8 TVBEurope News & Analysis Fresh mix for Saturday Kitchen
In an open event with Prolink TV, DiGiCo and broadcast dealer HHB Communications, TVBEuropevisited the cookery show’s new set By Melanie Dayasena-Lowe
PRODUCTION company Cactus TV, producer of BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen, has again chosen to work with Prolink Television Facilities on creating a new studio set for the programme. Originally filmed in a studio in Kennington, Saturday Kitchen’s new home is Cactus TV’s premises in Clapham. It’s Prolink’s first time working with the cookery show, explained Prolink Director Michael Dugard. “The change of location and
the move to HD gave us a chance to get involved. We provide anything from a single man and single camera through to OB trucks, permanent installations as per Saturday Kitchen and some flyaway type systems,” he said. Interestingly, Saturday Kitchen
appears to be one of the few BBC programmes to be filmed in a non-BBC studio. “If you take sport out of the equation, we can’t think of any other BBC network programme that runs for 1.5 hours that comes from a non- BBC studio,” he added. Prolink TV handled the kit
spec, layouts, size and electrical installations for the new studio.
Ben Hooper: “Altiverb 7XL and Speakerphone 2 dramatically expand creative choices for our drama and shortform clients”
Prime Focus gains audio momentum By Jake Young
The broadcast digital console installed inside the new studio was DiGiCo’s SD10B. “The SD10B provided a lot of bang for the buck,” said Michael Dugard
There are also two diversely routed fibres to BT Tower. “It was completed live as scheduled and on budget.”
Among the equipment installed inside the new studio was DiGiCo’s broadcast digital console SD10B. It was the first time that Prolink TV had worked with DiGiCo.“We looked at all the options and sought the opinion of our regular sound team, who between them have more years of experience and expertise than they’d probably care to admit to – but that’s all extremely valuable so we always seek their input to design and
acquisition decisions,” says Dugard. “Collectively we thought the SD10B provided a lot of bang for the buck and the functionality it offered was exactly what we needed. Overall it was a perfect marriage with the size of the facility we had. “It also has a very easy to use interface, which is important because we have three or four supervisors who mix the sound on Saturday Kitchen. If they haven’t done it for a few weeks they can come in and load up their preferred configuration.” www.digico.bizwww.prolinktv.co.uk
Prime Focus Broadcast has made a substantial upgrade to the hardware and software of its audio department. All seven audio suites at Prime Focus’ Old Compton Street facility have been upgraded to the newest version of Avid ProTools 10. Every suite has received a substantial hardware upgrade, bringing Intel-powered Mac Pro machines supported with ProTools HDX processing cards into every system. Each one boasts a 256 track mixing capacity, improved file management to simplify workflows and maximise productivity, and improved playback of reference media and new QuickTime formats. Prime Focus Broadcast has
also completed the upgrade of a third studio suite to full Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, and purchased Surcode for Dolby E to increase Dolby layback capacity. In addition, a series of
creativity and productivity enhancing software packages have been added to the department’s offering. “New reverb and speaker emulation plugins Altiverb 7XL and Speakerphone 2 dramatically expand creative choices for our drama and shortform clients,” said Ben Hooper, head of audio for Prime Focus Broadcast UK, “while the purchase of Titan reconforming software has made international reversions much faster than previously possible.” www.primefocusgroup.com
BBC R&D Sessions fire media ecosystem
By Dick Hobbs
BBC Research & Development is seeking to stimulate debate on the technologies and workflows of the future through a series of video interviews. Called BBC R&D In Session, the first series is now online at bbc.co.uk/rd. The interviews aim to set the
agenda on the challenges and opportunities that digital technology has brought to the industry. Author of The Art of Immersion Frank Rose is interviewed on digital storytelling, and historian Dan Snow talks about history as metadata.
Other participants in the first series include the BBC’s Graham Thomas on what comes after HD and 5.1 audio, and outgoing EBU Technical Director Lieven Vermaele on the moves toward a worldwide digital television standard. www.bbc.co.uk/rd