petermccrea

Lucy the Human Chimp

20/04/2021 by petermccrea

Channel 4’s remarkable Lucy, the Human Chimp documentary aired in April with a mix of archive footage and newly filmed ‘jungle’ reconstructions, with the latter made possible by Bristol-based virtual production studio VERO. The film, which tells the real-life story of chimp Lucy’s return to the wild after being raised in human surroundings, required cutting edge technology to re-enact scenes of Lucy’s carer, Janis Carter, living on an uninhabited island off the coast of The Gambia.

BTS image showing filming in progress on the Virtual Production work for Lucy The Human Chimp

Virtual Production: a solution for COVID problems

Production was scheduled to take place in the real-world jungle surroundings but, due to the COVID pandemic, had stalled. With no international travel permitted, and flights grounded, the team were searching for a new solution. Multi-award winning production company KEO Films approached VERO on behalf of Channel 4, with a view to using VERO’s pioneering studio space. This was fitted out with more than 47 sq. m of 2.6mm pitch Desay X2i LED screen, with Desay M6 6mm LED screen for the Ceiling Spine LED. Serving as a hi-res backdrop, configured as a 10m x 3.5m curve with a 3.5m x 3.5m flat section joining the curve, the team recreated a jungle film set within which the actor playing Cater performed. Behind her, island jungle footage was displayed, providing realistic lighting via the screen’s considerable brightness and an immersive, enveloping background.

Unreal and LED Screen revolutionise production.

“This was a fantastic production for us to work on,” says 3D animation and motion graphics expert Robert Tyler, from VERO. “The collaboration involved three-months of conversation, technical planning and logistics, resulting in two weeks of shooting at VERO’s Bristol base. “We created VERO so that it would enable directors to see the visual backdrop in real-time during filming on set, with our powerful graphics engine tracking technology meaning the action is always realistic and moves with the subject. Therefore, this was a dream project for us.” The VERO team says its set-up was created to revolutionise traditional VFX workflows, which rely on combining physical footage captured in front of a green screen with digitally generated backgrounds in post-production, and that this production has shown what is possible. In addition, it aims to reduce costly set builds and location shooting, and facilitate a re-imagining of visual FX. “Of course, the pandemic has had a devastating impact on the film industry in many ways, but using VERO, we turned this into a sustainability win, as no flights were taken, no fuel was spent, and everything was shot on a soundstage powered entirely by renewable energy,” adds Tyler. “Watching the documentary on Channel 4 was a joy. The background video content was realistic and the lighting true, with the actor looking like she was immersed in a jungle environment – all from our studio space in Bristol.”

Production AV deliver the LED for Virtual Production

The Desay screens were supplied, rigged and operated by Production AV, with MD Pete McCrea serving as project manager, alongside his team of technicians which included Sam McCrea, Nathan Dunbar, Mike Kane, Olie Goulding and Matt Wadley. “We’re so proud to be a part of VERO and to have delivered a clear and consistent, wraparound backdrop for filming,” says Pete McCrea. “Once our modular screen tiles are fitted together to envelop the space, displaying HDR content, the possibilities are endless.” The video content was processed by NovaStar equipment, and the ground support truss structure was supplied by Peak Hire. Lucy, The Human Chimp is now available to watch on demand via All 4.

#HereForCulture

02/04/2021 by petermccrea

Production AV is pleased to say that we are #HereForCulture! After a roller coaster of a year, we have received support from the Government through the Arts Council England #CultureRecoveryFund round 2. The grant will allow us to get the team back to speed and help us further prepare for the slow return of events work over the next three months.

Virtual Events Streaming for the NHS.

04/02/2021 by petermccrea

With the ongoing Covid-19 situation, the local NHS trust turned to Production AV to deliver a series of “Fit for the Future” consultation sessions. The sessions were streamed to various platforms to help ensure that the public had the ability to access the consultation on the proposed changes.

Streaming solution from virtual events provider.

The project came about through an existing client relationship with one of the key members of the client team. Production AV had undertaken the delivery of a public consultation for Cheltenham Borough Council, and so they returned when they required support with the streaming of the event. Matt Wadley from Production AV handled the project and liaised with the team from the NHS to understand their requirements and key deliverables.

Multiple sources to multiple platforms.

