Calvin implements the Blackmagic Replay system

The repetition solutions Blackmagic Replay and DaVinci Resolve Replay Editor are added to the workflow of the Calvin University, an American institution that has a production unit focused on sports productions.

Based in Grand Rapids (Michigan, USA), the Calvin University is a Christian educational institution ranked among the best regional universities in the United States. It has more than 3,700 university and postgraduate students and, in the last year alone, it has made 550 broadcasts. Nate Porter, head of audiovisual production at the university, works with a team of students and professionals to cover an increasing number of broadcasts, relying largely on Blackmagic.

This is how Porter describes the activity of the university producer: "For a mid-sized regional university, our broadcast programming rivals that of major networks. Our team coordinates a wide range of work - such as promotions, narrations and live productions - in different areas, from sports to concerts, conferences and religious ceremonies. We broadcast events for 18 sports teams and manage productions on nine university campuses. At any time, we can seamlessly transition from a diving competition to a concert to a religious ceremony, while also supporting production classes audiovisual and we attend to academic needs.”

In order to manage up to four broadcasts at a time, Porter was in charge of creating a transmission and post-production dynamic with fiber optic connectivity around 85 Blackmagic Design products. These include the Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2, Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K G2, Blackmagic Studio Camera 6K Pro, Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera; various ATEM mixers; more than 20 HyperDeck recorders; dozens of converters; Blackmagic Universal Videohub 288 x 288 matrices; various Blackmagic Videohub 12G switches, Blackmagic Camera devices and Studio Fiber Converter; DaVinci Resolve software; the DaVinci Resolve Speed ​​Editor keyboard; Blackmagic Web Presenter and UltraStudio equipment; and DeckLink capture and playback cards. Additionally, Blackmagic Cloud Store 80TB and Blackmagic Cloud Store Max 24TB drives make it easy to store recorded footage and collaborate across campus.

Producing football at Calvin University

Beyond establishing a global production dynamic throughout the university, Porter was commissioned to create a complete traditional and Internet transmission system for all matches American football that the university team plays at home. It had to be a mobile system, as the university's stadium was not ready for the first season, and said games took place on a nearby high school field during 2024.

The encounters are filmed with several units URSA Broadcast G2 y Micro Studio Camera 4K G2, and the recorded material is transmitted to a control room on campus to carry out replays and add graphic elements. Here's how Porter describes the workflow: "A viewer looks at different angles on a Blackmagic Multiview monitor and tells the replay guy which cameras recorded the best shots. We have a computer with DaVinci Resolve connected to the Blackmagic Cloud and Cloud Store devices, and this is the setup used by the person editing the highlights, who is in charge of playback and creating content for social media. These three team members stay in touch thanks to the instant messaging system Resolve, which is very useful to them”:

Repetitions are performed by a unit Mac Studio with a device UltraStudio 4K Mini, while highlights are recorded on computer equipment Puget Systems. The images come from a unit Blackmagic Cloud Store Max, and the replay manager opens the timeline of highlights and plays back when necessary: "Everything we do is based on a dynamic of working with Blackmagic products. The images captured by each camera are transmitted to an ATEM switcher, either an ATEM Constellation HD or an ATEM Mini, for the purposes of making adjustments, turning pilot lights on or off, communicating with other members of the team or distributing signals. All the spaces where we carry out productions - for example, the auditorium, stadium, and recital hall—use some ATEM mixer as a projection source.”

"In terms of post-production, we edit all the material in Resolve, and we love the project server in the cloud. It's very easy to access any computer on campus and pick up where I left off. Plus, I really like being able to switch between the different modules of the program with a single click," concludes Porter.