Blackmagic's Ultimatte 12 HD arrives at Drexel University's virtual production studio

The Drexel University has opted to train its students in the increasingly popular virtual production using equipment such as the Ultimatte 12 HD and Ultimatte 12 HD Mini composers. Blackmagic Design.

The Drexel University, founded in 1891, is a leading private investigation institution based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States). Its ACE-Lab laboratory allows students to learn and carry out activities related to animations, visual effects, motion capture, three-dimensional digitization, virtual and augmented reality, and a wide variety of other traditional and immersive digital multimedia content formats. In addition to several spaces for classes, screenings and meetings, the laboratory has a 12.2 m2 studio, which includes a cyclorama with green background 7.6 x 5.2 m, a system for motion capture, lighting equipment, immersive projection with technology Fulldome y virtual reality systems large scale.

Several years, Nick Jushchyshyn is the program director of virtual productions and digital media for the College of Audiovisual Art and Design at Drexel University. Under this position, he has been able to lead the technical integration of the virtual production studio, in which Blackmagic Design has an important presence: “For years we have been using Blackmagic Design products as part of 360 stereo virtual reality, photometric and volumetric systems, as well as in visual effects courses related to chrominance compositions and camera tracking courses. in three-dimensional environments. (…) However, I recently completely rebuilt the audiovisual structure of the main laboratory studio around Ultimatte 12 HD composers and ATEM SDI mixers, among other devices, which have been revolutionary”

Ultimatte 12 HD y 12 HD Mini

One of the keys why Zhushchyshyn has opted for Ultimatte 12 It is its “affordable price,” which has allowed the university to invest in several units that are used for different purposes: “It is a complete composer. Virtual productions interact with real-world audiovisual equipment with digital three-dimensional technology, and we use tools such as Unreal Engine and Ultimatte to teach students these types of techniques, since it is the same one used by the main sports, news and weather stations. . We even used the Ultimatte 12 HD Mini as a two-way interface for the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K units, which we didn't necessarily purchase for live use. However, now we can implement them in a space for live virtual productions with SDI technology.”

Jushchyshyn elaborates on the uses of this system: “In addition to teaching about work dynamics and different technologies, I myself have also used an Ultimatte to create my remote office in meetings, interviews, classes and more. I have a Micro Studio Camera 4K unit and an Ultimatte 12 HD device connected to an ATEM Mini mixer, from which all the compositing is done, which is then sent to Unreal Engine. “This creates a 3D environment that appears to be a television studio complete with a moving camera on a travel table, but in reality, I am sitting in a limited 2.7 m2 space with a green cloth in the background.”

ATEM at Drexel University

Beyond the Ultimatte 12 equipment, Jushchyshyn uses various mixers ATEM SDI and ATEM Mini, which allow students to be shown in a “compact size” the most common workflows in a professional production studio. In his own words: “ATEM mixers are very affordable, and everything students learn serves as a foundation for their future. Outside of the classroom, students gain hands-on experience working on events, such as the end-of-year showcase, and managing live productions for faculty, both on and off campus.”

One of the most prominent models that Jushchyshyn relies on is the ATEM SDI Extreme ISO. The Drexel University professor especially appreciates the system's eight inputs, to which he connects two units Micro Studio Camera 4K mounted on the ceiling and two computers that run the motion capture program. The four additional inputs provide the flexibility to add different sources, such as a camera focused on the presenter, or other witness or reference cameras. For its part, monitors installed in different parts of the place are connected to the four outputs.

“The ATEM mixer is extremely complete. Fairlight's built-in tools allow you to configure your audio in the best possible way for use in the studio. Additionally, we ensure that the dynamic range is correct for those who are learning remotely and that the recording is automatically dimmed for those who view it later. I also love the SuperSource feature as it provides a nice aesthetic, and I can easily connect to Zoom via the USB port, use the mixer with the Ultimatte device to replace the green background, and much more,” concludes Jushchyshyn.

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