Content+Technology ANZ March 2022 by Content+Technology

VOLUME 19/ISSUE 2

PP: 255003/06831

MARCH 2022

MEDIA + PRODUCTION + MANAGEMENT + DELIVERY www.content-technology.com

STAN Goes Live with UHD

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VOLUME 19/ISSUE 2

MARCH 2022

Sportscasting... page 20. REGULARS 02 EDITOR’S WELCOME 46 INDUSTRY FOCUS 45,48 CLASSIFIEDS

FEATURES 04 COVER STORY News Media/Digital

Platforms Bargaining Code Review; New Digital Platform Rules; People on the Move

10 SMPTE/METEXPO22 PREVIEW 16 CAMERAS & LIGHTING John Brawley ACS

and Director Phillip Noyce on ‘The Desperate Hour’; Mo-Sys Extends Startracker to LED Volumes; Creamsource Vortex4 LED Fixture; BirdDog Enables Auto Tracking for PTZ Cameras; New Canon Outdoor PTZ Camera; AtomOS 10.71 Update.

20 SPORTSCASTING STAN Sport Livestreams UHD with Grass Valley and Telstra Broadcast Services; TRP Picks FUJINON 4K Lenses for New OB Fleet.

24 NEWS OPERATIONS SBS Launches New

Arabic and Mandarin News Bulletins; Prime Time for Chyron; Free VPNs for Ukraine; Mobile Transmitter/Internet Gateway from Dejero; Haivision Signs Agreement to Acquire AVIWEST; Flowics Cloud-based Broadcast Graphics; Brainstorm Suite 5.

36 CONTENT+TECHNOLOGY ISSN 1448-9554 PP:255003/06831 Broadcastpapers Pty Ltd (ABN 34 095 653 277) PO Box 165 Surry Hills, NSW 2010, Australia www.broadcastpapers.com PUBLISHER: Phil Sandberg Tel +61 (0)2 4368 4569 Mob +61 (0)414 671 811 papers@broadcastpapers.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER: Adam Buick Mob +61 (0)413 007 144 adam@broadcastpapers.com PRODUCTION MANAGER: Lucy Salmon Mob +61(0)412 479 662 production@broadcastpapers.com DESIGN & LAYOUT Wide Open Media Mob +61 (0)419 225 348 www.wideopenmedia.com.au PRINTING: SOS Printing, Sydney

27 POST-PRODUCTION Remote Production

Offers a Safeguard for Indie Film Industry; Boris FX Delivers Blockbuster Effects; Accurate.Video Edit Integrates with SDVI Rally Access; Assimilate, Brompton Enable On-Set LED Screen Colour Correction; axledit Browser-Based Video Editor; Maxon Universe 5.1; 3D Tree Assets for Unreal Engine.

32 MEDIA IN THE CLOUD Stutch Data Takes

First FUJIFILM LTO-9 Tapes in Australia; Adimex Partners with Symply in ANZ; Dalet AmberFin Update Expands Streaming Workflows; Signiant Integrates with AWS Media2Cloud; Digital Nirvana Showcases AIDriven Solutions for Content Creation.

36 AUDIO, RADIO, PODCASTING Forbes

Street Studios Adds Dolby Atmos; Kiwa Digital’s VoiceQ Adds Streaming; Audio Design Desk 1.9; Saramonic Blink900 DualChannel Wireless Mic System; TASCAM Updates Mixcast 4.

41 CONTENT DELIVERY 5stream on Schedule with Xytech’s MediaPulse; Telstra Broadcast Services Expands with Cinegy; New NDI|HX 3 Standard; Switch Media - Don’t Build the OTT Version of Frankenstein’s Monster!; Pay-PerUse for Mediaproxy LogServer; Tellyo Stream Studio.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All material in Broadcastpapers’ Content+Technology Magazine is protected under Australian Commonwealth Copyright Laws. No material may be reproduced in part or whole in any manner without prior consent of the Publisher and/or copyright holder. DISCLAIMER: Broadcastpapers Pty Ltd accepts no responsibility for omissions or mistakes made within, claims made or information provided by advertisers.

EDITOR’S WELCOME

Adapting and Enduring By Phil Sandberg

IF YOU THOUGHT we had entered some sort of biblical end-of-days period, I suspect no-one would blame you. Bushfires, a global pandemic, floods, war, it certainly appears like we’re getting a good stomping-on from the four horsemen of the apocalypse. However, most of us have no choice, but to adapt and endure. Life, as they say, must go on, however chaotic and irrational the world seems like at the time. So, it is somewhat relieving to see some aspects of life returning to routine - schools, workplaces, live events. One of the regrettable impacts of the pandemic, especially, has been its effect upon live sport, live performances, the venues, and the many people whose incomes rely on audiences gathering together. And, while it is a small step for our industry, it is good to see the return of tradeshows in the form of SMPTE’s METexpo in Sydney (see our preview on page 10), and the NABShow in its traditional home in Las Vegas. Both these events will provide an opportunity for people to do what they have always done, and that is, to come together, network, problem solve and forge relationships in a way that cannot be done via a Zoom call. As local SMPTE Chair Paul Whybrow says of the upcoming METexpo, “The most important thing is that people can expect to actually socialise within the industry which we’ve not been doing for so long. It’s terribly depressing to think that the last time we had the SMPTE METexpo event was almost 2¾ years ago, Covid has played its part. The key thing that people can expect is to actually get together and meet with their industry colleagues and find out what’s going on.”

“The return to in-person events, including NAB Show, promises to drive innovation in technology that is transforming the media business,” said Eric Trabb, NAB senior vice president and chief customer success officer. “We are proud to showcase the prominent companies that are advancing technologies and leading our industry’s future.”

geopolitical affairs. However, we are compelled to support the Ukrainian people and their remarkable efforts to defend their homeland,” said David Ross. “Like hundreds of thousands of other Canadians, I am proud of my Ukrainian heritage. I simply cannot sit idly by while President Putin’s forces attack cities, civilians, and democracy itself.”

The Fog of War

Let’s hope there is a speedy return to civility and normality (whatever that means).

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is not the first conflict launched on a false pretext (remember Saddam Hussein’s Weapons of Mass Destruction?), but that is no justification for the loss and upending of the lives of thousands of people. While events on the ground are still unfolding, its effects will be felt globally, and the media industry will not be immune. Within the Asia-Pacific region, there are media companies reliant on Russian-developed technology. These companies will find it difficult to source support and development going forward as sanctions against the Putin regime begin to bite.

papers@broadcastpapers.com +61(0)414671811

Citing family ties to Ukraine, David Ross, CEO of Ross Video, recently announced that the company had halted all shipments to Russia prior to international sanctions being imposed and severed support for Ross products already in the country. As a concrete act of support, the company is making a C$100,000 donation in support of humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine. “As a company, we rarely comment on

Senior Broadcast Systems Engineer Professional Audio & Television Pty Ltd Hornsby, Northern Suburb of Sydney PAT HAS A VACANCY for a Senior Broadcast Systems Engineer based in the north of Sydney. We are an authorised reseller and solutions provider for brands such as ARISTA, LAWO, Densitron IDS, TSL Products, Meinberg, Mobile Viewpoint, ENCO, Boland, RTW, CyanView, Boland Communications, Genelec, Qbit, StudioHub, DSA Volgman, AngryAudio, DreamChip, NVIDIA and other leading brands. The role: The Senior Broadcast Systems Engineer role is a critical position performing end-to-end planning and documentation of deployment, configuration, testing and commissioning procedures for high-profile broadcast system projects. An intimate knowledge of IP broadcast networks is a MUST.

EDITOR’S WELCOME

Phil Sandberg – Editor/Publisher

As manufacturers across various industries retreat from the Russian market, there will be more pressure to stop dealings with Russianassociated media organisations.

POSITION VACANT

Keep safe, thanks for reading, and look after each other,

To apply, mail management@proaudiotv.com.au with a one-page cover letter explaining why you are the right person for the job and your CV. Only applicants with Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent Australian residency and work rights are eligible to apply.

2022 C+T DEADLINES AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND EDITION MAY-JUNE Editorial Submissions: Ad Bookings: Ad Artwork:

02-05-22 02-05-22 09-05-22

ASIA EDITION

MAY-JUNE Editorial Submissions: Ad Bookings: Ad Artwork:

09-05-22 09-05-22 16-05-22

For more information www.content-technology.com +61-(0)414 671 811 Email: papers@broadcastpapers.com

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Oz Govt to Review News Media/Digital Platforms Bargaining Code THE AUSTRALIAN Federal Government will commence a review into the operation of the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code to be conducted by Treasury in consultation with relevant agencies. The Code came into effect on 3 March 2021 and its governing legislation requires it to be reviewed within 12 months of operation. According to Paul Fletcher, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, “The Code represents a worldfirst that was introduced by the Government to address the bargaining power imbalance between news media businesses and digital platforms. The Code is intended to ensure that digital platforms fairly remunerate news businesses for the content they generate, thereby helping to sustain public interest journalism in Australia.” A key focus for the review will be assessing the extent to which commercial agreements between the digital platforms and Australian news businesses have contributed to this objective. “The Morrison Government has been pleased to see progress by both Google and Facebook in reaching commercial agreements with Australian news media businesses,” added Minister Fletcher. “Since February 2021 Google 130 Facebook PAT TSL C&T HP between HR.pdf them, 1 16/11/21 and have, reportedly11:46

entered into around 30 commercial agreements. “The Morrison Government notes that some news organisations, including smaller and independent publishers, have expressed concerns they have been unable to reach a commercial deal. We urge the digital platforms to continue negotiating in good faith to ensure that the review is able to consider the full extent of progress made under the Code.” The Government has issued Terms of Reference to guide the Review. Treasury will issue a short consultation paper inviting submissions from news businesses (including small and regional businesses), digital platforms and other interested parties. Treasury will finalise a report to the Treasurer and the Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts by the end of September 2022. Meanwhile, industry body Commercial Radio Australia said the Federal Government’s review into the operation of the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code would be an opportunity to examine whether stronger actions are required to urge Google and Facebook to strike content deals with radio broadcasters. Chief executive officer Joan Warner said the

agreements with the majority of commercial radio stations despite the ACCC granting CRA authorisation last October to collectively bargain over payment for radio content featured on those platforms.

Paul Fletcher, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts.

“We are continuing to seek commercial outcomes but if Google and Facebook are unwilling to negotiate fair compensation, then stronger actions and designation may be required,” Ms Warner said. “We remain concerned that the current status quo will leave smaller media organisations such as radio stations at a competitive disadvantage.

“Commercial radio operates newsrooms across the country and generates a substantial amount of local news and information consumed by Australians on digital platforms.”

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Beijing 2022 Delivers Gold for Seven THE SEVEN NETWORK’S exclusive, live and free coverage of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 delivered record-breaking digital audiences on 7plus and reached a national audience of 12.5million viewers for its linear broadcast on Channel 7, 7mate and 7two. On 7plus, Seven’s comprehensive coverage on up to 20 channels streamed 376million minutes, up 254% on 2018 PyeongChang. Total streaming for Beijing 2022 surpassed PyeonChang 2018 after only four days of competition and drove a surge in 7plus registrations, lifting the total number of registered accounts to more than 11.5 million. Viewing on 7plus was particularly

popular with younger viewers, with VOZ data recording an incremental audience reach on broadcast in 18 to 39s of 15.4%. Seven West Media Chief Revenue Officer and Director of Olympics, Kurt Burnette, said: “Seven’s broadcast of Beijing 2022 has captivated the nation, with 12.5million viewers cheering on Australia’s best-ever Winter Olympics performance. The highoctane action helped Seven secure its biggest ratings survey year start since 2018, sweeping every market and every demo. “The audience growth on 7plus was phenomenal and marked the largest digital consumption ever for

a Winter Olympics, with live streaming up 254% on PyeongChang. “The success of Beijing 2022 is testament to our outstanding coverage and exceptional line-up of expert commentators and hosts.”

The P.A. People acquires TheatreQuip EXPANDING ITS PRESENCE in the Venue Engineering space, The P.A. People has announced it has acquired Sydney based business, TheatreQuip. TheatreQuip can trace its origins in the Australian theatre industry back over thirty years. It brings a wealth of theatrical experience and product to The P.A. People’s Venue Engineering portfolio, including a comprehensive range of drapes, curtain tracks and accessories,

counterweight fly systems, portable staging and theatre machinery. For fifty years, The P.A. People has been involved in the design and supply of staging and hoisting systems to venues. “We have been looking at expanding our capability to deliver staging solutions for quite some time. Over the past few months, we have received numerous enquiries from

across the Country looking for alternative providers of staging design and delivery” said Chris Dodds, Managing Director of The P.A. People. Michael Rafferty, proprietor of the TheatreQuip business since 2001, has joined The P.A. People team. “I am delighted that the TheatreQuip business is now part of The P.A. People,” Michael explained. “I am looking forward

to working together to deliver the very best staging solutions for Venues” he continued. “Chris has put together a very experienced team with a lot of familiar faces as well as some new ones, and we have hit the ground running. We are looking forward to creating a new chapter for The P.A. People over the next fifty years by providing the best Venue Engineering solutions in Australia.” Visit https://papeople.com.au

Vale Clive Morton THE AUSTRALIAN broadcast industry is mourning one of its foremost technical minds and admired peers with the recent passing of Clive Morton. A Chartered Engineer with over three decades of international senior management experience, Clive was a pioneer in the development of broadcast technology transition planning and implementation.

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After graduating with a Bachelor (Hons) in Electrical Engineering at the University of Sheffield, and undertaking an Advanced Diploma in Television Engineering at the University of Plymouth, Clive held various roles with the UK Independent Broadcasting Authority and ntl UK (now Arqiva).

During his time at ntl, Clive was responsible for the delivery of the world’s first fully national implementation of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) which included 16 studio headend systems, satellite distribution and terrestrial transmission (80

locations) for two networks - Digital 3 & 4 and SDN. In 1999, he made the move Down Under to take on the role of Director Terrestrial Media Services with NTL Australia. He then became Division Director Infrastructure with Macquarie Capital Group. In July 2003, Clive assumed the position of Director Product Development in a newly minted Broadcast Australia where he led a team undertaking broadcast trials of new technologies. These groundbreaking trials included: • Digital Radio (Eureka 147) in Melbourne using Band III spectrum; multiplex carrying up to 7 program streams and a hybrid of input distribution arrangements (satellite, ISDN, AES-EBU). • Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) trial in Canberra (Gungahlin) using MF spectrum; assessment of comparative coverage;

multiplexed / simulcast transmission of DRM and AM within the same radio frequency channel. • Datacasting / Infocasting (DVB-T) in Sydney; a multiplex of up to 7 video streams, MHP interactivity, low-latency program guide with automatic updates. • Various mobile internet trials with data encapsulated in a DVB-T transport stream for highspeed data delivery. • high-power DVB-H trial (Sydney); a multiplex of 16 video streams, with EPG, across several phases of the trial. Elements included: H.263 and H.264 encoding, CA, etc. • DVB-H and FLO trials in Malaysia. • 3D TV terrestrial trials in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth for the SBS World Cup 2010. Following this, Clive held Director positions with Broadcast Australia encompassing Terrestrial Media

Services, and Engineering and Field Services. As well as establishing his own Morton Davies Consulting service, he also held the role of State Manager NSW/ ACT with network infrastructure company Service Stream. In January 2014, Clive returned to broadcasting in the role of Manager - Transmission & Regulatory Services with Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) where he was responsible for strategic management and development of outsourced transmission/ distribution services and technology platforms, as well as program management, operations management, standards development and government relationship management. He is survived by his wife Lynda, daughter Gayle and her children. Those wishing to honour Clive are invited to donate in his name to Heart Research Australia. Visit https://www.heartresearch. com.au/gifts-in-memory

NEWS + PEOPLE For the latest news visit www.content-technology.com

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ACCC Seeks Feedback on New Digital Platform Rules THE AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is seeking views from consumers, businesses and other parties on options for legislative reform to address concerns about the dominance of digital platforms.

a platform’s own services above those of its business users), barriers to entry (such as access to data), bargaining imbalances, and insufficient consumer and business user protections (including effective dispute resolution processes).

A newly-released discussion paper outlines options for addressing harms to competition, consumers, and business users in a range of areas dominated by large digital platforms, including social media, search, app marketplaces, general online retail marketplaces and ad tech.

The paper also outlines other potential measures to improve consumer protection, including obligations on platforms to deal more effectively with online scams and restrictions on other conduct that harms consumers, such as exploitative or manipulative user interfaces.

“The upcoming fifth report will mark the half-way point of the Digital Platform Services Inquiry. Now is the time to consider whether further reforms are needed to supplement the important tools in Australia’s competition and consumer law to maintain a vibrant digital economy that drives innovation and enhances productivity,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said. “There is momentum building internationally, with authorities and lawmakers around the world taking action to address the competition and consumer harms arising on digital platforms.”

“Since the ACCC began examining digital platform services in 2017, large digital platforms such as Google, Apple and Meta (Facebook) have continued to grow and expand their impact and influence on the economy and our day-to-day lives,” Mr Sims said. “It is clear that large digital platforms are often protected by high barriers to entry and expansion, and in some cases, they have become ‘gatekeepers’, acting as critical intermediaries between businesses and consumers, and controlling access to consumers. We are looking at whether we need additional laws or reform to make the online environment fairer for businesses and safer for consumers.”

“These platforms hold powerful positions in the economy and society and can often dictate terms to businesses that use their services. This in turn can harm consumers and the small businesses that rely on them, including through higher prices, greater use of personal data, reduced choice, less innovation or lower quality products.” The discussion paper outlines potential measures as part of a possible new regulatory framework to promote competition and increase consumer welfare in digital platform services. This is important to ensure innovation and growth in the digital services reliant on dominant or ‘gatekeeper’ digital platforms, and increased productivity. A new regulatory framework could incorporate measures to address anti-competitive conduct (for example anti-competitively preferencing

The discussion paper outlines various options, and the ACCC has not yet determined which proposals, if any, it will finally recommend. “We are looking closely at the significant reforms for digital platforms occurring or being proposed in the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and in the Asia-Pacific region given that these platforms operate globally. While our key objective is to ensure any reform is appropriate for Australia, we recognise the benefits to all stakeholders of international alignment in this important area,” Mr Sims said. “The News Media Bargaining Code, which was legislated by the Australian Government in 2021, is a great example of how regulatory change can quickly and effectively address the consequences of the largest platform’s market power.”

Following the introduction of the Code, Google and Meta reached voluntary commercial deals with news media businesses which have performed an important role in strengthening Australian journalism. “We encourage all interested parties and consumers to provide their views to inform our assessment on whether a new framework is needed to foster competition and protect consumers in relation to digital platform services,” Mr Sims said. Submissions to this discussion paper can be made to digitalmonitoring@accc.gov.au by 1 April 2022. Further information is available at Digital platform services inquiry 2020-2025. Visit https://www.accc.gov.au/focus-areas/ inquiries-ongoing/digital-platform-servicesinquiry-2020-2025/september-2022-interimreport

Anthony Tulloch New CEO at Docklands Studios Melbourne THE BOARD OF Docklands Studios Melbourne (DSM) has announced the appointment of experienced film industry executive Antony Tulloch as its new CEO. Antony Tulloch replaces Rod Allan who retires at the end of March after 13 very successful years, during which the studio has helped drive enormous growth in Victoria’s screen industry.

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Board Chair David Hanna said, “Antony Tulloch takes the reins at an exciting time for the studio, with the imminent opening of a new super stage that will expand stage capacity by more than 60 per cent and enable the facility to host bigger productions than ever before.”

Mr Tulloch started as a lighting technician in Melbourne in 1985. Over the years he has worked in various aspects of filmmaking, with credits on major projects including The Pacific, Life of Pi, and The Great Gatsby. His most recent position was General Manager: Studio Operations at Iskandar Malaysia Studios, the largest purpose-

built filming facility in South East Asia. Mr Hanna said, “Antony is well placed to take over the running of DSM. He has a strong record in building the global market position of a studio business and has maintained connections to the Victorian and Australian film industries during his time in Malaysia, ensuring he is able to hit the ground running.” A number of major productions are slated to use the studio in 2022, including Amazon’s sci-fi thriller Foe, NBC’s hit drama La Brea (Season 2) and Robbie Williams’ biopic Better Man. Mr Tulloch said, “I am delighted to be returning to Melbourne at a time of great activity and opportunity for the screen industry. “Docklands Studios Melbourne is a premier facility with an excellent and hard-earned reputation for supporting productions. I am excited to be joining the team and look forward to building on the strong legacy that Rod Allan leaves.”

