SCOTTISH STREAMS These abilities were all shown to great effect when Panasonic, in partnership with Stagecast, helped stream six classical concerts from the world- renowned Edinburgh International Festival. Using Panasonic Broadcast solutions at one of three specially constructed outdoor pavilions located at the Edinburgh Academy Junior School, Stagecast was able to broadcast the concerts to viewers via the festival website. Selected performances were also aired on Classic FM’s digital platforms. Filming orchestras and concerts with PTZs meets a range of specific requirements – cameras must be silent for use in concert halls, compact and able to ‘disappear’ on a stage to avoid distracting performers. Stagecast used a rig system, built around a total of eight Panasonic AW-UE150 PTZ cameras, one of which was mounted on a Panapod. The production also used three Panasonic AK-UC4000 studio system cameras – one on a crane and two at the back of the venue with super- telephoto lenses for front coverage of the enormous venue. Images could be accurately picture-matched between the UC4000 and UE150 cameras with scene files provided by Panasonic. These are special files that alter the image output to ensure each camera can be picture-matched, despite having different sensor sizes. Panasonic has a host of such
scene files available for the UE150, downloadable from its website. Control of the PTZ cameras was handled over IP, with video signal routing over SDI. This allowed Stagecraft to get broadcast-quality video feeds back to the control room. The cameras were able to integrate seamlessly with monitor switching and tally solutions built using Bitfocus Companion and Elgato Stream Deck controllers, as well as Stagecast’s custom software for recalling preset camera shots on AW-UE150s from a playlist. According to Andrew Moore, head of music at Edinburgh International
Festival, the production ‘managed to integrate video capture in a really discrete and subtle way, capturing wonderful film without the audience at the venue even realising.’ SEAMLESS MOVEMENT Evolution of the PTZ continues – and so the next logical step for Panasonic was to offer movement. “Although you can position a PTZ anywhere, and get some nice shots, we couldn’t simulate the same kind of travelling movement you could do with a studio camera,” Krier explains. “Now, as part of the PTZ Architect concept, we have worked with third-party manufacturers to provide dollies, totems and other supports, which can combine with a PTZ camera automatically. “We also have integrated an auto-tracking system, so the PTZ camera can automatically focus on a presenter moving onstage. Now, you don’t even need a human operator to have your production up and running,” he adds. “And you can get this for a tenth of the price of a studio set-up.” The auto-tracking facility has enabled Panasonic Broadcast & ProAV to set up a Virtual Demo Room (VDR), giving demonstrations to customers in an online experience, guided by a technical professional. Here, you can experience the latest PTZ systems, including network configuration tools and auto-tracking software, as well as test camera functions such as sensitivity, zoom, presets and colour matching.
TRUST THE EXPERTS It’s
no coincidence that Panasonic has such a large market share – its innovations in the field are unmatched
THE PRODUCTION MANAGED TO INTEGRATE VIDEO CAPTURE IN A SUBTLE WAY
GET LOST IN THE PERFORMANCE PTZs integrate better than regular studio cameras for live shows, and their remote control function is key
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