During ShowStoppers at NAB in Las Vegas, they profile their cloud-based Blackbird Proxy solution that bridges broadcast and digital video, and is responsible for the presentation of some notable events.

To watch the full interview, click here. 

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The company produces over 100 hours of network factual television every year for principal broadcasters, filming contributors from all across the country.

Unnecessary investment

RDF needed a solution to support a three-year ongoing project with sporadic filming throughout its duration. For this, they needed to consistently access and log their media with the option to edit whenever required – without any major investment in storage or edit suites.

Keeping all of their media on Avid storage throughout the duration of the project would have proved too expensive. Hardware-based storage at the office would only allow them to view the media without editing.

Video editing on demand in the cloud

• On-site ingest: Film rushes are sent to RDF West in Bristol where they are ingested and uploaded via the Forscene Edge server
• Cost-effective cloud storage: RDF have access to all of their content in the Forscene cloud without associated storage costs. With scalable pricing, they only pay for what they use
• Professional NLE: Forscene’s complete palette covers video editing for all media industries
• Remote access and collaboration: The production team in London have concurrent remote access to the media stored in Forscene. They can collaborate via Forscene’s live chat while working on the video content simultaneously
• Integrating with the Avid workflow: Edit metadata from Forscene can be exported via AAF to continue the edit in the Avid

Get in touch

Forscene provides RDF with a convenient cloud platform for their post-production workflow without unnecessary investment in expensive editing suites.

To find out how Forscene can benefit your broadcast production, get in touch today.

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Well, I believe the answer is clearly no. There will always be a need for television broadcast, even if people are preferring to watch more and more content online. It’s the same as with cinema: people may begrudge paying absurd prices to watch movies on the big screen, yet we still do it. Some video experiences just need to be seen on a 35ft screen. With surround sound audio. And the lights turned out… and freshly-made popcorn (well, ok, you get the idea). The same goes for broadcast TV programmes.

Online video platforms aren’t suitable for all shows

Shows like BBC’s Planet Earth II need to be viewed on the biggest television screens to really capture the atmosphere. Live sports is another spectacle that needs to be broadcast and watched in the moment – especially if you want to keep up with your social circles and the buzz surrounding these shows in the immediate aftermath.

The introduction of online video platforms for catch up in the last decade or so has actually revolutionised viewing habits. It enables people to be flexible with their schedules and not be fixed to a TV for a certain time, or have to negotiate recording devices. It also means people can be more selective about what they watch, and wait for recommendations from friends or social media before committing to a programme.

Use online video platforms for promotional content

Moreover, online video platforms can actually help programme makers get more out of their content. Most shows record surplus amounts of content that usually ends up on the cutting room floor. Yet, by using online video platforms to host this media, digital teams can edit together short highlights, promos, and behind-the-scenes content from the broadcast television show. This will instantly make the main broadcast more sensational while the additional content is shared online.

More and more TV programmers are using the  Forscene platform as a way to do this quickly and easily. Uploading video into Forscene is so fast, you can practically live-stream it through, regardless of your internet connection. In the Forscene Editor, you can view your video on another device and begin to edit it while it comes in. How come? Because Forscene converts everything to a proxy format while it’s in the cloud. Due to the super-small file size of the proxy, you can view, edit and share video in the Forscene cloud on any device. Then when you’re ready to distribute your video to whatever platform you wish, it takes a click of a button and published with its original resolution restored.

The fact is, if you are a programme maker using Forscene, you may already have your video content archived in Forscene from your post-production. In that case, by the time the show is ready to air on TV, you can have your promotional content ready for internet publishing.

To learn more about how you can use Forscene to exploit your video to maximise your audience, book a demo.

The post Are online video platforms replacing live broadcast TV? appeared first on Blackbird.

And while the broadcasters battle for their attention, Latin Americans are flocking to social media.  Brazil, Mexico and Argentina are the second, third and fourth ranked countries respectively for time spent on social media online – with Brazilians reportedly spending around 3.3 hours a day on social media.  And they’re not only socialising online – Latin Americans are turning to Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and other social media platforms for their news and entertainment too.

So it might seem like social media is yet another competitor for Latin American attention – but LATAM broadcasters can turn their biggest potential adversary into their most powerful asset if they follow the lead of some of the world’s top broadcasters.

