Traditional news media is under increasing scrutiny, critique, and often attack from administrations on both sides of the aisle and an ever-more distrusting and distracted populace.  

Even small mistakes are highly visible, but news directors don’t have the luxury of slowing down. Not unlike riding a motorbike across a tightrope, broadcast news production requires speed, efficiency, and accuracy — and now more creativity than ever. 

Ross Video works with some of the top news producers around the world to produce engaging, immersive, highly efficient news productions.  

These are the top three strategies we use to help top-tier media studios like NBC and Fox balance creativity, speed, accuracy, and efficiency in their newsrooms. 

Strategy 1: Empower Reporters to Wear Many Hats 

As the media landscape evolves, the role of reporters is evolving as well. 

The desire for more regional, on the ground content from audiences and the growing number of distribution platforms is putting increasing strain on reporters and newsroom teams. Reporters must wear a variety of new hats, which often requires them to spend hours fighting unintuitive and inefficient workflow and creative software. That’s time they could be finding great stories or simply recovering from fieldwork.  

Many reporters now shoot their own interviews and add graphics to their stories from the field. This creates a new challenge for newsrooms: finding video production, media asset management and broadcast graphics software that’s easy to use, so reporters can spend their time reporting, not learning how to use new tools and wrangling with graphics software. 

The right production tools can make high-quality, dynamic visuals and storytelling accessible to even the smallest local newsrooms.  

Strategy 2: Enable Consistency and Creativity 

Consistent branding conveys credibility and professionalism, which can help increase retention and boost ratings. Templates and automated workflows go a long way to ensuring consistency.  

For example: are the titles of over-the-shoulder graphics always in the same font? Are lower-third graphics consistent with your brand’s visual identity? Templates help live video producers avoid idiosyncrasies that can distract viewers. 

Workflow automation tools and graphics templates boost creativity by freeing up creative professionals’ time. By using deeply integrated tools (like XPression, Streamline Pro, and Inception), news broadcasters can develop polished, reuseable graphics that allow reporters to make last-second updates with the confidence that they are ready-for-air and error-free. 

Local news network Graham Media Group uses ‘super-templates’ to create and distribute high-fidelity, on-brand graphics for their network of stations from a single creative hub. 

This video shows how Graham Media uses XPression to enable more creativity and better storytelling with fewer resources.

Strategy 3: Virtually Expand Studios 

In a traditional newsroom studio, most on-camera elements are also present in real life, on a physical set. Virtual studios use chroma keying to blend real-life elements (such as reporters and news desks) with interactive and digital multimedia visuals, and augmented reality elements. 

This strategy is already popular in sports broadcasting and weather reporting, where meteorologists frequently present the weather in front of a greenscreen, with visual elements like graphical representations of weather, maps, and real-time data being added digitally. However, this technology isn’t limited to the weather — it can enhance election coverage, sports stories, and other segments with sophisticated graphics that would be impossible to replicate on a real-life set. 

News stations like Servus TV/Red Bull Media have achieved incredible results using virtual studios powered by Ross Video’s technology, including XPression, Voyager and Lucid.  

Learn more about how virtual studios can be a strategic advantage for modern newsrooms in this article.

Balancing an Adaptive, Creative, Competitive Newsroom 

One thing is constant in news production: change. 

There is no playbook for succeeding in news because success is not static; the bar for quality is always rising. To rise above the competition, your station must be able to adapt to and embrace change. Consumer behavior and audience patterns are short-lived, so appealing to viewers has less to do with a one-time change and more to do with having the agility to change constantly. 

Ross Video’s newsroom solutions are designed to work together seamlessly (together or as part of a multi-vendor stack) to help stations create the accurate, compelling news broadcasts audiences expect, without crushing their teams. 

You do more than just deliver news. The ‘fourth estate’ is responsible for educating and engaging a population that is swamped with misinformation and propaganda, from often very questionable resources with far less integrity or concern for accuracy.   

The only way to keep up with that media tidal wave, newsrooms must invest in technology that allows them to be flexible, efficient, and creative, without crushing their teams.  

To learn more about how Ross Video solutions help news broadcasters big and small find the right technology to bring their stories to life, reach out to one of our production experts here.

Keeping Pace in the Election Race

2024 is a big year for newsrooms with a record number of elections taking place around the globe. For advanced insights on how newsrooms can get ahead in addressing their elections needs with cutting-edge graphics, download our guide.  

Fremont, CA — November 21, 2018 - Blackmagic Design today announced that Red Bull Japan is using ATEM Production Studio 4K live production switcher and ATEM 1 M/E Broadcast Panel hardware control panel for the broadcasting of eSports at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere Tokyo event space. To provide the live streaming of games, Red Bull is also using a workflow built around other Blackmagic Design products, including Micro Studio Camera 4K, Studio Camera 4K, Video Assist 4K and HyperDeck Studio12G.

