Orange Voice Factory Co. and KAN-NARI chooseTriCaster® to deliver a hybrid student festival

Every year, students at Toyama College and Toyama University of International Studies in Japan organize the Kureha Campus Joint University Festival. This event is a unique occasion for students to present projects, musical performances, and other creative works.

CHALLENGE

The festival was held entirely online until 2021. However, the College and the University wanted to celebrate as a community and have the event in-person in October 2022. They also wanted to provide an option for those who couldn’t attend in person. Therefore, they decided to stream the festival online as well. Wanting an efficient but versatile hybrid event, they turned to experts, Orange Voice Factory (OVF) and KAN-NARI, who knew which tech would support the best live streaming option for their needs. OVF supports the planning, production, implementation and operation of music, entertainment, SPs, exhibitions, ceremonies, and forums. Bringing entertainment such as concerts and live performances to schools and companies, OVF often manages events in various areas within Japan. Many company anniversary parties, administrative ceremonies, and other events in the region, count on OVF to successfully showcase their events

CAPTURING AUDIENCE ATTENTION

“[The students] are of a generation that is so used to video content, so I think they have a discerning eye,” Sojiro Mikado, Director at OVF. “In the live-streaming production, there were many requests for high-level stage direction like those used by TV shows and big-name YouTubers, and there were also many cases of sudden ad-libs and changes during production checks and rehearsals.” Wanting to consider and include all the students’ requests into the production, OVF reached out to a trusted partner, KAN-NARI. Yuto Izumi, Manager of the AVC Division at KAN-NARI, participated in technical support and equipment operation for the event. Izumi is the technical director of live streaming events, building the systems and acting as an operator on event day. In his opinion, there was only one choice for this event’s live production system – the TriCaster® 2 Elite. OVF needed to the consider two audience perspectives in their planning, for the event: audience attendees in-person and online. The hybrid event also had to work with the student performers considering how they could make the experience engaging for both audiences. The student performers, as digital natives, had many ideas about how to raise the live production to the next level.

THE BEST VIDEO PRODUCTION SOLUTION

The TriCaster 2 Elite can create and distribute various types of motion media content to any platform viewers prefer, including TV, the internet, and mobile devices. With its flexibility and versatile production capabilities, it can handle any project as the lines between these platforms continue to blur.

At the heart of TriCaster 2 Elite is a high speed 60x45 video cross point, which includes 32 external inputs that automatically determine video format and resolutions up to 4Kp60. Unlike conventional routing switchers, where creative limitations are the norm, each input includes proc amp tools, independent keying and cropping for crisper video, as well as triggers for automation. No tradeoffs are required with eight configurable mix outputs in HD or 2 in 4Kp60, direct NDI® outputs of media players, multiple streaming encoders, continuous NDI conversion of all 8 SDI inputs, and 8 independently selectable recorders for immediate replay

“When I saw Izumi creating visuals and streaming live images, [he was] already using a TriCaster back then. I remember being impressed by the diversity of what could be done with streaming, thinking to myself, ‘Wow, you can do all this new stuff with online streaming?!” remarks Mikado. Nowadays, the power of this live production system is a given: “When OVF and KAN-NARI work together, we often end up trying out new production techniques, so it’s a good opportunity to try out new features of the TriCaster that we haven’t tested yet,” adds Izumi. In addition to the three camera sources, the production team for the festival also imported materials including presentation slides, on-screen titles, as well as videos and photos for cutaways into the TriCaster 2 Elite. Behind the streaming console, they prepared a laptop PC to generate and edit presentations and titles, having the students handle the slide switching and title creation, much like a director switching projectors. Izumi set up a flow in the TriCaster 2 Elite for placing the student-produced titles on the screen layout.

AVOIDING ONLINE AUDIENCE ABANDONMENT

Concerned that online viewers would leave the live streaming during stage intermissions, the students proposed a live feed tour of the College and the University. This involved walking around the campus with handheld cameras, filming the booths, and interviewing students. Izumi suggested students get involved with the live feed, knowing the TriCaster 2 Elite would smoothly adopt this flow.