CNN uses social media to build brand reputation amongst new audiences

When Snapchat launched the “Discover” section of the app in 2015 CNN was one of the first brands to “snap” up a channel – which they used to create news stories that target a younger demographic. According to CNN, “There’s a huge opportunity for us to reach new, younger audiences on Snapchat. Let’s assume that TV audiences are in their 50s, desktop audience are in the 40s, and mobile is maybe 10 years younger than that… Being on Snapchat helps us reach every decade — we are going to reach those people in their 20s and younger on this platform.”

Discovery uses social media to build relationships with viewers

Discovery Channel was named by Brandwatch as the most socially engaged broadcaster out of 38 of the world’s largest broadcasting channels in 2015. Discovery says “Our philosophy on social media is to use it as a platform that enhances the viewing experience and the relationship with the viewers.” The social media team’s four primary goals are to : build relationships and engage with fans, personalize the brand, strengthen fan-talent relations and drive tune-in.

The BBC uses social media to grow their broadcast audience

Planet Earth II is the most watched natural history programme in over 15 years and the BBC iPlayer’s most watched show of 2016.  Thanks to engagement on social media, the programme has become a weekly television event – with audiences tuning in to watch the scheduled broadcast so that they can participate in online conversations and commentary about the events as they unfold.    

CBS uses social media to create sponsorship opportunities

Britney Spears’ “Carpool Karaoke” segment on “The Late Late Show” received 13 million YouTube views in the three days following its broadcast.  The social success of segments like these have created massive sponsorship opportunities for the show, which generally take the form of product integration – like the McDonald’s drive-thru during the Selena Gomez “Carpool Karaoke” segment which was “incredibly profitable” for the show.

Executive Producer Ben Winston says that digital viewership is far more important to the show producers than overnight ratings; “No-one high fives when we beat Seth Meyers over-night; what we do love is when we have a clip that is trending on Facebook or Twitter”

Food Network uses social media to deliver targeted content

Food Network topped Engagement Labs eValue rankings of the most-engaged TV networks on Facebook in 2016.  The channel publishes around 100 videos per month on its Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram accounts – attracting more than 500 million views per month. Content is tailored to suit the distribution channel, “What you expect from Snapchat is different than what I expect from Instagram, it’s different from what I expect from Facebook, and absolutely different than what I expect from TV. It’s really a complete change in how we do everything, and it’s just a continual evolution.” says Vikki Neil, senior vice president and general manager of digital brands for Scripps Networks Interactive, which owns Food Network.

Latin Americans are already watching video content online – if LATAM broadcasters can capitalize on social media’s unique ability to connect with and engage audiences, they’ll secure their place in this valuable market.

Forscene’s cloud video platform helps content creators repurpose existing and create original videos for broadcast and social distribution.  With Forscene’s professional video editing software clients can edit from anywhere and publish to multiple platforms at the click of a button.  Find out more.

Cinco lecciones en medios sociales de las principales emisoras del mundo

Las canales en América Latina se enfrentan a una pelea por su audiencia. Los canales públicos, estatales y de pago (que históricamente sólo competían entre sí) están ahora luchando contra la dura competencia de OTT y los servicios de VOD basados ​​en suscripción que se prevé experimentarán un crecimiento masivo durante los próximos 4-5 años.

Y mientras los canales luchan por su atención, los latinoamericanos están acudiendo a las redes sociales. Brazil, México y Argentina son los países segundo, tercero y cuarto respectivamente por el tiempo dedicado a los medios de comunicación social. Con los informes de los brasileños que pasan alrededor de 3.3 horas al día en las redes sociales. Y no sólo están socializando en línea los latinoamericanos están recurriendo a Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat y otras plataformas de medios sociales para sus noticias y entretenimiento también.

Por lo tanto, podría parecer que los medios sociales son otro competidor por la atención latinoamericana, pero los camales de Latinoamérica  pueden convertir a su mayor potencial adversario en su más poderoso  aliado, si siguen el liderazgo de algunos de los principales organismos de transmisión del mundo.

CNN utiliza los medios de comunicación social para construir la reputación de la marca entre los nuevas audiencias

Cuando Snapchat lanzó la sección “Discover” en su App en 2015, CNN fue una de las primeras marcas en “encajar” un canal, el cual utilizó para crear noticias que especifican a un público más joven. Según CNN, “Hay una gran oportunidad para llegar a nuevas audiencias más jóvenes en Snapchat. Supongamos que las audiencias televisivas están en sus 50s, la audiencia en PC está en los años 40, y móvil es quizás 10 años más joven … Estar en Snapchat nos ayuda a alcanzar cada década – vamos a alcanzar a esa gente en su 20s y más joven en esto plataforma.”