Mr Hanna said, “The Board is deeply grateful to Rod for his enormous contribution building Docklands Studios into a highly sought-after location for quality domestic and international film and television production. “With Antony as CEO, DSM will continue to work closely with Film Victoria in delivering the Victorian Government’s new screen strategy VICSCREEN.” Victoria’s Minister for Creative Industries Danny Pearson said, “We’re delighted to welcome Victorian talent home. Antony is well-credentialed to lead DSM and to help make Victoria a global screen powerhouse. I also acknowledge the long standing work and contribution of Rod Allan over many years, especially in helping build the international reach of DSM and the Sound Stage 6 redevelopment which will be a game-changer for our studios.” Visit http://www.dsmelbourne.com

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New CEO for STAN MARTIN KUGELER has been Stan’s Chief Financial Officer and Director Strategy, Sport, Business Development and Product for the past seven years, and acting CEO since April 2021 following former CEO Mike Sneesby’s appointment to the top job at Nine. Prior to his career at Stan, Kugeler was Chief Financial Officer and Head of Strategy in various businesses of the global media company Bertelsmann based in Europe, as well as a leading strategy consultant across a variety of industries including Media and Digital Entertainment in Australia. In making the announcement, Nine’s CEO, Mike Sneesby said, “As part of the team that planned, built and launched Stan back in 2015, Martin has

been instrumental in developing the company’s strategy and shaping the business we have today.” “Under his leadership, Stan has continued to grow and develop its unique position in the market. The team at Stan have a significant opportunity in front of them as they continue to pioneer the future of the Australian television landscape, and I’m glad to be able to confirm Martin as the CEO to lead the team on that journey.” Of his appointment, Martin Kugeler said, “Stan is the business I love and that I’ve built together with Mike and the team for over seven years. The people who bring Stan to life are outstanding and extremely passionate. I look forward to the opportunity to continue to lead the team through our next phase of growth.”

“I want to thank Mike for all his support and guidance over the time we’ve worked together. It has been a fantastic journey to create and establish the leading local SVOD service in Australia.” Kugeler’s appointment commences effective immediately. Visit www.stan.com.au

New Board Members for Women in Film and TV WOMEN IN FILM AND TV AUSTRALIA Australia (WIFT Australia) has announced five newcomers to its board: Mitu Bhowmick Lange (boardappointed), Martine Delaney (Tas), Anna Loren (Qld), Liz Tomkins (board-appointed) and Natasha Wanganeen (SA). Liz Tomkins, a producer based in regional Queensland, will take on the role of chair. Outgoing Chair, Katrina Irawati Graham says, “Establishing WIFT Australia, with Megan Riakos and other founding board members, has been a great privilege and an empowering journey. I have been able to work with smart humans who have inspired me daily with their dedication to gender justice in our screen industry. I leave knowing that a fresh, strong board is anchored by the brains trust of returning board members. I know together they will build upon the foundational work of the past four years and uphold a collective vision of a better world.” Katrina Irawati Graham will remain involved in a number of WIFT Australia initiatives and continues

to serve on the WIFT International board. A writer and director, she will pursue her own creative projects while driving her advocacy, advisory and activism work in the anti-racism, gender justice and diversity spaces. Incoming Chair, Liz Tomkins says, “It’s wonderful to be joining such a dynamic organisation at this vital time in its history. We all look forward to collaborating with the existing board members, and all the state chapter committees, to take WIFT Australia into the future.” The returning board members in 2022 are Ljudan Michaelis-Thorpe (First Nations Lead), Janet Brown (Treasurer), Yolandi Franken (NSW/ Secretary), Emilia Jolakoska (WA) and Lesley Pinder and Stephanie Westwood (Victoria). Outgoing board members farewelled in 2022 are Ana Tiwary (NSW), Shannon Wilson-McClinton (ACT) and Briony Kidd (Tas). Founded as a national organisation in 2018, WIFT Australia is the peak national advocacy body for gender

equity in the Australian screen industry. Its formation connected existing WIFT NSW and WIFT WA chapters with newly created chapters in the ACT, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania, while fostering a partner relationship with WIFT Victoria. The founding board members of WIFT Australia were Megan Riakos (NSW), Katrina Irawati Graham (Qld), Margarita Ivanovsky (Vic), Alexandra Nell (WA), Shannon Wilson-McClinton (ACT), Anna Cadden (NT), Kath McIntyre (SA),

Briony Kidd (Tas). WIFT Australia is dedicated to achieving gender equality in the Australian screen industry through research, advocacy, education and support for women and non-binary screen industry practitioners. At the launch in 2018 producer Sue Maslin called the launch “an historic moment” uniting women in the screen industry across Australia and stressed the importance of continued advocacy in order to create lasting change. Visit www.wiftaustralia.org.au

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Jamie Angel Appointed Content Director – Triple M Brisbane

EXPERIENCED RADIO LEADER Jamie Angel has been appointed Content Director of Triple M Brisbane. In announcing the appointment, Dave Cameron, Chief Content Officer at SCA, said Jamie was one of the company’s most experienced, creative, and strategic programmers and broadcasters. “Jamie is one of SCA’s most experienced, creative, and strategic programmers and broadcasters. His credentials across the Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane markets, on and off-air, on both the Hit and Triple M networks over three decades make him the perfect choice to lead Triple M Brisbane

into its next era of success,” he said. “Triple M’s new locally focused metroprogramming approach from dawn to dusk will be enabled by Jamie’s innate understanding and ability of creating compelling content for local engagement.” Commenting on his new appointment, Angel said, “After 25 years down south, not only is it a privilege to be allowed back into Queensland to help drive house prices up, but also to be able to work with the amazing team here at the radio icon that is Brisbane’s Triple M. I can’t wait to build further on the new local shows and content in

2022.” Cameron thanked outgoing Content Director Scott Menz, who farewells the station for new adventures, for his hard work and dedication to Triple M and SCA over the last nine years and wished him well. Angel’s appointment is effective immediately. Visit www.southerncrossaustereo.com.au

ANNOUNCING THE NEXT

ABU DIGITAL BROADCASTING SYMPOSIUM

ABU DBS 2022

E V O LV I N G M E D I A W O R K F L O W S

To s p o n s o r, c o n t a c t d b s @ a b u . o rg . my

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21-24 MARCH 2022 A VIRTUAL EVENT

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PREVIEW

METexpo Makes an Eventful Return After two years of COVID, the METexpo22 media and entertainment expo is set for March 15-17, 2022, at the International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney. C+T spoke to Paul Whybrow, Chair of SMPTE Australia, NZ and the South Pacific about what to expect. “THE KEY THING THAT people can expect is to actually get together and meet with their industry colleagues and find out what’s going on. The key is, it is perhaps a bit more intimate of a show than it was before. We’ve got the conference and the show altogether in one area at the ICC so it’s a much closer relationship.” And what are the conference highlights? “You’ll see a lot of the streams that you’re very used to if you do attend regularly, but there’s a lot of new topics. “In the business stream, we’ve got SPA which is the Screen Producers Association and we’ve got the equivalent out of New Zealand so we’re going to be discussing screen there. Screen production was done very well during Covid, but is it a flash in the pan, or is that going to continue later on? “We’ve got guests from ABC and Deluxe and we’re going to look at how they had to change with Covid. We’re looking at streaming. That’s, obviously, the area that’s very competitive here in Australia and had a huge hold since Covid came along. “We’re also going to be talking about audio and radio. We’ve got ABC and we’ve got Nova and SCA, so it’s a number of the key players in that radio space, and the focus for them is really about how radio is changing to audio. And the final one in the business area, we’re just going to look into Entertaining in 2025, so we’ve got AWS and we’ve got Telstra, as part of our panel.” Any international speakers?

METEXPO

“We will be having some international people, not too many, I admit, and some people will be doing ‘virtual’ as well. From SMPTE, we’ve got Hans Hoffman who is involved very heavily in the EBU, but also is the SMPTE President. He can’t join us in person, but he is going to be looking at how SMPTE has changed over the last few years and what its direction is,

so I think it will be very interesting to hear from him. “We’ve also got Sir Ian Taylor, who is based in Dunedin. He’s doing a lot of work with the New Zealand Government about their restrictions and about how they need to open up the borders to allow more business to take place. He’s made a name for himself around the SMPTE Chair Paul Whybrow. work he’s done with the America’s Cup and got “One thing I should absolutely mention is there involved with technology for the America’s Cup, are going to be two drinks social nights - the technology around adding interactivity and first two nights between 5pm and 6pm. We are engagement for viewers around sports. having social drinks on the show floor and that “Then there’s Michael Zink who is also the Education Director for SMPTE, but he works for Warners, and he is presenting around interactive storytelling.” What about parallel events? “Outside the core conference areas, we’ve worked together with a number of groups to hold some extra activities. We’ve got the Screen women’s Breakfast which is on the second day where we have brought in two strong panels of very, very accomplished women in the industry, giving some great tips about how to get on in the industry, how to evolve in the industry. “On the first night, we are pairing up with the Sydney Videotech group so they’ll be having a meeting and a couple of speakers who will be at our event and then we’ve got a round table event on the second night with the Sports Video Group Women’s Roundtable.

is absolutely open to everyone.”

And for those nervous about crowds? “The other thing I should say is really key, because there might be some people who are feeling a bit nervous about coming to an in-person event. Obviously, we are concerned about safety so will be following the health guidelines. We want to create a nice safe environment so there is absolutely a lot of space around as, to be fair, the ICC generally does has with all its rooms, but it’s overwhelming what people have said to us. They’ve done quite a lot of virtual things over the two years, they’re really keen now to actually meet people in person and that’s what we really want to try and encourage so we want people to register. We are hoping that people will come along and take that chance to actually meet up in person which they haven’t been able to do.” To register, visit https://www.metexpo.com.au

ICC Exhibition Centre, Sydney.

METEXPO 22

Exhibitor Profile: Magna Systems & Engineering Paul Maroni, Magna Systems & Engineering group sales and marketing manager.

Magna has four pillars to its solutions offering. What are they? “One of the first main pillars is Media Infrastructure. We’re talking about our broadcast control systems. We’re talking about IP software defined

networking, IP multiviewing, so as people transition from traditional baseband to IP, we have the tools for them to be able to facilitate that. As well we have talkback systems from RTS. “Next pillar is Content and Distribution. We recently got on board, Dave Herridge ex-MediaKind. He is looking after our contribution and distribution portfolio. He’s a great asset and that’s an area that I see growth as well. There’s also Actus, which is a monitoring and compliance recording solution. “Next pillar is Storage and

Archive. We represent Telestream, both Kumulate and DIVA, now that they come under the Telestream umbrella. Also, EditShare, we’re one of their channel partners. From a storage point of view, we work with Dell and other storage platforms as well as cloud storage, so that’s the third pillar. The fourth pillar is Studio Production. It’s an area that we’re expanding. We represent companies like, Zero Density and AOTO screen, so we can offer VR and XR studio offerings. We’ll have a separate area there to demonstrate our VR offering with Zero Density.” What else will be on the stand? “We’ll have VideoFlow, which is a contribution

and distribution over IP product. We’ll have a live demonstration of that, and Enensys products and MediaKind, of course and they’re adjacent to our booth, so we’re very close with MediaKind people. As I mentioned before, on the archive side with DIVA and Kumulate and also, EditShare. RTS, for one demonstration of the different panels there, and also their latest IP matrix, the ODIN. “With the media infrastructure, we’re doing a full IP setup. We’ll have IP. We’ll have IP switches, it’s all

2110. Any baseband that we get in there, we’re converting it to 2110 through the EVS Neuron network attached processor which will be controlled and orchestrated by EVS Cerebrum broadcast control and monitoring system. “At the show, we’ll be releasing IP Core, which is an integrated software defined networking solution that integrates perfectly into Cerebrum. That was a product that came from EVS before EVS acquired Axon. Since acquiring Axon, which was Cerebrum, of course. They have fully integrated what used to be called S4 Master, into the Cerebrum product. We’ve got a fully integrated SDN into Cerebrum and that will be on show there, as well.

Your media

infrastructure specialists

The transition from traditional baseband video infrastructure to an all IP media infrastructure brings many challenges to media companies. It’s important to partner with a company that prides itself on representing the best-of-breed media entertainment technology manufacturers and thoroughly understands the workflow requirements for the efficient creation and distribution of rich content.

“Neuron, which is the EVS network attached processor, that will have a launch at the show of JPEG XS on the Neuron. We’ll be demonstrating that and showing live demos of how quickly it can encode, decode, as well as other functionality within the Neuron. “And of course, TAG, which is the IP monitoring of choice. Everything will be displayed on a TAG multiviewer. We’ll be able to show the full, entire workings of the TAG monitoring solution at the show and that’s it, in a nutshell.” Visit https://magnasys.tv

METEXPO

“WE’RE VERY POSITIVE. We’re seeing this as an opportunity to get back out there and engage with customers again. It’s something that has been difficult and plagued our industry for the last two years. The whole face-toface thing hasn’t been there. Customers have also been yearning to get their hands on kit. I think this is a great opportunity for us as Magna, but also our vendors who support us extremely well and will be supporting us at the show.

empowering innovation sales@magnasys.tv www.magnasys.tv

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METEXPO 22

Amber Gets the Green Light at METexpo AMBER TECHNOLOGY’S presence at this year’s METexpo will include Autoscript Voice prompting control technology. Using Voice for WinPlus-IP, presenters are empowered with reliable and accurate real-time control of their prompted script simply by speaking the words, free from dependence on foot or hand controls. Designed as part of the WinPlus-IP fully IPenabled prompting software, Voice utilises patent pending technology to provide a bespoke solution designed for the next generation of live television production. Voice actively monitors the production audio feed to automatically advance the script as the words are spoken. Real time speech recognition combined with proprietary algorithms and advanced pattern matching ensures that the script always scrolls in perfect synchronisation with the presenter. Voice will even pause for adlibs and resume scrolling when the presenter is back on script - allowing them to comfortably read the script without the extra effort of also controlling the prompter. The system automatically handles numerous script and show formats, can be used by multiple presenters and can operate simultaneously with other Autoscript scroll control devices. Working closely with a major US television network over a period of three years, including extended beta testing, shadowing live newscasts, Autoscript engineers have created a fully featured control system fit for the most demanding real-world workflows. The consultation resulted in an intelligent

control system that addresses the complexities of live news broadcasts and entertainment productions, both in the studio and control room. Following the successful beta test phase, Voice is now being used by the network in their studios on daily live programming. The Autoscript Voice teleprompting control system can be used to control output to EPIC IP and EVO-IP prompt monitors and Xbox-IP Scroll Engines. The Autoscript EPIC-IP Prompter will be mounted on a Sachtler flowtech 100 Carbon Fibre Tripod. Known as the world’s fastest tripod, this versatile, lightweight tripod is easier and faster to deploy and adjust than any other tripod on the market. Performance tested in extreme conditions, flowtech is a revolution in tripod technology, giving the camera operator ultimate versatility and improving their workflow. Also on display will be the Litepanels Gemini 1x1 Hard Light, one of the brightest 1x1 RGBWW LED panels on the market. With an incredibly bright output of over 3000 lux @10ft/3m, Gemini 1x1 Hard delivers the brightest and most accurate 1x1 light ever. Blast through a silk, build layers of diffusion or bounce light off a board, with precision control of hue, saturation, intensity, gels and effects, Gemini 1x1 Hard gives you the power to control and “create your own extraordinary”.

Exhibitor List Agile Technology Amber Technology AV-Comm AV Group Technologies Bitmovin Bluefish444 Canon Grass Valley LSC Control Systems Magna Systems & Engineering Max Cases Mediakind Media Proxy Pacific Live Media RastOrder Riedel Rohde & Schwarz Seagate/Lacie Synamedia Telstra Broadcast Services

Visit https://www.ambertech.com.au

Bringing media to the people. From content creation to transmission. Studio production Post production Delivery Distribution

METEXPO

Visit us at METexpo 22 to find out more about our solutions.

Make ideas real

METEXPO 22

Mediaproxy to Showcase Upgraded LogServer MEDIAPROXY, the international developer of software-based IP broadcast solutions, will highlight recent upgrades to its industry leading LogServer logging, monitoring, and analysis system on stand A1 at METexpo 2022 which is scheduled for March 15-17 at the International Convention Centre, Sydney.

New ground-breaking features include advanced clustering of decentralized systems on IP networks including Cloud as well as a brand-new pooled interface platform to simplify configuration at scale. This marks a new era in distributed access, setup and

configuration across entire organizations with extended local and global footprints. From its first version in 2001, LogServer has evolved over the past 20 years as Mediaproxy responded to broadcasters’ changing requirements. The proliferation of channels and explosion in streaming has called for more sophisticated monitoring as media services have had to deal with not only more distribution platforms but also the advancement in technologies, including Next Gen TV, IP-driven workflows and facilities and cloud migration.

“Compliance has drastically changed over the years. It’s become an intrinsic part of both engineering and business. Our customers recognize our strong and continued commitment to providing the best engineered solution, comments Mediaproxy chief executive Erik Otto. “The ever-increasing demands on modern compliance loggers to scale across IP networks challenges us to constantly stay ahead of the curve and we look forward to showcasing this at METexpo 2022.” Visit https://www.mediaproxy.com

Exhibitor Profile: AV GroupTechnologies Adrian Chespy, Managing Director “WE DECIDED TO become a Gold Sponsor to support the industry moving forward in COVID, but I think after so many cancellations, there is a pent-up desire to get out there and talk to people because I think everyone’s sick of Zoom meetings, Webexes and all that sort of stuff, and everyone just wants face-to-face. So, whether it’s actually just to look at products or just to talk products, it doesn’t matter, it’s all about that face-to-face meeting.” What can people expect on the stand? “We’re trying to keep our stand fairly simple and focusing on products from our principals that actually generate the talk. We’re going to have things from the likes of Hitomi Broadcast with lip-sync measurement devices - and another one which is called “Glass,” which

will measure point-to-point latency. Basically, you point an iPhone in front of a screen and at the other end it will tell you what the latency is. That’s something different that’s using multiple pieces of tech to address one of those problems that are still prevalent today. “On the camera side, we’ve got a strong partnership with JVC Kenwood. We will have one or two of their new 4K NDI HX PTZ cameras on the stand, just to give them a bit of a push, an introduction to the local market. “Away from that we’ll have a bit of a relaunch from Domo Tactical Communications with all their RF equipment. That will be focusing on encoders and decoders, and some other pretty cool things that we’ve been showing to some customers over here in recent times.

Your

production studio specialists

The modern media production studio needs to be flexible, efficient and functional. With over 50 years of experience and partnering with the industry’s best-of-breed studio technology vendors, Magna has the expertise and building blocks to provide quality turnkey studio solutions to meet all your production needs.

What trends do you see shaping the industry at the moment? “Of course, we’re still seeing that rapid uptake on IP, and then the move to HDR supports and things like that, and then on the flipside of all that we’ve always had a strong relationship with closed captions and that, moving forward, whether it goes IP or whether it’s baseband, all that sort of stuff, who knows?” “I think that’s about it, really, to be honest. Keep it simple. It’s all about talking the talk.” Visit https://avgroup.com.au

empowering innovation

METEXPO

LogServer works entirely in software, designed to reliably log and monitor program output to ensure it is compliant with broadcast regulations. It seamlessly fits into cloud, virtual or on-premises workflows and supports video, audio and real-time data from a variety of sources used in broadcasting today, including 4K, HDR, 10-bit, HEVC, TSoIP, SMPTE 2110, 2022-6, Zixi and SRT.

sales@magnasys.tv www.magnasys.tv

Australia | Hong Kong | Indonesia | New Zealand | Singapore

METEXPO 22

Exhibitor Profile: Grass Valley Greg de Bressac, VP Sales & Customer Success. “GRASS VALLEY IS the Platinum Sponsor for METexpo this year and we’ve done that for a couple of reasons. One, is we feel its conference and exhibitions are at a really important time for the Australian media and technologies landscape. Now, I believe that Covid has actually accelerated the digital disruption of our industry and fundamentally changed the economics of our business - content producers, integrators, service providers and manufacturers alike and as we build out of the pandemic and the last couple of years of strangeness – and by no means do I think it’s all over, I think we’ve got a

from live production, global signal routing through asset management to playout. These applications are currently being used around the world today, as well as right here in Australia, by some of our biggest service providers and our biggest customers.

little bit of rebuilding to go for a while to come – I just think it’s up to bigger brands such as GV to support our local community.

“Finally, we’re talking to our customers and our visitors about how our platform truly becomes a community with GV AMPP as an open foundation for third-party partners to develop native applications on.

Weber, who some have seen before at METexpo, will be coming back, as well as Evan Boyd will be presenting about our GV Media Universe and our AMPP platform.

“It’ll become the operating system of the media technologies industry, just as our partners, including Telos for intercom, LiveU, Haivision, (03:43) ramping, as well as graphics providers, such as RT Soft and Singular.live, and that’s just a few of the many that we’ve already brought onto the platform in an ever-growing list. We’ve got a very large list we’re working through onboarding at present and that’s a small sample of that community, to go alongside the community of Australian integrator partners and managed service providers, such as Telstra Broadcast Services, TBS, and Corrivium. So that’s what’s on our stand, what we’ll be able to talk with visitors about at METexpo.

“Just one or two. We’ve got to be responsible. But, yes, the idea is that we’ll be sponsoring networking events throughout the exhibition. I’m looking forward, hopefully, to being able to join you from my state Western Australia, or the kingdom of Westralia, as it’s now known. We’ll, hopefully, be opening up to the eastern states and I’m looking forward to joining both our customers on the stand and for a little bit of a chat and maybe a small tipple throughout the week.

“The second reason is intrinsically linked to the first, and that is that we’re ready to see people again. The old adage that people do business with people is something that we really believe in and it’s why we’re a top sponsor for METexpo this year, it’s why we’re taking part in the conference, it’s why we’re taking part in the exhibition, it’s why we’re sponsoring some of the networking events and it’s also why we will also have a very large presence at NAB in Las Vegas in April this year as well.

METEXPO

The booth at METexpo, what can visitors look forward to?