With the requirements understood, we then worked to provide a solution based around a vMix system managed from our Streaming Studio. Calls originated in Zoom were brought in to vMix, where content from video files and PowerPoint presentations were mixed in at the required points, as well as using Sli.do to allow those viewing to send in questions to be answered by the team. Test calls and rehearsals were undertaken to ensure that the participants were confident in delivering their respective sections of the event, as well as how the overall flow of each session would go.

Through using bespoke templates for the content, the overall stream was presented in a competent and professional manner, not looking like a standard Zoom call. The stream was then streamed to Youtube for easy access by viewers.

Targeted to viewers demographics.

After looking at the levels of interaction and reviewing the statistics, the decision was then taken to stream to Facebook for following sessions, as well as uploading the stream to Youtube. Again Production AV were easily able to adjust the target location for the streams as well as allowing for recording of the live stream to be used later as required.

vMix Solution

Our in-house vMix solution was deployed for this project due to the flexibility and power of the software. With our high spec machines allowing multiple sources at FullHD level, taking in individual members of a Zoom call over NDI is not an issue. Along with the ability to bring in multiple media types and create the required presets, vMix makes the creation of great looking professional content straight forward.

The vMix call facility also allows for seamless integration of remote callers a doddle when it is suitable, integrating them into the stream easily.

For a downloadable overview of the project, see the link below. If you want to talk to us about your project, then don’t hesitate to call us on 01242 650604 or drop us an email.

NHS-Youtube-stream Case Study Download

Cheltenham Literature Festival 2020: delighted to deliver on site

20/10/2020 by petermccrea

2020 has been a roller coaster for everybody. As a business watching our forward order book dissolve in mid March was hard – we were unsure what the short term would look like for the events industry. We had hoped since lockdown started that we would be involved in helping to deliver a Literature Festival of some description for Cheltenham Festivals in the autumn. And so it was a real pleasure to be involved in delivering one of the few events to happen in 2020, and have an audience in venues, doing what we do at Production AV.

COVID Secure Production

Previous years have seen the team at Production AV delivering hundreds of sessions across multiple venues over the course of the annual Literature Festival. For 2020, the team at Cheltenham Festivals put together a dynamic program that mixed virtual online sessions with live content, and allowed both an online and real live audience to enjoy sessions from a host of authors and guests across 11 days.

Production AV was engaged to provide on the usual in-venue solutions required to stage the live events, albeit scaled down from the more typical 11 venues we have helped deliver over the last 10 years. With COVID scaling back the program, Cheltenham Festivals used Cheltenham Townhall and Pillar Rooms alongside the Everyman Theatre to deliver the live events program. Careful planning was undertaken to ensure that the complete schedule of build, live and de-rig could be delivered in a COVID secure manner to minimise the risk to everyone involved.

Production AV liaised closely with the Festivals chosen online production partner to ensure that technical delivery was seamless across the venues.

Technical Delivery

Whilst the situation around the event felt very different, delivery on site felt reassuringly similar to previous years, despite the additional measures to guard against COVID. Each venue required a crewed solution to take the range of feeds, and send them to the relevant displays. Typically this was several PowerPoint feeds, VT playback, presenter stage feeds and a mixed camera feed from the Streaming providers.

We carefully built systems for each venue based around our high quality inventory. Switching was handled by Barco hardware in all three venues, with high brightness Barco projection in the Everyman and Townhall, and connection to the venue installation in the Pillar Rooms. Playback was handled competently by our range of high spec PC and Apple hardware using software such as QLab as required by the content. All systems ran natively at FullHD ensuring all content was pixel perfect from end to end.

This was handled by our talented team of dedicated event professionals – working as a central point to manage the presentation aspects of each session, and liaising with the stage management team and presenters to ensure that content was played at the right times, and hand off between streaming and the venue was managed correctly. Our thanks go to Sam McCrea for the Everyman Theatre, Jimmy Flanders in the Town Hall, with Olie Goulding in the Pillar Rooms.

Once again our thanks go to Cheltenham Festivals for involving us in the project. We look forward to working with them in the future on the other festivals.

#WeMakeEvents

11/08/2020 by petermccrea

The events sector urgently needs further government support to survive the COVID-19 crisis.

Without major immediate support from government, the entire live events sector supply chain is at risk of collapse. We have seen our friends and colleagues facing redundancy, and business having to permanently close their doors.