Through the space, which has held more than a 100 events since opening, Red Bull offers a place where gamers can fight face to face. The Red Bull Gaming Sphere Tokyo is Red Bull's first gaming space in Asia and includes community space for players, developers and publishers to build gaming scenes, with gamers gathering together for tournaments and other events.

Tokyo’s Groovesync, inc. was entrusted with the management and installation of the equipment of Red Bull Gaming Sphere Tokyo. Groovesync, inc. has been working in the Japanese game scene with Red Bull since 2012, and created the Red Bull Gaming Sphere Tokyo project not only for holding regular events and tournaments, but also to support the players on the daily basis.

To capture game play, three Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K are used to shoot commentator and players 1 and 2. Feeds from these cameras and images of game screens are sent to the ATEM Production Studio 4K for live switching. The final output switched by the ATEM Production Studio 4K is then distributed live and recorded by HyperDeck Studio 12G. Video of the game itself is sent before switching from the game machine to a Blackmagic Design Video Assist 4 K for recording and monitoring of the game screen.

Five Micro Studio Camera 4Ks are installed on the ceiling to capture the entire set of play and sent to a large monitor for live audience viewing at the event hall.

“Micro Studio Camera 4K has a very compact camera body, so it can be installed in various situations. It is also ideal for shooting the player's expression. Another advantage of the Micro Studio Camera 4K and Blackmagic Studio Camera is that Micro Four Thirds lenses can be used and they can also be operated remotely. Blackmagic products are very versatile,” said Yu Matui, CEO at Groovesync, inc.

Masahiro Yamana, assistant of Groovesync, inc. said, “After importing the base of the scoreboard to the ATEM Production Studio 4K's media player, I can combine it in a chroma key with green screen material, such as numbers created in real time. Also, when it comes to a big event, I find the ATEM Production Studio 4K's SuperSource feature very useful. Since SuperSource enables you to create an image arranging up to 4 sources and a background, I can composite pictures of the players’ face on the game screen. When streaming a gaming match, this type of layout is popular, and ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K is essential in a major gaming event.”

“All equipment that carries out events such as cameras, switchers, recording equipment, etc. are prepared, and the gamer hosting the event operates the equipment. Most gamers have never touched professional quality equipment. In teaching gamers live streaming and knowledge of equipment, Blackmagic products that can be delivered with professional quality while being simple in operability was very compatible with our needs. I hope that from the project of Red Bull Gaming Sphere Tokyo, the Japanese gaming scene will be more exciting,” Mr. Matsui concluded.

Press Photography

Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K, Blackmagic Video Assist 4K, Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K, ATEM Production Studio 4K, ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Panel, HyperDeck Studio 12G 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.

LOS ANGELES--About a year ago I wrote about REMI (REMote Integration) sports production (also known as “At Home”), which is a trend for covering live sports that requires less equipment and personnel on-site and shifts much of the live production activities to the broadcaster’s central production center/network center.

Enabled by robust and affordable telecommunications capabilities from the stadium/arena, the camera (and microphone) signals are sent back to the central production center, integrated with graphics, replays, effects and b-roll materials. Usually a small utility truck is sent to the remote site, with cameras and microphones as well as video encoders.

Local camera operators and utility crew roll out the cameras and microphones while an A2 is usually on-site (and may have driven the truck) to set up coms and in some cases provide a sub-mix of the natural sound (crowd). Examples of this type of production are used extensively in college sports (except football and men’s basketball) as well as some professional sports. In smaller productions (1-5 cameras) the truck is replaced by a portable field pack.

BEYOND THE CENTRAL PRODUCTION CENTER

However in many cases REMI still uses first-class professional cameras and production gear. These require operators who are well trained in the use of this equipment. For some sports, this is still a high bar in terms of cost, especially the huge capital cost to build such facilities.

In response to REMI, a new type of live sports production has evolved, one that does not need a central production facility and therefore can be produced anywhere there is a solid internet (IP) connection. Further, instead of hard-wired cameras and microphones, this new production called “Virtual Production” by Sony uses wireless connectivity from camera (and microphone) to a cloud-based production service. No heavy production equipment, no wires!

The sports event can be produced via an app on a tablet, laptop PC or even a smartphone. The “control point” can be augmented with multiple video monitors and audio speakers/headsets. The solution even includes return channels for communications (IFB) and video returns. Further, there can be multiple productions simultaneously using the same camera and mic feeds but outputting specialized line cuts. Finally, this may not be limited to just a professional producer, the same cameras and audio can be available to fans to generate a personalized feed that can be shared via social media.

