Country Music Awards Goes Wireless with Gear Seven and Teradek Bolts posted: 06/12/2017
Overview
Filming a special backstage segment for CMAs Country Christmas.
5x Canon C300 Mark II
5x Bolt systems
4x EZ Rig + 1 MoVI Pro
Camera feeds were published to 2 roving video village monitors and 2 handheld Directors monitors.
100% mobile monitoring system.
Acoustic guitars and country magic lit up national TV last week with the annual CMA Country Christmas show, ushering in the yuletide season with a star-studded cast of Nashville celebrities and a collection of timeless Christmas carols. But while the show was full of holiday cheer, the most spectacular sights were behind the scenes, mounted to cameras and making the whole show a grand success.
C300 Mark II cameras & Teradek Bolts ready to go
For a segment of the show, the Country Music Association needed to film a tour backstage under the Bridgestone Arena music theater with celebrities and guests. The challenge was acquiring all of the footage in one continuous take to preserve the authenticity of the segment and complete the task as quickly as possible. They sought out Gear Seven to get the job done.
A local, Nashville-based production house, Gear Seven has worked with some big name artists including Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Jack Johnson, Keith Urban among many others. They've also worked on productions with a portfolio of worldwide brands like Sony, Gibson, and Red Bull (a story which we covered in the past).
We needed to capture as many parts of the backstage as possible in the little time we had, said Ryan Atenhan, Producer at Gear Seven. Due to the nature of the project, we had to make sure we had the right equipment for the shoot. And because this was to be broadcast on national TV, there was no room for error on our part.
Panasonic monitor with 4x Bolt receivers
With a tight schedule, Atenhan and his crew needed to acquire all of the shots as quickly and flawlessly as possible. This meant having the director monitor every shot they were taking. But this proved to be a challenge: with 5x cameras stationed around the studio, cables would make the cameras and crew completely immobile. They would also increase setup time significantly - a luxury they couldn't afford.
To solve this, Atenhan decided to go wireless. They set up 4x Canon C300 Mark II cameras on EZ Rigs and 1 on a MoVI Pro, each with its own Teradek Bolt transmitter.
Since they were moving through the backstage around corners and doors, video village needed to travel alongside the cast for live monitoring of the shot. 2x large monitors (SmallHD and Panasonic) were mounted to a cart, with 4x Bolt receivers connected to one and 1 Bolt receiver mounted to the other. The former monitor displayed a 2x2 grid so all 4 feeds were displayed simultaneously.
They also rigged a dual-monitor clamshell for the Director's monitor. This was composed of 2x SmallHD monitors with a Bolt receiver on each unit locked together with metal housing and handles on both ends. This allowed the Director to move alongside the camera crew & talent, making quick adjustments as they filmed the scenes.
Dual Director's monitors with Teradek Bolt receivers
Wireless Success
Mobility was key on this special segment, meaning wireless was the only route to go. By using the Bolt 2000s, the cameras were able to move freely throughout the theater and roving video village could monitor and pull focus remotely while staying in range of the wireless camera feeds.
It's safe to say that this project wouldn't have been possible without the Bolts, Atenhan explained. With the speed we had to shoot at, there was little margin for error. And with 5 cameras on hand, the Director needed to see every shot to make sure everything was perfect.
Ultimately, going wireless allowed Gear Seven to secure all of the shots they needed without wasting any extra time. After all, because the celebrities and guests had very limited time, it was critical that everything was done right in acquisition. Thanks to Gear Seven and wireless video, the CMA was able to air a program that both they and audiences loved.
The Teradeks were just a luxury item when we first started using them on productions. Now they're an essential part of our kit and we completely rely on them for shoots. They're a brand that everyone trusts.
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
16/10/2025
SVG Sit-Down: FUJIFILM Execs on GFX ETERNA 55 Camera, Importance of Shallow-Dept...
16/10/2025
Squash's Most Ambitious Broadcast Production To Be Deployed at Comcast Busin...
16/10/2025
Main Street Sports Group Inks Deal With Omaha Productions, Launches Original-Con...
16/10/2025
A Historic Precursor? FIFA, HBS, DAZN Offer an Inside Look at Production of FIFA...
16/10/2025
Prime Video Offers Sneak Peak at New NBA on Prime StudioThe massive 13,000-sq-ft, two-story studio features a LED regulation half court and hoopBy Jason Dachman...
16/10/2025
SVG Remote Production Forum Draws Record Crowd for Visit to PGA TOUR Studios, De...
16/10/2025
BitFire's Ben Grafchik on How Growing Cloud Workflows Are Impacting the Live...
16/10/2025
AI technology is advancing quickly, bringing both new creative possibilities and...
16/10/2025
In 2017, Imani Ellis launched CultureCon, a conference that's become a must-attend event for more than 10,000 diverse creatives and Black professionals to c...
16/10/2025
It might still be a little early to break out the tinsel and mistletoe, but Spotify's already queuing up some holiday magic. This year's Spotify Singles...
