Blackmagic Design today announced that Grid VFX relied on Fusion Studio throughout its in house compositing pipeline to deliver newly released children’s animated feature, Latte & The Magic Waterstone.

Directed by Regina Welker, the team’s latest project ‘Latte & The Magic Waterstone’ involved the completion of more than 1,200 visual effects shots, including the complex compositing of background and foreground plates and CG render layers for 3D assets, lighting, procedural effects, and more.

“Latte was a huge project for us. It’s a feature animation with a limited budget, so we knew we had to work as efficiently as possible,” begins compositing supervisor at Grid, Laurens Bekaert.

“Fusion’s GPU accelerated render engine was amazing at being able to handle geometry and 3D space compared to alternative compositors. We could add smoke and particles behind our characters and see a good representation of how they would look in 3D instantly, without needing to re render.”

Custom Consoles announces the completion of Module-R studio control desks and two MediaWall monitor display mounts for Cardiff University's School of Journalism, Media & Cultural Studios. The desks and display mounts form part of a full broadcast-quality news studio facility designed by UK-based system integrator ATG Danmon.

"We were invited to propose a turnkey solution based on an outline specification provided by the university," explains ATG Danmon Managing Director Russell Peirson-Hagger. "The project coincided with a relocation to new city-centre premises. It comprised a large TV studio and dedicated gallery, a smaller TV studio with its associated gallery, plus a broadcast newsroom. These will be used to train the next generation of television, radio, online and printed-media journalists. Module-R desks and MediaWalls are used in many broadcast facilities in the UK, Europe, MENA and Asia, so were a logical choice given the need to match the functionality and processes of a real broadcast environment. They are robustly constructed, ergonomically efficient for engineering staff and well as operators, and attractively styled. Both product series also gave us the freedom to match the available room dimensions from standard modular elements."

Altered Images, a leading UK supplier of visual communications technology solutions, has chosen Custom Consoles Module-R, M-Desk Technical and custom-designed studio furniture for a newly completed broadcast media training suite at Plymouth Marjon University.

The new resource includes a total of seven desks in an open plan configuration. Located on the former BBC South West villa site in Plymouth, it is equipped with all the facilities required for the university's courses in journalism and broadcast production. These include a four-camera TV studio, a TV news room and TV production gallery, a radio news room, radio studio and central apparatus room.

"The design brief we were given was to create a fully professional radio and TV production environment including latest-generation Dante IP networking", says Altered Images' Media and Broadcast Solutions Director Russell Butcher. "Custom Consoles desks are very widely used throughout the broadcast media industry so will be met by many students as they progress into their careers. The desks and equipment bays look good, are ergonomically comfortable and efficient, and are very long-lasting."

ATG Danmon announces the completion of a broadcast-quality production facility for the London headquarters of That Lot, one of Europe's leading providers of social media content production support. Core of this project is a multi-camera studio plus a fully equipped control room including lighting, vision and audio mixing, routing, recording, monitoring and archiving.

"Working with ATG Danmon, we have been able to create the most flexible possible system for use across our wide range of creative services," comments Ben Forder, Head of Video at That Lot. "The new studio and its control suite enable us to offer our clients versatile resources for creating broadcast-quality content for a wide range of media applications."

"A full-colour back-lit LED cyclorama, which we believe is the first of its kind in Europe, provides sharp chroma-key superimposition onto on any background. Lighting is from a ceiling-mounted rig which can be adjusted to get the exact style of illumination we need for live-streaming or recording sketches, scripted videos, interviews, podcasts, vodcasts and social media photoshoots. That includes 360 degree surround video and audio capture if specified."

Brightline, a leading manufacturer of energy efficient lighting systems, now offers technical support through Zoom for its resellers, integrators, and clients. The cloud-based videoconferencing system allows Brightline to program light fixtures remotely, re-focus, visually diagnose potential issues, and perform other troubleshooting. 

“Zoom service is ideal for time-critical issues,” explained Kathy Katz, Brightline managing partner. “You don’t have to struggle through a phone call without visuals or schedule onsite service. Zoom gives us ‘eyes’ in the room.”

To request a free Zoom technical call, contact technical support at techservice@brightlines.com.

KRK Systems, part of the Gibson family of brands, is adding a new family of studio monitors to its latest ROKIT Generation 4 (G4) range, the limited edition ROKIT G4 White Noise. Available in 5-, 7-, and 8-inch bi-amp models, these stylish limited-edition monitors offer the same impressive features as the newly released ROKIT G4s, but with an enticingly different aesthetic. Art and science come together with the new White Noise editions of these professional monitors, taking music and sound creativity to a whole new industry-level.