Discovery utiliza las redes sociales para crear relaciones con los televidentes

Discovery Channel fue nombrado por Brandwatch como la emisora ​​más involucrada socialmente de los 38 canales de televisión más grandes del mundo en 2015. Discovery dice: “Nuestra filosofía en las redes sociales es usarla como una plataforma que realza la experiencia visual y la relación con los espectadores“ Los cuatro objetivos principales del equipo de medios sociales son: construir relaciones,  comprometerse con los aficionados, personalizar la marca y fortalecer las relaciones entre fanáticos y talentos.

La BBC utiliza las redes sociales para aumentar su audiencia y difusión

Planet Earth II es el programa de historia natural más visto en los últimos  15 años y el programa más visto de la BBC iPlayer de 2016. Gracias al compromiso en las redes sociales, el programa se ha convertido en un evento televisivo semanal donde la audiencia pueden participar en conversaciones en línea y dejar comentarios sobre los eventos a medida que se desarrollan.

CBS utiliza las redes sociales para crear oportunidades de patrocinio

El segmento “Carpool Karaoke” de Britney Spears en “The Late Late Show” recibió 13 millones de visitas en YouTube en los tres días siguientes a su emisión. El éxito social de segmentos como este ha creado oportunidades de patrocinio masivo para el programa que generalmente toman la forma de integración de productos, como el drive-thru de McDonald’s durante el segmento de “Selena Gomez Carpool Karaoke”, que fue “increíblemente rentable” para el programa.

El productor ejecutivo Ben Winston dice que la audiencia digital es mucho más importante para los productores de espectáculos que los “ratings” nocturnos; -Nadie se queja cuando sobrepasamos a Seth Meyers durante la noche; Lo que amamos en cuando tenemos un clip que está “Trending” en Facebook o Twitter “

Food Network utiliza los medios sociales para ofrecer contenido específico

Food Network superó los “Rankings eValue” de las redes de televisión más comprometidas de Facebook en 2016. El canal publica alrededor de 100 videos por mes en sus canales de Facebook, Snapchat e Instagram, atrayendo más de 500 millones de visitas al mes. El contenido está adaptado al canal de distribución, “Lo que se espera de Snapchat es diferente de lo de Instagram y a su vez lo que se espera de Facebook es  absolutamente diferente la de televisión. Esto representa  realmente un cambio absoluto  en cómo hacemos todo, y es sólo una evolución continua “, dice Vikki Neil, vicepresidente y gerente general de marcas digitales de Scripps Networks Interactive, propietario de Food Network.

Los latinoamericanos ya están viendo contenidos digitales, si los canales latinoamericanos aprovechar esta oportunidad de capitalización de los medios de comunicación social para conectarse y atraer nuevo audiencia asegurarian su lugar en este valioso mercado.

La plataforma Forscene de video en la nube ayuda a los creadores de contenido a reutilizar los contenidos existentes y crear videos originales para difusión y distribución social. Con Forscene los clientes pueden editar desde cualquier lugar y publicar en múltiples plataformas con sólo pulsar un botón. Más información.

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Camera SDK will allow Forscene clients to integrate Forscene’s Mobile Upload app into their existing applications – so that content recorded on mobile devices can be transcoded, uploaded to the cloud and made available in targeted projects on the cloud video platform.  In this way, high quality user generated content can be gathered at speed, reviewed by team members anywhere in the world and included in edits or published to social media directly from Forscene.

“The days of TV audiences passively consuming television programmes are over,” said Aziz Musa CEO of Forbidden.  “Today’s audiences want to engage with content, comment and contribute.  Producers that make it easy for their audiences to actively take part in their programmes will win the loyalty of their audience – and be able to use the insights from their viewers’ content to create programming that appeals to them – it’s a win-win situation.  Forscene is renowned for helping teams all over the world collaborate to create compelling video content – now we’re making it possible for the audience to become part of that team.”

Licklemor Productions incorporated Forscene into What’s Up TV’s workflow late in 2016, primarily as a tool for producers to create rough cuts of inserts before the formal edit.  After experimenting with  Forscene’s Mobile Upload App to incorporate behind-the-scenes footage into their stories, the producers saw the potential for using an app to increase audience engagement.  This led to the decision to create MYapp – an Android app that will use Forscene’s Camera SDK to gather content from the What’s Up TV audience. Initially user generated content will be featured on What’s Up TV’s social channels –  giving the audience an opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences relating to topics raised in the broadcast.

