seeing. It takes you out of the world of two dimensions and into the realm of three dimensions. It humanizes them.

GV:What kind of camera do you use in your work?

Callahan: I use a DSLR for both still and video work. The drone I used was a DJI Phantom 4 Pro Plus on deployment. It was one of two systems used for a counter-UAS system we had.

GV:What do you hope attendees will walk away with from your GV Expo session?

Callahan: One theme has to do with telling stories and making content. The best thing you can do is to consider the perspective of someone who has no idea of what story you are trying to tell. Try to step into a stranger’s shoes who has no experience with [the situation you’re photographing].

The other is learning the technical stuff, the storytelling stuff, the billions of elements that come into telling a story. It’s incremental for anyone who has had any success: there’s no single workshop, no single person to teach you. Instead it’s keeping your mind open and taking little, tiny bits of info into your toolbox.

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Even as NASA’s InSight Lander is hard at work 33.9 million miles way on Mars, members of its imaging and educational team will be working just as hard a bit closer to home.

A group of NASA engineers, imaging specialists and distance learning leaders will descend on the Government Video Expo this year to talk about the kind of work the space and aeronautical agency is doing when it comes to advances and experiments in imaging.

Sessions and keynote addresses delivered by experts from NASA are sprinkled across the agenda at this week’s show, including an insider’s look at the agency’s most recent high-definition challenge: recording and broadcasting video in 8K from the International Space Station.

[Read: Space Station Goes 8K]

At the Wednesday morning session titled “NASA’s Imaging Experiments and Advances,” NASA Imagery Experts Program Manager Rodney Grubbs will discuss how astronauts from NASA and the European Space Agency are recording in 8K their efforts to advance DNA sequencing, study space-grown vs Earth-grown plants, and shoot off indoor water jets. Video is being shot via a Helium 8K camera by digital camera company Red. Viewers are taken on a guided tour of the space station — as it orbits the planet at 17,000 mph — and get a glimpse of the station’s subzero space freezer and giant robotic outdoor arm.

“This new footage showcases the story of human spaceflight in more vivid detail than ever before,” said Dylan Mathis, communications manager for the International Space Station Program when the first 8K video was released in November. “The world of camera technology continues to progress, and seeing our planet in high fidelity is always welcome.”

NASA continues the conversation when the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Office of Education shares insider knowledge on how the agency uses instructional design models and different distance-learning technologies to facilitate virtual learning.

In the Wednesday session “NASA Goddard Distance Learning Models,” leaders of the agency’s distance learning and educational arm will give a preview of ADDIE, a framework for instructional design that NASA uses. Members of the Goddard team will talk about how ADDIE is implemented at NASA and how it is being paired with other learning models — such as webinar platforms, learning management system and videoconferencing — and how this helps the agency facilitate meaningful learning.

On Thursday, NASA will offer attendees a closer look at how it connects with its viewership in the session “Digital Engagement: How NASA Does Video.” The agency has 21 million followers on its digital platforms and retains their interest with a constantly updated series of videos, images, profiles and interviews.

Take the recent Mars landing, for example, where the world watched along with NASA engineers as they endured the so-called seven minutes of terror — the seven minutes that would determine whether the InSight Mars lander would land successfully on the Red Planet and send back images to Earth. After a journey of more than six months, the NASA InSight lander returned its first image from the surface of Mars. NASA gave viewers a 360-degree minute-by-minute view of the Mission Control Center as NASA engineers watched for word and showed viewers the first images via an instrument context camera mounted on the lander.

At this Thursday afternoon session at the GV Expo, NASA representatives will look at how the agency engages its digital audience into science and engineering topics — including live video, replays, 360-degree views, high-res illustrations, and recorded video and audio from the International Space Station.

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What do leading voices from trade, business and journalism have to say about video in 2019?

They say that technology is a key metric for engaging viewers. That enterprise and education have to prepare differently for tomorrow’s video future. That journalism today finds itself part of a unique media climate.

At the 2018 GVExpo, Nov. 27–29 in Washington, attendees will hear from those leaders about what the future may hold.

[Read: “PBS NewsHour” Anchor Judy Woodruff Confronts the Challenge of Today’s Media Climate]

Kicking off the conversation will be a keynote discussion with PBS NewsHour Anchor and Managing Editor Judy Woodruff on Wednesday, Nov. 28. Woodruff will talk about future of journalism and the impact on journalists from today’s media climate. The conversation will be led by Paul McLane, the managing director of content for Future US, who will query Woodruff on technology, current trends in economics and the best ways to go about engaging audiences in today’s segmented media environment.

The status of journalism today continues with conversation on Wednesday with CNN’s Tom Foreman. What’s clear is that journalism — and the technology and tools that drive it — are evolving; that’s an issue that Foreman will cover in the session “From the ‘Situation Room’ to the Thailand Caves — Today’s Evolving Journalism.”

