The channels, which are each already received in over 2.5 million homes, will be made in available in the platform’s family package.
Separately, Antenna Hungária has said that as part of the major changes taking place to its DTT operation, the guard interval for all three multiplexes will be altered from 1/8 to 1/4, resulting in a significant improvement in reception.
Furthermore, from October 1 RTL Klub will be made available in the 16:9 aspect ratio on the FTA service MinDig TV.
Source: http://www.broadbandtvnews.com
Several local reports say the decision was made last week by a government commission chaired by Igor Shuvalov, the deputy PM.
It will result in all new DTT networks employing DVB-T2 and those that have already been constructed switching to the standard.
The Federal Target Programme (FTP) for “Development of Broadcasting in the Russian Federation 2009-2015” will also be amended accordingly.
The eight cities where the DVB-T2 trials will take place are Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Kaliningrad, Kursk, Kazan, Sochi, St Petersburg and the capital, Moscow.
DVB-T2 is gaining favour in several European countries.
In France, for instance, the CSA has already recommended a transition to DVB-T2/MPEG-4 as soon as possible, while in Croatia the regulator HAKOM has published minimum technical standards for both DVB-T and DVB-T2.
Source: http://www.broadbandtvnews.com
The IntelleCal™ and IntelleCam™ solutions, part of the 3space™ suite of products, had its European launch by 3ality Technica at IBC.
IntelleCal™ automatically aligns the two cameras on a rig at the push of a button, which enables a super fast and precise set up without the intervention of a technician. It does this by profiling and matching lenses and performing alignment on five axes through the entire zoom range.
IntelleCam™ automatically controls the convergence and the interaxial spacing of the cameras, without the need for a separate convergence puller at each rig, cutting the number of personnel needed by half or more – dramatically reducing costs.
Both solutions are integrated software solutions, used in conjunction with 3ality Digital’s processing units and 3flex S3D camera rigs. IntelleCal uses the SIP and an additional processing unit, which is yet to be named.
“With the introduction of the 3space products, 3ality Technica has vastly reduced the amount of crew and the cost involved in creating compelling S3D; since we started in this business IntelleCam is the one tool that every broadcaster has asked us to develop,” said Steve Schklair, CEO and Founder of 3ality Digital. “IntelleCal speeds up the alignment process, which traditionally takes up to an hour to set, to five minutes and it does it automatically. These new products represent a quantum leap in how broadcasters and filmmakers are going to be able to capture S3D.”
“One of the biggest challenges for S3D has been the amount of technical equipment and expertise required to make it work and ensure it does not induce headaches and detract from the story. With IntelleCal and IntelleCam that is no longer the case. All the tests of the last few years have proven that there are no technical barriers to live 3D television. The issue is now much more of a business case, and these two new technologies will dramatically reduce and revolutionize the economics of 3D broadcasting.”
The three new technologies were demonstrated at IBC in different venues during the show. Schklair’s key-note presentation in the RAI Big Screen Auditorium on Monday, September 12, at 1:30 pm was the highlight. Live volleyball was shot on the RAI beach and was used to demonstrate Intellecam™ and Intellecal™.
About 3ality Technica™
3ality Technica is headquartered in Burbank, California, and is the leading provider of advanced stereoscopic 3D (S3D) production products that enable the highest quality live-action S3D. 3ality Technica systems have been deployed for “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “Jack the Giant Killer, “Oz,” “Prometheus,” “The Great Gatsby,” and “Underworld 4.” 3ality Technica has enabled most of the world’s first S3D cinematic and broadcast achievements, including U2 3D (the movie), and the first live S3D broadcasts from the NFL, BCS Championship, BSkyB, the Super Bowl, the World Cup and NBC television.
As usually, an international outside broadcast event must show some new elements on the screen of the TV households, this is what exactly will happen this weekend (16-21.08.2011) at Szeged/Hungary where the Canoe World Championships 2011 will be covered for a worldwide TV audience.
Spidercam in the air
The Hungarian Canoe Association decided to give the highest possible support to the broadcasting of the competition and called the SIVision HD OBVan under the leadership of Imre Sereg from Munich to give the maximum possible technical base of the engagement.
