Archive for category: Wire

Broadcast Sports, Inc. develops new Ref Cam system for close-up views of action on the field

21 May 2013, Watford, UK – Broadcast Sports, Inc. has developed another revolutionary wireless camera system that puts television viewers on the field and in the action of their favorite sports. The Ref Cam is a person-wearable wireless camera configuration that uses an HD mini POV camera paired with BSI’s HD mini transmitter. The camera is positioned at the eye level of a referee giving viewers his first-person perspective of the field. It debuted at the Stade Francais vs. Toulon rugby match last month and the reaction from broadcasters and fans has been overwhelmingly positive.

The Ref Cam features 1080i resolution and full remote control capability, including iris and paint functions. High quality images from the camera can be incorporated in real time into a live broadcast production, giving viewers a first-person view of what the referee sees during the game. The components are mounted on the referee using a customized vest and head strap and the system takes less than two minutes to set up. It can be adjusted in numerous ways to suit the needs of the production team and maximize the comfort of the wearer.

The full remote control functionality of the Ref Cam allows the video operator to adjust color balance, saturation, black level, detail and iris live during the game depending on the referee’s shot.“The other huge benefit of having remote control of the system,” says Tony Valentino, BSI’s Technical Sales Director, “is that we can switch the HD transmitter on and off as required to save battery life. This enables us to cover an entire match without needing to change the batteries on the unit.”

The debut of the Ref Cam at the Stade Francais vs. Toulon match was a joint collaboration between BSI and Canal+/Euromedia. BSI is adapting the Ref Cam configuration for a wide variety of applications. The team also tested a modified version of BSI’s Pan Tilt Roll Zoom, or PTRZ, camera by mounting the device on a pole. The new form factor allowed the operator to capture bird’s eye views of the field including unique angles of huddles and field kicks.

About Broadcast Sports, Inc.

For 30 years, Broadcast Sports, Inc., an L-3 Communications company, has been the leading provider of wireless technology and communications systems rental for television broadcasting. Headquartered in Hanover, Maryland, BSI provides HD on-board cameras and wireless audio for a wide range of entertainment events around the world including Formula 1, the PGA and LPGA Tours, Triple Crown, Breeder’s Cup, BCS National Championship, INDYCAR, NASCAR, NFL, X-Games, US Open, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auctions, US National Political Conventions, and Presidential Inaugurations.

For more information about Broadcast Sports, Inc., visit www.BroadcastSportsInc.com or www.facebook.com/BroadcastSportsInc.

Litepanels Sola ENG plays starring role in short, The Other Woman

Van Nuys, California, May 20, 2013 – LED Fresnels from Litepanels’ revolutionary Sola ENG Flight Kit were used to light locations with restricted space on Farzana Trejani’s short film, The Other Woman, a co-production between Mandala Films and Beyond Mirrors Ltd.

Directed by and written by Farzana Tipurita and produced by Chris Carr, owner of Beyond Mirrors, the short film depicts a life-changing encounter at a beauty salon between a wife who’s hiding her unhappiness behind Gucci shades, and a mistress who’s concealing her frustrations behind a professional facade.

During the filming, DP Chris Moon used HMI lights with daylight conversion filters for the general lighting set up. However, for particular locations with limited space, notably scenes shot in a bedroom and a treatment room, gaffer Matthew Riley suggested smaller Litepanels LED Fresnels should be used. One benefit of the cool-running LEDs was they prevented the small set from becoming uncomfortably hot.

The daylight balanced Sola ENG provides controllability and single-shadow properties inherent in a Fresnel light, but uses just a fraction of the power of conventional fixtures. Like all Litepanels fixtures, Sola Fresnels feature smooth dimming from 100 per cent to 0 with no noticeable color shift, and offer beam control of 50º to 15º.

Gaffer Matthew Riley explained: “We tried out the Litepanels Sola ENGs and one of the greatest benefits in using these heads was being able to match the daylight fixtures easily, and gel them up the same.”

The Sola ENG fixtures have been designed for on-camera or stand mounting, providing manual focus and dimming control via camera-like ergonomic controls. Output from the LED fixture is fully flicker-free, and remains consistent even as the battery voltage goes down.