Taking advantage of this freedom of wires and professional gear, even professional productions can cover parts of an event that are near impossible to cover using conventional TV coverage techniques. For instance, at the Red Bull Alpenbrevet alpine motorcycle race where there isn’t space or room for a production vehicle, a roving camera operator--connected via 4G wireless modem--can cover any part of the event that is accessible.

REQUIREMENTS

Is this Virtual Production (VP) the future of live sports coverage? What are the challenges and downsides of going virtual in the cloud? Some necessary technologies that enable Virtual Production are large wireless bandwidth on site with low latency, connectivity to the internet that is reliable and high bandwidth, and a VP service available and affordable in a data center relatively close to the event (to minimize delays). Finally, what is also needed is a production client app that can enable all the features needed by a production, with low latency of both signals and commands, that can run on typical laptops/tablets/smartphones with online support during the production in case of problems as well as help in setting up the VP service.

For now the offering from Sony is somewhat limited to switching up to six camera feeds, graphics insertion, limited effects (picture in picture, transitions) and audio mixing. Camera synchronization--and to some extent error recovery--requires around 2 seconds of delay, which is deemed to be acceptable for some productions. The other unique advantages that VP provides is a “pay as you go” approach to cost, thanks to implementing VP on the Amazon AWS cloud. For those interested in delivering via the internet using social media live features, this approach has a clear advantage of already being in the cloud. In addition, new features and functions can be rolled out without bringing the truck back to base and wait for the retrofit. Once upgraded on the hosted servers, the new features are immediately available.

[Read: HPA 2016: Remote Live Production]

The costs associated with VP are based on a monthly subscription for a certain number of hours of production. Included are up to six camera feeds, two playout servers, two logo keyers as well as the VPS production user interface. Additional costs may occur due to the wireless camera feeds that use wireless carrier 3G/4G (and in the near future 5G) data services. Finally, there is the cost to distribute the live feed over the internet, which could be free for some social media services (i.e. YouTube Live) or if using a commercial grade CDN such as Akamai, the cost is typically based on the number of concurrent streams. In addition, if the show is archived there will be costs to store the content and cost to retrieve it later.

OTHER VARIATIONS ON THE VP MEME

While the Sony VPS is a full IP/cloud-based approach using wireless cameras, there are other applications that take advantage of the new video technologies. NEP in their facility outside Amsterdam, offers a production facility for REMI production using their own data center, connected via fiber to major stadiums and arenas. The production facilities are rented (much like a remote truck) but only charged for the time used by the production. NEP has also used wireless IP cameras using point-to-point links (Ubiquiti Wireless) at the Coachella music festival to enhance coverage of the event. The use of IP connectivity allowed the production to remote control the cameras (Panasonic PTZ type). This obviated the need to run fiber optic cables to each camera in order to cover the sprawling event.

Teradek has a live production solution called Live: Air Action. Using their bonded wireless encoder/modems(VidiU or CUBE), connecting cameras (including iPhones/Android Smartphones) via a cloud server (Teradek CORE Integration) the Live:Air Action application lets a producer switch cameras, with limited effects, add graphics, record and playback, and has an audio mixer. Stream live over social media sites or via CORE.

Globo TV, the biggest TV network in Brazil, wanted to cover The World Surf League 2017 finals from Honolulu. Using three Sony FS5 cameras with VidiU Pro encoders with 4G LTE modems, Globo integrated with Live: Air Action to switch the cameras and stream using a Bond 4G/LTE modem to connect to Facebook live. Live:Air Action enabled the producers to add graphics including stats as well as integrate commentary and interviews with the third camera feed. Using the iPad app for Live:Air Action meant the producers could be close to the beach and the live event.

Newtek Tricaster has been used for years to provide alternative coverage, usually for social media or OTT streaming. They have developed an IP video networking environment, NDI, which allows for the use of IP cameras as well as interconnecting third-party equipment.

Recently Thaler Media used Tricaster and NDI along with LiveU wireless camera systems to cover the 2018 Western Amateur Championship in Northridge Illinois (near Chicago) while producing the live feeds at their facilities located in North Palm Beach Fla. The streams were sent to the Golf Channel’s digital platform.

On site at the Sunset Ridge Country Club were a producer, editor, four camera operators and sound mixer. Three of the cameras were mobile and used LiveU’s LU600 HEVC and LU500 IP-based transmission system to send the camera signals back to a LU2000 server located at the master control facility in Palm Beach.

