Weezer and Panic! at the Disco turn their tours into a great audiovisual spectacle with Blackmagic

La productora Upstaging creó una completa plataforma audiovisual con Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K y bastidores que incluían un mezclador ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K, un dispositivo ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Panel, grabadores HyperDeck Studio Pro, procesadores Teranex Express, conversores Teranex Mini, varios monitores (incluidos los modelos MultiView 4, SmartView 4K y SmartScope Duo), ATEM Talkback Converters, Mini Converters y la aplicación UltraScope.

Upstaging creó una completa plataforma audiovisual con el modelo Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K y otros productos de Blackmagic Design for the tour that the bands Weezer and Panic! at the Disco performed during the summer. The system included four Teranex Express and twenty-four Teranex Mini units that allowed signals from multiple cameras to be converted.

With the aim of promoting his new album, titled Death of a Bachelor, the rock band Panic! At the Disco toured last summer, during which they played with the group Weezer, known for hits such as Buddy Holly, Undone – The Sweater Song y Say It Ain’t So.

So Midwest production designer Robb Jibson and director Jack Edinger chose Blackmagic 4K products to meet the tour's audiovisual needs. Working with production company Upstaging, which provides video systems, lighting and upscaling services, Robb and Jack created a rig with four Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K units and racks that included an ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K switcher, an ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Panel, HyperDeck Studio Pro recorders, Teranex Express processors, Teranex Mini converters, various monitors (including MultiView 4, SmartView 4K and SmartScope Duo), ATEM Talkback Converters, Mini Converters and the UltraScope app.

4K production

For enlargement, Jack and Robb used a Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K unit at the front of the concert venue, two more on a tripod and monopod in the pit, and one on the right side of the stage. Power and communication between these cameras were provided by fiber optics through a Camplex FIBERJ-P1 FiberJuice device, in turn connected to the other equipment installed in the racks. These also included an ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K mixer, used for direct cuts during the show. At the Weezer concert, the ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Panel was used to implement the SuperSource function on the main images, as well as to customize the final version that was played on the audiovisual surface. At the same time, the ATEM program was installed on a computer in order to load graphic elements for the show, make subsequent compositions and adjust the color of the cameras.

In the wings, there was a Smart VideoHub 40x40 matrix, used to switch signals throughout the venue, and two HyperDeck Studio Pro recorders. One captured the main images of the show, while the material obtained with the other was sent via SDI cable to the giant screens to play video clips before the show and in intervals throughout the night. Four Teranex Express and twenty-four Teranex Mini SDI Distribution processors with smart panels were also used to convert the camera signals, according to the equipment's needs. Likewise, thanks to several MultiView 4 and SmartView 4K monitors, it was possible to monitor everything that was happening, while the two SmartScope Duo 4K allowed various images and graphic representations to be combined.

Robb Jibson admits that "we needed the signals from the cameras to be fed into the equipment in the wings and retransmitted to different destination equipment. The Teranex processors helped us in this regard. In addition, they allowed the content captured by any of the cameras to be sent to the monitors, so that the images were displayed immediately. This was ideal, since the singers moved all over the stage and the audience is always unpredictable. So, with the monitors and MultiView 4 units we were able “The products for live productions are very reliable and really make our job easier, in order to achieve a quality show at all concerts.”

For his part, Jack Edinger assures that "the functionality of the Blackmagic Studio Camera units is perfectly adapted to this type of project. The fact that our team of cameramen could count on this exceptional 10-inch monitor really changed the way we film. This model allows us to visualize what is being recorded, which in turn guarantees optimal quality images with greater sharpness in focus."

Working progressively

The director added that "another important advantage is the possibility of filming and playing all the images in progressive format, instead of interlaced, which offers the possibility of saving a lot of time and worry. The aesthetic achieved is a little clearer, more uniform and cinematic. In addition, when the band wants to watch the recordings or send the version we made to the event organizers to create an animated graphic of the show, for example, it is not necessary to have to deinterlace the material. It looks as it should be."

Robb continues to ensure that "the images recorded with these cameras appear more real than those of other models. They are as they are seen in real life. The sensors allow the capture of a dynamic range that is more faithful to reality. The concert industry is a niche market for which these units represent a very useful tool."

El programa DaVinci Resolve proporciona una manera muy sencilla y efectiva de llevar a cabo la renderización del color y el etalonaje con precisión. Antes perdíamos mucho tiempo modificando las cámaras y el balance cromático. Por lo tanto, el resultado final solía estar muy alejado de los colores verdaderos que queríamos lograr, dado que no hay oportunidad de ajustarlos correctamente a diario, y el entorno es diferente cada día de la gira. Con las cámaras de Blackmagic, obtuvimos resultados espectaculares. Son como de otro mundo”, concluye Edinger.