Crew in a Box uses Pocket Cinema Camera 6K and Atem Mini Pro in its remote productions

The Crew in a Box system provides a high-quality, easy-to-use, remote-controlled technology solution that allows filming to continue safely during the pandemic.

Crew in a Box is using units Pocket Cinema Camera 6K and mixers Atem Mini Pro of Blackmagic Design in their new system for remote productions. Since its launch in June, it has been used in dozens of commercials and television productions, including remote filming with Vanessa Hudgens for a campaign that aimed to promote the awards Greatest of All Time, granted by the chain MTV.

Crew in a Box is a product created by Ira Rosensweig, advertising director and Clio award winner, who also owns the production company Wavemaker Creative in Los Angeles, along with award-winning cinematographer Dallas Sterling and visual effects artist Jeremy Fernsler. This system provides a high-quality, easy-to-use, remote-controlled technology solution that allows filming to continue safely during the pandemic, and was recently honored with an award BaM Create Award de IABM for the best innovation of 2020 in the field of broadcasts, media, and content creation and capture.

"We thought that if productions stopped, brands and networks would want to find a way for celebrities to continue advertising their shows and products. For those who are not yet comfortable returning to a traditional recording studio, or for companies that do not want to take the risk that comes with an in-person production, Crew in a Box provides a way to achieve this goal with high quality and without the film crew having to be on location," says Rosensweig.

Each Crew in a Box system includes one unit Pocket Cinema Camera 6K from Blackmagic Design, to capture exceptionally sharp images, a teleprompter, a Interrotron that allows you to communicate directly with the talent, an LED light with three one-meter panels and professional microphones.

In a cube of half a square meter

Rosensweig explains why they chose the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K model: "As filmmakers, production value and image quality are essential to us. Additionally, we needed a camera that was compact, so that it would fit in a cube of about half a meter square, and that could be controlled by computer equipment. We considered several models and quickly realized that the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K was the best option."

"We had not used it before, but we immediately noticed that the image quality was comparable to that of other much more expensive cameras, with an excellent depth of field and a dynamic range of 13 stops. In addition, being able to record in 6K, it was not necessary to take as many shots, since we could film a medium shot of the talent and then zoom in on the image without artifacts appearing," he adds.

Regarding the product, you just need to take it out of the box and plug it in. The system automatically connects over the Internet to a remote team of filmmakers who control all aspects of the shoot. During the recording, the project director appears on the integrated interferometer, through which the camera captures the images, with the purpose of directing the talent. For its part, the ATEM Mini Pro mixer is used to switch between different signals and insert graphics remotely.

Rosensweig highlights that "the Atem Mini Pro model gives us the ability to control the camera remotely, along with the software created for the Crew in a Box system, and in turn allows the unit to be recognized as a webcam. In addition, it also offers other additional features, such as the ability to adjust color with DaVinci Resolve's chromatic tools, view and switch between four different signals, process visual effects and broadcast live to multiple platforms."

Agencies, clients and the film crew hold a video conference in which they can view the feed coming from the camera in high resolution, thus creating an optimal experience for everyone involved. In turn, images can be recorded or transmitted live over the Internet.

Since its implementation, Crew in a Box has been used in various global advertising campaigns and broadcasts for clients such as McDonalds, State Farm and Audible, and television networks including NBC, FOX, ABC and FX. As COVID-19 restrictions change, the system has also begun to be used for various types of interviews, commercials where a person speaks on camera, variety shows with remote guests, press conferences, and film shoots in locations where talent does not have access to film equipment.

Additionally, the system was recently used to record a campaign with Vanessa Hudgens which aimed to promote the Greatest of All Time awards, awarded by the network MTV. On this occasion, five people, including a producer, a director of photography and a teleprompter operator, managed the cameras and technical aspects of the shoot for the creative and production team at ViacomCBS, thus eliminating unnecessary risks.

https://vimeo.com/488447144