Riley continued: “We mainly used the head as an eye light, and to back light some smoke on a few shots. We discovered that a Sola ENG, full spot, dimmed right down and with the soft box on, created a beautiful quality eye light. It provided a slightly larger source, with a soft drop off around the edges. On a couple of occasions we even used it to give us our key against daylight in tight spaces.

“The Sola ENG fixture opened up a number of creative options on the shoot. We were really impressed with the quality of the flood and the spot, and the amount of punch the fixture had, like a lightweight pocket par. One outstanding feature is that the dimmer is integrated into the head, we actually used this for a gag in a shot as a door opening. It’s a very handy little kit, and perfectly transportable as it all fits into a Pelican 1510 carrying case.”

The Sola ENG Flight Kits are ideal for news and professional videography, designed for on-camera and portable use. Each kit weighs just 30 pounds so it can be easily transported and includes three Sola ENG LED Fresnel fixtures with a range of accessories including three stands, a softbox, power supplies, gels, barndoors and mounting accessories.

The Other Woman will be presented in the short film corner at this year’s Cannes film festival. For more information see http://www.cannescourtmetrage.com/en/presentation

For more information on products from Litepanels, part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company, contact Litepanels, Inc., 16152 Saticoy Street, Van Nuys, CA 91406, Email: info@litepanels.com www.litepanels.com

About Litepanels

Litepanels was founded in 2001 by 5 professional gaffers and engineers who saw the future and pioneered LED (light emitting diode) lighting for motion pictures, television and the audio-visual industry. Their Emmy® award-winning technology has now been used on thousands of productions worldwide and is trusted by the world’s leading broadcast organizations.

Backed by the Vitec Group’s legacy of 100+ years in the broadcast and production industry, Litepanels continues to expand its suite of flicker free, color accurate, fully-dimmable soft lights that talent and Lighting Directors admire. These environmentally friendly fixtures practically pay for themselves with power savings and long life, setting a new standard in professional lighting.  Along with other leading brands in the broadcast and professional videographer industry, Litepanels is part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company.  For more information on Litepanels, visit www.litepanels.com

About Vitec Videocom

Vitec Videocom brings together some of the most respected, most innovative and most sought-after brands in the industry: Anton/Bauer, Autoscript, Camera Corps, Litepanels, OConnor, Petrol Bags, Sachtler, Vinten and Vinten Radamec. It acts as an endorsing brand for these market-leading broadcast, film and pro video products, encouraging multi-brand system sales and simplifying the way that customers worldwide do business.

Vitec Videocom is an operating division within the Vitec Group, an international business serving customers in the broadcast, photographic and military aerospace and government markets. Vitec is based on strong, well known, premium brands on which its customers rely on worldwide.

Vitec Videocom – advancing the quality and science of media production.

Countryman B6 Microphone Integral to Production of Translogic’s Water Powered Flyboard Webisode

Colin Hart, President of HartFX, LLC

Menlo Park, CA – May 20, 2013 – For anyone fascinated with flying using a jetpack, there is now a more cost effective opportunity to experience the thrill of taking flight: the Water Powered Flyboard. This new, French engineered water toy uses a wakeboard-like base and two hand-held nozzles that, when pulled by a personal watercraft, enables one to fly and perform a wide range of motions. To feature this exciting new creation, AOL Auto’s Translogic decided to create a demonstration video to be shown at their technology showcase. The challenging task of capturing close-up sound for this Water Powered Flyboard video was contracted to HartFX, LLC of Orlando, FL, a company specializing in providing sound effects libraries and editorial for films and video games.

Colin Hart, President of HartFX, LLC, discussed the challenges of capturing the full sonic experience amidst the extreme action and wet environment, and why he chose to use the water-resistant Countryman B6 lavaliere microphone. “For a series that showcases transportation technology, Translogic did a story on a water powered ‘jet wakeboard’ that literally enables the operator to fly as high as 40 feet while tethered to a personal watercraft,” Hart explained. “Since this video took place on the water in what can well be described as a new extreme sport, I needed a high quality microphone that could withstand being submerged to capture the sounds of the activity.”

“The Countryman B6 offers a wonderful, customizable sound by way of its interchangeable frequency response caps,” Hart continued, “and its submersible design made it perfect for this project. Equally important, to ensure the microphone and wireless transmitter wouldn’t hinder the demonstrator, the microphone’s extremely small size made it a great choice to be mated with the Lectrosonics SMa beltpack wireless transmitter.”

