Recently, Trickbox’s project team has completed a successful studio installation for mailing equipment, business process automation and customer experience management company, Quadient Technologies UK Ltd. An international company dealing with the realities of the pandemic and lockdowns, Quadient needed a system to show potential customers their productions remotely.

Our projects team used their system integration and virtual events experience to design a solution which will allow a demonstrator to walk around the facility whilst being on camera and talking to the remote guests through the demo/tour of the facility. To make the experience as similar as possible to an in-person visit, ambient mics were installed to pick up the audio of the machines working and ten cameras were set up to capture multiple angles of the machines.

The system is centred around vMix and PTZ Optics NDI cameras as well as a Dante audio mixer, integration with feeds from the PCs on the machines, integration with Microsoft Teams, multiple mics and an IEM system for the demonstrator. This setup is all NDI based, running on a separate production network. We designed all details to allow for easy operation so it can be semi-automated for its intended use by one operator.

What makes this job pretty unique is that it is the product of innovation under lockdown. When their usual ways of working were limited, the client wanted to embrace technology to provide a remote solution. It will be interesting to see how many international companies will turn to broadcast solutions as a replacement for in-person visits. As a broadcast company on our own green journey, we’re looking forward to the opportunities this innovation provides!

In the summer of 2019, we worked alongside ES Broadcast to upgrade The BRIT School’s old studio to HD.

The BRIT School is a leading performing and creative arts school in Croydon. They required their TV studio and gallery to be renovated, in order to expand capacity and to bring their technology up to date to allow it to teach UHD production in its courses.

The studio was designed for the school to teach the students multi-camera production, and to live stream events on the school’s Youtube channel. These studio facilities are a key resource for students studying the school’s Film and Media Production courses, so creating a sleek and well operating system was essential.

The project consisted of refurbishing the BRIT School’s existing studio space and installing a completely new gallery. We installed new equipment such as cameras, teleprompters, monitoring, microphones and in-ear monitors, and patching. This equipment included Blackmagic Design URSA camera channels, on pedestals, with prompter heads. The studio also featured a green screen, floor monitors, and a full lighting grid.

A key priority for the client was to upgrade the technical capabilities of the studio to give students knowledge of cutting-edge technologies such as 12G and UHD, and to future-proof the facility. Blackmagic Design products were chosen as solutions that achieved this while remaining within budget. The studio also has streaming capabilities, which was an important aspect for the BRIT School.

In the summer of 2018, we installed a studio facility in a beautiful Mayfair townhouse for Matchesfashion, a London-based luxury clothing retailer. The space allowed for an exclusive and bespoke private shopping experience, plus specially curated events.

Our client needed a flexible system to allow them to film multi-camera events and live streams on multiple floors of the building – on the personal shopping floors, and in the event space.

The building was open to the public and needed to look and feel luxurious, which meant the project was complex and needed to be expertly executed. For example, all cameras were wireless and there were no cables to be seen, unlike your traditional studio setting! We were able to achieve this because we joined the project at the point that the renovations were taking place, so we were able to work with the building contractors to install all the necessary connectivity to each area of the building.

The control room was centered around a Tricaster TC1, using NDI. The Tricaster TC1 allowed the client to vision mix their multi-camera productions, play in VTs, record, and live stream to Facebook, YouTube, and their own website. We also installed a Clear-Com Freespeak II system for all-important (wireless) comms to all areas of the building.

This was such a fun, interesting and different project to be a part of. It also gave some of our technical team a lesson in fashion!

Emanuel School is a co-educational public school in Battersea, south-west London. Founded in 1594 by Anne Sackville, Lady Dacre and Queen Elizabeth I, it occupies a 12-acre site near Clapham Junction railway station and has 804 pupils between the ages of 10 to 18. The school required a multi-camera TV/film studio with a portable control system so that students can record multi-camera events in the theatre and other areas of the school. Trickbox installed a permanent studio and designed a portable production unit that can be wheeled in and out of the control room as required.

“In October 2017, we were proud to announce the opening of The Dacre Centre for the Arts and Humanities,” says James Skinner, Emanuel School’s Media Coordinator. “The Centre was the vision of our previous Head Teacher Mr. Hanley-Browne, who first planned the building nine years ago. The film studio built by Trickbox on the top floor is one of the centrepieces of the facility. It enables students to join our extra-curricular Media Club and learn how to produce, manage and deliver broadcast productions using equipment that you’d find in a real-world environment.”