Foreman will talk about how new technology is helping media professionals tell stories more effectively. In July, Foreman used virtual reality technology to illustrate the situation facing emergency personnel attempting to rescue young members of a Thai soccer team from a flooded cave. The resulting VR 3D cross-section of the cave was an immersive, virtual environment that showcased the terrain and potential escape route in bold, visual terms.

On Thursday, Steve Koenig, vice president of market research at the Consumer Technology Association, will touch on key trends in the year ahead in the keynote address “2019 Technology Trends — What to Know, How to Prepare.” He will lead attendees through the potential developments in terms of production, consumption and delivery set for 2019.

The last day will also usher in the all-encompassing keynote discussion “The State of Video in 2018.” The session will look at some successful ways that educational institutions and governmental organizations have approached communication, collaboration, teaching and learning.

Jeff Rubenstein, vice president of Global Product Strategy and Business Development for the video platform company Kaltura, will look at the state of video in both education and enterprise in 2018. And he’ll discuss potential emerging trends that he expects will shape video over the next two years.

The complete schedule for the 2018 GV Expo can be found here.

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Video today has gone well beyond entertainment and social media. Educational institutions, companies and governmental organizations increasingly turn to video for internal and external communication, collaboration, teaching and learning, public relations, and more. But how are they approaching video? What's working? What trends are emerging?

Video platform Kaltura's global surveys "The State of Video in Education 2018" and "The State of Video in the Enterprise 2018" shed some light on what real-world organizations are using video for today. 

Government Video Expo is held November 28 and 29 at Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The event features 32 live free presentations and a free exhibit floor, as well as additional training opportunities. Register here to attend.

To plan your visit, you can download the show guide in advance here.

WASHINGTON--The Vitec Group has announced its product lineup for the Government Video Expo, Nov. 27-29 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

Highlighting the company’s booth will be the Vinten/Sachtler flowtech100 Carbon-Fiber Tripod, the newest addition to the company’s flowtech carbon-fiber tripod range. Compatible with all major 100mm fluid heads, flowtech100 supports a payload of up to 30 kilograms (66 pounds), making it the ideal tripod for electronic newsgathering, field production, and a wide range of commercial, educational, and documentary productions.

Like its predecessor, flowtech75, flowtech100 is based on an exclusive carbon-fiber technology that includes the world's fastest-deploying tripod legs, according to Vitec. With unique quick-release brakes conveniently located at the top of the tripod, the flowtech100 legs can be deployed simultaneously and adjust automatically to the ground's surface—saving operators from having to bend over and manually adjust multiple brakes on each leg. The exceptional torsional stiffness of flowtech100 ensures that the tripod will not twist during camera-panning movements.

For power solutions, attendees can check out the Anton/Bauer Dionic XT Battery Series, available in both V-Mount and Gold Mount. The high-performing and compact Dionic XT is a 14V Li-ion battery that delivers up to 12A of continuous power. It’s available in two models — the Dionic XT90 and the Dionic XT150 — and features ultra-high-strength ABS and rubber construction that cushions and protects the battery and ensures industry-standard performance. Dionic XT batteries work with Anton/Bauer's complete line of battery charging systems and are also cross-compatible with competing brands' charging systems and offer superior performance for powering accessories such as portable LED lighting.

For lighting, the company will highlight its Litepanels Gemini 2x1 Soft Panel, that allows for quick setup to produce true, flicker-free, full-spectrum white light for any frame rate, shutter angle, or intensity, making it ideal for live broadcasts.

Gemini enables lighting professionals to "go bold" by lighting with any color in the 360-degree color spectrum. The light's most recent firmware update includes new special effects, new gel modes, and advanced fan operation. An all-new lighting effects mode offers dynamic effects ranging from emergency lights, lightning, and fire to pulsing, square, and strobe. Gemini eliminates the need for color correction by offering full-spectrum white light that's perfect for lighting public speakers and on-air talent. The versatile Gemini's lightweight design allows the light to be rigged virtually anywhere, requiring less cabling because the power supply is built in.

Also from LitePanels is the Astra LED Panel, the company’s next gen version of its original 1x1 panel. The Astra 3X and 6X models feature a 50 percent increase in output, making them three and six times brighter than the original Astra. The Astra Soft Bi-Color provides flattering, diffused lighting for a soft, wraparound light quality.

The Astra Bi-Focus Daylight is the newest addition to the popular Astra family, giving users the ability to adjust from a 48-degree flood to a 15-degree concentration of light with the turn of a dial. Astra's high-performance LEDs and optics provide professional lighting designers with accurate color temperatures, high CRI/TLCI color rendering, and beautiful light quality. The Astra family's modular design features optional DMX and Bluetooth communication modules, along with V-Mount or Gold Mount battery plates for mobile power when AC power is not available.

