Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

NHRA Lives in the Cloud for At-Home Editing, Production of Racing Content

08/04/2020

NHRA Lives in the Cloud for At-Home Editing, Production of Racing Content Sony, BeBop, NewTek, and Grass Valley are supplying the remote workflows By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor

Wednesday, April 8, 2020 - 12:32 pm

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

As the U.S. sits at a prolonged red light due to the coronavirus, the National Hot Rod Association is still seeing green. Despite being shut out of NHRA's Glendora, CA, headquarters, the production team has kept its foot on the gas pedal in terms of content creation, thanks to an at-home workflow that features cloud-based editing and storage, video recording through Skype, and equipment from NewTek and Grass Valley.

The setup in NHRA's Rob Hedrick's apartment includes a Grass Valley Kula production switcher.

When NHRA built a studio in Glendora, we decided to go with a NewTek TriCaster 460 and TalkShow box, but, when I saw what San Francisco did [to prevent the spread of coronavirus] a few days before Los Angeles went into lockdown, I went up to the office and took the equipment as well as a mixer, says Rob Hedrick, director, postproduction/supervising producer, NHRA. The workflow has been amazingly simple, and we've been cranking out content like we're still working inside of our studio.

From In-Studio to At-Home: Gradual Move to the Cloud Minimizes Obstacles

In the current circumstances, an actual at-home workflow might seem lucky or coincidental, but the NHRA team would probably consider it a product of meticulous planning. Prior to the start of the pandemic, the drag-racing organization was looking to change production from relying heavily on onsite, in-person interaction to a practice that is more agile and adaptable.

We had already started transitioning to cloud-based editing with Bebop Technology after last year's NAB and finished the process by getting our last editor in the cloud a month before [the pandemic] started happening, says Hedrick. We sent people home with their desktops and/or Teradici Zero Clients beforehand.

Clockwise from top left: Brian Lohnes, Tony Pedregon, Jamie Howe, and Lewis Bloom participate in four-way Skype calls to generate racing content.

At a time when many sports-video-production professionals are swimming in uncharted waters with hardwired systems, the NHRA team is already familiar with an untethered infrastructure. In addition to the pair of NewTek products, there is the Grass Valley Kula production switcher. On the intangible side of the operation, BeBop Technology's editing interface is powered by AWS's cloud-based services, and the crew can manipulate footage or upload 20 GB-100 GB of files through any given web browser that can access Sony's Ci storage platform.

The biggest transition that we had was that most of our editors are used to working on a Mac, but, since it's up in the cloud through AWS, it's PC-based, Hedrick explains. Our editors have adapted quickly, and the render times are quicker since it's in the cloud.

No Place Like Home: Apartment Location Provides Stellar Connectivity

The company's steady change in philosophy has turned a Los Angeles apartment from a humble abode to a fully functioning fortress of content. Alongside Hedrick, figuratively speaking, only one other editor is involved in the process.

Lewis Bloom (left) interviews two-time NHRA Pro Stock World Champion Erica Enders about how she's spending her time during the pandemic.

With various kinds of social offerings, there are many digital elements to execute, including four simultaneous Skype calls. Although NewTek TalkShow handles that aspect of the workload, the combined total of traffic and bandwidth over the internet may be a source of constant worry, but, in another stroke of happenstance, the apartment is located in prime real estate for clear and uninterrupted internet connection.

Hedrick had chosen an apartment that's only four blocks from one of the most densely interconnected data centers in the world: One Wilshire, or LA1, which allows 0-ms ping time. Also, AT&T's Los Angeles location is right across the street. And, as if that weren't enough, Hedrick has an extra layer of -redundancy in the form of the apartment building's 100-kW generator.

The Content Catalog: NHRA Rewind: Live, Driver Interviews Lead Programming Lineup

For fans of the NHRA, there has been no shortage of content to get them through the time spent at home. As Fox Sports continues to push re-aired versions of past races, Hedrick and company are handling the entity's social-media channels with both short- and long-form content.

On platforms like Facebook, the team has developed a series dubbed NHRA Rewind: Live. For folks who want to relive the action of an old race or hear thoughts from notable personalities, NHRA Rewind: Live has become a two-hour or more program offering a famous drag race that withstands the test of time and voices that fans are used to for an interactive experience. Statistician Lewis Bloom not only joins in on the nostalgia but brings comments from fans into the discussion by monitoring the chat.

Along with these social-media accounts, this content can be seen on NHRA.com and NHRA.tv, the organization's OTT platform. To get this job done, Hedrick has been patching in talent from across the country, including Bloom in downtown Los Angeles, play-by-play announcer Brian Lohnes in Boston, analyst Tony Pedregon in Indianapolis, and reporter Jamie Howe in Georgia.