Imre Sereg explained, “…We came here to Szeged with our well-known red SIVision OBVans not for the first time. Last year we finished a very good job with our Hungarian colleagues from MTV (Hungarian Television) and this year we are trying to redo it on a higher level again. This year we are planning to show much more to our producer as well. For the first time in Canoe broadcast history we will use the Spidercam, which brings a new effect with its three dimensions movement onto the screen.” The German Spidercam team (Christian Will – pilot / Frank Stutzke – camera / Joachim Krugmann – technic) is located close to camera position 6 in between the 200m and the 250m start lines. The Spidercam will give a completely new kind of camera view to the director at the OB Van and after the first test runs everyone like it. The Spidercam is a Panasonic camera (Fujinon 4.5 objective) hanging between four 35m high tower cranes. “Anyway,” continues Imre Sereg, “we bring 18 Sony HDC 1500 cameras, and the best Canon Zoom optics 40x / 86x / and 100x lenses as well. These long zoom-range lenses are necessary because of the long distances the cameras have to cover.”
In addition to the radio remote controlled cameras on the Trackrunner and the Follow Car, more than 8.5 kilometer cables were laid out to connect the 22 cameras with the production area in the OBVan.
The Canoe World Championship outside broadcast production is a cooperation between German and Hungarian broadcasters. The director of the Hungarian TV program Agnes Györffy is a specialist in the production of water sports, and has lead the crew in the past in other events with great successes.
Jozsef Halla firts cameramann checking the Sony camera before action
In Szeged we see many teams from European TV companies like BBC and Eurosport, and also the colleagues from RBB in Germany with two of their OBVans to produce the signal for special programmes on ARD’s Sportschau this weekend. The RBB OBVans receive the international signal from the MTV/SIVision team.
Jozsef Halla is the first camera man of MTV. Together with his German colleagues he created the camera plan of the 18+3 cameras. The plus 3 cameras make the picture for the MTV Sport special issue. MTV has an additional commentary position on the water as well…
Mr. Halla said, “All cameramen who stay behind the cameras belonging to the MTV Crew, except the Spidercam team and the Trackrunner (RailCam) which is running at the water- level on the last 400m. We also have a camera on a Follow Car, operated by colleagues from Germany. This camera works with gyro-stabilized head to compensate the car moving effects on the first 750m of the racetrack. It works with a 42x Canon wide range zoom objective, which covers tremendous images of the competition on the water.”
SIVision OB One at the basys in Szeged
The Hungarian-German International Crew located in the SIVision OBVan creates the international broadcast signal and delivers it to the SNG cars and they transmit it via satellite to TV Stations worldwide.
Gabor Halla (son of the first camera man Jozsef Halla, MTV) and the broadcast coordinator in Szeged adds: “…We are very happy with the cooperation of the SIVision OBVan crew, and also with the new technical possibilities like, first of all the Spidercam, but also with the Trackrunner camera as well. Besides these two we also positioned two high-speed cameras working over the water at the position 13 and 14, directly behind the finish line. Both are Sony HDC-3300 SuperSloMo cameras working with 100x Canon zoom lenses, which are nowadays the longest range in the broadcast area,” and he continues, “ to summarize the work of such kind of outside broadcasting event is not easy. The 1500 meter distance here is really long for what we need to cover as good as possible. For this reason at the first part of the race track we use the Follow Car. On this track Camera 1 brings the picture through the first 750m. After that the Trackrunner takes over the picture for the last 400m till the finish line.”
ARD – RBB with two OBVans at Szeged
Imre Sereg SI Vision ( left ) with the Hungarian Crew in Szeged
To celebrate the German Canoe Victories, ARD has sent two OBVan from Berlin to Hungary. The RBB Crew – lead by Christian Hopp – has setup a special Commentary Position near the Mixed Zone at the finish area with its own unilateral cameras to welcome the successful German water sportsman on this weekend.
Scala is best known for their haunting cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” used for The Social Network‘s trailer.
