LOS ANGELES—Capturing breaking news coverage with gear that allows me to deliver high-quality results while meeting my tight deadlines is a top priority for me. Since 2009, I have been shooting this type of content for TV and print publications in the Los Angeles area and over that time, I’ve covered some of the most compelling incidents in recent history and work with an incredibly talented team of professional photojournalists at Key News Network (KNN), covering breaking, live, and overnight news in California and other top U.S. markets. 

Recently we added several Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 cameras paired with B4 ENG lenses into our workflow to capture and supply footage ranging from house fires, physical rescues, homicide investigations, to protests, and more. Our content is also made available on KNN’s YouTube channel and the online site “News Break.” On average, we deliver more than 100 news stories a month, so quality of footage, reliability, and ease of use are key. 

Dynamic Range
Thanks to the URSA Broadcast G2s’ 13 stops of dynamic range and low light performance with dual gain ISO, we’ve been able to capture incredible shots with rich detail. All footage is currently captured in 4K, but it’s great to know we have the ability to shoot up to 6K if need be, because of the camera’s 3 in 1 design—a 4K production camera, 4K studio camera, or 6K digital cinema camera. 

With the URSA Broadcast G2s, we are no longer at the mercy of Mother Nature or concerned about bad conditions when out in the field. There have been instances when I think the conditions won’t allow us to shoot, but I’ve been proven wrong. This is a brilliant feeling of freedom as a photographer when I’m able to produce beyond what my eye can see. For example, when capturing a physical rescue with a dark subject area and harsh direct lighting for illumination is no longer an issue due to the cameras’ dynamic range. 

My team and I can also film in adverse situations far more clearly than before, which is a huge difference not just for us, but our clients as well. A standard house fire or physical rescue shots look cleaner and clearer. As we come into brush fire season in Southern California, I know I can rely on the URSA Broadcast G2s to capture clear visuals that the community needs to stay informed and safe.

The cameras have also integrated seamlessly into our workflow—our photographers  simply grab the cameras and start using them thanks to their intuitive design and the easy-to-navigate Blackmagic OS. 

Ready For Action
Because we’re on call to cover what is happening at any given moment, we need to be prepared at all times. Having gear like the URSA Broadcast G2s that we can just pick up and start using is very important for us. A slow boot-up time by seconds can be the difference between getting or missing the shot. All cameras are paired up with the URSA Viewfinder and URSA Mini Shoulder Kits, giving our team flexibility. 

Incorporating the URSA Broadcast G2s into our workflow has been a game changer. Not only does the gear keep up with our demanding work at a quality that never disappoints, but the company’s support team is also incredibly valuable. To me, Blackmagic Design will continue to be our “eyes” as we capture the world around us for a long time to come. 

Zak Holman is the director of photography at Key News Network and is based in Los Angeles. He can be reached at 323-455-4187 or info@keynews.tv. For more information on Key News Network, visit www.keynews.tv. 

For more information on URSA Broadcast G2 cameras, contact Blackmagic Design at 408-954-0500 or visit www.blackmagicdesign.com.

Fremont, CA - December 3, 2019 - Blackmagic Design today announced that South African music festival, Rocking the Daisies, was powered by an end to end Blackmagic Design workflow, featuring Blackmagic URSA Broadcast and ATEM Constellation 8K.

Held at the Cloof Wine Estate in Cape Town and incorporating comedy, music, art and film, Rocking the Daisies (RTD) is one of the country’s biggest festivals. Live production for the three day event’s diverse international lineup, which included The 1975, Russ, Tash Sultana and Nasty C, was delivered by production company Bad Weather.

The main stage featured three central LED screens, making up one canvas, the middle being a 6 x 6 meter square and each outer screen 3.6 x 6 meter high. There were two 5.4 meter wide by 8.4 meter high IMAGs stage left and right. “With both side screens essentially being portrait, we had to be careful with how we framed our shots, making sure that everything was centered,” reveals live director Simon Wilkes.

“We used the URSA Broadcast for acquisition; front of house we had a single camera with a very long lens and a supplementary Micro Studio Camera 4K locked off just next to the sound desk,” he explains. “In front of the stage we had a jib mounted URSA Broadcast, and another on a dolly. On stage was a roaming camera op and a handful of the micro cameras positioned in key positions for additional cutaways.”

Bad Weather’s Jonathan Bandli adds: “The image quality of these cameras was something that the festival had never experienced before; good in low light and they handled the dynamic range of a large stage with heavy contrast so elegantly. Our solution just completely changed the perception of the festival organizer’s previous experience with live camera systems.”

The production desk was located 60 meters away from the stage. “We had just the one rack, and at the top was a Teranex Express. We recorded the entire festival in 2160p24, but that wasn’t suitable for some of the other screens around the site, so we downscaled to 1080i using the Teranex,” explains Simon.