Red Alert is a campaign to raise public and media awareness in support of the live events sector which employs over circa 1,000,000 highly skilled people in the UK, all of whom have had no work for the past four months with little likelihood of restarting until Spring 2021.

The campaign is being run by a large and growing industry collective of trade bodies, businesses and freelancers affected by the shutdown all working together. It spans online and social messaging, video, case studies and legal outdoor events to gain media attention, with specific activities occurring on August 11th.

Our aim is to have financial support extended for the people and companies in this sector until they can return to work. So join now the collective efforts to get the industry’s voice heard, calling for sustained immediate financial support by visiting #WeMakeEvents. Watch. Share. Record. Write.

www.plasa.org/we-make-events/

#WeMakeEvents #LetTheMusicPlay #LightItInRed #RishiSunak #OliverDowden #CarolineDinenage #SkyNews #BBCNews #festival #festivalseason #livemusic #livemusicrocks #liveevent #supportneeded #glastonbury #festivallove #gigs #livegig #liveeventssector #covid19 #redalert

@Rishi Sunak @Caroline Dinenage @Oliver Dowden @Jo Stevens @BBC News @ITV News @BBC Breakfast @BBC Radio 1 @BBC Radio 4 @BBC Radio 6 Music @Headliner Magazine @LSi Online @Tpi Magazine @Pro AVL Asia Magazine @Time Out London

COVID-19

11/05/2020 by petermccrea

COVID-19 has become a central part of our lives in the recent months, disrupting our normal life. Members of our team have lost loved ones, our extended families and friends have been kept apart, and patterns of work have shifted.

Production AV, like every other business has felt the effects.

We have worked to secure the business as best we can. Our staff are mostly furloughed, or are following government guidance and working from home, and social distancing where we have to undertake projects.

We are still operating to support essential work, and helping our customers prepare for the return of the new normal. However with reduced staff, it might take us longer to respond.

If you do have equipment that you need, or projects that you want to plan, then please do get in touch with us, either on our usual phone number of via email on info@productionav.co.uk.

We’re also working on our streaming and virtual studio solutions for when the guidelines allow us to deliver them appropriately.

Open House Event

16/04/2019 by petermccrea

Open House Event 7th and 8th May

The start of the year has seen us relocate to our new home in Cheltenham.

Now we’re more settled, we’d love to show you round our new home. So on the 7th and 8th of May we will be throwing the doors open and inviting you to come and see who, and where we are.

There will be an opportunity to meet the team and learn a bit more about where we have come from and our plans for the future.

We will be open between 10:30am and 5pm on both days.

There will be a range of solutions on display including our 6mm, 3.9mm and 2.6mm LED screens, 4K screen management system, Media Servers and Camera solutions amongst others.

We’ll also be showcasing some of our recent projects, such as our large scale mapping for Remembrance Sunday, and recent work with the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Help us celebrate 14 years!

May sees Production AV turn 14, so we’d love you to celebrate with us!

The evening of the 7th May will be more of an informal party between 5pm and 9pm, with a light buffet and locally sourced refreshments.

To make sure we can give you time on the days, please RSVP to openhouse@productionav.co.uk with your preferred day and time.

We look forward to seeing you on the 7th and 8th May!

We Have Moved!

14/01/2019 by petermccrea

New Premises for future growth.

After nearly 10 years in our previous premises, the time has come for the move to our home for the next stage in the companies life. Preparation and storage of equipment had become increasing hard due to our increases in inventory, so the search for premises had been ongoing for the last 18 months. Eventually suitable space was found in Cheltenham with the move happening in early January 2019. Offering over 9,000 square feet of space divided across 7000 sq ft of warehouse and the remainder as office and service space, we’re excited to be settling in to the new premises.

The new space gives us the ability to build large LED screens or stage sets within the premises for pre-production purposes, as well as having individual spaces for meetings, and studio space for visualisation and programming of media servers. We’ll also be increasing our space for custom fabrication works to allow us to go the extra mile for our clients.

New Address:

Unit F Ashville Trading Estate,
The Runnings,
Cheltenham,
Gloucestershire,
GL51 9PT

Telephone: 01242 517203

We’d love to show you round: drop us a line, we’ll get the kettle on and show you round! We’ll also be holding a series of open days in March – if you’d like an invite then email info@productionav.co.uk

Stolen Equipment

24/08/2018 by petermccrea

Update – Friday 31st Aug

Northamptonshire Police spotted a suspicious van parked in a lay-by about 15 miles from the scene of the theft on Sunday 26th. Thankfully the van contained all the stolen equipment, apart from a Leatherman and torch. All the equipment has, today, been returned to us.