“We had several challenges to face, shooting the Mark Woollen-directed ‘Everlong’,” he explained. “The story takes place in a single hotel room, following five couples at different places in their relationships. Each of these contrasts the other. It is really a piece of visual poetry. Ultimately, the entire room and our couples are consumed by nature.”
To shoot this visual diary, Williams decided to capture the entire video from a remote head on a jib arm, using Phantom Flex cameras. With primary lighting from tungsten pars bounced into unbleached muslin over the set, he found that he needed a consistent fill light source. His only choice were his MiniPlus LED fixtures from Litepanels, (a Vitec Group brand). “When you shoot at high speed you need to use a flicker free source. Even tungsten lights flicker during a normal power cycle,” he explained.
“The Litepanels don’t flicker. And, being DC powered, they are ideal for high-speed work, as DC power provides consist output during a power cycle. I mounted two MiniPlus fixtures on the camera with the bracket Clairmont made for me and attached this with an Israeli arm. This way I could get the lights near the lens to act as very subtle fill for our actors. At times, I would use the Litepanels onboard gel pack and diffusion for a little more subtle adjustment when needed. This allowed me more flexibility in getting the lights to match my bigger tungsten sources. I love the quality of light that I get from Litepanels. A subtle dial in or out, a bit of diffusion, and the blend is so imperceptible, you don’t notice them. And, when the camera traveled close enough to the actors to create shadow, Litepanels mitigated it, as well as creating a nice soft fill for the actors.”
Williams says he bought his first set of Litepanels four or five years ago. “I use them all the time. I do a lot of car commercials for Mitsubishi, Audi, Infinity, Lexus, Toyota and more as well as major campaigns for everything from Coca Cola to Walmart, Jenny Craig to Puma and Converse. I started using the Litepanels on the car commercials and found them super helpful in interiors. Now I use them everywhere I need to add a small soft source. Being cordless, allows me to place them anywhere with little fuss. They are always within an arm’s reach on set. We just drop them in wherever we need a little light.”
Williams’ video for Scala’s single “Everlong” is in heavy rotation in Europe and was recently released in the U.S.
Based on DaVinci Resolve 8 and capable of running the latest model iMac, 17-inch MacBook Pro and Mac Pro computers, DaVinci Resolve Lite is available now as a free download from the Blackmagic Design website.
The new package includes the same high quality processing of the full DaVinci Resolve, but limits projects to SD and HD resolutions, two colour correction nodes, a single processing GPU and a single RED Rocket card. Stereoscopic 3D features, noise reduction, power mastering, remote grading and sharing projects with an external database server are features only offered in the full DaVinci Resolve and are therefore not included in this free DaVinci Resolve Lite edition.
DaVinci Resolve Lite’s specification includes high quality optical resizing, curve grading, XML import and export, 32-bit float processing, YRGB image processing, multi layer timelines, stabilisation, window tracking, primary and secondary colour correction, real-time processing, capture and playback with deck control, and compatibility with third party control panels. Despite the reduced feature set of the Lite version, this software can still accept high resolution source footage in 2K and 4K from the latest RED and ARRI digital cameras.
“We are very excited to be able to offer a free version of DaVinci Resolve, and we hope that many more people will be able to explore the art of colour correction in their work,” commented Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design. “We are so excited about what colour correction can offer to the whole television and post production industry, that we think this no charge DaVinci Resolve Lite will create a revolution in visual design that will dramatically improve the production values of even the lowest budget work.”
via : www.blackmagic-design.com
The London Studios – the prominent UK broadcast facility that provides studio and post facilities for owner ITV and other parties – has installed an Omneon MediaGrid storage system, allowing it to bring the entire production and editing workflow into the tapeless domain.
HD video clips recorded onto EVS systems in studio are now transferred to the Omneon MediaGrid, which provides 400 hours of HD storage and allows easy access for the post team. Editors working in an Avid environment can access the low-resolution version of media for offline editing and the high-resolution version for online editing. Once material has been edited, the finished project can be pushed back to the Omneon MediaGrid system for storage.
Having taken its Harmonic storage system online earlier this year, The London Studios is already expanding the system to accommodate another 300 hours of HD content following quick uptake by clients. The storage system is currently fed by two of the larger studios, and the company plans to continue expanding the Omneon MediaGrid system as it upgrades and connects additional studios.
