NBC Sports employed 16 channels of Abekas’ Mira Production server for the Football Night in America production during Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Arizona. Mira delivered content to on-set displays at three different locations around the University of Phoenix Stadium, and was used for clip playback during live coverage of the pre-game, half-time, and post-game shows.
At the NBC Sports headquarters in Stamford, Conn., another 40 channels of Mira Production and an Abekas Tria are the backbone of all on set graphics playback across four control rooms for all NBC Sports broadcasts. An optimum workflow has been established that delivers graphics on-air far faster than previous systems. The graphics department uploads graphic packages to a dedicated Mira transcode channel. The transcoded clips are then automatically uploaded to a storage area network (SAN). Each Mira is connected to the central storage system via the internal LAN. For the Super Bowl, this workflow was extended via wide area network (WAN) to the NEP SS24 remote truck at the stadium.
“We have created a very efficient graphics playback system centered on Mira,” explained Craig Bernstein, director of remote technical operations, NBC Sports. “Using Mira Servers in Phoenix was a no-brainer for us. It saved us a considerable amount of manpower hours because the graphics team didn’t need to recreate all of our existing content to accommodate another clip playback system in the truck. With Mira on board and connected through to Stamford, all of our clips can simply be transferred to the Mira Servers on the truck already transcoded and ready for air. This also means that last minute graphics changes are easily accommodated.”
The nature of live sports means last minute changes. Sponsors might change or players might be injured, and these events require new last minute graphics. The graphics department in Stamford creates new packages and follows their normal workflow—the new graphics are transferred to the Mira at the remote location and can be used on-air moments later.
“The technical directors for Football Night in America requested the use of Mira at the Super Bowl,” said Bernstein. “We have really come to rely on Mira—it’s a rock solid product and extremely user friendly. The fact that we were easily able to extend our workflow from Stamford to Phoenix makes it difficult to imagine using any other multi-channel clip playback server for this type of event.”
The maturity of the battle-hardened interface means doing even the most complex clip playback sequences are very straight forward. Using AMP protocol, a technical director can cue all 16 channels of Mira instantaneously, dramatically simplifying the operation and interface to the switcher on game day.
“The fact that NBC Sports relied on Mira for their live coverage of the most-watched TV program on the planet is a testament to the product’s reliability and ease-of-use,” said Junaid Sheikh, CEO, Abekas. “NBC has standardized on Mira for all studio productions; in addition to the 48 Channels at Stamford, there are over 180 channels at NBC Networks at 30 Rock.”
“Dune: Part Two” and “House of the Dragon” Win 2 HPA Awards Apiece
Dune: Part Two and House of the Dragon each scored two HPA Awards during a gala ceremony at the Television Academy’s Wolf Theatre in North Hollywood, Calif. on Thursday night (11/7). The HPA Awards honor trailblazing talent in the postproduction industry, celebrating standout achievements in color grading, sound, editing, restoration, and visual effects across theatrical features, commercials, and episodics.
Dune: Part Two topped the Outstanding Color Grading--Live Action Theatrical Feature and the Outstanding Sound--Theatrical Feature categories.
House of the Dragon’s two wins were for “The Red Dragon and the Gold” episode which scored for Outstanding Visual Effects--Live Action Episode or Series Season, and Outstanding Editing--Episode or Non-Theatrical Feature (Over 30 Minutes). In the latter HPA Creative Category, House of the Dragon tied with the “Part Six: Far,l Far Away” episode of Ahsoka.
The HPA’s Judges Award for Creativity and Innovation honored Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour. This recognition celebrates the profound impact on both live and filmed entertainment that defined The Eras Tour, underscoring its exceptional impact on audiences and the industry. The jury issued a statement outlining their choice: “Celebrated as the cultural phenomenon of 2023, Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour set new records in box office sales, tour revenues, and attendance. The tour showcased exceptional artistry and innovation, making a profound impact on both live and filmed entertainment.”
This year, FotoKem was awarded the Charles S. Swartz Award for its role in supporting filmmakers, studios, cinematographers, and artists across diverse film and media landscapes. Also celebrated... Read More