Digital Studio June 2018 issue

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EVENTS

BROADCASTASIA 2018

BROADCASTING CABLES & CONNECTORS

TECHNOLOGY

CAMERA ACCESSORIES

T-TIME

FROM A MUSIC CASSETTE COMPANY IN THE 1980S TO AN ENTERTAINMENT CONGLOMERATE, T-SERIES HAS COME A LONG WAY UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF ITS CMD, BHUSHAN KUMAR.

Published by ITP Media (India)

BROADCAST MICROPHONES

RADIO NEEDS CHARACTERS The Neumann BCM Series: Dedicated broadcast microphones for radio announcers and DJs. The entire construction is functionally optimized to convey emotion with technical perfection.

Internal shock mount and pop filter minimize extraneous noises.

Available with cardioid condenser capule (BCM 104) and with hypercardioid dynamic capsule (BCM 705).

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JUNE 2018 VOLUME 10 ISSUE 06 EVENTS CALENDAR 2018 CABSAT Show

14th to 16th Jan Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE

BES Expo

26th to 28th Feb Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

BVE show

27th Feb to 1st March, ExCeL London, UK Convergence India 2018

7th to 9th March Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India NAB Show

7th to 12th April Las Vegas Convention Centre, US Broadband TV Connect Asia 2018

24-25 April 2018 AVANI Riverside Hotel, Bangkok

20 T-TIME

The jouney from a cassette company to an entertainment conglomerate, has been a riveting one for T-Series’ CMD, Bhushan Kumar.

12 DOMESTIC NEWS 16 INTERNATIONAL NEWS 28 A CAMERA’S BEST ACCOMPLICES

A dive into the world of camera accessories, which are as coveted by industry experts as their cameras.

33 THE STRONG CONNECT

We present the latest in cables and connectors, owing to the key role they play in data transmission in the broadcast business.

39 AN INDUSTRY IN TRANSITION

We elaborate on the latest technologies in the media industry, that companies need to keep pace with, to up their game.

6 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

Broadcast Asia

26th to 28th June Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Singapore BIRTV 2018 Show

22nd to 25th August Beijing, China IBC Expo

14th to 18th September Amsterdam RAI, Netherlands Broadcast India Show

25th to 27th October Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, Mumbai Digital Studio India Channel Partner Awards

26th October Hotel Sahara Star, Mumbai Inter BEE

14th to 16th November Tokyo, Japan

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VIEWPOINT Vol. 10 | Issue 6 | June 2018

ITP MEDIA (INDIA) PVT LTD

T-Series’ Growth Story Continues

898 Turner Road, Notan Plaza, 3rd Floor Bandra (West), Mumbai - 400050, India T +91 22 6154 6000

Managing director S Saikumar

VINITA BHATIA

ANISHA GAKHAR

The journey of creating something magnificent requires dedication, perseverance and knowledge. But above this all, it requires the ability to deal with rejection. That is what 19-year Bhushan Kumar had to repeatedly manage when he was thrust with the responsibility of T-Series, a popular record label and a fledgling production house in 1997, following the untimely death of his father, music mogul Gulshan Kumar.

A newbie in the business, Kumar has done it all – from convincing reluctant producers on the verge of backing out from T-Series because they felt he could promote their film’s music the way his father did, to getting into film production, to tying up with OTT platforms like Amazon to distribute its movies within eight weeks of its theatrical debut. And he did it the hard way, by learning on the job.

In our cover story this issue, Kumar reveals he built T-Series into one of the India’s biggest growth stories by making the right investments – in people, content and technology. And he believes that the best is yet to come.

Talking about upcoming events, in this issue, we bring you a sneak peek into BroadcastAsia 2018, which will take place from 26th to 28th June, at Singapore. This year, it will combine the strengths of CommunicAsia, ConnecTechAsia, and the newly launched NXTAsia. While the legacy events CommunicAsia and BroadcastAsia have served the telecommunications and broadcast media sectors respectively for nearly 40 years, the new NXTAsia builds upon this to bring new technologies that are shaping Asia’s increasingly innovation-driven economy. At the same time, with the advent of the industry 4.0, ConnecTechAsia will present a holistic ecosystem of infrastructure, technology, and services that businesses and governments in Asia need to thrive in this new era.

The Digital Studio team will be at BroadcastAsia 2018, so if you are there too, give us a shout out.

Until then!

Group publishing director Bibhor Srivastava EDITORIAL Editor Vinita Bhatia Assistant Editor Anisha Gakhar

ADVERTISING India Commercial director Manoj Sawalani M +91 98201 76965 manoj.sawalani@itp.com South India Director Sanjay Bhan M +91 98457 22377 sanjay.bhan@itp.com

STUDIO Head of design Milind Patil Senior designer Vinod Shinde Contributor Saili Bandre

PRODUCTION Deputy production manager Ramesh Kumar

CIRCULATION Distribution manager James D’Souza T +91 22 6154 6006 james.dsouza@itp.com

....................................................................................................................................

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

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Vinita Bhatia, Editor vinita.bhatia@itp.com

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MEET WITH US BOOTH #6N4-01 Featuring product demos, a live production seminar, one-on-one meetings and more!

https://get.liveu.tv/broadcast-asia-2018/ For more information please contact us: +91-9820998272

ADVISORY BOARD

ADVISORY BOARD DIGITAL STUDIO INDIA ADVISORY BOARD 2017 We are happy to introduce the Digital Studio India Technical Advisory Board for 2017. The board—comprising Indian television and broadcast industry veterans and thought leaders—offers insights about market happenings, ideas for features and news, thoughts on technology and trends, editorial contributions. The board also lends its knowledge and experience to help Digital Studio India continue to offer the most timely editorial features, case studies, and information relevant to the industry.

DINESH SINGH

K YEGNESHWARA IYER

Chief Technology Officer, NDTV Limited Singh has over 22 years of experience with companies like NDTV, NVL Ltd - Sony Broadcast equipments, Thomson, etc. Some of his notable projects include India’s first digital production set up with robotics camera in the Parliament, film-based project in Ramoji Film City and turnkey project of Bangladesh National Open University, Bangladesh that includes four studios with PCRs, radio audio studio, microwaves and FM transmitter.

Head Of Technology Technical & Broadcast Operations, Times Television Network Iyer has spent more than three decades setting up networks and developing business software for various broadcasting companies. A co-applicant in a patent application for real time graphics on TV, he conceptualised and delivered innovative technical processes in news broadcast television, developed mobile apps and mobile app back-end architecture.

PIYUSH GUPTA

RAJASEKHARAN HARIKRISHNAN

Group CTO, India Today With over 19 years of experience in TV and broadcast, prior to managing technology and integration within India Today Group, Gupta has been with Network 18 for almost 15 years and has headed operations and technology development for CNBC TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNN-IBN, HomeShop18 and Colors.

VP and CTO, Viacom 18 Media Harikrishnan heads the technical operations of Viacom 18 Media since the last four years. He has a rich experience in broadcast TV industry, production and post-production environment and also in designing and systems integration. He earlier headed technology and operations at Neo Sports Broadcast and has also worked with NDTV.

AK MADHAVAN

SUBASH SAHOO

Founder and CEO, Assemblage Entertainment AK Madhavan launched his entrepreneurial venture, Assemblage Entertainment, at 55, after spending 14 years as CEO of Crest Animation Studios. Previously, he has managed senior roles with Dalal Street Journal and with DDE-Org Systems, a information technology solutions provider, where he also began his career.

VP – FWICE and General Secretary –WIMPTSEA An alumnus of FTII Pune, Sahoo has been part of Bollywood for over 22 years as sound designer. He has won the National Award twice, besides bagging several state awards. Sahoo is currently the general secretary of Western India Motion Pictures & TV Sound Engineers Association, and VP of Federation of Western India Cine Employees.

10 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

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NEWS

THIS MONTH IN THE BROADCAST AND PRODUCTION INDUSTRY

TATA SKY, NETFLIX JOIN HANDS FOR INNOVATION IN CONTENT DELIVERY

Harit Nagpal, MD and CEO of Tata Sky with Bill Holmes, global head, business development, Netflix.

Tata Sky and Netflix entered into a strategic partnership to help their respective subscribers gain easy access to a world of content through future Tata Sky platforms. Tata Sky subscribers will be able to browse and access the entire Netflix service, including TV shows, films, documentaries, stand-up comedy and kid’s titles. Netflix’s service includes over a thousand hours of Ultra HD content, complementing Tata Sky’s high-quality

12 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

programming.

In view of this development, Harit Nagpal, MD and CEO of Tata Sky said, “Tata Sky’s partnership with Netflix adds another dimension to providing worldwide quality content on-demand for our subscribers. Keeping up with our promise of pioneering innovation, we will soon announce the offering that is possible with this partnership. We are glad to include Netflix in our family and look forward to

keep offering an extraordinary entertainment experience to all our subscribers.”

Bill Holmes, global head, business development, Netflix added, “We are delighted to partner with Tata Sky to bring great content under the same roof. With this new partnership and Netflix’s stellar line up of original content from across the world, Tata Sky’s customers will be able to seamlessly access and enjoy all the best entertainment they love in one place.”

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8 Standards Converted 12G-SDI Inputs!

Talkback Controls Talk to each camera individually or all cameras simultaneously.

Audio Controls Each input allows selection of audio on/off, audio follow video, level control and LED audio meter per channel.

Camera Control Adjust iris, gain, focus and zoom as well as color balance.

Program Control Buttons illuminate red when source is on air.

Transition Buttons Easily choose your transition type including Mix, Dip, Logo, DVE, Wipe and more!

Preview Control Buttons illuminate green when source is selected on preview.

TrackBall Adjusts RGB values of selected cameras as well as DVE positions.

Source Select Buttons Choose sources for keyers, as well as managing and running macros.

LCD Display Shows program output, audio meters, and menus for changing settings.

Transition Slider Controls the transition manually so you can operate special effects and control the speed of the transition.

Aux Control Use the program row to select sources to the 12G-SDI aux output.

Spin Knob Control Quickly scroll through menus for full switcher control.

Source and Control Downstream keyer, fade to black, media players and transition operation.

Quick Set DVE Buttons Preset DVE positions for picture in picture effects.

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DOMESTIC NEWS

QYOU ANNOUNCES NEW CONTENT, DISTRIBUTION PARTNERSHIPS PARTNERS WITH LOCAL CONTENT CREATORS TO BOOST PROGRAMMING LINE-UP QYOU Media, a curator of premium video for multi-screen distribution, is growing its operations in India following a successful launch on Tata Sky, by adding a block of new content partnerships. Rebranding as Q India, the company’s localised service recently also launched on Jio TV, India’s mobile service with 168 million subscribers.

The average Indian user watches 8.5 hours of YouTube and Facebook short-form video content each month, thus, there is an abundance of talented creatives producing culturally relevant bite-sized shows that appeal to local audiences.

Following a number of successful content partnerships signed in 2017, including Pocket Aces and Culture Machine, amongst others, ‘The Q’ is now adding a new group of premium channel partners to its roster.

The additions to the programming line-up include automotive channel – Power Drift; teller of culture stories from across the continent – 101 India; Arre – producer of webseries, documentaries, social experiments

Recent launch on Jio TV’s mobile subscription service delivers Q India to an additional audience of 168 million

Curt Marvis, CEO and co-founder, QYOU Media.

and podcasts; The Comic Wallah – a comedy platform under the FabForm network, and POPxo – the lifestyle platform geared toward young Indian women. This slate of new partnerships deepens QYOU India’s lineup, bringing fresh content from the region’s most talented creatives to millions of viewers

across TV and mobile.

As part of this expansion, QYOU India will streamline its brand identity to ‘Q India’ or simply ‘The Q’ as it builds into the premier destination for the very best original, digital content in India.

Curt Marvis, CEO and co-founder, QYOU Media said, “India is a huge growth market with lots of young and upwardly mobile audiences hungry for new content and programs from their favorite service providers. We could not be happier to see all of our hard work coming to fruition through partnerships with India’s most popular influencers and distribution deals with market leaders like Tata Sky and Jio TV, who have helped us increase our audience reach in India to 185 million viewers.”

