NEWARK, NJ – Panasonic has announced that TBN has purchased 16 AW-UE150 4K 60p integrated pan/tilt/zoom cameras, 7 AW-RP150 camera controllers and Tecnopoint Tuning software, Totem telescopic column systems and motorized floor and ceiling dolly systems to equip new studio sets at its Tustin, CA and New York, NY facilities.
More details from Panasonic (www.na.panasonic.com/us):
TBN is the world’s largest Christian television network and America’s most-watched faith-and-family channel. In the U.S., TBN’s family of networks is available to 98% of TV households.
For the production of a new women’s show called “Better Together” in its Tustin facility, TBN has allocated 11 AW-UE150s, five RP150s and Tuning floor dolly systems and a Totem system. At its New York City facility, for the airing of the Eric Metaxas’ nationally-syndicated radio program, TBN outfitted a studio with five AW-UE150s, two RP150s and a Tecnopoint ceiling dolly system and Totem systems.
Larry Haley, TBN’s director of network operations and engineering, explained that the “Better Together” set sports a new format. “The show is done in the round with the set rotating and it’s done with no crew in the studio. We’re trying to create an intimate environment. We had to come up with a way to give us the same shooting capabilities as if we have operators in the studio. The combination of the new (AW-UE150) cameras and the Tecnopoint rail systems and how they integrated together worked well for the project.”
Haley added, “Eric Metaxas moved his nationally syndicated radio to our New York studios in a new production for the network. The New York studio is a smaller space with a more limited staff. And as in Tustin, we didn’t want operators in the studio. We wanted a high-quality, cost-effective production with the same capabilities as far as camera movement, camera control, and rail cameras. We did not want it to look like a traditional radio show with two to three people sitting around a table.”
Haley said that TBN chose the Panasonic UE150/Tecnopoint combination for several factors. “One is the trifecta that everyone usually looks to obtain – features, price point and support. The Panasonic and Tecnopoint partnership, along with the features that the products brought, the price points and the Panasonic support that’s been good with us over the years, answered all three of those.”
“Another factor, which was a unique discovery and worked to our advantage, is the new UE150 has a much wider field of view (than its competitors). With the short distances we were shooting in the sets, this gave us a whole new option we were not expecting to get with this type PTZ camera. Obviously, looking at the 4K capabilities, we were future proofing as well.”
Panasonic support, Haley added, has been amazing and “all of it has come together better than I could have hoped.”
“We would definitely recommend the Panasonic PTZ cameras and the Tecnopoint equipment and we’re already looking to use them for other projects at the network,” Haley said.
