This year’s edition of ITV’s Love Island employed a long distance relationship when it came to the show’s production. ITV Studios worked with NEP Group to create a fully remote environment.
Only three engineers joined crew members on site with the contestants in Mallorca, Spain. Instead, the production team managed the entire production from the new NEP Production Centre at Grays Inn Road in London.
Robotic cameras were managed remotely from London using NEP Connect’s Anylive network, with the show’s directors operating as if they were actually at the villa in Mallorca. Additionally, NEP Connect provided 64 video feeds to the London facility, where a crew of 75 people worked on Love Island from over a thousand miles away.
“Remote editing and short term event (sport) remote production is becoming quite common, however, in this instance we required a system design that would give us resilience and a 24/7 operation for over 60 days. NEP Group looked after the remote OB element, connectivity and offered us the ability to work out of a central London facility,” said Steve Kruger, head of technology, Entertainment, at ITV Studios.
“We have always had a great relationship with NEP. They have worked on the show since the franchise was rebooted in 2015, and always produced the best end-to-end solution for us. This year was no exception. We were up against an extremely tough challenge, and they stepped up, delivering something truly innovative.”
Between the season debut in early July and the season finale in late August, ITV successfully broadcast 58 episodes in a completely remote environment.
NEP also worked with ITV Studios on the US version of Love Island, with the contestants at the Casa Amore set in Hawaii and the show’s main off site at the Grand Naniloa Hotel, about 20 miles. The tech base was set up about 2,500 feet from the main set, while transmission and editing were located 3,000 miles away at The Switch’s facility in Burbank, California.
The US production utilised 11 manned broadcast camera chains and 105 robotic and PoV cameras. ITV America also housed logging facilities as far away as Sydney.
