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Gearhouse Fronts House for Queens of Pop NOT ONLY DID TAYLOR SWIFT’S recent Sydney show break all kinds of
Following the success of the Taylor Swift concert, Gearhouse Broadcast
entertainment records at ANZ Stadium, but it also took the title of the largest
has again provided the latest in live music and OB production facilities for
live OB concert record in Gearhouse Broadcast Australia’s history. This master
Madonna on her ‘Rebel Heart’ tour at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena.
class in live OB production integrated 41 cameras, a SpiderCam, a Helicopter, four Techno cranes, and two HD super-trucks. Gearhouse Broadcast Sales Director, Manny Papas, explained, “Not only were
Manny Papas explained, “Stuart Gosling at York Studios in Melbourne contacted us as he had seen what we produced for Taylor Swift, and wanted
there over 40 cameras on this gig, but it was the largest integration of large
the same high level of production.”
sensor cameras and broadcast cameras that we have ever put together.”
Similar to the Taylor Swift event, the Rebel Heart tour production consisted
The request for Gearhouse to help stage the event came from U.S.
of a mix of six Sony PMW-F55 large sensor cameras for close up and stage
production house, DPS, and it was clear to Papas from the get-go that the
shots, and six broadcast cameras with box lenses for longer shots.
event was going to break all kinds of records. Manny continued, “DPS wanted us to use large sensor cameras and prime lenses for close
York Studios EP, Stuart Gosling said, “The industry talked after the Taylor Swift gig and it was clear Gearhouse was the go-to company for live music concert OBs. These gigs are
ups, and broadcast
now a very big deal as
cameras with box
the finished product
lenses for stability
is recorded, packaged
and focal length for distance shots. As we
and sold worldwide,
started planning we
so the quality of the
realised the scale was
production has to be
going to be huge.”
incredibly high. I’m
Gearhouse integrated
very happy to say
10 Sony HDC-
Gearhouse delivered
2500 cameras, one
on all fronts.”
Sony P1 camera in
Gearhouse employed
a SpiderCam, 19
the same HD6
PMW-F55 large sensor
‘Entertainment
cameras, two Phantom
Supertruck’ used on
high-speed cameras,
the Taylor Swift event
and nine show tour cameras. The cameras
as the production
used eleven 100x
centrepiece, this
broadcast lenses and two prime lenses for each large sensor camera.
time housing Madonna’s creative team, the line cut, CCUs, three XT3 eight-
Then there were the big bits of kit that also came into play as Papas
channel EVS and audio multi-track recording, alongside the six PMW-F55
explained, “In super-truck HD6 we had CCU for all the cameras, the main
cameras with Fujinon 19-90mm Cabrio zoom lenses, six broadcast cameras
record for the show, and the production area for director, Jonas Akerlund,
with box lenses, a SpiderCam housing a Sony P1 with wide angled lens, and
where the main line cut was produced. The HD10 super-truck housed the
two Libre Hot Heads – also with F55s and a 32 foot techno crane.
EVS back up record, more CCU control, and the secondary line cut.” Gearhouse also supplied the entire crew, scaffolding, helicopter, comms and the touring shows comms, and as Papas explained, more than one recording format. “We recorded the show in 4K for the large sensor F55s, and also simultaneously 1080i/PsF 29.97. We also backed everything up on EVS and hard drives for total redundancy.”
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Not only was the size of the production a first, but so was the unique mix
6
Papas added, “The HD6 Entertainment Supertruck is just that, an OB production vehicle specifically designed to handle large live concert gigs. Also, the formula of mixing film cameramen with focus pullers alongside broadcast guys worked extremely well on both the Saturday and Sunday shoot. This time there was even more refinement as we were able to offer more options on how the SpiderCam and Libre Hot Heads could be used.”
of technology and talent as Papas concluded, “We mixed film cameramen
Gearhouse recorded the gig in 1080i/PsF 29.97, and ISO recorded every
with follow focus guys alongside broadcast cameramen, and wired each of
camera to EVS and hard drives.
them up to their own individual RF comms – which added 30 UHF comms
York Studios EP, Stuart Gosling concluded, “We were delighted with the
channels in total – using the same unique system our Event Comms Division
end result. Witnessing Gearhouse’s production, experience and quality of
developed for, and use at all V8 Supercar races. We also had to integrate two
output, it was clear to see they knew exactly what they were doing and how
50-foot techno cranes, two 30-foot techno cranes and three Libre stabilised hot heads all with large sensor cameras on board. It was a production like no other.”
everything worked. It really was an excellent job.” Visit www.gearhousebroadcast.com