The studio equipment installed by Trickbox included a range of systems that allows students to really get hands-on with the kit. This includes:

• Blackmagic Studio Cameras: These compact cameras provide Emanuel School with highly advanced broadcast quality cameras for live production. The cameras include 10” viewfinder, talkback, remote camera control, tally indicators, phantom powered microphone connections and SDI or user installable optical fibre connections that let the school connect to their switcher with a single cable.
• Blackmagic ATEM Television Studio Pro HD: This professional, compact, all-in-one production switcher and panel provides Emanuel School with four SDI and four HDMI inputs, which means they can use either professional or consumer cameras. It has high-end features for live production with built in camera control and can be controlled remotely via Blackmagic’s ATEM software.
• Blackmagic Smart Videohub CleanSwitch 12×12 broadcast grade router: This forms the hub of the studio install. Input and output connections can be switched quickly and easily with no need for rewiring.
• Blackmagic HyperDeck Mini: These compact recorders provide students with continuous recording. This means that they can record each individual camera feed, the program mix, or both.
• Blackmagic UltraStudio HD Mini: This capture and playback device delivers broadcast quality 10 bit recording of video formats up to 1080p60.
• Blackmagic SmartView/SmartScope Duo 4k: Used on the production desk, these monitors and scopes check feeds and levels. Built in waveform monitoring means that when the students need to analyse image quality more accurately, they simply look at the picture.
• Tecpro Talkback: This system allowed the school to integrate with an existing Tecpro system in their theatre.
• Full lighting grid with LED lighting.

Soon after the facility opened the school launched Emanuel TV News, a three-minute news bulletin produced by the students that’s played out on screens around the school, in assemblies and on the school website. James says, “We make the programme during the Media Club. The children switch around and take on different roles, they run the cameras, use the comms system and do the vision mixing. In the junior club I’ll generally get things set up, but we currently have some seniors doing the Duke of Edinburgh Award and they support me to fulfil the Award’s volunteering section. We have an iPad set up so that we can have one student controlling the teleprompter. It’s been a really interesting learning curve for the students and we’re now producing our second bulletin.”

Trickbox installed the studio during the school holidays so that students wouldn’t be disturbed during term time. James explains, “Liam, Andy and Dan from Trickbox all came to see the site and then invited me to the Trickbox TV Studios. They set up all the kit that we’d be using and took the time out to make sure that what they were suggesting would meet our needs. They are always responsive, and the quote suited our budget. They also provided us with problem solving support along the way. It’s an amazing facility and we’re really excited to see what the students produce going forward.”

According to a recent study commissioned by the Royal Mail, two-thirds (65%) of UK SME craft and design retailers have seen an increase in their sales over the last 12 months. This comes as no surprise to Hochanda TV, one of the UK’s leading craft TV channel dedicated to Crafts, Hobbies and Arts. Hochanda has recently expanded with a second, state-of-the-art TV studio at its headquarters in Peterborough, UK, which was designed, built and installed by Trickbox TV.

This is the second time that Hochanda has enlisted Trickbox TV’s studio installation and broadcast systems integration services. When the channel launched in September 2015, Trickbox provided the design and installation of a new studio in Peterborough, from concept through to build, commissioning and launch, within an 8-week time frame. Seven months after Hochanda launched, Trickbox moved the facility to a new building in Peterborough where both studios are now based.

The equipment supplied by Trickbox for the new studio, which was installed without any programme interruptions, provides Hochanda TV with a fully integrated studio and control room including: A Ross Video Carbonite vision mixer; expanding Hochanda TV’s existing Ross Video NK144x144 router; Ross Video openGear signal processing; Ross Video PIVOTCam remote cameras; Sennheiser mics and IEMs; and a Playbox playout system. The control room furniture supplied by MW Video was custom designed to suit Hochanda TV’s unique operations. The project also included an upgrade of the existing camera robotics (in studio 1) to Ross Video CamBot robotic camera systems.

Stuart Russell, Senior Communications Manager with Ross Video says, “We are delighted to work with Trickbox on this second project for Hochanda TV. Our range of Smart Production solutions – arguably the most comprehensive in the industry – makes it easy for broadcasters to create engaging and compelling content; the fact that Hochanda has chosen to work again with Ross and Trickbox is complimentary proof of the fact.”

Trickbox TV’s Managing Director, added, “We’re very happy to have been able to assist Hochanda TV with this further expansion. The studios provide state-of-the-art facilities for shows on-air 24/7/365, played out in HD across multi-language regions on Sky, Freeview and Freesat and on Hochanda.com.”