“I placed the B6 capsule in the rider’s helmet under a foam pad which was positioned right above the rider’s forehead,” Hart explained. “Because the mic was buried under a dense layer of foam, I used the Crisp cap so as to maintain high frequency performance. I ran the mic cable along the inside of the helmet and had it exit at the rear middle and then down the back. I then ran the cable into the Lectrosonics SMa transmitter that was in an Aquapac 158 waterproof pouch and hidden inside the rider’s life vest.”

Hart reports being an avid fan of Countryman microphones, “I used two B6 microphones for the Translogic project. The two people featured in the video were both outfitted with the Countryman B6. I also own several Countryman EMW Omni Classic Lavaliere mics and a couple of ISOMAX 2-H Audience and Choir mics. I mainly use the EMWs for normal dialogue and the ISOMAX 2-H’s for high SPL sound effects recording such as guns, cars, and so forth. I’ve been using the B6’s for roughly 5 years and my ISOMAX 2-H’s for about 2 years. These mics are a very important part of my work.”

Hart was equally complimentary of Countryman’s customer and technical support services. “Everyone I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with at Countryman is warm and very accommodating,” he said. “The Countryman staff are very knowledgeable about their products and are able to make appropriate recommendations for specific applications.”

Before shifting his focus to an upcoming project, Hart offered these final thoughts, “I have several Countryman mics in addition to the B6’s. All of them are wonderful in their own regard. I’m a Countryman user for life!”

To learn more about HartFX, LLC, visit the company’s website at http://hartfx.net. To take a look at the Water Powered Flyboard, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBqpFXGpI1A.

About Countryman Associates

For more than 30 years, Countryman has focused on developing microphones and accessories that deliver maximum gain before feedback, with the highest possible rejection of wind, vibration, interference, and other unwanted sounds. The result is warm, clear vocals in speaking and singing applications, delivering natural audio reinforcement that requires almost no attention from the sound engineer or the performer. For additional information about Countryman Associates, visit the company online at www.countryman.com.

Camera Corps introduces PTZF Mini Joystick Version 3 with Q-Ball Pre-Set support

London, England, 20 May 2013: Camera Corps (a Vitec Group company) announces the latest version of its ultra-compact PTZF Mini Joystick. Originally launched at the 2010 NAB Show in Las Vegas, PTZF Mini Joystick is designed for restricted-space applications such as commentator-camera control or outside-broadcast vehicles. It can control up to five pan and tilt heads from a wide range of manufacturers.

The new PTZF Mini Joystick Version 3 is optimised for use with up to five Camera Corps Q-Ball Pre-Set remotely controlled pan/tilt/zoom/focus heads. 10 positions per head can be assigned and recalled. Individual control reverses are provided for pan/tilt/zoom/focus and stored separately for each of the five heads. Data input from an external camera control unit, data output and incoming power can all be carried via a single connector at the rear of the controller.

Space on the PTZF Mini Joystick panel is saved by using a twist action on the joystick to provide zoom control. Three rotary controls below the joystick provide individual adjustment of pan, tilt and zoom speed and can be set to different values for each of the five Q-Ball Pre-Set heads. The same rotary controls can be used to adjust functions such as manual and auto iris and red/blue gain.

The joystick and control buttons have the same tactile responsiveness as those on our full-size controller,” states Camera Corps’ Technical Director Jim Daniels. “These include fully adjustable pan, tilt and zoom speeds and reverses. Zoom is controlled by rotary twist of the joystick. Reverse settings and control speeds for each of the five channels are stored in non-volatile internal memory.”

The standard Camera Corps audio data communication system is employed to allow unlimited operating distances between Mini Joystick Control and the remote heads. Each of the five channels has its own red and green cue/tally light switch. Channel selection can be locked to prevent inadvertent channel change by inexperienced users. Focus can be remote-adjusted manually or switched between manual and automatic when working with with cameras that support these features.

Available now, Camera Corps’ PTZF Mini Joystick Version 3 operates from a 9 to 18 volt direct current power adapter or battery. Total panel dimensions are 190 x 140 x 110 millimetres. Weight is 400 grammes.