“We have found that our clients are very keen to take advantage of the tapeless workflow supported by the Omneon MediaGrid,” said Chris Cook, director of engineering support at The London Studios. “In addition to being a faster and more elegant workflow, it’s also a cost- and time-saving model. We’ve cut out the expense of buying HD tape and running tape decks, replacing them with file-based storage that we can expand easily without disrupting ongoing operations. We’d been proposing this type of model for some time, and Harmonic provided the missing link.”
“The proven interoperability and stability of the Omneon MediaGrid system, as well as its scalability both in terms of capacity and bandwidth, are critical to a company such as The London Studios,” said Geoff Stedman, senior vice-president for corporate marketing at Harmonic. “The content stored on the Omneon MediaGrid system is extremely valuable, and continuous and fast access to this media ensures that the company and its clients can realise a streamlined, highly efficient end-to-end workflow.”
via : www.harmonicinc.com
Sellar (pictured) was selected by a panel of judges chaired by WISE (Women Into Science, Engineering and Construction) executive director Terry Marsh.
The annual RTS award is presented in memory of A.M. Beresford-Cooke, a distinguished engineer who helped to pioneer VHF and UHF transmission. The honour is designed to help advance education in the science, practice, technology and art of television and related fields, giving the winner the opportunity to attend IBC in September.
Alongside Marsh, the judging panel for this year’s prize included John Ive, director of business development & technology, IABM; Paul Mason, head of Olympic Broadcasting Services London; and Peter Weitzel, broadcasting consultant, Siemens.
Terry Marsh commented: “The RTS Young Technologist of the Year is an important award, and we are delighted to award it to Peter Sellar this year. The jury was extremely impressed by Peter’s progression through his broadcasting career and his referee praised his important contribution to the Freesat business. He also had an excellent plan for how to make the best use of his winning visit to IBC.”
Peter Sellar (pictured) reflected: “I’m honoured to have been awarded RTS Young Technologist 2011. This recognition from the RTS means a great deal to me, and I’m looking forward to attending IBC for the first time and using the opportunity to enhance my understanding of the developing technologies that are becoming available.”
via : www.rts.org.uk and www.freesat.co.uk
A charity fundraiser organised by the Anderson Foundation in aid of The National Autistic Society.
It is the second year that DesignScene has produced the event for the Anderson Foundation. The project was managed for them by Ben Turner, and designed by DesignScene’s creative director, Attila Keskin. „It was very exciting to be working in London’s newest high profile hotel,” said Turner. “As nothing this large had been done before, we had a real chance to set a standard.”
The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel is being hailed as one of London’s most romantic buildings after many years of restoration to its original 1873 Gothic Revival splendor.
The high profile Anderson Foundation event for about 250 people was staged in the hotel’s main space off the main reception areas. DesignScene’s brief included the specification and supply of lighting, sound and AV equipment plus all other technical infrastructure requirements and the challenges included limited power availability and no flying facilities, so all technical elements had to be ground-supported.
The glass roof added another dimension. In summer this makes it effectively a daylight venue for the early part of the evening, so any design and visual aesthetics have to simultaneously blend and/or contrast seamlessly with the changing natural light levels in tune with the transformation from light to dark.
A basic Steeldeck stage was installed and finished with a pale grey carpet and mirror edging, and a Perspex lectern supplied for speeches. The evening’s live music entertainment was provided by top session band, the All Stars, with whom DesignScene works on many events. At the back of the stage DesignScene erected three 20ft high by 10ft wide graphics, featuring the event logo and the National Autistic Society logos prominently displayed, which was ground-supported by tanks traps and scaffolding.
Twenty battery powered wireless LED uplighters were used to illuminate the room’s architecture – a highly effective low power option that added a layer of brightness and definition at the start of the evening, becoming more theatrical and moody as the environment morphed into dark.
Keskin’s lighting design was optimised and specific to all the lightsources being floor-based. Eight striking two metre high mirror-clad plinths were placed around the room, with Vari*Lite 2500 moving lights on top, used to create atmospheric environmental lighting.