Attendees can also check out the latest developments in Autoscript’s Intelligent Prompting range. The industry's first teleprompting system designed around an IP-enabled workflow, Intelligent Prompting can also accommodate video workflows. These developments include additional features within Autoscript's premier prompting software, WinPlus-IP, that build even greater redundancy and reliability into Intelligent Prompting deployments.

Also at GV Expo 2018, Autoscript will highlight its IPS range including the all-IP prompting monitor, EVO-IPS, andWinPlus-IPS software, a simple but powerful prompting application for smaller productions. The combination of WinPlus-IPS and EVO-IPS packages the power of Intelligent Prompting into a cost-effective, easy-to-install, and easy-to-use solution that's perfect for smaller IP-based studios, corporate and educational productions, and government-sponsored broadcasts.

“We look forward to showing GV Expo 2018 attendees how all of our lighting, camera support, prompting, and mobile power solutions can help them create and capture the video content they desire while giving them the flexibility and durability they need," said Paul Dudeck, Vice President, Sales, Americas, Vitec Production Solutions.

Vitec Group will be in Booth 691. Click here to register for the 2018 GV Expo. 

WASHINGTON—At the 2018 Government Video Expo, Nov. 28-29, ChyronHego will showcase its newly launched Vidigo News product, an all-in-one newsroom production solution designed specifically for OTT content creation and publishing. Vidigo News packages ChyronHego's Vidigo Live Compositor, an intuitive software solution for live multicamera production, with LyricX graphics creation and playout solution, Live Assist playout automation system, and a custom GUI based on the Live Assist Panels user interface and control panel creation tool. Vidigo News combines a scalable switcher, an audio mixer, a powerful video effects engine, a LyricX graphics channel, clip players, and even robotic camera control in an easy-to-use solution that can be controlled by a single operator.

ChyronHego will also demonstrate CAMIO 4.5, the next release of the company's industry-leading graphic asset management solution, with key features designed to make producer-driven news workflows even more versatile, flexible, and cost-effective. CAMIO 4.5 enhancements include a powerful new render engine; the ability to publish content straight from the newsroom to social media; and the latest version of LUCI5, the HTML5 plugin for fulfillment interface.

ChyronHego will also showcase Paint 7.4, its telestration and analysis solution for sports broadcasting. Version 7.4 includes full 4K support including built-in recording in 4K, as well as new IP capabilities including support for HTTP H.264 live IP stream recording. Also joining Paint's existing integration with EVS slow-motion replay servers is an all-new integration with the LiveTouch replay system from Grass Valley, a Belden Brand. The new version of Paint also includes new automatic player-tracking capabilities that remove the need for key framing — making the telestration solution fastest to air — and tools for publishing content directly to social media.

Also on display will be PRIME Graphics 3.1, the new version of ChyronHego's universal graphics platform. Driven by ChyronHego's powerful rendering engine, PRIME Graphics 3.1 addresses five mission-critical use cases within a single easy-to-use 4K- and IP-ready graphics design and playout platform: ChyronHego's renowned character generator, a powerful clip player, a video wall solution, a graphics-driven touch-screen platform, and a branding solution. PRIME Graphics 3.1 includes support for the SMPTE ST 2110 standard and now includes HDR-enabled 16-bit color, which allows the platform to deliver 10-bit HDR output in the customer's choice of HLG or S-Log3 formats. Other new capabilities include support for ChyronHego's new INTELLICOMMADER Keyboard for Lyric, a new fast recall feature, a true HDR canvas, and a new "base scene" workflow concept.

ChyronHego will be in Booth 609. 

The Government Video Expo takes place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., Nov. 28-29. Click here to register. 

You've seen him on CNN stalking around a virtual environment and interacting with graphical representations of the SCOTUS process, North Korean missiles or Royal Thai Navy SEAL divers. Tom Foreman has established much of the network's work beyond video, playing a key role in the development and use of an immersive, 3D virtual studio that takes viewers to space to study satellites, onto distant battlefields to promote understanding of dangerous conflicts and down deep into the data of presidential elections.

Foreman will be a keynote speaker at Government Video Expo 2018. He spoke with Managing Director of Content Paul McLane for Government Video.

Government Video: You've done a lot of work in broadcast news with technology you've described as "going beyond video." What exactly does that mean?

Tom Foreman: We now have tools that allow us to visualize concepts that previously were not visual. We can turn data, we can turn ideas, we can turn trends, into interactive, touchable graphics, with which we can tell a story that adds clarity to our understanding of an increasingly complex world.

Previously, there were economic trends, crime trends, security trends that were difficult to visualize. But if you can turn it into an environment that you can stand next to, it helps people, who are visual creatures, to see what we're talking about.

GV: How did you become involved with the virtual studio?

Foreman: Hurricane Katrina was the birth of a lot of this. I had a deep and long understanding of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast from having worked there in traditional journalism — doing beautiful pictures, explanatory pictures and reports. And yet Katrina brought such a scope of disaster that no one picture could do it justice. Even a collection of pictures could not do it justice. You needed the giant view that we could bring through a graphic treatment. What we were using at the time was a giant wall-based projection of Google Earth, which I was controlling with a mouse in my hand, I was controlling it on set and we were flying in and out.