Providing wide, deep and dynamic listening, along with incredible imaging, KRK’s ROKIT G4 studio monitors have been scientifically re-engineered and re-designed from the ground up. They are ideally suited to the way modern artists work—in all genres and environments. The entire ROKIT G4 range features on-board DSP-driven Graphic EQ with 25 settings to help condition any acoustic environment while offering new levels of versatility in a studio monitor—making them the only monitors in their class with an LCD screen to display DSP-driven EQ settings. The flat setting is great for most environments, but low-, mid- and high-frequency presets can be adjusted to help compensate for common trouble spots in different sound environments. This on-board system works in conjunction with the KRK Audio Tools App, available for free on the Android and iOS stores.

Additionally, all system elements of the ROKIT G4 monitors are cohesively designed and engineered to work perfectly with their advanced drivers made with Kevlar®, efficient Class D power amplifiers and front-firing port, which offers exceptional low-end extension, punch and flexible room-positioning. These features collectively extend accurate and tight bass reproduction and improve audio integrity while minimizing listening fatigue—offering an overall balanced listening experience.

No matter how old you are, it is always lovely when something excites you enough to feel like a child again – and that is exactly how renowned musician, composer and orchestrator Youki Yamamoto felt the first time he heard PMC monitors in his own studio.

Yamamoto has had a 15 year residence at Pinewood Studios where he creates his own music as well as other compositions for films and computer games. He is also equally at home in Katara Studios, Doha, which is where he first had the idea of investing in a pair of PMC monitors for his own facility.

After doing some research, he chose PMC MB2 monitors with a separate Class A Bryston amp because he felt this was the most versatile system for any kind of music. “I get all the lovely clarity and detail that PMC delivers, but I don’t get tired listening all day and the sound is so beautiful that I find it hard to leave the studio,” he says. “I just want to stay in there and keep working. It is almost like being with your first ever girlfriend!”

In the two renewed multipurpose control rooms, Director's Cut creates the Finnish national programmes for international sporting events (e.g. football Champions League, ice hockey or tennis). Director's Cut's primary customer is MTV3, Finland's largest private television station.

After the successful implementation, it is now possible to produce up to six Finnish-language programme feeds simultaneously from two multipurpose control rooms with only two producers. One Mainfeed and two Sidefeeds can be produced per control room. Audio processing takes place in a Lawo Powercore. Control is via Lawo VisTool user interfaces and an 8-fader Ruby console for the Mainfeed and via two 4-fader Ruby consoles for the two Sidefeeds.

Broadcast Solutions created the VisTool interfaces especially to meet the individual workflows of Director's Cut. The new facility also includes six commentator booths equipped with Lawo LCUs and 43" Sony monitors.

Videosys Broadcast, a leading supplier of quality camera control systems, RF links and camera backs to outside broadcast providers has announced that it has supplied two DTC 4K AEON-CC digital video transmitter systems to Cloudbass, a leading provider of broadcast solutions.

Specifically designed for high-quality wireless camera applications the AEON-CC uses DTC’s next-generation HEVC encoder technology facilitating UHD images. The system consists of one single 4K transmitter unit from DTC coupled with a built-in Videosys Camera Control system. The advantage of the AEON CC with Videosys’ camera control receiver built into the unit is a reduction in the equipment count and the complexities that come when managing 4K transmission and camera control simultaneously.

Cloudbass have been successfully using the systems on UHD, 3G and HD setups across a variety of live Outside Broadcasts, including both SKY Boxing and BT Speedway in UHD, on the British Touring Cars for ITV Sport, and The Lord Mayor’s Show for BBC Events.

Earlier this year, National Rugby League (NRL) turned to Quicklink in order to improve and optimise their content offering and production operations. NRL’s webcasts both on their official website NRL.com and on the NRL app have driven digital audience engagement to new heights in 2019.

NRL implemented the Studio Browser into their workflow for HD quality, bi-directional audio/video contributions. The Studio Browser solution enables NRL to very easily introduce players and coaches via a simple web browser to their Studio for interviews on their ‘Inside NRL’ weekly feature and other studio shows.

The Studio-in-a-box was also implemented at NRL’s head office for the weekly football briefing press conferences. The portable, all-in-one solution has made it very easy for NRL to deploy and is fully remote-controllable from the Quicklink Manager at their Studio control room.

“The Studio-in-a-box is a compact unit with simple inputs/outputs that has made it easy for us to set up almost anywhere. We have been able to facilitate a regular production operation with this technology that was not on our original radar when we procured the technology and it’s been easy collaborating with Quicklink to validate things when required” says Alex Agaciak, NRL Media Services team.

