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Massteknik’s Winning Performance at Autosport International
Massteknik UK, a specialist in providing total video systems for major live events, supplied all the hardware and content management for the huge screen that was the centerpiece at the Live Action Arena at the NEC’s Autosport International Show.
This dramatic showcase of the Autosport exhibition is a boisterous, fun mix of cars and theatre, and with some 17 packed shows in four days, is enormously popular amongst race fans and promoters alike. Massteknik were brought in by Malcolm Forbes for Haymarket Exhibitions to provide something exciting and different. “We wanted to significantly increase the production values of the show this year”, said Forbes, “and having worked with Massteknik before, we knew they could deliver what we needed.”
Several ideas were offered up before a superwide 5.6:1 aspect ratio screen was settled on. “Hall Five at the NEC is vast,” continued Forbes, “so we needed something special. Massteknik installed a single LED screen of nearly 105sqm, and all the content delivery hardware and they have done us proud.”
Christopher Milnes, MD of Massteknik and overall project manager for the video, brought in a Spyder control system from Joys Productions. The idea was to take multiple inputs and multiple video layers and move them in real time around the huge screen. Peter Joy, MD of Joys said: “We knew what Christopher wanted to achieve with the show and Spyder is without question the most versatile video layering system for a live environment. Because of its native high definition capabilities, it is more normally seen in corporate high end events, but it was its live manipulation facilities that he wanted to exploit.”
Cue Media was also brought in by Milnes for their camera expertise for live, fast moving events. Track access and sight lines were difficult so Milnes and Chris Perkins of Cue Media worked hard to bring in a combination of handheld stage cameras, small lockoff units, big lenses and jib cameras that were used to give a range of shots to get the dramatic action relayed to the screen.
The cameras, cut by Alan Reynolds who is well used to the dynamics of motor sports events, were fed to the Spyder system for final delivery to the screen. According to the cue sequences or track activity, prerecorded footage, dynamic backgrounds, live cameras – either single isolated or a TX mix were then layered to the huge LED screen by Peter Joy. Malcolm Forbes again: “It became clear that Milnes wanted the Spyder to be the creative tool of the show and it most certainly was in every way.”
Notwithstanding the amount of smoke and rubber particles thrown up by the constantly screaming tyres, both the Spyder and the giant LED screen which were the mainstays of the video production performed faultlessly. “It was a fairly harsh environment for the equipment to be in for eight days,” said Milnes, “but there was absolutely nothing from jib to computers to screen that missed a beat. However, a bit of a clean up is needed right now!”
23rd January 2006
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