TECHNOLOGY SURVEY POST, STUDIOS AND OBS


coming into facilities arrives in an array of different formats, so it’s no surprise that 51% of our facilities respondents still cite fi le-based workfl ow as their primary tech- nology challenge. “It is a constant challenge to keep up with and adapt to the multitude of cameras, recording codecs and related plug-ins,” says Sequence head of post Ben Foakes. “Thank- fully, hardware is get- ting quicker, and soft- ware is generally available within shorter periods of time to handle what is required – so it becomes more a case of ensuring your tech- nical and creative teams stay aware and hands-on without missing a beat.” Envy managing director Dave Cadle esti-


DELIVERY CHALLENGE F


ile-based acquisition has led to much higher shooting ratios and the footage


58%


say patenting the tech they develop is unimportant


Facilities that


mates that shooting ratios have gone up 20% in one year. This has prompted the facility to increase its offl ine offerings from 77 suites to 100 – by signing a lease on a new Soho build- ing to cater for the extra suites, which Cadle hopes will be operational by October.


3D ON THE WANE


Last year 41% of our post respondents cited stereo scopic 3D as one of their major technology conversations, but this year that fi gure has slid to just 17%. Even 4K – still considered a pipe dream for many given its infrastructure require- ments – is higher up the agenda for facilities, with 31% stating an interest. Mark Lynn, sales director for reseller Tyrell CCT, says: “3D hasn’t taken off in the post world. One comment you’re likely to hear is ‘We’ve done one and don’t want to do another’. No one seems to be investing in it outside of fi lm.”


Sequence head of post Ben Foakes predicts the niche experts currently involved in this fi eld will continue to corner the market and create impressive revenues. “3D is better suited to the world of cinema. The capital expenditure and specialist expertise is simply in a different world to the type of model we are operating.”


Even the big players in the world of OB and live events, such as SIS LIVE, have reported a slide in 3D work this year. SIS LIVE had forays into the medium


with the Six Nations Rugby and Swindon Dog Racing trial.


Broadcast TECH


Formulating a service for tapeless delivery and harnessing new technology to boost effi ciency are the main priorities for facilities responding to our survey. Ann-Marie Corvin reports


Hand in hand with extra offl ine capacity comes extra storage, and Envy – like many of the other big facilities – has been investing in its work-in-progress (WIP) and nearline stor- age requirements, purchasing a SAN and adding 25% more storage to its offl ine suites to cope with all the extra footage coming in. Fortunately, though, it appears that produc-


ers are exercising more restraint, according to BBC Studios and Post Production resource manager Julie Sangan, who says that, ulti- mately, clients do not want to spend the majority of their fi nishing budget on storage. “Budgets aren’t what they once were and I think producers are realising that the kid with a cheap camera and a bucket full of cards is not helping to tell the story,” she says.


40 or less 51-55


Workfl ow challenges Robin Howell, owner of systems integrator Wire Broadcast, notes that most of the top post facilities are already networked up to multiple suites and have their nearline and WIP sorted out. The next leap, he says, “is to try to make this all work more effi ciently”. This is refl ected in the results of our survey, with 40% stating “general workfl ow” as a technology concern. The results also show that technology that makes facilities more


0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5


w


41-45 56-60


46-50 60+


Q OVER WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING PLATFORMS DO YOU AND/OR YOUR COMPANY DO MOST OF YOUR WORK?*


9% 12% 15% 65%


■ TV ■ Internet/mobile/connected devices ■ Cinema ■ Blu-ray/DVD


*None of respondents used VoD or radio as a platform


FACILITY PROVIDERS’ TOP FIVE TECHNOLOGY CONVERSATIONS*


SUBJECT


1 File-based workflow 2= HD


2= General workflow/ interoperability issues


3 4K 4 Metadata/MXF


5= Cloud computing applications & services


5= Desktop editing 5= Digital cameras


%


51 40


40 31


26 23 23


23


*Respondents were offered 42 subjects and were asked to list their five most significant


Q FACILITIES’ FORECAST SPEND ON TECHNOLOGY AND UPGRADES, SEP 2012-SEP 2013


25% 36% 7% 4% 11%


40 or less 51-55


7% 11%


■ Up to £5k ■ Up to £50k ■ Up to £100k ■ Up to £500k ■ Up to £1m ■ Up to £5m ■ Don’t know


41-45 56-60


18 | Broadcast TECH | July/August 2012 2.5


46-50 60+


www.broadcastnow.co.uk/techfacils


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