The real value, though, came from the combination of traditional on-the-ground reporting and photography video that supported it, then using this as a high-tech frame that let us add the meaning that said, "Okay, I just showed you a picture of a church halfway underwater. That matters because this is where that church is; and down the street is this school, and down the street is this government building, and over here is the streetcar line." It gave a context.

We did the same thing after the earthquake in Haiti. We were able to show, not only where the damage was, but by widening out and using some of these tools to show satellite images before and after, we were able to analyze road blockages and say why it was so hard for aid to get to people. The Army asked if they could get copies of our images, because they were having trouble figuring out how to get things to people, and our analysis with the satellite images worked for them.

GV: Why aren't more people doing this in such a visual world? Is it cost?

Foreman: I don't think it's cost, it's understanding. This is a very high-tech tool for a very traditional and old-fashioned process: storytelling. A lot of people mistakenly think that this is whiz-bang, it's all about amazing graphics and immersive graphics; that is not the case at all.

Almost everything we produce begins as simple paper-and-pen drawings on my desk, where our team gathers around, and we draw it; and as we draw it, we're saying, “What is the story? What is it we're trying to convey?”

I think one of the reasons people don't do it — or do it effectively — is they compartmentalize it. "Well, the graphics department will create this; and the show production team will create this; and we'll bring in a reporter at the last minute and plug them in." That absolutely does not work. You have to have the full team involved from beginning to end.

GV: Is there a risk that these tools could come to be used in place of live reporting, rather than to complement it?

Foreman: I don't think so, because everything we do is grounded in traditional journalism. Everything we do is grounded in finding actual facts. In fact, we steer away from doing it when we can get access that shows us what we want.

GV: You've used this technology for so many interesting projects. Are there two or three that particularly stand out?

Foreman: This has been tremendously helpful in giving a sense of scale, when we've dealt with natural disasters; in giving a sense of proximity, when we've dealt with war situations; and in helping us peek into places where we can't readily look.

As we've analyzed the North Korean missile and nuclear program, it's been tremendously useful to show exactly how much progress they're making — and what they still have not yet accomplished. Missiles involve almost incomprehensible distances and speed and force; this allows us to depict that.

In the search for the missing Malaysian airplane, this was an enormously useful tool. When you say to somebody "five thousand square miles of ocean," most people have no idea what that looks like. If somebody talks about something being 1,500 feet underwater, they don't really understand what that means either. We're able to depict that in ways that make sense.

GV: Look ahead five years, how is our experience of watching content going to change further?

Foreman: You see sports embracing this a little bit. Sports can do that in part because you're always talking about a very defined situation. The football field is this size, and there are two teams, and they play this long. Basketball, field hockey, arena, whatever.

We're going to see a lot more of this embraced, not just by news organizations but by anyone who's in the business of trying to tell a story. Because frankly the world we live in today is endlessly complex compared to the world we lived in 50 years ago. You can wake up in the morning and get an email from a friend in Indonesia, respond to a phone call from your office down the street, see photographs from a family member who's three time zones away, and search back 20 years for records of information that you might need that day. You are traveling time and space every minute, much more than we used to. That requires a new kind of understanding of that information.

We can't make our brains evolve that quickly, so what we have to do is have tools that allow our brains, as they are, to connect with this new reality.

GV: What about artificial intelligence, 4K, other technical areas?

Foreman: Willa Cather once wrote that art should simplify, that it's about simplifying ideas and making them understandable. All these technological things—the quality of video; the immersive nature of some of these systems—I think that's going to continue. The real secret here, for those who want to thrive in this environment, is to recognize them for just what they are: These are tools for a simple process of understanding. If you let it become about the tools, then it becomes more noise, more clutter that doesn't help you understand the world.

This world that we're going into is not for the faint of heart. There are huge challenges to making sure this technology serves us. But the rewards for doing that are absolutely immense.

Many years ago, when I was a very young person, I did a big, a big magic show with flying doves and floating ladies and fireballs and the whole thing. That has been enormously useful to me. The whole purpose of a magic show is knowing what's really going on, which can be incredibly complex. And yet remembering what the audience sees — and knowing you have to let them come along in the story, in a way that works for them — that's what we're doing here.

When I'm in the virtual environment, there is rarely a gesture or a step or a turn that is not carefully constrained by the technology that I'm surrounded by. Only if you do that properly does it appear real, in a virtual sense; and only then can the technology disappear and the understanding come through.

Key Takeaways

Who? Tom Foreman of CNN is a featured keynoter at Government Video Expo on Wednesday, Nov. 28, in the session "From the 'Situation Room' to the Thailand Caves — Today's Evolving Journalism”

Why? New technology is helping media professionals tell stories more effectively by leveraging "the one thing humans are really good at: visual interpretation."