“When we were first approached by the Forscene team to use the SDK technology, I saw the instant benefits that this could add to our production work-flow and our engagement with the What’s Up TV audience,” said Bob Clarke, CEO of MAMA Youth Project which owns Licklmor Productions.  “We cater to a 16 to 35-year-old demographic who expect brands to engage with them on social media, but we think they’ll be excited by this new opportunity to use social media to participate in a broadcast television programme.  We’re looking forward to rolling it out over the coming months.”

The post Forscene introduces new tool designed to increase broadcast audience engagement appeared first on Blackbird.

“Forscene allows us to start editing immediately after the shoot, enables 24-hour post-production with editors working across different time zones, and provides me with the ability to check in on edits, from anywhere in the world, on my laptop. I believe we wouldn’t have been able to pull off this production without it.”

Challenge: shooting Googlebox across two continents

Although the shoot is not in the Middle East, the production team chooses content from the region to be featured in the show. These programmes are sent to locations in Manchester and Toronto for the shoot, which takes place over five days at 20 different locations, generating approximately 120 hours of media per week for each episode. That’s a production workflow that spans four time zones every week.

The only way this plan would succeed was if it was possible to make every minute of the schedule productive – which meant devising a workflow with no down-time. This is how Forscene became a key part of the project.

Solution: Collaboration from anywhere in the world

Forscene allows video producers to access centralised material from a web browser or app on any device over a standard internet connection, and to collaborate from anywhere in the world using a full range of post-production tools.

It is a unified platform that offers review, logging, editing and publishing entirely in the cloud.

Standard post-production vs. cloud workflow

Standard post-production requires access to localised media, which can be a logistical and time consuming problem on a production like the Farsi Gogglebox. Cloud-based editing platforms can save time and allow producers and editors early access to the media.

Virtual servers can be used for uploads from multiple shoot locations to the Forscene cloud. This media is then accessible to editors anywhere in the world.

Training & implementation

Ordinarily, training a post-production team to use an entirely new system might take weeks or even months. As Forscene offers an intuitive interface, people can quickly get to grips and teams are able to be up and running in a short space of time.

In the case of the Farsi Gogglebox, technical teams could confidently use the system after just three days of operation, while the editors spent two weeks fully familiarising themselves with the software before production began.

Do you need help with your remote workflow?

To learn more about the Gogglebox workflow, here is the full case study, as featured in this month’s edition of Broadcast Pro Middle East magazine.

If you would like to learn how Forscene can help with your remote workflow, get in touch with us today and book a demo with one of our friendly product specialists.

The post Farsi Gogglebox meets tight deadlines with Forscene appeared first on Blackbird.

Why are we obsessed with watching selfie TV?

We have an inbuilt appetite for people-watching, hence the resurgence of the talent show format in its various guises. Popular reality TV shows like Big Brother, Geordie Shore and The Island have made millions of dollars and have radically changed the landscape of television today. The pinnacle of the latest crop of selfie TV shows is Gogglebox, in which viewers actually watch other people watching TV – it’s like a snake eating its own tail!

The value of reality, or selfie TV, has skyrocketed since its early days in the 1990s. In America, reality programming pioneer MTV were capitalising on shows like Real World, while European TV executives cooked up shows like Survivor and Big Brother inspiration, Nummer 28. The real growth, however, has occurred over the last decade as reality programming revenue has soared to over £90 billion.

How is Forscene suited to selfie TV production?

Forscene is already implemented in the creation of selfie TV around the globe on shows like The Island, The Voice of Ireland and Gogglebox. Our platform allows for remote editing by automatically ingesting and creating proxy versions of shoot footage in the cloud as it’s being uploaded to the central storage system. This means that media is immediately available to be worked on from any location, so long as you have an internet connection.

Forscene’s integrated structure allows camera operators to add raw footage to the editor instantly. Account holders can then log in to the same Forscene account and comment directly on the timeline, or use the live chat function to feedback to the editor. This is perfect for projects with vast crews around the globe that demand a collaborative environment. Any sequences can then be exported as an AAF to Avid or Premiere Pro for the final edit.

If you’re interested in employing Forscene into your selfie TV show, get in touch with a product specialist today.

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The post Has Selfie TV changed the broadcast industry forever? appeared first on Blackbird.