Housed in a robust and fully-weatherproof 115 millimetre diameter aluminium sphere, Q-Ball and Q-Ball Pre-Set are ultra-compact remotely-controlled cameras with integral 10-times zoom optical lens and smooth-accelerating pan/tilt motors. Equipped with a 2 megapixel CMOS sensor and capable of operating in daylight or infra-red illumination, each camera delivers 1080i/720p high definition or 625/525-line standard definition at 50 or 59.94 hertz refresh rates. Pan and tilt slip-rings enable Q-Ball to perform unrestricted rotation at a wide range of speeds with precise control of acceleration and deceleration. Master black and colour saturation control allow accurate colour matching with third-party cameras.

About Camera Corps

A Vitec Group company, Camera Corps specialises in providing high-volume support services for reality television programmes as well as very large-scale sports and stage events. Based on the site of the former Brooklands motor-racing circuit near London’s Heathrow airport, Camera Corps has achieved a pre-eminent reputation for its ability to acquire exciting and unusual television content from exceptionally challenging environments.

The Camera Corps equipment fleet encompasses HotShots, remote underwater systems, cranes, platforms and dollies, cameras and lenses, remote control panels and booms. Equipment of Camera Corps’ own design includes Pop-Up Ice-Cam. Baseball Base Cam, Archery Cam, Underwater Remote Cam, Slalom Pole Cam, Helmet Cam, Body Cam plus the Q-Ball, Q-Ball Preset and RF Q-Ball family of all-weather ultra-compact remote pan/tilt/zoom/focus cameras. For further information, see www.cameracorps.co.uk

DPA Microphones Helps UEFA Deliver the Roar of the Crowd

Alleroed, Denmark, May 16th, 2013: As every football fan knows, the roar of the crowd at a major game is just as important as the action on the pitch when it comes to truly experiencing the excitement of the event. With this in mind, Outside Broadcast specialist United chose DPA Microphones’ 5100 Mobile Surround Microphone to capture the ambience of the Amsterdam Arena when SL Benfica played Chelsea in the 2013 UEFA Europa League Final.

Huub Lelieveld, Senior Sound Supervisor for United Outside Broadcast and Studios, says: “UEFA was adamant that the broadcast quality had to be top class as this was a huge 35 camera production that was going out to broadcasters all over the world. We wanted to make sure the audio quality would be as high as possible and that we captured the ambience of the stadium in phase coherent surround so that it sounded huge in surround, but also still sounded great in stereo and even mono.”

Widely regarded as a surround ambience adder, DPA’s 5100 Mobile Surround Microphone was perfect for the task because its compact size and ease of use comes at no sacrifice to stunning sound quality. Ideal for bringing truly engaging surround ambience to sport events, documentaries and other ambience applications, especially for HDTV production, these microphones require no external signal processing and are versatile enough to be mounted on a camera or microphone stand, suspended, or simply handheld via a hand grip.

Lelieveld, in conjunction with his colleague Mischa Kortleve, tested the DPA 5100 microphone during one of the UEFA preliminary rounds in the Amsterdam Arena to ensure they were the right choice for the important Cup Final event on May 15^th. The microphone was supplied by DPA’s Dutch distributor Amptec.

“We recorded all our microphones to multitrack and decided, after extensive listening tests, that the 5100 was perfect for the Cup Final,” he says. “The DPA 5100 was rigged in the catwalk of the stadium where it was able to capture the whole arena in surround. We complemented this system with four DPA 4006A Omni Microphones, which were hung from the catwalk in each of the four corners of the stadium, and we also used two DPA 4017B Shotgun Microphones positioned on our two Steadicams as these were smaller and lighter than the microphones we usually use.”

Based in Hilversum, Holland, United is part of the huge Euro Media Group that has production and post-production facilities in Belgium, France, England, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. United operates nine state of the art Outside Broadcast vehicles and mobile control rooms and provides broadcast facilities to capture major sporting events and live music concerts all over Europe.

“We were really delighted with the performance of all of our DPA microphones, but in particular the 5100 Mobile Surround Microphone, which sounded fantastic,” Lelieveld says. “It was incredibly easy to rig and protect from bad weather and was significantly less expensive than other microphone systems. Thanks to the DPA 5100 Mobile Surround Microphone, we achieved a rich, smooth and fully enveloping sound that was great in its coherence, channel separation and localization accuracy.”

For the UEFA Europa League Final, United provided the live broadcast feed to Infostrada Sports, which distributed it around the world. And for anyone who didn’t see the game, the final score was 2-1 to Chelsea.