International news agency TIMA is offering ad hoc users a simple workflow for Olympics reports, using the studio in a box system from WTS. TIMA has set up a temporary position on the roof of a shopping mall adjacent to the Olympic Park in east London. From this position, overlooking the main stadium and other venues, it has built a three camera studio and a single camera presentation position. The studio in a box system was designed and built by C2S, the systems integration arm of WTS Group. It is a fully integrated, multi-format production suite designed to fold away into a flight case for transportation. The aim is to fill the niche between flyaways and outside broadcast trucks, where a location for a full gallery is not available and a truck is impractical. The TIMA set-up for the Olympics includes four HD camera channels, two VTRs, a production server and final point audio embedding so the signal is ready for delivery to the broadcaster.
“The studio in a box is perfect for our purposes in covering an event like the Olympic games,” said Alla Salehian, managing director of TIMA. “It means we have access to broadcast quality equipment in an easily portable and very compact desk. “The ability of the desk to fold away to a flight case means we can use it on the rooftop with very little set-up time, and it is a cost-effective alternative to an OB truck. As the first major event for TIMA the Olympics is our chance to prove ourselves in the marketplace, so having access to the best broadcasting equipment available on location is very important. This is what the WTS studio in a box provides.”
