Frank Collins at Video Village Miami talks about equipping his on-set video assist cart with the essential gear to log, capture, playback, edit and process video, including AJA’s Io 4K Plus.
Video Village Miami's on-set cart
Video Village Miami handles on-set video assist for local commercial and music video productions. Frank Collins established the business in 2019 after a 20-year career in sound mixing. He was not only interested in adding video management to his skillset but also to adapt to the changes occurring in his industry in 2020.
Today, he has made it his job to know who needs to view the image that the camera is recording, and where they need to view it, which is often in the video village. He works from a cart equipped with the hardware and software needed to log, capture, playback, edit and process video inputs and outputs, supported by various monitors. The gear is sourced through Nebtek in Utah.
Each project follows a similar workflow, varying mainly in the number of cameras used. Frank typically receives the client video feed from transmitters on the camera, using a wireless transmission system. The signal then goes from the camera to the wireless receivers. From there, he runs cables back to his system in the video village. The signal is then sent through an AJA KUMO 1616-12G router and AJA KUMO Control Panel to an AJA Io 4K Plus, and output to the computer running IN2CORE QTAKE digital video assist software. The feed is then pushed back out to an output device.
Consistent Viewing
When working at 4K resolutions, Io 4K Plus outputs a high quality HD-SDI down-converted signal on a dedicated BNC connector. This HD signal can be used to output 4K projects directly to HD recorders for broadcast and for straightforward viewing of 4K images on HD monitors during post production. Io 4K Plus is recommended by QTAKE, and works well with QTAKE’s output device.
QTAKE user interface
On each of his jobs, Frank makes sure that all parties on- and off-set are viewing the same image, creating a direct feedback loop that keeps productions running smoothly. The insight gained is especially important to the video village, where creative contributors must be able to see and collaborate on the shots and actions taking place on set on their own monitor, separate from the director's display.
In some cases, Frank will also stream out to remote collaborators, and if a project shoots using green screen, he may add overlays to support the intended vision. When production calls for playback, he immediately starts from the point where action was originally called to avoid wasting time sorting through footage. For playback, Frank typically records a 1920x1080 proxy file and plays it back. However, one reason for building his system with Io 4K Plus is to be able to support two 4K systems if the need arises.
Holding Up Against the Elements
"When I bought my cart, mobility and reliability were top of mind, which is why I appreciate that Io 4K Plus is compact. I have two of them and they fit nicely into my rack," he said. "Reliability was also a consideration because my gear needs to be stable in many different temperature environments, from outside on the beach to the Everglades, or even a cold studio.
“Florida’s climate is extremely humid and can affect electronics. The cart I use has to be durable because it gets knocked about during transport. All of our equipment is subjected to many elements, but it needs to hold up. For instance, on one of the last projects I worked on, the special effects team made it rain. I only use quality products that can withstand those elements and demands. My AJA Io 4K Plus, KUMO and KUMO Control Panel continue to run uninterrupted, regardless."
Also, as production and post equipment continue to advance and gear becomes smaller, Frank is considering adding another cart to his set-up. "If I'm able to invest in a second one, I'd like to build it out myself slowly, also sourcing the parts from Nebtek. Sometimes jobs overlap or a rental system might be needed locally, so it would be good to have a backup. I could also use it for training, and possibly create one that's lighter, smaller and a little more mobile." www.aja.com
