Vodafone Studios begins its journey with Blackmagic solutions

The newly opened production space Vodafone Studios has decided to bet on cameras, mixers and matrices Blackmagic to make extended reality productions a reality on a 15-meter curved LED screen.

Sigma-AV has been the integrator in charge of shaping the new Vodafone Studios, a facility 400 square meters commissioned by Vodafone Germany so that the mobile operator could control the creation of its own content, as stated Lukas Loss, digital content producer for Vodafone Germany: "Previously, we delivered a large part of the images, event content and advertising productions through the use of external and third-party studios. That dynamic was expensive and lacked flexibility. By creating our own studios, we were able to reduce production spend and preparation time, while increasing the internal delivery capacity of the production team."

The central component of Vodafone Studios is an audiovisual surface of 15 metros led for productions of extended reality y events. In addition, it has a rest area to carry out interviews with people sitting talking, a main control room for eight operators and a space for servers. The second studio is smaller and includes a green backdrop, an area dedicated to product photography and a space for recording audiovisual podcasts, with capacity for up to four people.

To equip these facilities, the Vodafone Studios team opted for Blackmagic, which were chosen by Loss and his team “taking into account our previous experience with the company and its products elsewhere”, as well as “12G SDI technology, which facilitates 2160p50 workflows and allows the use of as few cables as possible.”

Capture with Blackmagic's URSA Broadcast G2

the camera URSA Broadcast G2 de Blackmagic It was chosen for its versatility, which allows “a professional live 4K production or a film production with a shallow depth field,” in the words of Loss. Equipment meets solutions Blackmagic Fiber Converter, which allows the connection of the camera to require only two cables: one for the unit and another for the tracking system. As a complement, it was decided to use the Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K Pro with a device Blackmagic Studio Converter and a 21” screen as a teleprompter.

In the control room we have also opted for Blackmagic solutions such as the mixer ATEM Constellation 8K and a device ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panel, with a matrix Smart Videohub 12G 40×40 to distribute the signals and a ATEM Camera Control Panel that allows you to operate the cameras remotely. "The decision to implement an ATEM switcher was very simple; we needed support for the 50p 4K format and the ability to process 30 sources and 22 outputs during a typical production. Another big advantage is the four multi-view outputs; we use three for the imaging technicians and the other as a reference for the talent on stage or in the back office," explains Loss.

Likewise, Vodafone Germany's workflow for virtual sets relies on a series of computer equipment, which has a capture and playback card. DeckLink 8K Pro, in order to capture live camera signals with Unreal Engine y sucker. Likewise, when a virtual floor is required, Vodafone relies on its studio with a green background and sets created in real time with the composer. Ultimatte 12 4K.

"Now we can cover a wide range of formats. The magic was in finding the right tools to find that creative freedom and, in turn, meet the agreed fast deadlines and the large amount of content. We were very satisfied with the results," concludes Loss.