Onstage were eight Martin Professional MAC 250 moving lights, six LED battens and six Source Four profiles on stands which dealt with the band and various speakers.
All lighting was controlled using an Avolites Pearl console. It made the room appear larger than its real size and, with a design centred around quality light sources placed in strategic locations, facilitated great creativity with a small number of fixtures.
As always, the DesignScene team worked closely with those creating the table designs and floristry, especially in choosing colours.
The sound brief called for a high quality system that was good for live music and the spoken word, so a d&b was chosen. Six d&b T10 speakers were arranged in ground-stacked clusters for the main stage left and right arrays, with T10 outfills and d&b Q-SUBS, all powered by d&b’s proprietary D12 amplifiers. For monitors, four d&b M4 wedges were supplied.
The FOH sound desk was a Yamaha M7 digital and the sound spec also included eight channels of Shure in-ear monitors and Shure Beta 87A wireless mics.
The video and screen design was deliberately neat and compact, with two 50 inch plasma screens flanking the stage and another six – all on stands – spread around the room to ensure that all guests enjoyed a clear view of the stage action from wherever they were seated. Two Sony DSR450 cameras (running on wireless RF data transmission) were used to provide IMAG feeds back to a Di-VentiX 2 HD switcher.
The key technical production equipment was supplied to DesignScene by one of the company’s regular partners, east London-based Presentation Rentals.
In the corner of the main room, DesignScene installed a four metre curved white high gloss light bar, together with matching glass and chrome poser tables and chrome stools which were outside on the terrace, together with a selection of plants. This all came from DesignScene’s hire stock.
Guests started their evening at a reception in the main hotel bar – The Booking Office (once the station’s booking office) – and then moved into the main space to enjoy dinner and all the entertainment.
The show was presented by Sky Sports’ Matt Lorenzo. There was a silent auction running throughout, and also a traditional live auction hosted by Johnny Gould, together with speeches and presentations by the National Autistic Society and others. After dinner, the band was introduced and played a set accompanied by legendary soul singer Mica Paris. After this, the All Stars played out for the remainder of the evening.
The evening was a huge success, raising £141,000 for the National Autistic Society and the client was delighted with the results in all aspects.
via : www.designscene.co.uk
DetailsOffering 24/96 solid-state digital recording, the menu-driven Nagra SD uses any type of SD memory card up to 32GB SDHC. It records PCM mono or stereo audio wav files, using MPEG compression to provide longer recording times – for example, 278 hours @ 32 kbits/sec on a 4GB card. The unit is powered by two AA batteries, offering in excess of 10 hours continuous operation and can be connected to a PC/Mac via USB 2.0 port with its internal memory appearing on the desktop as a mass storage external drive (without the need for additional software or drivers). It can also be connected to the NAGRA LB for file editing and transfer operations in-the-field if desired.
The SD accepts a range of Nagra-made mono (omni-directional/cardioid) and stereo (cardioid) clip-on microphones and is also supplied with an external mono XLR microphone cable allowing an external dynamic microphone to be used. Designed for radio applications, it offers instant start-up, one-button recording, automatic level control, internal loudspeaker and a low-cut filter. A set of switches on the rear of the recorder give the user rapid access to several key functions without the need to enter the menus. The SD measures 107mm x 68mm x 24mm (without an external microphone) and weighs 250g – also without microphone but including batteries.
via : www.nagraaudio.com
The nominations are for the company’s work on the dramas Downton Abbey and Any Human Heart, both produced by Carnival Films.
This comes after Hackenbacker won the Best Sound (Fiction) Award at the BAFTA TV Craft Awards
earlier this year for
Downton Abbey, which will be returning to the post house soon for work on the second series.
Sound effects editor Adam Armitage (pictured left) and dialogue editor Alex Sawyer (pictured right) worked on both Downton Abbey and Any Human Heart. Armitage comments, „It was hugely enjoyable to work on Downton Abbey. Clarity and quality of sound was everything in the dialogue, the time period meant there was nothing to hide behind. In contrast Any Human Heart was without doubt one of the toughest and most rewarding shows I’ve ever been involved with because of the sheer number of cast members and variety of locations. But it was very rewarding as well.”