TATA COMMUNICATIONS, PRIMESTREAM PARTNER TO DELIVER ENTERPRISE-GRADE MAM IN CLOUD Tata Communications, a digital infrastructure provider, and Primestream will launch an enterprise-grade MAM solution in the cloud. The platform enables broadcasters, content owners and enterprises to capture, produce, manage and deliver media content on a global scale.

The solution enhances the efficiency of video production, file sharing, editing and publishing workflows, and makes collaboration between global teams more seamless.

This is because it combines a cloud-based version of Primestream’s Xchange MAM solution, with Tata Communications’ cloud storage platform and Video Connect network. The service also features file accel-

14 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

eration and an expandable object storage solution.

“The joint offering enables a centralised system delivering metadata workflows to customers across the world. Worki with Tata

Communications is part of our commitment of building accessible, powerful and easy to use Dynamic Media Management platform in the cloud,” said Claudio Lisman, president and CEO, Primestream.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Anas Hantash, sales director, MENA, Imagine Communications, with Said Abdullah Al Ajmi, VP, operations, Omantel.

IMAGINE COMMUNICATIONS UPGRADES OMANTEL’S DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS Imagine Communications has upgraded Oman’s national telecom company, Omantel’s network to an extensible and hybrid version of its Selenio Media Convergence Platform (MCP). It claimed that this enhancement will boost performance of the distribution network, and enable it to combine baseband digital audio, video, compressed and uncompressed IP media signals into common workflows.

“Our goal in designing this network was to meet the quality requirements of our clients in a cost-effective way, using open telecoms standards,” mentioned Said Abdullah Al Ajmi, VP, operations, Omantel.

16 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

The broadcast company leveraged the Selenio MCP to operate an agile network, linking 55 sites over fibre providing HD services to studios and transmission centres across the country. The same platform also supports backhaul operations for remote productions, including sports and national events. The project has upgraded Omantel’s operations from traditional transmission technology to Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET) and Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH), through the addition of networking modules to the MCP; supporting digital video and long-distance connectivity over fibre in the same 3RU chassis. This enables real-time video

transport based on open standards over media and telecoms networks.

It also enabled using a single device for SDI and MPEG-2 transport streams on the broadcaster side, where signals are encoded or trans-coded as needed for cost-optimising the fibre network, through redundant paths.

Imagine Communications has provided portable kits to extend the network, where live coverage is required from a remote location.

Anas Hantash, director of sales, MENA, Imagine Communications, added, “Our Selenio MCP provides the bridge between SDI and IP, as well as telecom and broadcast; striving to deliver quality to our customers.”

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

LIVEU, GRIIIP TEAM UP FOR LIVE BROADCASTING OF FORMULA MOTORSPORTS

EL PAIS DEPLOYS VINTEN VANTAGE AND MICRO-VRC CONTROLLER

Each car had LiveU’s LU200 transmission unit attached to a GoPro camera that was in turn attached to two microphones

Griiip, manufacturer of the G1 Formula cars, has joined forces with LiveU for motor-racing live coverage of its G1 series. It identified LiveU as its broadcast partner, in an attempt to bring viewers back to watching motorsports. .

“LiveU provides technology that can be used for high-speed motor-racing.

We believe that this, along with live car data and insights, will really help audience engagement and is something that will attract the attention of other motorsport series,” said Gilad Agam, CTO, Griiip.

Each car had LiveU’s LU200 transmission unit attached to a GoPro camera that was in turn attached to two microphones. A LU600 unit was used to cover the event. Griiip is also intending to use drones to expand coverage of the upcoming races and enable selection of individual driver feeds on the G1 Series website for the users.

Ronen Artman, VP, Marketing, LiveU said, “It is exciting to showcase our latest technology in the world of modern sports broadcasting.” Whilst developing the entry-level Formula, based on the US Formula 1000 regulations; Griiip identified a challenge. It had to deliver live coverage to a wide audience at minimal costs while reducing the cost of the entry-level Formula experience.

18 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

Vinten Vantage in the El Pais Studio.

El Pais has deployed Vantage robotic camera head and the micro-VRC controller to bolster the production of its live videos. Together, they provide a space-saving, labour-saving, pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera solution for capturing and posting more than 1,000 live videos per month to the El Pais Facebook channel.

This combination yields maximum return on equipment investment and an optimum use of staff resources since it can be used while reporting from the studio or streaming live coverage from the field.

“Vantage is a compact camera system that is just the size we needed for our newsroom studio, yet we can also take it with us on location. And it works perfectly with micro-VRC, which gives us all of Vinten’s broadcastquality movement and control expertise in a cost-effective system built for small studios,” said Carlos de Vega Gonzalez, deputy director of video and photo, El Pais. “During the Catalonia elections last December, we were on the air for about 12 hours. Vantage and microVRC make it possible to do coverage like that with efficiency and relative ease”, he added.

The company installed three Vantage heads integrated with JVC professional camcorders in the newsroom studio; pertaining to their needs of a compact, lightweight and cost effective robotic solution. The setup enabled broadcast-quality video and superior motion control at the same price point as a traditional PTZ camera head. It is built to support a wide range of traditional studio POV, cine and pro-video camcorders from a variety of manufacturers, thus giving users the freedom to choose a camera and lens suitable to their need. The micro-VRC gives the camera head even greater versatility and flexibility for enterprise video capture, allowing operators to control multiple units at varied shooting angles.

“With the Vantage and micro-VRC system in place, El Pais can create news, event coverage and live-stream it to its social channels easily and affordably; so it’s more than 100 million unique monthly visitors getting the quality they’d expect from an outlet of El Pais’ stature,” said Ginny Grove, product marketing manager, Vinten Automation.

www.digitalstudioindia.com

20 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

COVER STORY

T-TIME

From a music cassette company in the 1980s to an entertainment conglomerate, T-Series has come a long way under the guidance of its CMD, Bhushan Kumar.

BY VINITA BHATIA t a time when youngsters were planning where to relax with their pals, Bhushan Kumar was handed the reins of T-Series, a popular record label, which was founded in 1984, with a fledgling production house. The 19-year old had to take charge of the company in 1997, following the untimely death of his father, Gulshan. He barely knew the business, and producers who had committed to work with the company started backing out, worried that he would not be able to promote their film’s music the way his father did.

“I tried convincing them, but they were unmoved. I requested for one chance and did the promotion of one film, which worked.

That paved the way for the second and third film. Then we did non-film music with Jagjit Singh, Lata Mangeshkar, Pankaj Udhas, amongst others, and luckily they were all successful,” Kumar reminisced.

Still, some leading movie banners were reluctant to work with T-Series. For instance, Rakesh Roshan’s Filmkraft Productions had an existing relationship with HMV Records and hence could not work with T-Series.

Gradually, Kumar was able to forge relationships with big names, including Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Dharma Productions. “Today, we have music from most top banners, but it was extremely challenging to do all this after my father’s de-

A

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mise. My mother, my sisters – Khushali and Tulsi –, Ved Chanana and my uncle, Krishan, stood rock solid with me during that vulnerable phase,” Kumar said.

SMART SEGMENTATION Kumar’s story is an incredible journey of persistently focusing on building a brand that encompassed the entire ecosystem of entertainment. And he knew that he could not do this singularly. Hence, he decided to rely on professionals who could aid him in building a media conglomerate. This included the expertise of Neeraj Kalyan, who is the currently the president of the company and Vinod Bhanushali, who is president, marketing, media and publishing of T-Series..

“Given that making music and movies are both extremely collaborative processes, it is imperative that various departments come together to produce content that is engaging, entertaining and ultimately makes good business sense. It is not something that I can do alone just because it is my company; I need the help of my team and various department heads,” Kumar explained.

Talking about Kalyan and Bhanushali, he added, “Some of the key talent in T-Series has been around with us for many years.

I have faith in their abilities to steer their departments individually. They keep me abreast of the progress, or the lack of it, from time to time. While I do believe in giving a certain amount of freedom to teams to function optimally, I like to be involved and

DIGITAL STUDIO | JUNE 2018 21

COVER STORY

Following the success of Hindi Medium and Tumhari Sulu, T-Series felt confident to produce nearly 12 films in 2018. This included Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, which was released in February this year and crossed the Rs 100 crore-mark in earnings.

remain hands-on with everything that is happening.”

Bhanushali joined T-Series in 1994, when the company established itself as a leader in music creation and distribution. “Today, 360-degree content is king, and under Kumar’s guidance for the last two decades, we have slowly and surely evolved into a 360-degree content company,” he said.

To be able to position itself as a content behemoth, T-Series has a well-defined business segmentation with music and films as its two primary verticals. These are further divided into theatrical distribution, digital platforms, radio, satellite TV, public performance, etc. Kalyan and Bhanushali are the key revenue heads for distinct divisions and work closely with Kumar.

Bhanushali is responsible for licensing of satellite TV (music and films), marketing of music and films, sync licensing and managing the theatrical distribution for the

22 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

company, whereas Kalyan is entrusted with the licensing and promotion for all digital platforms including YouTube, music streaming verticals, Telecom VAS, SVOD platforms of Amazon and Netflix, licensing for FM radio, international publishing and public performance in addition to managing legal needs of the company. Shiv Chanana, SVP, Films looks into film production along with Kumar. The latter also directly supervises content creation and acquisition and is assisted by Bhanushali.

THE METAMORPHOSIS T-Series transition from a cassette manufacturing and distribution company in 1984 to India’s leading music label and film production studio came with its own share of challenges. The biggest of these was the change in the consumption patterns amongst users, due to technology as well as rampant piracy, which had a direct effect on revenues.

“Despite these handicaps, which also included adverse regulatory frameworks, large and established media conglomerates having multiple interests in distribution platforms like radio, TV and internet, we maintained a brave front and always looked towards the future, which certainly lay in the digital domain. With the digital and online consumption steadily increasing in the country through the growth of mobile handsets, everimproving Internet penetration, growing bandwidth, decreasing data costs and young audience (today 52 % of Indian population is under 27 years of age), we saw the opportunity and were the first Indian label to ride the digital wave in 2004,” recalled Kalyan.

However, back then, the big task was how to grow the music business and set an achievable goal for annual revenues in the forthcoming decade. “It was all about setting the right foundation in terms of content digitisation and meta tags, getting the right

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COVER STORY

people on board and putting distribution pipes in place for seamless delivery in the future. That hard work over the years is giving us the edge over competition today,” Kalyan stated, alluding to the fact that the company currently has 40 million subscribers on YouTube.

BETTING ON THE BOLLYWOOD BUG With everything else inexorably falling in place and the music business getting consolidated, getting into film production was obvious for T-Series. Initially, the company invested in films with modest budgets and as it tasted success it scaled its operations in film production.

When T-Series made its first tentative move into film production, it realised that the only way to succeed was to create content that would resonate with customers – a mantra that is also true for its music label business. At a time, where there is content overload and excessive options available to consumers, this is easier said than done.

Hence, T-Series invests heavily in promotion and creating lavish videos for its artists, which results in higher recall and repeat consumption, which ultimately leads to improved marketshare. “We are the biggest investor in new content generation and spend heavily on discovering and promoting new talent and there is no choice other than to keep investing substantial budgets year on year to maintain market shares,” Kalyan emphasised.

“With the success of Hindi Medium and Tumhari Sulu, we felt confident to soar higher and are producing nearly 12 films in 2018. Our films Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety and Raid were very successful and crossed the Rs 100 croremark in earnings,” Kumar proudly claimed.

