Category: Sport & Live Event

Lens control has traditionally left camera assistants either tethered to the camera or adjusting lenses directly on the camera body. While these are generally uncomplicated for camera assistants, they're generally not the best practices in today's movement-heavy workflows, because camera departments will have to be conscious of both the operator’s and AC’s positioning. On shoots that require any kind of mobility in the camera, this will be pretty impractical, especially when it involves movement systems.

With wireless cinema tools getting more advanced, precise and overall more reliable, wireless is starting to become the norm on today’s production sets. In fact, many technologies nowadays like the Teradek Bolt work just as flawlessly as our old cabled friends, having become a permanent part of every major cinematographer’s toolkit.

Wireless lens control is just as important to have on set as wireless monitoring though, and the Teradek RT line of lens control has become an industry favorite in the past few years. Recently playing big roles on Thor:Ragnarok, Pacific Rim: Uprising, and Westworld, the Teradek RT line has been used by professionals to capture some of the biggest films this year. In addition, many small commercial productions and even churches have added this to their arsenal.

So why should you also give wireless lens control a shot?

1. Essential to Movement Systems

Productions small and large these days want cameras to be completely mobile, whether it’s cranes, dollies, drones, Steadicams, or even handheld. Camera mobility, and the wide array of modern camera systems that are available now, allows filmmakers to shoot from compelling new angles that were previously impossible or too expensive to do.

On shoots that demand a lot of movement, it’s impossible to keep a system tethered to the camera. That’s why camera teams have shifted towards going fully wireless.

On the set of Pacific Rim: Uprising, drone cinema company XM2 was brought on to capture background plates for the giant robots that would be added in through VFX. XM2’s drone flew 300-400 feet in the air and up to a mile away, carrying an Alexa Mini. The only way to control FIZ was through a wireless system, which XM2 relied on the Teradek RT to do.

Check out the story on this production here.

2. Save Time On Production

Being tethered means having to not only pack extra cables during setup, but also breaking down and packing after a shoot. Camera assistants don’t want to worry about cabling, especially on run-and-gun and time-sensitive productions where filming can be rushed. Having a wireless lens control means ACs and operators can be ready to go at a moment’s notice without the hassle of worrying about cables.

3. Versatile for Any Production

Even on productions that don’t require movement, the simplicity of having a wireless system that’s just as reliable as a cabled one makes it much more desirable. Like wireless monitoring, having wireless lens control allows camera teams to adapt to any sudden changes or setbacks on production without needing to disrupt the flow on set. Need to change locations on a whim? No problem, the camera is instantly ready to go. Need to mount the camera on a MoVI? Camera assists are ready to pull focus. The versatility this offers gives camera teams one less limiting factor to worry about.

Conclusion

As cinematography gets more mobile and stabilized systems grow in popularity, wireless lens control is becoming essential to camera setups. Whether you work on run-and-guns or studio productions, there’s no better time than now to incorporate systems like Teradek RT into your arsenal.

Core: Cube, Slice, T-Rax, VidiU Go (coming soon)

Sharelink: VidiU Pro, VidiU Go

Both Core and Sharelink are our cloud-based stream management platforms that allow you to do much more with your video streams and provide the infrastructure needed for network bonding. And while both can be excellent additions to your encoder of choice, the two are a little different.

Let’s look at the main features:

Multi-Destination Streaming

Available on: Core & Sharelink

Our most popular feature of Core and Sharelink, multi-destination streaming allows you to publish your single stream to as many live platforms (or decoders) as you want, all while only requiring the bandwidth resources of a single stream. Deliver your feed to multiple Facebook Pages, YouTube, Twitch, and other live platforms all at the same time.

Network Bonding

Available on: Core & Sharelink

Either a Core or Sharelink subscription is needed to enable network bonding on eligible devices. Bonding combines all of your broadband connections (4G USB, Ethernet, WiFi) into a single, load-balanced connection to give your streams the network redundancy to publish smoothly. If one connection encounters issues, the other networks provide backup without any interruptions to the stream.

Remote Access

Available on: Core & Sharelink

This feature lets you access and configure all of your streams’ parameters from anywhere with just an Internet connection. Change settings like resolution, bitrate, destination, and start/stop all from a PC or Core iOS app logged into your Core/Sharelink account.

HEVC Conversion to AVC

Available on: Core

Live platforms are still developing support for HEVC video playback, but most of Teradek’s current encoders can already compress HEVC video. With Core, you can take advantage of the bandwidth savings today but sending HEVC video from the encoder to Core, transcoding in the cloud, and publishing it to live platforms in the widely-accepted AVC format.

Archiving

Available on: Core

Also only for Core, archiving allows you to save your streams directly to your Core account, which can be viewed or downloaded at any time. Perfect for post-broadcast edits or personal collections.

iPhone Hotspot Bonding

Available on: Sharelink

For VidiU Pro and VidiU Go users, Sharelink has a unique and effective way to give your encoder more connectivity. With iPhone hotspot bonding, you can combine up to 5 iPhone 4G/LTE hotspots into a single robust network for providing an Internet connection to your VidiU.

What’s The Difference?

The biggest difference is that Core is only currently available on our high-end IP video codecs, Cube/Slice/T-Rax. These devices are used by enterprise broadcasters to deliver point-to-point video, who often stream from encoder to decoder. Also used by ENG professionals to send video over IP from the field directly to the news station for edits.

