USING LIVE PRODUCTION SERVERS TO ENHANCE TV ENTERTAINMENT

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1 USING LIVE PRODUCTION SERVERS TO ENHANCE TV ENTERTAINMENT Corporate North & Latin America Asia & Pacific Other regional offices Headquarters Headquarters Headquarters Available at

2 THE CHALLENGE... 4 CREATE FASTER & PRODUCE MORE... 5 ENGAGE VIEWERS ACROSS PLATFORMS... 6 THE LIVE SERVER THE SYSTEM BACKBONE... 7 POST... 9 CONCLUSION... 9

3 LEGAL INFO 2013 EVS Broadcast Equipment, all rights reserved. No part of this documentation or publication may be reproduced, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, translated into any language, computer language, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically, mechanically, magnetically, optically, chemically, photocopied, manually, or otherwise, without prior written permission from EVS Broadcast Equipment. DISCLAIMER The information in this document is believed to be correct as of the date of publication. However, our policy is one of continual development so the information in this guide is subject to change without notice, and does not represent a commitment on the part of EVS Broadcast Equipment. TECHNICAL SUPPORT For the latest news, upgrades, documentation, and products, please visit the EVS website at LAST UPDATED

4 THE CHALLENGE In times of TV everywhere, OTT services and easy access to a huge range of programming, consumers expectation is for a greater choice of content and rich, on-demand programing. Audiences expect to find media premium level content and consumer generated content that is compelling. Live programming should also be integrated with social media channels for audiences to engage fully. As viewers watch a show, they want to be able to discuss it with their networks and with others watching. More so today than ever, content should be available on multiple screens and have interactive elements to it. A fully engaged and fully immersed audience won t drift away. This interactive, engaging content needs to be available across a whole range of genres. That being said, due to the complexity of modern production workflows, it s more technically demanding to do this in some genres than others. This is true of event television, large-scale entertainment productions likedancing with the Stars/Strictly Come Dancing, talent contests like The X Factor, and live music events like Glastonbury and Coachella. In other program genres dramas, comedies and magazine shows produced in studios the drive is for high productivity. Whatever the program, content should be delivered closer to transmission. Quick turn around and high studio occupancy should deliver a strong return on investment for the technical infrastructure.

5 CREATE FASTER & PRODUCE MORE There are more channels for programming than ever before and this high number of available services is putting pressure on content owners to produce programs at a higher quality. Content and its production process is also much more sophisticated than ever before. This can be seen in the increased use of multiple recordings, formats, file-types and outputs. Even live or near-live productions are far more than a single output to the transmission suite or to a videotape for delivery. A magazine show like BBC s The One Show has a large number of pre-recorded inserts. News stories and reports are inserted at a number of set cues. In the live production, multiple camera feeds need to be recorded in isolation, allowing for content to be created. Some of that additional content may then be needed within the live broadcast. Fast-turnaround editing is required to create highlights within minutes of live action happening. This enhances the story for the viewers but does mean, however that multiple editors need access to the content simultaneously, particularly if second screen and bonus content clips are to be published quickly to meet audience expectation. Producers will continue to push the boundaries to create ever-more exciting programs. Equally, sophisticated audiences will call for more interaction and additional content to supplement what they re already seeing and experiencing. There s also pressure in all other genres for fast-turnaround production. Game shows and quizzes are improved by using a server to record the program master and all iso cameras. It means, for example, that you always have the right reaction shot. Having access to this can enable faster production completion and makes it more engaging. More and more, content from a number of different cameras will arrive in multiple formats. In a busy, multi-purpose studio output requirements will always differ from show to show. Infrastructure to execute this has to support multiple codecs, standards and formats in a way which is transparent to a production team.

6 To achieve the goal of high productivity, producers shouldn t need to spend time thinking about transcoding, processing and checking files in and out. They should simply be able to expect that these processes work allowing them to focus on more creative elements of the production. The preparation and processing of content before it can be used is a non-productive use of studio facilities and staffing - generating cost without benefit. A modern, productive studio should also be able to reduce the time to market: your program is ready for air faster, or conversely you can execute closer to transmission time allowing the program to be more relevant. In this always-connected world, being able to adapt scripts right up to the last minute is a powerful way of staying relevant to your audience. Shortening the production schedule can also save money. It certainly achieves its financial rewards sooner, whether you re a producer delivering content to a broadcaster or an in-house production unit generating advertising revenue against the program. With an infrastructure that achieves all this, studios can produce more content faster. It leaves more time for creativity and delivers a better return on investment for the installation of the production environment. ENGAGE VIEWERS ACROSS PLATFORMS Social media engagement is now a critical part of television production. Your show is going to be discussed on social media, so it makes sense to guide and direct that discussion. Consumers should be rewarded not just through engagement, but with extra content. Viewers want to know what happens next. They want to engage in the conversation, commenting on the drama of their favorite episodic shows or entering competitions and voting on event style television. If you provide the means of engagement through social media, audiences will have a greater tendency to watch the program as it s transmitted, delivering more attentive eyeballs and newer inventory to advertisers. Many programs also have great potential to produce content for second screenand smart television applications. Viewers will be retained and further engaged through behind-the-scenes information, alternative camera angles, special commentary and more. In a typical live production, 90% of the content shot is not used. Taking advantage of this cutting-room floor content, producers have more chance for creativity by delivering additional camera angles and exclusive programming to enhance the viewing experience. It s also another way of making the process more cost effective.

