
Vodafone Studios Boosts Audiovisual Production Capabilities with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton September 29, 2023
0 Comments
A keystone of the 400m2 creative production environment designed and built by Vodafone Germany and systems integrator Sigma-AV is a 15m curved LED wall for virtual production.
Conceived as an idea in 2020, work to implement this ambitious project began in mid 2022, with the space coming online recently. There was a clear will internally to become masters of our own content creation, states Lukas Loss, digital content producer at Vodafone Germany.
Previously, we have delivered a vast amount of video, event delivery and TVC production using external studios and partners. That production was expensive and lacked flexibility, according to Loss. With the building of our own studios, we could lower production costs and preparation time while simultaneously raising the scope of what our trained production team could deliver internally.
Through the pandemic and beyond, we soon realized that virtual meetups and hybrid event delivery would offer a more flexible model for conferences in the future. As a tech company, we wanted to build a state of the art, future proof studio with extended reality (XR) that would allow that.
Extending reality But beyond that, creating an XR studio with an LED wall and green screen space unlocks new creative possibilities internally, states Loss. The social content team can level up the quality of its output, for example, and that is unmatched by most other brands to date.
Divided into three different spaces, Vodafone Germany's communications team can now support XR productions, live streamed webinars, conferences and even executive interviews.
A 15m curved LED wall for XR live production and events is at the heart of the main space. It also features a lounge area for talking heads or interviews, a master control room (MCR) for eight operators and a server room. The second studio area is a smaller green screen space with a pack shot area and an audiovisual podcast studio designed for up to four people.
But where do you start on a project of this magnitude? While the initiative would expand Vodafone Germany's communication capabilities, doing so would require additional audiovisual hardware and display tech.
We had to build the studios within the existing company campus, Loss explains. So, space was limited. We rebuilt one section of our existing conference zone, transforming it into a multifunctional studio.
The biggest constraint during construction was the ceiling height, notes Loss. That's why our LED wall is only three meters high and the lighting truss is positioned directly above the wall. Likewise, all that tech produces a lot of heat, so we had to remove the old air conditioning unit, with the replacement deployed in another building due to the noise it generates.
With those issues resolved, it was time to build and set up the MCR, with Blackmagic Design chosen as one of the preferred hardware partners for video.
We chose Blackmagic's hardware based on our previous experience with the brand and its products at other locations. Likewise, the single link 12G-SDI delivers on our requirement for a 2160p50 production workflow while keeping cabling requirements to a minimum, explains Loss.
October 2, 2023Content House KTRL Media Uses ATEM Television Studio HD8 ISO and Blackmagic Studio Camera 6K ProBlackmagic Design today announced that creative streaming production company KTRL Media uses
September 27, 2023Midwest Film Co. Provides Still Photography and Motion Picture Scanning with Cintel ScannerBlackmagic Design today announced that Midwest Film Co. relies on Cintel Scanner
A versatile solution for acquisition Vodafone elected to deploy the URSA Broadcast G2 camera for its versatility. We get the best of both worlds; 4K broadcast style live production for streaming or 6K cinematic production with shallow depth of field.
Combined with Blackmagic Fiber Converters, each camera channel requires just two cables: one for the camera and another for the tracking system. The remaining challenge for Loss was ensuring production didn't run into moir issues.
We conducted testing to determine which type of cameras and LED resolutions would fit our budget, avoid any moir and still give us the best image quality possible. In Blackmagic and Samsung, we have found the ideal combination to balance those requirements.
Supplementing those is a Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K Pro paired with the Blackmagic Studio Converter and a 21 teleprompter screen. It is a great camera for smaller setups that we can run on one cat6a cable, which we can put anywhere, providing there is an Ethernet port in the floor, explains Loss.
Finding the right mix In the control room, an ATEM Constellation 8K live production switcher and ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panel run the show, with a Smart Videohub 12G 40 40 for routing video and remote camera control via an ATEM Camera Control Panel.
The decision to implement ATEM was easy; we needed support for 4K 50p and the ability to handle 30 sources and 22 outputs during a typical production. Another great feature is the four multiview outputs; we use three for the video engineers and another as a preview for the talent on stage or in the back office.
Vodafone Germany's virtual set workflow relies on a series of PCs each equipped with a DeckLink 8K Pro capture and playback card, for ingesting live camera feeds into Unreal Engine and Ventuz.
Both systems are fed camera tracking data from a dedicated tracking solution, with three PCs used to render out the built virtual sets; one for the virtual background on the LED wall, another for virtual objects/foreground and a third for compositing.
When a virtual floor is required, Vodafone relies on its green screen ar
North America Stories
03/09/2026
NEP Group has announced leadership changes at Creative Technology Group. Founder and CEO Graham Andrews will step away from day-to-day leadership at the end of ...
03/09/2026
The NFL and TikTok have announced a multi-year partnership renewal expanding the league's presence on the platform. NFL posts on TikTok increased more than ...
03/09/2026
Grass Valley has appointed Ronny Van Geel as Vice President, Cameras. Van Geel began his career in 1999 at Philips DVS and moved into product management in 2005...
03/09/2026
Telestream has announced Vantage Super Resolution, an AI-powered upscaling capability for the Vantage media workflow platform, developed in collaboration with N...
03/09/2026
Solid State Logic (SSL) will debut the TCA Tour at IBC2026 (Hall 8, Stand 8.B45), a portable production system built from System T components in a desktop frame...
