A Stand-Up Solution for Comedian Johan Glans

“As the tour’s production company was familiar with us from previous work together, we were given a brief to equip 24 venues with no pre-existing audiovisual infrastructure. That included a PA system, lighting, LED screens for IMAG, camera production, a stage and technicians,” begins technician and project manager Joel Sandback.

“We pre-rigged anything we could from our warehouse to help minimize setup time on location, with additional PA systems and LED repeater screens added depending on the size of the audience and venue. However, the video workflow stayed the same throughout the tour,” he explains.

Vision mixed on an ATEM Television Studio 4K Pro live production switcher, a mix of optical fiber and SDI was used for video depending on the required distance. That included custom multicore cables that combined signal and power for various purposes such as lighting trusses, audio cross-stage and PA towers.

The live production consisted of five video sources, including two URSA Broadcast G2 cameras positioned at front of house to capture close-ups and full-body shots of the artist. These were equipped with Fujinon B4 lenses and used Blackmagic’s Zoom and Focus Demands, along with custom fiber converters and the URSA Studio Viewfinder G2. 

An IP-controlled PTZ camera on the stage tracked the comedian and captured audience reactions. A camera with a wireless link was utilized for more mobile segments of the performance. 

The last source was content fed from a media server. That was either keyed out and used as a downstream key in the ATEM Television Studio Pro 4K or was played out in full screen, with the ATEM’s two media players also utilized for backup content,” noted Sandback.

All color shading was done by the video director from the ATEM Television Studio. At the same time, the program mix was fed to multiple LED screens rigged from the top of mobile vehicles positioned around the stage and audience. One of the vehicles also served as the control room for the video director.

“For the opening performance, we added a HyperDeck Studio HD Plus to record the program mix and evaluate what we could improve for the rest of the tour. Due to the unit’s size, this was a simple and convenient add-on to the setup.”

Throughout the planning and execution of this tour, the technical considerations revolved around latency and simplicity, with minimal rigging and teardown times as the overarching goal.

“Ultimately, we needed a simple system, as we had different people in the role of video director throughout the tour. This and the requirement to minimize our technical footprint made us choose the ATEM Television Studio for the job. Despite space limitations in the control room, the compact design meant we could accommodate additional equipment, cue sheets, and laptops, creating a streamlined and efficient setup,” he concludes.