Blackmagic Design Creates Video Tools for Our Time
Live streaming has never been more important, as the industry learns new ways of working together but apart during these days of social distancing, all taken in an effort to flatten the curve of the Covid-19 pandemic. While researching cameras, switchers, recorders and production accessories, industry professionals are turning to products from Blackmagic Design, an Australia-based innovator and manufacturer of creative video technology.
Bob Caniglia, Blackmagic Design’s director of sales operations, the Americas, explains that while virtual productions and live streaming are not new, they have seen an uptick in demand for their equipment. “They’ve evolved from nice-to-have additions to must-haves when connecting with an entirely remote audience, as is the case today.”
Fortunately, Blackmagic Design’s business foundation is based on meeting the needs for all levels of skill sets through all sizes of productions — from complex TV and film events to simple YouTube streaming — all with the same high-end result. As Caniglia explains, “Our goal is to manufacture quality video products at affordable prices, supporting and empowering creatives of all abilities and budgets.”
PLSN connected with two companies new to live streaming who found that Blackmagic Design products empowered them to pull off their events successfully.
Jam Lab Presents Empty Arena Live Stream Benefit
Colin Peterik, owner and chief engineer at The Jam Lab in Chicago, has been developing artists over the past 10 years. When the Covid-19 crisis shut down live music venues, Peterik was inspired to “give back.” He would live stream a concert for charity donations. Not just any concert — but a performance by Jim Peterik, Grammy winning songwriter and founder of the band Survivor (with hit “Eye of the Tiger”). He was also Colin’s dad. And not just any charity, but for MusiCares Foundation, which gives aid to the music community.
The show required a high quality look and great sound, streaming simultaneously through Facebook and YouTube. Needing video expertise, Peterik turned to his friend Bill Allan. Allan, an Emmy-winning media instructor, heads the TV department at Lyons Township High School. He uses Blackmagic Design equipment as his teaching tools in his studio production course.
“The school studio is completely Blackmagic Design,”
Allan explains, citing five Blackmagic Studio Camera 4Ks, the ATEM 4 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K switcher, and the HyperDeck Studio Pro 2 Recorder. “We also use the URSA Broadcast cameras on our production truck,” he adds. “The longer broadcast lenses, image quality, and overall functionality really work well for our sports coverage.”
Allan offered to share his gear for Jim’s performance. “We’ve done other concerts at The Jam Lab with our Blackmagic Design gear,” Allan notes, “so when the opportunity to do Empty Arena came up, we wanted to go with gear that worked.”
Safety and social distancing were prime concerns, but the compact, versatile Blackmagic Design gear allowed them to follow the rules with a skeleton crew. “We used two of our URSA Broadcast cameras and the ATEM 4 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K switcher,” Allan notes. “It was so portable and convenient that my assistant Dave and I could manage everything. One of us ran the cameras, while the other switched and managed the live stream. We even switched roles a few times. The long lenses let us set up a good 25 feet from the stage, so we maintained social distancing very easily.”
Adds Peterik, “Bill has been using Blackmagic Design products for years now, impressed with their business model and ease of use. Blackmagic Design products have been on my radar for a while, but I have just recently started entering the world of video production due to the pandemic. I studied and work primarily in audio production only, but since the pandemic has forced us to produce remote projects that involve live camera switching and streaming, I naturally went to Blackmagic Design as my solution.”
Peterik was impressed by the products’ ease of use. “Bill and his team had the cameras and computer set up and ready to stream within 45 minutes on the day of the live stream. No hiccups or tech issues like you would expect.
“Thanks to Blackmagic Design, we put on a stunning event for everyone in short notice,” Peterik adds. “We put on a flawless live stream that drew in almost 1,000 viewers and helped raise over $4,000 for the MusiCares charity. I look forward to producing more of these shows, and as long as the Covid-19 pandemic remains a threat, this is a great opportunity to provide entertainment to those who sorely need it.”
Espo Productions Live Streams Country Artist Angie Rey
Country artist Angie Rey’s tour was cancelled through 2020, but she wanted to keep the music playing while entertaining her fan base. Tony Esposito of Espo Productions in Clearwater, FL jumped in to help.
“Her label, ProGo Music Group Nashville, reached out to ESI Audio to ask if they knew anything they could do. Then Pat Clarke from ESI asked me if I wanted to team up to live stream some shows,” Esposito says.
“I knew streaming was going to be one of the only things left to make money. I handled all the video while we used their practice warehouse, lights and audio to give it a real feel.”
As this was the first streaming he’s done in more than three years, he researched products that would allow him to achieve a high quality live streaming event on Facebook and YouTube simultaneously. “I own several Blackmagic Design products and have been happy with what I can use them for at the price point,” Esposito explains. “We are a small company without deep pockets so Blackmagic Design allows us to produce high end shows on a smaller budget than the large companies or networks.”
He purchased the Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini, designed for multi-camera live stream switching to the internet or broadcast applications. This compact broadcast switcher allows the user to switch four HDMI video sources plus two dedicated audio sources and the whole output just looks like a regular USB webcam that you can use with video software.
To prepare, he spent the day learning what else he needed to pull off the stream, and then did a “test stream” that night. Esposito used a Blackmagic ATEM 1 M/E Production Switcher and ATEM 1 M/E Broadcast Panel to switch three live cameras with the program out into a Blackmagic ATEM Mini for streaming with professionally mixed audio. The show was also recorded on a Blackmagic Video Assist, which helps to frame and focus the shots.
“The ATEM Mini was easy to learn with the help of a video off YouTube. Then I combined that with OBS (Open Broadcaster Software, a free and open-source software suite for recording and live streaming) on one laptop,” Tony says.
With a limited crew (including two new on cameras), he pulled it off successfully. “The show came out great,” he notes, adding that something he learned beyond the equipment was “how Facebook will kill your stream for playing copyrighted music during our intro.”
It was more than great for Angie Rey. Reaching 13,000 viewers and requests for more virtual concerts inspired the current “Live at ESI — Keep the Music Alive Concert Series” — again using Blackmagic Design products. “I was so excited to work with both ESPO and ESI and was very pleased with the outcome,” the artist says. “The video and audio quality surpassed my expectations.”
Esposito notes, “Currently we have six more concerts lined up to stream. If we can, we will continue this after the (pandemic) bans are lifted.”
For more information, visit www.blackmagicdesign.com, www.thejamlab.net and www.espoproductions.com