Now What? Register now to meet and learn from CNN's Tom Foreman and other top speakers from PBS, The DC Visionaries, BundlAR, Creative Media Matters and more.

WASHINGTON-- G&D North America will showcase its latest KVM products at the 23rd annual Government Video Expo, Nov, 28-29 in Washington, D.C.

Highlighting the company’s booth is its new matrix system for KVM-over-IP. The ControlCenter-IP stands out through its high flexibility and versatile functions. Used together with IP extenders, the central module forms a powerful matrix – the connected computers can be switched as an n:m connection and operated remotely in real time. While the network infrastructure takes over the transport of KVM-over-IP by using network switches and routers, the ControlCenter-IP contributes the logic. Through the network connection and the use of standard network components, the application becomes highly flexible and cost-effective. On top of this, the systems can be easily expanded and scaled. G&D IP devices are compatible with each other and let customers optimize and expand their systems at any time.

The ControlCenter-IP switches numerous signals such as DP1.2a and DP1.1a, single and dual link DVI, audio bidirectional, USB and PS/2 keyboard/mouse and RS232 transparent. Combined with G&D’s high-performance IP extender systems, even 4K Ultra HD signals can be processed at 60 Hz via the ControlCenter-IP – pixel-perfect, latency-free and fail-safe.

G&D have taken the popular features of the classic ControlCenter series and integrated them into the KVM-over-IP matrix. The ControlCenter-IP now combines the advantages of both systems. This also includes the basic administration with extensive user and rights management. In addition, there are many helpful control room features such as monitoring, scripting, scenario switching, push-get for optimal collaboration and the integration of video walls, and CrossDisplay-Switching for absolutely intuitive operation at multi-monitor workstations. CrossDisplay-Switching has been specifically designed for multi-monitor workstations that access multiple computers at the same time. The mouse acts as if on a “virtual desktop” and can be moved seamlessly across the connected displays. When moving the cursor from the active to an inactive display, the keyboard-mouse focus automatically switches to the connected computer.

G&D North America will be in Booth 400. The GV Expo takes place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Click here for more information on GV Expo.

Do you wonder what it takes to create compelling video content that engages your social media audience and keeps them coming back for more? Master Sergeant Nicholas Kurtz, lead video skills instructor at the Defense Information School, understands very well the importance of social media’s reach and the need for “snackable” video content to tell the story in today’s media environment.

“‘Snackable’ content is media designed to be easy for a viewer to consume and share,” said Kurtz. It’s shorter and optimized for smaller screens to be as engaging as possible and to encourage viewers to share the video with others.

As for why, Kurtz said, “Many large government agencies are still operating from a legacy ‘broadcast’ mindset, unwilling to adapt to the realities and endless possibilities of social media.”

Kurtz has joined the featured speaker lineup of Government Video Expo, scheduled for Nov. 27–29 in Washington. In the session “‘Snackable’ Video Content: Engaging Viewers Through Social Media” he will share his knowledge of the need for short, attention-grabbing videos and how to forge an ongoing connection with your audience and community through “snackable” bites of visual content.

“If you feel like you’re stuck producing the same kind of videos that aren’t really moving the needle, you can definitely get some inspiration from this session,” Kurtz said.

Facebook and other social media algorithms prioritize video content over other types of posts, and live video is even more effective for ensuring engagement on those platforms. “By simply pulling out a phone and going live, the notification that your organization is currently streaming goes out to every follower you have who's online at that time,” Kurtz explained.

“Print and radio certainly have their place in the communication landscape, but video can augment and complement both, while standing on its own as well,” he continued. “A lot of radio shows are simulcasting with live video on social media and television. More and more, print journalism is incorporating video content to enhance coverage and give the audience another way to interact with and comprehend the information.”

MSgt. Kurtz has served as a video skills instructor at the Defense Information School’s Broadcast Operations and Maintenance Department since July, 2015. His career includes positions at civilian radio stations and the American Forces Network.

Kurtz says Sept. 11, 2001, was his first “real” day on the job as an airman at Aviano Air Base in Italy. Shortly after he received his dorm key, the second plane hit the World Trade Center in New York City, and he was tasked with “relaying information about school closings and how to adjust to increased security postures on base,” Kurtz remembers. He credits his own DINFOS training and ‘a couple years’ experience in civilian radio” with enabling him to not “let my team or the listening members of my new community down” during that critical event.

“That was the day I knew I’d be doing this job as long as they’d let me,” Kurtz remembered. “Seventeen years later, I’m still in uniform, and I’ve come full circle. I now get to teach at DINFOS and share the lessons of that day and my love for this job with the next generation of service members joining the public affairs career field.”