Kalyan recalled how until 2012, T-Series was moonlighting with film production and producing limited number of films. However, the proliferation of multiplexes, growth of satellite audience and launch of large global SVOD platforms like Amazon and Netflix gave the company the confidence to dive deep in film production. “Today, we are one of the largest film production studios in the country with an annual output number of eight to ten films annually. Currently, music

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“OUR EMPLOYEES WHO LEAD MARKETING, PRODUCTION AND PROMOTIONS, ARE IN THE AGE GROUP OF 25 TO 35 YEARS. SO, THEY UNDERSTAND TODAY’S YOUTH, WHAT THEY WANT AND HOW THEY USE TECHNOLOGY. THEY ALSO UNDERSTAND HOW T-SERIES MUST USE TECHNOLOGY TO REACH OUR TARGET GROUP AND CONVERT IT INTO SALES, BE IT OUR MUSIC SALES OR IN THE THEATRES.” – VINOD BHANUSHALI, PRESIDENT, MARKETING, MEDIA AND PUBLISHING, T-SERIES. is a small-ticket business with large volumes, whereas films is a large ticket business with small volumes. The revenue split ratio for music and films in the company is roughly at 70:30,” Kalyan added.

THE RIGHT FIT Over the past decade, T-Series has invested a substantial amount of money and efforts in digitising its entire music and video catalogue. It deployed technology for seamless content delivery through customised XML files to all its content partners.

Currently, its entire data and content is DDEX ready and is amongst the few music labels in India that have their own inhouse designed and developed media asset management system (MAM) and archival system, to manage 2 lakhs audio and 90K

videos and corresponding metadata within the system itself.

“Technology has helped us achieve the goal of managing all our distribution partners directly, without any aggregators, and given us automated and seamless content delivery capabilities,” Kalyan stated. To help the team make better decisions based on the data available on hand, the company uses certain web and data analytics tools that provide consumer engagement, conversion data and other important data points. These are analysed to ascertain consumption patterns and helps it fine tune its content and marketing strategies. YouTube has proven to be one of the most exquisite tools to serve audience and test content adoption rate, according to Kalyan.

Recently, T-Series signed a contract with Amazon to distribute its movies. Now, for any film studio, satellite and digital distribution deals are the most important elements in its portfolio, in addition to a worldwide theatrical release, to ensure the commercial viability of a project. With digital distribution and satellite distribution in place, the company now needs to focus only on creating quality content, to get a good head start. “A theatrical window is of eight weeks and after expiry of these eight weeks from the first theatrical release date, films are released on SVOD platform of Amazon or satellite channels,” Kalyan explained.

Answering whether T-Series plans to create original content for OTT platforms like Amazon or even your own digital platform, he added that T-Series is a content company and not a music or video distribution platform. “We would like to play to our strength, which is content and may not enter into any OTT space because we believe that by doing so we will be competing against our own distribution partners and that would not be fair.”

So, apart from producing music and films for distribution across platforms, the company is also creating original web series for OTT platforms. Last year, it created Mix Tape for YouTube, which received tremendous response on the platform. Mix Tape Punjabi, followed this, again on YouTube.

Currently, it is working on a unique col-

DIGITAL STUDIO | JUNE 2018 23

COVER STORY

UPCOMING T-SERIES MOVIES: 1. Fanne Khan Director: Atul Manjrekar Actors: Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Rajkummar Rao Release date: July 13, 2018 Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar 2. Batti Gul Meter Chalu Director: Shree Narayan Singh Actors: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Yami Gautam Release date: August 31, 2018 Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar 3. Unnamed Director: Akiv Ali Actors: Ajay Devgn and Tabu Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg.

4. Arjun Patiala Cast: Diljit Dosanjh, Kriti Sanon Release date: September 13, 2018 Producer: Bhushan Kumar and Maddock Films’ Dinesh Vijan

Bhushan Kumar likes to spend time with the 600-odd T-Series employees, based across India whenever he gets a chance.

5. Bharat Actors: Salman Khan Producer: Bhushan Kumar and Atul Agnihotri Director: Ali Abbas Zafar Release: Eid 2019 6. Cheat India Director: Soumik Sen Cast: Emraan Hashmi Producer: T-Series and Ellipsis Entertainment, Emraan Hashmi 7. Unnamed Actors: Varun Dhawan, Katrina Kaif Director: Remo D’souza Producer: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar and Remo D’Souza 8. Saaho Actors: Prabhas, Shraddha Kapoor Producer: T-Series

“WE ARE THE BIGGEST INVESTOR IN NEW CONTENT GENERATION AND SPEND HUGE BUDGETS ON DISCOVERING AND PROMOTING NEW TALENT AND THERE IS NO CHOICE OTHER THAN TO KEEP INVESTING SUBSTANTIAL BUDGETS YEAR ON YEAR TO MAINTAIN MARKET SHARES.” – NEERAJ KALYAN, PRESIDENT, T-SERIES

24 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

laboration series involving talent from India and Pakistan, which it hopes to release it in Q4 of 2018.

Talking about investments, Bhanushali pointed out that it is not always about money or technology, but also about investment in time and people. “Our employees who lead marketing, production and promotions, are in the age group of 25 to 35 years. So, they understand today’s youth, what they want and how they use technology. They also understand how T-Series must use technology to reach our target group and convert it into sales, be it our music sales or in the theatres.

Using technology and taking the right decisions is something we try to keep ourselves not only in tune with but also ahead of,” Bhanushali pointed out.

Life has come full circle for Kumar. Many film producers who earlier preferred not to work with T-Series are gladly entrusting their music to the company. And many of these producers want to deal directly with Kumar – the same 19-year old who they were once reluctant to do business with!

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TECHNOLOGY

A CAMERA’S BEST ACCOMPLICES Industry experts pay as much attention to the selection of their camera accessories as they do to their cameras; which calls for a deep dive into the world of these enablers

BY ANISHA GAKHAR

f there’s one thing a cinematographer is quite fastidious about, it is his camera. As much as we would like to bestow the credit on the camera itself, it would only be reasonable to acknowledge the importance of accessories that a camera requires: to perform its function in entirety.

According to the Grand View Research report, the camera accessories market is estimated to flourish at a CAGR of more than 4% globally, over the next four years. It is fuelled by many growth factors, one of them

I

28 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

being the increase in the use of high-end, and technologically advanced cameras.

Camera accessories are primarily used to enhance efficiency, usability, shelf-life and accessibility of cameras. Leading DSLR and digital camera manufacturers are churning a wide variety of these accomplices to cinematographers and DOPs. Accessories including rigs, heavy-duty bags, optical photographic filters, lens accessories, Steadicam camera stabilising systems, lighting equipment, camera covers, tripods and support systems, are trending tools used by industry experts. Other accessories

gaining momentum are battery packs and grips, tripods, remote releases, flashguns, soft-boxes and diffusers, SD cards, lens filters, monitors and colour calibrators.

THE LATEST Some camera accessories are standard requirements for any DoP, but with continuous R&D, the basic requirements are evolving daily. For cinematographer Kiran Deohans, an electronic remote follow focus unit is a go-to product, especially when the location is cramped and there is little or no space for the focus puller.

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TECHNOLOGY

Kiran Deohans on set with Prabhu Deva.

“CINEMATOGRAPHY IS A CLOSEKNIT PROFESSION. NOTHING BEATS A RECOMMENDATION FROM A PROFESSIONAL WHO IS LIVING THE EXPERIENCE DAILY.” – PETER HARMAN, HEAD, PRODUCT AND SALES, VITEC PRODUCTION SOLUTIONS. Deohans said, “Sometimes the script and the location demand a hand-held shot, for which the hand-held, 3-Axis camera, Gimbal is the best option. Wireless control of camera with Alexa SXT-W helps to eliminate the need for long wires meant to connect the monitor and the camera.”

Filters like NDs and Effects help the DoPs shoot on an open aperture, helping them to get a shallow depth-of-field. For VFX shoots or re-shoots of any particular shot, a lens meta-data transfer system helps to gather data like calibrated T stop, lens name, focal length, lens type,

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calibrated focus distance, without having to jot down technical details for post.

At ARRI, follow-focus systems and matte boxes are for in-house as well as thirdparty cameras. The LMB 4x5 matte boxes that were launched last year, together with diopter accessories and a lockable Rota Pola filter frame, are to be followed by a 6x6 version. This will be compatible with ARRI as well as cameras of other makes.

The ARRI Cforce mini RF, a lens motor with an integrated radio module, eliminates the need for an additional cameramounted receiver unit. It can pair with up

to three hand units for split focus, iris and zoom operation. The TRINITY camera stabilization system gives control along five axes and enables fluid, wide-ranging, and precisely controlled movements for unrestricted shooting and creative freedom.

A camera should be able to achieve a counter-balance that ranges from zero to the specific fluid head’s maximum recommended capacity. This allows cinematographers to use any lens they need, while rebalancing the camera realtime, as the image is being captured.

Many modern cameras have on-board monitors, which helps in acquiring a judgement of the image a cinematographer is shooting. The monitors give a detailed display of the various camera functions being used. For a DoP, to get all the required information at a glance, is a boon.

VALUE ADDITION The popular TV series Game of Thrones (GoT) deployed OConnor’s camera accessories to enhance their camera-using experience. Ben Wilson, ACO, camera operator for GoT, said, “Camera solutions should have the ability to handle large camera kits well. The digital cameras may be getting smaller, but after we factor in everything else, from certain lens packages to the focus systems and monitors, the whole rig can still be heavy. It is vital to have a decent sized, strong head, which can perform under weight.”

Thanks to technology, it has made things easy especially for occasions when

DIGITAL STUDIO | JUNE 2018 29

TECHNOLOGY

BEN WILSON - ON THE SET OF GAME OF THRONES (GOT).

Ben Wilson, ACO, camera operator for Game of Thrones, said, “Digital cameras may be getting smaller, but after we factor in everything else, from certain lens packages to the focus systems and monitors, the whole rig can still be heavy. It is vital to have a well-sized and strong head, which can cope and perform under that weight.”

Mahesh Aney shooting on the sets of Indian TV series ‘Everest’.

conditions are not conducive to a shoot. For instance, when shooting in a rainy weather in a windy outdoor location, with water droplets splashing on the lens or on camera filters, the Rain Deflector is a saviour to help

30 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

get a clean image. At times, the producers themselves hire vendors, to provide the necessary accessories to camera operators.

“Shooting in a remote location with a small crew, a monitor with at least

400-500 units is required to manage a clear image, especially in bright sunlight.

During a recent rain sequence with Hrithik Roshan for a commercial, the Rain Deflector proved helpful in providing image quality,” said Deohans.

Along similar lines, Richard Ladkani, director and cinematographer, used ARRI Master Grips in his latest film, a wild-life based project in Mexico, which involves filming at sea. He elaborated on the usability of the tool stating, “When it is fitted with Master Grips, the camera and I become a single unit. Focus-pulling in difficult conditions is easier, and it enables me to control the camera with one hand while holding on to the boat with the other. It doesn’t fight against my muscle memory of other controls.” The Crew Supplies section of ARRI offers bags, pouches and gloves.

Mahesh Aney, cinematographer for many movies including the acclaimed Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Swades and TV series Everest, said, “My last film Pushpak Viman, was shot in tiny rooms and cramped areas. I used a compact ‘C-Motion’ remote-focusing device. This accessory needs to be ordered from the rental house as it is not a part of standard accessories. Also, it is difficult to operate a camera through an on-board monitor. If I have to shoot on a RED camera, an important requirement is to source a good eye-piece. The Sony & the Arri digital cameras come in handy for this.”

A CINEMATOGRAPHER’S TAKE How do cinematographers and DoPs learn about the constant innovations taking place in the industry daily? Until recent times, most DoPs relied on e-mails through press releases or subscription lists, which announced new products, their specifications and latest developments on lenses, cameras and other supporting gear.

But now, apparently an essential source of information though, is group forums on social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook and LinkedIn. These groups enable the members to post queries, answers and discussions, thus, facilitating and brainstorming with knowledge sharing.

Many industry leading magazines and

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TECHNOLOGY

publications like Digital Studio, include personal interviews from industry veterans, which again, help in information flow. And of course there is the Internet with its innumerable blogs, which pose as a meetingplace for industry enthusiasts across the globe. Technology and broadcast events, like The NAB Show, IBC and BroadcastAsia for instance, showcase a plethora of latest augmentations that can help add value to one’s business. These serve as a commonground for both, vendors as well as consumers.