Working in partnership with UK based broadcast system integrator Megahertz Ltd, Custom Consoles has completed a new production gallery desk, engineering control desk and a MediaWall monitor display for the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden. The project forms part of an extensive UHD/HDR upgrade to the facilities used by the ROH to relay performances of over 12 events each season for live viewing by cinema audiences in Europe and for distribution to other venues around the world. The ROH also live streams frequently from the main house, Linbury theatre and other studios in the building.

ATG Danmon announces the completion of a full broadcast-quality news studio facility for Cardiff University's School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies. The project coincides with a relocation to new city-centre premises situated next to BBC facilities. Cardiff University will use the facility to train the next generation of television, radio, online and printed-media journalists. Herefordshire based CJP Broadcast Service Solutionsprovided the installation services for the project.

"We were invited to propose a turnkey solution based on an outline specification provided by the university," explains ATG Danmon Managing Director Russell Peirson-Hagger. "The project comprised a large TV studio and dedicated gallery, a smaller TV studio with its associated gallery, plus a broadcast newsroom. Both galleries connect via SDI to Vizrt media, graphics and automation. Avid iNEWS is also integrated."

"The system links to a news presentation suite where a remotely controlled camera and two-way video feed allow the newsreader to talk to a newsroom reporter. The systems simulate the functionality and processes of a real broadcast environment, the output being used for academic review."

"We worked in partnership with CJP and Cardiff University staff to design and integrate a complete solution that kept within the budget and provided the specified level of functionality that is required by the teaching staff. This was successfully achieved before students returned after the summer recess.

PMC Speakers is delighted to announce that Vintage Studios has been appointed as its official distributor in Thailand, with responsibility for the company’s entire range of professional monitoring products.

Located in the Bang Na district of Bangkok, Vintage Studios was established in 2002 by the Puengrusme family as a commercial music recording, mixing and mastering facility. The Puengrusme family’s passion for music and attention to detail secured a strong future for Vintage Studios and a reputation for delivering very high quality results.

In 2016 Vintage Studios added a new string to its bow by taking on distribution for Solid State Logic products. It now distributes various high-end pro audio brands including Furman, Bock Audio and Soundelux. In addition, it has expanded into the education sphere and runs demonstrations, training courses and university internship programmes at its three-studio complex in conjunction with manufacturers and Thai educational institutes.

The decision to enter a distribution agreement with PMC was an easy one for Vintage Studios. The facility has PMC monitors in all three control rooms – MB3 XBD-A and twotwo6 monitors in its main room, twotwo8 monitors in its second studio and the recently launched compact nearfield result6 monitors in studio three.

Brightline, a leading manufacturer of energy efficient lighting systems, today announced Open Signal: Portland Community Media Center, a nonprofit media arts and broadcast center in Portland, Ore., has upgraded the lighting grid in its 2,000-square-foot main studio with 30 Brightline L1.2 SeriesONE LED fixtures. The new lighting was installed in July.

Noah Dorsey, media services manager, said the upgrade in Studio A was prompted by the fan noise of previous lighting fixtures in the studio. “We want the studio environment to be as silent as possible,” he explained. “That was something that had been requested by a lot of producers.”

The new 5600K L1.2 lights are controlled through a DMX console. Open Signal contracted Brightline’s premier Pacific Northwest systems integrator, Advanced Broadcast Solutions (ABS), a division of Key Code Media, to supply the new lighting. Dorsey said the lighting “looks dynamic but not so stylized that it can’t be applied to multiple shows.”

Bruce Aleksander, a lighting director hired by ABS for the Open Signal project, said the decision to use soft lights throughout Studio A was based on the need for versatility and accessibility for the wide variety of producers who use the space. Though some productions use an ellipsoidal light for show-specific gobo projection accents, the main lighting is generally not altered.

KRK Systems,part of the Gibson family of brands, introduces the CLASSIC 5 Professional Bi-amp Studio Monitors to its renowned family of professional-grade monitor offerings. Incorporating over 30 years of innovation from the world’s leading studio monitor manufacturer, KRK’s CLASSIC 5 was designed using concepts from the brand’s previous ROKIT lines to deliver the same high-quality mixes that customers have come to expect from KRK.

“At KRK Systems, our goal is to design solutions that provide users with the freedom to create the most accurate and pristine productions, no matter what genre or environment they’re working in,” says Jimmy R. Landry, Global Director of Marketing, Pro Audio Division, Gibson Brands, Inc. “With this CLASSIC 5 studio monitor, we took into consideration what people have always loved about creating music on previous KRK monitors. From there, we zoomed in and finetuned certain components to make it an incredibly versatile monitor for music creation, mixing and mastering. With the optional +2dB KRK Bass Boost, the new CLASSIC 5 can hold true to the acclaimed KRK sound that music creators around the world have loved for years.”