An Intersting article from AC official site

America's Cup television - coming soon to a TV near you Television coverage is a crucial part of the America’s Cup. As the sport takes place offshore, out of sight from everyone other than those fortunate enough to be on spectator boats, television is often the best way to follow the racing. ACTV is the host broadcaster for the 32nd America’s Cup. As such, ACTV is responsible for producing and distributing television coverage of the Cup in the form of ‘live’ television, highlights and daily news package productions which are distributed to over 100 countries around the world.

Broadcasters ACTV operates from the IBC (International Broadcast Centre) located directly behind the Emirates Team New Zealand base in close proximity to the Media Centre. The IBC is the headquarters for all broadcast television operations and administration during the 32nd America’s Cup. It is a new facility designed specifically to accommodate the needs of television broadcasters and serves as the primary base for the host broadcast and rights holding broadcaster operations and personnel. The television suites have panoramic views over Port America’s Cup, providing the perfect backdrop for broadcasters presenting live shows. During the 2007 season, more than 100 host broadcast crew and 500 rights-holder TV production crew are expected to use the IBC, a significant increase in TV personnel compared with previous Cups. ACTV’s Caroline Hunt has been overseeing a busy week’s activity for the team, and is looking forward to the racing beginning next week. “Five of the 10 broadcasters have now arrived on-site and have been busy installing all their equipment and cabling within the IBC, TV compound and presentation studios, in addition to setting up their 'studio sets' in the presentation studios,” said Hunt. Meanwhile, ACTV's technical installation programme is close to completion; the 'master control room', the 'technical operations centre', all edit suites and on-board camera systems have been successfully tested. “Once we have rigged all our chase boats and helicopters, ACTV will be ready for April 3rd when the competition begins.” ACTV will produce three TV feeds – one world feed, one Romeo and one Juliet (reflecting the two race areas). Each has a live director and producer to ensure the best coverage. The ‘world’ feed is a compilation of the other two, with the addition of full 2D and 3D graphics. The ‘Romeo’ and ‘Juliet’ feeds focus on the action on each race course. TV facts in numbers:

33 – the maximum number of cameras in use at one time (helicopters, catamarans, RIBs and competing yachts)
24 – total number of cameras on board competing yachts including 12 fully agile and 12 fixed cameras during the Round Robin phases of the Louis Vuitton Cup.
6 – number of cameras on board each competing yacht in the Louis Vuitton Cup final and 32nd America’s Cup Match
Over 300 – Minimum number of hours of ‘live’ coverage distributed to rights-holders
36 – minimum number of 26-minute highlight shows distributed to rights-holders
134 – number of production people employed by ACTV on site in Valencia
Over 500 – number of people employed by rights-holders on site in Valencia

Ultra Cool

We are using Video Europe's ultra motion camera as a bit of an experiment on one of the Catamarans this year, I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on it. It shoots a thousand frames per second and if you get the light correct looks amazing! I think everybody remembers the pictures of the wobbling cricket bat from the ashes 2 years ago. Not sure what it's going to look like on the water though!

It reminded me of a very old episode of Only Fools and Horse's when Del boy was flogging a load of old Russian military camcorders!

As my old boss would say "it looks like a Russian tractor!"

Before & After

We've been having some nice civilized dinners the last couple of days, Wayland really is wasted as an engineer and would give Jamie Oliver a run for his money! Unfortunately the 2 photos below show us at the start of dinner then alot later, and it doesn't look that civilized in the latter........

before

After

Not so sunny Spain :-(

We've given up on the bikes this week, flooded unsealed roads are not fun!

The Funny things you see while cycling to work

With thanks to Wayland & the great TBL

Polica!

Last night I cycled back to my apartment at about midnight, now its about 30Min's ride away, mostly well lit, but kind of deserted, I was a bit worried, but unfortunately the production office closed at 7pm locking away all the car keys with it.

As I cycled back I saw at least 5 Police cars out on patrol! now I wasn't in the centre of the city, but out by the harbour and beach front areas, and a couple of times the policemen actually gave me a little wave as they slowly cruised past.

Now I actually feel allot safer doing that here than I would in the UK, where in the same situation, if I was in the car I would make sure the doors where locked, and would be surprised to see a police car fly past with its lights on on the way to an emergency much less one out on patrol.