Trainings and workshops on the best practices, tips and tricks, allow an accessory to be used to the best of its ability. Philip Visher, product manager, Mechanical Accessories, ARRI, said, “The ARRI Academy provides training on how to get the best out of our products. We travel through India have local trainers, with a good understanding of local conditions and languages, teaching our customers to service and maintain their equipment themselves, saving on downtime and costs.”

Coming to a cinematographer’s wish-list, it is subjective to each, because every DoP carries his own style and specifications while shooting. For Deohans, camera heads, hand-held devices and camera filters stand important. He said, “Master Prime or Anamorphic lenses, OPTIMO 24 to 90 and a short zoom depending on the project are essential components. Also, a fine fluid head like OConnor for smooth camera movements, and a good set of OLED monitors is preferred.”

Aney stresses on having a good eye-piece, saying, “A good eyepiece is one of the most vital accessory for all DoPs.” INDEPENDENT, ARE THEY? In today’s market, most camera accessories are designed for specific cameras and/or applications, which can eventually restrict creativity and performance. Few accessory vendors create solutions that are versatile and designed to be camera-agnostic. This makes it possible to swap out accessories reliably and with ease. Many rental houses around the world have recognised these operational benefits and have switched to

32 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

Vischer, Jeanfre Fachon, Hendrik Voss, product managers, ARRI.

such adaptable tools.

Jeanfre Fachon, product manager, Mechanical Accessories, ARRI, said, “ALEXA Mini’s Studio Set helps our customers use that camera effectively, but we have developed Pro camera accessories for third-party cameras, like the Sony Venice for example, which will help operators get the most out of them. The point of our accessories is to complement the cameras, and make it easy for their operators to achieve the results they’re hoping for.”

PICKING THE BEST It’s not uncommon for new ideas to hit the market and then disappear just as quickly.

Accessory manufacturers need to minimise the ‘fad’ effect by ensuring that new products contribute and bring a new dimension to production; completely informed by realworld customer experience. They need to strive to empower cinematographers to achieve something that they either previously couldn’t before, or couldn’t do without additional fuss, downtime, and associated costs. The operational needs cannot be ignored and should be essential criteria for designing camera solutions.

An important factor that helps a company retain acclaim and goodwill in the industry, is, a varied cinema and documentary

experience, along with working closely with generations of camera operators and cinematographers. This helps them develop products that stand the test of time, even when the market is thronged with a herd of products to scout through. Even in the current, rapidly changing technologydriven market place, customers need to be reassured of ‘future-proof’ products that can deliver upgrades and updates.

“In the broadcast field, we are responding to our customers, AMIRA multi-cam has been adopted by a range of TV programmes to give the shows picture quality and flexible workflows,” said Hendrik Voss, product manager, Electronic Accessories, ARRI. “Cinematography is a close-knit profession. At OConnor, we work with our end users, often arranging a hands-on demo or a live field trial which generates word of mouth about a new product and accelerates its demand. Exhibitions and digital media also play a role in communicating our developments, but it is the hands-on experience that seals the deal. Nothing beats a recommendation from a professional who is living the experience daily,” said Peter Harman, head, Product and Sales, Vitec Production Solutions. A camera and its accessories, thus, are inefficacious without each other. More power to their nexus!

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TECHNOLOGY

THE STRONG CONNECT We present the latest technologies in cables and connectors, owing to their pivotal role in the transmission of data in the broadcast business

BY ANISHA GAKHAR ables play a key role in the broadcast of audio and video, by annexing themselves to devices with the help of connectors. These help the respective devices perform its broadcasting function effectively. The selection of appropriate cables and their connectors, dwells on the elements that influence the utilisation of existing cables and the planning and installation thereof to ensure a cost-effective and future-proof solution in a business where everything is gradually moving to the cloud.

Cables and connectors are an integral part of the broadcast set-up, since they facilitate the means by which the information signal transmits from one device to another. The often-overlooked peripherals carry more importance in a broadcast system as they

C

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affect the quality of video and audio signals.

Dilip Kathuria, CEO, CDM Technologies and Solutions, said, “To imagine a world without cables and connectors is analogous to life stranded at a single point.”

WHAT’S NEW? High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) has been gaining widespread acceptance as a cross-over technology, owing to their ability to convey data digitally between devices. Like USB connections, HDMI connectors are usually on the edge of a circuit board, and thus, they don’t lock. . The lack of a lock can provide a certain margin of safety.

Many broadcast companies are migrating to fibre optics, for their cable needs. One of the main benefits of this technology is that it offers a large bandwidth, over longer distances, along with a better signal-to-noise ratio. It demonstrates immunity to interference

and reduced size and weight. The main applications of fibre optics are HDTV camera links, audio and video set-ups, broadcasting studios and newsrooms. According to industry experts, the key factors to determine the usage of fibre optics are whether one needs a single or multi-mode cable, the quantity required and its networking.

They also said that one of the primary rationals for the industry’s transition to digital television is high-definition television (HDTV).

This transmission standard incorporates up to six times more data than conventional television signals and twice the picture resolution. The high resolution makes HDTV images more lucid and picturesque as compared to those produced by traditional formats, with the help of five channels of CD-quality audio.

HDTV images have a 16-to-9 aspect ratio (the ratio of width to height), providing wider images than the primitive 4-to-3 ratio.

DIGITAL STUDIO | JUNE 2018 33

TECHNOLOGY

Close-up of a co-axial cable.

While HD-SDI is a global standard, the emergence of 3G-SDI technology as a worthy successor to this interface has revolutionised the way the broadcast industry perceives data communication, for their main feeds as well as backups.

CABLES THE INDUSTRY IS INVESTING IN According to Kathuria, there are three principal factors to consider before zeroing-in on a cable-connector set. These are the center conductor, cable insulation and the shielding of the connector. Each factor has a set of pros and cons, which form an essential basis of selection of the right alternative. The center conductor of a co-axial cable is of two types, solid and stranded. Stranded is a more flexible option and therefore, the preferred choice for outdoor and stage use. The insulation can be solid, foamed or highly-foamed. Foamed and highly-foamed insulations have a better attenuation, which makes them a good choice for HD videos. As these insulations contain air physically, they are weak in external pressure; making it imperative to pay attention to where and how the cables are installed.

Shielding usually includes is usually a braiding with or without aluminium foil.

These are further categorised as single, double or triple layered; and are made of either bare copper or tinned copper. The ones braided with aluminium foil are not suitable

34 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

“TO IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT CABLES AND CONNECTORS IS ANALOGOUS TO LIFE STRANDED AT A SINGLE POINT.” – DILIP KATHURIA, CEO, CDM TECHNOLOGIES AND SOLUTIONS for bending and mobile applications, unlike the plain braided ones.

Kathuria added, “Propagation Delay (time required for a signal transmitted from one end of connection to another) is an important factor that should be considered before final selection of the cable.”

3G-SDI TECHNOLOGY – A FORERUNNER Lately, the demand for transmitting high

quality videos with higher definition, brightness and swift motions in the broadcast industry has risen considerably.

Severeal industry experts believe that serial digital interface (SDI), a family of digital video interfaces standardised by SMPTE (The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers), is increasingly being used for broadcast-grade video. The SMPTE has described three mapping schemes for transporting uncompressed video and ancillary data like audio data, the audio control packets, the payload ID and the time code into a serial digital interface operating at a nominal rate of 3 Gbit/s. These are defined by three levels: According to the Ebu technical report, the Level A definition is the direct mapping of an uncompressed 1080p/50 video stream into a serial digital interface operating at a nominal rate of 3 Gbit/s. Level B-Dual Link (B-DL) is the dual-link mapping of a 1080p/50 video stream into a serial digital interface operating at a nominal rate of 3 Gbit/s. The design is expected to be robust if one format (Level A or Level B-DL) is used throughout.

The Level B Dual Stream (B-DS) is the dual-stream mapping of two independent 1080i/25 (or 1080p/25) video streams into a single serial digital interface operating at a nominal rate of 3 Gbit/s. It carries two 1.5G-SDI streams on a single co-axial cable and while the ITU and SMPTE are discussing standards, Level B-DS is being used by some organisations to carry the left and right eye signals of stereoscopic 3DTV. Although, Level B-DL carries 1.5Gb/s signals, it is subject to the same 3Gb/s installation requirements as Level A and Level B-DL. Industry professionals who do not wish to be named, said that the ITU-R BT.656 and SMPTE 259M defined digital video interfaces used for a relative standard, known as high-definition serial digital interface (HD-SDI), is standardized in SMPTE 292M; this provides a nominal data rate of 1.485 Gbit/s.

3G-SDI projection is expected to be followed by SMPTE established transmission standard, 12G-SDI, which has greater transmission capacity than 3G-SDI, and is compatible with 4K.

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TECHNOLOGY

HD-SDI VS 3G-SDI Whilst weighing which option to go ahead with, specifications that add utmost value to the selection should be chosen with care. HD-SDI is standardised in SMPTE292M, at a 1.5 Gb/s interface, the bit rates supported by HD-SDI are actually 1.485 Gb/s and 1.485 / 1.001 Gb/s. Most existing HD-SDI displays in the legacy systems can be used with high-resolution cameras, after checking the compatibility.

Also, it is a plug-and-play solution, and thus, can be used to create a simple surveillance system. It deploys long distance cable lengths that are typically above 100m. A 3G-SDI interface requires a computer as a mediator between the camera and the monitor, where as a HD-SDI provides a direct connection between the camera and the display.

On the other hand, the use of 3G-SDI within a broadcast environment, serves the ability to send numerous different video formats, production and digital cinema

formats down a single wire. 3G-SDI is an upgraded version of HD-SDI. The system supports SMPTE424M, SMPTE292M, SMPTE259M, SMPTE297M, SMPTE305M, and SMPTE310M standards. Using dual 3G-SDI, one can transport a full 12-bit 4:4:4 or RGB 1080p60 feed with space, for audio and metadata.

The development of HDTV formats such as HD-SDI and 3G-SDI were designed to encode digital video as a single signal that combines serialised data and clock reference. The use of high data rates such as 1.485 Gb/s for HD-SDI and 2.970 G/s for 3G-SDI, long cable lengths and the encoding methods are some features common to both.

THE YES AND NO The world of cables and connectors may seem daunting, but the task can simplified keeping a few pointers in mind. A broadcast company should be cautious to use video cables for video and separate audio cables for audio, without interchanging the two. It

is a smart choice to buy the right length for the right application. Long cables expose the system to hostile forces, which might in turn lead to an outage. Portable situations call for flexible cables and more rigid ones for permanent installations.

The connectors can be chosen by specifications like strand/single strand connectors, foil/mesh shielding, crimped/ molded ends. The choice depends on the area of application, in many cases. Molded cables enable strain-relief to the connections, but come in the expensive category. Also, it is irreparable in cases of wear and tear.

Crimped ends on cables have metal rings and cable insertion points squeezed tightly around the ends of the cable, making them susceptible to getting loose.

The selection of the best-suited combination of cables and connectors can go a long way in enriching one’s production quality, which will eventually boast of crisp, colourful visuals and crystal clear audio.

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QUICK CHAT

JUSTICE LEAGUE

Understanding a director’s needs, close interaction with clients, and having a clear vision of what the final result should look like is how Makarand Surte, senior colourist is helping Redchillies.Color stay leagues ahead of competition

BY VINITA BHATIA e is the person who is responsible for creating a workflow early in early project at Redchillies.

Color. This kind of planning helps moviemakers view rushes, visual effects, digital intermediates or previews in a format that will give them an idea about what the movie will finally look like. Meet Makarand Surte, senior colourist, Redchillies.Color.

He believes that the only way for a post-

H

36 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

production house to stay ahead of the game is by establishing a good rapport with clients and delivering projects on time. From his end, he endeavours to understand the director and DOP’s vision; what they actually want to achieve from the movie, while also aiming to translate the writer’s perspective on the screen.

How do you use your skills to help Redchillies.Color differentiate itself from other production houses in India?

Redchillies is a household name now, a

conversation starter. The minute I say I’m with Redchillies, everyone stops whatever they’re doing and asks me, ‘How is Shah Rukh Khan or SRK. I guess that’s one great way to differentiate ourselves!’