Flash forward to 2018, and Kurtz said his mission is “to train and sustain professional communicators for the Department of Defense and its partners.” He said, “The U.S. military, like any organization, has internal and external communication needs. In fact, we’re required by law to document and communicate the actions of our Armed Forces. The Defense Information School provides world-class training to the people responsible for making sure those communication needs are met for the DoD.”

Kurtz encourages producers to get creative with ideas and tools and to overcome risk aversion, which is natural when trying new things. “Not every video needs to be the talking head shot of your leader in their office; and you don’t need to wait for a big budget approval to go through before you can begin using video to your advantage. Most of us have all the tools we need right in our mobile devices.” After all, he added, “Now we live in an age where just about anyone is able to live-broadcast full HD video to a global audience.”

He cited the DINFOS Cares campaign as an example of how to create this type of snackable, engaging content. “Under the hashtag #DINFOSCares, we highlight some of the cool things that go on outside of the classroom … Short videos show that our instructors and staff are making positive impacts in their community, and that we’re just regular people who happen to wear a military uniform. Not every video you put out needs a ton of planning behind it. Real moments of genuine human interaction have a big impact on your audience.”

Key Takeaways

Who?Defense Information School Lead Instructor for Video Skills MSgt. Nicholas Kurtz will deliver a presentation on “‘Snackable Video’ Content: Engaging Viewers Through Social Media” at the2018 Government Video Expo.

Why?MSgt. Kurtz will discuss different ways to incorporate short, creative, engaging videos into your strategic communication plan. To inspire attendees, he will share examples from how the Department of Defense and other federal agencies do this effectively.

Now What?Sign upto meet and learn from Kurtz and other top speakers from “PBS NewsHour,” DC Visionaries, BundlAR, Creative Media Matters and more.

ATLANTA—After a road trip with friends to see the Grand Canyon, my brother Jim, co-founder of production and photography company Sea Raven Media, and I were absolutely enamored with our first national park experience. In response, we created “More Than Just Parks” to share the wonders of the national parks with as many people as possible. “More Than Just Parks” is an organization and film project designed to encourage the exploration and conservation of national parks through short films. So far, we’ve hit 13 of the 60 U.S. national parks. To achieve our vision, we initially selected the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K before upgrading to the Blackmagic URSA Mini 4.6K.

We first started using the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K because the quality of its footage was at a much higher level than we could get with any DSLR, and it was just as portable. Then when the URSA Mini 4.6K came out, we jumped on the opportunity to upgrade. Its small form factor and lightweight design made it possible for us to easily bring it on shoots all over the country. In addition, its 15 stops of dynamic range gave us the ability to recover the shadows and highlights in our footage.

The URSA Mini 4.6K’s five-inch touchscreen is great because it lets us keep the camera stripped down as much as possible while we’re hiking through these remote regions. We eventually equipped it with an URSA Viewfinder, since with certain lenses it’s easier to focus with one. Using the URSA Viewfinder, we get a high-resolution color display that lets us get incredibly accurate focus, eliminating any sort of guesswork and making the image really crystal clear.

RESEARCHING LOCALES

To make the series as eye catching as possible, we shoot anywhere from 150 to 300 time-lapses per park, ranging from as brief as 10 minutes to as long as an entire day. We shoot a combination of familiar visual landmarks, as well as never-before-seen compositions and landscapes. To determine the most interesting locations to shoot, we do a lot of research beforehand by looking at images, blog posts and more about the parks.

We start by finding an interesting composition that includes a moving component, usually water, clouds, or lighting. Next, we set up the camera and adjust the settings to what we think will work best for the duration of the shot. One feature we love about the URSA Mini 4.6K is that unlike DSLRs and most third-party time-lapse gear, when we press record on the camera it just records until we want it to stop. Many systems force you to input the duration for the time-lapse to run or a specified stop time, which can cause you to miss the shot. With the URSA Mini 4.6K, we don’t have to worry about that.

WEATHERPROOF

Naturally, we encounter all kinds of crazy weather and varying climates as we explore the parks, so we need a camera that is durable. The URSA Mini 4.6K’s magnesium alloy build makes it lightweight and keeps it cool even in hot temps. For example, we once were filming in Arizona’s Saguaro National Park on a 120-degree day and the camera continued to run all day; it didn’t overheat. Even despite all the extreme conditions that we face in the field, the URSA Mini 4.6K has never faltered.

The size, ergonomics, durability and overall quality of footage we can capture with the URSA Mini 4.6K allows us to deliver on our mission: to share these natural wonders with as many people as possible. Be sure to watch the latest installment of “More Than Just Parks,” featuring Haleakala National Park.

Want to know more? Will and Jim will be featured speakers at the 2018 Government Video Expo, Nov. 28-29 in Washington D.C. 

Will Pattiz, along with his brother Jim, are the founders of “More Than Just Parks.” Will can be reached atwill@morethanjustparks.com.

For more information on Blackmagic Design, visitwww.blackmagicdesign.comor call 408-954-0500.

