|
The live event industry is taking the first steps into the next generation of staging. 4K Ultra HD products are available for consumer use, and this new workflow for event production is positioned to change how producers think about set design and staging for meetings and events. LMG Show Technology, a video production company with offices in Orlando, Tampa, Dallas and Las Vegas, has been working to provide clients with more information on how to establish a 4K workflow in a staging environment and create a new industry standard. Toward that end, the company has also designed and built a new truck-in-a-box 4K Ultra HD system for live events. |
Why 4K?
Over the last decade, the live event industry has evolved from standard definition video (640 x 480 pixels) to high definition video productions (1920 x 1080 pixels) for staged shows, and HD has become the new de facto standard. The vast improvement in image resolution raised the bar for the viewer’s perception of quality, with crisp details and vivid, rich video content.
With HD as the new norm, and its ability to convey a high level of sharp imagery and quality, event producers might be asking — why take the leap to 4K for live events? 4K Ultra HD offers a new palette of 3840 x 2160 pixels for content producers and designers — four times greater than high definition. The bar is raised significantly in terms of image quality that event producers may need to hire a makeup artist to hide the imperfections that aren’t so obvious in an HD or SD environment for Live I-Mag.
“4K sets the stage for a film level production workflow in a live event environment,” says Neil Morrison, executive director of new media at LMG, noting that a 4K Ultra HD workflow allows the producer to create an immersive, cinematic environment for the entire audience. “When we moved from SD to HD, we were able to loosen our camera shots and include more of the onstage environment while still keeping the presenter connected to the audience in an intimate way,” states Morrison. “With 4K, you can pull out to a full head to toe shot, and the audience can see more of a presenters’ body language along with all the stage details, and feel a part of what’s happening. This creates the opportunity to move from an I-Mag mindset to a more artful and immersive audience experience.”
In addition, producing an event in 4K Ultra HD, simply stated, projects a superior level of content. Currently, to create a typical super widescreen show, stagers must blend together stacks of projectors to create one large image, and there are limitations on light and dark imagery on the blend. In this scenario, there is approximately a 20 percent pixel loss on the overlap of the blend. With a 4K workflow, the latest 4K Ultra HD projectors offer brightest levels of up to 45,000 lumens, and allow stagers to produce stunning large widescreen shows, without a blend, pixel loss, or content limitations. Content producers not only gain a much higher quality image with greater pixel density, but can create content without the worry of colors or images across which cross blended areas. As an added bonus, without blending multiple sets of projectors together and utilizing fewer stacks, the 4K setup process becomes simplified, reducing setup time and saving on labor costs.
Working in 4K
Adopting a 4K Ultra HD workflow for live events should not be a difficult transition for content producers. Common graphic creation and editing software used for content production (PowerPoint, Keynote, After Effects, Photoshop, etc.) are 4K ready. File sizes will be larger, requiring added storage, and render times for graphic assets will be longer due to the significant increase in pixel count. “On average, producers can expect to experience a 30 percent increase in file render time and will need to work that into the production timeline,” says Morrison.
Content producers will also need to invest in upgraded equipment to work within a 4K Ultra HD resolution. A 4K Ultra HD monitor and computer with a 4K display card is needed to view and create graphical assets on a screen in native resolution, otherwise an HD monitor will only allow the producer to see 25 percent of the image. “If you’re creating content in a pixel-based environment, such as After Effects, it is important to work within that native space,” notes Morrison. “Best results will be seen on shows when the content is produced A to Z in 4K.” For video, 4K cameras, such are REDs, are already commonly used to produce many show opening segments. However, these assets are typically down converted or scaled to HD resolutions for playback. For an optimum 4K workflow, LMG recommends shooting at 60 fps for optimal playback, but the 4K Ultra HD system can mix between content at 60fps and 30 fps.
Clearly, a true 4K Ultra HD show with all native 4K content would yield the best results, but this does not require content producers to start from scratch and abandon their library of HD assets. Expecting a gradual transition to the adoption of 4K technology, LMG designed and built their 4K Ultra HD system around the Snell Kahuna 360 switcher, to accommodate multiple content formats (SD, HD, 4K) to output to the screen. “In the planning stages for this system, we wanted producers to have the flexibility to utilize any pre-produced content, but still be able to create a 4K environment for events,” states Les Goldberg, CEO/president of LMG.
The Snell Kahuna 360, with sidecar, allows LMG’s 4K Ultra HD system to not only output 4K resolution to the screen, but also record content in HD or SD for other purposes. “Content for archival is generally repurposed for web streaming, or to create a DVD or Blu-ray disc, and our system gives us the flexibility to cut and record content in multiple resolutions,” states Morrison. “Plus, 4K Ultra HD lends itself to really well to archiving in HD as the aspect ratio is the same, so you aren’t losing any of the image.”
Staging in 4K
4K Ultra HD opens up a new world of possibilities in terms of staging for event production teams. With the cinematic detail and feeling of 4K Ultra HD, producers have unlocked potential to create an engaging visual experience for the audience at a live event, on a level that hasn’t been done in the past. “It’s the difference between visual storytelling and information reporting,” describes Morrison.
Producers can expect new challenges in determining event staging, set design, and information flow in order to maximize the greater dynamic range and visual depth. Utilizing the immense palette of 4K Ultra HD, event producers are able to stage events that create a filmic experience and immerse the audience into the on stage narrative. “A 4K show that is designed to capitalize on the full potential of the pixel clarity and increased contrast range will create a ‘visual intimacy’ for the audience and seem lifelike in a way no one has seen in a live environment,” explains Morrison.
In addition, technical direction is paramount in creating the mood and imagery in order to take full advantage of a 4K Ultra HD environment. Lighting design for staged events plays a key role in creating that cinematic feeling. Lighting Designers will need to change the perception of live events, and consider stages in 4K Ultra HD similar to lighting a film environment, with an extended dynamic range and different focus from HD events.
Camera placement, lensing and shot selection will also be critical in generating the proper composition and artistic feeling in order to convey the on stage details to the audience and make full use of the greater depth of field within 4K Ultra HD. “Typically, in an HD show, the pre-produced opening content is created with a theatrical feel and composition, and then the show switches to mostly close-ups of the presenters on stage,” adds Morrison, “With 4K, the on stage live show can look just as dramatic as the pre-produced content.”
Ready, Stage, Go
4K Ultra HD is here, and ready to change the live event world. 4K offers event producers a new level of creative freedom in designing the show experience. Industry adoption may take some time, but producers will not only visibly see the difference in quality, but will benefit from how 4K Ultra HD opens up new possibilities for content, and assists in simplifying the setup process. Event production in 4K Ultra HD will come at a moderate cost increase, but the trade-off is a system that requires less equipment to support large scale projection, saving on setup time and freight expenses.
“4K Ultra HD is tailor made for large event format displays, and producers will be amazed at the imagery, and realize that 4K offers a more efficient and beneficial way to work in our industry,” notes Goldberg. “We are very excited to be able to offer a 4K technology solution that will support producers in breaking new ground and usher in a new era within the live event space. Let the fun begin as we enter this new world of 4K Ultra HD.”
More information on LMG is available at (www.lmg.net).