03/09/2026
DPA Microphones has announced the 6388 CORE Headset Microphone, making its debut at IBC2026 (Hall 8, Stand D60). The supercardioid headset features a physicall...
03/09/2026
Qvest will present a multi-vendor Dynamic Media Facility (DMF) showcase at IBC2026 (Booth 10.C24), demonstrating how the EBU's DMF architecture can be imple...
03/09/2026
Imagine Communications will showcase the Magellan PanelFlex control surface and other control portfolio updates at IBC2026 (Stand 1.B73, RAI Amsterdam, Septembe...
03/09/2026
Bridge Technologies will announce at IBC2026 (Booth 1.A71) that its VB440 production probe is now available as a software-based solution, deployable on commerci...
03/09/2026
Audio-Technica has unveiled the BP350ST MS (mid-side) microphone in two versions: the camera-mount BP350ST-UL and the boundary or gooseneck-mountable BP350ST-UB...
03/09/2026
Telos Alliance will introduce updates to the J nger Audio flexAI audio processin...
03/09/2026
DUNKMAN, the professional dunk league founded by Shaquille O'Neal in partner...
03/09/2026
Orlando's WRDQ TV 27, WFTV Channel 9 previously named over-the-air broadcast...
03/09/2026
EverPass Media has announced a multi-year commercial distribution agreement with Netflix, expanding on an existing partnership that has delivered NFL Christmas ...
03/09/2026
Yahoo Sports and Apple TV have announced a partnership to deliver alternate broadcasts of select Friday Night Baseball and MLS games on the Yahoo Sports website...
03/09/2026
With another academic year underway, college athletic departments across the cou...
03/09/2026
Facility becomes permanent home of NFL Live on Sept. 9; centerpiece studio for c...
03/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/09/2026
Recognizing the ever-increasing demands for media throughput in challenging environments like post-production, two leaders in network technology have worked tog...
03/09/2026
EVS, a leader in live video technology and production infrastructure solutions, and Matrox Video, a leader in software-defined media technology and IP-based vid...
03/09/2026
AJA Debuts OG-FiDO-4 openGear Four-Channel SDI/Fiber Conversion Cards
Brie Clayton September 3, 2026
0 Comments
New product family expands 12G-SDI and...
03/09/2026
Nice Touch launches V2 of its AI edit assistant for professional editors
Brie Clayton September 3, 2026
0 Comments
Built by two editors with twelve ye...
03/09/2026
Accedo, a global provider of video streaming software and services, and MediaKind, a world-leading video technology company and the number one independent provi...
03/09/2026
International research from Big Blue Marble puts a consumer churn number against a technical failure, and sets out what streaming providers must fix before 2030...
03/09/2026
High-performance points of presence power video streaming delivery to large audiences across Latin America with guaranteed quality of experience
Broadpeak , a ...
03/09/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, will unveil the next evolution of Dalia at IBC2026 (7.A43), its media-aware agent...
03/09/2026
CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the world's largest independent IT and business consulting services firms, will showcase CGI OpenMedia Evolve and CGI d...
03/09/2026
LiveU is participating in the IBC Accelerator Incubator 2026: Smart Stories The New Knowledge Architecture for Content Production, an industry-wide initiative...
03/09/2026
Broadcast Solutions, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast and media industry, has taken another major step in its...
03/09/2026
Quortex today announced that it will showcase how it is accelerating innovation and the transition to IP at IBC 2026. The company will debut its newest intellig...
03/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/09/2026
The EZDRM approach to Revenue Security on streaming video can be visualized as a multi-dimensional set of solutions. A growing dimension of that approach is the...
03/09/2026
From field capture to management, control and production, Kiloview will demonstrate one connected Hybrid AV-over-IP workflow including a complete 4RU producti...
03/09/2026
Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions to profitably connect the right content to the right audience, today announced Mediagenix Curation, a new...
03/09/2026
LucidLink, the Emmy-winning cloud-native file streaming platform for instant, secure access to large files, today announced the next step in its vision to make ...
03/09/2026
AJA Introduces FS8, Next-Gen 12G-SDI/SMPTE ST 2110 Media Processor
Brie Clayton September 2, 2026
0 Comments
AJA Video Systems unveiled FS8, a video a...
03/09/2026
Shooting Deadheading with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton September 2, 2026
0 Comments
Bringing a small story to the big screen with dark com...
03/09/2026
OOONA Launches OOONA Go: Professional Localization Management for Small Companie...
03/09/2026
DURHAM, N.C. - East of Texas Durham has officially opened its doors at American ...
03/09/2026
Telos Alliance Emphasizes Audio Observability Across Media Workflows
Search
IBC 2026 demonstrations highlight automated monitoring for increasingly complex...
03/09/2026
September is here with 26 more games streaming on GeForce NOW this month, led by a slam dunk: NBA 2K27 with the NVIDIA DLSS 5 3D-Guided Neural Rendering feature...
02/09/2026
Professional and collegiate clubs, leading vendors discuss current trends in stadium production
On. Aug. 12, the 2026 SVG Venues & Teams Summit explored the ev...
02/09/2026
SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theater, and Hollywood Park have completed an infrastructure upgrade expanding game presentation and broadcast production capabilities acr...
02/09/2026
Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) has announced a suite of AI-powered workflow applications for broadcasters, content owners, and operators, built on its Video...
02/09/2026
The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) and the Association of Professional Wireless Production Technologies (APWPT) have announced a partnership to ...