The Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2, at the heart of the immersive concerts of Bizarrap in Buenos Aires

Otra Vuelta Broadcasting built an immersive experience for the Bizarrap concerts at the Palermo Hippodrome (Buenos Aires) using Blackmagic solutions such as the ATEM Constellation 8K mixer or the URSA Broadcast G2 cameras.

Since 2007, Otra Vuelta Broadcasting has been constantly seeking to take advantage of the latest technological advances to modernize its work dynamics and offer alternative solutions to its clients. To this end, and with the aim of achieving a cinematic look without compromising its budget, the company has gradually approached Blackmagic Design solutions, which have played a key role in the presentation of the Argentine artist at the Palermo Hippodrome.

The stage used during the three successive concerts offered Bizarrap was surrounded by screens that provided an immersive experience, both the audience present and viewers at home. To achieve this experience, Otra Vuelta Broadcasting used 23 cameras, 16 of them manufactured by Blackmagic Design, including six URSA Broadcast G2 units and five Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro units that captured the images in Blackmagic RAW format. In the words of Rodolfo Cesatti, partner of Otra Vuelta Broadcasting along with Javier Delichotti: “For Bizarrap’s three concerts, we did camera work for two of them and broadcast the third one to DirecTV Go. Bizarrap’s shows are known for their electrifying lights and visuals displayed on screens surrounding the stage, so having cinematic cameras that allowed us to capture the colors clearly was key.”

Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 units were mounted on cranes in different parts of the venue to film from different angles. Close-ups of Bizarrap were shot handheld with Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro models to give the audience the feeling of being with the artist on stage. In addition, several members of the Otra Vuelta Broadcasting team used these models while walking through the audience to record the atmosphere and the adrenaline rush: “We were able to offer attendees, as well as viewers at home, a full sensory experience due to the quality of the footage, in addition to the cameras’ affordability as we were able to implement a large number of units. The ability to shoot in 4K with both the URSA Broadcast G2s and the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pros was huge for us, as it also gave uniformity to the show.”

ATEM Camera Control Panel and ATEM Constellation 8K

For the dynamic lighting of the Bizarrap shows, Otra Vuelta Broadcasting relied on two Blackmagic ATEM Camera Control Panels to adjust the color of the cameras according to changes in the light on stage, as well as an ATEM Constellation 8K mixer to switch between signals. In turn, given the size of the venue, Blackmagic Camera Fiber Converter and Blackmagic Studio Fiber Converter units were used to connect the URSA Broadcast G2 cameras to the mixer (located at a distance of 300 meters) via a single fiber optic cable. According to Cesatti, “The concert had to be recorded with a 4K master, and at the same time, it was sent to an OB van for its live broadcast on the DirecTV Go platform. The ATEM Constellation 8K’s ability to make sub mixes allowed us to send camera feeds to the ATEM Camera Control Panels for live color, along with another mix that went to an ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K switcher, from which signals for CCTV were derived, some directly and others with post processing from the Bizarrap VJ area”.

“In the same way, the ATEM 8K’s 24 auxiliaries were also used for direct camera recording to HyperDecks in the rack. We fully exploited the ATEM Constellation 8K’s 4K mixing possibilities as well as the submixes and auxiliary outputs. Additionally, using the Constellation and the URSA’s intercom capability made the communication scheme between the director and the camera operators, cranes, cablecam and the rest of the team easier,” adds Cesatti.

For the Otra vuelta team, working with Blackmagic Design on a production as complex as the Bizarrap immersive concerts is a testament to the “high quality and flexibility” of their products, which they believe were “instrumental” in successfully delivering such a “dynamic show successfully”.