It was in 2016, when Fan the movie was released, when my coworker and friend Ken Metzker and I were approached by Keitan Yadav and Harry Hingorani, CEO and CCO of Redchillies VFX, who suggested the possibility of having a colour grading setup for Redchillies. This was a great collaboration

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QUICK CHAT

DOP Michal Luka and colourist Makarand Surte ensured that they portrayed the thriller film, Ittefaq, using lots of gray and dark tones.

and TV spots, editorial and conforming, ACES workflow, digital cinema mastering and KDM delivery, digital mastering for 4K UHD and OTT content, on-set services DIT and dailies.

Set against the background of the monsoon, Makarand Surte used hues, colours, expressions as well as minute details like clouds to enhance the setting of the award-winning Marathi movie, Adnyat.

opportunity for our clients and us. That is how it all started for Redchillies.Color. We were able to move with the majority of our team from Reliance MediaWorks so we have been able to fly right out of the gate.

Our involvement with our clients, understanding of the director’s requirements as well as our vision of what the movie should look like is what our colourists are known for. Building a good rapport as well as delivering our projects on time; that’s how we really set ourselves apart.

Can you describe your colour and VFX services?

Redchillies.VFX is embarking on its 13th year; it started the VFX division in 2006 with an eight-member team and has expanded to over 400 employees. It is currently working

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Makarand Surte was part of the foundation team of RedChillies.Color at the start of 2017, an initiative of Redchillies.VFX in Mumbai. He has worked on many productions both before and since, including the short film Adnyat, which won the National Film Award for ‘Best Non-Feature Film Cinematography’.

on 35 movies, including two Hollywood and two Chinese productions. Currently, it offers various services including on-set visual effects, concept art, previs, 3D assets, 3D animation, crowds, creatures, matte painting, CG environment, CG effects, compositing, BG preps, and digital de-aging.

RedChillies.Color moved into its new state-of-the-art facility in May 2017 with an aim to provide a full-fledged postproduction service along with VFX. Till date, we have graded over 22 Bollywood movies and regional films. We offer services like digital colour grading features, trailers

How does your team and that of Redchillies’ VFX team work together often?

Yes, very much. Once we sign on a script, we discuss the movie theme so I can understand the tones, the background and the storyline, which helps me in the colour grading process. Whilst the project is still being graded, the VFX team and supervisor sit with us in the grading theatre and give their inputs. Here, it’s important to mention that what makes a project successful is teamwork and acknowledgement as well as respecting one another. That is how I have always maintained my work relations with clients as well as team members.

How did you begin your journey in post?

I have an engineering background; after completing my education almost 20 years ago, I joined Crest Communications. While I was an intern, I helped the team there with scanning and assisted colourists in odd jobs.

I tried to understand the techniques used, as being a colourist is a complete on-the-joblearning role. I even assisted senior colourist Wayne Tyson at Prasad Lab for a meager salary. That was when my boss told me, “If you can learn it on your own time, you can become a colourist.” That motivated me to learn and my journey into the world of grading began.

DIGITAL STUDIO | JUNE 2018 37

QUICK CHAT

Makarand Surte enjoyed working on Fukrey Returns, a sequel to a slapstick comedy shot by DOP Andre Menenzest, which had lots of vibrant colours and Bollywood songs.

Do you use Baselight often?

I use Baselight daily to grade feature films as it makes my life easy. The Hue Angle especially helps in separating skin tones of the actors and also enhancing their face structures. In short, Baselight can be compared to a small tank loaded with weapons, each having their unique qualities.

Since Baselight is known for its speed of work and its intuitiveness to colour grading, it helps me work faster to achieve the colour aesthetics that both my clients and I want.

Which are some recent projects that you graded?

A recent one was a suspense thriller called Ittefaq, starring Siddharth Malhotra, Akshay Khanna and Sonakshi Sinha. It’s set against the backdrop of a rainy night in Mumbai across three days and has two consecutive stories. I had to capture this, using lots of gray and dark tones. The DoP, Michal Luka, and I had to ensure we portrayed this thriller with the use of colours and hues. Baselight tools helped in getting the image to the right point, and swiftly.

Another movie I recently enjoyed working on was Fukrey Returns, a sequel to a slapstick comedy shot by DOP Andre Menenzes. This movie was the exact opposite to Ittefaq as this played on a lot of vibrant colours and, of course, the famous Bollywood songs.

What is your biggest challenge as a colourist?

India is a country of colour, festivals, laughter and mirth, all of which is expressed very well with the use of different and vibrant colours. The audiences are used to seeing a lot of colour in movies and

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PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE “Choosing a favourite work is tough as I treat each project equally and pour my heart and soul into it. However, if I have to name a few, I’d say, as a colourist I’m really proud of my work for these films – 3 Idiots, Byomkesh Bakshi, Once Upon A time in Mumbai, Agneepath. Of course, the one project that is close to my heart is the short film for which I won the National Award for Best Cinematography, Adnyat.”

as a colourist I need to live up to these expectations, which can be a big challenge sometimes. Actors hail from different regions across India and have varying skin tones, so to balance that becomes quite tricky, as I also need to match it to the script and the story.

Adnyat, the Marathi short film, bagged many accolades including ‘Best NonFeature Film Cinematography’ at National Film Award. How would you describe your work on this project?

This regional feature film was close to my heart as the subject was very touching. It is a portrayal of an eight-year old boy who is unaware of his own religion, and he sets out on a journey to borrow religious customs and traditions to discover himself. Through this film we presented a silent soulful story, with religious sensitivity as the movie questions the true meaning of religion.

Working on Adnyat was a personally fulfilling and enriching experience. The colours that I worked with have gone on to give the vision of the director and cinematographer life and achieve more

depth and meaning in every frame.

In this movie, colours play a very crucial part as the story is narrated with colour, rain and music. Set against the background of the gray monsoon, we can see the use of correct hues, colours, expressions as well as the minute details like the gray clouds, which enhance the movie setting.

Originally, the director and producer of this film had gone to another VFX house to add the clouds. But through my skills and Baselight’s toolset we recovered the original clouds in the shot and made the images more organic.

Who inspires you in your job?

As clichéd as it might sound, I get inspiration from my 13-year old daughter, Vanshika. It’s amazing how the kids of today’s generation think, the ideas and perspectives that they have. It’s mind blowing. She is also creatively inclined, so I enjoy watching her and seeing how she solves problems and comes up with ‘out of the box’ ideas. It inspires me to pull up my socks and be better at my job.

What’s next on your agenda?

This is not my work; it’s my passion!

However, I would also like to teach students in the future, as we don’t really have schools or courses for colour grading. Imparting knowledge and helping the grading world that’s maybe what’s next for me.

Why? Do you think that the role of a colourist has become more formal?

I think the medium has changed. From negative to digital, the role still remains the same. Technology has changed too, so as a colourist I have adapted and am adapting still. I believe learning is a daily process.

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ANALYSIS

AN INDUSTRY IN TRANSITION In a rapidly evolving industry, we find out whether a holy grail of technologies exists that companies need to keep pace with, in order to lead the M&E bandwagon

BY ANISHA GAKHAR he media and entertainment industry is living by a zealous attitude of invent-or-gohome, and rightly so. This is evident with the constant innovations that can be witnessed in OTT as well as media intelligence. However, how are these technological innovations affecting business models – that was one of the topics that was discussed at the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Summit held at Mumbai in May, 2018.

T

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ADAPTING TO CHANGING CONSUMER PATTERNS Business models are maturing rapidly, which makes it imperative for media organisations to deliver more, seamlessly. Three attributes that help propel the goodwill of a media company are, speed, automation and efficiency. According to ABI research, OTT makes up 15% of the industry revenues, and is growing at almost ten times the pace of pay TV. Also, five years down the line, it could comprise one third of the market. In a couple of years, half the content on the

web is expected to be devoted to streaming media. According to a report by The Guardian, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) hustled with 1000 extra hours of live sports coverage in November, 2017. Given this fact, it is important for media businesses to enter the world of streaming media as it is more convenient than reading walls of text.

At the Summit, Anil Nair, AWS, iterated the innovations for content distribution using the Edge. The diversity in viewership can be demonstrated by the fact that some viewers watch content at their convenience

DIGITAL STUDIO | JUNE 2018 39

ANALYSIS

1.7 million in Week 5. It reaches customers in 187 countries, some of which include, USA, Mexico recording the highest number of streams, Germany, a few Asian countries, South Africa and Tanzania.

Amazon Prime members watched the live stream on average for 55 minutes, which is a reasonable time span. Also, it is note-worthy that that the most popular alternate audio option was UK English. In order to ace the live-streaming quest, media houses need to ensure that their broadcast quality is topnotch, along with a world-wide distribution network. The system needs to be redundant and scalable. Personalised advertisements also generate exorbitant revenues, thus enabling a foolproof plan.

An increasing subscriber base can cause bottlenecks at the origin server.

from the comfort of their homes or whilst commuting, and some, without electricity in remote locations. A part of the audience has Internet connectivity at their disposal and binge watch sitcoms over weekends. Some, like those in hostels, have limited access over the local WiFi. The array of viewership patterns is large and media houses need to be adept with these diversities, in order to satiate all viewership patterns.

CLOUD-BASED OTT - THE GAMECHANGER Consumption of videos has increased in the government sectors, Video-on-Demand (VOD) sports, music events and gaming.

The time taken to test, deliver and market new approaches, should ideally be minimal, to ensure immediate access to viewers.

This is achievable through Over-The-Top (OTT), which allows the media company to sell audio, video, and other media services directly to the consumer over the internet by streaming content as a standalone product, bypassing telecommunications, cable or

40 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

broadcast television service providers that traditionally act as controllers or distributors. The operators can monetise their OTT by hosting content on the cloud, and strategising their costs, time and avoid on-boarding premium OTT processes.

Since most of the functionalities can be processed over the cloud, the device’s CPU resources are freed up, improving flexibility, performance and efficiency.

At the AWS Summit, Akash Saxena, head, technology, Hotstar, stressed on the need to use OTT, owing to the diverse demographics in India. Since, the one-size-fits-all strategy doesn’t apply to the subjective needs of multiple viewers; the need of the hour is versatility.

Another aspect to keep in mind is that live entertainment mainly revolves around sports. According to the discussions at AWS Summit, the NFL Thursday Night Football (TNF) was seen by an audience of 16 million viewers across all platforms. Amazon Prime Video reached a total of 1.5 million combined viewers worldwide in Week 4, and

IT’S RAINING CLOUD Mark Cousins, AWS Elemental, explained the media infrastructure at the AWS Mumbai Summit, 2018; emphasising on the usage of cloud technology. The cloud has gained popularity owing to its many benefits like paying and processing for content onthe-go. The trade capital expense is directly proportional to the variable expense, thus, making cloud a smart choice. It also increases the speed and agility, shortening the time-to-market in turn. This gives a marginal frame of time to test out new approaches. It also helps evaluate needs and adapt storage accordingly, resulting in benefits from the sale economy.

With cloud-based OTT, content can be streamed in multiple formats across multiple band-widths, and on various devices like TVs, laptops and smartphones. One can simplify their OTT service deployment by installing an in-house Digital Rights Management (DRM) solution, or opt for OTT services that come with a built-in Multi-DRM. An increasing subscriber base can cause bottle-necks at the origin server.

A pre-fragmentation approach, where all media fragments are harvested from the origin server and stored in the cloud, solves this problem. This helps bypass the dynamic creation of files when content is required.

Instead, all files are prepared in advance and are ready to be delivered to the viewers, almost instantly.

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ANALYSIS

The cloud can be deployed to be available globally, and instantly. In a matter of a couple of minutes, the content can go on-air live, across the world, with minimal lag. Using the cloud comes with a host of other pros, which can be leveraged to ensure a no-glitch set-up.

The cloud is especially efficient at handling unpredictable bursty requirements, and choppy networks. This helps focus resources on the media needs instead of having to maintain data-centres.