1. Rough cut

While editors play an important role in building storylines and creating narratives, sometimes it’s useful to create a rough cut before going into the edit. This is particularly true if you’re working on a programme that has a predetermined structure, but also applies if you have a tight edit budget and need to “hit the ground running” when you get into the edit suite. Producers in the past have relied on paper edits but the introduction of cloud-based editing software like Forscene now means that you can drag and drop clips onto a timeline that can be shared with your editor. Another option is to employ your editor to do the offline using this type of software instead of a traditional NLE in a post house – then you can capitalise on your editor’s expertise without the cost of a high-end edit suite.

2. Online content

Publishing highlights packages on a website? Sharing clips on social media? There’s no need to pay professional editing rates for this kind of straightforward task. Thanks to the move to IP and the introduction of tools like Forscene, video editing is becoming more accessible to the whole team. This means that teams are able to produce more content, for lower costs than ever before.

3. Reviews

Reviews and approvals are the biggest edit-suite time wasters. There really is no reason to make your editor sit through reviews – or to pay hourly edit suite rates for review time. Paying for QuickTime viewing copies is also not the ideal solution as any feedback still needs to be collated and matched back to the timeline. Making review copies of your edit available online lets clients, execs and broadcasters give input without leaving their desks and saves valuable edit time. As comments can be placed on the relevant shots, you’re also not left trying to figure out which comment applies to which part of the sequence. Your video editor only needs to get involved in making the final changes once they’ve been agreed.

Find out how Forscene can help you save time and money in post-production – book a demo now.

The post 3 things you should never do in an edit suite appeared first on Blackbird.

1. Expecting your video editor to fix everything in post

While there are many problems that can be fixed in post, there are limits to what can be achieved -and the edit suite is no place to discover problems for the first time. View your rushes before you get into edit to avoid spending your time solving problems instead of editing. Viewing rushes not only gives you an opportunity to identify technical issues like low audio levels, unsteady camera movements or soft shots, but also to check that no pick-up shots are needed, that continuity is consistent and that you’ve covered your shotlist.

2. Drowning your editor in footage

Video editors will tell you that viewing the project’s footage is part of the creative process, but this does not mean that your editor should see all 55 takes of scene 3. The move from tape to digital storage means that we’re shooting more footage than ever before and, while this gives you freedom on the shoot, the sheer volume of footage can be overwhelming when you get into post. Whittling down your footage before you get into edit will not only save time and money in the edit suite, but will also mean you pay for less storage at the post house – a double win!

3. Sending your video editor on a treasure hunt without a map

Every minute your editor spends searching through bins and clips for “that shot” is a waste of their time and your money. Logging your footage before the edit means that you’ll be able to search for key words and find specific shots in seconds – which is crucial for high-shoot-ratio productions. Applications like TimeCode Buddy allow you to create and assign clip tags on your shoot – these can then be expanded into full logging metadata and searched during your edit.

4. Using the edit suite for everything

Before you ask your editor to do anything that doesn’t involve cutting video, you should investigate whether there is another, more cost-efficient way to perform that task. Just because transcription and subtitling are part of your video delivery requirements doesn’t mean that your video editor should put them together or that the best place to do them is in an edit suite.

Find out how Forscene can help you save time and money in post-production – book a demo now.

The post 4 ways you’re wasting your video editor’s time – and how to stop appeared first on Blackbird.

Pro – we’re on the cutting edge of technology and have developed a set of powerful editing tools completely in-house. Con – Forscene was first developed back in 2004 before anyone had even heard of the cloud. It was like this mythical creature people were afraid to look at, let alone consider using on their productions. Pro – twelve years later and Forscene is considered a fully-fledged cloud-based NLE, being used on over 120 productions every month, across long-form, news and sports. Pro – this month we featured in Televisual’s Top Production Tech survey, which looks at everything from the latest trends in camera equipment, to virtual reality and editing platforms. Forscene sits proudly in the “do you use a cloud-based remote editing system?” section – ranking just behind Adobe Anywhere.

Televisual surveyed a pool of 116 production professionals from a range of industries and disciplines to assess the Top Production Tech of 2016. Whilst we’re not surprised that Forscene features at 7% of those using cloud editing platforms, what interests us more is the 36% of those surveyed who said they would consider using a cloud-based editor in the next 12 months. That’s the highest it’s been in the industry and excites us that remote working and collaboration are becoming the norm and people want to take their productions in to the cloud.

We live in an “always connected” world where we can get what we want and need almost instantly, and why should the way we work be any different? Most companies use cloud-based software like Google Drive and Dropbox to save time by making work more efficient, so why not apply the same to your video productions?

We have a secure cloud infrastructure that will enhance your production – whether it’s in news, sports or long-form post. Get in touch with a product specialist today and see what Forscene could do for you.

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