SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS— A NewTek TriCaster 860 multi-camera production system supplied and operated by broadcast facilities and hire specialist Shift 4 is featured in a purpose-built studio and control room streaming live footage from the Antarctic.
Parker Liautaud is aiming to set a new world speed record for a journey from the Antarctic coast to the South Pole. The expedition will also collect snow samples and weather data for environmental studies. To tell this story, content marketing agency Captive Minds contracted Shift 4 to provide master control room facilities in the studio that the agency has designed and built in the foyer of global insurance giant Willis Group’s London headquarters.
Willis Resilience Expedition TV will use the TriCaster to produce a live 60 minute show each day for 16 days during the expedition, with a magazine-style format including live updates directly from Parker, reporter-led environmental news stories, news analyses and studio debates involving leading climate scientists, environmentalists and government figures.
Programming will feature live video and audio satellite feeds from the custom-built expedition support vehicle in Antarctica which is following Parker on his mission, together with video from three Sony PDW-F800 HD cameras in the studio, previously edited VT material, on-screen graphics and Skype calls from global contributors.
Each 60-minute live show will be mixed in the TriCaster and streamed to Willis’ YouTube channel and also be uploaded each day to be viewed on demand. The TriCaster’s additional outputs will supply Willis’ internal network, as well as a large screen in the Willis building. The finished programs will be shared online with Willis H.Q. in the US for reversioning, and content will be streamed to Willis’ media partners.