MEDIA INTELLIGENCE – THE NEXT BIG THING? According to a Netflix blog, over 75% of what people watch comes from recommendations.

Personalisation is taking over the industry rampantly and is the basis of all push notifications, advertisements and custom data. The media industry has evolved from a singular status of content being available anywhere, on any device, at any given time; to, all content belonging to diverse genres being available instantly, across all devices directly to the consumer on-demand. |In earlier times, the storage and management of content was the main focus of companies, unlike today’s concern of what appeals to the consumer and their engagement.

Media houses are opting for fully integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies to unlock the value of their content and data lakes. AI is the engineering of making intelligent machines and programs. It predominantly came to notice in the 1970s and 80s. It was followed by ML in the 1990s and is still used in most parts of the industry.

The ability of the system to learn without being explicitly programmed, is what makes this technology widely accommodating. 2010 witnessed the concept of Deep Learning, which is a sub-field of ML, and is concerned with algorithms inspired by the structure and function of the brain, called artificial neural networks.

ML AIDED CONTENT CREATION Can content ever create itself? ML aided content creation involves many factors, like colour correction, scene extraction, highlights creation, automated editing,

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For data driven image colourisation, systems uses AI to colourise a gray-scale image, thus, providing the capability for generating multiple plausible colourised versions.

conformance/compliance and performance optimisation. Caption generation for photos and videos, translations in a set of languages and automatic narration generation are also possible with ML. Graphical functionalities like roto/depth detection, 3D conversions aid in enhancing the quality of the output.

Additionally, real-time lip sync of CG models and VFX bidding is also supported by ML. Sub-title creation and its translation is autoaided by ML. For data driven image colourisation, the system uses AI to colourise a greyscale image, thus, providing the capability for generating multiple plausible colourised versions. Face recognition through automated meta-data tagging and extraction, person-in-scene detection and person-in-picture tracking are all feasible with the use of intelligence. It also facilitates logo detection, text extraction and speech-to-text conversion. The person-in-scene tracking is especially useful during sports highlights, for instance, tracking the person who hit the goal during a football match.

Another aspect of ML is contextual search and advertisements, which uses the user’s age, emotion, story, geographical region, content execution and character to generate content, and eventually TRP. The inputs to ML are sentiment analysis along with viewing patterns of consumers.

These are applied for content discoverability, recommendations, personalised dynamic

ad-insertions and content production investment decisions. In summary, there is no best-way to execute ML in a business. Yet, consider best-of-the-breed toolset for each task. It is important to not get swamped by just platform in a ‘box’.

Integrating the content lake with ML, and the security (of content lake as well as means by which service providers/applications access content) holds utmost importance.

Also, selection of the cloud platform can be chosen on the basis of the eco-system on which the company thrives. The workflow and the flywheel best suited for one’s business, should be built in accordance with the company’s requirements and priorities, with augmented ‘human’ element being of key essence.

HELLO, TOMORROW The future belongs to those who are swift at accommodating new fads, and getting done with redundant technologies. As organisations in every sector clamber to deploy ML in practical instances, the big players have been taking advantage of advanced algorithms and personalisation for some time now. AI is the answer to some grim challenges hurled at the media industry, since it can be used to analyse the appetite of the target audience. While it looks like the next big revolution, accompanying this technology with cloud services, is a doublewhammy for a media house, and a sure road to success. Realise. Re-invent.

DIGITAL STUDIO | JUNE 2018 41

BEHIND THE SCENES

GILDING GRIT

DOP Oleg Mutu RCS worked with colourist Claudiu Doaga to create a cold metallic look for the gritty Ukrainian movie Donbass.

And just in time to premiere it at the Cannes Film Festival

BY VINITA BHATIA onbass is a region in eastern Ukraine. It is also the title of a new movie by Ukrainian writer/director Sergei Loznitsa and was shown as a work-in-progress version at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

The post-production was to a tight timescale – shooting only wrapped in March – and

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Bucharest facility Digital Cube used a Baselight grading suite to ensure delivery while retaining full creative control over the look.

The setting of Loznitsa’s movie is a lawless area, with criminal gangs in conflict with each other, with Ukrainian forces and with the Russian army. The inevitable result is violence, death and the collapse of the civilian society.

The movie was shot on locations in Ukraine with concurrent post at Digital Cube in Bucharest. DOP Oleg Mutu RCS, worked with Digital Cube CTO Sebastian Plamadeala and colourist Claudiu Doaga to create an efficient colour pipeline that started with the DIT grading on-set. The DIT and Mutu would then spend the evenings grading and exchanging ideas with finishing colourist

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BEHIND THE SCENES

Director Sergei Loznitsa, colourist Claudiu Doaga and DOP Oleg Mutu.

Donbass was shot on locations in Ukraine with concurrent post at Digital Cube in Bucharest.

Doaga is a brilliant and dedicated professional, always able to anticipate my requests and to contribute his vision and ideas.”

Baselight Grading Suite at Digital Cube.

Doaga. CDL files were sent to Digital Cube, ensuring that not only did Doaga have a strong basis on which to work, but editor Danielus Kokanauskis could also access graded footage in his Avid editing software with no render time.

Director Loznitsa said, “It was an absolute pleasure to work with Digital Cube on Donbass. Baselight is superb, and Claudiu

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ADDING LAYER UPON LAYER DOP Mutu added that he loved working with Baselight because of the fast responsiveness and precise toolset. “Claudiu and I have worked on many other projects: he understands the direction I want to go, he builds towards that, and we reach a colour decision that is way over our initial expectations. He is the best I have ever worked with!” he exclaimed.

Doaga commented that the colour pipeline for the project was fairly straightforward; he took the CDL information from the Avid timeline straight into Baselight. “I used a film LUT for a cinematic look, combined with a blended layer of scanned film grain. I created a cold metallic look in the

blacks combined with a colourful gamma, brightened skin tones for the actors, and added a vignette layer to enhance depth separation,” he said.

Using LogC dailies, the team was able to retain full colour flexibility throughout the edit. Once pictures were locked, Doaga was able to import the CDL files and camera LUTs into Baselight quickly and simply. It then needed just a few minor adjustments to create the final deliverables.

Donbass is the opening title and part of the official selection in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival. Each year this screen shows 20 original and visionary movies, selected by the festival, which seek to tell their stories in non-traditional ways.

Typically coming from outside the movie mainstream, these movies benefit from exposure at Cannes to achieve international recognition.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

LIGHTS DON’T LIE Choosing the right lighting solutions helped the makers of Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool get the correct flicker effect necessary for the story telling

BY VINITA BHATIA

otolight, a British LED lighting manufacturer, said its lighting has been used in the BAFTAnominated Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool. The movie, starring Annette Bening (American Beauty; The Women; The Search) and Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot; Fantastic Four; 6 Days), follows the romance between a Hollywood leading lady and a young actor.

Set in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the film was directed by Paul McGuigan (Wicker Park; Lucky Number Slevin; Victor Frankenstein), with Urszula Pontikos (Humans; Glue; Second Coming) as director of photography (DOP) and Stefan Lange (Casino Royale; Mission Impossible; Batman) as VFX cinematographer, consulting on all things VFX. As standard, Lange carries with him a small inventory of equipment, including a set of three Rotolight

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44 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

The Anova PRO was used in the cinema scene where Gloria Grahame (Bening) and Peter Turner (Bell) watch the 1979 sci-fi thriller Alien.

NEO 2 on-camera LEDs, which were used during filming.

“These lights are something that I would never be without. They are versatile, powerful and with the convenience of being battery powered, they are portable and easy

to use,” said Lange. “I have also always been a fan of the Anova PRO with its built-in suite of special effects, CineSFX.” THE FLICKER EFFECT The Anova PRO was used in the cinema

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BEHIND THE SCENES

ambience of a movie theatre beautifully, but rather too beautifully. That all important story-telling flicker effect was not very strong. The director and DOP wanted more close-up shots in the scene, which led to a discussion about needing more flicker.

“Using the CineSFX feature on the Anova PRO, we just flicked a switch and had the effect we needed. There were no additional cables needed, no time wasted, just an instant solution with an easily adjustable dial to help us get the correct, subtle effect. The light is fast to modify, quick to move and powerful enough to light a substantial area, even with full white diffusion. For me, one of the main benefits of using the Rotolight LEDs has always been their portability and convenience, and this was clearly demonstrated on-set with this scene,” explains Lange.

Director Paul McGuigan was keen to use traditional visual effect methods that were contemporary with the period of the film and the lead character’s earlier career. In later scenes, the product team used a rear projection technique instead of blue/ green screen process work.

scene within the film — where Gloria Grahame (Bening) and Peter Turner (Jamie Bell) watch the 1979 sci-fi thriller Alien. The director wanted to project the film’s flicker

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onto the faces of the audience and the Anova PRO allowed them to do so.

“There was quite an elaborate set-up in a cinema location, which captured the

AN INTERESTING ADDITION Director Paul McGuigan was keen to use traditional visual effect methods that were contemporary with the period of the film and the lead character’s earlier career. In later scenes, like the live action exterior shots and car driving scenes, the product team used a rear projection technique instead of blue/ green screen process work.

“The Rotolight NEOs were an interesting addition to supplement the lighting package.

The ability to select SFX modes helped give the lighting a more ‘dynamic’ feel. So, for instance, in driving scenes where DOP Urszula Pontikos had moving lamps, we used NEOs as some of the static lights using the flicker effect in the SFX suite to help create that scene-changing effect. We also found the Designer Fade feature particularly useful to fade up from zero output to 100% and back again to zero. It allowed a handheld lamp to be moved and create a shifting shadow — but with a source that came from nowhere, and simply went away again. It created a seamless effect and makes the light very nice to work with.”

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool also stars Julie Walters (Calendar Girls; Mamma Mia!; Paddington) and Vanessa Redgrave (Call the Midwife; Letters to Juliet; Atonement) and is based on the memoir of the same name by Turner.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

MODERN-DAY NEEDS TVI Portugal embraced Riedel Artist for as part of a facility-wide modernisation program

BY PRADEEP SUVARNA odern-day broadcasting facilities are aweinspiring and one can look up to them, metaphorically and literally. The amount of technology that is packed into them is at times, unimaginable. And what is even more surprising is that this is constantly being improvised to make this facilities function at optimal levels.

Take the case of TVI Portugal, for instance, which offers live news and other programming on a daily basis, as well as live coverage of many different sports (soccer, roller hockey, handball, etc.). In an effort to stay competitive and also as part of a facilitywide modernisation programme, it wanted a solution that would enable it to take on sophisticated communications in support of its national news, sports, and entertainment programming. The company decided to go for Riedel Communications’ Artist digital matrix intercom system, finally.

This was a well-thought decision that the broadcaster took after exhaustive market research. “Riedel really understood what we wanted and helped us to squeeze everything possible out of the company’s Artist system,” said Carlos Gomes, head of technical operations at TVI. “Working closely with Riedel and the company’s local integrator, AvanTools, we implemented a truly elegant intercom solution — a Ferrari of a system — built on equipment known for

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46 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

its performance and reliability.”

Easily managed by a small team at TVI, the Artist system has been installed as and operates seamlessly with an existing conference system to allow for communications across three fiberconnected studios on site and via IFB connections to different external locations.

TAKING COMPLETE CHARGE The Riedel system is deployed across TVI studios dedicated to news, virtual production, and entertainment, and the three areas are linked by centrally and dynamically managed IFBs and mix-minuses with 2x39 simultaneous direct inputs from three different consoles (direct outs and mix minus) being used to create feeds. Working with this Artist setup, TVI staff in both audio and master control can take advantage of time-saving features including presets that recall snapshots of frequently used system configurations. Artist not only simplifies management of fiber lines between the studios but also serves as an audio router, equipped with convenient automation capabilities, for the 48 VoiP lines that facilitate guest commentary and live call-in contributors to TVI news programs.

TVI put the Artist to its first major test for coverage of Portugal’s national elections, a huge show incorporating 37 concurrent IFBs to different points in the country. As it expands its channel offerings in Portugal and beyond, the broadcaster plans to

continue modernising and upgrading its communications capabilities with further deployments of Riedel gear.

