Virtual Video Village
With HD Live Streaming, on-set video village is a broadcast hub to any destination or server across the world. In short, you can be on-set from anywhere. We call it Virtual Video Village.
Never wait for dailies again
Since the advent of feature films, how fast film canisters could make it to the lab each day was always a struggle. The studio executives needed to evaluate actor performances, lighting, camera shots, etc. In film slang terms, they were “Viewing the Dailies”. The “Dailies” were simply all the unedited footage shot that day on the lot. In the early days of Hollywood, everything was on site. So, this process of developing the film quickly, although a little costly, was not that difficult to manage.
Then came the era of the location shoot. Now the film had to be overnighted to the film lab. This was a problem. If the production moved to a new location before the studio reviewed the footage, it was too late to request changes.
Next came the digital delivery age. This was a vast improvement over the sneakernet or postal system. However, it still took many hours to upload the footage. If there was a slow internet at the location it was impossible to get the digital dailies back to the executives.
Today we are thrilled to introduce you to the Virtual Video Village age powered by TVU Networks.
We caught up with Absolute Live Productions CEO Dave Rosen to discuss their recent use of the Virtual Video Village.
Tell us about this project?
Well, unfortunately, I’m still bound by an NDA, so I can only give you technical details without revealing the exact project name. A major Hollywood studio with a film shoot scheduled at a remote location contacted us. It was very important for the producer of this project to be able to watch the production in real-time. He wanted to be able to watch the performances from his Hollywood base office.
How did you carry out this?
We have been a longtime supporter of the TVU workflow, we have used it on so many other projects successfully that we knew this would be the best solution for this gig. On location, we supplied the client with the TVU TM8200 utilizing seven International cell cards. We then installed a TVU receiver in the producer’s office and connected the HDSDI output connection to a 20-inch Broadcast Monitor. The picture & sound were awesome.
What kind of speeds were you getting?
We were getting up to 6 Mbps when using the Cell Cards and up to 10 Mbps when using the landline.
Did you use the cell cards as well as the wired internet?
We did not, although the TVU pack allows you to load balance between the wired Internet and the cell cards. Because we had such good wired internet speeds at certain locations, we simply turned off the cell cards.
How did you manage control of the cell cards?
That’s one of the best features of the TVU receiver. All the cards are viewable and controllable on the receiver side. You can always see how much bandwidth each card is using. You can turn both the cards on and off without ever being near the pack. It’s remarkable how much control you have from 2000 miles away.
So, if you must sum up your experience, what would you say?
With the help of the TVU HD Cellular Pack, we can keep both the producer and editor “virtually” on set at the location from anywhere in the world. You don’t need wired internet at a filming location. We moved the video village 4 to 5 times a day and with every move, the TVU worked flawlessly.
Final Word?
We have seen the future of feature film and television productions. That future is watching dailies, with the help of Absolute Live Productions, TVU and the Virtual Video Village workflow.