Streamlining Multicam Production Workflows
Multicam production workflows have been fundamental to reality TV shows’ success over the last 10-15 years. Whether a competition show like Hell’s Kitchen or Glow Up, a talent show like X-Factor or American Idol, or celebrity reality show like Keeping Up with the Kardashians, these shows often involve unpredictable events and interactions, so need multiple cameras rolling to ensure that every exciting moment is captured from various angles. Additionally, multicam setups are particularly important for reality shows that incorporate live elements because production teams need the ability to switch between different camera feeds in real-time, ensuring seamless transitions and continuous coverage.
However, while multicam setups provide editors with a wealth of footage to create engaging narratives, managing all the footage captured by multiple cameras is challenging. A huge volume of content is generated in these types of setups, and if not managed efficiently right from the point of capture, post-production teams will quickly get overwhelmed, and content will take longer to reach the viewer.
Workflow Challenges
In a traditional production setup, the feed from each camera is uploaded into the system then labelled, tagged, and organized before the editing process begins. If you’re dealing with, say anything upwards of 100 cameras, you’re talking about thousands of hours of footage needing to be organized. This is obviously an incredibly time-consuming and resource-intensive task. If this is left to post studios, it can slow down the editing process, and lead to major delays in getting the content to the viewer.
Without proper organization, media operators waste valuable time logging, reviewing, searching for specific content, and continuously switching between different cuts of the feed. This not only slows down the entire production process and creates inefficiencies but also introduces the risk of errors and inconsistencies in the final product.
Streamlining Multicam Workflows: From Live Production to Post
To maximize the potential of multicam production, an efficient and streamlined workflow is essential, starting from the moment the footage is captured. To achieve this, media companies need adaptable solutions that facilitate the smooth transition from camera to post-production, so that workflows can be refined, and productivity boosted. With a simple user interface, live logging and tagging, advanced playlisting, and live replay, media companies can achieve new levels of efficiency.
Simple User Interface
With a simple user interface, production teams can easily manage the content as it is received. With Cinedeck’s Client Pro application, producers and operators can control, monitor, and review the channels on PC, Mac, or Chrome browsers, from any remote location. User permissions can be set to ensure that individuals have appropriate access levels – for example, an operator may be granted record permission, while a producer might have view-only access. Additionally, stakeholders can easily be kept in the loop with previews of key recordings, and these previews can even be enhanced by incorporating character overlays and timecode burns.
Live Logging and Tagging
Rather than uploading all the content into the central system then logging and tagging, as per the traditional process, it makes much more sense to log, tag and review the footage as it is recorded before it is even brought into the system. With Cinedeck’s live logger, the production team can easily add tags about what’s happening in the clip, such as actors on screen, scene information, or even actor’s emotions, reactions, and expressions. Operators can also add time markers for key events by setting start and end points for clips, adding comments if needed.
Categorizing and tagging footage at that early stage in the workflow makes it easier for media operators working in post-production to locate specific content as needed in the editing process. Logging and tagging content in this way saves time and boosts post-production efficiency and productivity.
Create Playlists
One of the reasons that reality TV is so engaging is the way that those spontaneous moments are captured and presented to the viewer. To do this effectively, media companies need complete control over clip selection and playout creation. Cinedeck’s playlisting application enables operators to choose any channel for dedicated playout, and tailor it to individual broadcasting needs for a custom viewing experience. Clips can be selected and reordered with ease from any network device, bringing flexibility and versatility to the programming. For utmost precision and control, operators can even select specific in and out points from each clip.
Live Replay
Reality TV shows are by their very nature incredibly fast moving so production teams need the tools to review and playback those files as they are being recorded. With Cinedeck’s live replay functionality, media operators can scrub through and playback files, while those files are still recording. For maximum efficiency, logged information even appears in real-time in the playback timeline.
Media operators can also create clips and send for immediate review, craft highlight reels compatible with Premier and Resolve, organize playlists, and queue for immediate playout, either on-site or in the cloud. Playback operators also can jump to any logged live event on one channel or a group of ganged channels. What’s more, all this can be done from anywhere in the world, giving productions teams the flexibility to work in either the studio, or remotely.
Supercharge Your Multicam Production Workflow with Cinedeck
By efficiently organizing assets from the outset, teams can streamline their editing workflows, significantly reduce turnaround times, and speed up the time it takes to deliver content to viewers. Live logging and live replay with Cinedeck supercharges production workflows because it facilitates real-time metadata tagging and reviewing, which streamlines post-production tasks. Broadcasters are already using these features to unlock new levels of efficiency and effectiveness in their multicam production workflows.
To find out more about how Cinedeck can supercharge your multicam production workflow, get in touch now.