“This project at TVI truly showcases the power and flexibility of the Artist communication ecosystem,” said Maribel Roman, sales manager for Southern Europe.

“With a client who knows exactly what they want and Riedel technical staff and integration partners who are intimately familiar with the capabilities of the platform, almost anything is possible.”

The new installation is like a microcosm, which helps the team at TVI manage a small world within it. It has made the users selfreliant and self-sufficient for the moment, though Riedel will be happy to provide them with the next new technology upgrade that hits the market.

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THE BEST OF

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EVENTS

27th

BEHIND THE SCENES

INTER BEE 2017

BROADCAST INDIA SHOW • MUMBAI

WONDER WHEEL

THE MAKING OF

EVENTS

TIGER ZINDA HAI

CABSAT 2018

TRENDS

E, -AG NEW N THE QUEE AT IN THE S TH RGE AS E V LIE ME , BE L E M18 T WIL IACO TEX O, V CON P CE AND ROU KING, G , S VAT L BE SHU T WIL HAN TEN SUD CON

A N N IV E RSA RY S PEC I A L

2017

THE BEST OF

POWER OF NINE

FOR OUR NINTH ANNIVERSARY, WE PRESENT NOTEWORTHY PROJECTS THAT LEVERAGED CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES

STAR POWER MEET THE RISING STARS AND CINEMATOGRAPHERS OF THE YEAR WHO STOOD HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE THEIR PEERS AT THE SECOND DIGITAL STUDIO INDIA CHANNEL PARTNER AWARDS 2017

Published by ITP Media (India)

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Published by ITP Media (India)

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TO WATCH IN

2018

AFTER A SERIES OF DISRUPTION IN 2017, WHAT DOES 2018 HOLD IN STORE FOR THE TV, BROADCAST, PRODUCTION AND MEDIA INDUSTRY?

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Total number of pages 52 Vol. 10 | Issue 04 | APRIL 2018 | ` 50

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PREVIEW

2018 NAB SHOW

SPECIAL FEATURE CINE CAMERAS

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BROADCASTING YES, MAM

BROADCASTING

Total number of pages 76 Vol. 10 | Issue 05 | MAY 2018 | ` 50

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STORAGE

UP IN THE CLOUD

OTT

THE BIG SHIFT

A FUTURE OF IP

CONTENT, THE NEW

CLAPPERBOARD CINEMATOGRAPHER MANU ANAND BELIEVES THAT UNLESS CONTENT IN FILMMAKING GETS INTERESTING, AUDIENCES WILL STEER TOWARDS ONLINE PLATFORMS LIKE NETFLIX AND AMAZON

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EVENTS

THE TRIUMVIRATE GAINS STRENGTH The newly launched NXTAsia will join the trio of BroadcastAsia, ConnecTechAsia, and CommunicAsia to address the role of accelerated digital change in Asia’s growing economy

BY VINITA BHATIA his year, BroadcastAsia will combine the strengths of CommunicAsia, ConnecTechAsia, and the newly-launched NXTAsia, which will stage its inaugural edition from 26th to 28th June 2018, in Singapore. While the legacy events CommunicAsia and BroadcastAsia have served the telecommunications and broadcast media sectors respectively for nearly 40 years, the new NXTAsia builds upon this to bring new technologies that are shaping Asia’s increasingly innovation-driven economy. At the same time, with the advent of the industry 4.0, ConnecTechAsia will present a holistic ecosystem of infrastructure, technology, and services that businesses and governments in Asia need to thrive in this new era.

“As Asia pursues digital transformation at an accelerated pace, it is critical that the event evolves alongside the dramatic shifts

T

48 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

happening in the spaces we serve,” said Victor Wong, Project Director, UBM, organiser of ConnecTechAsia. “The new event reflects the pulse of Asia today, and is the only business platform covering the converging ecosystems of communications, broadcasting and emerging technologies connecting the physical and digital worlds.”

With on-demand and streaming services surging in popularity, BroadcastAsia will shine a spotlight on the future of broadcasting, exploring how news and entertainment have been consumed over the past decade, and the challenges and opportunities this creates for traditional broadcasters and OTT players. It will highlight technologies that are reshaping the value chain, such as the latest innovations in UHD/HDR, IP broadcasting, live production, content media security, OTT and alternative content platforms.

At NXTAsia, industry professionals will catch the newest innovations and thought-

leadership in areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Cyber Security, IoT, Robotics, Cloud and Data among others.

NXTAsia will host promising start-ups and the Singapore-leg of renowned start-up competition SeedStars, at tech showcase, Disrupt+.

CommunicAsia, an international event for the telecommunications sector, will focus on Network Infrastructure/FTTx, satellite communications and telecom software and services - the latest technologies to help companies and governments in Asia prepare for the coming of 5G and maintain a competitive edge in the communications and digital world.

DIGITAL BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION The ConnecTechAsia Summit this year centres on Digital Business Transformation, covering the hottest trends across ICT, broadcasting

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EVENTS

ConnecTechAsia will present a holistic ecosystem of infrastructure, technol-

Some topics for discussion will be 5G, network virtualisation, satellite

ogy and services that Asian businesses need to thrive in this new era.

communications and network slicing.

industries and enterprises to enable a digitalised future. The three-day summit comprises three tracks – NetworkComms, BroadcastMedia and EmergingTech – that will drive business growth and sustainability.

5G, Network Virtualisation, Satellite Communications and Network Slicing will be the main topics in the NetworkComms track, while The Future of Television, Monetisation Strategies, Social Video, IP Broadcasting, 4K, AI and Immersive technologies for broadcasting will feature in the BroadcastMedia track. Topics of the EmergingTech track will include Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Blockchain Technology, Cybersecurity, IoT, Data Analytics, Seamless Commerce/Digital Payments, Connected Industries, IoT, Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality, and Smart Cities.

“Presenting a holistic ecosystem of digital convergence and a platform for the discovery and understanding of new frontiers of innovation to elevate the global standing of Asian business and governments sits at the heart of what ConnecTechAsia stands for,” added Wong. “Continuing the 40 year legacy

KEY SPEAKERS AT CONNECTECHASIA SUMMIT: • • • • • • • • • •

Professor Howard Michel, CTO, UBTech Jassem Nasser, chief strategy officer, Thuraya Telecommunications Company Geert Warlop, COO, TrueMoney International Rene Werner, chief customer service and customer experience officer, Celcom Axiata Berhad Leah Camilla R. Besa-Jimenez, chief data privacy officer, PLDT Ian Yip, CTO, Asia Pacific, McAfee Arvind Mathur, chief information technology officer, Prudential Assurance Bill Chang, CEO, Group Enterprise, Singtel Parminder Singh, chief commercial and digital officer, Mediacorp Sanjay Aurora, MD, Asia Pacific, Darktrace

of CommunicAsia and BroadcastAsia, the new ConnecTechAsia will continue to serve Asia as we embark on the journey of the fourth industrial revolution.”

Exhibitors participating in the event also have high expectations from it, as they gear up to showcase the latest technologies in their portfolio. Nicholas Morgan, VSN’s sales director for APAC, said that his company is placing a strong focus on the implementation of some of the most upto-date technologies that it believes will be crucial for the future of media management and content production in the region. These include AI functionalities, such as speech-to-text, image processing, face recognition, object detection, sentiment analysis, audio effects detection, contextual information and text transcription and translation.

“We are showing these new features for the first time in The ConnecTechAsia Summit this year centres on Digital Asia, along with new production Business Transformation. tools including Wedit with

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voiceover and our web-based NRCS Plugin, bringing powerful solutions to our broadcast and media customers in the APAC region.

Asia has long been one of the three regions where we pay special attention in terms of international expansion and the development of the VSN brand. Customers in APAC need to be exposed to new technology options that provide their production teams with tools that are better suited the future media landscape,” Morgan added.

At the same time, PlayBox Technology, a producer of broadcast channel branding and playout solutions, will celebrate its 18,000th product delivery at Broadcast Asia 2018 show in Singapore. Its CEO Pavlin Rahnev, Asia Pacific general manager Desmon Goh, sales manager Iulian Ionescu and other members from its Asia Pacific offices with comprise the company delegation at the event.

Other exhibitors too agreed that the region has significant potential for the broadcasting and are willing to invest accordingly to support their existing APAC clients, while using events like BroadcastAsia and ConnectAsia to explore new opportunities for business expansion.

DIGITAL STUDIO | JUNE 2018 49

EVENTS – BROADCASTASIA 2018

HIGH EXPECTATIONS BroadcastAsia 2018 is nearly upon us, and exhibitors tell Vinita Bhatia their expectations from the event

SOMU PATIL, VP, SALES, ASIA, GRASS VALLEY At the event, how will you showcase the combined product lines and long-term strategy of Grass Valley and SAM? BroadcastAsia will see us showcase key IP infrastructure, cloud and virtualised playout, and workflow solutions. Attendees will see our modular switchers, the new iTX Flex, GV STRATUS, our scalable networking solutions, our LDX cameras, and the versatile EDIUS nonlinear editing software.

What are some business and performances pressures faced by broadcasting, media and entertainment companies in the region?

Broadcasters and media organizations are increasingly under pressure to deliver content in a variety of ways to consumers.

These viewers want to access content on the platform of their choice, which can range from linear and on-demand services, right through to social media sites such

Somu Patil, VP, sales, Asia, Grass Valley.

as Facebook and YouTube. This pressure is exacerbated by decreasing budgets, with many broadcasters and video service providers expected to deliver more services, with better quality content, and for less money. This means TV providers need to find ways to bring greater agility and efficiency.

How can intuitive, standardised as well as cost-efficient solutions help alleviate these challenges?

Transitioning to software-defined environments and cloud-based solutions are now widely accepted as the most effective way to achieve agility and future-proof investments. These solutions enable broadcasters, production houses and media organisations to easily and cost effectively scale up to support new services, and better allocate their resources to maximise the value of their investments.

IP is also enabling our customers to handle higher resolution content more cost efficiently and support workflow innovations, such as remote production. Our IP solutions are based on open standards – enabling our customers to benefit from business agility while allowing them to tell powerful stories with stunning pictures.

YAP, HEAD OF MEDIA SOLUTION SALES, APAC, ERICSSON What solutions will Ericsson display that will help broadcasters migrate from legacy hardware to cloud?

As TV everywhere gains momentum in Asia Pacific, TV operators, broadcasters and content owners are under greater pressure to migrate from legacy hardware to cloud architectures, which facilitate the delivery of high quality, personalised video content on the go. More importantly, a cloud powered, software-defined, micro-services oriented, and analytic driven architecture will enable service innovation at web speed while harvesting the elasticity and economic benefits of cloud. At the show, we will be discussing how we have

50 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

based integrated end-to-end roadmap to support this migration.

Ken Yap, head of media solution sales, APAC, Ericsson.

transformed our extensive TV and media portfolio with a cloud-enabled, standards-

How are the needs of broadcasting and content creators evolving?

Consumer wants and needs are evolving on a continual basis with immediacy, simplicity and availability of content top priorities for users when choosing a TV service. In response, the TV and media industry must look for new ways to create an immersive and differentiated viewing experience.

Trends such as Virtual Reality are set to gain momentum as shown by Ericsson’s 2017 ConsumerLab TV & Media Report.

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EVENTS – BROADCASTASIA 2018

DAVID GODFREY, VP AND GM, ASIA PACIFIC, BITMOVIN What are some innovations that BitMovin will be showcasing?

We are showcasing several groundbreaking technologies at BroadcastAsia this year that reveal the latest video streaming tech – from our newest Player v8 solution to next-generation streaming optimizations, AI video encoding and our multi-codec, end-toend workflow that supports next generation standards such as AV1.

What challenges does the broadcasting, content creation, production, media and entertainment industry face?