The camera of choice was a Sony F55, which provided first class imagery. They set up a talk show set in the Sunset Ridge clubhouse and had the program’s co-anchors provided commentary and analysis, while a virtual set (greenscreen) provided the set background. An additional third anchor position was set up at the master control room in Florida, where the local program anchors could throw to the anchor at the main control studio. Tying it all together was a NewTek TriCaster TC1 IP production switcher with 16 inputs and 4 M/E decks, chromakey, graphics/titles, transitions, video server and virtual set support. NewTek 3Play replay systems provided SLOMO replays as well as aerial footage captured by camera flying on a drone over the course. Four Skype channels were used to provide return feeds to the Chicago on-air announcers including mix-minus and IFB.

While not up to the level of a major PGA event broadcast coverage, for the first time the Western Amateur Championship was covered live in HD, an event that in the past drew future golf greats including Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson and Ben Crenshaw.

HOW WILL SPORTS BROADCAST PRODUCTION EVOLVE?

Clearly today there are many choices to capture live events in video, from big broadcast TV trucks to REMI to REMI in the cloud and finally, smartphone cameras and live video apps. For large events, with commensurate rights fees and audience sizes, professional broadcast OB vans, connected via satellite and/or fiber-optic telecom, will be the choice of live production for the foreseeable future.

On the other end, with all the available tech available in our hands (smartphones) coupled with social media sites providing distribution for live video, your child’s AYSO soccer match can be covered with multiple cameras, graphics and replays (and sound) to be seen by your friends and family on YouTube or any of the other social websites. In between big time pro sports productions events and Little League games, productions are using lower-cost solutions that use mobile wireless networks or WiFi networks, along with cloud-based apps to produce a video program that has many of the aspects of the big pro productions as well as providing professional level tools such as graphics and stats, IFB, and replays. Ingenious production teams, motivated to cover events that in the past were not economically viable for live coverage, are leveraging these new tools and providing to modest sized audience, content that in the past would have been just highlight clips in the evenings sportscast.

The keys to success is finding the right balance between cost and coverage, having robust wireless connectivity, reliable and deterministic Internet bandwidth, and a team able to adapt and learn this new way of producing live content. 

Jim DeFilippis is CEO of TMS Consulting, Inc., in Los Angeles. He can be reached atJimD@TechnologyMadeSimple.pro. See more at hisauthor archive.

BASINGSTOKE, England — At-home production as an alternative to rolling OB production vehicles to a venue is growing in popularity as broadcasters, leagues and conferences look for ways to maintain a high level of sports production while shedding much of the expense of sending trucks and crews to distant events.

Sony Professional Solutions Europe has taken this concept to the next level by removing the need for centralized production and pushing video switching, graphics and other production elements into the cloud.

[Read: NBC Sports Live Streams Of Major Events Rack Up Big Numbers]

Last weekend, Red Bull Switzerland deployed Sony’s Virtual Production solution for its livestreaming coverage of the Alpenbrevet motorcycle race in Sarnen, Switzerland. The remote, mountainous region where the race takes place made deploying mobile production infrastructure challenging.

However, by leveraging 4G connectivity and cloud-based services, Red Bull was able to capture the race and stream it with just the cameras it deployed and a single laptop used to access the Sony Virtual Switcher GUI.

“While the scenic route of the race is a big draw for our participants, it poses a significant challenge for our broadcast team who want to capture and livestream the event across the globe,” said Hubert Zaech, production manager at Red Bull Switzerland. “Sony’s Virtual Production was the perfect solution for our event as it gives us the freedom, flexibility and agility to capture and distribute content quickly, without having to deal with the logistical nightmare of installing physical infrastructure in these remote locations.”

The Sony Virtual Production workflow is straightforward. Production personnel using Sony’s acquisition kit, log cameras into a personalized virtual production portal, synchronize cameras and stream content on a pay-as-you-go basis. Cameras on location feed their signals via wireless transmitters to a virtual production switcher hosted in the Amazon Web Services cloud.

At the same time, a video switcher located anywhere around the world logs into the Virtual Production service using an ordinary web browser. Camera feeds can be switched, graphics, logos and captions added and the show streamed to various platforms, including YouTube and Facebook Live, from the cloud.

Sony is positioning virtual production as bridging the gap between traditional live production and consumer live streaming and with good reason. Two seconds of switching latency reportedly was introduced by the virtual production setup; however, depending upon circumstances a short delay may be acceptable.

Brad Cheney, Fox Sports VP, Field Operations, put the latency question into perspective. “On events where we are one of many parties with production rights, two seconds is a long time to be delayed in production, as it becomes additive to the entire distribution chain,” he said.

“In other cases, where we are the single production provider, a delay of two seconds becomes more acceptable as the benefits outweigh the delay. With multiplatform uses expanding with cloud production, this timing gives us more capabilities for producing content for our viewers. We know the delay will only continue to be reduced in the coming year and garner more attention as an alternative to current production practices.”

Sony will make its Virtual Production Service available throughout Europe beginning in September. It also will be discussing the service at IBC 2018.

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