I'm really enjoying cycling to work everyday, its a really pleasant way of waking up! still not totally sure after a hard days work though!

CAPTURE IN PROGRESS

Those three sweet sweet words after 2 days of hard slog!

As predicted the Airspeeds have given me no end of problems, to start with the ex demo one was shipped with a beta version of software, this one downgraded fine (after I'd sent the unit manager out into Valencia to try and find a USB DVD drive, not easy!) the second one was delivered a few point releases below where we need to be, unfortunately this one won't upgrade, I'd kinda given up on it for a bit while I sort out the correct one.

So the correct version one started up fine, could see the workspace's, and all looked happy except it just wouldn't send any video to the Unity. To me it screamed of an authentication issue, but all the correct info was in place. I spent a couple of hours on the phone to the good people at Avid Broadcast support, but after checking everything through they where also stumped!

As the time ticked away last night I decided to take drastic action and re-imaged the Portserver, 20 minutes later the jubilation I exerted when the airspeed wrote a folder to the unity was so Intense (i.e I swore quite loudly, and gave a high pitched scream) that 2 security guards came running truncheon's drawn, I think they where quite disappointed when they realised they couldn't give me a beating (thank god!).

So this morning I managed to do some nice long records, and when I eventually sorted MXF etc got those sweet words above in the source monitor.

I'm just awaiting the editors to arrive tomorrow now and decided they want the whole building moved around for their Feng Sui!

Avid City!

OK, I must admit I've been working with Avid products for nearly 10 years now, but this is the first major installation I've done with any of Avids "broadcast" products, namely Airspeed.

Ive kinda installed the rest of the facility, 4 Media Composers, A Unity system, MediaManager, and Portserver, and just left the airspeed's sat in the corner, I would say ignored, but unfortunately it has been sat in the back of my mind, effecting my sleep for the last couple of days.

Anyway today I couldn't avoid hooking them up. One of the machines is brand spanking new, the other is an Avid ex demo machine, which shipped with a beta version of software (just to make my life easier) both need the software updating on them. I'm going to carry on fighting with them today, they seem to connect fine, but we'll see how this changes when we update the software!

Unfortunately I've had a visit from the exec producer today telling me they want to start cutting on Sunday, joy oh joy! my nice little testing window has now got very small!

Fire!

This last couple of days it has been a Bank holiday in Valencia, this was a Fiesta called Fallas de San José. This as far as I understand is a celebration of the begining of springtime, the local streets all buy these huge carboard constructions, I have seen so many different designs with loads of colour, and then on the night of the 19th they set fire to them!

Last night we stood and watched the local one by our appartment go up in flames, all the locals gathered round and sang Valencian songs, drunk wine, threw fireworks! and just generally had a good time! and this morning the whole lot had been cleaned away like it had never happened.

Bizarre

hola!

Hola! from sunny Valencia,

After a very painful journey I finally arrived yesterday evening, and set down to a hard days work today. Unfortunately this weekend is a Spanish Feista, so........ everythings closed till Tuesday, and its like a bad day in Bosnia with all the fireworks till late in to the night!

All the kit arrived Ok and so far its like ive never been away, it's been really nice to link up with some old work buddys, and hopefully get to know some new ones.

Have a pile of uniform to sort out already, at least this year we arn't wearing easyjet orange, but us TV guys have a rather tasteful? beige and red kit, (I'll post a picture as soon as I find the camera lead!)

I have left the building!

Thanks Joel!

My leaving card from root6, I'd say they obviously know me too well!

Card designed by Mark Lloyd

Good Start

My first blog decided to fail so welcome to the "ALL NEW" and inproved blog!

My last week at my current employer is upon me and the end is in sight, I ship out to Valencia on the 17th of this month to start preping and rigging all the facillities. The racing starts on the 3rd of April.

Some of you may know that I am also getting married on the 26th of May to my long time Fiance Judith - She has been really great about the fact that im sodding off to spain 2 months before the wedding and again for a month afterwards! Next week is going to be very full doing as much as we can before I leave.

My First Post

Well,

As of next week I'm officially a freelancer.....scary, but I'm really looking forward to going back to Valencia and getting stuck in to the Americas cup. I going to hopefully publish all my thoughts and happenings here for everyone to see how I'm getting on (hopefully not from a Spanish prison!). it may be a boring blog.... I don't know but at least come back and find out for yourselves.www.bendavison.net