Sharelink is only currently available for VidiU Pro and VidiU Go, which are used by live streamers for simple live streaming to Facebook, YouTube, etc. This will be expanded in the future, as Core becomes available for VidiU Go, allowing content creators to enjoy the benefits of our IP broadcast solutions.

“Being run-and-gun is about always being ready for the next shot, because in many of these situations, you only get one chance. It’s about having 3-4 people performing the duties of 10 conventional production roles while also being quick to adapt to any situation changes. But most importantly, it’s about getting footage that exceeds your clients expectations and making it look like you had an entire production team with you, despite operating with a small crew at a super fast pace.” - Jeremy Carey, Founder + Director at Ironclad.

You’re talking with a client, finding out about what kind of shots they want for their next commercial or promo video. You’re told that their talents are going to be constantly moving, and decide that your entire setup will have to be completely mobile too. No tripods, no cables, no video village.

Run-and-gun cinematography is really common these days. Where traditional shoots have the luxury of a fixed set, filming on the go requires you to capture the same cinematic quality while being constantly moving from one location to the next.

Luckily, with the rise of tools like gimbals and body rigs, being mobile isn’t as challenging as it used to be. Steadicams and MoVIs allow filmmakers to keep cameras steady while wireless camera control allow for performing key camera functions from a distance. Even wireless video has allowed Directors and DPs to monitor without being bogged down in video village, making run-and-gun cinematography not only very feasible, but also very popular.

So what kinds of strategies can you employ on your next run-and-gun production? Our friend Jeremy Carey at Ironclad share with us how, since 2010, they’ve built their reputation as the go-to production house in tactical and sports cinematography, with regular clients like the Navy SEAL Foundation, Under Armour, Reebok, and much more.

Perfecting the Run-and-Gun

“Our clients come to us with an expectation, which the producers make a general layout for us based on what they want. From that layout, we develop our strategy on how to achieve the best video for them, taking into account factors like location, crew, gear, budget and everything. But what makes run-and-guns different is how we incorporate the fast pace into the equation.”

“Unlike traditional sets, our run-and-gun sets usually run on 3 to 4-man crews, with no ACs, no video village, no grip truck. Having a small load frees us to be as mobile as we need to be on these sets. The challenge is being able to balance everything we do have so we can still create a good product for our clients.”

“Run-and-gun shoots can pose a gamut of challenges. For example, if its an outdoor shoot, heat, rain, snow, locations failing, and client needs could change at any moment. But the one thing to keep in mind is to always prioritize team and gear. We know we can rely on both of those in all scenarios which gives us the flexibility to adapt quickly.”

Tip #1: Backups Are Your Best Friend

“A lot of run-and-gun shoots are done on-the-road, and in these cases you want to make sure you brought backups of everything. Always have backup cables, batteries, chargers, storage, antennas, velcro, gaff tape, etc. You don’t want to be the one holding up a production, or worse, missing a shot that won’t be repeated.”

“Our shoot in Haiti last year consisted of an entire week of non-stop filming. We were on the road for Reebok with Ashley Horner, a fitness model, to document her 230-mile run through the country raising money for an orphanage in Haiti. We were just a 2-man crew so we were forced to pack super lightly, but at the same time that made it harder to pack the essentials.”

“Our entire gear set was untethered. Two RED cameras with one handheld and one on a MoVI. The truck we traveled in drove slowly behind Ashley as she ran her journey, making stops every once in awhile for short amounts of time. At every stop, we were charging all of our backup batteries even if just for 10 minutes. We had batteries running low all through the shoot, but since we had so many backups, we never missed a single moment of it.”

Tip #2: Invest In Your Gear

“This one can’t be overstated enough. On our shoots, we continually push our gear to the limits, and having equipment that stands up to the elements and everything we throw at it is a must. Remember that on run-and-gun productions, there’s no time to be gentle with your gear. Always go for the best of the best, even if it costs a bit more. This will actually be a better long term investment as you work on more projects.”

“For the Compassion shoot to London and Uganda, all of our current camera setups were out on production and AbelCine was able to procure a RED Monstro and lens set for us under an extremely tight deadline. They got it express shipped to us just in time for the shoot and we were able to execute.”

“Here’s what we use on the majority of our productions:”

• RED Epic Dragon on MoVI Pro
• RED Monstro outfitted with a Tilta cage
• 2x Teradek Bolt 1000
• 2x Teradek RT follow focus systems
• 2x Bright Tangerine matte box
• Teradek/SmallHD 703 Bolt

“Don’t just get the cheapest stuff out there. In these situations where something goes wrong and you don’t have access to a rental house, you’ll want to know that the company you trust has your back.”

Tip #3: Invest In Yourself

“We worked on a project with Compassion International which had us traveling to Uganda for a run-and-gun shoot. Our mission was to film the journey of a family in the UK who’ve been sponsoring a child in Uganda for the last 10 years. Compassion wanted to make a commercial out of them meeting their child for the first time. For a week, we had to prep our gear, travel and sleep all inside the back of a Toyota Forerunner.”

“These are the situations you’ll face as you get hired to do more shoots that involve traveling. You have to be able to perform long days with heavy payloads, sometimes hiking into remote locations. It’s grueling on your body and mind, so make sure you train like you fight!”