A massive thank you to Northamptonshire Police, and our Insurance brokers Ryan Waring and Richard from Vista Insurance for their work and support.

Also a massive thank you to all the friends of the company that have shared the post across the various platforms, which hopefully had some impact on the thieves plans for the stolen equipment. We really appreciated it!

Stolen Equipment

We have suffered a vehicle break in between approximately 22:00 on the 23rd and 08:00 on the 24th August at the Thrapston Travelodge, Kettering. Our van was targeted in the car park of the Travelodge, with the thieves stealing a quantity of equipment, mostly marked as Production AV, but some sub hired from Central Presentations.

Thankfully the equipment is spares or pool kit, so the event has started without any issues.

All the equipment serial numbers are logged on our database, so if you come across any suspect items, we can verify the serial numbers.

Stolen Equipment:

Qty 2 Barco TLD+ 1.5-2.0:1 Lens in black 5 Star Flight cases,
Qty 2 Barco TLD+ 2.8-4.5:1 Lens in black 5 Star Flight cases,
Qty 1 Apple MacBook Pro in black 5 Star Flight case with Playback Pro + software USB Key,
Qty 1 Da Lite Fastfold Screen Kit 8’x 6′, frame, legs, front and rear surfaces in black poly case,
Qty 2 AV Stumpfl projection screen kit, 10’8″x6′ with frame, legs, front and rear surfaces in case,
Qty 2 Interspace Industries Microcue kits (Transmitter, aerial, receiver and 2 USB cables in black zip pouch)
Qty 1 Plus U5-732 3500 Lumen Projector in black zip bag,
Qty 2 Samsung ME55 screen in Red 5 Star Flight case, with power cable and Unicol mounting plates
Qty 1Black 5 Star ‘Tall Norman’ production case with various tools, adaptors, tape and food/drink, as well as a quantity of our new mugs!
Qty 1 Black 5 Star Arena Series 600 Flight case with quantity of 16A mains cables and adaptors,
Qty 1 Black Peli 1510 with various and assorted tools,
Qty 1 Orange North Face Duffle bag with rigging ropes, harness and assorted hardware,
Qty 1 Black Peli Storm case with assorted tools,

The Northamptonshire Police crime reference number is 18000402947.

If you have any information on the equipment, then please give us, or the Northamptonshire Police a call on 01452 372728 or 101 respectively.

Continued Equipment Investment

29/02/2016 by petermccrea

Production AV is proud to announce further investment in equipment in the form of the Barco S3-4K and EC-50 screen control system from Barco. Ideal for switching DisplayPort, HDMI and SDI sources, the S3-4K is ideal for a range of uses in situations from Live Events and Exhibitions to Conferences and Trade Shows. The processors partner with our high resolution 3.9mm Indoor and 6mm Indoor/Outdoor LED Screen products and High quality projection products for a complete solution.

Native 4K Solution

The S3-4K offers native support for 4K sources allowing the capability to manage and switch 4K content for displays. With up to 12 inputs and 10 outputs available in the HD setting the S3-4K offers real flexibility. Combined with the EC-50 Controller for hands on control of sources, layers and Presets the system offers a great solution for switching AV sources at conferences, exhibitions, lives events, music gigs, trade shows corporate events and awards ceremonies.

Increased Flexibility

Where you require additional sources or outputs, then the Barco E2 offers these. Offering 28 inputs over HDMI, 3G HD-SDI and DisplayPort, as well as 14 outputs the E2 is designed for the larger event or show. It will also seamlessly link with the S3-4K to offer additional inputs and flexibility.

Remote Control

Both the E2 and S3-4K can be controlled by the Barco Event Master software, which offers control of the entire system and work flow from a computer or laptop. In addition to this Production AV have invested into the EC50 controller to allow operators hands on tactile control over sources, layers and preset.

For more details on the products please see their respective product pages.

Barco E2

Barco S3-4K

Barco EC-50

If you would like a quotation for a particular project, or a demo of the capabilities of the switcher, then please do contact us.