“Our focus this year is very much around exploring the concept and telling the story about the GV Media Universe community. You might have heard about this GV Media Universe concept and community and, at its heart, is the GV AMPP platform, our cloud native application platform, and we’re showing our visitors to the suite of AMPP native applications this year,

“And, alongside GV AMPP, we’ll also show how our AMPP connected devices, such as our LDX 100 series cameras with the unique native IP connectivity and now IP infrastructure, control and monitoring solutions, can natively and integrate completely into GV AMPP to bridge the facilities to cloud gap.

“We’re also taking part in the conference. We’ve got a couple of papers being presented and floor talks, as well as sponsoring one of the networking events to try and bring people

together, catch up, whether it be for just bit of a chat or whether it be for a talk about business.”

What conference topics can people take that deeper dive into? Yes, so we’re talking about both AMPP and we’re talking about our camera portfolio and so Klaus

And you mentioned some libations …

“I know that things are in perhaps a little state of flux, but we’d like to understand how our customers and partners think that they’re going to engage with the community and with the industry over the coming 12 months and so we’ll be talking to people about that, but looking forward to this METexpo a lot.” Visit https://www.grassvalley.com

METEXPO 22

Exhibitor Profile: Canon Australia Paul Stewart, Senior Business Manager – Professional Imaging. “IT’S OBVIOUSLY our first time back after a little bit of an absence. We’ll have a 3x3 at the booth B12, and we’re very much going to be concentrating on the new imaging solutions products that Canon has announced in recent times.

What are they capable of? “4K is something that we haven’t done before, it’s always been a HD environment. What we’ve seen is a move from that traditional space of someone sitting behind a camera, and that very much blending in with remote control capability. “Really, what we’re bringing to the market is a fusion of Canon’s long term legacy in high-quality video and cinema cameras, combined with our legacy in security camera and network camera systems. We’re bringing that high image quality from our cinema camera, from our video cameras, through to the mechanical advantages that our pan/tilt system is bringing in our network cameras. Very high-quality images, very high-quality those mechanics in that pan/tilt system, into what is our first indoor models, and that’s going to be 4K, and that’s going to mix in very well with our current camera systems in terms of cinema and the high end XF range, for example. You’ll be able to match those cameras very easily.” And what of the EOS range? “Obviously an exciting camera

Your

contribution and

Canon’s EOS R5 C.

we launched back in January is a new cinema camera, the EOS R5 C, and we couldn’t do an event without showcasing that new model. We will be bringing a few of those to the table and it will be one of the first locations you’re going to get a chance to touch and try one of these new, fantastic cameras. “It’s a unique offering for us. Where we’ve ventured into that hybrid style camera in terms of a very small, compact cinema-style camera, I guess the C 70 could be probably the closest sort of model that you could say was a hybrid camera, but this really takes the R5, the Canon R5s, which is obviously being very successful from a stills base model. It had amazing stills and photo capability in terms of 45 megapixel, high frame rates, amazing image stabilisation systems, up to eight stops of internal image stabilisation, and it takes a lot of that technology and what we’re doing is, while the R5 already does amazing video, there are some limitations around that model, simply because it’s aimed at a photo enthusiast. What we’ve basically taken is the essence of the R5 and we’ve brought across the great technology and image

quality that Canon cinema EOS range brings to the market. “We’ve created a camera that allows you to take the essence of the photo R5 quality and bring cinema recording into that camera and really unleashed the capabilities in that area. Allowing the camera to breathe and to open up the door to long recording, has allowed us to really bring 8K recording with significant improvements in the way you can record raw internally. It really opens up the door to that unlimited hybrid model.

distribution

specialists

Magna is proud to partner with the industry’s best to cover the entire value chain of professional media delivery. These innovative solutions for contribution and distribution enables content providers, broadcasters and service providers to securely and reliably acquire, backhaul and distribute the highest quality content efficiently on appliances or in an open cloud environment.

“We’re going to have two or three of them around the stand at all times. We’re there for the three days at Expo, so feel free to drop by whenever you can.” Visit http://canon.com.au/

empowering innovation

METEXPO

“It will be very much a focus around the new Canon remote camera system. That really sits well with where I believe the MedExpo is heading, and I think it’s going to fit very well into the core concepts of what the Expo now brings to the market. We’ll be showing off, basically, our new indoor PTZ cameras, the new CRN300 and 500.”

sales@magnasys.tv www.magnasys.tv

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The Desperate Hour Shot with URSA Mini Pro 12K BLACKMAGIC DESIGN has announced that the recently released feature film ‘The Desperate Hour’, directed by Phillip Noyce and starring Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts, was shot by Cinematographer John Brawley ACS using the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K digital film camera. Unfolding in real time, ‘The Desperate Hour’, sees recently widowed mother Amy Carr (Watts) on a jog in the woods when she finds out there has been a shooting at her son’s school. Miles away, on foot in the dense forest, Amy desperately races against time to save her son. Production took place in July 2020, during the heart of the COVID outbreak in a remote area of Northern Ontario. Though the majority of the film involves only one actor, Watts, the premise that her character is constantly running through rugged terrain made the approach to cinematography critical. Brawley chose to shoot with the URSA Mini Pro 12K both for the small form factor and the high resolution. “The film had a lot of challenges because you’ve got a character who’s jogging, running or walking fast for most of the film,” said Brawley. “She starts off on a road and then she’s on a dirt road and then she’s on two tracks and then she’s on some little goat trails in the woods and then she’s literally in the middle of the forest with no tracks.” The key to production for Brawley was having a small cinema camera that could be rigged in multiple ways, ensuring they could achieve a wide range of coverage despite the challenges of the shoot. “The film kind of plays as real time, so when you start thinking about how to shoot that it really is challenging. We had to think, what are we going to use to be able to keep up with her when some of the takes are 15 minutes long and she’s going to run a few miles? What are you going to use that can keep up that isn’t going to make sound? It was sort of deceptively complicated and also ambitious.” Brawley brought aboard four URSA Mini Pro 12K bodies, rigging one on the back of an electric motorcycle using the SRH3 Stabilised Remote Head. A second camera body was rigged in studio mode, with a third used by a splinter crew shooting B roll or working with Watts’ doubles. The fourth body was saved for a backup. Brawley also used a Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro for various added inserts.

CAMERAS & LIGHTING

The added resolution of 12K was part of the early plan for Brawley and Noyce.

“The 12K resolution was a plus because we knew that sometimes we were probably going to have to stabilise a shot, even with a stabilised head. The other cool thing is that the URSA Mini Pro 12K can work in 8K mode without losing any field of view. An advantage there is that the rolling shutter readout time is halved. Roughly, the URSA Mini Pro 12K has a read out of about 15 milliseconds, but in 8K it’s half that, about 7 to 8 milliseconds. For intense action scenes,

especially if we’re in profile or panning through trees, the rolling shutter in 8K mode helped to eliminate skewing of the verticals. If we were leading ahead of Naomi from the back of the ebike, we’d leave it on 12K, but if it was profile panning, we’d go to 8K,” said Brawley. With the 12K resolution of the camera (12,288 x 6,480 pixels), Brawley knew there would be concern from John Brawley ACS on location for ‘The Desperate Hour’ using the Blackmagic URSA various departments Mini Pro 12K digital film camera. that the higher resolution might cause hour, and Q3 unforeseen problems. looked fantastic. “I had a conversation with Naomi’s hair and The Constant makeup people because when they heard the Quality settings 12K number they were saying, ‘Wait, you’re are interesting gonna put this camera one foot from her face?!’ because the The funny thing, though, is that when you have bitrate floats, with that kind of resolution actually the opposite a bracket between happens. It’s almost like the structure of the low and high, and pixels disappears and it becomes in a way more it isn’t based on flattering.” motion; it’s based Brawley chose Zeiss Supreme lenses to match on what’s in focus. with the 12K resolution and discovered some So, if something pleasing results. is out of focus, it “When I was first shooting with the URSA Mini uses less data, and Pro 12K cameras and the Supremes, it had this if it’s in focus, it almost large format look, which is how I would uses more data. It describe it, even though it’s a Super 35mm was interesting to sensor. The frames are beautiful where they fall realise and work off. I feel like that lens has a bit of a large format that out. However, look, so I feel like the Supremes are a very good I never really felt match for the URSA Mini Pro 12K.” like I ran into the Beyond the technical aspects, Brawley knew wall of the compression itself.” that the URSA Mini Pro 12K combined with Blackmagic RAW would give him the image he Ultimately, Brawley’s choice to use the URSA needed for the film. Mini Pro 12K was motivated by many reasons, all adding to a better final film. “It is unique the way the sensor works. We were shooting in autumn, and we knew the colours in “There were lots of reasons to choose the the forest would be a big part of it. Production URSA Mini Pro 12K, but principally we realised design chose the locations for the look, but we could have four camera bodies on set for the location was a character as well. With the the price of one, and the cameras gave us URSA Mini Pro 12K we had a camera that could the extra resolution we might need for some give that vibrancy, nuance and subtlety justice, stabilising and shot resizing. The URSA Mini because there are some beautiful autumnal Pro 12K is physically smaller than other cinema colours in that forest. Especially when you’re cameras, especially for long handheld takes, grading, it feels like you see a lot more subtlety. which I preferred as well. And for the stabilising When you’re looking at Naomi’s face, you can head, it was a lightweight camera which made see the sky colour reflected on her forehead.” everything just a little bit easier to work with. Choosing a compression setting for the So, there are a lot of reasons, as well as the shoot was also critical for data management image quality. Phillip was at the premiere at the and highlighted some of the differences in Toronto International Film Festival, and he said Blackmagic RAW to other codecs. the film looked amazing. In the end, that is the “I used the Blackmagic RAW Constant Quality best reason to use any camera.” ‘Q’ settings. I recorded most of the film at

“We realised we could have four camera bodies on set for the price of one, and the cameras gave us the extra resolution we might need for some stabilising and shot resizing.

Q3 because Q3 at 12K is about a terabyte an

Visit https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/au

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CAMERAS & LIGHTING

HFR StarTracker and NearTime for LED boost ICVFX Workflows MO-SYS ENGINEERING reveals new solutions for LED virtual production with a high frame rate (HFR) StarTracker camera tracking system and the NearTime workflow extended to LED volumes. NearTime for LED is a smart solution to solve multiple challenges when shooting in-camera visual effects (ICVFX) in an LED volume. At its most basic level it is an automated background re-rendering service for improving the quality and/or resolution of Unreal based virtual production scenes, and is used simultaneously alongside a real-time ICVFX shoot. NearTime solves one of the key challenges of LED ICVFX shoots, which is balancing Unreal image quality whilst maintaining real-time frame rates. Currently every Unreal scene created for ICVFX has to be reduced in quality in order to guarantee real-time playback. Using NearTime with an LED ‘green frustum’,

the same Unreal scene can be automatically rerendered with higher quality or resolution, and this version can replace the original background Unreal scene. Whilst it takes longer to do this, no traditional post-production costs or time have been used, plus moiré issues can be avoided completely!

significantly higher quality composited shot.

Mo-Sys is also announcing a special StarTracker for LED that provides camera and lens tracking up to 240fps for slo-mo shots, as would be typically used for fight scenes in high impact action films. In this scenario, rather than drive the LED wall at high frame rates to match the camera, which requires significant hardware processing and comes with an Unreal image quality impact, NearTime for LED is used to post-render the Unreal scene at HFR following the HFR ‘green frustum’ shoot of the talent performing. During the slo-mo shot review, the re-rendered Unreal background and the talent foreground are re-combined, delivering a

The HFR StarTracker for LED has been designed in anticipation of future GPU processing improvements enabling higher frame rate Unreal scene playback. In conjunction with Mo-Sys’ VP Pro XR content server, the HFR StarTracker’s programmable phase shift feature can utilise Brompton Technology’s Frame Remapping or Megapixel VR’s GhostFrame capability for simultaneous multi-camera shoots in an LED volume.

“Proxies were used as a smart solution to solving computer processing limits in the early days of digital compositing and colour grading,” Geissler commented. “Similarly, HFR StarTracker and NearTime for LED is a smart solution to shooting slo-mo shots in an LED volume.”

NearTime for LED will be available in Q4 to MoSys customers with VP Pro and VP Pro XR. Visit www.mo-sys.com

Creamsource Introduces Vortex4 LED Fixture CREAMSOURCE recently announced the versatile Vortex4 1×1 foot 325W high-powered LED for film production. An extension of the proprietary Vortex lighting platform, the Vortex4 embodies the artist-first approach to UI/UX for maximum creative output for which Creamsource is known. The Vortex4 affords customers a seamless integration with the Vortex8 for easily expanded lighting configurations to bring their artistic visions to life. “The Vortex lighting system allows us to bring new products to market that help artists easily build out their lighting workflows,” says Creamsource CEO Tama Berkeljon. “Each Vortex fixture leverages the same artist-focused UI which eliminates learning curves and downtime associated with rigging and programming multiple lights. All Vortex series lights work in concert with each other naturally thanks to the shared platform – it streamlines the entire lighting experience for users.” Underpinning the entire Vortex platform is Creamsource’s industry-leading firmware, CreamOS. With the latest CreamOS 1.2.0 architecture, the Vortex4 comes equipped for creative expression with pre-programmed effects, colour gels, multi-zone control, and the recently introduced FrameSync technology.

High-Powered, Half Size, All Vortex Like the Vortex8, Vortex4 features a narrow native beam angle of 20° and CCT range from 2200K to 15000K enabling the extreme versatility that Creamsource fixtures are known for. It can be used as a hard punch light to bounce or push through diffusion, or as a creamy soft light with the Creamsource diffuser or dome. This allows users to bring the fixture closer to the subject without the loss of space. Built with durability and elegance in mind, the Vortex4 features world-class engineering, combining diverse production methods from precision-machined extrusions and high-strength die casting to leading-edge technopolymer components and aerospacegrade sealing technologies. The result is an IP65rated water-resistant fixture that can take on weather, messy effects machines, and extreme dust while integrated internal power supplies simplify rigging and cabling. Berkeljon continues, “We’re so fortunate to have an incredibly engaged community of customers. Their feedback from real on-set use cases for the Vortex8 enabled us to further refine and

enhance the Vortex series.” For even more versatility, Vortex4 adopts ‘Vortex Connect’ a connectivity suite including LumenRadio TimoTwo built in, Ethernet with sACN, Bluetooth, 5pin DMX, Wifi, USB type A and Creamsource Accessory port. This makes interaction possible between Vortex4 and various third party instruments and protocols. “We’re not out to redefine anything when we introduce new products, we leave that to the extremely capable and talented hands of our customers. As with all our products, our primary goal is to provide artists with the most versatile and powerful tools with which to bring their artistic visions to life,” he concludes. Visit https://creamsource.com

BirdDog Enables Auto Tracking for PTZ Cameras

CAMERAS & LIGHTING

BIRDDOG has announced immediate availability of new Cam Control 3.0 software which enables auto tracking features to all BirdDog PTZ Cameras.

Cam Control 3.0, a Windows 10 application, is a free download from BirdDog’s website and works with all BirdDog cameras. Designed to give users easy access to all functions and settings of the BirdDog cameras such as the advanced colour matrix tools, it now also includes facial and body recognition to enable auto tracking for all BirdDog PTZ cameras.

Building on from the previous version, Cam Control 3.0 also includes a new interface which supports up to 4 cameras per software instance with the ability to load multiple instances to increase the number of cameras supported. “Cam Control 3.0 is an incredibly powerful tool for our camera users,” said Dan Miall, BirdDog Co-Founder and CEO. “We pride ourselves on increasing the value of our products over time with free updates and we’re really pleased to be able to offer BirdDog PTZ camera customers auto tracking with this release.”

To enable auto tracking on BirdDog PTZ cameras and take full advantage of the new Cam Control 3.0 feature set, users will need the latest camera firmware which is immediately available. This is an in-field update for all cameras except for A200 and A300 Gen 1 cameras which will be required to be sent to a BirdDog authorised repair agent where they will be updated at no cost. BirdDog will also cover the return shipping to customer once updated. Visit www.bird-dog.tv

CAMERAS & LIGHTING

Canon Unveils New Outdoor PTZ Camera – the CR-X300 CANON AUSTRALIA recently announced the expansion of its remote camera system line-up, with the launch of the CR-X300 – a small, robust PTZ camera. Joining Canon’s current range of PTZ cameras, which includes the CR-N500, CR-N300 and CR-X500, the CR-X300 offers high-quality 4K video output and various IP protocol compatibilities to address the continued demand for remote production. With simple operation and a number of connectivity options, the CR-X300 streamlines remote production workflows. The camera has a durable body that meets IP65 dust-proof and water-resistant standards, helping to protect against the elements and therefore making it suitable for outdoor environments, particularly where budgets and space are restricted. 4K Image Quality in Varied Lighting Meeting the demand for professional 4K video products, the CR-X300 is equipped with Canon’s advanced imaging technology. Powered by Canon’s DIGIC DV6 processor, it produces stunning 4K UHD up to 30P at 4:2:2 10-bit. Combining a ½.3-Inch Type CMOS sensor with Canon’s renowned Hybrid Autofocus system, the CR-X300 is capable of fast and precise focus on subjects even in low-light. With a removable IR Cut Filter to enhance IR performance, this model is perfect for shooting in very low light conditions such as for reality TV or wildlife at night. Employing Canon’s advanced optical technology, the CR-X300 features a stabilised 20x optical zoom lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.8 at its widest setting, further enhancing image quality in low-light settings. With a built-in, graduated type ND filter,

giving several options with a maximum setting of ⅛ ND, this camera functions equally well in brighter environments – such as when shooting in broad daylight. Versatile Streaming Options The Canon PTZ line-up has compatibility with a range of protocols for video transmission, camera control and 4K video streaming over IP, and the CRX300 is no different. Employing Canon’s network technology this PTZ camera supports multiple protocols, including RTMP/RTMPS, NDI|HX, RTP/RTSP Standard Communication Protocol as well as Canon’s newly developed XC Protocol – enabling streaming direct to the selected content delivery network for more efficient production. The XC Protocol offers the added benefit of enabling other Canon PTZ cameras and camcorders, such as those from the Canon Cinema EOS range, to be used within the same production system as the CR-X300. The CR-X300 also features a range of connectivity options including power over ethernet (PoE++), HDMI and 6G-SDI. This enables the camera to easily fit in to existing production systems and seamlessly integrate with existing workflows. Enhanced Control, Simple Operation The CR-X300 uses a sophisticated pan and tilt drive mechanism, which moves at a variable speed of 0.3°/second to 60°/second, enabling the camera operator to smoothly follow the action. This powerful outdoor camera is

compatible with Canon’s recently launched RC-IP100 controller and the Remote Camera Control Application via IP, as well as selected third-party controllers – giving operators the freedom to choose a set up that works for them. Featuring similar custom picture setting options to the CR-N300, the CR-X300 can colour match with other Canon Cameras from the Cinema EOS or XF/XA range, while settings are optimised for specific shooting conditions such as sport, portrait, low light and spotlight. Robust Yet Compact Design The CR-X300 is designed to meet the growing demand for video distribution in outdoor markets – whether live or pre-recorded – such as sporting events or theme parks. While many PTZ cameras rely on outdoor housing, the CR-X300 has a durable body that meets IP65 dust-proof and water-resistant standards, a weather resistant paint finish and an in-built wiper to ensure clear video, even in

rainy conditions. The rugged build of this camera can stand up to wind speeds of 60 m/s in and temperature ranges between -15°C to 40°C. Weighing approximately 7kg and with a convenient handle, the CR-X300 is a highly compact and portable model great for shooting on the move. CR-X300 key features: • 4K 30p UHD and 60p FHD resolution video. • ½.3 inch-type CMOS sensor. • 20x optical zoom and 20x digital zoom. • Hybrid autofocus and IS. • Various IP streaming and control protocols including NDI|HX1, RTMP/RTMPS, RTP/RTSP Standard Communication Protocol, Canon XC Protocol. • Water resistant and dust-proof to IP65 standards IR Mode. • HDMI / 6G-SDI / PoE++. • Graduated Type ND Filter. Visit www.canon.com.au

NOW IS THE NEXT PHASE in the Atomos quest to bring Apple ProRes RAW video recording to more filmmakers. The release of the AtomOS 10.71 update for NINJA V and NINJA V+ monitor-recorder devices, introduces ProRes RAW format recording options for the legacy Sony FS series, the Canon EOS R5, and the Panasonic LUMIX BS1H. In addition to this, the AtomOS update includes brand new features for the AtomX CAST and compatibility with the NINJA V+ to create a new level of performance and versatility for live productions. More RAW on NINJA V and NINJA V+

The powerful NINJA V+ Pro Kit (or NINJA V+ with the AtomX SDI Unit and SDI RAW activation) now support the recording of ProRes RAW from the FS5, FS5MKII, FS700, and FS700r with continuous output directly from the sensor up to 2K 240fps, 4K 60fps and 4K 120fps for 4s bursts. RAW output at 4K 60fps and 2K up to 240fps can also be added to the Sony FS7 or FS7MKII with the addition of the XDCA-FS7 module.

EOS R5 capitalises on the heritage of the Canon’s full-frame cameras to deliver next generation advances in image quality, performance, and reliability. The 45 Megapixel fullframe sensor can deliver 5K images that allow for high resolution reframing and stabilisation. The ability to work with 8K RAW on the NINJA V+ provides a huge canvas from reframing of 4K crops and an increase in image fidelity.

