International Chopin Competition comes to YouTube with Blackmagic URSA Broadcasts

Polish production company Transmisje Live chose the Blackmagic URSA Broadcast 4K cameras to stream the concerts of the International Chopin Competition.

The international event, in which the world’s best pianists take to the stage alongside the National Philharmonic Orchestra in Warsaw, is organised by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Poland and takes place every five years in the concert hall of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. The specialised company Transmisje Live provided live coverage of the preliminary rounds of the competition, as well as the concerts of the winning musicians, via the Chopin Institute’s YouTube channel and mobile app, which attracted millions of viewers worldwide.

The production of the International Chopin Competition included two multi-camera sessions of up to 4.5 hours per day. Transmisje Live opted for the 2160p50 production format to demonstrate the development of professional quality since the last event five years ago and to ensure that the majority of online viewers could have an extraordinary experience, as well as the lucky few present in the hall.

In order to capture every essential detail of the show, the team used URSA Broadcast cameras together with Blackmagic Camera Fiber Converter and Blackmagic Studio Fiber Converter devices in very specific locations around the venue, for example between the orchestra. Among the lenses used in the production was an x90, used to get the key shot of the pianist’s right hand.

Finally, the programme was mixed with an ATEM Constellation 8K model and an ATEM 1 M/E Broadcast Panel device, which was used to include graphics with information about the participants, the musicians and the selected pieces.