Tip #4: Prepare

“On run-and-guns, pretty much anything and everything can go wrong. The best suggestion we could give is always be prepared. Our pre-production has been pretty tightly laid out for us so we go in knowing our must haves, with a flexible outline to follow on set. From there our crew adapts to the environment and needs of the client.”

“Take into consideration how small of a crew you’ll be working with, what environment you’ll be in, transport, accommodations, and budgets to decide what kind of gear and shots you could accomplish within these parameters.”

Check out more of Ironclad on their Instagram: @thisisironclad

Live streaming grows more popular every year, with content creators, companies, news and even government agencies using it as a tool for communication. With platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and most recently Instagram expanding their live capabilities, going live has never been easier.

But while streaming can be as simple as pressing a button, reaching viewers can be a different story. For example, SB Nation, a subsidiary of Vox Media, wanted to host their very own NFL Draft Party on Facebook Live, and get as many NFL fans to tune in as possible online. The problem was that most fans are separated into their favorite team’s Facebook Page, meaning there were potential viewers scattered on 32 different Pages.

How did they reach over 140k viewers on 32 different Pages? By streaming to all of them... at the same time! Using the Teradek T-Rax encoder, their team streamed a feed to Core, which duplicated the feed and published it to all 32 NFL team Pages. Learn more about it here.

So what are the benefits to doing this? Here are 3 reasons to get on board today:

1. Reach More People

Sounds like a no-brainer, and it is! But the potential gains from this makes it worth mentioning. Viewers have so many different platforms to choose from nowadays, there’s no easy way to reach all of them together. But many organizations are starting to catch on, and instead of streaming to just Facebook or just YouTube, they’re going to both.

 

For the Great American Eclipse of 2017, NASA wanted to publicize this rare occasion as much as possible. They had live events with commentators and special guests held in several points across the country where the eclipse would be prominent. Each location sent a video feed to the broadcast station, which piped the final feed to a Teradek Cube. The stream was sent to NASA’s Core account, which distributed the stream to 18 different destinations, including every major live platform (YouTube, Twitch, several Facebook Pages, and NASA’s own Eclipse page). Overall, NASA reached over 85 million views.

Read more about it here.

The truth is that most viewers have their preferred platforms, and streaming to just one means you’re not reaching potential viewers on another. Which leads to the next point..

2. Live Streaming Algorithms Are In Your Favor

It’s no secret that our favorite video platforms are pushing live streams like no other. If you’ve been on Facebook lately, chances are if there was a live stream going on, it was on the top of your News feed. YouTube is also guilty of this, with live streams related to your viewing patterns appearing on your dashboard, and even notifications on your phone!

But for us content creators, this definitely isn’t a bad thing. Since its inception, EVO has always broadcasted exclusively to Twitch.tv. For the tournament this year however, they decided to add YouTube to the mix. Fans who tune in every year were already watching on Twitch, but YouTube Live added another 200k views, with 20k concurrent views at its highest point.

Why was this so successful? Because sites like YouTube prioritize live videos so that if you normally watch videos related to it, you get notified immediately. And by streaming to multiple destinations, you’re multiplying the exposure your content receives.

3. It’s Very Easy (and Affordable) To Do

In the earlier days of live streaming, each stream required its own dedicated hardware or software to publish. But as streaming services shifted towards software, companies developed the infrastructure to perform multi-platform delivery without the need for additional hardware devices, pushing the task to the cloud. This not only made multi-platform delivery as affordable as the cost of a single encoder, but saved a ton of bandwidth. Essentially, it was now accessible for everyone.

And if you have a Teradek encoder, you’re already halfway there! Our cloud-based streaming services, Core and Sharelink, provide the backend to make multi-platform delivery easy.

What’s the difference between the two? Core is designed for our broadcast-level encoders: Cube, Slice, and T-Rax. Sharelink is designed for our entry-level encoders, VidiU Pro and VidiU Go.

Both Core and Sharelink are built as management platforms that act as the middle-ground between your video source and destination. When you stream to Core, you can make that stream go to as many destinations as you want.

Conclusion

The diversity of live platforms has made it harder to target everybody at the same time. Rather than chasing your audience through their preferred platforms, it’s much easier and more effective to broadcast to every platform at once. Read our rundown of Core here and see if it’s the right solution for you.

“When shit hits the fan on set, DITs are the one everyone looks at to get it fixed. Whether it’s a monitor going dark, camera setting change, lighting issue, flicker issue, anything. DITs are there to make sure all of the gear works smoothly.” - Chris Cavanaugh, Local 600 DIT.

But as any DIT will tell you, their roles encompass far more than just being the repair guy on production. These days, DITs juggle multiple tasks ranging from routing video, dailies, color grading, image management and much more. And unlike positions such as cam ops or ACs, the roles of DITs are always evolving.

 

Chris Cavanaugh is all too familiar with this changing dynamic. Based in Hollywood CA, Chris has a DIT history spanning over 10 years, having worked on some impressive titles like Captain America: Winter Soldier, Furious 7, Star Trek: Beyond, and most recently the eponymous remake of the famous 80s show, Magnum P.I. (premiering in September).