The combination of the Canon EOS R5 with the Atomos NINJA V yields recordings of up to 5K RAW at an unprecedented price point. The

Atomos is also releasing an update to the AtomX CAST. New features include compatibility with the NINJA V+, picture overlays,

Go Live with the AtomX CAST

Picture-in-Picture (PiP) recording and a dip to black/white transition. The ability to record both the clean program feed or record with TX graphics, PiP, and transitions directly to SSD makes the AtomX CAST the perfect device for fast turnaround live productions. When a fully equipped studio is impractical, a palm-sized switcher, recorder and video casting device becomes an ideal option. Other updates including support for interlaced inputs, an option for audio delay and bug fixes combine to make this the most compelling AtomX CAST release to date. Visit www.atomos.com

CAMERAS & LIGHTING

Atomos Announces AtomOS 10.71 Update

SPORTSCASTING

Stan Sport - Taking UHD to the Big Leagues After cutting its teeth with UHD on-demand content and trials of live tennis coverage, Australian streaming operator Stan, through its Stan Sport add-on package, has taken a big bite with the delivery of live UHD streaming in the form of European football.

SPORTSCASTING

ACCORDING TO STAN CTO John Hogan, “It’s about eight matches concurrently at the start of the season, in the early rounds, and then that dwindles as the competition moves on. At the same time, on Fridays, there’s Europa Conference League and Europa Rugby League as well, and that can be 16 concurrent matches at a time, and then there’s a crossover period where it can increase to 32, so we’re at capacity to run 32 matches effectively at once.

In addition to the live streams, a number of matches are studio hosted from the Nine studios in North Sydney producing pre-

match, half-time and post-match coverage, including highlights. Due to timezone differences, viewers are also given access to matches and highlights packages on-demand. “All matches are made available live and then readily available on demand,” says John Hogan, “and then they’ll go off to edit as well and we’ll produce mini highlights, slightly longer highlights. I think it’s three, seven and 20-odd minutes these days that you get highlight packages for each match and then you can consume that match whichever way it works for you. You can sit down and watch the whole match again if you want.

“Everything Stan does is cloudbased,” says Hogan. “We don’t really have physical equipment anywhere. We are working with the team at Telstra Broadcast Services to basically bring the feeds into Sydney and then pass it through to Amazon, where we then process everything and get it delivered to customers.” For Telstra’s part, football/soccer content is picked up from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in London, then transported to Australia via its wholly-owned Global Media Network (GMN), a dual-ring fibre network 2500 on-network (OnNet) endpoints around the world, including 1000+

customer sites and points of presence, and 1500 venues and stadiums. Once it reaches Telstra Broadcast Services in Sydney, TBS forwards it via direct connects architecture to Amazon where it is processed by Stan. According to Angus Stewart, Business Development Executive with Telstra Broadcast Services, “Stan engaged TBS initially to acquire the content for the UEFA games coming to Australia and to publish them to their Cloud platform for streaming. We started to use Grass Valley’s GV AMPP platform when they asked for extra tools, when they wanted to do cloud production.

SPORTSCASTING

“The thing that changed the story was that we didn’t have to invest in large amounts of permanent 24/7 equipment that you’d normally have to do for 32 concurrent streams, which as you can imagine is quite a lot of capex that you’d have to put out. We can literally spin up completely independent production tools, only what we need, it’s all modular for a game. We manage it on the Stan’s behalf and then we tear it down at the end and we do all the monitoring, we provide a managed service. “More than that, when they ask us to do UHD, the really exciting part was that we could do exactly the same story but in UHD and for us, we see it as a game changer, to be able to spin up UHD capabilities on the fly, we want to do switching, we want to do graphics, we want to do play-out components. We can now literally turn it on and off as we need. “The other thing that they’re using us for is also our master control. If things go wrong, we act on their behalf to talk to EBU or whoever it’s picking up from in BT Tower. All those things, whereas if you’re not a 24/7 traditional broadcaster, they value the fact that we have those contacts and we’re able to do it on their behalf and so we have kind of the entire ownership of getting the content, dealing with EBU and then dropping it off to them.” AMPPing Up the Content As the European football content hits Stan’s Amazon instance, Stan’s operators get to work on it using Grass Valley’s GV AMPP platform as a “pop-up presentation suite”. According to Stan CTO John Hogan, “Once it’s handed off from Telstra across to us within Amazon, basically we process the video there from its original form and generate the version that is available for the customer, and package it up and do all the things that we need to do to make it consumable by a standard customer device. So, basically, all that work is done there and then it’s handed off to the CDNs for Continues p22>>

“If you walk into an electronic store these days, pretty much the base model TV you can buy is a UHD TV. It’d be very odd to find a 1080 at this time, but you still can, there are still a couple around, but they’re there and then there’s a push in now into the higher end, into the 8K models as well delivery through to the customer. “We have a couple of sponsorship placements that we put into the broadcast and we also utilise GV AMPP to do anything else we need to do. Working with the team at GV AMPP, basically, inside their GUI, there was no custom development that went into it. It was basically a simplification of their existing control panel, to just bring it down to exactly what we needed to just give our team the minimum set of what they needed to do to get their job done so they don’t have too many other controls that they don’t need on their screen, to make it a nice, simple flow.” According to Tony Moran, Regional Sales Director - Oceania with Grass Valley, “GV AMPP is a series of cloud-first broadcast utilities that can be stitched together to serve most common applications. There are a few things Stan would have in a typical broadcast workflow so there’s a bit of audio normalisation that has to happen; you have to do a bit of channel shuffling off the incoming feeds, so media outgoing feeds, so we are essentially providing a virtualised audio desk type functionality to provide that. They are also able to do some very basic vision switching type applications. “It’s similar to a traditional play-out system, so it would be familiar to

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“They were looking at how they do content production, even simple streaming content production, at scale for all the streams at the same time. We’ve worked with Grass Valley for quite some time, Grass Valley helped build our fully IP control centre some years ago and they’ve been a major partner for us for quite some time. With Grass Valley, we’ve been looking at their AMPP product over the last year and this was a perfect opportunity for us to deploy it at this scale.

SPORTSCASTING >> Continued from p21

a presentation operator. It has a schedule, it has a run-down, it has clocks ticking down, etc., but it’s very much scaled-down. So, you don’t need to have people who’ve been working in the broadcasting industry for ten years to be able to do this effectively. The idea is that they can quickly scale and then scale back down again a couple of hours later when all the games finish. “All of that technology, all of the playouts of these live feeds, the insertion of content, the MCR type functionality, the monitoring of feeds, they’re all provided by components within the AMPP technology framework, and they’re shrink-wrapped if you like, into a UI for Stan’s application. “One of the places we’ve really seen AMPP stepping into its own,” says Tony Moran, “is in the junction between the traditional broadcast world and streaming platforms. Streaming platforms, until fairly recently, have all been about non-linear video on demand type services. As they move increasingly into live sports, then a whole range of applications more suited to traditional broadcast technologies are required and I think that’s the sweet spot of AMPP because we provide those technologies in a robust professional way that you’d expect from Grass Valley but we provide them in a way that’s digitally so these streaming platforms that live in the Cloud, they don’t want to have anything on-premise, it just works for them.” “Grass Valley and Telstra. They’re great partners to work with,” says John Hogan. “They’re able to bring their expertise as well, getting those feeds through consistently to us, and with Grass Valley through their products and having that move into a cloud instance where we can operate it

and scale it, that has been very useful. “We all know what it takes to run a television station where it’s huge amounts of equipment consistently on and being able to stand these things up anywhere in the world that we need them and have operators interact with them wherever we need them to be, is extremely important, and it would have been a lot slower time to market should we have gone through a different path.” Delivering to the Viewer After going through the “pop-up presentation suite”, the UHD and other content streams are sent to Content Distribution Networks (CDNs) Akamai and Amazon CloudFront for delivery of the live matches. “They use slightly different methodologies,” says Stan CTO John Hogan, “but fundamentally they come down to those pieces around distributed cache across the country, and that will vary depending on the partner and on the way that they approach those. But, basically we’ve got points of presence all across the country trying to get that as close to the customer as we can because that helps with the quality of the delivery. “All of our players have what’s known as an automatic bitrate selection, so when the bandwidth’s available, then they move up [in resolution], and we’re seeing that increase as the NBN has continued to rollout and has matured. We’ve been seeing a lot more stability in that side of things. In the earlier days we saw a bit more fluctuation, and so all our players have been designed to handle those fluctuations to reduce any quality or buffering issues on the

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consumer’s side. That’s the worst thing. You don’t really want to see the spinning wheel. You can maybe deal with a little bit of picture quality loss for a couple of seconds and degrade a little bit while it steadies itself, so all the players have all been designed to handle that.” Hogan says the streaming service has seen a good adoption of UHD feeds across both entertainment and sport content, reflecting the range of UHD-ready consumer devices in the market. “One of the really good things is that we have had the experience with UHD for many years now on the entertainment side of the business,” says Hogan. “We have a lot of learnings around how you get an UHD feed to a customer consistently, and at the right quality level. So, over the years we’ve obviously tweaked that and found the right mix. “If you walk into an electronic store these days, pretty much the base model TV you can buy is a UHD TV. It’d be very odd to find a 1080 at this time, but you still can, there are still a couple around, but they’re there and then there’s a push in now into the higher end, into the 8K models as well. But there’s a lot of devices out there, primarily, it’s most likely going to be the main TV in the home, and then the older TV’s been put into the back room for the kids or something like that, but the primary consumption devices, we’ve got a great delivery through to those.”

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TRP Picks FUJINON 4K Lenses for New OB Fleet THOROUGHBRED RACING PRODUCTIONS (TRP) has taken delivery of FUJINON 4K lenses as part of an upgrade to its OB fleet. TRP produces over 2500 hours of live HD thoroughbred racing outside broadcasts each year. The company provides exclusive production services to the Victorian Racing Industry, producing broadcasts for more than 525 thoroughbred race meetings conducted throughout the state. These broadcasts are provided for free-to-air and pay TV channels in both Australia and overseas, to on-course patrons and, importantly, to the stipendiary stewards who manage the integrity of racing. That means delivering premium sports vision that not only captures the spectacular excitement of thoroughbred racing but also the finer detail. As TRP Engineering and Technical Operations Manager, Charles Cole, explained, “We have been in the process of upgrading the highdefinition OB fleet Sony built for us 13 years ago which started with the replacement of our main metro unit in 2019 and were given the approval to replace the country racing units in March 2020. As the new main metro unit was a big hit with our operators, the design of the country units became a cookie-cutter of the main unit but a scaled down version. As we are using the highest quality equipment in these new units, it was a natural progression to purchase the best lenses from FUJINON.” As the two country units travel from one end of Victoria to the other and are the backbone of the racing production for more than 400

race meetings, TRP requires them to a high quality, robust and reliable facility. Cole added, “To that end FUJINON lenses have proven to be of exceptional quality and highly reliable so we purchased multiple UA46x and UA24x 4K lenses which met our needs perfectly. The UA46x lenses provide the versatility to produce race production and stewards’ integrity Charles Cole, TRP Engineering and Technical Operations Manager. video that meets all requirements needs to be confident that we can deliver the whether requiring the tight or the wide end of pictures and sound to our stakeholders that the zoom range. The UA24x are the workhorse they expect and FUJINON lenses are a key lenses around the mounting yard or in the studio.” component of that delivery. Finally, I would consider FUJIFILM Australia as a partner Typically the main race cover and the stewards’ tower cameras use the UA46x lenses and rather than a supplier to TRP, as they are very depending on the positioning of the camera responsive to our needs and have supported and track a 2x extender may also be used. All us with factory backing whenever required. other cameras, mounting yard, return to scale, The maintenance and repair service FUJIFILM low down, studio and hosting all use the UA24x Australia provides is second to none.” lenses. Charles Cole concluded, “With over 2500 hours of live television production each year TRP

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NEWS OPERTAIONS OPERATIONS SBS Launches New Arabic and Mandarin News Bulletins MULTICULTURAL BROADCASTER SBS has launched new locally-produced Arabic and Mandarin television news bulletins - SBS ‫يبرع‬ News and SBS 中文 News. The new programs are produced by two dedicated teams of journalists who will be providing impartial coverage, insightful context and balanced analysis of the major national and international stories, in-language, every weeknight. SBS ‫ يبرع‬News, SBS’s first locally produced Arabic television bulletin, is presented by

journalists Nissrine Khadra, Ali Bahnasawy and Hadil AlSwaiedi, under the leadership of Executive Producer, Saleh Saqqaf. Journalists Jeff Kuan, Rena Li and Michelle Chen are bringing news in Mandarin to audiences on SBS 中文 News, with Executive Producer, Lili Zhou. These new bulletins build on SBS’s existing services for Australia’s large and diverse Arabic and Mandarin-speaking communities including SBS Arabic24, SBS Mandarin, and digital offering SBS中文, as well as podcasting, digital news coverage and a growing collection of Australian and international programming

NEWS OPERATIONS

PRIME Time for Chyron

AT THE 2022 NAB Show, Chyron will feature the PRIME Live Platform, supporting PRIME CG and a host of other graphics modules, including video walls, branding, touch screen, and augmented reality. The PRIME Live Platform now also supports PRIME Edge for creating graphics with PRIME and enabling them for viewer control. Suitable for sports, elections, lifestyle programming, or any other data-rich entertainment or news, it allows viewers to “surf” for the information they want to see without ever leaving the broadcaster’s channel. In addition to graphics, the PRIME Live Platform supports PRIME Switcher with robust 2 ME switching, linear and DVE keying capabilities, transitions, and multiviewers. Rounding out the PRIME Live Platform modules is PRIME Click Effects for complete arena graphics and display control. The recently released PRIME Commander will also be featured. Users can produce more with less through the fusion of all-in-one production and automation within a single platform. To orchestrate core production, PRIME Commander executes switcher ME control of sources, cuts, and transitions; cues and plays graphics and clips; and makes audio mixer adjustments. PRIME Commander also interfaces with PRIME Live’s AR, Video Walls, and Branding modules. Users can leverage industry-standard control protocols to drive their wider-circle production ecosystem. PRIME Commander can manage external router control, control playout on VDCP media devices, and send simple commands to GPI-compliant devices. Other Chyron solutions on display include: CAMIO which gives journalists and producers access to the graphics templates they need directly within their NRCS workspace. The CAMIO UI now welcomes users with a sleek new dark look and streamlined login. Fulfilled templates added to the news rundown are driven automatically during the news broadcast. CAMIO unites robust and easy-to-use tools for unified multiplatform news delivery, whether for output on air, on the web, streaming, or to social media. For unified branding and streamlined graphics creation across a facility, CAMIO also offers a plug-in for MOS-compliant nonlinear editors (NLE). Axis, an image manager for MOS-enabled

template graphics workflows. AXIS enables access to order management, tracking, maps, data-driven charts, financial quotes, composite images, and to AP Image Bank and Getty Images, all via the NRCS or NLE plugin. Graphics may be animated, and they may be downloaded for standalone use as well. PRIME VSAR merges Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 4 with Chyron’s built-for-broadcast design, editorial, and live production capabilities. VSAR gives the ability to create virtual productions with photorealism, backed by a workflow that enables entire teams to leverage the power of Unreal. PRIME VSAR supports larger-than-life virtual environments in a green-screen studio supported by either tracked or trackless camera integration, augmented reality elements on a physical set, and tracked virtual set extensions feeding directly into video walls. VSAR can be driven by an NRCS rundown. Every scene and model built in PRIME VSAR translates into a template-based asset that producers and journalists can use from the NRCS of choice. Meanwhile, PAINT celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and sets the industry standard for replay clips and illustrated analysis. Sports commentators and producers can offer visualised commentary with data-driven 3D graphics and immersive video highlights. Virtual Placement incorporates virtual graphics into any live broadcast without the need for specialised operators, expensive camera sensors, or lengthy calibration processes. Virtual Placement ties graphics to any element in live video and may be used for virtual product placement and advertising, sponsor logos and animated sponsor messages, as well as sportspecific field markings. At the 2022 NAB Show, Chyron will also be presenting a soon-to-be-released platform that offers users a single, unified interface for graphics, switching, and illustrated replay. Designed for cloud deployment, this new product puts broadcast-grade tools in the hands of sportscasters for any sport at any level, remote production operators, esports enthusiasts, and broadcast students everywhere. Visit https://www.chyron.com

available with Arabic and Mandarin subtitles on SBS On Demand. SBS ‫ يبرع‬News and SBS 中文 News will also soon be available to watch on free-to-air television on SBS WorldWatch – SBS’s new multilingual news channel – when it launches later this year. Both bulletins will feature in prime time on the new channel alongside an extensive line-up of news programming from leading international broadcasters in more than 30 languages. Visit https://www.sbs.com.au

Atlas VPN Gives Free VPN Subs to Journalists in Ukraine FOLLOWING Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the wave of cyberattacks directed at the country, secure freemium VPN service Atlas VPN has announced its support to journalists and media personnel in Ukraine by handing out Premium VPN subscriptions. Large-scale waves of Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks have been directed at the websites of Ukrainian Government and commercial websites. While it is challenging for large enterprises to protect themselves against DDoS attacks, this is not the case for individuals. Users can hide their IP address by connecting to a VPN server, which means that hackers cannot locate your network and, in turn, cannot target you. According to the company, “There are two benefits of using a VPN in this scenario. First, it protects individuals from being attacked by DDoS attacks. This is especially important for independent reporters, who have no backing if they get targeted by threat actors. “Secondly, neither their ISP nor other third parties will have any track of the reporter’s activities online, which, hopefully, will encourage them to share information even more openly, even if that is done under an alias or by private messages with media outlets.” Journalists in Ukraine wanting a Premium VPN subscription, are invited to email pr@ atlasvpn.com, and the company says it will get back to you within 24 hours.

NEWS OPERATIONS

Mobile Transmitter/Internet Gateway from Dejero DEJERO WILL BE showcasing its new EnGo 265 mobile transmitter at NAB 2022 (Booth W3930) with built-in GateWay mode, as well as integrations with Grabyo and Dazzl cloud video platforms. Enhancing productivity and simplifying cloud-based workflows of remote news teams, live events broadcasters and media production crews will be the theme. EnGo 265 is a mobile transmitter and internet gateway two-in-one device that delivers wireless connectivity. Featuring the new GateWay mode for wireless broadband internet connectivity in the field and glassto-glass latency as low as 0.5 seconds over bonded cellular connections, EnGo 265 enhances the reliability in all latency settings with its improved blending algorithm. The new mobile transmitter also addresses growing concerns in the industry around security and data protection with AES 256 encryption, a security-hardened Linux OS and a cryptoprocessor to authenticate the hardware. According to Yvonne Monterroso, director of product management at Dejero, “With GateWay mode, ultra-reliable, high bandwidth internet access is made possible with Dejero’s Smart Blending Technology. It means that news teams only need to carry an EnGo 265 — in a backpack or mounted in a vehicle using a Vehicle Antenna Dock — to go live, quickly send or receive large files, and securely access private newsroom systems and cloud services from any location.”