A main challenge faced by the industry revolves around how to maximise bandwidth and deliver higher quality outputs – lowering costs and increasing the quality of content delivered. There’s no reason why bandwidth restrictions should hold back innovation in consumer experience. Our new partnership

David Godfrey, VP and GM, Asia Pacific, Bitmovin.

with iflix, a leading entertainment service for emerging markets, demonstrates that the delivery of content (such as TV shows, movies and sports) in HD (high definition) video over low bandwidth mobile networks across the Asia Pacific region is indeed a reality.

Can technology mitigate these challenges?

From our side, and the work that we do around video delivery, better encoding is the best way to solve the complex challenges of video delivery. Traditional methods do not process high-quality content such as Ultra HD and High Dynamic Range quickly or well enough to deliver the kind of experiences consumers have come to expect.

With solutions like our AI-powered encoding, we enable our customers to benefit from higher quality outputs and lower bitrates so they can either make savings on the CDN – or offer a higher quality service than their competitors. The need to save costs and improve performance will also drive the adoption of containerised computing and we are already seeing many companies joining us in developing containerized solutions.

BOROMY UNG, CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER, CHYRONHEGO What technologies will you be highlighting?

We will showcase new versions and enhancements to four key products: Paint 7.4, our telestration and analysis tool for sports production; Virtual Placement, our tool for placing striking virtual graphics into any live broadcast; PRIME 3.0, a flexible and integrated graphics hub for any type of application from video news, sports, and entertainment, to government and corporate; and Neon, our all-in-one, trackless solution for creating highly compelling virtual sets.

At BroadcastAsia, we expect to see a big focus on virtualised infrastructures and, more specifically, solutions for virtualised production, broadcast, and playout.

Virtualisation is highly appealing to Asian broadcasters. It means they’re no longer tied to expensive capital equipment that might only be used part of the time but consumes power and space 24/7. These production systems are category defining because they

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Boromy Ung, chief product officer, ChyronHego.

let people pay only for the resources they need and when they need them.

What challenges do broadcasting and media and entertainment companies in the region face?

Media enterprises in APAC region face challenges that are universal to companies everywhere: the need to generate more revenues in an increasingly competitive environment, and to do more with less

equipment and limited budgets. Because APAC is such a vast area, broadcasters there face additional fiscal challenges such as currency and exchange rate fluctuations.

They also need tools that make it easy to regionalise content to reflect the cultural and regional diversity of APAC countries.

In areas such as Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong where real estate is at a premium, it is critical to get maximum functionality out of equipment that fits in a very limited physical space. There is also a big requirement for solutions that are easier to install, use, and maintain.

Given that language is a big barrier in the countries you mentioned, how can technology help in addressing these challenges?

Many people in APAC are not fluent in English; therefore, products that are easier and more intuitive to use will go a long way towards getting them up to speed quickly and starting to reap the benefit of the tools.

DIGITAL STUDIO | JUNE 2018 51

BROADCASTASIA 2018 – PRODUCT SHOWCASE

FUTURE OF BROADCAST What to know what’s new at Broadcast Asia 2018? Here’s a sneak peek

LAWO DISPLAYS IP’S FLEXIBILITY AND RELIABILITY AT BROADCASTASIA 2018 At BroadcastAsia 2018, Lawo will showcase v_matrix kit with VSM in addition to A_mic8, v_remote and v_pro 8. It will also display is virtual radio solutions for visitors with hands-on demo.

The Lawo A__line series of high-quality Audio-to-IP interfaces is designed to provide easy and reliable solutions for intuitively transporting analog and digital audio signals via IP network environments. Based on RAVENNA technology, all A__line devices are also compatible with the AES67 and SMPTE2110-30 audio-over-IP interoperability standard. A__line devices are

Lawo V__matrix.

managed with the Lawo VSM broadcast control and monitoring system. This enables convenient management of all IP audio and video streams from one unified control GUI without the necessity for deep IT knowledge.

The V__matrix IP broadcast video core infrastructure product can transform any broadcast installation into a flexible, futureproof production facility, addressing a wide range of workflows and supporting the transition to a totally IP-based environment.

Lawo claims that free from the restrictions of legacy hardware platforms, it offers a completely virtualised real-time routing and processing infrastructure. Instead of connecting single purpose modular products in elaborate production chains the V__matrix is based on data center principles of flexibility, fabric computing and COTS economics and makes these available to any live production broadcast environment. It creates a fully virtualised core infrastructure, whether for an OB truck, a TV studio or a broadcast operation center.

Stand: 6K2-01

PHABRIX HIGHLIGHTS 12G-SDI STRESS TOOLSET PHABRIX will showcase SMPTE ST 2110 support on its flagship Qx Series and handheld, the Sx TAG at Broadcast Asia 2018. It will also demonstrate its Rx series for up to 4 channel signal generation, analysis and monitoring and its portable SxE 3G/HD/SD generation, analysis and monitoring solution.

The Qx Series’ 12G-SDI STRESS option provides a toolset for SDI interface stress testing. With the Qx Series’ automated 12GSDI physical layer, analysis with RTE (Real-Time Eye) technology provides a solution to SMPTE compliance verification. Adding to its PQ HDR toolset, the Qx Series offers support for Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) and S-log3, enhancing the visualization and analysis of 4K/UHD and HD content. .

Now offering support for the SMPTE 2110 and SMPTE 2022-6 decapsulation/encapsulation, PHABRIX’s Sx TAG is designed for rapid fault-finding and compliance testing in IP, 3G/HD/SD-SDI, optical SDI and analog broadcast workflows. With an inbuilt 16:9 screen and speakers, users can perform video and audio generation and analysis in remote locations.

52 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

PHABRIX’s Sx TAG

Stand: 6K3-12

BROADCASTASIA 2018 – PRODUCT SHOWCASE

ADVANCED VIRTUAL GRAPHICS MADE EASY BY CHYRONHEGO AT BROADCASTASIA2018

ChyronHego Paint.

Based on advanced real-time image-processing algorithms, ChyronHego’s Virtual Placement is a sophisticated tool for incorporating striking virtual graphics into any live broadcast. Virtual Placement allows state-of-the art virtual graphics to be added to live productions without the need for a specialist operator or expensive camera sensors. The system analyses incoming camera movement in real time to allow for easy and robust addition of virtual tied-tosurface graphics. Virtual product placement and advertising, scores and statistics, sponsor logos, and even animated sponsor messages on virtual LED screens are among the many applications Virtual Placement is able to deliver across a wide range of productions.

At BroadcastAsia2018, ChyronHego will highlight improvements to the Virtual Placement product family, including support for 4K, a new auto masking feature, enhanced real-time data integration with the company’s industry-leading sports tracking solutions, TRACAB and ZXY, and integration with third-party, real-time data sources.

Additionally, the company will showcase its Paint 7.4 Sports Telestration and Analysis solution. In use by a multitude of sports organisations and thousands of live productions every year, Paint is ChyronHego’s telestration analysis solution for sports broadcasting.

Its power lies in its set of tools and its simplicity of use, which means that anyone working on a sports production can use the tool whether in front of the camera or behind the scenes. Sports pundits, commentators, or even assistant producers use Paint to help them create informative and visually appealing sports highlights without the need for additional infrastructure or specialist operators.

At BroadcastAsia2018, ChyronHego will highlight Version 7.4 of Paint with significant new features for today’s most advanced broadcast operations. Paint 7.4 now boasts full 4K support including built-in recording in 4K, as well as new IP capabilities including support for HTTP H.264 live IP stream recording. Also joining Paint’s existing integration with EVS slow-motion replay servers is an all-new integration with the LiveTouch replay system from Grass Valley, a Belden Brand.

Stand: 4P2-05

VITEC TO DEMO LED PANELS, ROBOTIC CAMERAS AND AUTOSCRIPTS At BroadcastAsia 2018, the Vitec Group will bring an mélange of its brands that cater to broadcasters, cinematographers, independent content creators and photographic professionals enabling them to create various types of broadcast, film or video projects.

Litepanels will showcase Gemini, a 2x1 soft panel that eliminates the need for colour correction by offering fullspectrum white light to render tints. Lighting professionals can choose to go bold, by opting for any lighting option in the 360-degree colour wheel and popular gels within its colour modes. Also, the latest firmware upgrade allows for a variety of customizable cinematic effects such as emergency lights, fire, TV and hue bursts that can be easily saved to presets.

Similarly, Sachtler and Vinten will showcase the Flowtech 75 tripod, which is compatible with all major 75-millimeter fluid heads. Flowtech is a new Litepanels’ Gemini 2x1 Soft Panel. carbon fibre technology with fast-deploying legs,

quick-release brakes and easily adjustable levers for quick and easy setup in any type of remote production environment. It offers a set of two-stage legs with an easy-to-remove mid-level spreader, rubber feet and a payload capacity of 20 kilograms (44 pounds). The quick-release brakes enable the legs to be deployed and adjusted automatically to the ground’s surface, saving operators from manually adjusting multiple brakes on each leg. The hingelock mechanism allows for capture of extremely low, ground-level shots; removing the need for the extra shorter legs. Flowtech 75 is lightweight, portable and comes with magnetic locks that keep the legs stable during transport. It also features two optional accessories - a detachable carry-handle and a compact dolly.

Stand: 6J2-08

DIGITAL STUDIO | JUNE 2018 53

EVENTS

AT ONE GO

Grass Valley hosted a technology seminar for broadcast professionals in India showcasing its latest solutions and answering questions about the SAM acquisition

BY DS TEAM t was earlier this year that Grass Valley announced completion of its parent company, Belden’s, acquisition of Snell Advanced Media (SAM).

There were several questions that its customers and channel partners had about what this meant. The company figured that the best way to address these queries,was to have a series of roadshows, which also helped it showcase the latest solutions.

Hence, following its recent acquisition of SAM and a successful NAB 2018 Show, Grass Valley hosted a series of roadshows across New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, attracting more than 170 broadcast and media leaders to learn about hot topics, especially IP. Attendees also heard from company leaders about the newly combined portfolio of Grass

I

Checking out the latest solutions.

54 JUNE 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

(l-r) Yoon, Kok Khuen, director, business development APAC, Stratus and News, workflow; Ram Karthikeyan , senior manager, services and support, South Asia; Somu Patil, VP, sales, Asia; Gaurav Sethi, sales director, South Asia with Marcel Setiawan, director, sales engineering, APAC and Steve Hassan, business development manager, content delivery, Grass Valley.

Valley and SAM solutions, and benefits of their merging of these two companies.

The events gave CTOs, engineers and consultants specific insights on lessons learned from customers who have implemented IP solutions into their broadcast workflows in the past 12 to 18 months. As IP technology gains traction across the media ecosystem, broadcasters and media organizations installing IP networks are making their operations efficient on every level, and more agile to accommodate future growth.

ALL THINGS VIRTUAL Other topics included advanced playout, virtualisation, and newsroom solutions, all designed to provide insight into how to succeed in today’s evolving broadcast and media environments. Virtualisation enables operators to reduce capital equipment investments by moving software-based processes, to a private or public cloud that takes advantage of shared computing power.

Some of the products that GrassValley showcased at the roadshow included the LDX 86 Series cameras, the Karrera K-Frame video production center, the Kula production switcher, the Densité signal processing, the GV Node Real Time IP processing and routing platform, iTX integrated playout platform, the GV STRATUS video production

and content management system and the Ignite automated production control.

Talking about the event, Marcel Setiawan, senior director of sales and engineering, APAC, GrassValley, said that the sessions during the roadshows had four modules – live production, networking, news and content delivery. Around 23 broadcast professionals participated in these training workshops from across Asia Pacific.

At the same time, Greg Huttie, VP, switchers and replay systems, Grass Valley said that the objective for organising these workshops for partners was to empower customers to make the right decisions when it comes to attaining solutions with GrassValley products, but also helping the company gain insight into what is going on into the region and how we can make life easy for them. The roadshows also focused on taking advantage of the revenue opportunities in the current scenario.

The company will endeavor to reach new audiences, across different media, with more dynamic content. And it plans to do this by having more interacting sessions with its channel partners on an ongoing basis so that they can manage the many challenges in the industry, including the rapidly changing viewer preferences and the need to reach new audiences, across different media, with more dynamic content.

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