SVG Sit-Down: Ross Production Services' Stephen Repass Says New RPS9 4K Truck Opens Doors' Moving beyond Sprinter vans, the company targets larger, more-complex projects By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S. Thursday, March 7, 2024 - 10:09 am
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At the beginning of the year, Ross Production Services (RPS) rolled out its largest, most powerful mobile unit to date: RPS9. Fully equipped with the latest Ross Video technology, the 40-ft. double-expando truck represents a concerted effort to grow beyond the Sprinter vans currently in its fleet and tackle bigger events in both the sports and entertainment industries.
CLICK HERE for a full video walkthrough of the new mobile unit.
In addition to RPS9, the company continues to expand its DISTRO (distributed production) and REMI services from its 30,000-sq.-ft., state-of-the art facility in Connecticut equipped with three control rooms.
SVG sat down with Ross Production Services VP Stephen Repass to discuss the intent behind the launch of RPS9, the evolution of the REMI-production market, today's big technology trends, the challenge of finding quality crew and technicians, and what's ahead for RPS in 2024.
Ross Production Services' Stephen Repass: [With so many digital platforms that need more content, there's a huge opportunity for lower-tier sports, and we help them put on a high-quality production.
Why did you opt to launch RPS9 at this time, and what was the thinking behind building a larger truck?
RPS9 is two years in the making, so it has been a long process. We built it to show the world what we're about as a full-service production company, not just a Sprinter-van company. Our clients are asking for more and more technology and creative options these days, and, while we love the Sprinters, the small space brings a lot of constraints.
We want to be able to say yes to those options now and in the future. It's not just about having technicians in the chair. It's about having the right equipment and resources to pull off bigger shows, provide more flexibility to our customers, and offer services like 4K. This is a true 4K truck; we're not converting anything.
What opportunities does this new truck provide that weren't possible with your existing mobile units?
The sizing and spacing of the truck is opening doors for us that our Sprinter fleet couldn't. We're going after larger and more complex projects with some major sports broadcasters whose names we can't commit to paper right now. Generally, it means we can say yes to a lot more.
What markets do you see as the biggest opportunities for growth right now, and how does RPS9 help you to better serve them?
We want to get more involved in entertainment - more shows, bigger productions - and RPS9 gives us the flexibility and capability to do that. Our clients are asking for it, and this new truck means we can show them that they don't need a 53-ft. truck, that a 40-ft. truck can do the same. The way we have built the truck to handle DISTRO and REMI, we don't need 23 seats; we just need a bigger truck to fit all the equipment to make it happen.
Do you expect to launch more units similar to this truck?
RPS9 is the first of many in our plan. A truck this size and capable opens the doors - from a truck-rental standpoint - to be able to do championship-level broadcasts, much bigger shows with 16 or 17 cameras, four or five tape machines, etc. Right now, we're maxing out the [existing] Sprinters with the shows we are committed to, but RPS9 gives us the resources and flexibility that we didn't have in our existing fleet.
RPS9 is Ross Production Services' eighth and largest truck. The 40-ft. box truck with dual expanding sides was designed and integrated in partnership with BeckTV.
That allows us to commit to more and expand our horizons, not just from a network standpoint but from a league standpoint, and to get directly involved with the league entertainment companies looking for true 4K entertainment trucks that a Sprinter just can't currently handle.
We want to let people know that we're not just a traditional stick and-ball company. We can do more than simple four-camera basketball shoots, and, with RPS9, we can do them with higher quality and more efficiency.
Tell us a bit about the design and gear inside RPS9.
We have the brand-new TouchDrive TD4 [control panel], and I'm pretty sure we're the first company in North America, maybe the world, to put that into a truck. We have the Ultrix Acuity FR-12 [switcher], and we're the first company in North America to put that in a truck, too. [We have] Xpression [graphics], MIRA [replay], and Piero [sports graphics]. We have a spot for Voyager VR systems, Clear-Com intercom with Agent-IC remote intercom users, and a Calrec Apollo audio console. It is the best-of-the-best when it comes to the latest production tech, and it's wired for 12 cameras. It needs that to get the best results; you just can't fit equipment that big or powerful into a Sprinter.
Are 4K or HDR on your near-term roadmap? Are your customers demanding either, or is this still not a major focus for them?
We are seeing several networks [that we work with] getting more and more involved with HDR. So HDR is something [we do] with at least one of our linear production partners. 4K not so much - yet. The main reason we built the truck 4K-ready is to expand into entertainment.
To equip the new RPS9 truck, Ross Production Services leverages the full range of Ross Video's latest video-production equipment.
Are you seeing more REMI productions these days? Or is there a return to fully onsite shows? Either way, what has the effect been on your business?
REMI has been around a long time. One thing people think when t