Providing the reliability and throughput of a wired network while operating in a scenario requiring wireless connectivity, GateWay mode is powered by Dejero’s Smart Blending Technology, which aggregates all the available networks to maximize reliability, expand coverage, and increase bandwidth, resulting in improved productivity of field crews by allowing them to do more remotely. The EnGo 265’s ability to reliably transport broadcast-quality live video and provide resilient, high-bandwidth internet access from a single device offers greater convenience to crews and boosts productivity. Field crews can broadcast breaking news, quickly transfer files to prepare and upload packages while in the field, and set up high-bandwidth access points for multiple devices. For film, television and commercial production, teams can leverage a reliable, ultra-fast connection to enable real-time collaboration with dispersed teams and accelerate delivery of content from the set directly to postproduction, regardless of location – thus reducing the number of people required on set, and unlocking huge cost-savings. Integrations with Grabyo and Dazzl cloud video platforms will also be featured on the Dejero booth, showcasing how production teams can deliver live content to multiple broadcast, digital and social platforms simultaneously, from anywhere in the world. The combination of Dejero’s EnGo 265

and cloud workflow integrations enable production crews to easily access tools for live production, live clipping, rapid editing and video distribution while maintaining a reliable internet connection, even in challenging network conditions. Dejero’s NAB booth visitors will also get a sneak preview of its product roadmap which anticipates some innovative new solutions for broadcast, sports and entertainment markets on the horizon. Visit https://www.dejero.com

infinityset Virtual set & AR solution Advanced AR/VR/XR creation XR LED layout interface Unreal Engine UnrealControl WebControl application Dynamic Light Control Camera Tracking and TrackFree Data-driven graphics and templates in Unreal Engine

contact@brainstorm3d.com

www.brainstorm3d.com

NEWS OPERATIONS

Multiple simultaneous renders

NEWS OPERATIONS

Haivision Signs Agreement to Acquire AVIWEST HAIVISION SYSTEMS INC., a leading provider of mission-critical, real-time video streaming and networking solutions, has announced an agreement to acquire AVIWEST S.A.S., . Founded in 2008, Aviwest is a provider of mobile IP-based video contribution systems and a pioneer in transmission of live video over cellular networks. The company has a history of innovation including many world firsts: portable cellular video transmission, live video transmission over a 4G network implementing QoS, and live 4K video transmission over a 5G network. Aviwest has also received two Emmy Awards for its SST networking technology for reliable transmission of video over bonded networks. Headquartered in Rennes (SaintGrégoire), France, Aviwest has more than 70 employees with field operations globally. With the addition of Aviwest, Haivision says it will have a comprehensive video contribution solution portfolio to address the growing demand for live, high-quality video content

in broadcast, sports, and live event production. The acquisition will bring mobile networking (5G/4G cellular) and patented network bonding capabilities to Haivision’s solution portfolio. “With the addition of Aviwest, Haivision will now lead in both fixed and mobile networks in providing ultra-low latency video solutions,” said Mirko Wicha, Haivision President and CEO. “We are very excited to welcome the amazing team at Aviwest and its customers to the Haivision family, and to provide broadcasters globally a trusted and proven vendor to solve their video contribution challenges.” “Together with Haivision, our solutions will bring customers maximum live video flexibility with ultra-low latency, highly reliable network connectivity, and pristine video quality,” said Ronan Poullaouec, CTO and Co-Founder of

Aviwest. “With sub-200ms glass-to-glass latency over 5G networks, our solutions are revolutionising remote production workflows by giving broadcasters more options for contributing real-time content for premium live events and sports coverage.” Visit https://www.haivision.com and https://www.aviwest.com

Cloud-based Broadcast Graphics FLOWICS, CREATOR OF a comprehensive platform for powering remote and in-studio production of live graphics and interactive content, will be exhibiting at the 2022 NAB Show in Las Vegas. Flowics will bring its cloud-based graphics solutions to Connected Media|IP, an NAB Show destination that focuses on helping organisations deliver connected-content experiences. Flowics will showcase its Flowics Graphics solution and its data connectors, which simplify the integration of external live data from different sources to streamline broadcast graphics

creation and operation.

it to on-air graphics. That work is done by the

Anyone who is responsible for incorporating live data — say, up-to-the-minute sports stats, financial information, or weather conditions — into on-screen graphics knows what a challenge it is. Flowics has found that live data integration with broadcast graphics is still a problem for most broadcasters. Data connectors are add-ons to Flowics Graphics, the HTML5, cloud-based broadcast graphics engine. With data connectors, Flowics eliminates any need for custom development to parse external data and feed

data connectors, saving precious time, and reducing costs for broadcasters. Flowics data connectors require no hardware and no local software installation, which greatly simplifies production workflows, enables easier operation, reduced time and costs for building data-driven graphics, and even the ability to manage graphics remotely. Visit https://www.flowics.com

NEWS OPERATIONS

Brainstorm Announces Suite 5

BRAINSTORM, the manufacturer of real-time 3D graphics and virtual studio solutions, has announced the release of Brainstorm Suite 5, a major upgrade to its flagship products InfinitySet, Aston and eStudio that includes new and enhanced features designed to improve XR content creation and workflows, while adding a tighter integration with Unreal Engine. According to the company, these enhancements will streamline the ability of users to improve their virtual content creation regardless if they are using LED walls or chroma sets to produce their virtual content.

shaped and corner installations, and map the desired 3D content onto such a model. This facilitates the creation of virtual AR content to be directly displayed and seen by the camera with the correct perspective at all times. Also, by taking advantage of the Layers and Stacking features of InfinitySet, different renders, even with different resolutions and aspect ratios, can be mapped in a canvas of any size and aspect.

As LED-based XR is becoming increasingly used, Brainstorm has developed new features that allow for easier, faster and more integrated creation of immersive XR content specifically designed to be displayed on large LED videowalls. With these features, Brainstorm’s clients will see their XR content creation significantly accelerated when creating in-context AR in LED walls, XR Set extensions, or even backgrounds for film and drama production.

In addition, the integration of InfinitySet and eStudio with Unreal Engine is now even tighter, allowing for the inclusion of fully editable Brainstorm scenes and templates within an Unreal project, and vice-versa. This is especially useful when creating AR projects within Unreal, which benefit from Brainstorm’s advanced data-driven graphics and broadcast workflows compatibility. This is coupled with the UnrealControl feature which supports editing the Unreal Projects directly within InfinitySet’s interface with total control of blueprints, objects and parameters. Suite 5 also features a new, redesigned internal

Suite 5 has a dedicated interface for creating XR installations, which allows for modelling any kind of video wall, including curved,

chroma keyer that includes a new mode that embeds the Unreal Engine chroma keyer directly into InfinitySet. Brainstorm Suite 5 is fully compatible with Unreal Engine 4.27 and will be with UE 5. Other features include improved HDR workflows, and better integration with robotic heads from manufacturers such as Panasonic or Sony. Also, Edison, the company’s virtual studio in a box product designed for live events and presentations, will also benefit from some of the above plus its own features as a result of its upgrade to V5. Visit http://www.brainstorm3d.com

POST PRODUCTION DAMsmart Launches First of Its Kind Digitisation Service in AWS Marketplace DAMSMART, one of the Asia Pacific’s largest, fully established and dedicated audio-visual digitisation services bureau, has announced the launch of its Film and Video Tape Digitisation Services in Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) Marketplace. DAMsmart’s services are the first of its kind in AWS Marketplace. AWS Marketplace is a curated digital catalogue that makes it easy for organisations to discover, procure, entitle, provision, and govern thirdparty software. Facing technology obsolescence and media degradation, all forms of media are now at risk of permanent loss within the next few years if urgent action is not taken to convert media on videotapes, audiotapes and film into data. Media organisations facing these challenges can now consume DAMsmart’s services through their AWS account and take advantage of DAMsmart’s knowledge of AWS’s media services. DAMsmart has extensive expertise in preparing analogue media files for specific cloud-based media asset management (MAM) solutions. DAMsmart General Manager, Joe Kelly, said, “DAMsmart is the largest commercial film, tape and audio to digital conversion service provider in the Southern Hemisphere specifically equipped to deliver the highest quality digitisation of legacy audio-visual formats. From a single tape or film to the largest broadcast library, we are experts at ensuring your legacy content retains value and remains accessible in the 21st century. Our customers can now access all of DAMsmart’s services via the AWS Marketplace, making it even easier and more

convenient to digitise and protect your most valuable media assets.” With offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Auckland and Kuala Lumpur, DAMsmart is able to process any form of videotape, audiotape or motion picture film and convert these physical assets into high quality digital assets. Established in 2007, DAMsmart has processed and digitised over one million audio-visual media carriers for public and private sector organisations within Australia, the Asia Pacific region, and beyond. DAMsmart also provides media organisations and collection owners with expert consultancy services for collection assessment, preservation strategies, workflow design and implementation and monetisation opportunities.

• Restoration of legacy content in any form to maximise monetisation opportunities for archive collections; • Quality assessment and reporting; • Localisation and delivery services; • Metadata customisation capabilities to ensure compatibility to client MAM platform; • Creation of rich media archives to suit any requirements; and

DAMsmart’s key service offerings available now via the AWS Marketplace include:

• Data-migration for media specific collections from legacy and current generation linear tape-open (LTO) formats to cloud or disc storage.

• Up conversion from SD to HD and higher

Visit https://www.damsmart.com.au

Avid NEXIS | EDGE Powers Remote Post Production Workflows

Avid NEXIS | EDGE empowers video editors to work concurrently on the same video content, sharing metadata and media on Avid NEXIS from anywhere. Project and bin metadata can be shared by editors. Media content can be automatically converted to lightweight streaming formats, enabling real time remote editing over standard internet connections. Media can also be

downloaded remotely by editors for disconnected operation.

Avid NEXIS | EDGE enables users to:

Creative stakeholders, such as producers, can readily browse and review content using the Avid NEXIS | EDGE Web Client, while assistants can accelerate editing workflows – finding media, organising projects, editing clips and storyboarding sequences. Editors using Adobe Premiere Pro can also access Avid NEXIS | EDGE with the Premiere Pro Editing Connector.

• Work from anywhere — Content creation teams can work remotely, accessing existing Avid NEXIS systems from anywhere. Collaborators can change location without changing their workflow, even when disconnected from the internet.

Avid NEXIS | EDGE integrates directly with Media Composer | Enterprise, enabling centralised, role-based administration. Using simple, web-based tools, administrators can easily control access to content and editing tools. With Media Composer | Enterprise, each team member can enjoy a customised user experience, tailored to their needs and role in the workflow.

• Leverage a global talent pool — Media producers can now tap into the global talent pool by securely extending their workflows to skilled workers around the globe. Teams can be scaled flexibly, as projects ramp up and down. • Create with industry-proven tools — With Avid NEXIS | EDGE, there’s nothing new to learn. Professionals can continue to work with the tools they are used to, while connecting from anywhere. Avid NEXIS | EDGE

provides seamless integration with Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Avid NEXIS shared storage, which now includes a new Avid NEXIS Client Manager that supports connection via secure VPN over Wi-Fi and WAN networks. • Uncomplicate workflows — With a cutting-edge, zero-relink workflow and high-quality proxy media, Avid NEXIS | EDGE enables users to switch from working with proxy to high-res media (and vice versa) with one button click, enabling editors to easily move from working infacility to remotely. Avid NEXIS | EDGE capabilities will be included with subscriptions to Media Composer | Enterprise. The Avid NEXIS | EDGE Web Client and Premiere Pro Editing Connector will be available as a subscription. Visit https://www.avid.com/

POST PRODUCTION

AVID HAS EXTENDED the power of its collaborative post production solutions with the introduction of Avid NEXIS | EDGE. The new software option enables post production teams to work from any location, delivering secure, remote access to media and metadata. Avid NEXIS | EDGE enables team members to access the same proven collaborative workflows relied on by thousands of post production facilities worldwide, without requiring collaborators to be co-located.

POST PRODUCTION

3D Tree Assets for Unreal Engine QUIXEL, THE PRODUCER of 3D asset library Megascans, has announced early access of ‘Megascans Trees’, a brand new asset type which it says is “Far from being just another type of foliage”. The first pack is available on the Unreal Engine Marketplace for free, and is the culmination of extensive research, development and iterations on how to capture these complex and beautiful living things. According to Quixel, “In order to do justice to the magnificence of trees and create a faithful adaptation of nature, our approach has been a scientific one, relying on botany and deep knowledge of how trees grow, react to light, wind and respond to seasonal changes. The result has been not just a set of

assets but also a powerful foliage master material to control seasons and wind.” First pack in the series is the European Black Alder pack where artists will find early access Megascans Trees with 22 unique models of various maturity to build a photorealistic forest. It includes nine forest trees – versions of the trees that you’d typically find in a forest where the trees take in nutrients from the sun from the top of the canopy; five field trees of the sort that would have more direct sunlight; six saplings, and two seedlings. Along with the trees, Quixel has included several new features to its foliage shader. In addition to the standard parameters, a season and health system has been added. This will work with an entire scene

by adjusting a few sliders, which are driven by the new global foliage actor, where artists will find everything related to the season, health and wind in their scene. On top of these global parameters, artists can also go into each material instance to fine tune the settings on a detailed level. “Our scanning teams are busy capturing different tree species from a variety of biomes around the world,” says Quixel. “We’re excited to continue rolling these out to you over the coming months. Once Megascans Trees are out of beta we will also be making them available through Bridge to make it even easier for you to use this powerful new asset type in your environments.” Visit https://quixel.com

Accurate.Video Edit Integrates with SDVI Rally Access Media Management CODEMILL HAS ANNOUNCED that its cloud-native editing tool, Accurate.Video Edit, now integrates with the SDVI Rally media supply chain management platform. Accurate.Video Edit is a professional video editor designed to enable users to perform essential edits efficiently in the browser. Its integration with SDVI Rally simplifies metadataassisted content QC and compliance tasks for media organisations.

POST PRODUCTION

SDVI, a California-based technology company, provides next generation supply chain optimisation for the media industry. Its cloud-native platform, SDVI Rally, helps operators work smarter and faster by linking automated supply chain functions and the resulting metadata to the manual tasks that operators must handle.

Accurate.Video Edit is designed to refine workflows and optimise quality control (QC) editing processes, all in the cloud. It provides a

user-friendly interface to carry out the edits needed for content compliance, content localisation for different channels or markets, versioning for different platforms, and segmentation for promo and marketing teams. Built from the ground up, Accurate.Video Edit fits effortlessly into existing media workflows meaning companies can benefit from efficient, flexible workflows. The integration of Accurate.Video Edit with SDVI Rally allows content operators to quickly manage, select, and edit media assets that have failed QC using time coded information (time-based metadata). The solution enables content to move seamlessly through the supply chain and integrates with existing workflows and established infrastructure. Chris Brähler, Vice President of Products, SDVI, commented: “Codemill continues to be a valued partner of SDVI,

and the tight integration of our products gives our customers enhanced efficiency and saves time when having to review and edit content. By focusing only on specific work order requirements, operators maximise their throughput without additional overhead, completing the task at hand in an intuitive browser-based user interface.” Rickard Lönneborg, CEO, Codemill, added: “We’re pleased to offer this integration to SDVI Rally users. Accurate.Video Edit is designed to meet the demands of modern media workflows and through its advanced metadata visualisation, it ensures errors are reduced and video consumer expectations are met. The seamless combination of our solutions means operators can ensure quality and compliance of video before delivery.” Visit https://codemill.se and www.sdvi.com

Boris FX Delivers Blockbuster Effects BORIS FX HAS RELEASED what it says is a powerful creative photo editing and manipulation plugin to Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom workflows. Optics 2022 makes it easy to add the same high-end cinematic looks and effects to photos that the film and television industry has relied on for over twenty years. Optics, available as a plugin and standalone application, features over 170 effects broken into 10 categories, 1000s of drag and drop presets, and a robust masking, paint, and layering system. Among its most popular effects are lens flares, light leaks, glows, gobos, film stocks, and color grades inspired by top films and TV series such as The Wizard of Oz, E.T., The Grand Budapest Hotel, Euphoria, and Stranger Things. Professional photographers, digital artists, and graphic designers can quickly browse through the extensive preset library and choose a preset as-is or customise it for full creative control. According to Marco Paolini, Optics product designer, “The new Particle Illusion category gives photographers and artists the ability to quickly add photorealistic particles to images in seconds. It features over 1500 presets with options to control the particle size, number, angle, forces, and deflectors. The creative possibilities are endless. Think adding steam to a coffee product shot, fireworks over a skyline, fantastical sci-fi elements, and so much more.” What’s New in Optics • Particles for photo editing: Particle Illusion is a fast and easy-to-use particle generator to create photorealistic effects and creative

elements. Features thousands of particle presets and assets to enhance photo editing including smoke, fire, water, sparkles, explosions, dust, sci-fi, and more. • Improved performance on Macs: Native Apple M1 support and Metal GPU acceleration deliver significant render speed increases. • VFX: Adds more creative effects from the Boris FX Sapphire collection including UltraZap (superhero/ sci-fi lightning effects), UltraGlow (smooth and slick glows), Emboss_ Glass, Warp_Waves (lens/ distortion effects), and more. • Improved alpha and masking workflows: Move layer masks between Photoshop and Optics for flexible compositing and layering. Masking tools, lighting effects, and render generators can now process and export alpha for unlimited asset creation. • Beauty and portrait retouching tools: The Beauty Studio filter (from Boris FX Continuum collection) reduces blemishes, wrinkles, and pores for skin smoothing and digital makeup. The Pin Warp tool warps and reshapes faces or body parts using interactive pin controls. • 2000+ more presets: Includes film stocks and movie looks, lens flares, gobo/light patterns, and tons of Particle Illusion presets. • Improved user interface: Streamlined look, compact sliders, and ability to customise and import/export workspaces. Visit www.borisfx.com

JUMPSTART PROJECTS

POST PRODUCTION

...and assist your editing team from anywhere Meet Avid NEXIS | EDGE — a new collaborate-from-anywhere solution designed to expand the production capabilities of video post and creative teams, whether working on or off premises. Edit remotely with the same media access and experience as editing in-house. Enable contributors to browse, search, organise, edit, and review content using Media Composer | Enterprise, Adobe Premiere Pro, or a web client. Put an end to media relinking headaches. Bring in the talent you want, no matter where they live or how they prefer to work, with collaborative remote video editing workflows. As projects ramp up or down, scale your team quickly and easily, without constraint or physical boundaries. Uncomplicate your workflow with its cutting-edge, zero-relink workflow. Want to find out more? Digistor are the experts in highly productive, collaborative workflows operating on premise, in the cloud, or in any combination.

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POST PRODUCTION

Call us today on 02 9431 6000 or visit www.digistor.com.au/avid-nexis-edge to discuss how Avid NEXIS | EDGE can work for your team or to arrange a demonstration.

POST PRODUCTION

Remote Production Offers a Safeguard for Indie Film Industry The TV and film industries were left to deal with devastating effects from the Covid 19 pandemic. By Parham Azini, CEO and Co-Founder, iconik SOCIAL DISTANCING, LOCKDOWNS and travel bans meant that opportunities to work on new projects were few and far between. However, some film makers decided to explore alternative solutions that would allow them to continue production safely despite the restrictions. Although the safety and wellbeing of staff was paramount during the peak of the pandemic, production companies still had overheads to pay and the disruption in income was causing concern. And while many companies had to suspend production, others adopted remote workflows. Worrying Times for the Industry While the whole industry was affected, none were as hard hit as those in the independent sector. Larger productions were better positioned to delay filming or movie release dates, such as the long-awaited James Bond film, which was finally released in October 2021 after being pushed back on three occasions. Unlike the major film companies, there are less options for indie films to pull out of release dates, and completely stopping production and delaying releases has the potential to destroy a smaller company. Job security also became a major concern during Covid. With freelancers making up a large percentage of film industry staff in the US, enabling as many as possible to remain in work would not only benefit the industry, but also the individual’s wellbeing. Whilst there were numerous funds and support packages launched to help relieve the financial strain, such as the USD$21 million in emergency financial assistance from The Actors Fund, many companies were happy to simply survive the rollercoaster of the pandemic. Additionally, having to navigate the threats of positive Covid cases on film sets caused major concerns for production timescales and budgets. An Alternative Way of Working Remote production is not a new concept; however, it has been accelerated by the impact of Covid. Cloud-based technology teamed with improved global connectivity meant teams could work on projects without being in the same location. The process of remote editing is much more efficient, and the ability to review footage is significantly quicker than traditional methods.

The traditional process of production typically involves storing raw footage on hard drives which would then need to be moved to a screening room and reviewed from there at the end of each day. The whole procedure is longwinded and uses considerable resources. With remote production, footage can be reviewed as and when needed, making it quicker to reshoot scenes and adjust as necessary if the actors aren’t on point or character continuity needs to be maintained. It also allows the production team to easily assess the impact of conditions, framing and composition on the footage. The process used by the makers of the upcoming feature film Boon is a great example. Filmed in a remote location in Washington, U.S.A, the producers chose to utilize virtual production techniques from iconik to overcome the challenges brought about from the pandemic. The team behind the recent feature film Boon (produced by Muscular Puppy and directed by Neil McDonough) used iconik to access and review footage almost immediately, which meant the team could quickly reference and make changes as needed. Remote location? No problem Boon was filmed mostly outdoors in the mountains where the weather was unpredictable and internet connection was temperamental. Despite external factors causing issues, the benefits of collating the footage in the cloud outweighed the challenges. In areas of little or no internet, dedicated mobile phone hotspots were setup resulting in very little downtime. Traditionally, once footage has been transcoded and transferred to a drive, the only way to watch it back is to view it wherever the drive is located. Daily reviews would typically be done at the end of each day with any reshoots being carried out the following day. The process can be lengthy and adds additional, and unnecessary, time to productions. For post-production and finishing, a MatrixStore storage system from Object Matrix was implemented for all media distribution and additional backups. Using iconik and MatrixStore further benefited the remote processes, with production teams able to selfserve access to content from anywhere. And although shots were carefully planned before filming, the knowledge that both the storage and media management could handle vast

POST PRODUCTION

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amounts of data made it an easy choice. Utilizing a cloud-based solution meant that a fraction of data storage was used (10TB) compared to traditional means (20-30TB). Additionally, with iconik and Object Matrix providing secure solutions, the post-production team could work confidently knowing assets were protected from external sources. Continuity is Key Using the cloud-native solution from iconik for reviewing video content, meant the crew could immediately refer to previous footage for continuity of lighting, weather conditions and other finer details within scenes. In one instance on set, producers were able to quickly refer to a scene from the previous day to confirm whether an actor should be wearing earrings or not. Having continuity during recording means there is less need for postproduction editing to fix unmissed errors. Actors are usually their own worst critics and every now and again they may wish to review their performance in a scene. Unlike traditional production, a cloud-based solution meant that footage could be reviewed from any internetconnected device. The instant access to media also meant that filming and production times were significantly reduced, impacting positively on the overall budget. Boon’s prequel, Red Stone, was also filmed and edited during the pandemic and was released earlier this year. Although Boon was filmed on location, utilising a cloud-native approach meant that the executive producers - located in Canada and Texas - were able to be part of the process. The ability to review and collaborate on a film from anywhere brought a new level of agility and insight to the production of Boon. By using a remote collaboration solution for review and approval, everyone involved in the film’s production could remain connected. As we continue to navigate out of the pandemic towards the new normal, we can see that remote production is more than a temporary fix. Although Coronavirus disrupted the whole industry, it also highlighted innovations and the potential to improve workflows. The new era of connection and collaboration offers exciting opportunities for the film industry between the people that work in it. Visit https://www.iconik.io

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POST PRODUCTION

axledit Browser-Based Video Editor – Collaboration, Search, Publishing THE BOOM IN video use for social media and marketing has been paralleled by swift migration to the cloud. To meet this boom, axle ai has launched axledit, a browser-based video editor with integrated collaboration, search, and publishing features. According to the company, axledit provides a level of power and control previously only available to editing solutions running on laptops and workstations. You can also export your sequences from axledit to software like Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer and Apple Final Cut Pro. axledit is available immediately on a monthly licensed basis. Available tiers are Free, USD$10 per user per month and $50 per user per month. In addition, an Enterprise tier is available with a number of key features including hybrid cloud/on-premise configurations, and workflow automations. Complete, private instances of the axledit cloud back end are also available on request for clients such as content studios who wish to have a ‘walled garden’ version specific to their network. axledit’s collaboration features allow not only browser-based review and approval by producers and clients, but also simultaneous editing sessions with a shared view of the current state of the timeline and playback. Other key axledit features include: • Professional-style timeline with multiple audio and video tracks.

