With a custom mobile production unit built around a Broadcast Pix Mica 1000 integrated production switcher, Mac AV produces live coverage of several sports for the Gaelic Athletic Association that are specific to Ireland, such as Gaelic football, as well as other contests with an international following, including handball matches. A live production company based in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, Mac AV also produces training and promotional videos, documentaries, and live concerts for its other clients.
Designed to operate in the cramped confines of sports venues, Mac AV’s mobile production unit is housed in a rolling 21 RU rack that can be ready for a production within 30 minutes. The eight-input Mica was purchased as an upgrade for the company’s original four-channel SD switcher.
Typically, Mac AV shoots 1080i/50 footage using four JVC ProHD cameras, but has run up to six cameras during events. With eight outputs, the Mica feeds projection screens during conferences and other live presentations. ”Eight channels allow us to expand when we have the need,” said Kieran McMullen, managing director of Mac AV.
Another important selling point was the Mica’s built-in BPView. Mac AV uses two screens on location, with custom layouts depending on the project and PixButtons for easy access to roll-in material. Plus, with its integrated external device control, the Mica allows Mac AV to drive its Matrox Monarch HD streaming appliance and Blackmagic HyperDeck disc recorder through the switcher during productions.
The company takes advantage of the Rapid CG software option to enhance its GAA productions with live scores. Working in conjunction with the Mica’s integrated CG, Rapid CG further streamlines graphics production by automatically integrating scoreboard data, databases, and RSS feeds into templates. The result is customized graphics with significantly less manual effort. Rapid CG also connects to Twitter and other cloud-based data sources, allowing viewers to be an interactive part of the live production.
“We’re hoping to add more value for our clients,” McMullen added. “We’re just scratching the surface of the Mica’s capabilities. We put it to task all the time, and it hasn’t let us down ever. It’s so versatile.”
Both the dual-channel Rapid CG 3 and “light” Rapid CG LT versions work with the built-in CG in every Broadcast Pix integrated production switcher. Simple drag-and-operation links a database to one or several templates, and allows automatic updates in specific fields without re-keying data. Beyond sports, Rapid CG is also useful for streamlining coverage of election results.
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More