Hackenbacker founder and director Nigel Heath (pictured centre) adds, „We are thrilled to have been nominated for two shows in this year’s Emmy Awards. I’m delighted that the producers turned to us, a specialist sound company, to ensure the delivery of great audio. The quality of our sound team’s work speaks for itself and I’m so pleased that their immense effort and hard work have been recognised by these nominations.”
By 31 minutes Mario Gomez and Thomas Müller had struck to turn the game on its head, giving Louis van Gaal’s men a handy lead – but there was a nasty sting in the tail for a side beaten by the Nerazzurri in last May’s showpiece. Wesley Sneijder’s 63rd-minute equaliser set the platform for Pandev, who fired high into the net as Inter became only the second club in UEFA Champions League history – and the first in 15 years – to overturn a first-leg deficit on their travels.
And all the action in the Allianz Arena was covered in 3D by Sky Germany. Sky Germany commissioned TopVision to produce the 3D feed of the match and via Plazamedia TopVision was commissioned to produce also the 2D feed. TopVision assigned its HD Ü4 for the production of the 3D coverage and its HD Ü5 for the 2D coverage. The 3D world feed was produced with the signals of eight 3D cameras and four 2D to 3D converted camera signals, while the 2D world feed was created by twenty 2D camera signals and left eye signals from five 3D camera positions.
The 3D production saw the main camera and the close-up camera at the center line high, both on Element Technica side-by-side rigs. For the first time the left 3D camera position on playground level, on an Element Technica mirror rig, was mounted on a dolly running on a 15 meter rail system which was able to curve around the corner flag. The right 3D camera position consisted of a P+S Freestyle rig on a Steadicam. Behind the left goal we saw a 3D Polecam and a 3D GoalCam both with LMP HD-1200 chip cameras on LMP side-by side rigs. The same was true for the 3D GoalCam on the right side. At the 5 meter line behind the right goal we saw another Element Technica mirror rig. Another first was the integration of a Spidercam by converting the 2D signal via a MPE-200 into the 3D production. The flying camera delivered stunning images when it was traveling at about 6 meter high showing the team efforts to attack the competitors’ goal. The other three converted camera signals were coming from the two 16 meter offside cameras and the high camera behind the goal on the left side. Also available to the 3D production was the converted 2D clean feed. The investment in the rail system, with the manually moved dolly on which the Element Technica rig was sitting, immediately paid back by delivering the action on the playground in a smooth and 3D adequate manner. All the cameras on the Element Technica rigs have been Sony HDC-1500R’s while on the Steadicam we saw two Sony HDC-P1’s.
For the 3D coverage of the match Marcus Olschewski was the responsible director. He generated the 3D feed on a Sony MVS-8000 with perfectly aligned pictures coming from the convergence engineers (supervised by Richard Hingley) in the related tender truck. The 3D SloMo operator was Uwe Philippi. Markus Olschewski is quite confident on the future of 3D stating, “To tell the story of a match in 3D is much more advanced for our TV viewers then telling the story in 2D”. However 3D only took off a year ago. While many people argue that HD and 3D are markedly different and cannot be compared, distinct similarities become obvious if you spend a couple of weeks at various 3D productions: It is exactly the same as it was when HD started – all the production crews are in learning mode and in 2011 all these early adaptors will achieve the next logical step to make this business a valid business. And by the way: There are always a lot of naysayers and there were naysayers before, however all the forward thinking crews were not worried about that during the transition from SD to HD. And if you feel the enthusiasms of the stereographers, the convergence engineers, the cameramen and all the other specialists involved in a live 3D production you know it’s happening again: HD will transform to 3D.
In addition to the distribution via satellite and cable to the set-top boxes at home Sky Germany was showing the 3D signal of the match also in 20 selected pubs and clubs across Germany.
FC Bayern München 2-3 FC Internazionale Milano (agg: 3-3, Inter win on away goals) Goran Pandev struck two minutes from time as the holders came from two goals down to book their place in the quarter-finals.
via: Live Production
Prime Focus UK recently set up an animation unit and a 3D conversion business, and managing director Simon Briggs said the company had been considering moving into production for “a few years”.
