Starlight Productions Live OB Services
Multi Camera Services
PPU Broadcast
Multi Camera Event Coverage
Starlight Productions has over 20 years of experience in multicamera production.
Our latest portable production unit (P.P.U) has been specifically built for broadcast event production.
The PPU is ideal for filming in these situations where OB units would have been over the top. (An OB unit only comes into its own for Outside Broadcast conditions which require massive cable runs involving thousands of metres!) On average, the PPU cost 40% less than an OB equivalent. Apart from the obvious advantages it has over an OB truck ie:- cost, portability, agility, the PPU can be very cost effective as an alternative to jam synced camcorders and of course most of the post production is minimised. Therefore, apart from Live event coverage i.e:
SPORT COVERAGE
CONCERTS
AWARD CEREMONIES
FASHION SHOWS
CONFERENCES
The PPU is also ideal for magazine style production either on location or in a small sound studio. Possible examples are:
DEBATES
INTERVIEWS
GAME SHOWS
ALTERNATIVE COMEDY PRODUCTION
STUDIO/LOCATION LINKS
Live vision mixing is essential for productions that require live video projection or video walls at the venue, we provide crew and PPU`S for many of these types of events ie:
TOP GEAR AT THE MOTOR SHOW
COSMOPOLITAN SHOW
CAPITAL RADIO HELP A LONDON CHILD AWARDS
BOAT SHOW
NETWORK SHOW
ASIA TELECOM
BASKETBALL (NTL)
ICE HOCKEY (NTL)
BRITISH PRIDE AWARDS (Mirror Group/ITN)
When working with productions that require live displays there are normally several unmentioned problems that we can guide you through:-
Lip Sync/video delays
This can ruin a major live production using a projector/videowall. A quick fix is to delay the audio to the same amount as the video, this creates confusion with crew talkback/program monitoring and more importantly it can create problems with a presenters earpiece. This delay is a combination of delay created by the projector/videowall processing and the vision mixer with frame store switching. We have found that most create about 2 frames delay (magic dave, DFS 500,VPS300). We have managed to solve this problem by using the latest component digital mixer from ‘FOR-A’ . (Its’ delay is 1.5 lines, about 1/400 of a second - this is because a frame store is not used unless the internal DVE is active).
2. Jitter on fast cuts on the Program Bus
This happens mainly on frame store based mixers ( MX50!!) Mixing for sport requires fast cutting on the program bus leaving no time for previewing, it is essential that our mixer cuts perfectly in ALL modes of operation.
Future proof
Even though at the moment few of our clients require digital outputs with 16:9 widescreen signals, it is only round the corner, especially with the arrival of digital television. The Sony D-30WS cameras use the latest widescreen chipset (980x582 pixels) and are completely digital and internally process at full 10 bit quality. The output is also switchable to normal 4:3 aspect ratio. The FOR-A vision mixer allows both analogue RGB/YUV and digital SDI 8bit/10bit inputs and outputs (all signals which cater for the real world mix of digital/analogue formats), and are also widescreen compatible. The preview rack consists of 4 x Sony 9"
9042 widescreen switchable colour monitors with tallys. The PPU includes a 16 input component VDA which allows all the cameras to be isolated in any format.
Weakest link in the chain
As they say a system is only as good as the weakest link in the chain, because no matter how good your crew or kit is, if a multicore cable goes down on a hand held in the middle of a production, most people will assume that all is lost. We find that this situation is unacceptable and can be corrected instantly. We have found that 90% of cable breaks occur at the cable connection on the camera ie :- someone stands on the cable and the camera operator moves forward! A normal cable run could be up to 100 metres! We can fix this within 3 minutes! How? Simple - we always have short cables between the main cable run and the camera itself using a coupler. Therefore, only the short cable goes down and this can be swapped within minutes. Again, we can own up to such professionalism as this because of our long experience in multicamera production and because we use our own equipment rather than dry hire kit in or out.
Details
Sony 10bit Digital 16:9 switchable D-30wsp/DSR-570 Cameras
Our 4 camera PPU consists of two 12U high 19" rack units.
RACK 1
4 x Sony CCUM5 ( latest CCU, includes control of clear scan features )
1 x 16 input VDA pre wired to allow routing of component outputs of CCU`s.
1 x Hamlet waveform/vectorscope includes stereo PPM audio meters.
1 x Furnham power conditioner, removes RF interference/spikes etc
RACK 2
4 x Sony PVM 9042 component widescreen switchable colour monitors
1 x Techpro master 2 ring intercom system (includes 10 channels*)
* all camera channels are connected to the intercom via the CCU cables, they use the dedicated intercom cables and therefore the microphone output can still be used for on camera use.
Vision Mixer
Latest digital 8 input vision mixer from For-a known as the Mighty mix, this allows a mix of analogue RGB/YUV component inputs/ouputs and 8/10 bit SDI digital component signals, the mixer works to SDI signals internally, it also features a key bus with chroma key as standard, options are full 3-D dve effects page turn trail etc.