January 2015 CREATION 17
Retaining a winning formula
If it ain ’ t broke , don ’ t fix it . For Paul Maibaum , who has been the director of photography of US TV drama series Sons of Anarchy since the second episode of the first season , this mantra has held true as Sons of Anarchy entered its seventh , and final , season .
The challenge of developing the look for the show was to make it “ natural , not too slick ”, according to Maibaum . He added : “ Handheld gives the narrative a feeling of immediacy that ’ s organic to the story . There are many non-verbal , dramatic elements that are signature shots of the show ; it ’ s not rushed , in the sense that we like to get the reactions of the characters .”
For this , Maibaum depends on a trusted line-up of specialist equipment , including OConnor fluid heads and Litepanels LED lighting fixtures . He said : “ I cannot remember a project that I have worked on where there weren ’ t at least two OConnor heads , and I have used Litepanels ’ Ringlite
Minis , MiniPlus and 1x1 LED panels almost since they first came on the market .”
On Sons of Anarchy , Maibaum has a pair of Arri Alexa cameras as his “ A cameras ”, with one or two Sony F55 CineAlta cameras supplementing the first unit or serving as a two-camera package on the second unit .
Angenieux Optimo Zoom lenses are deployed to enable operators to switch back and forth from handheld to studio mode and stabilised camera moves with minimal downtime between modes . Maibaum noted that approximately 60 % of the show is shot handheld , splitting the rest of the scenes evenly between dollies and camera stabilisation systems .
Litepanels fixtures are prominent on the show with Ringlite Minis and the MiniPlus , as well as 1x1s , playing key roles in the lighting package .
“ They ’ re invaluable ,” Maibaum declared . “ They work alongside all of our other lighting instru-
RTW , IRT in joint audio deal
RTW , a provider of visual audio meters and monitoring devices , has entered into a partnership with the Institut für Rundfunktechnik ( IRT ), the main research and development centre of public service broadcasters in Germany , Austria and Switzerland , to implement IRT ’ s newly patented Continuous Loudness Controller into its future broadcast-focused audio equipment .
According to RTW , the new endeavour will enable RTW to expand the company ’ s line of products and further support the changing industry needs of the state of loudness control .
Over the past few years , the IRT has developed and patented the Continuous Loudness Controller , a new technology that allows users to continuously readjust the level of audio material they are working on , against a given programme-loudness value , as well as a definable loudness range in real time with minimal artefacts . This next-generation technology is in accordance with EBU-R128 and other worldwide loudness standard specifications .
Andreas Tweitmann , managing director of RTW , said : “ With both partner developments and designs , IRT and RTW have focused on the highest quality of audio in radio and TV decades . The new technique developed by the IRT is ground-breaking and will have a tremendous benefit to our customers .”
Golf tourney broadcast in 4K
For golf enthusiasts around the world , their favourite sports may soon take on an entirely new dimension .
At the 2014 Ryder Cup held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland , the UK ’ s Sky Sports covered the week-long golf tournament as a full production trial for 4K broadcasting .
Describing it as a “ world ’ s first ” UHD trial , Sky Sports deployed the I-Movix X10 UHD camera system for 4K ultramotion replays which was tested with the DreamCatcher solution from Evertz and with Fujinon ’ s 4K Cine lens , Premier PL 75-400mm Cine Zoom ( HK5.3X75 ).
Paul Maibaum , director of photography for Sons of Anarchy , has depended on a trusted line-up of equipment to shoot seven seasons of the US TV drama series . This includes equipment from OConnor , Litepanels and Anton / Bauer .
ments , whether tungsten or HMI , on stage and on location . They ’ re lightweight , and the ability to run on battery power , along with their dimming capabilities , makes them essential tools in our lighting package .”
Maibaum also tested the new Litepanels Astra 1x1 Bi-Color panel , which is a “ marked improvement ” over the 1x1s . He explained : “ That ’ s saying a lot because they ( 1X1 ) are one of my favourite lighting fixtures . The output of the Astra
Riedel supports Red Bull live productions
Headquartered in Santa Monica , California , Red Bull Media House is a multi-platform media company focusing on sports , culture and lifestyle , providing content to a global audience across TV , mobile , digital , audio and print .
A regular user of Riedel equipment , Red Bull Media House has found Riedel products to consistently provide the flexibility , performance , and audio and video quality the company requires for the production of premium sports events and live broadcasts .
Scott Gillies , director of production and technology at Red Bull Media House North America , elaborated : “ The robust functionality of both the MediorNet and Artist systems actually simplifies production while enabling us to put on a sophisticated and exciting show for the millions of fans tuning in from all around the world .”
For example , one eSports broadcast format that is produced out of the Red Bull eSports studio pits two video gaming teams of five players against one another . As they play , MediorNet Modular frames take in a total of 20 HDMI POV ( point of view ) video signals from the gaming consoles , convert them into HD-SDI , and carry them to the control room .
The POV cameras focus on the faces and hands of all 10 players , with additional HD-SDI cameras positioned on the game commentators . These inputs are combined with the primary gameplay feeds
is surprising . Recently , I was able to use it as a fill light during some insert car work , filling the actors ’ faces in broad daylight with the fixture projecting from roughly 8ft from the subject ’ s faces . It was much brighter than the original light that we planned to use .”
As for mobile power needs , Maibaum and his crew turned to Anton / Bauer batteries . They used the award-winning Cine VCLX as the main camera battery for the Alexas and F55s when on dollies or cranes , while the Dionic HC and HCX batteries acted as a power supply for the handheld cameras and Litepanels 1x1s , and also powered the wireless video assist .
Maibaum concluded : “ What I like about Anton / Bauer batteries is that they charge quickly , don ’ t lose their charge , and the digital readout tells me how much power is left all the time . They ’ re also lightweight and attach on and off quickly to the camera or light .”
Red Bull Media House uses Riedel ’ s MediorNet real-time network , Rocknet audio system and Artist digital matrix intercom system to enable the production of events , as well as live streams watched by fans around the world .
to produce a complete eSports broadcast . An additional Medior- Net Compact Frame is used for complementary shots from other parts of the competition .
Additionally , each player in this example wears a headset that provides game audio and a link to other team members . The Artist system supports these communications , as well as the intercom and on-air audio signals of the commentators .
Because the Artist system works with 48kHz digital audio , it is also being used to create a downmix of game audio for each team , as well as for the audio-mixing console . Combining individual game audio with the team communications , the Artist creates 10 individual mixes for each of the 10 players . A single four-core fibre cable , equipped with OpticalCON QUAD connectors , handles all signals .
Sascha Kneider , head of technical services , North America , Riedel , said : “ This installation is a textbook example of a system that integrates the three main product lines from Riedel . By using MediorNet as the backbone for video , RockNet for audio , and Artist intercom for communications , we can create a lot of synergies .”