The media has come under fire from politicians, analysts and, sometimes, the American public in recent years for bias, fake news and sensationalism. So how are broadcast journalists overcoming some of these perceptions in today’s media climate?

One of the most important components of the job for Judy Woodruff, anchor and managing editor of “PBS NewsHour,” is staying “acutely aware of how important it is every day, every hour, to make the right judgment calls on what we cover and how we cover it. Have we chosen the right stories to highlight? Have we gotten everything we’ve reported correct? Are we making assumptions we shouldn’t? Are we being fair to those we cover? Have we done our best to keep the interests of the American people in mind, and not just those of the journalists in the room when we make these judgment calls? These questions are constantly in my mind.”

Judy Woodruff will discuss the media climate of 2018 and her role in it during a keynote conversation with Future’s Paul McLane on Nov. 28 at Government Video Expo.

The results of a Pew Research Center survey conducted earlier this year show that almost “seven in 10 Americans (68%) feel worn out by the amount of news there is these days, compared with only three in 10 who say they like the amount of news they get.” So how are newscasters keeping their viewers engaged?

“We not only live in a news-infused time, with information flying at us from every direction — our smartphone, our social media accounts, television, radio and newspapers, just to name a few,” said Woodruff, “but at this moment our president is literally a news-making machine.

“The result is a hurricane of news every day, unpredictable, often conflict-driven, that understandably exhausts news consumers.”

Woodruff doesn’t blame Americans for feeling overwhelmed, but feels the answer isn’t to eliminate any of this news. Instead, she said, stories should be prioritized with a focus on those that are of greatest consequence while making sure news reports are as clear, understandable and compelling as possible.

Woodruff didn’t actually plan to go into broadcasting as a career, but a professor asked if she had ever thought of covering politics as a reporter and “the lightbulb went off,” recalled Woodruff. She applied for entry-level newsroom positions in Atlanta and landed at WQXI (later WXIA) as the newsroom secretary.

“Once there, I fell in love with what the reporters did, but my first break came with an offer to be the weekend ‘weather girl,’” said Woodruff. “In my six-months-long ‘Cinderella’ experience — secretary Monday through Friday, ‘weather girl’ on Sunday evenings — I gathered the confidence to keep pushing for the job I wanted. Sure enough, the news director at the CBS affiliate, Bob Brennan, saw my work and offered me the role of reporter, covering the Georgia State Capitol and Atlanta politics. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.”

Since that time Woodruff’s career has brought her face to face for interviews with many history makers. Among them, those she feels have been the most compelling have included former President Jimmy Carter, William F. Buckley and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. “I have to add the first responders I interviewed in the aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center in September, 2001, — because of the horror and stunning nature of the moment,” she said.

“PBS NewsHour” can be seen each evening on the television, on mobile devices, via YouTube or Apple TV and via podcast, and Woodruff sees this as one of the challenges facing the broadcast industry in the coming years.

“More people than ever are streaming video content on their mobile devices or laptop computers,” said Woodruff. “I’m hardly the tech expert, but we’re clearly headed into a new and different world of information and entertainment consumption. Having said that, people have been predicting the demise of broadcast networks for a long time, and they’re still here. Maybe they have new tricks up their sleeve.”

Key Takeaways

Who? Judy Woodruff, anchor and managing editor of “PBS NewHour” will participate in a keynote conversation with Future’s Paul McLane on Nov. 28 at Government Video Expo.

Why? Woodruff will analyze the media climate of 2018 and her role in it.

Now What? Sign upto meet and learn from Woodruff and other top speakers from CNN, The Kennedy Center, DC Visionaries, BundlAR, Creative Media Matters and more.

Woodruff joins a speaker lineup at Government Video Expo that includes Mark Lambert, founder, director and VFX supervisor of VArtisans; Shane Yeager, CEO and Celene DiStasio, COO and creative director of DC Visionaries; John Martin, CEO of BundlAR; and Gail McCabe, executive director of CreativeMediaMatters.

Now that headsets can be purchased for less than $200, virtual reality and 360 video will become much more accessible tools — both for consumers and for enterprises that wish to put high-tech dimensional video to work.

That’s according to director and VFX supervisor Mark Lambert of VArtisans, who cites the launch of Oculus Go as an important development. “It becomes much easier for traditional consumers or companies to buy a bunch of these,” he said. “You’re not setting up complicated pieces of hardware — $800 headsets and $2,000 computers — to watch 360 video. You can buy an all-in-one $200 headset and watch Discovery VR or 360 training content easily.”

Lambert has joined the featured speaker lineup of Government Video Expo, to be held Nov. 27–29 in Washington.

Despite ample news coverage, Lambert said, we are in the early days for formats that are coming to be known under the umbrella term “extended reality” or XR. Whatever you call it, enterprises are just starting to learn how to use the tools. “People are experimenting, finding out what works, using it in training, in medicine — things are being discovered every day. There’s some amazing research being done for pain distraction, for instance. That whole area of medicine is amazing and expanding for VR and 360 video.”