7 Specialized VoD (video on demand) services can surplus linear TV programming with additional content, such as extended interviews. Some productions will tailor this content for different platforms, with alternative versions for phones, tablets and online consumption. Using accurate, consistent metadata and external data like social media content associated with multiple recorded streams can significantly simplify the creation and execution of this content delivery. THE LIVE SERVER THE SYSTEM BACKBONE EVS has transformed the presentation of sport through its development of the live production server. It provides powerful functionality for recording and delivering multiple streams, providing instant replays and supporting fast-turnaround editing. In the modern entertainment studio, the same technology delivers all the benefits that new production styles demand. Multiple cameras are recorded in isolation, with the action tagged to create timecode-specific metadata. This enables editors to go straight to the content they need to create fast-turnaround edits. Pre-recorded material like video elements, interviews, closers and identifiers are also stored on the server network, ready for instant play when cued. This content can be stored in native formats with no need to transcode before loading, therefore saving precious preparation time. The server network can also be used for replays should an exceptional event take place. This includes super slowmotion replays from high-speed cameras. It gives content makers the ability to connect with audiences by generating emotion using key moments of the programme. EVS XT3 server for example - with its flexible twelve channel SD/HD, six channel 3D/1080p or three channel 4K configuration - can be set in any in/out combination. It offers broadcasters and producers unparalleled motion control and adaptability during production and gives operators complete media control from ingest to playout. This includes live editing, slow-motion replays, multi-channels playback, and easy transfer to third-party systems such as craft editors, automation, archiving, or storage all techniques needed in today s television entertainment studio. This integrated server network can also directly support connected edit workstations. Editors tasked with specific requirements can instantly cut sequences, which can be played back into a live recording. This again saves production and post-production time.

8 Playing content into the live program, even while it s being recorded, helps the studio audience understand what s going on. This keeps them excited and enthusiastic, leading to better reactions, in turn making for a better program. The same principles apply to daily dramas and sitcoms which might be traditionally shot on three camcorders. These could be replaced by connected cameras with an As-Live cut where the master output is recorded along with all the camera isos and actions from the production switcher. In the edit suite the As-Live cut is reconstructed automatically from the isos and the actions become an EDL, so as soon as the editor opens the scene there s a complete multi-camera edit available. All the editor needs to do is trim the transitions and the edit is complete. Online and multi-platform producers can also have instant access to content, so they can create their own material from all iso angles. A modern server network setup with XT3 servers that s controlled with EVS live content management suite IPDirector, users can have access to files during ingest, so editors can begin work as soon as recording starts. When integrated in this way, IPDirector gives producers a simple way of controlling content throughout the live workflow. From one interface, it allows ingest control, metadata management, on the fly editing and playout scheduling which gives producers the ability to enrich live programming by instantly sharing content and edits. For any entertainment workflow, IPDirector quickly and easily integrates with third-party system like an edit suite, simplifying transfer of media to any location - post-production or archiving - during a live or near-live broadcast. The result in this specifically designed workflow is multi-camera entertainment programming and reality television with high production values for the main broadcast as well as highly reactive online content delivery. Producers working on the show s app, online presence and social media channels have access to all the content ingest during the live production. A resolution proxy easily allows a large number of users to simultaneously search, browse and select content quickly and efficiently. Selected material and cut packages are then output in the right format for the target devices. Producers and directors are now free to be as creative as they wish. Because the programs are so engaging and immersive, audience retention is higher and the temptation to time-shift the program and skip commercial breaks is reduced.

9 POST To meet the most demanding production environments, EVS live content solutions support editingin-place, allowing edit workstations to access content directly on the network. Usually packages are edited using the browse proxy, and conformed or played out in real time, directly in the server. When there s time, however, it makes sense for the production server to exchange content and metadata with a separate network supporting post-production devices. This takes pressure off the production servers, allowing for uninterrupted, high-availability support for future recordings. A drama or quiz production, for example, would see the system delivering multiple files, with associated metadata, to a shared storage or post-production storage at high speed. This allows post-production to be planned around priorities and staff availability. Both forms of working depend on excellent compatibility between the live server network and the edit software. EVS has worked with Adobe, Apple and Avid to develop transparent interfaces, so the EVS live content simply appears as available assets within the editor s interface. Editors are able to easily open content to start working immediately with managed proxies or material that s been transferred to the post-production network. CONCLUSION There are significant advantages to using the full benefits of a multi-i/o server architecture as both a recording platform and as the backbone of a studio production infrastructure. This kind of workflow architecture is commonly available through rental houses, which allows production companies to incur costs as OPEX therefore limiting CAPEX. This is a huge advantage in a world of shrinking budgets and growing demand. By adopting this kind of server workflow, directors and producers will also see greater creative opportunities open up. Audiences will appreciate the high production values of every show. Broadcast executives will see cost reductions through a faster studio-to-air time. Those creating online content will have access to more material and faster production. Studio operators will see high productivity, less downtime and a strong return on investment. In short, the decision to build a powerful server infrastructure will be more than repaid in improved productivity and in audience retention through more engaging programs and related content - no matter what device viewers use to consume their entertainment.

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