“No one has really done this before,” he told Broadcast.
“Some production companies have inhouse post-production facilities as a cost management exercise, but this is the first time it has happened in the opposite direction.
“If you ask the head of any post house, they are constantly looking to revitalise their business. [Post] is not a business model that lends itself to long-term prosperity if we continue to do things the way we have always done them.”
Prime Focus Productions has secured the rights to develop The Watch, a police procedural series based on characters from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series of fantasy novels.
The 13 x 60-minute series, which Brown estimates will require a budget of £13-15m, will be written by former Python Terry Jones and Small Soldiers writer Gavin Scott.
Brown said Prime Focus would invest “nigh on six figures” in developing the series.
Two of the other projects in development are co-productions with STV, including Good Omens, a 4 x 60-minute adaptation of a novel written by Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
Department 13, a 3 x 60-minute cold-war spy thriller with David Jason, will be produced with STV and US production firm Shoreline Entertainment.
Brown said initial discussions had taken place with UK broadcasters about commissions for the three series, but more advanced talks had been held with channels in the US, where he is keen to capitalise on the popularity of Pratchett’s work.
Rebecca Fisher, formerly of Infinity Features Entertainment Vancouver, has taken on the role of creative executive at Prime Focus Productions.
A creative director, head of 3D and a head of factual will be recruited “in the next few months”.
Mob Films has previously made adaptations of Pratchett novels The Hogfather, The Colour Of Magic and Going Postal for Sky 1.
via: Broadcast
The band’s Emmy Award-winning engineer, Chris Trimby, chose the Pro6, supplied by U.K. rental company, SSE Audio, for more than 50 dates worldwide.
„It’s laid out very intuitively,” said Trimby. „Everything’s only one or two button pushes away, whether you’re hitting a channel or hitting the EQ button. You can maneuver yourself around the board very quickly. The preamps, probably the most important part of any console, are fantastic.”
Features include Area B, which reportedly allows an operator to set up his own emergency „grab” section. For the Manics, who use some hard-drive input for sections such as strings, Area B hosted a click to enable the drummer to synchronize his timing correctly. Trimby noted, „You have the most important things at hand without having to go and look for them.”
The delay feature on the output section is targeted to enable users to delay various wedges to sidefills, or occasionally rear wedges to front wedges as needed. „It makes a real difference,” Trimby reports. „It gives you coherence at the high end and solidness at the low end.”
Trimby concludes, „I started my career on Midas consoles, and they were leagues ahead of anyone then. Maybe the gap narrowed over the intervening years, but with the Pro6, they have leapt ahead again.”
Midas
www.midasconsoles.com
via: prosoundnews
For over 60 years, the professional audio industry has been served by AES providing the industry with the most comprehensive forum for the exchange of technology, information, and equipment. This year, AES anticipates over 18,000 pro-audio attendees will attend the Exhibition and Conference; last year’s AES produced attendees from over 70 countries worldwide, and that is expected to be exceeded this year in New York.
The Audio Engineering Society is the only professional society devoted exclusively to audio technology. Founded in the United States in 1948, the AES has grown to become an international organization that unites audio engineers, creative artists, scientists, and students worldwide by promoting advances in audio and disseminating new knowledge and research.
For more information on Exhibiting at AES, contact Chris Plunkett at 131st_exhibits@aes.org.
AES Exhibitor Applications
www.aes.org/events/131/exhibitors
via: prosoundnews
The 12th season of the award-winning Dancing With The Starstelevision reality show returned to ABC on March 21; production mixer Bruce Arledge Jr. and music mixer Mark King make use of the UPMAX system to provide an upmix of the show’s stereo production elements for 5.1 broadcasting.
„I can mix the show in stereo, upmix it through UPMAX, then downmix it again, and it’s transparent between my send back and forth,” commented Arledge Jr. „A lot of our content–Mark’s mix, the dialog that comes from the B roll, and my mix–is delivered in stereo, so it keeps the show consistent every week. UPMAX not only ensures a consistent viewer experience, but it also eliminates potential transmission errors. We don’t have any phasing issues, and we don’t have stuff in the wrong spot.”