16/10/2025
Earlier this year, our in-house publishing imprint, Spotify Audiobooks, put out ...
16/10/2025
VAMPIRE has been integrated onto GM Defenses Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), providing a mobile solution to effectively and affordably counter small drone threat...
16/10/2025
The AgilePod mounted on the host aircraft....
16/10/2025
60% say infotainment systems are a critical purchasing or leasing consideration,...
16/10/2025
NEW YORK The Broadcasters Foundation of America has launched its 2025 Year-End Giving Campaign, which seeks to raise donations from tax-deductible personal and ...
16/10/2025
Roku has added several new features to its user interface and operating system meant to make it easier to discover and personalize content, the company said....
16/10/2025
NEW YORK CNN has announced that its All Access subscription tier will launch in the U.S. on Oct. 28, providing audiences with a centralized destination for CNN&...
16/10/2025
Student Spotlight: Alan Villanueva The graduate student and saxophonist, who performed on Natalia Lafourcades Latin Grammy-nominated Live at Carnegie Hall alb...
16/10/2025
The XR Sports Alliance (XRSA) has announced the third cohort of members. The new members include Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), the Vegas Golden Kni...
16/10/2025
NEW YORK The Broadcasters Foundation of America has launched its 2025 Year-End Giving Campaign which seeks to raise donations from tax-deductible personal and c...
16/10/2025
NEW YORK Australia's Nine Network and the NHL today announced a media partnership that will bring the world's premier professional ice hockey league to ...
16/10/2025
Parks Associates has released new data showing that nearly half (45%) of U.S. internet homes watch free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services and 89% of U.S...
16/10/2025
TROY, Mich. -New data from J.D. Power's 2025 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Study shows that residential wireless internet providers are growing...
16/10/2025
TV's most charming detective drama * Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investi...
16/10/2025
Back to All News
Thailand's Legendary Outlaw Returns: Tee Yai: Born to be ...
16/10/2025
Back to All News
Christmas Is Just Around The Corner: Home For Christmas Season...
16/10/2025
Back to All News
Trist n Ulloa Stars in El crimen de Pazos, the New Netflix Ser...
16/10/2025
ABS Completes Redomiciliation to Dubai Development Authority as Part of Strategi...
16/10/2025
This Saturday October 18 Katja Mia will burst onto the radio airwaves for the first time as she joins 2FM. Katja will be standing in for Bl thnaid Treacy on Sat...
16/10/2025
This October, RT is delighted to support Wexford Festival Opera, Babor International Arts Festival for Children, Open House Dublin and 36 other arts and cultu...
16/10/2025
GeForce NOW is more than just a platform to stream fresh games every week - it offers celebrations for the gamers who make it epic, with member rewards to sweet...
15/10/2025
Across the world, early-career reporters are interrogating systems that shape daily life, from mortuaries and classrooms to the corridors of legal education and...
15/10/2025
St. Louis Blues Pay Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne in New Pregame Open VideoThe NHL franchise worked with production firms 2WEI and 4th Floor CreativeBy Mark J Burns,...
15/10/2025
Cobalt Digital, G3DVu, Proxima Vision, and Telos Alliance Renew Premier Sponsors...
15/10/2025
By Paige Bethmann
Before my grandmother passed away in 2019, I went to visit her in the hospital where she'd been for a few weeks. When I arrived, the nurs...
15/10/2025
Two years ago, Spotify set out to grow the entire publishing industry by making ...
15/10/2025
People turn to DJ for a listening experience that feels personal, dynamic, and j...
15/10/2025
Las personas recurren a DJ para vivir una experiencia de escucha personal, din m...
15/10/2025
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen and luminary actor Jeremy Allen White came togethe...
15/10/2025
At Spotify, we're all about supporting rising talent and helping them connec...
15/10/2025
New SBS Documentary Series THE CANCER KILLERS Premieres 4 November on SBS & SBS ...
15/10/2025
SBS celebrates the Festivals of Lights with bold, illuminating stories across th...
15/10/2025
One of humanity's most profound questions continues: Is there any place in our galaxy suitable for life beyond Earth? NASA intends to find out, with the hel...
15/10/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
15/10/2025
Scality, a global leader in cyber-resilient storage software for the AI era, today announced the advancement of its comprehensive AI ecosystem certification pro...
15/10/2025
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today unveiled key highlights of the 2026 HPA Tech Retreat, scheduled for Feb. 15 19 at the Westin Rancho Mirage Go...
15/10/2025
At NAB Show New York 2025 (Stand 244), Interra Systems will showcase the future of media QC, monitoring, and captioning, highlighting its award-winning, AI- and...
15/10/2025
Grass Valley today announced that RMC BFM, part of the CMA-CGM Group and France's third-largest private media group, has chosen Grass Valley's productio...
Country Music Awards Goes Wireless with Gear Seven and Teradek Bolts posted: 06/12/2017 
