AJA Video Systems recently released the Ki Pro Quad file-based recording device for professional 4K and HD workflows. Alex Buono, Director of Photography for the Saturday Night Live Film Unit, recently used the AJA Ki Pro Quad together with a Canon C500 camera to capture Kanish, a 1970s cop show spoof starring Zach Galifianakis and Bill Hader. Ki Pro Quad is the only tapeless recorder that supports live debayering of 4K Canon RAW camera data with simultaneous recording to Apple ProRes 422 or ProRes 444 files.
Buono has been working on SNL since 1999, and has recently been experimenting with a variety of 4K workflows on the show s pre-produced segments. We love the look of the Canon C500 camera, but with our production turnaround schedule, we don t have time to deal with processing RAW camera files. We tried alternate 4K recording devices, but Ki Pro Quad is the only one that let us go straight from the camera to ProRes. Not only do we save a ton of processing time, but we re also chewing up way less hard drive space uncompressed RAW ties up at least 1TB of storage per hour of footage; with Ki Pro Quad recording to ProRes, we re down to less than 600GB per hour.
Producing in 4K is important to NBC for production, post and archival purposes. Shooting in 4K today will make rebroadcasts to Ultra HD much simpler when that technology is widely adopted into the home. For NBC, shooting in 4K is a way to future-proof the show; for Buono and SNL Film Unit director/producer Rhys Thomas, the 4K resolution provides great options for reframing shots that today are still being delivered in 1080 and largely viewed at 720. Other 4K recorders that we tested required a more time-consuming post workflow. We ve used previous generations of Ki Pro recorders on other projects and they ve always been easy to use and super reliable. Ki Pro Quad easily mounted to the back rails of the camera and it just worked like clockwork.
Buono likes shooting with the Canon C500 for its image quality and color accuracy. One of the biggest compliments I can give the Ki Pro Quad is that the quality of the 444 ProRes files that came out of the unit looked exactly the same as the RAW Canon footage, and we had immediate access to them on set without having to go through hours of processing. To me, that alone makes using Ki Pro Quad a no brainer.
This summer, Buono is embarking on a two-month speaking tour, The Art of Visual Storytelling, starting on June 3, 2012. He will be leading attendees through a practical workshop of shooting and producing video content in fast turnaround environments using examples from his 14 seasons on SNL as well as his feature film and documentary work. The 31-stop tour across the United States will provide hands-on access to shooting with Buono's broadcast production set-up including a Canon C500 camera, AJA Ki Pro Quad, Movi stabilized camera gimbal and more. For more information visit www.visualstorytellingtour.com. To learn more about the Ki Pro Quad and it s breakthrough 4K workflows, visit http://www.aja.com/en/products/ki-pro-quad/#overview.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
AJA Video Systems recently released the Ki Pro Quad file-based recording device for professional 4K and HD workflows. Alex Buono, Director of Photography for the Saturday Night Live Film Unit, recently used the AJA Ki Pro Quad together with a Canon C500 camera to capture Kanish, a 1970s cop show spoof starring Zach Galifianakis and Bill Hader. Ki Pro Quad is the only tapeless recorder that supports live debayering of 4K Canon RAW camera data with simultaneous recording to Apple ProRes 422 or ProRes 444 files.