Throughout this tumultuous time, fans need constant updates about previously scheduled races and the drivers they follow. To quench their thirst, visual bulletins on up-to-date schedule announcements are released on outlets like Twitter, and, for current information on the participants, drivers have made themselves available to detail, i
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2020/04/08/nhra-lives-in-the-cloud-for-at-...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

20/03/2026

FCC Approves Nexstar's Acquisition of Tegna

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/03/2026

Icesi names Ronald David Reyes as the 2025 recipient of t...

Colombia's Icesi University and WSDG are proud to announce Ronald David Reyes as the recipient of the 2025 WSDG Excellence Scholarship, awarded to an outsta...

20/03/2026

Celebrating the greatest creators - One Battle After Ano...

Avid today celebrated the filmmakers, editors and sound teams that worked with Avid Media Composer and Pro Tools to create the vast majority of this year'...

20/03/2026

MRMC Names CP Communications Its Official U.S. Rental, Sales Partner

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/03/2026

FOR-A To Feature Software-Defined, AI-Driven Solutions At 2026 NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/03/2026

2026 NAB Show Exhibitor Insight: Riedel Communications

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/03/2026

DirecTV Files Suit to Block Nexstar/Tegna Deal

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/03/2026

Fujifilm Announces Four New Broadcast Zoom Lenses

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/03/2026

NAB 2026: Software-Defined, AI-Powered Workflow Tells the...

Real-time 9:16 AI-Generated Autocropping; Software-Defined Station in a Box; and Software Switcher with Unlimited Layering Are Among Show Highlights For the fi...

20/03/2026

Signiant Showcases New Content Innovations Driving Visibility, Access, and Action at NAB 2026

Signiant Showcases New Content Innovations Driving Visibility, Access, and Actio...

20/03/2026

Caffeine Relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for End to End Post Workflow

Caffeine Relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for End to End Post Workflow Brie Clayton March 19, 2026 0 Comments Blackmagic Cloud helps Mexican post faci...

20/03/2026

It's time to play The Money List! Baz Ashmawy is back at the helm as the quiz returns for a fourth season

It's time to play The Money List! Baz Ashmawy is back at the helm as the qui...

19/03/2026

The Rise of Streaming, Particularly for Sports, Revives Loudness Issues

Live sports production increases complexity, with dynamic audio levels and an overall philosophy that encourages transient volume spikes Fourteen years ago, Am...

19/03/2026

Advanced Systems Group Names Peter Thordarson as Technical Account Executive

Advanced Systems Group, a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, announced the appointment of Peter Thordarson to the newly cr...

19/03/2026

SVG Students To Watch: Arya Taymuree, University of Washington

For this senior from the Bay Area, the speed and pressure of live sports production play right into her strengths In the live-sports-video industry, the future...

19/03/2026

Grass Valley Expands Partnership with University of Pittsburgh Athletics, Upgrading Production Infrastructure to SMPTE ST 2110 IP

Grass Valley has expanded its long-term partnership with University of Pittsburg...

19/03/2026

Audio-Technica Debuts ATV-SG1 and ATV-SG1LE On-Camera Shotgun Microphones

Audio-Technica has released the ATV-SG1 and ATV-SG1LE On-Camera Shotgun Microphones, designed for use with DSLR, mirrorless SLR, and other cameras. The ATV-SG1...

19/03/2026

NAB 2026: Harmonic Enhances XOS Advanced Media Processor to Streamline Next-Generation Broadcast Distribution

Harmonic (booth W2831) announces updates to its XOS Advanced Media Processor aim...

19/03/2026

DAZN and Top Rank Sign Multi-Year Rights Deal to Bring Marquee Events and Historic Archive to the Global Home of Boxing

DAZN and Top Rank have announced a multi-year partnership that will bring Top Ra...

19/03/2026

IHSE and Cyviz Announce Strategic Partnership

IHSE, a provider of KVM systems, has announced a partnership with Cyviz AS, a provider of technology solutions for collaboration and mission-critical operations...

19/03/2026

Net Insight appoints Larissa Grner-Meeus as Chief Product Officer (CPO)

Net Insight has appointed Larissa G rner-Meeus as Chief Product Officer. She joins the company's executive management team. G rner-Meeus holds a Dipl-Ing. ...

19/03/2026

Leader Appoints Rob Stanley as Regional Sales Manager UK & Northern Europe

Leader Electronics of Europe has appointed Rob Stanley as Regional Sales Manager for the UK and Northern Europe. In the role, he will manage key accounts and ha...