Relying on the Mini Converter Optical Fiber 12G, each camera channel sent a signal back over multimode fiber to an ATEM Talkback Converter 4K racked in the PPU setup. Converted back to SDI those signals were then patched to an ATEM Constellation 8K switcher and vision mixed using an ATEM 1 M/E Advanced Panel.

Jonathan says, “One of the main factors in choosing the ATEM Constellation is that we have standards conversions on every single input. Mixed formats and resolutions are so often an issue on live events, especially when handling external sources. Knowing that we can handle anything that comes our way just gives us that peace of mind. With the Constellation sitting at the heart of our workflow it made sense that we invested in the best knowing that it will work hard for many years to come.”

Press Photography

Product photos of Blackmagic URSA Broadcast, Micro Studio Camera 4K, ATEM Constellation 8K, ATEM 1 M/E Advanced Panel, ATEM Camera Control Panel, ATEM Talkback Converter 4K, Teranex Express, Audio Monitor 12G, HyperDeck Studio Pro and all other Blackmagic Design products are available at www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/images.

About Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com.

Fremont, CA – October 3, 2019 – Blackmagic Design announced today that Chilean production company, AGTV, incorporated a full Blackmagic Design workflow, including six URSA Broadcast cameras, to produce the hit television series “Amor a la Catalán” for Canal 13, the second oldest television station in Chile.

“Amor a La Catalán” is a romantic comedy series created and directed by acclaimed television director and producer, Vicente Sabatini, and telenovela producer and owner of AGTV, Pablo Ávila. Having premiered this summer on Canal 13 with a second season already in the works, the series tells the story of Fernando, a baker who hides a secret from his family for more than thirty years.

To bring the story to life with a higher production value while still staying on budget, AGTV decided to incorporate a Blackmagic Design workflow, starting with the URSA Broadcast cameras.

“We saw how Canal 13 used Blackmagic Design on ‘Runaways,’ and we wanted to recreate the workflow to achieve the same quality,” said Cesar Norambuena, operations manager at AGTV. “For ‘Amor a la Catalán,’ we had the URSA Broadcasts divided into two groups: unit one consisted of three cameras used as our main cameras in studio, and unit two consisted of two cameras used mostly for outdoor scenes. Our sixth camera functioned as a backup for the crew.”

By using three cameras at once in studio, Norambuena and the crew were often able to shoot scenes in one take, eliminating the need for reshoots to capture different angles or reactions from the actors. Unit two was set up for “grab and go” use, with the cameras’ batteries always charged, allowing the crew to grab them as needed to shoot outdoors.

In order to help maximize efficiency during production, the crew used an ATEM Camera Control Panel for monitoring and adjusting color balance, shutter speed and more, freeing the camera crew to focus on other needs during shooting.

“Our shoots can last up to ten hours, and the URSA Broadcasts have never failed us,” Norambuena noted. “They are very reliable, and our crew has been able to quickly adapt and use them efficiently during long shoots. Many members of our camera crew were used to regular broadcast cameras, so we were able to find a camera that is basically two in one, with traditional broadcast controls but cinematic features.”

Norambuena and the crew took advantage of the URSA Broadcast’s ability to shoot in 4K, as well as its rich colors and crisp images, the ability to use their existing lenses and the extensive support for different codecs.

AGTV also incorporated ATEM Television Studio Pro HD and ATEM Production Studio 4K live production switchers, a HyperDeck Studio Mini recorder as part of both camera units for additional recording, a SmartScope Duo 4K monitor, and an ATEM Talkback Converter 4K, which allowed the camera operators to remain in communication with the director while distancing themselves from the URSA Broadcasts in order to let the action happen uninterrupted.

“Using Blackmagic Design on this production has been an incredible experience. The gear has integrated into our workflow seamlessly and the quality is top notch. We’re excited to start the next season of ‘Amor a La Catalán’ and once again trust Blackmagic Design for an incredible production,” Norambuena concluded.

Press Photography

Product photos of URSA Broadcast, ATEM Camera Control Panel, ATEM Television Studio Pro HD, ATEM Production Studio 4K, HyperDeck Studio Mini, SmartScope Duo 4K and ATEM Talkback Converter 4K, as well as all other Blackmagic Design products, are available at www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/images.

About Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com.

SYDNEY—Fujifilm’s new Fujinon LA16x8BRm 2/3-inch professional 4K lens fits like a glove with Blackmagic’s URSA Broadcast camera, as the company specifically designed the lightweight and compact lens for the Blackmagic camera to provide 4K and HD resolution.

With a rear focus mechanism design, the LA16x8BRM weighs in at 1.6kg. It features a single button electronic flange adjustment with a macro switch function, which allows for closer shooting than MOD up to 0.05 metres. The lens also has a focal length of 8-128mm and an F value of F1.9-2.8.

Specifically for the Blackmagic URSA camera, the LA16x8BRM lens boasts a 16x zoom ratio suitable for EFP, news and studio shooting.