• High speed, interrupt-resilient uploads of huge video files. • Effects and transitions. • Powerful sequence versioning. • The ability to directly import stock video content. • Access to axle ai on-premise and cloud media management servers. Direct publishing of edits to YouTube and Vimeo is another feature of axledit, allowing creators to manage, edit and publish their content directly to these leading platforms without ever having to download large media files, edit them or upload finished media to the cloud. axledit is available immediately. axle ai 2022 Simultaneously, axle ai has announced the release of axle ai 2022, its flagship AIpowered media management solution which can catalogue and tag nearly any media on any combination of on-premise and cloud storage. Featuring an all-new user interface with a Dark theme, axle ai 2022 offers several key features including: • Integrated, speech transcription ($1 per hour). • Integrated, fixed-cost face recognition. • Integrated, fixed-cost logo recognition.

Maxon Announces Universe 5.1 MAXON, THE DEVELOPER OF professional 3D software solutions, has announced immediate availability of Universe 5.1., a new update to its suite of video transition and effects plugins. This new version of Universe adds support for M1-powered Macs. Additionally, by replacing JavaScript with C++, Universe was completely rebuilt to provide a more future-proof and flexible foundation, paving the way for more powerful tools, creative options, and improved performance. Along with these updates, two major bug fixes affecting Adobe Premiere users as well as many minor enhancements and stability improvements are included with this maintenance release.

• Integrated, fixed-cost object recognition.

The update is available immediately via Maxon App.

Visit www.axle.ai and www.axledit.com

Visit www.maxon.net

Assimilate, Brompton Enable On-Set LED Screen Colour Correction

Assimilate’s Live Looks and Live Assist tools work in tandem with real-time rendered environments from game engines such as Unreal Engine or Unity, with Live Looks providing a powerful live grading solution and Live Assist offering record and playback, including in multi-camera setups. Live FX plays out plates and pre-rendered scenes and enables live on-set compositing for LED wall virtual productions, handling everything from previsualisation through to final pixel incamera VFX. Together, Live Looks, Live Assist, and Live FX can now leverage Brompton’s extensive API to streamline distinct areas of the virtual production on-set workflow for a cohesive

creative experience. “Virtual production workflows are complex and still a pioneering field with the highest requirements. We’re happy to have collaborated with Brompton to create an amazingly straightforward and powerful workflow for DITs as well as VP operators,” said Jeff Edson, CEO, Assimilate. “As the traditional DIT role has evolved, they can now use Live Looks and Live Assist on-set with the 3D LUT control in Brompton’s LED video processors to easily handle live colour correction in the LED volume. Integrating remote control functionality for the Brompton LED video processors into Live FX further streamlines the process on-set. Together we are enabling the most efficient virtual production workflows at the highest levels.”

“When we added 3D LUT import to our API, Assimilate were one of the first companies we spoke to about integrating with our LED video processors. It’s always exciting to work with innovative partners such as Assimilate to solve real-world problems together for creatives working in virtual production,” concluded Hugh Davies-Webb, Product Manager, Brompton Technology. Visit www.bromptontech.com and www. assimilateinc.com

POST PRODUCTION

ASSIMILATE has announced that its Live Looks, Live Assist, and Live FX software solutions now support integration with Brompton Technology’s Tessera S8 and SX40 LED processors, enabling live colour grading and compositing in virtual production workflows. This integration is currently available in the new v9.4 releases of Live Looks and Live Assist, and in the open beta of Live FX. Taking advantage of Brompton’s API, users working in LED volumes can now send 3D LUTs in near-realtime to Brompton’s Tessera S8 and SX40 LED video processors, powering live on-set colour grading on the LED screen.

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD Stutch Data Takes First FUJIFILM LTO-9 Tapes in Australia STUTCH DATA Data has taken delivery of the first pallet of FUJIFILM LTO-9 tapes in Australia. LTO-9 is the latest generation of LTO tape technology released with a native capacity of 18TB and up to 45TB compressed. According to Stutch Data GM, Richard Stutchbury, the future has never looked brighter for LTO tapes. He explained the company’s decision to buy the first lot of tapes to enter the country saying, “Many LTO resellers and users around Australia consider us market leaders in the LTO tape space and therefore we had to ensure we had the tape to supply to the customers who have installed or are installing LTO-9 tape drives. These tapes have 1.5 times the capacity and faster write and read speeds than its predecessor LTO-8 tapes.”

as many police departments are returning to tape due to this large amount of 4k footage. LTO tapes are also used for recording film and TV footage, film special effects and editing and many medical applications. Then there’s the fact that the LTFS option allows users to drag and drop files straight onto tape which is another great benefit.” Stutchbury also sees many benefits when using LTO tape over other media such as SSD.

Stutch Data’s clients use LTO tapes to store cold, archive or little used data to save costs of keeping it on more expensive and less reliable mediums like spinning hard disk drives and flash storage.

He continued, “Tape is more environmentally friendly than hard disk, flash or cloud due to its low carbon footprint as it uses no power once it is written. It is a unique data storage medium providing an air-gapped isolation system which created it and therefore it can be the last line of protection against cyber-attacks like viruses and ransomware but also human error or a disgruntled staff member. LTO tapes are portable and can be taken off-site and stored in a secure location until required in the future.”

Stutchbury added, “Other uses include cloud providers backup and archive, government and corporate backup, archive and tiered storage, security footage from permanently mounted cameras and body worn cameras

Stutchbury also notes that LTO tapes are the lowest cost per TB of any data storage medium (up to 80 percent cheaper than disk over the lifetime of the data) yet are also the most reliable and secure storage medium available.

He adds, “They have a high capacity, are scalable, secure due to the air-gap and they can be encrypted. They have longevity from accelerated testing simulations and cannot crash or be hacked. Many of these factors have created another use called nearline storage where files are available online through a tape library at slower speeds than spinning hard disk drives and flash storage but more reliable and at a much cheaper cost. Nearline storage helps reduce cloud restore costs.” As far as Stutchbury is concerned using LTO tapes as a storage medium for the future has no parallel. He explained, “Funny thing is ‘the cloud’ is just a mixture of tiered storage like tape, flash and disk managed by a large cloud service provider, so essentially if you are moving from your own tape system to the cloud, you are just outsourcing it to someone else, and if you need your data back you pay a lot more than storing it on tape in the first place. Not to mention losing control of the data and the high cost of restoring data, and the bottlenecks to getting large amounts of data back due to line speed limitations. Cloud service providers still need to make a profit, so they charge a

lot less to store data but a much larger charge to restore it.” For Stutchbury and Stutch Data their LTO tapes of choice are FUJIFILM LTO tapes and there are many good reasons for that decision as he explained, “We and many of our customers use FUJIFILM LTO tape as they are one of only two tape manufacturers of LTO tape in the world. They work closely with the tape drive manufacturers and technology developers and constantly test and retest the tapes they produce both for quality and for data protection in the harshest of simulated environments. These accelerated environmental tests show data can be retained on LTO-9 tapes’ Barium Ferrite tape particles for more than 50 years!” Visit https://www.fujifilm.com and https://www.stutchdata.com.au

Adimex Partners with Symply in ANZ

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

ADIMEX HAS SIGNED on to be the new ANZ distribution and technology partner for Symply, the provider of media-centric storage solutions. The new partnership between Adimex and Symply solidifies the companies’ commitment to the region and increases the availability and takeup of next generation LTO, RAID and cloud technology solutions.

As Adimex marketing manager, Mark Richards explained, “This is a big win-win for customers and end users alike. Adimex supports and promotes a regional dealer channel that has a strong focus on solutions for digital media content production. With local stock and expertise, plus hands-on demos of Symply products for A/NZ dealers

and their clients, we provide everything a dealer needs to ensure they are supplying the right solution for their customer.” SymplyFIRST is a product family developed by Symply covering offerings in disk, tape and cloud storage, as well as PCIe expansion solutions. Adimex will now represent all Symply products and solutions in the SymplyFIRST family that support media-centric workflows from SymplySPARK, a desktop and optionally rack-mounted personal Thunderbolt 3 RAID solution, through to LTO tape archiving and expansion products and the SymplyNEBULA global cloud offering. VP of Symply, Nick Warburton,

added, “Symply’s focus on building a better kind of storage for media professionals is something that we’re excited to share with Adimex. Our latest family of products, SymplyFIRST, has already seen a fantastic uptake in markets around the world. We are looking forward to working with the Adimex team to replicate that success in their region and bring the range to their customers and partners.” Symply Business Development Manager for APAC, Sundeep Menon, added, “It’s great to see Adimex join forces with

us to distribute Symply’s full product line up in Australia and New Zealand. By working closely together we will be able to solve workflow complexities across a broad range of media sectors including film, TV and the data-heavy pipelines seen in the enterprise, security and life sciences industries as well.” Visit https://www.adimex.com.au and https://www.gosymply.com

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

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MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

Dalet AmberFin Update Expands Streaming Workflows DALET HAS ANNOUNCED updates to its Dalet AmberFin transcoding platform, including integration with cloud-native Dalet Flex media logistics and Dalet Pyramid unified news operations platforms. The company has also announced completion of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Foundational Technical Review. “Dalet AmberFin sits at the heart of the rapidly evolving streaming workflow. Because it is a cornerstone technology for our customers, we are focused on its continuous improvement and integration in the wider ecosystem,” states Patrick Devlin, Product Manager for Dalet AmberFin. “This release threads the recognised Dalet AmberFin conversion quality and media processing technology across our flagship SaaS solutions, Dalet Flex and Dalet Pyramid. As a critical pillar of these solutions, Dalet AmberFin bridges the gap for Dalet customers who need a fully cloud-native media ecosystem with proven end-to-end production and distribution workflows that can support any existing or emerging market vertical.” Dalet AmberFin provides a cloud-first approach that has been verified by the AWS Foundational Technical Review. According to Patrick Devlin, “It is no longer sufficient to simply take an on-premises system and run it on EC2 instances in the cloud, customers want cloud-native applications that can take full advantage of containerised services, scale up and scale down and the security best practices in the cloud.” The AWS Foundational Technical Review provides a baseline for cloud requirements and

covers development, best practices and operational considerations ensuring customers have the agility and firepower they need to manage through bursts in workload with ease, yet optimise cloud costs. Dalet AmberFin’s advanced ingest management and conversion combined with elastic cloud resources enables enterprise users to cost-effectively facilitate large-scale projects. The newly updated Dalet AmberFin Kiosk, which supports macOS and offers expanded support for formats including ProRes RAW and NEF, helps users fly through offloading and backing up mass amounts of content. Utilising cloud storage, it concurrently verifies content integrity and enriches metadata so that content is organised and ready to drive further operational workflows easily. This new capability is particularly useful for teams out on location for long production shoots. Processing pipeline improvements leverage Netflix Photon validation tools to enable key IMF workflows in the cloud. Other production efficiency enhancements include support for UHD input and output with a standard transcode node and

support for writing ABR packages DASH and HLS while content is being ingested. Dalet says its accelerated development plans will see progress across its entire suite of cloud-native solutions in 2022. Dalet Flex will be made available as a multi-tenanted SaaS offering, providing customers with scalability and elasticity when needed while offloading the costs of infrastructure investment and time spent on maintenance to Dalet. With Dalet Pyramid, newsrooms will be able to virtualise their entire operation with increased production and distribution capabilities that enable digitalfirst news story workflows anytime, anywhere. Visit www.dalet.com

Thunderbolt Dual-Bay Desktop Storage OWC HAS ANNOUNCED the ‘Mercury Pro U.2 Dual Thunderbolt’ dual-bay U.2 desktop storage solution with up to 2800MB/s speed and 16TB storage capacity It utilises Thunderbolt’s full 2800MB/s of data bandwidth to function nearly 6x faster than your typical SSD. Dual drive bays house two NVMe U.2 SSDs for streamlined, easy-to-manage RAID storage. An easy, plug and play design

makes the OWC Mercury Pro U.2 Dual convenient to use. Just connect the included Thunderbolt cable to your machine or OWC docking solution and start saving, editing, and sharing. With OWC’s MacDrive software (sold separately) installed on your Windows PC, you can use Apple RAID formatted drives without jumping through hoops for a crossplatform workflow. Uses include:

• Backing up simple to complex video editing projects. • Time Machine and File History backups of essential business data and irreplaceable personal photos. • Consolidating files from multiple smaller drives to a single location for faster, more convenient access. • Migrating data from an existing machine to a new computer. • Freeing up space on a

computer’s internal drive to improve performance. An extra Thunderbolt USB-C port lets you daisy-chain devices to your OWC Mercury Pro U.2 Dual to expand your capabilities. Attach a 5K display or two 4K Thunderbolt displays. You can even place a USB device at the end of the chain. Visit www.owc.com

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

Signiant Announces Integration with AWS’s Media2Cloud

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SIGNIANT INC., a leading provider in intelligent file transfer software, has announced that its cloud-native software as a solution (SaaS) products, Media Shuttle and Signiant Jet, are now integrated with Media2Cloud from Amazon Web Services (AWS). With Media2Cloud, framelevel metadata is generated using machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) from Amazon Rekognition, Amazon Transcribe, and Amazon Comprehend. Media2Cloud, application protocol interface,

APIs make it easy to integrate this metadata into other systems. With this integration, customers can take advantage of Signiant’s SaaS products to transfer content directly into Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) with speed, reliability, and security and once the content is in the Amazon S3 bucket, Media2Cloud begins the content analysis and postprocessing.

any hybrid cloud or multi-cloud environment, with comprehensive control and visibility at any scale. Media Shuttle and Signiant Jet are widely deployed across the media and entertainment space, connecting more than 50,000 organisations around the world. Every month, Signiant software moves petabytes of content to and from AWS, supporting multiple aspects of the media supply chain.

Signiant software ensures the fast, secure movement of large data sets over any IP network, in

“This is another example of our continued innovation to make sure our products work seamlessly

with the media technologies our customers use. Given the central role Signiant plays in moving media assets to and from the cloud, working with Media2Cloud was a perfect fit,” commented Mike Flathers, Signiant’s Chief Solutions Officer. “Customers can easily move media assets into the cloud and use Media2Cloud AI/ML workflows to gain deeper insights to the content.” Visit www.signiant.com

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

Digital Nirvana Showcases AI-Driven Solutions for Content Creation in-house expertise required. Digital Nirvana’s adaptive technology design can handle future industry standards, while the company’s open API architecture makes integration with existing workflows seamless and easy. Digital Nirvana’s team includes dedicated language and content specialists covering more than 30 languages. The latest AI and ML technologies, combined with human expertise in professional transcription, captioning, and text translation, ensures the highest quality with the shortest turnaround times. Trance Trance is Digital Nirvana’s easy-to-use, webbased application that automatically generates transcripts, closed captions/subtitles, and translations for content localisation. It is the same application Digital Nirvana’s team uses to perform captioning and translation services on behalf of its customers, but in a self-service version that integrates into a media company’s own workflow. Advanced speech-to-text engines create highly accurate text transcripts of audio and video content. At the same time, the Trance interface lets users navigate, edit, and export caption files quickly in all industryrecognised formats. Built-in AI and custom preset capabilities ensure captions conform to style guidelines from various delivery platforms. Trance also provides automated translations in more than 100 different languages. Visit https://digital-nirvana.com

SDVI’s Rally Shows Media Companies Accelerating to the Cloud SDVI, the platform provider for cloud-native media supply chains, reports that its Rally media supply chain platform processed over 300 million jobs in 2021, representing a 102% increase in usage over 2020. Those jobs were performed on a total of 32.6 million hours of content as it passed through Rally-managed supply chains. Continuing the trajectory established in the first half of the year, the doubling in jobs processed by Rally illustrates the dramatic shift among media businesses toward cloud-based media supply chain infrastructure to drive efficiencies and increase business agility. Highlights of Rally job activity include: • Analysis jobs (using Rally’s media analysis engine to extract and catalog metadata) increased 173% to 38 million jobs. • Evaluation jobs (using Rally’s decision engine to interpret metadata and make supply chain determinations) increased to 145 million jobs, which equates to 145 million supply chain decisions made automatically without human involvement. • Processing jobs (using Rally’s Application Services) are led by the top four categories of audio and video transform, QC, AI/ML tools, and captioning services. Transform continued to be the dominant category,

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representing two-thirds of all Application Services jobs. • Interestingly, caption jobs grew more than ninefold as multi-language delivery requirements have grown to be a meaningful share of the supply chain work required. • Export jobs (using Rally’s data mover to transfer content to a delivery endpoint) more than doubled compared with 2020, driven by the need to deliver more content to more endpoints. Along with automated jobs, Rally also managed 675,000 manual work orders, which represent actions needed by operators to address exceptions when flagged by automated processes. Of the 2.8 million long-form assets that passed through Rally-managed supply chains in 2021, 74% were handled without any human touch. Finally, to support both increased usage and new use cases, SDVI added 12 new applications to its portfolio of Rally Application Services during 2021, bringing the total number of applications available on a consumption basis to 48. Visit http://www.sdvi.com

MEDIA IN THE CLOUD

DIGITAL NIRVANA WILL demonstrate solutions that bring artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to postproduction and compliance workflows at the 2022 NAB Show, the company’s first in-person trade show since before the pandemic. MetadataIQ is a SaaS-based offering from Digital Nirvana that automates the generation of speech-to-text and video intelligence metadata, increasing the efficiency of production, pre-production, and live content creation services for Avid PAM/MAM users. Digital Nirvana’s MetadataIQ applies advanced ML- and AI-based content analysis to accelerate the metadata generation process, including transferring video assets from Avid and ingesting the metadata as markers along with the assets — which saves time on metadata generation and results in betterstructured, more detailed, and more accurate metadata and shorter content delivery cycles. MetadataIQ also integrates directly with Digital Nirvana’s Trance platform to generate transcripts, captions, and translations in all industry-supported formats. Captioning, Translation, and Transcription Services Digital Nirvana’s in-house media services team offers turnkey captioning and translation services that generate highly accurate transcripts, captions, and translations with cloud-based technology and automated, AI-driven natural language processing. These services are purpose-built for media and entertainment operators, leveraging the power of AI with no upfront capital expense and no

empowering innovation sales@magnasys.tv www.magnasys.tv

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Forbes Street Studios Adds Dolby Atmos FORBES STREET STUDIOS (FSS), the multipurpose recording and creative content studio located in the heart of Sydney has introduced Dolby Atmos/spatial mixing capabilities as part of its suite of offerings. FSS forms part of the international studio network owned and operated by Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music-based entertainment company – alongside the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, Capitol Studios housed within the walls of the iconic Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood and the Interscope Recording Studio in Santa Monica. Operating over the past six years and already home to recording sessions by top artists including, Elton John, Keith Urban, Dean Lewis, Flume, Briggs, G-Flip, Tove Lo, Flight Facilities, Masked Wolf and Chillinit, FSS studio was designed by acclaimed sonic architect and studio designer Michael Fronzek (Sound Spaces) and offers stateof-the-art equipment and cutting-edge technology, and now superior Dolby Atmos capabilities. Infinitely more immersive, Dolby Atmos takes sound and listening to a next level experience for music fans. FSS studio’s Atmos offering

empowers artists and producers to create threedimensional soundscapes in an object-based mixing environment, allowing them to fill the room with instruments and vocals; lifting songs with space, clarity and depth as never before. The set up accommodates mixes for new releases, catalogue or listening sessions of mixes recorded elsewhere for approvals. FSS also has a selection of Apple, Sonos and Amazon products in house for anyone curious to hear Atmos on a range of devices. Forbes Street Studio Manager, Anthony Garvin adds: “The investment in Dolby Atmos further establishes our commitment to delivering a truly comprehensive audio experience for musicians, producers, creators and fans. We’re excited to offer Dolby Atmos to the local music industry as well as visiting international musicians. The system is ready to take bookings and sonically light up the ears of music lovers!” One of the first artists scheduled to mix in Atmos at FSS is alternative rockers, Ocean

Alley. According to Callum Howell – Producer/Mixer (Ocean Alley, The Rions, Tori Forsyth): “Atmos / Spatial is such an exciting format to work in. Its ability to translate to so many different playback systems, as well as headphones, gives it far greater longevity than previous surround formats. Atmos allows me to create incredibly immersive mixes that literally hug the listener and I’m really enjoying trying new things and experimenting with the possibilities.” Visit www.forbesstreetstudios.com

Kiwa Digital’s VoiceQ Adds Streaming for Dialogue Replacement AS LANGUAGE-DUBBING and dialogue replacement for TV, streaming and film grows, VoiceQ, the New Zealand-based developer of dubbing software systems, has unveiled a new series in its technology stack, which for the first time includes streaming capability as well as VoiceQ Actor, a new application it will offer free on MacOS for one year to voice performers.

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Since its inception in 2008, VoiceQ technology has been used by more than 160 clients worldwide to dub more than 200 titles for leading streaming networks, including Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+. Squid Game, Lupin, Money Heist and Killing Eve are among the blockbuster international series that have been dubbed into English utilising VoiceQ software, alongside such iconic animated films as Moana, Frozen, and The Lego Movie. In 2021 alone, VoiceQ was used to dub more than 500 hours of TV and film content into dozens of languages.

