Foxtel Group, Australia’s premier media company, hosted an electrifying event at Cockatoo Island, transforming the historic shipyard into a hub of excitement and innovation. The FOXTEL Upfronts 2024 left no doubt that Foxtel, Binge, and Kayo are poised to redefine entertainment in the coming year.
Unveiling the Future of Entertainment
The Foxtel Group’s Upfronts 2024 was a celebration of creativity, technology, and audience engagement. For Returning Favorites and New Content, sneak peek of the exciting lineup for 2024.The network showcased the best of what is to come in the new year, including innovations in audience measurement, ratings data, and carbon impact measurement for ad campaigns, as well as the introduction of the Hubbl platform.
Behind the Scenes: The Technology Marvel
Innovative Production Services stands at the forefront of event technology, seamlessly blending creativity, precision, and cutting-edge equipment. Jeremy Koch, Founder of Innovative Production Services, the Show Caller extraordinaire, orchestrated the entire show at the FOXTEL Upfronts 2024. His command over video cues, audio cues, live crosses, and even a live band ensured flawless execution with the help from our new hybrid OB Truck 4K ONE.
“We couldn’t be happier with the functionality and versatility of our new broadcast Truck. It is the innovative solution for a new world of hybrid and live events with increasingly complex video and broadcast requirements,” says Jeremy Koch.
The tech team was the backbone of the show. This event was no “one-man show.” The show day tech team operated an impressive array of cutting-edge equipment that formed the backbone of the show and enabled Innovative’s commitment to excellence shine through in every frame. A total of 9 cameras worked in harmony to capture every thrilling moment:
- Panasonic UC4000 4K Cameras: Two cameras captured the main stage, equipped with Fujinon 4K 107x Box lenses. A third one was used for live crosses on the island, providing dynamic coverage.
- Panasonic UE160 4K PTZ Robotic Cameras: Positioned high in heritage trusses, these cameras provided stunning angles and shots.
- Panasonic 4K Box Camera: Positioned at the front of the stage for additional perspectives.
- Marshall FullHD Micro Cameras: Discreetly placed among the band members, capturing intimate moments.
The show was pre-programmed in the warehouse for 5 days prior to coming onsite which made for a far less stressful content management experience once we were on the island Delivering an eye-watering amount of 4K content was our Pandoras Box Servers running version 8 with control and interfaces from Widget Designer. The media server system and the control system were running fully redundant with two completely separate systems in mirror tracking mode.
Bringing all the technology together and being the heart of the show was 4K ONE, our amazing hybrid broadcast and event control truck. 4K ONE was in its element on this show with the media servers feeding into her along with all 9 cameras. The Ross Ultrix router’s ‘clean switch’ ability meant the switch between main and back up media servers was completely invisible and the new Carbonite UltraScene feature delivered the most incredible live multi-camera montage. The final output to the enormous LED screen in the venue was via a single 12G-SDI cable delivering crystal clear vivid dynamic signal!
Last but not least, the audio and show comms were also handled, routed and controlled from 4K ONE. Riedel comms with Panels and Bolero wireless packs were deployed across the event site and this was further integrated with the audio system for IFBs, media server audio playback and camera mics via DANTE and then all sent back to the onsite live audio production company.
It was certainly an incredible adventure to bring 4K ONE and all the support gear to Cockatoo Island. It was like an overseas adventure that left everyone feeling a great sense of achievement after a fantastic show!
We would like to thank Alfred for giving us the opportunity to work on this stellar event for Foxtel Group.