19/03/2026

FIFA and YouTube Team Up in FIFA World Cup 2026 Preferred Platform Agreement

FIFA has announced that YouTube will be a Preferred Platform for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Under the agreement, FIFA's Media Partners will be able to publis...

19/03/2026

Upgrade to NCAA March Madness Live App Expands Multi-Game Viewing, Enhances Second-Screen Experience

New features across mobile, connected devices, and automotive platforms undersco...

19/03/2026

PSSI Global Services Welcomes Ben Bradshaw as Director of Product and Network Development

PSSI Global Services has appointed Ben Bradshaw as Director of Product and Netwo...

19/03/2026

NAB 2026: Cobalt Digital to Unveil Additions to End-to-End IPMX and ST 2110 Ecosystem

Cobalt Digital has announced its NAB 2026 product lineup, which includes additio...

19/03/2026

Sportradar Releases Industry Outlook on the Future of U.S. Sports Viewing

Sportradar has released a new report, Innovation in Sports Media: The Next Era of Sports Viewing, examining how the sports viewing experience in the U.S. is evo...

19/03/2026

Matrox Video's ConvertIP Awarded in Rai Framework Agreement Supporting IP Modernization Strategy

Matrox Video has been awarded a three-year framework agreement to supply its Con...

19/03/2026

Controlled Chaos: Inside the Mighty Production Engine Behind the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament's First Week

CBS Sports' Jason Cohen and TNT Sports' Chris Brown lead the charge on n...

19/03/2026

Loud and Fun Is the Goal for NCAA Tourney Audio

A1 Dave Grundtvig and his team deploy plenty of mics to capture the sounds and energy from the stands as well the court March Madness is a tournament in which ...

19/03/2026

Spotify Marks 5 Years of EQUAL With EQUAL: The Podcast and Global Events

In 2021, we launched EQUAL, a program designed to address an industry reality that persists: Women artists, songwriters, and producers too often face fewer oppo...

19/03/2026

Toontrack release Transistor Organ EKX

Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...

19/03/2026

Roland preview Melody Flip

New generative AI plug-in due in May 2026 Roland have announced the upcoming launch of a new generative AI tool created in collaboration with Sony Computer ...

19/03/2026

Native Instruments CEO Statement

Nick Williams updates users on insolvency process Nick Williams, the CEO of Native Instruments, has released the following official statement regarding thei...

19/03/2026

Milab to restart production

Iconic Swedish mic manufacturer back in action Legendary Swedish microphone manufacturer Milab have announced that production is now fully underway, and mic...

19/03/2026

FT1-EMU plug-in from Freqport

Acclaimed saturation unit goes virtual Freqport's Freqtube FT1 (reviewed here in SOS February 2023) offers a convenient way to integrate real valve-base...

19/03/2026

SGL Carbon: Restructuring ensures earnings forecast and creates basis for new growth

The discontinuation of loss-making business activities as part of the restructur...

19/03/2026

Silicon Valley satire The Audacity premieres 15 April on SBS and SBS On Demand

Silicon Valley satire The Audacity premieres 15 April on SBS and SBS On Demand 19 March, 2026 Media releases From one of the writer/producers of Succession...

19/03/2026

SBS brings communities together at Bondi Pavilion for Harmony Week multilingual broadcast

SBS brings communities together at Bondi Pavilion for Harmony Week multilingual ...

19/03/2026

Clarification from SBS regarding Western Sydney expansion

Clarification from SBS regarding Western Sydney expansion 19 March, 2026 Media releases From an SBS spokesperson: SBS wishes to clarify some media coverag...

19/03/2026

Leader appoints Rob Stanley as Regional Sales Manager UK...

Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics of Europe, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Stanley as Regional Sales Manager - UK & Northern Euro...

19/03/2026

Accedo One and Magine Pro Officially Launch Leyra Deliver...

The recently announced joint venture between Accedo One and Magine Pro has been officially launched as Leyra. The new company will combine the two complementary...

19/03/2026

Lightware matrices are the go-to choice for signal manage...

Budapest, Hungary, March 2026 - Demand for traditional matrix switching remains strong across live events, rental and staging markets. With a reputation for rel...

19/03/2026

DPA Elevates 4097 Micro Shotgun With CORE Technology

DPA Microphones adds to its CORE microphone selection with the 4097 CORE Micro Shotgun, which delivers a new level of clarity, headroom and sonic transparency...

19/03/2026

Starfish highlights flexible TS Splicer releases and new...

Starfish Technologies will present the latest releases of its TS Splicer (Win) and TS Splicer (K8) at NAB Show 2026, together with a new Monitoring Dashboard de...