He shares with us how the relatively new DIT position has changed since its inception, and what essentials he keeps on his cart for productions.

The OG of DITs 

“The start of my path down this road can be traced to loving film growing up. I’ve had a passion for film and shooting ever since my teenage years, which made me decide to attend film school in Colorado in the early 2000s. I was hired as an intern for this production company that purchased two of the first 25 RED cameras ever made. This was around the time that digital cameras first started making an appearance, and filmmakers were scrambling to figure out how to work around the technology.”

“Back then, my job was to get the data from the cameras and transcode it into a usable format. When I moved over to Los Angeles after film school to work in the industry, I found a lot of productions required someone to also color grade this footage. Remember that this was when digital cinema cameras were still brand new. Converting files took a long time and some people even found it crazy that a digital camera could do the same thing as film. So I went around as a downloader and first pass colorist for this media.”

“As digital technology started replacing all of the old film tools, the roles of our DIT positions evolved too. On top of getting dailies and transcoding, technology allowed for live color grading on-set. Production wanted us to handle lighting, image routing, live color grading. Now, we DITs have become the base of operations when it comes to every piece of technology on set. Our expertise working with digital tools that most filmmakers don’t have time to learn makes us invaluable to a production.”

Challenges

“Filmmaking has changed a lot in recent years. Today, everyone wants to have cameras that are mobile. Mounting them to Steadicams, cranes, dollies, drones. These can get some amazing shots, but feeding them to our production can be a real challenge.”

“When people mention monitoring, they probably think it’s as simple as putting a Bolt on a camera and having the receiver in video village pulling the feed. But it’s not always so simple. More and more productions want to do shots that require movement, so you have to think about where to position yourself so that the video feeds always reach you. If it goes dark on your end, that means the entire team isn’t seeing the image, and that can really disrupt the work of the crew.”

“As a DIT, my job is to anticipate when these difficulties will occur. On Furious 7, there’s a scene where Deckard Shaw (played by Jason Statham) starts in a hospital room and progresses out of the hospital, all in one take. We would only get one shot at this because they’re blowing up parts of the building as he moves.”

“The crew was all watching from inside the building, and I knew that once the Steadicam op went outside, we would lose image. So instead of relying on one receiver, I had our Bolt multicasting to 3 receivers hidden in this scene: 2 inside and 1 outside. As they walked out, I was patching in different receivers so our entire team can continue getting image. The end result was the opening scene of the movie.”

What's On His Cart?

Here’s what Chris likes to keep on set:

• Inovativ Apollo cart
• Blackmagic 40x40 Videohub
• 4x FSI BoxIO color boxes
• Furman Power conditioner
• Mac Pro w/ Pomfort LiveGrade & Silverstack
• Tangent grading panel
• Odyssey 7Q+ monitor
• 2x Sony A250 OLED monitors
• 2x Teradek Serv Pros
• 2x Teradek Bolt 3000s
• Teradek Link
• 2x Decimator QUAD 

“The Link is one of the main tools in my kit. It allows me to create my own local area network - which isn’t connected to the Internet - that I connect the Serv Pros to. That way, anyone on set with an iPad or iPhone can connect to monitor without having to stand behind our production monitors. I also use the Link for camera control, changing settings on the Alexa and RED with ease”.

“It's also useful for streaming dailies. Using Live Play 3, anyone also connected to my network can stream the dailies from their own iPads. This gives the Director and Producers much higher-quality dailies compared to videos hosted on the Internet. Also, if I ever need to move away from my cart, I can give my iPad remote access to my Mac Pro, allowing me to use my computer directly on my iPad.”

Wireless Video

“For many of the shots filmmakers want to achieve these days, wired systems are a thing of the past. You can’t tether a camera that’s also moving vigorously through the set. That’s why the Bolts and Serv Pros are huge for me.” - Chris Cavanaugh, DIT.

“We always need a reliable image that works just as well as a cabled system. With Bolts, I’m getting those feeds to my cart instantly and rerouting them to every monitor and iPad/iPhone on set. A lot of crews love having the Serv Pros too. My DP is able to take his iPad onto set and not run back and forth to the video village. Hair & makeup can also take notes from their stations, and the boom op can adjust his positioning without bothering the crew.”

“Over the years, my cart has gone through so many iterations to be where it’s at now. The tech behind filmmaking has evolved so much since the inception of digital cameras, and now we’re starting to see everything go wireless. It’s up to us to stay updated on the latest trends and processes, so when these issues happen on set, we’re always ready to fix them.”

Check out Chris’s work at @cavcam.

Also check out his IMBD here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3075477/

“With sports, we filmmakers have a great opportunity to create an immersive experience out of what we shoot. If we’re going down a mountain with an athlete, or moving with them side-by-side, those close-up action shots can make anyone feel like they’re right there with the athletes.” - Corey Koniniec, Co-Founder & DP at Motion State.

Sports cinematography can be very challenging, especially when it comes to shooting extreme sports out in the field. While mainstream sports like basketball, football, tennis, etc. have the luxury of being in contained settings like stadiums, outdoor sports like skiing, cycling and auto racing are a whole different beast, requiring different techniques to capture compelling video.

But while filming may be difficult to achieve, when done right, you end up with incredible video that can wow just about anyone. So what’s the secret to shooting extreme sports?

