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OTT OPTIONS The Sony Z280 and Z190 cameras are typical of camcorders that are great for beaming their video signal to livestream events
4. GET YOUR HEAD IN THE CLOUDS Software from Sony means a switcher operator, making the cuts and beaming the final signal out to the world, no longer has to be on location. Sony’s Virtual Production system is a pay-as-you-go cloud service, providing an online switcher and streaming for up to three different channels at the same time, including YouTube and Facebook Live. Using wireless Wi-Fi or 4G dongle transmitters on up to six cameras, the footage is fed to a virtual production switcher, hosted in the Amazon Web Services cloud. A remote operator logs on via a laptop and switches between camera angles, or adds logos and graphics. A starter package is £90 for an hour of broadcasting, with monthly user packages costing £720 for ten hours of use per month. A 24-hour, on-off package is available in Europe for £2106. It’s ideally for cameras that can stream through wireless Wi-Fi or take a 4G dongle transmitter. Sony recommends its Z280, Z190, Z90 or X200 cameras, but as long as your camera has a suitable frame rate, bit rate and resolution, it should work.
If your Sony camera doesn’t have wireless Wi-Fi or take a 4G dongle transmitter, you might need a Sony CBK-WA100 wireless adapter (£1353/$1358). This takes a camera’s SDI signal and uses a 3G or 4G wireless network to upload it to Sony’s server. While it’s possible to livestreamwith pretty much any camera that has HDMI or SDI output, camcorders rule, as many are streaming-ready. Canon’s XF705 has many pro features, but JVC is best-known for connectivity and offers the interchangeable-lens GY-HC900 broadcast camera, as well as more affordable options, including the HC500 and HM660. JVC has a H.265/HEVC streaming adapter for its Connected cameras that enable faster transmission in 4:2:2 10-bit. Panasonic’s CX350 allows video transmission and camera control over Wi-Fi, linking up as part of a multicamera system to its Live Production Centre. Each camera links up to Wi-Fi, or uses a 4G dongle or bonded cellular system. They connect directly to streaming services or upload to cloud streaming services, such as Sony Virtual Production or Livestream. They also record higher-resolution footage to memory cards for editing later.
VIDEO EDITING FROM AFAR
Teams of editors, directors and DOPs, huddling round banks of computer screens to collaboratively put together finished films, is prettymuch a thing of the past on everything except feature films – thanks to Covid-19, as well as time pressures. Editing remotely via the cloud is the new way of working together, while physically staying apart. One of the largest-growing platforms is called Blackbird. It claims to be the world’s fastest, most powerful, professional cloud video editing and publishing platform. Enabling remote video editing and fast access to content, it makes creating clips, highlights or longer-form films easy. These can be published to multiple platforms. The system uses Blackbird’s own slimmed-down editing software, but there’s an option to integrate with industry-standard NLEs, such as Adobe Premiere. It is accessible through any browser and requires limited bandwidth.
“While it’s possible to streamwith prettymuch any camera, many camcorders are streaming-ready”
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