Gains in tech and drops in prices are pushing more broadcasters to adopt video walls in their studios, but stations are learning that designing a digital set also means adopting a different mindset. Pictured: This XR Studio for ServusTV in Salzburg, Austria, is driven by Ross Video’s Voyager and Lucid control system to simplify workflow. Voyager is built on the Epic Unreal gaming engine for hyper realistic rendering.
Video walls are getting “bigger and bigger and cheaper and cheaper,” prompting wider adoption among broadcasters who are discovering a broad raft of storytelling and set design opportunities in their adoption. Above, FX Design Group delivered the set for KHON Honolulu, which includes a 3.9 pixel pitch video wall background that stretches nearly 33 feet long and just over 8 feet high.
Flexibility, Agility: News Production’s New Bywords
Executives from ABC News, Fox Owned Stations, WCBS New York, News 12 and FX Design Group took the measure of remote production’s changes on the industry in a NewsTECHForum panel this week. While traditional studio and field reporting are returning, permanent workflow adjustments are also settling in. Above (l-r): Glen Dickson, Jacques Natz, Fabian Westerwelle, Peter McGowan, Mack McLaughlin and Erik Smith.
Recent supply chain issues notwithstanding, newsrooms are embracing LED video walls for their dropping prices, ease of use and improved quality over older, LCD options. Above: WRDW Augusta, Ga., included a large video wall in its new facility, designed by FX, that it moved into earlier this year. (Source: WRDW)
Green Screen Not Just For Weather Anymore
While few U.S. TV stations are opting for full-fledged virtual sets for their news operations, hybrid sets that combine real and virtual elements are rapidly finding adoption due to their versatility and cost-effectiveness.
Getting The 411 On Set Design
FX Design Group Owner and Creative Director Mack McLaughlin discusses best practices, trends in the industry, virtual sets, LED lighting and more.