Corey Koniniec, who recently worked on the Tour de France, Burton Open Snowboarding Championship, Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” & “Perfect”, shares with us his secrets for doing what he does best.

Passion Projects

“Motion State was founded in 2014 by the three of us: me, Ryan Haug and Sam Nuttman. This was around the time that Freefly released their first stabilized system, the MoVI. We were some of the first people to test them out. I met Sam working on a 4-episode web series with Burton Snowboards called Burton presents [Snowboarding], which was the first major production completely shot on the MoVI. Soon after, we were called to be operators on the first ever music video shot with the MoVI, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ White Walls, and that’s where we met Ryan Haug.”

“Sam came up with the idea to combine all of our strengths together and start a production house that specialized in stabilized systems. That’s how Motion State was born.”

“I personally came from an action sports background, and while Motion State isn’t limited to this kind of cinematography, it’s definitely what we’re known for now."

Up Close and Personal

Burton US Open 2017 - MoVI Follow Cam from Motion State on Vimeo.

One of the biggest perks of being on gimbals is the ability to be close to the subject. Motion State takes this to a whole other level, following directly behind athletes to capture them at angles that no one else achieves.

“The biggest part of what we do is trail right behind the athletes as they go through their motions. We go down the halfpipe with skiers and make the same jumps that they do, all while keeping the camera completely steady on a MoVI. This allows us to capture angles from right underneath them as they perform their stunts and capture angles that give you the feeling like you’re going down the halfpipe with your friend.”

“Doing this isn’t as simple as it sounds. At the Burton U.S. Open this year, we were doing a live production that was being broadcasted to over a million viewers at home. Our video feed needed to be piped to the TV truck behind us live while cam ops went down the slope with each athlete. We set up video village at the starting point, where we had a Teradek Bolt 10K mounted to the highest point possible taking in feeds from the Bolt 3000 on the camera.”

• Sony FS5 camera + MoVI Pro gimbal
• Teradek Bolt 3000 Transmitter
• Teradek Bolt 10K Receiver
• SmallHD Monitor
• MoVI Controller
• Sigma 18-35 Lens with Full MoVI FIZ Control

“As the camera traveled with each athlete, the 10K sent a feed to my SmallHD monitor which I used to pull focus remotely with the MoVI FIZ Control. From my monitor, a very long SDI cable took the video to the broadcast truck. There are a ton of things going on at the same time, so we’re constantly juggling all of the moving parts. Being right next to the athletes is just one part of the process.”

This isn’t limited to live productions though. For their production with Fox Motorsports, Corey and Ryan rigged a MoVI M15 stabilized head to a Dactylcam cable cam, capturing elevated, high-speed close-ups on the RED Dragon. Wireless monitoring was done with the Teradek Bolt 3000.

No Other Way to Do It

“The biggest challenge of filming action sports is knowing what to capture. You can ski down the slope with athletes, but knowing exactly when they’ll perform the stunts and the best way to capture that is key. These athletes do tricks that are super hard to execute. Unlike actors and actresses on sets, there aren’t any second takes.”

“The answer to this is to always be prepared. Whether that’s memorizing the route beforehand or having the right tools, planning ahead saves you a ton of headache for when things might go wrong on location.”

“99% of our work in action sports revolves around the Bolt 3000s. We’re moving our cameras in insane ways: strapped to drones, cable cams, handheld MoVIs. There’s no way any of this is possible without wireless video gear, because we need a way to monitor so we can pull focus remotely.”

“We always have the Bolts and Teradek RT gear with us on every production. The RTs give us the super long range and versatility we need for our outdoor shoots. At the Tour de France last month, I had a 1st AC pulling focus for me at the preshow. But during the races, I was a one-man operation. So I plugged the RT Thumbwheels to have my own focus and iris controls, and capture the sexy slow motion shots that NBC needed for their bumps.”

“At the end of the day, it’s all about getting the content that your clients want. We took the latest in film tech and applied them to our cinematography skills to make our signature close-ups possible. This results in videos that immerse viewers into the sport and create engagement that no other sport has.”

Check out more of Motion State’s work at www.motionstate.com.

And check out their Instagram: @motionstate

Live streaming doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, live streaming is being used more and more every year by individuals, businesses, organizations, and even governments for many purposes. Not only is it easier than ever before to go live (smartphones can do this with a click of a button), but there are a ton of tools out there to help you do it. All you need is content!

Teradek’s Live:Air Action is one of those tools. In contrast to traditional hardware switchers, Live:Air Action is a software switcher for iPads that allows you to do things like add custom graphics, transitions, scoreboards, roll pre-recorded video and much more. Most importantly, this can all be done while live streaming directly from the iPad! It gives your live video a professional touch, similar to traditional live TV programs (news, sports, etc.).

But the biggest feature is Live:Air Action’s ability to pull multiple video sources together, allowing you to switch between them in your live stream. It’s much easier than it looks and adds tremendous production value to your broadcast!

So how does this work? Let’s break it down into 3 easy methods:

Use iOS/Android Devices as Cameras

Yes, you read that right! Any iOS/Android smartphone or tablet can be used as a camera source in Live:Air Action. This utilizes your smartphone/tablet’s built-in back camera, which sends a video to Live:Air Action’s main interface. You can then switch to that camera at any time for the live stream. Up to 5 devices can be used as cameras.