Lambert said that video creators are being challenged to learn new techniques. “There is no ‘behind the camera’ in 360,” he said. “It becomes a strange thing for everybody on set. You’re used to sitting behind the camera, having video villages all on one side of the camera and the subject on the other. That’s no longer the case.” Now, he said, you’re seeing everything, the whole world including cast, crew, lighting, sound, director.

He said the workflows required by 360 video differ from those around traditional video. For one thing, Lambert said, VR and 360 place new demands on a creator’s storage and hardware. “I’m from the day when everyone was starting to film in HD. Well, I’m posting 8K video right now, which is four times 4K and 16 times HD. The strains and the stress on the hardware, your storage needs, are massive.” He said his current system has 128 TB of content for current projects, with another 50 backed up.

“The whole VR medium itself needs the best, fastest, biggest hardware that’s available to accomplish.” It also requires newer approaches such as “proxy” workflows that are becoming more familiar to 4K producers as well.

Lambert will present “Welcome to the World of VR/360!,” which is part of the “Need to Know” session series at GV Expo on Nov. 28. He is founder of VArtisans, a Richmond, Va.-based company that brings together 360 video and VR artists, programmers and cinematographers exploring new ways of immersive storytelling through major projects, art and experimental pieces.

Having led the teams that created Harry Potter’s first Quidditch field and the visual development of “The Polar Express” at Sony Pictures, Lambert has been at the leading edge of visual effects technology. His team’s recent VR projects have taken them to 14 countries over 18 months. VR Bus and VR Balloon are major international, location-based entertainment projects in Dubai’s VRPark. The attractions take visitors to the streets of Rome, Paris, Tokyo, Washington, and the plains of Africa. The team’s VR Zoo undertaking involved the recording of 12 separate endangered species and development of a kiosk app to tell the conservation stories of these animals. The project filmed 360 video on land and underwater in Uganda, Tanzania, Egypt, South Africa, Maldives and Australia.

Lambert will give Government Video Expo attendees an overview of developments in the VR field, then share examples and “how he did it” stories from projects such as the VR Bus and VR Zoo; “A Letter Home,” a narrative 360 video for the PBS series “Mercy Street”; “The Killing Pits of Ponar,” an award-winning 360 film exploring a little-known story of the origins of the Nazi genocide, created with Lone Wolf Media and NOVA/PBS; and more. He also will discuss the potential for using 3D animation and VFX in 360 video.

Key Takeaways

Who?Mark Lambert, founder, director and VFX supervisor of VArtisans, will deliver a “Need to Know” session at the 2018 Government Video Expo

Why?Lambert will discuss the state of VR and 360 video and discuss how their workflows differ from those in traditional video.

Now What?Sign up to meet and learn from Lambert and other top speakers from “PBS NewsHour,” DC Visionaries, BundlAR, Creative Media Matters and more.

Lambert joins a speaker lineup at Government Video Expo that includes Judy Woodruff, anchor and managing editor of “PBS NewsHour”; Shane Yeager, CEO and Celene DiStasio, COO and creative director of DC Visionaries; John Martin, CEO of BundlAR; and Gail McCabe, executive director of CreativeMediaMatters.

Reserve your spot at the2018 Government Video Expo.

Terry Scutt contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON--Government Video Expo planners have announced “an expanded schedule of live sessions in two theaters on the expo floor.”

“Not only are we focusing on the latest technology from the video and AV/IT marketplaces, but we are also looking at future-facing opportunities and best practices in order to give attendees a multidimensional experience they can’t find anywhere else,” Future B2B U.S. Chief Content Officer Joe Territo said in a press release.

According to the announcement, attendees will learn about trends, build skills and broaden their professional network.

Programmed by the content directors of Government Video, TV Technology, Digital Video and the Creative Planet Network, sessions on the show floor are intended for audiences active in video production, broadcast and professional AV, with topics including:

• Emerging production/post-production video technologies;
• Business strategies for media professionals;
• Immersive journalism and new storytelling tools;
• Production advances for higher education;
• Live event and streaming production;
• Virtual reality and its potential in education and enterprise;
• 2019 professional and consumer technology trends;
• Drone/UAV photography.

Headlining this year will be a keynote conversation with PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff. She will discuss the media climate of 2018 and her high-profile role in it.

“We’ll explore how video technology is transforming government, education and business, creating incredible potential for the professionals, manufacturers and service providers serving this ever-expanding market,” said Future B2B U.S. Managing Director of Content Paul McLane.

The 23rd GV Expo will be collocated with DC Post|Production Conference and the Government Learning Technology Symposium and is scheduled for Nov. 27–29 at Washington’s Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Registration for the event opened in mid-May.

The event is produced by Future US, an information and event producer for the professional communications, entertainment and education technology markets.