HOWTOWEBCAST
9. SWITCH VIA THE CLOUD
Most times, you would have your switcher operator on-set, making the cuts and beaming the final signal out to the world. But with Sony Virtual Production, it doesn’t have to be that way. It’s a pay- as-you-go cloud production service that provides an online switcher and streaming to up to three different channels at the same time, including YouTube Live and Facebook Live. Using wireless Wi-Fi or 4G dongle transmitters on up to six cameras, footage is fed to a virtual production switcher that is hosted in the cloud via Amazon Web
Services. A remote operator then logs on via a laptop and switches between camera angles, or adds logos and graphics. It’s like a full outside broadcast live TV unit with just camcorders and a laptop. Sony recommends you use its Z280, Z190, Z90 or X200 cameras, but the service made its debut at Red Bull’s Alpenbrevet motorcycle race at Sarnen, Switzerland, where the event was livestreamed using only Sony Z90, X200 and X3000 camcorders, with an FS5 II as backup. As long as your camera has a suitable frame rate, bit rate and resolution, it should work. If your camera doesn’t have wireless Wi-Fi or can’t take a 4G dongle transmitter, you might need a £1400/$1358 Sony CBK-WA100 wireless adapter, which takes a camera’s SDI signal and uses a 3G or 4G wireless network to upload it to the Sony server. A starter package is £90 for an hour of broadcast time, while a regular monthly user package is £720 for ten hours of use in a month. A 24-hour, on-off package is £2106, and at the moment it’s all for Europe only.
IMAGES This fun motorbike event was streamed via the cloud with the director logging in remotely by laptop
“Think about battery power. If your cameras are going to be streaming for a long time, they’ll need ample battery power or AC power”
TOP TIPS FOR LIVE STREAMING
1 Get it right first time, every time. There is no chance to ‘fix it in post’, as everything has to be right first time and tested before you go live. It’s like broadcasting live TV so you ideally need to rehearse what’s going to happen, as well as getting used to all the technology involved. 2 Bandwidth is king. You have to ensure there is lots of internet bandwidth to get your HD stream out to the world, which often means a wired internet connection rather than relying on 4G or Wi-Fi. And consider that when you are streaming, others may be accessing theWi-Fi and slowing it down. 3 Consider having a remote camera focused on a key view that you can switch to if needed. It could be on the stage where a presenter will be standing, or a general view of an event. If anymain cameras have an issue, you can always cut to your remote camera for some continuity. It’s better than a blank screen. 4 Think about battery power. If your cameras are going to be streaming for a long time, they’ll need ample battery power or AC power to keep them running. And mirrorless cameras can overheat, so watch out and test before a big job.
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SUMMER 2020 PRO MOVIEMAKER
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