Manchester, United Kingdom - September 3, 2018 - Blackmagic Design today announced that The Motorsport Network, a multi-platform news network, has installed the first in a series of greenscreen television studios, built around Ultimatte 12 compositing processors, Ultimatte Smart Remote 4 and URSA Mini 4K.

The network, which provides original news, highlights and analysis for motorsports fans across the globe, needed a production hub that could not only deliver bespoke, original content for Motorsport TV, as well as its online and social media channels, but also act as a blueprint for further studios throughout its global outlets.

Designed by JAM Creative Consultancy, the compact studio is housed within Motorsport Network’s offices, to allow easy access for journalists, experts and engineers to participate in the various segments. “In order to achieve the look and feel of a large scale, professional broadcast studio within a very restrictive office environment, greenscreen and virtual elements were essential elements in our studio blueprint,” explains Julian Okines, executive producer at JAM Creative Consultancy.

The team chose Ultimatte for its superior keying quality and control to ensure program output was as authentic as possible and worked with integrator Broadcast & Production Services (UK) Ltd to implement the solution.

“Because the operating space is so small, it created an almost impossible environment for realistic keying, so we had to make sure we had the right system in place,” continues Mark O’Leary, JAM’s Creative Director. “Using the Ultimatte Smart Remote gives us total control over our keys, so we can refine and adjust edges in real time during a live production to ensure complete realism.”

Each of the three Ultimatte 12 processors are paired with an URSA Mini 4K, delivering a central wide shot, and left and right tight angles on the talent. Backdrops created by JAM’s inhouse graphics team are combined with regularly updated b-roll of the Motorsport Network’s production office to give a insight into the busy newsroom environment, and played back on a series of HyperDeck Studio Pro broadcast decks.

Ultimatte’s layering features are also used to enhance the foreground of the set. “We have additional lights in the studio, which can add spill, so we use additive blends in Ultimatte to blend the light seamlessly onto people’s skin as a flare in the foreground,” explains Mark.

The studio feeds are taken into an ATEM Television Studio Pro HD, which allows for live keying and live vision mixing from a single console. “Not only does this save huge amounts of time in post, it also allows the presenters to see the studio environment in real time, so they can interact with the graphics in a very natural and intuitive way.”

“Although VR backgrounds are now industry standard in television news production, we have been incredibly impressed at how Ultimatte 12’s technology has advanced to a point where the transition between the physical and virtual worlds is seamless,” concludes Julian.

Press Photography

Product photos of Ultimatte 12, Ultimatte Smart Remote 4, ATEM Television Studio Pro HD, URSA Mini 4K 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 - June 14, 2018 - Blackmagic Design today announced that Sky News UK has integrated a series of Ultimatte 12 compositing processors and an Ultimatte Smart Remote 4 to produce dynamic virtual studio segments for its award winning 24 hour rolling news cycle, in particular for its ‘Sunrise’ breakfast programming.

The installation forms part of a major relocation project, which saw the news broadcaster move to new, state of the art studio facilities within Sky Campus in West London. “Our key aim was not only to retain the extremely high quality production values that Sky News is renown for, but also to ensure that we were able to create depth, scale and variety when presenting news output,” explains Ben Wickham, head of studio output, Sky News.

The three walled greenscreen takes up around half of the studio, and is predominantly used for Sky News’ virtual news studio, built within a highly realistic 3D VR environment. Within the virtual set, a video wall can be deployed for welcome sequences, lead item discussions, correspondent reports, sports bulletins and weather forecasts.

Ben explains that this is where the cleanness of Ultimatte’s keying and spill suppression come into their own: “As well as a range of different presenters’ hair colors, skin tones and clothing, it has to deal with changes in camera angle, and greenspill from the three walls on presenters’ heads and shoes. The Ultimatte’s real time edge handling and color separation means that we can always be confident of the results on screen, no matter how many different VR studio slots we have in the running order.”

News programming in the studio is captured by five cameras, including two dedicated VR units; one on a jib and a pedestal unit operated remotely from the gallery. “Our VR elements have to be as flexible as possible, so we can cut between our VR camera signals and also transition between the virtual set and the presenters’ desk in the other half of the studio,” continues Ben. “The integration between studio set and VR cameras has to be seamless.”

Sky News is already expanding its use of VR with Ultimatte 12 with enhancements to its editorial news elements, for example, creating a series of real life locations to recreate timelines of key news events. “Often we simply can’t film in these locations live, as they may still be an active crime scene, however by constructing a virtual recreation, we can have a presenter walk through the scene, giving the story an added dimension,” explains Ben.

“We chose Ultimatte 12 primarily because its precision, wide color space and real time image processing would match Sky News’ rigorous demands for production excellence at all times,” Ben concludes. “It’s critical that any VR elements we introduce into our studio productions retain as much authenticity as possible. Ultimatte’s flexibility, combined with high quality VR builds ensures that viewers will continue to turn to the channel as a reliable and information news source.”

Press Photography

Product photos of Ultimatte 12, Ultimatte Smart Remote 4 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.

Press Contact

Nick Govoni
Zazil Media Group
(e) nick@zazilmediagroup.com
(p) +1 (978) 866 7354

AMSTERDAM—Blackmagic has been busy in the first few days of IBC 2016, announcing a number of new products and a pair of recent company acquisitions.

The first such business acquisition was for blue and green screen removal systems provider Ultimatte; the company has recently worked on incorporating its green screen technology for virtualized sets. And after announcing that it was seeking a buyer in July, audio software and hardware developer Fairlight has found one in Blackmagic.

New Blackmagic products introduced during IBC include the Teranex AV, a broadcast quality standards converter for AV professionals. Modeled after the Teranex Express, the new model features both 12G-SDI outputs and simultaneous Quad SDI output connections, as well as HDMI 2.0a input with a loop HDMI output and a HDMI output for after processing. It also features XLR audio inputs and consumer Hi-Fi connections. Blackmagic plans to release the Teranex AV in September at a price of $1,695.

DeckLink Mini Monitor and Mini Recorder cards

Upgrades have also been made to the DeckLink Mini Monitor and Mini Recorder products, adding UHD and HDR support. Both models are four lane generation2 PCIe cards with 6G-SDI and HDMI 2.0a connections for working in SD, HD and UHD formats up to 2160p30. Each is also compatible with the Blackmagic Desktop Video SDK. Both models are now available for $195 each.

Updates were also made to both the Video Assist and DaVinci Resolve systems. Video Assist 2.2 will be available starting next week and offers the ability to save DNxHD 220, 145 and 45, along with DNxHR HQ, SQ and LB files; manual screen control is also now available. The 12.5.2 update for the DaVinci Resolve system adds additional metadata support into RAW files from Blackmagic Ursa Mini cameras.

Blackmagic also announced a $1,000 price deduction on its HyperDeck Studio 12G, making it available for $1,495.

Blackmagic is located at stand 7.H.20 during IBC 2016, which is currently underway and runs through Sept. 13.