Trickbox TV has applied its System Integration expertise to design and build a studio for the new 24-hour arts and crafts, Hochanda TV (Home of Hobbies, Crafts and Arts).

Launched in September 2015 across multi-language regions, the channel boasts 365 day transmission to Sky, Freeview and Freesat, with live broadcast 12 hours each day covering an array of hobby categories including DIY, kitchen, crafts and gardening.

Within an eight week timeline, Trickbox TV provided the design and installation of two brand new studios in Peterborough, from planning and design through to build, commissioning and launch within the tight time frame. Panasonic remote cameras and Ross Video were among the headline equipment used, including a Carbonite vision mixer, 144×144 video router and Ross openGear signal processing and glue cards. Additional equipment included a Trilogy intercoms system which is intuitive to learn and use, and can scale up as the channel grows.

Since it broadcasts across multiple countries, Hochanda TV also benefits from automated live audio translation and variations of graphics across the different regions.

Trickbox TV went up against other companies for the pitch and was ultimately chosen due to its flexibility and understanding of Hochanda’s requirements. David Taaffe, Head of Television at Hochanda TV said, “Trickbox TV really took the time to listen to the needs of the channel and worked with us, responding to any concerns with innovative alternatives.”

“Working with Trickbox TV has been great, we were really impressed with the efficient installation of the new studio facility in such a short time frame and their ability to respond to last minute changes,” David Taffe continued, “Trickbox TV was very approachable and worked around the clock to resolve any teething issues.”

Watch Hochanda TV at www.hochanda.com

In these days of 24 hour commerce, downtime for a major retail TV channel that broadcasts on Sky, Virgin, Freeview and Freesat is not an option – which meant some serious planning was required when The Jewellery Channel (known as TJC) needed to move to a new, larger studio.

“We had two criteria for the move,” says Vivek Jain, Head of Group Finance, The Jewellery Channel. “We needed to stay on-air throughout and, importantly the move had to fit our budget constraints.”
With a quote from the incumbent supplier that far exceeded TJC’s budget, they searched the Internet for other possibilities and found Trickbox TV’s website. Liking what they saw, they invited Trickbox’s Managing Director to TJC’s offices and gave him the brief.

“We were very impressed with Liam’s approach,” Vivek recalls. “He did a thorough audit of our existing equipment and set-up, and came back to us with a much more realistic and very detailed quote. He looked at all the challenges and presented us with a plan so that we could think through everything that was involved, not just how to save money in the short term but where we should spend money to keep us live and future-proof.”
After visiting Trickbox TV’s offices and performing the requisite background checks, the TJC team were convinced that Trickbox TV was the right company for the job.

Trickbox TV planned out the new facility meticulously with full CAD schematics, detailing the wiring, lighting design and installation of all the equipment, with a goal of facilitating the move within just four weeks.
Then the project hit a snag. “The building work on our new studio was delayed by around three weeks, and the deadline to vacate our old building would expire before we could move into the new studio,” explains Vivek. “Liam and his team took on the challenge without a fuss, working alongside us to achieve our objectives and remain on air at all times.”

TJC had a complete spare set of studio equipment that the Trickbox TV team set up in a temporary studio, providing engineering support to move the production seamlessly across without a break in transmission.
As the new building was nearing completion the Trickbox TV team project-managed the integration of associated services such as air conditioning, electrics and the installation of two fibre circuits. The team designed and custom-built the gallery control room furniture to maximise on space and improve the operation of the shows, as well as suggesting and implementing some new redundancy features into the system design including a backup video server.

The studio offered much more space than the old one, so Trickbox TV also changed the system design to accommodate more cameras. As Vivek explains, “We had been working with a three-camera set-up but the bigger space and set meant we would need at least four or five. We had some spare Panasonic HD cameras that were in the temporary studio so Liam worked out how we could incorporate those three HD cameras with our three Sony SD cameras and an SD switcher.”

The final transition to the new studio was smooth, on budget and, apart from unavoidable building delays, on schedule.

“We have been most impressed with Trickbox TV throughout the project,” says Vivek. “Liam is absolutely up front and honest and will not make promises he cannot keep. When the schedule had to change due to the building issues he never once complained or made any excuses, he just readjusted his plan to accommodate the situation, and always keeping our brief of remaining on air and on budget at the forefront. Trickbox TV enabled us to achieved our objectives and we certainly feel we got value for money.”