How it works:

1. The iOS/Android devices you want to use as cameras require the Live:Air Remote app (iOS / Android). This app allows them to serve as secondary sources in Live:Air Action.

2. Once the devices have Live:Air Remote, they need to be connected to the same WiFi network as the iPad with Live:Air Action. With Live:Air Remote open, the feeds will be automatically sent through the network and populate in the Live:Air Action interface. Simply select the feed you want to use as the current video by pressing the window.

Use Professional Cameras with Teradek Encoders

If you want to achieve a higher-quality video than just using smartphone back cameras, Live:Air Action also allows you to use any professional camera as video sources. To do this, you’ll need a Teradek encoder in your kit like the VidiU Pro. The encoder connects to your camera via HDMI output and sends the high-definition video to Live:Air Action.

How it works:

1. The VidiU Pros (or any Teradek encoder) need to be connected to the same WiFi network as Live:Air Action.

2. Once in the same network, set the streaming destination on each encoder to Live:Air Action. After, start the stream on the encoders. The videos from each camera will appear in the app’s interface.

Use a Combination of Both

The beauty of Live:Air Action is that you can do any combination of iOS, Android or professional cameras as video sources. All you need to do is connect them to the same WiFi network and you’re good to go.

Check out how Live X, a live production company based in New York, implemented this successfully at Mojocon here.

General Tips

• Mount iOS devices to tripods. You can use any smartphone/tablet tripod from Amazon, or this entry-level Manfrotto tripod.
• Use tools like the Helium Core iPhone Rig to easily connect lenses, lights and microphones to your phone, or the Padcaster Kit for iPads.
• We recommend creating your own WiFi network for your Live:Air Action ecosystem. This means using your own WiFi router wherever you’re streaming from.
• Depending on public networks risks interference from other users who might also connect to the network and take away precious bandwidth.

Extra Links:

• 6 Essentials to Building the Perfect Mobile Rig
• Corner Canyon High School Goes Multi-Cam with Live:Air Action and VidiU Pros
• Live from the World Surf League with Teradek

As a filmmaker, chances are you’ve worked on projects that require tons of movement, jumping from set to set or location to location. Whether you’re in a studio lot or on-the-go, these shoots require you to pack lightly so you can move at a moment’s notice. Any heavy equipment will just slow down the process.

But no matter the production, you’ll always need a monitor, and traditional monitors don’t make the best lightweight gear to lug around. Not only do you have to lay out cables and stands at every stop, but the more you move around, the more you have to keep track of. Basically, this is a pretty time consuming process. What’s the best alternative?

One Vote at a Time encountered this issue for their summer productions campaign, and found the perfect solution for lightweight monitoring on the road: smart monitoring.

Traveling Filmmakers

“One Vote at a Time is grassroots PAC run by a team of female filmmakers. Instead of being fueled by corporate giants, we’re supported by the contributions of ordinary citizens. We create digital campaign ads free of charge to candidates running for office around the country. This summer, we are headed into 10 states and aiming to create powerful content for 250 candidates. Our mission is to orient the filmmaking skills that we have cultivated in our careers towards the causes we care about. Starting with our elected officials.” - Mara Tasker, Producer for One Vote.

“We’re traveling to multiple states doing documentary-style run-and-gun shoots, so we need to keep our rigs as small as possible. Monitors cost a lot and take up space, so instead of using traditional heavy monitors, it made much more sense to use iPads instead.” - Lauren Guiteras, DP.

Beginning just this summer, Mara, Lauren and their teams have already traveled to North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Colorado, and New Hampshire, filming TV campaign ads for candidates running for a wide range of positions (State House, State Senate, State Supreme Court, Governor). Check out one of the videos here:

“The campaign videos we film are simple and straightforward, but because we want to be conscious of our time, the politician’s time, and our budget, it can get pretty hectic on our shoots. Not to mention that we’re traveling to these politicians’ hometowns and capturing them in multiple locations. It’s a challenge to make the most efficient use of our time,” said Lauren.

Monitoring On-the-Go

With the need for mobility, small crew and a low budget, One Vote can’t bring large monitors to their shoots. Instead, they choose a much more affordable and efficient solution: Serv Pros.

Serv Pros connect to any HDMI video source and broadcasts it out to up to 10 iOS/Android devices with the VUER app installed. By connecting to the same WiFi network as the Serv Pro, each mobile device automatically picks up the feed (less than 1s delay) and displays it on the screen, giving anyone a handheld monitor nearby.

“There’s not enough room in our vehicle to carry a 17” monitor around, nor would it be practical to set that up everywhere we go. With the Serv Pros, we’re able to monitor with our iPads, which we are way easier to carry around than traditional monitors,” said Lauren.

Setup:

• 2x Sony FS7
• Angenieux EZ-1 & EZ-2
• 2x Teradek Serv Pro
• 1x Teradek Link
• 3x iPad Pro

Lauren’s team used 2x Sony FS7s in the Texas shoot. Connected to each camera was a Serv Pro, which were themselves connected to the Teradek Link, a high-powered WiFi router designed for production sets. Link (or any WiFi router) is necessary to to monitor multiple cameras at the same time.

