News Technology & Live Sport
switcher. In our initial search for a flexible,
Overture
cost-effective switcher, we became aware of
the products offered by Echolab. Each year
representatives from Studio Video Art
participate in the IBC conference and
exhibition in Amsterdam and the NAB Show
for Romanian soccer
in Las Vegas. In 2007, after seeing Echolab
switchers demonstrated on the show floor, we
decided to go ahead and buy a 16-input
Opera unit, forerunner to Echolab’s 1-M/E
BOGDAN ALEXE, executive manager of Studio Video Art, Overture1 and 2-M/E Overture2 production
reports.
switchers.
Our continued success has correlated with
y father was a cameraman, and he powers up and is ready to go when you need budget increases, and this year we were able
M
started Studio Video Art in 1992 it. It’s also important that the equipment be to buy two more switchers for two new OB
with a focus on making easy to operate and intuitive in our business vans. Overall I would say that our decision to
documentary films, often in because we often rely on freelance directors. purchase more Echolab equipment was based
collaboration with foreign production They don’t want to spend time reading a not only on the quality of the company’s
companies. In 1994, the company moved into manual. They want to get to work. product, but also on the relationship that we
broadcast. The impetus for that shift in In our early days, we recognised that the have developed with the Echolab team. The
emphasis was the availability of the contract greatest demand was on the sports side, and switchers we selected for our two new vans
to record all the Romanian Football League that became our emphasis. Subsequently we were the Overture1SD and the Overture2SD. It
matches that were not broadcast live on have branched out, and today Studio Video was these vans, equipped with the high-
Romanian State Television. The following Art operates three OB vans and three DSNG performance Overture switching systems,
year, we bought a van which we transformed satellite antennas and is a recognised leader which gave us the competitive edge we
into the first private OB van in Romania. It in all corners of Romanian freelance needed to win the contract to broadcast live
was small, carrying only four Sony-M7 broadcasting. While our primary services soccer matches from the Romanian Soccer
cameras. include production of live events for TV League this year.
It seems fitting then that this year we won stations and production companies, we also Because the Overture switchers accept as
the contract to broadcast four to six matches rent production equipment and provide many as 32 multiformat analogue and digital
on every match day for the Romanian Soccer experienced technical staff. Besides live signals and provide as many as 16
League, covering all of Romania’s World Cup sports, we now do music and entertainment multiformat outputs, they are a good fit for
qualifying matches. In addition, this year we shows as well as documentary shows. our OB vans. Internal frame synchronisation
worked with Romania’s ProTV to broadcast When we were a young company with a and internal A-to-D converters simplify
the Champions League games in Cluj and in tight budget, we relied on used equipment system complexity when working with
Bucharest. including used production switchers, but as sources like DVD players, satellite, remote
Live sports production from an OB van our company has grown so has our need for studios, and microwave links. The Overture
puts particular stress on operators and on production capabilities. An important piece of systems are light, compact and easy to install
equipment. It’s absolutely critical that the equipment for a company that covers live - more qualities that make them particularly
equipment be reliable and sturdy, that it events, especially sports, is the production well suited to OB work.
Stefan Dobrescu,
When we are producing a football match,
Studio Video Art’s
our OB van carries the director, the producer,
OB van chief-
the video technician, the sound technician,
coordinator, using
the graphics technician, and two VTR
the Overture. Photo
operators. Studio Video Art provides technical
courtesy of .Studio staff while our clients provide the producer
Video Art. and director. For live sports productions such
as football, there is an additional team of
between eight and 10 people outside the OB
van who manipulate cables and install
cameras, lenses, tripods and, when needed, jib
cranes.
Since the end of July, we have produced
from five to eight events per week - five when
we were producing only Romanian Soccer
League matches and eight when we were also
producing the UEFA Champions League. Our
record is 11 productions in a single week.
A critical consideration in live sports
34 IBE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008
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