Broadcast solutions and workflow company The Collectv has worked with production company Whisper on a new broadcast and production hub at its headquarters in Kew, London.
The hub, which is situated on a dedicated floor Whisper’s broadcast centre, was installed in just seven weeks from sign-off to the first live edits going through the facility.
It has been designed primarily to handle the increased volume of content the company is producing following its selection last year as broadcast and digital content production partner by UEFA.
The Collectv specced and delivered a high bandwidth, flexible system comprising six dedicated edit suites running Adobe Premiere Pro alongside one audio suite/VO booth, as well as numerous desk pods for the 40-strong production team.
Connection is via Cat6a cable throughout, while storage and remote working integration is handled by Editshare. An IP-based talkback system from Unity Intercom allows the production team to join via their computers and devices, as well as accommodating external freelancers who can join via a weblink.
“We had to react and move fast many times during the build, and it was vital that we were there on the ground as the walls were going up so we could identify any issues as they arose,” said Nick Long, project manager for The Collectv.
“We have worked with Whisper for a number of years, and that enabled us to be pre-emptive regarding their requirements and their preferred workflows, providing SDI matrixes to enable them to display images from any source, whether edit suite, incoming feed, or PowerPoint presentation on their big screens, for instance. We’ve also been able to build in robust hooks to the production networks on the other floors in their building, ensuring that it can lean on capacity in other areas if required.”
Bethan Evans, director of production at Whisper added: “We set the Collectv the challenge of installing these new edit facilities, together with the sound and QC suite in a tight time frame. They worked excellently with the construction company and other suppliers to ensure all requirements were covered and to foresee future challenges. With their knowledge of our workflows they were also able to design a system that integrated effectively with our existing infrastructure. The installation has provided us with a great space from which to produce and deliver Whisper’s ambitious and entertaining sport output.“