Also connected to the Link was the 3 iPad Pros the crew had. Using VUER, the Director, Producer and Lauren were able to monitor from their own devices.

“When our directors are working, we all need to be able to see what our DP is getting, with ease, from anywhere. That means the middle of a field, a farm, a fair. We can't constantly set up. We need to be able to move like a doc crew without sacrificing quality and this system really facilitates that. Even just for simple hero shots for B-roll, it allows us the freedom to move around,” said Mara.

“With VUER, I can tell my DP to follow a candidate as they go knock on doors and I can stay out of the way so they can feel more comfortable on camera since they're less used to it compared to normal actors. It let's my DP follow their movements in a natural and beautiful way while I can continue to look in on what they're capturing and toss out some ideas of how to reframe. More than anything, it gives us ease of access to that person's story and personality in the tight windows we have to try and capture them.”

By monitoring on tablets and being more efficient with time, the crew of One Vote is able to capture high-quality video and focus on telling a compelling story for their candidates.

“When you’re making video that’s going to reach millions of people, you have to put your best foot forward. This video will represent your client’s entire brand, franchise or network, so you really need to be on your game. Any mistakes will set you back in a cascading effect.” - Jonathan Belinski, DP and Founder of Belinski Media based in Los Angeles & New York.

A goal for many filmmakers is to work with bigger and bigger clients as you climb the arduous path to becoming well-established in the industry.

But working with clients like major TV networks and studios can be massively different from working with smaller, local clients. Sure, having your productions recognized by the best can be very rewarding, but these high-profile clients come with high expectations, with much less leeway for errors.

So we sat down with Jonathan Belinski, multi-Emmy Award-winning cinematographer who founded Belinski Media in 2005. Jonathan’s production house has worked closely with major clients for years, including Fox Sports, Sony Studios, HBO, MLB, NFL, and with celebrities including Charlize Theron, Denzel Washington, Clint Eastwood and many more. He shares his biggest tips on working with clients.

Time is Money

“Many people have this misconception that being on set is the biggest part of filmmaking, but the reality is filmmaking is all about preparation. It’s a lot of conference calls, paperwork, planning, collaborating with your team. The success of a shoot can be 95% determined before you get behind the camera. Because when your talent shows up, you need to be ready.”

“The main obstacle when you’re working with big clients is time. This is true for all projects, and us filmmakers always want more time to shoot, but when celebrities come to your set, they only have hours - sometimes minutes - before they have to move on. For example when we work with athletes, they are not always required to be there, and frankly they have other things to do. You want to make this as quick and painless for them as possible.”

“So what we do is we rehearse how we’re going to be filming in advance. We run through the motions with extras and stand-ins, learn the lighting, framing, follow focus movements, and everything involved. The goal is to be so well-rehearsed that when the talents come in, everything moves like clockwork and we get it right in one shot.”

Game Day with the MLB All-Stars

For the last several years, Jonathan has worked with Fox Sports to create promo videos for the MLB All-Star Game, where a player’s are voted in from the fans and  league to play in an exhibition match. Jonathan’s promo set was Executive Produced by PT Navarro, Produced by Etienne Materre, and Directed by Erin Hoskins along with Editor Craig Russo.

“We create what the TV world calls “teases”, which are like cold opens that get viewers pumped up. These are played on TV right before the start of the game and in commercial breaks. Often they also establish a theme depending on the city that they’re in. This year the All-Star Game was in Washington DC, so it was chosen to play with a voting theme (this fits perfectly with the voting system the MLB has for choosing All-Stars).”

“Our production designer Spike located an original voting booth preserved since the 1960s. For 2 days before the shoot, we spent all day rigging the place up with lights, making sure everything looked exactly the way we planned.”

“The Home Run Derby is the day before the All-Star Game, and that’s when every single player participating in the All-Star Game is in the city. But the thing is, these guys are here to play baseball. Every minute they spend on set is a minute they could be practicing or working on other things. You only get one shot, because once they leave, there are no retakes.”

Here’s the setup his team used:

• 2x RED Helium 8K
• Leica Summicron C Prime Lenses
• A Cam - handheld, slider, tripod
• B Cam - Movi Pro
• 2x Teradek Bolt 3000
• Flanders Scientific and Sony OLED Monitors
• Bartech and Heden follow focus systems

“We wanted to capture both wides and close-ups, but only shooting 1 camera at a time. So we had strict routine going on. We had our A Cam rigged with Leica 75mm for getting a close-up. As soon as we got that shot, we changed the lighting, got onto B Cam and immediately went to wides. In the interim the 2nd AC would change the A camera lens to something else."

“Having this process pre-planned is super important for shooting with major athletes. We had a few hours to shoot all 30 + of  of the All-Star players that came our way, and at any time there were 2-3 guys backed up waiting for us. We’re constantly under pressure to be fast, but at the same time we also need to capture amazing video for our client (Fox Sports).”

A Wireless Solution

“Every media outlet in Washington DC is at this event, sharing this tiny window of opportunity to meet and work with the players. As a result, we’re working in tight, confined spaces with tons of people moving through. So we want to keep our sets cable-free.”

“On top of that, our ACs need to be able to pull focus from the video village. The players don’t get any rehearsals, so they’re pretty much improvising when they get on set. Combine that with the constant movement on our Movi or handheld cams, and you can see why it’s so important to have zero-delay video. For this I trust wholeheartedly the Teradek Bolts.”