VoiceQ 6.0 enhances the existing, cloudbased VoiceQ technology stack by adding streaming capabilities, synchronisation between VoiceQ native and cloud applications, and three new script formats. The newest release also introduces custom user interface and recording to VoiceQ Actor, which makes it easier and more convenient than ever for voiceover artists to audition for and rehearse

their performances from any location, accessing VoiceQenhanced clips and scripts through secure cloud-based delivery. “Thanks to the prominence of streaming services and a pandemic-driven urgency to create high-quality localisation quickly and with enormous artistry, VoiceQ is proud to have helped bring game-changing series to audiences worldwide,” said Steven Renata, Managing Director of Kiwa Digital, the company behind VoiceQ. “Our native and cloud-based technology makes it easier than ever for actors, adapters and post-production teams to work together simultaneously, reflecting the industry’s new ways of working.” Based on the principles of the century-old French ‘Rhythmo-band’ process, VoiceQ adds cloud-based solutions to synchronise translated and adapted scripts into a host of languages – particularly English, which has brought hundreds of international series to English-speaking audiences around the globe. More than 4000 voice actors have utilised VoiceQ, but have had to do so while in studio. VoiceQ Actor brings a version of the system to performers wherever they are, allowing them

to become familiar with the dubbing project and to practice their roles before stepping into the studio – making the actual dubbing session easier, more cost-effective and more creatively exciting. Professional voiceover performers can sign up for a free one-year license for VoiceQ Actor. Voiceover talent authorised by any of the nearly 300 dubbing studios worldwide that utilise VoiceQ can be granted access to VoiceQ projects – complete with clips and synchronised scripts – through its secure, AWS-based server. With authorised access, which is supported by a free online training course, voice artists can grow comfortable using the VoiceQ system and rehearse their performances. Visit www.VoiceQ.com

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Audio Design Desk 1.9 Makes Sound Design a Cinch AUDIO DESIGN DESK has announced the arrival of Audio Design Desk 1.9, a 2022 CES Innovation Awards honouree. ADD 1.9 is compatible with a range of professional audio and video tools and introduces autocompose, MIDI triggers, instant variations, and a dozen other new features for audio and video professionals and creatives. Audio Design Desk is also launching an integration with Stream Deck, which produces sound for video or live streams with simple keystrokes on the popular controller. Audio Design Desk is introducing the first ever lite version of its software as well as ADD Tags, a powerful metadata tagging application that uses ADD’s AI to streamline the tagging process for audio artists.

AUDIO, RADIO, PODCAST

“The past year has been a whirlwind of progress, improvements, and honours for Audio Design Desk. The latest release is going to be a really big deal for video makers and streamers especially, and there’s so much more coming,” states Gabriel Cowan, CEO of Audio Design Desk. “We’ve watched so many people have that ‘Aha’ moment when they see Audio Design Desk for the first time, and we expect many more at this year’s CES! Audio Design Desk is an entirely new way to create with audio, combining a massive royalty-free sound and music library with a sampler and a digital audio workstation, becoming an all-in-one tool that lets creatives stay in the flow. With the release of 1.9, ADD works seamlessly with virtually every audio and video editing tool from Premiere to Final Cut Pro to Pro Tools to Logic.”

In addition to being named a 2022 CES Innovation Awards honouree, Audio Design Desk recently won Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech award and is nominated for the 2022 NAMM TEC award, one of the audio industry’s most prestigious honours. The sound design software replaces the old, frustrating process of finding, placing, editing, and mixing sound into an experience of discovery. As Mike Levine of Mix Online says, “…if you’re doing anything involving sound for picture, whether it’s your own YouTube videos or professional

post-production, once you start using ADD, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.” What’s New in Audio Design Desk 1.9 Auto-Compose: Audio Design Desk can now create a sound pass the moment you drag your video into the timeline. Markers from Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, Avid and even Frame.io transfer seamlessly to ADD and can be converted into sound instantaneously. See Auto-Compose in action. Variations: Now, Audio Design Desk can automatically create any number of variations of combined sounds. One beat can become 100 (or more) with the click of a button. Combine footsteps with cloth movements or impacts and debris sounds to create an explosion and allow Variations to offer endless alternates in an instant. See Variations in action. MIDI Triggers: Perform sounds and control functions in Audio Design Desk via your MIDI keyboard for an entirely new creative experience. Through the power of AI, randomisation, and replacement, now controllable via MIDI, Audio Design Desk has become a new kind of instrument that inspires fresh ideas. See MIDI triggers in action. Intelligent Import: Users of popular sound libraries like Splice, LoopCloud, Pro Sound Effects, Boom Library, and others can use Audio Design Desk or ADD Tags to automatically determine the right metadata and add them to sounds. ADD’s award-winning AI logic just got better because as users make adjustments, it learns from them; the more you use it, the better it gets. DAW Integrations: Now, Audio Design Desk 1.9 integrates with Pro Tools, Logic, Live, Cubase, Digital Performer, Nuendo, and Reaper, functioning like a giant plug-in within these industry standard tools. See DAW Integrations in action. Spot Mode: Spotting sessions are already a snap inside Audio

Design Desk. But for those users who don’t want to leave their editing applications, ADD’s 40,000+ sounds and music cues can now be dragged into Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, Avid, Screenflow and any other audio or video editing application. See Spot Mode in action. Stream Deck Integration: Why memorise key commands when you can tap on recognisable icons? Find, place, loop, create, mix… all from a powerful new integration with Stream Deck, far and away the streaming industry’s preferred trigger device. Watch the Stream Deck video. Stacks: The new Stacks feature provides a non-destructive way to stack any number of sounds into a single region that can be unstacked and changed at any time. This opens up exciting ways for users to create and share combinations of sounds that can be opened, tweaked and closed, taking sonic discovery to a whole new level. See Stacks in action. Audio Design Desk Lite: The Gateway to Amazing Sound Design ADD is releasing Audio Design Desk Lite for budding filmmakers, audio artists, and sound designers. At $8.99 a month (or $89.99 annually), the lite plan gives users access to Audio Design Desk’s 40,000+

sounds, loops, and music cues as well as an all-new lite version of ADD that still has its awardwinning sync and replacement tools. Introducing ADD Tags: Audio Design Desk has also announced ADD Tags, a powerful standalone metadata tagging application that simplifies the process of tagging sounds with metadata, readying them for distribution. ADD Tags can automatically generate metadata, add effects, create elements from stems, convert files to a single delivery format, and export them into organised folders that are ready for distribution. “With Audio Design Desk, we’ve focused on inspiration, creativity and speed, but none of it would be possible without the power of metadata,” says Cowan. “With ADD Tags we’re giving audio artists and musicians a tool that will help them organise and monetise their work. Our goal is to make tagging and distributing metadata easy and available to everyone.” Visit https://add.app

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On location. In the field. Or at the studio. Wherever production takes you, the ADX5D lets you capture clean, clear audio with standard slot-in portability.

AUDIO, RADIO, PODCAST

Saramonic Blink900: 2.4GHz Dual-Channel Wireless Microphone System SARAMONIC HAS RELEASED its new wireless microphone: The Blink900 2.4GHz dualchannel wireless microphone system which has the potential to redefine the industry. Built with the new DSP technology, Blink900 delivers crystal clear sound with 6ms ultralow latency at distances of up to 200m. Incorporating dual-channels, it offers users more recording solutions, they can use single or dual transmitters, and can choose mono or stereo mode to record each channel separately for ultimate flexibility in postproduction. The system comes with a vivid colour LCD screen which includes a light sensor, so the

screen brightness can automatically react to the changes in the environment so the user always has a clear viewing experience, or they can manually change the brightness between 1-10 levels. Comes with multiple useful accessories make the system a one for all solution for different kinds of use case scenarios such as vlogging, streaming, podcasting, interview, online teaching, and more. And with multiple types of cables in the package, Blink900 can connect to cameras, smartphones, tablets, and computers, etc.

lithium-ion battery with up to six hours battery life for transmitter and receiver, and the charging box can provide three times full charging for 18 hours use. • Flexible Gain Control: 0-6 level gain control lets you precisely tailor the output to your devices. Blink900 can help you to normalise the output of the captured signal with the Auto Gain function.

Additional functions include”

• Premium accessories: The included premium SR-DK3G professional omnidirectional clipon lavaliere microphone can provide you with crystal clear sound just like the built-in mic of the transmitter.

• Battery life: designed with a rechargeable

Visit www.saramonic.com

TASCAM Announces Firmware Update – Mixcast 4 Podcast Station TASCAM has announced the Version 1.20 firmware update for the Mixcast 4 Podcast Station with built-in Recorder/USB Audio Interface. A tool for podcast creation, live streaming, event production, or voiceover work, the Mixcast 4 offers a wealth of functionality for streamlined content creation. With the upcoming V1.20 firmware update, the Mixcast 4 gains a significant boost in its feature set, resulting in enhanced audio production capability. The V1.20 update provides for global voice effects for multiple mic inputs. With this new feature, users can apply a global voice effect to all four mic inputs. As an example, the Mixcast 4’s pitch shifter can be applied to any or all four mic inputs for special effects. This can be useful for raising or lowering the timbre of one’s voice for a dramatic effect or to create a podcast featuring various character voices. By popular request, the V1.20 update provides input gain control for the USB, Bluetooth, and 3.5mm (⅛-inch) Auxiliary input commonly used for accommodating outside calls or to serve as an additional input. As an example,

this new functionality enables the USB Skype input audio level to be governed by the host controlling the Mixcast 4. Similarly, the input level of a caller connected via Bluetooth or the 3.5mm input can also be controlled. As a means of preventing audio feedback, the new update also provides for automatic mute on monitor out when the Mixcast 4’s microphone inputs are active. This new feature will be greatly appreciated by users who use the Mixcast 4 with nearfield monitors, as live microphones will now not be routed to the monitor outputs. This is particularly useful when using the Mixcast 4 and video conferencing. Three additional enhancements complete the V1.20 update. First, the audio level display is now indicated in dB (decibels) as opposed to the green/red colour only indicators. By showing the audio level in dB, users now have a more accurate reference for signal strength.

Equally notable, the Mixcast 4’s audio ducking capability has been expanded. The audio ducking control can now be applied to the sound pads for automatic ducking when speaking over music beds or when effects are being played from the sound pads. Lastly, front panel channel buttons are assigned as a Jump function for quick access to individual channel settings. Visit https://tascam.com/us

Pliant Announces High Density Mode Update for CrewCom

AUDIO, RADIO, PODCAST

BUILDING ON ITS CREWCOM professional wireless intercom solution, Pliant Technologies announces the CrewCom v1.10 Update. The latest CrewCom firmware and software update, version 1.10, adds two new major features as well as several enhancements to its already long list of capabilities.

Topping the list is the addition of a new High Density mode, which is a selectable mode of operation that allows user densities to increase by more than five-fold. When implemented, this new software-selectable mode supports up to 32 Radio Packs (RPs) on a single Radio Transceiver (RT) while allowing any of the RPs to communicate using four available full-duplex talk paths. In addition, users will have the flexibility to simultaneously deploy ‘Normal’ mode-enabled RPs and RTs along with High Density mode-enabled hardware, providing ultimate adaptability for

application-specific setups. “At Pliant, we pride ourselves on providing advanced communication products to the ever-changing needs of the industry, continuously updating our product offerings to provide cutting-edge communications solutions,” says Gary Rosen, Vice President of Global Sales for Pliant Technologies. “By offering this new software and firmware update at no charge to our flagship wireless intercom system, all CrewCom users can now access an additional mode of operation and more features than ever before at no additional cost.” Along with the unique High Density feature, Pliant has also made system setup even easier with its new Auto Configuration function. This makes the out-of-box experience a breeze, as a series of menus walk the user through the setup process by simply plugging in the

needed hardware using standard Cat-5e/6 or fibre connections, turning on the Control Unit (CU), and selecting the Auto Configure menu option. If more customisation is required or a larger system with more than three RTs needs to be deployed, the CrewWare application can be used to create a tailored system configuration specific to the application. Multiple feature improvements have also been made to the system, including external sync indication on both the CU and in CrewWare, auto system reboot when changing applicable system setup parameters, remote microphone kill per conference, and a new RP Summary menu added to the CU. The new CrewCom v1.10 firmware upgrade, which includes the new features and updates, is free of charge and is now available for direct download from the Pliant Technologies website. Visit https://plianttechnologies.com

CONTENT DELIVERY 5stream on Schedule with Xytech’s MediaPulse WHEN AUSTRALIA-BASED, global streaming provider 5stream needed a configurable solution to streamline their scheduling and resource management, they quickly discovered MediaPulse was the perfect fit. Selected for its robust and flexible architecture, 5stream deployed Xytech’s MediaPulse to streamline the operations of their Broadcast Services division. “5stream is a rapidly growing business. We previously relied on a homebrew system of Google Calendars, spreadsheets and custom CSV scrapers to manage over 1000 events each month,” says Mitchell Kalika, General Manager at 5stream. “With increasing resource requirements and complexity across all our jobs, our existing system is no longer suitable, and we needed a solution to streamline our operations. Enter MediaPulse! MediaPulse allows us to effectively book and manage

the large quantity of work, and helps streamline and visualize complex broadcast workflows to reduce setup time for our MCR and Presentation operators.” MediaPulse Transmission is an additional solution the team plans to implement to better visualize 5stream’s complex workflows and assign operators and MCR staff for non-automated jobs. “MediaPulse’s main calling card for us was the ease of centralising all our various scheduling and resource management systems into one single point of truth, and reduce the time required to onboard new operators and get them up and running. With our previous system, it could take up to six months, given how the information was distributed,” explains Kalika. “As a cloud-first company, the cloud based SaaS model works well with our ethos of remote operation. MediaPulse allows more flexibility and provides

support from the Xytech staff, if needed.” “We were impressed with the MediaPulse product,” Kalika continues. “We feel it’s a great fit for our operation in general, particularly the flexible ownership pathways with SaaS, cloud-hosted, on-prem, outright payment and other nice additions that we look forward to discovering and implementing with MediaPulse.” Tanya Kelly, Xytech’s Managing Director APAC, was instrumental in supporting 5stream to on board MediaPulse. “With over 1000 sporting fixtures a month to stream, MediaPulse’s import facility is going to be invaluable to upload a fixture list and auto-create work orders in the system, saving 5stream a huge amount of regular data entry effort,” Kelly says. “MediaPulse is perfect to streamline 5stream’s operations, and its subscription model fits well with the company’s

capex objectives. MediaPulse will also schedule the 5stream staff and manage their customer contracts.” “Tanya has been absolutely fantastic to work with, and has guided us to see the positive impact of MediaPulse, and we’re excited to put the new platform into action,” concludes Kalika. Visit https://www.xytechsystems.com

Telstra Broadcast Services Expands with Cinegy CINEGY GMBH GmbH has announced that Telstra Broadcast Services (TBS), will be expanding its broadcast and playout service offerings based on the Cinegy platform. Cinegy is a premier provider of software technology for digital video processing, asset management, video compression and automation, and playout services. Products such as Cinegy Air, with its scalability, efficiency and feature-rich, intuitive usability, will form the backbone of Telstra’s playout service offering. The global media industry is expanding to cloudenabled and software-defined capabilities. Adding new playout capabilities, running on

Cinegy software modules, to TBS’s existing global fiber and satellite networks, sets the company up to meet the evolving needs of the broadcast market. “We’re delighted to be working with Telstra to help them deliver cloud-based playout and associated services” said Daniella Weigner, Managing Director of Cinegy GmbH. “Using Cinegy technology in conjunction with Telstra’s workflow innovations will provide broadcasters with incredible flexibility to manage their content offerings through virtual environments, helping them deploy new services and channels to respond to special events, programming opportunities and new markets in these changing times.”

“By partnering with Cinegy, Telstra Broadcast Services is able to remove the shackles of traditional hardware-based solutions and capex cycles that stifle innovation’’ said Andreas Eriksson, Head of Telstra Broadcast Services. “Our MediaCloud solution is setting the benchmark providing the ability to drive software with rapid ongoing development cycles, which is really powerful for our customers as it enables scale through innovation, responsive changes and agile workflows for new and existing offerings.’’ Visit https://www.cinegy.com and https://www.telstra.com.au/businessenterprise/industries/telstra-broadcastservices

NDI, part of the Vizrt Group, has announced a new version of NDI, NDI|HX 3. Now available to anyone using an NDI|HX 3 enabled device, users can select NDI|HX 3 as an option for better video with reduced latency – using a fraction of the bandwidth of NDI high bandwidth. NDI|HX 3 is an option for manufacturers and developers to magnify flexibility, without the need to change or upgrade hardware. Since its inception in 2015, applications and devices that are NDI-enabled have been adopted by more media organisations than any other IP standard and adoption is still growing at record speed. NDI technology continues to break down the boundaries of creating content

and moving video without limitations and this new standard is no exception. NDI|HX 3 gives the option to deliver low latency transmission with reduced bandwidth, while maintaining the visually lossless standards NDI users demand; allowing users to deliver broadcast quality video in any setting without the need to upgrade their equipment. There is a low engineering effort to integrate NDI|HX 3 for existing manufacturers to immediately begin leveraging the benefits. Software applications, such as NewTek TriCaster, Vizrt Vectar Plus, vMix, etc., will not need any upgrade to support NDI|HX 3.

users apply the standard, integrating it into countless workflows, products and projects never cease to amaze us. To keep up with the demand from the market in leveraging NDI technology, and to enable limitless content creation for any user, our team is committed to consistent innovation to push the boundaries of moving video. NDI®|HX 3 is a shining example of that commitment as it strikes the perfect balance of quality and efficiency with zero compromises to set a new standard in visual storytelling,” comments Michael Namatinia, President, NDI.

“The diverse ways in which NDI partners and

Visit https://www.ndi.tv/blog/ndihx3/

CONTENT DELIVERY

New NDI|HX 3 Offers Higher Quality, Lower Latency

CONTENT DELIVERY

Don’t Build the OTT Version of Frankenstein’s Monster Who remembers back in 1999 when DVD rental company Netflix launched its online subscription service through the Internet? By Oscar Gutierrez, VP Business Development, Switch Media THAT WAS AN EXCITING TIME for consumers that sparked a new era for television. Fast forward 22 years and now there are hundreds of OTT services that stream content to millions of people around the world. In Australia, as I write this, there are 27 OTT services available to the public – both free and subscription based. In North America there are close to 50. Consumers in wealthier and larger nations have greater access to things like Smart TVs and the ability to sign up to a service and watch whatever content they like. But in less wealthy countries or regions that aren’t as developed, access to OTT services, and to global content for that matter, is limited.

CONTENT DELIVERY

As broadband connectivity improves and speeds increase, smaller communities in remote areas are being given the chance to access online video services. Nations that are new to OTT, or start-ups with new content offerings that aren’t backed by millions of dollars, are now more able to keep up with the fast-paced OTT landscape, providing subscribers with affordable streaming services and repurposing local content. Telecom operators can service small communities with pay-TV offerings that can be billed as part of their existing mobile phone service, providing on-demand content to subscribers and creating new revenue streams.

What’s crucial for telcos to consider is if they want to successfully take this route, they need to build a platform that is future-proof. You can’t apply the same technology principles to an OTT platform as you might to a traditional broadcast service. If you think you can build a streaming service in-house by patching together a bunch of encoders and software, then you’re going to create the OTT version of Frankenstein’s monster. And nobody wants to create Frankenstein’s monster! This doesn’t mean having to invest in an all singing, all dancing, very highcost content publishing platform; clearly that’s not an option for small players. This is why it’s

important that telcos have access to an off-the-shelf, quick-to-market solution that enables them to launch services easily but includes an affordable level of integration and sophistication that make it flexible and future-proof. In 2021, Switch Media delivered a new streaming service for Solomon Telekom Company Limited (STCL). The company took its free-to-air channels online to be accessed anywhere, anytime, from any device. Using Switch Media’s MediaHQ Lite online video platform, Telekom Television (TTV) was able to provide its subscribers with a two-channel service that’s available online across multiple devices including Chromecast streaming technology.

Our mission is to empower clients with cutting-edge, cost-effective solutions that allow them to be competitive and provide an exceptional viewer experience.