Arledge Jr. is using one UPMAX for the main show and another for the recap show, which runs simultaneously with the main show beginning the second week of the season. He is also using a Linear Acoustic LQ-1000 loudness quality monitor to keep the production mix centered on the -24-dB LKFS level specified by ABC. The show is being produced on Stage 46 at CBS Television City in Hollywood.
„It makes really good decisions on where to place things,” said King, who recommended UPMAX for Dancing With The Stars after using it on a Golden Globe Awards telecast, on which he is the production mixer. „And as a way to achieve 5.1, the box saves the production company a ton of money.”
Linear Acoustic
www.linearacoustic.com
via: prosoundnews
The five-year deal will see Channel 5’s HD channel, Fiver, Five USA and its time-shifted channels all migrate to AMNS’s Stephen Street playout facility from “late spring or early summer”.
AMNS has played out Channel 5’s main channel since it launched in 1997, but the broadcaster’s other channels were played out by Red Bee.
In March, Channel 5 will rebrand Fiver as 5* (Five Star), and Five USA as 5USA.
Channel 5 will also shift signing and audio description away from Red Bee to Deluxe-owned facility ITFC.
AMNS managing director for EMEA Maurizio Cimelli said its partnership with ITFC meant the company could now offer “a seamless integrated solution for all C5’s playout and facility needs”.
AMNS’s playout arm is being acquired by US firm Encompass Digital Media, with the transaction expected to close on 28 February.
Encompass chief executive Simon Bax welcomed the deal. “It is a very positive start to our new operation in London and we look forward to working closely with C5 to deliver outstanding service to its portfolio of channels,” he said.
Paul Dunthorne, managing director of Portland TV, the broadcasting arm of C5 owner Northern & Shell, led C5’s negotiations with Ascent.
He said: “Following a technical refresh of AMNS’s Stephen Street facility, we are able to bring all of our channels into a single location, which enables us to implement efficiencies.”
Broadcast understands that C5 sought an early exit from its contract with Red Bee, but the latter will continue to provide C5’s disaster recovery.
At the start of last year, Red Bee was appointed by C5 to manage all its video-on-demand services, including content distribution to Five’s VoD service, Demand Five, and the syndication, live streaming, content management and delivery of the broadcaster’s original programmes to YouTube in the UK.
Red Bee said: “Red Bee Media remains under contract to provide a suite of first-rate broadcast services to Channel 5.”
via: www.broadcastnow.co.uk
The Universal Audio 1176LN classic limiting amplifier and the 2-610 dual channel tube preamplifier played a part in Arcade Fire’s sound. „I’ve been using 1176s since day one in the studio. I’ve used the 2-610 in combination with an 1176 to record all kinds of projects–since the beginning of time,” commented Lawson.
„We also have a vintage UA 2100 sidecar. I used the sidecar to record a variety of things. Each channel has a 1108 preamp, a limited EQ–broad stroke treble and bass–section, a very slow optical limiter and a large square metal fader. Every time the lights would flash on the limiters, I would smile and hope for the best. It was tricky to monitor sometimes in the makeshift DIY spaces. The title track, ‘Suburbs,’ with the dueling drum kits, was recorded with that sidecar.”
Lawson relied heavily on the 2-610 for recording. „Much like the 2100, I find that with the 2-610, it just does what it does instantly. You don’t have to futz about with it. It sounds really clean and clear. It sort of has a warm overtone kind of thing that can be enjoyable sometimes. It just sort of works every time. I don’t have to second-guess. I just plug in the mic, and I know it’s going to be a nice, full sound that’s going to be totally useable.”
Arcade Fire’s album, The Suburbs, was released to critical acclaim before going on to claim the Album of the Year title at last week’s 2010 Grammy Awards. Arcade Fire, based in Montreal, Canada, is fronted by the husband and wife duo of Win Butler and Regine Chassagne.
Universal Audio Inc.
www.uaudio.com
via: www.prosoundnews.com
