Makee Studio creates virtual and hybrid events with AJA solutions

A wide selection of AJA solutions has enabled Taiwan-based Makee Studio to position itself as a benchmark in the field of virtual and hybrid events.

Makee Studio offers state-of-the-art production facilities, professional technology and experienced talent to help clients produce high-end content and better communicate brand messages through rich audiovisual media. Recent projects include events such as Computex Taipei, which the company itself filmed and streamed live.

The Makee Studio facility features VIP guest areas for clients that are separate from the main control room, an LED wall, an AR stage and additional designated areas for equipment. To avoid cable clutter in these spaces, the Makee team installed eight wall-mounted boxes that house all SDI and NDI cabling. This allows the team to move the PTZ cameras for filming anywhere in the facility and connect to the internal system by connecting to the SDI cables.

The cables lead to two compact 16×16 AJA Kumo routers, one of which receives the incoming SDI inputs and the other transmits the outputs. A single AJA Kumo CP control panel allows the team to monitor, configure and control both routers remotely or from a central location. Inside the control room, Kumo feeds two to four incoming signals into an AJA Ki Pro GO for H.264 recording, a system that according to Louis Lu, general manager of Makee Studio, “offers the stamina and reliability to capture content all day. While typical broadcast stations might record a show for an hour a day, we’re shooting for eight-to-ten hours per day, which Ki Pro GO handles with ease.”

AJA FS-HDR key for Makee Studio

Makee Studio also relies on AJA FS-HDR for real-time colour correction and frame synchronisation between camera sources, including remote signals brought in by clients or participants who are unable to film in the studio. Because the studio is equipped with a range of PTZ and studio cameras from different manufacturers, FS-HDR is critical for live frame synchronisation and colour matching from each camera to create a unified look. In addition, the team uses the AJA H.264 HELO streaming and recording device for live broadcasts, which delivers “reliable and stable” performance in the “most demanding” real-time production environments.

In addition, to help its customers produce more visually appealing content, Makee Studio recently integrated an LED wall to shoot real-time backgrounds with Unreal Engine. Lu elaborates: “For the workflow, we’re currently using the AJA Io4K Plus for SDI signal input and HDMI signal output for live previews while we’re setting up the LED wall. We view the previews on an external monitor prior to filming, which has saved our team a lot of money.”

Looking ahead, Lu expects to see continued demand for hybrid events with a virtual component, even after the pandemic restrictions disappear completely. Trade shows have reported an increase of up to 600% in the number of attendees at virtual events, due to the increased accessibility of the global audience. “We’re helping brands rethink the way they work by providing new opportunities to communicate and connect with target audiences through high-end video content, and AJA solutions have been integral to making that possible,” concludes Lu.