The TTV OTT service delivers a combination of free access and subscription, with subscribers receiving unlimited data via their ISP. Billing is carried out via mobile phones and users can purchase vouchers to access the service from local retailers. By working closely with companies on projects like this, we’ve developed a deep understanding of the challenges facing customers globally and a clearer view of the current variances from market to market. Because of the current climate, telcos and broadcasters are understandably looking at ways to reduce costs and complexity so they can extend their reach and free up time and money. To do this they need a best-of-breed online video solution without the need for customisation (other than adapting to company branding). Some of the features that this type of off-the-shelf solution provides include secure VOD and live streaming with DRM; a global CDN service; real-time analytics reports; comprehensive metadata; high-definition ABR encoding; dynamic ad insertion (DAI); and a range of ready-to-go applications across every screen. Using MediaHQ Lite, TTV has a

streamlined costeffective, fast-tomarket online video solution that meets all these requirements and more. It provides all the essential capabilities and features, complete with applications and the ability to monetise seamlessly without the complexity and overheads often associated with other OTT solutions. Drawing key components and features from our world-class online video platform MediaHQ, MediaHQ Lite keeps the lion’s share of features and value without complications or the need for a big budget with full support along the way. It enables customers to get an online video service up and running within a matter of weeks. The solution is designed so that it doesn’t have to be customised over and over, but rather it uses a proven framework that can be rebranded to a company’s own guidelines. This means a service can be delivered in record time, and it ensures businesses are

running at optimum efficiency by streamlining workflows. We want content providers to have the freedom to think strategically and to be able to leverage agile technologies in OTT. Our mission is to empower clients with cuttingedge, cost-effective solutions that allow them to be competitive and provide an exceptional viewer experience, especially in smaller communities and evolving territories around the globe. By selecting an online video service like MediaHQ Lite and not building Frankenstein’s monster in-house, telcos and broadcasters can quickly and easily adapt to the ever-changing OTT landscape and consumer expectations. Visit https://www.switch.tv

CONTENT DELIVERY

Subs-based Broadcast Captioning and Subtitling TELESTREAM has announced Stanza, a new captioning and subtitling software product designed for large and small companies alike. Stanza provides a low-cost entry point for organisations requiring high-end captioning capabilities by offering a subscription-based OPEX business model. Providing accurate closed captions and subtitles are critically important aspects of video content creation as legal requirements in many regions of the world mandate this information be made available for hearing impaired viewers. To help address the challenges of remote working, the client-server deployment model of Stanza allows captioning editors to work from any location from a simple browser-based editing console, regardless of where media files are stored. Stanza uses the powerful Telestream GLIM engine to play back original high-res files instantly without any need to create and transfer proxy images. “With Stanza, large media files do not need to be downloaded or moved across a local area network,

nor do proxies need to be created to work on captioning projects,” says Scott Matics, Senior Director of Product Management at Telestream. “And with its built-in access to Timed Text Speech auto-transcription and integration with Vantage and Timed Text Flip transcoding and processing, Stanza represents a powerful new way to automate more of the caption creation process.” With the ability to run on Windows, MacOS and Linux, Stanza is platform agnostic enabling editors and captioning agencies the ultimate in flexibility. Stanza includes optional access to the AI powered Timed Text Speech auto-transcription service which supports over 100 languages. Stanza also integrates with the Vantage Timed Text Flip text transcoder and processor to provide automation for captioning

workflows. “With Stanza, companies of all sizes, as well as independent transcriptionists, can now create and edit broadcast-grade, highquality captions and subtitles more efficiently and more costeffectively than ever before,” comments Matics. “This represents the future of closed captioning and subtitling workflows.” Stanza is built upon the Telestream Media Framework, the same

technology that underpins several Telestream products and services such as the Vantage Media Processing Platform and Telestream Cloud Transform. The Media Framework includes format and container support developed from over twenty years of experience, having been tested in some of the most challenging broadcast use cases around the world. Visit https://www.telestream.net

Open Broadcast Systems Supports NMOS IS-04/05 OPEN BROADCAST SYSTEMS has announced that its highdensity C-200 Encoders and Decoders now have support for NMOS (Networked Media Open Specifications). In particular, the C-200 platform supports both the IS-04 and IS-05 specifications. NMOS is a family of open, free of charge specifications that enable interoperability between media devices on an Uncompressed IP infrastructure. Adding NMOS

contribution, distribution or internal monitoring feeds. It can encode more than 64 channels in just 2U, much higher than traditional systems. Similarly, the C-200 Decoder provides high density decode of MPEG Transport Streams into Uncompressed IP formats such as 2110. The C-200 is available as pure software for IT-centric deployments or as appliances for more traditional setups. It delivers ultra-high value in pristine quality and with very

low end-to-end latency.

also the unprecedented scaling abilities to reach your entire audience,” said Steven Tielemans, CEO at THEO Technologies. “We questioned our technology partners, clients and peers about their greatest video and streaming challenge, and live low latency at scale was seen as the number one priority. hesp.live has the ability to stream ultra fast and cost efficiently to thousands or even millions of concurrent viewers without any scaling challenges.”

flagship product THEOplayer, was an early adopter of low latency streaming protocols such as LLDASH and LL-HLS in THEOplayer, and invented HESP to further lower latency and improve the viewer quality of experience. HESP is an HTTP-based streaming protocol that works over standard CDN internet infrastructure. It can really bring interactivity at scale, something which is complex and expensive to achieve with nonHTTP based streaming protocols.

solution that covers the full pipeline from video ingest and distribution over a global CDN, to high-quality video playback and extensive scaling. hesp.live is designed to make real-time streaming at scale easy. It’s an API-first solution, which brings the video infrastructure of large media companies to any developer, so that they can easily embed real-time video at any scale in their applications.

THEO Technologies, with its

hesp.live is a cloud-based HESP

support allows for vendor-neutral routing of Uncompressed IP flows into the C-200 Encoder without the need for specific drivers to be written or for manual configuration. Likewise, the C-200 Decoder can be incorporated into Uncompressed IP facilities without complex manual configuration. The C-200 Encoder allows for high density encoding of Uncompressed IP streams for

Kieran Kunhya, CEO, Open Broadcast Systems, commented: “It can be challenging to incorporate high-density encode and decode into Uncompressed IP facilities and so NMOS IS-04/05 allows for broadcasters to control encoders and decoders easily, without the need to go back to legacy SDI workflows, as many have done.” Visit https://www.obe.tv

TELLYO, Video tech company THEO Technologies has launched hesp.live, which it claims is the first HTTP-based real-time video streaming infrastructure that reaches sub-second latency at scale. The company says it has achieved this by leveraging the High Efficiency Streaming Protocol (HESP) that enables live interactivity at scale for industries such as sports, betting, auctioning, gaming and live events.

“The real game changer here is not only the sub-second latency, but

Visit https://www.theoplayer.com and https://www.hesp.live

CONTENT DELIVERY

HTTP Real-Time Video API at Scale

CONTENT DELIVERY

Mediaproxy LogServer Now Available on Per-Use-Basis MEDIAPROXY is targeting the growing area of ‘pop-up’ television and streaming channels by offering its flagship LogServer system as a flexible OPEX option. The compliance logging and monitoring platform is now available for short-term rental to broadcasters covering special events or creating additional, temporary services. Adding services to accommodate coverage of occasional events is now easier due to the greater capacity and flexibility of modern playout facilities. It is also possible to ‘spin-up’ channels on an ad hoc basis, such as for when a sports broadcaster needs to cover several live football matches simultaneously. These ‘pop-up’ channels, which include both the ‘red button’ option on digital terrestrial platforms

and cloud-based services, allow broadcasters to offer their audiences more choice. They also bring more operational responsibilities to ensure quality of experience (QoE) and compliance with regulatory standards. Monitoring systems like Mediaproxy LogServer provide a powerful and broad feature set for checking not only the output at the master control room (MCR) but also the various programs streams along the distribution chain. Broadcasters and playout facility operators who buy LogServer licences for their full-time channels do not want to spend money on a permanent licence for a service that is used only occasionally. With the continuing growth in and demand for pop-up channels, Mediaproxy has decided to make

LogServer available as a rented option. This allows users to licence the system as and when they need it without having to commit to a minimum period of rental. This new package includes LogServer itself plus support and covers unlimited users and all client apps. Pop-up channels only work with a specific range of inputs sources: TSoIP, IP, OTT HLS/DASH, SMPTE-2110, SMPTE 2022-6 and streaming sources. LogServer has full capability to work with these formats and standards. It is also able to handle video transport protocols including SRT (Secure Reliable Transport), Zixi, HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) and RTP (Realtime Transport Protocol). Another benefit is that no capture hardware is needed, only a network card. In this way a pop-up channel can

be based on physical equipment ‘on-prem’, on a virtual machine, or in the cloud. “Modern software-based compliance systems such as LogServer have the flexibility to record pop-up or event-based channels for only the period these services need to run,” comments Mark Rushton, SVP Sales and Solutions of Mediaproxy. “The advantages are that this can be done at very short notice, something that is facilitated through deployment in the cloud. Mediaproxy is pleased to offer ad hoc licences for LogServer to our users, who will have access to comprehensive compliance monitoring without having the expense of a full-time commitment for short-term operations.”

Visit www.mediaproxy.com

FSR Expands Next Generation Digital Ribbon Cable Series FSR, manufacturer of a variety of infrastructure and signal management solutions, has expanded its Next Generation Digital Ribbon Cable series to include USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C DR cables designed for most conferencing cameras, hard drives, PCs, laptops or any highend peripheral devices that use a USB Type-C connector to transfer data. Introduced at InfoComm 2021, these hybrid fibre/copper cables are now shipping. Offered in 10m and 15m lengths the cables are compatible with both Windows and Apple iOS, can support a 5V/900mA transfer limit,

and deliver a speed of 10Gbps data transfer without signal loss or delay. Each cable is fitted with a discreet black jacket with connector shells labeled HOST and DEVICE to aid in error-free connection. The DR USB Type-C cables deliver superior per formance while providing a reliable user experience without the need for software. The cables are plenum rated (type CMP/FT6) and feature enhanced pull strength of 15kg. They join FSR’s extensive range of Next Generation Digital Ribbon Cables which includes 4K and 8K versions that utilise a proprietary technology to allow high-speed, high-definition, HDMI

signal transmission over distances of up to up to 100 or 30 metres. “We’re excited to offer our customers a powerful digital ribbon cable solution for today’s high-end peripheral devices that use a USB Type-C connector,” explains Jan Sandri, President, FSR. “This latest version of our Next Generation Digital Ribbon Cables fulfils a market need with a product that meets the high technical standard the industry has come to expect from FSR’s product portfolio. The new cables are the next logical step to keep our customers ahead of the curve and we look forward to

demonstrating their power and performance at events throughout the year.” Visit https://fsrinc.com

Tellyo Stream Studio with Stream Synch Engine

CONTENT DELIVERY

TELLYO, the cloud-based video content production platform, has announced the latest version of its flagship Stream Studio solution. Stream Studio was launched less than two years ago and has grown to be used by customers like Liberty Global, ESPN and Sunset+Vine to create compelling live content that can be easily streamed to multiple digital and social media destinations.

The latest version of Stream Studio (V1.28 – codename ‘Black Burst’), makes frame-perfect switching of a live multi-camera production in the cloud a reality. This is thanks to a new stream synchronisation engine that precisely synchronises inputs from multiple camera feeds. V1.28 also includes Tellyo

Intercom, which enables full duplex communication between your production team and talent. In addition, this latest version opens up more granular and precise control of Stream Studio’s powerful audio mixing capabilities by merging the advanced and simple audio mixers into a single unified solution. The new built-in stream synch engine changes the game by synchronising incoming multiple camera streams that share a common timestamping scheme. The engine supports SMPTE 12M SEI in-band timecode metadata (the ‘digital’ VITC/LTC) and ‘wallclock’ NTP/PTP timestamps. With incoming streams that include the timing information you can now

switch a remote multicamera production live in the cloud, without having to worry about cameras getting out of sync. Stream Studio even supports multiple timing schemes within the same production. Depending on your Internet connectivity, either an adaptive or static buffering mechanism can be chosen. Commenting on the new release, Tellyo COO Jakub Majkowski is delighted to bring these valuable new features to Tellyo’s expanding customer base. “We’re excited to introduce the stream synch engine, as well as improving Stream Studio’s comms abilities by making two separate partyline

channels available – Talkback for the ‘core’ production crew and IFB for talent. Add in the configuration enhancements to the audio mixer, and you can see why Stream Studio keeps growing as a platform and is receiving so much industry attention. Our ambitious product roadmap keeps delivering on real-world customer feedback, and there’s much more to look forward to in 2022!”

Visit www.tellyo.com

POSITIONSCLASSIFIED VACANT

Senior Broadcast Systems Engineer Professional Audio & Television Pty Ltd. Hornsby, Northern Suburb of Sydney. PAT has a vacancy for a Senior Broadcast Systems Engineer based in the north of Sydney. We are an authorised reseller and solutions provider for brands such as ARISTA, LAWO, Densitron IDS, TSL Products, Meinberg, Mobile Viewpoint, ENCO, Boland, RTW, CyanView, Boland Communications, Genelec, Qbit, StudioHub, DSA Volgman, AngryAudio, DreamChip, NVIDIA and other leading brands. The role: The Senior Broadcast Systems Engineer role is a critical position performing end-to-end planning and documentation of deployment, configuration, testing and commissioning procedures for high-profile broadcast system projects. An intimate knowledge of IP broadcast networks is a MUST.

Typical responsibilities will include: • Assisting Senior Management with pre sales; • Project Management, planning and documentation; • Formulation of testing and deployment plans; • Broadcast systems configuration, testing and commissioning; • Liaison with manufacturers project teams and customer stakeholders; • Co-operate with our Service & Support Department

+ EVENTS

To be the successful candidate for this position, you will have a combination of project engineering experience in digital IP broadcast system environments, together with outstanding customer-facing communication skills. System integration experience is a MUST. As the performance of this role impacts state of the art broadcast IT systems and infrastructure deployments, a minimum of w5 years’ experience in similar broadcast technology environments is essential.

The successful candidate will have the following skills: • IT knowledge across server and networking fundamentals; • Track record of high quality, accurate documentation; • Excellent interpersonal, administrative and communication skills; • Flexibility to travel nationally & internationally as COVID restrictions are lifted; • Clean driving record and Class C drivers license We are offering the successful candidate the chance to join a very successful team of high achievers, an attractive salary package and the chance to work on some of the most cutting-edge broadcast projects in Australia and New Zealand.

Apply to: management@proaudiotv.com.au with a one-page cover letter explaining why you are the right person for the job and your CV. Only applicants with Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent Australian residency and work rights are eligible to apply.

Technology Department Manager

Rental and Inventory Assistant

Endemolshine Location: Sydney Work Type: Full Time Pay range: AUD$100K+

Location: St Leonards (Sydney) Work Type: Full-time Pay range: AUD$70K+

An amazing opportunity to join the dynamic Technical Team

Key Responsibilities • Management of Tech team, staffing resources • Recruitment & HR requirements including sourcing & training • Client facing & managing a high volume of production requirements & expectations • Budgeting for productions, forecasting & cost management

A great opportunity exists for a super organised person to join ESA’s Tech Team. You will assist in the day-to-day management and maintenance of the daily rental operations for the department. You will be responsible for equipment forecasting, supplier orders and ledgering, and repairing damaged equipment.

To Apply email Lesley.kelleher@ endemolshine.com.au

Advertise Your Jobs with Us!

• Scheduling & driving deadlines within the team & for the productions • Strategising & planning to remain competitive in the market

We are seeking • Good people management skills

One-off fee, Ads run until position is filled.

• Able to steer & manage complex schedules • Previous experience working managing a team & scheduling • Good communication skills • Solution focused & driven to improve & change • Organised & able to prioritise

To advertise your job vacancies across print, online and via email contact adam@broadcastpapers.com

To Apply email Lesley.kelleher@ endemolshine.com.au

YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE for engineering the most technically advanced outside broadcast trucks across multiple sporting codes and broadcasters. This is a full-time role, where interstate and international travel may be required. Working regularly on weekends may also be necessary. ABOUT YOU: You must have exceptional drive, work ethic, a positive attitude and excellent interpersonal skills. You will need to work to explicit deadlines, have the ability to pick up new concepts in a rapid manner, and work with colleagues for long periods of time. TECHNICAL SKILLS: You must have a brilliant technical mind. VSM knowledge and experience with IP technology is preferred.

A minimum of two years’ experience operating a broadcast truck solo will be essential.

WE NEED YOU! If you want to be part of a global company working on some of the biggest live and recorded television events Australia has to offer, send your CV to careersau@nepgroup.com and quote ref:BEAU. You must have the right to live and work in Australia to apply for this job. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted

CLASSIFIED + EVENTS

JOIN NEP AUSTRALIA - WE ARE LOOKING FOR EXPERIENCED BROADCAST ENGINEERS

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POSITIONSCLASSIFIED VACANT

System Consultant Riedel Communications Australia Pty Ltd Rosebery, NSW We are looking for someone to join our technical team working on system design and commissioning across a number of exciting broadcast, event and venue installation projects. If you know your way around broadcast/event technology and have a knack for IP networks, please get in touch. Responsibilities: • Full responsibility for System design and delivery • Design systems or assist customers, system integrators and Riedel sales staff with system designs, combining technical and commercial aspects • Manage customer projects • Representing the company at trade shows and events • Active participation in special projects, including major MT projects • Configuration of systems and demo equipment incl. commissioning, programming, updates of soft- and firmware & managing demo stock • Coordination and performance of on-site service, demo and trainings • Troubleshooting The successful candidate will have: • 2+ years of proven technology deployment experience in a relevant market field, ideally broadcast and/or entertainment. • Knowledge of communication, audio and video technology • Good working knowledge of IP Networking technology • Team player whose personality and basic attitude fit into an international, strongly mediumsized company • Ability to think across divisions and willingness to work closely with other divisions To apply, visit https://bit.ly/3BYEy5n

+ EVENTS

On-Air Presentation Coordinator NPC Media is the leading industry Content Management and Playout Centre. About the role As an On-Air Presentation Coordinator (Television Transmission Controller), you will work with the latest television transmission automation technology and contribute towards seamless broadcast to audiences all around Australia. You will liaise with broadcast clients to ensure schedules and playlists are accurate, content is appropriate and transmission of content to air runs smoothly. Duties • Operate playout automation systems, such as Imagine Communications’ D-Series, and incorporate VIZ graphic elements. • Prepare, check and run multiple transmission playlists. • Accurately execute daily presentation schedules. • Liaise with live studios (news, sport, and entertainment). • Work as part of a 24/7 rotating shift roster. Skills & experience • Experience with playout automation systems, such as Imagine D-Series Device Automation and VIZ graphics. • Understanding of the Code of Practices for Television Broadcasters and Closed Captioning legislation. • Experience working within an agile team environment. • Ability to prioritise work to meet tight deadlines. • Attention to detail. • Strong communication skills. To apply, Submit a copy of your resume to careers@npcmedia.com.au

Master Control Operator About the role You will provide operational support to NPC Media by monitoring and maintaining the integrity of the contribution and emission signaling. This includes national studio and sporting event contributions, and multi market/channel emissions to a national transmission/streaming network. Duties • Control the connectivity and coordination of television and related signals throughout NPC Media. • Operate the broadcast equipment that process and correct television signals. • Fault find and restore the continuity of terrestrial and satellite services during failure of transmission. • Set up and control vision, audio and communication signals to provide external connectivity including outside broadcasts. • Book any broadcast requirements including adds, movement and changes. • Report broadcast irregularities including post incident analysis. Skills & experience • Ability to operate ASI, SDI & IP video signal switching equipment, waveform monitors, DTT & OTT encoders and associated control systems, DVB & DAB+ transmission equipment and NMS, and VoIP Intercom systems. • Ability to fault find within transmission networks and initiate procedures to bypass faulty equipment or paths. • Ability to work under pressure and prioritise workload. • Strong communication and computer skills. • Experience in a TV broadcast environment and understanding of the Code of Practices for Television Broadcasters are desirable. To apply, Submit a copy of your resume to careers@npcmedia.com.au

Technical Commissioning Specialist - Oceania This role is expected to work closely with the Sales and Services team in Oceania to ensure that our customers receive excellent service delivery from Ross Video. Technical Commissioning • Perform commissioning at the customer’s location. • Prepare and test all commissioned gear prior to product training sessions. • Troubleshoot technical/systems issues at customer facilities. • Respond to technical support calls and follow documentation policies. • Provide support to the implementation team, as required. Training • Perform on-site, online/remote customer technical training. • Provide internal training for Ross Video’s employees. • Maintain training equipment, assist with set-up and prepare/ test gear prior to training sessions. Technical Support • Research, diagnose, troubleshoot, and identify solutions to resolve customer issues. • Provide prompt and accurate feedback to customers. • Ensure proper recording and closure of all issues through Zendesk. • Escalate unresolved issues to appropriate internal teams. • Prepare accurate and timely reports, as needed. • Document knowledge in the form of knowledge based technical notes and articles. • Expedite returned material from the field for service reasons. • Must possess a valid driver’s license and passport • International/Domestic Travel required 50% of the time To apply visit https://bit.ly/3JeBGV7

Jands…………………………………………………………….39 LAWO………………………………………………………………..37 Magna Systems & Engineering…………………..11,13,15,35 METexpo………………………………………………………..17 Pacific Live Media…………………………………………..21,23 Professional Audio & Television…………………….FC,3,22

Riedel…………………………………………………………….7 Rohde & Schwarz…………………………………………………12 Techtel……………………………………………………………..9 Telstra……………………………………………………………IFC

CLASSIFIED + EVENTS

ADVERTISER INDEX ADVERTISER INDEX B l a c k m a g i c AI Media…………………………………………………..………..33 Blackmagic Design……………………………………………….5 Brainstorm……………………………………………………25 Digistor………………………………………………………..29 FujiFilm Australia…………………………………………..46,47 Grass Valley…………………………………………………….OBC

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August 9-11, Doltone House Darling Island, Pyrmont.

2022 ABESHOW Exhibitors include 4Amber Technology 4Pacific Live Media 4Arri 4Professional Audio & Television (PAT) 4Blonde Robot

The 2022 ABE Exhibition, Conference and Workshops are returning to Doltone House, Darling Island, Pyrmont, from August 9–11.

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Hear from industry experts on hot topics such as IP production and delivery, 4K, HDR, HEVC, OTT, VR, cloud broadcasting and more.

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See the latest solutions to empower production and delivery of your content. Register now for updates & notifications on speakers and attendees.

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