 

“No matter what shoot I’m on we always have the Bolts with us. We don’t have time to be setting up cables on set, especially for shots that need a lot of movement. Clients also want to be able to see the shot so one of the monitors goes to them.”

“Being cable free makes life so much easier. My Bolt 3000s work just as well as any cabled monitoring system, so I don’t ever have to worry when I’m on set. Not to mention when your production is clean, it also looks way more professional to your clients.”

Be Ready to Take Risks

“When I first started my career in the film industry in the 90s, I used to feel intimidated. There’s so much competition out there that if you don’t meet expectations on a job, it’s going to take you a long time to recover from it.”

“But feeling intimidated doesn’t need to be a bad thing. If anything, it made me paranoid in a good way, and that translated into me testing my setups 10 or 20 times over. I wanted to make sure everything worked flawlessly when our clients showed up to not only create an amazing product for them, but do it meticulously and leave a lasting impression.”

“My two biggest pieces of advice for rising cinematographers is: get on sets as an AC or any position to see how the pros do it, and when projects come along, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. Get out there and shoot using some of the techniques you learned as well as develop your own style. Most of the difficulties on set can be avoided in the preparation leading up to the shoot. If you’re well-prepared, know the shot list  and are on top of your job, you will be successful.”

“Get into the habit of over-preparing. As you start working with bigger and bigger clients, there are more time restrictions on your shoots and less room for error.”

Jon Belinski is the founder of Belinski Media. Check out his work at www.belinskimedia.com and follow him on Instagram @Jdbelinski.

Every year, cinema technology grows more and more advanced, inventing new ways to make life easier on set. And much like other industries, film gear is starting to integrate with our smartphones & tablets for just about everything. From remote lens control and adjusting camera settings, to live monitoring directly on our phones, these tools are unlocking new ways to do film.

The Serv Pro is one of those tools. It connects to any camera source and broadcasts the video to up to 10 iOS/Android devices nearby, allowing you to monitor the shot right from your own device. The beauty of this is, because every connected device can pick up the feed, there’s no need to for crews to shove into Video Village and share monitors. Everyone on set can have their own.

VUER is the free app that makes this all possible. When the smartphone/tablet is connected to the same WiFi network as Serv Pro, VUER will automatically show the feed on the app’s control surface, all with just 2 frames (less than a second) of delay. It also provides an entire collection of monitoring tools like Focus Assist, Waveform and Frame Grab that each crewmember can personalize for his/her own needs on set.

But one of the best features available on VUER is the ability to monitor 4 different camera feeds.. all at the same time! Traditionally, monitoring on 4-camera setups meant laying miles of video and power cables all around set, not to mention that it's extremely costly for any production. Serv Pro solves this problem.

Using VUER, each smart device can receive 4 videos, which are then displayed on a 2x2 grid and are active simultaneously. Tapping on one of the windows allows you to see an enlarged view of it, giving you complete control over which camera you want to focus on.

So how does this setup work? Serv Pro operates in two different ways:

Single Camera

As an access point, the Serv Pro uses its built-in WiFi signal, allowing smartphones & tablets within 300 ft. to connect to the Serv Pro’s network. This is perfect if you’re only monitoring a single video source, since your device(s) would be pulling video directly from the Serv Pro itself.

MAKE films, a production house based in Pennsylvania, has been using Serv Pro as their primary monitoring source. Since most of their projects are run-and-gun, keeping their setups small, lightweight and wireless is key. They use a single Serv Pro connected to the RED, which the entire team uses to monitor on several iPads/iPhones on hand, including the Director, sound, hair & makeup and clients.

Check out their setup here.

Multi-Camera

The key to monitoring multiple cameras is a WiFi router. As a wireless device, Serv Pro can be connected to other networks, allowing it to send its video to that WiFi router. When your smartphone/tablet is connected to that network, it will automatically pick up the feed as if it was connected to the Serv Pro directly.

There’s multiple benefits to adding a router to the workflow. One, the wireless range becomes whatever strength the router has. For example, Serv Pro has a built-in range of 300 ft. But connected to the Teradek Link, any device within 1000 ft. can receive the video feed. (Link is a router designed for on-set use, and features set-ready qualities like Gold/V-Mount battery options, mounting versatility, robust signal and a rugged chassis).

The second benefit is the ability to monitor multiple feeds at the same time. If you have A, B, C, and D Cams and a Serv Pro on each camera, they can all be connected to the same WiFi network. When you connect any smartphone/tablet to that same network, all cameras will appear on the control surface.

Zumalt’s Setup

DP Terry Zumalt makes this work flawlessly on the production of the Netflix Original, Last Chance U. Working on football fields, the production used 10 cameras to cover every possible angle. Each camera was mounted with a Serv Pro, sending the video to specific Link routers positioned between the cameras and Video Village.

From Video Village, Zumalt and his crew were able to monitor every camera from hundreds of feet away, all while just needing 3 iPads to do it. Check out how they do it here.

Conclusion

Whether your shoot has a single camera or multiple, Serv Pro gives you the ability to monitor with convenience. Simply connect every unit to the same WiFi network, connect your phones & tablets to the same network, and you’re good to go.

Learn more about VUER’s different features here.