Behind-the-scenes: Complex remote production of UCI Gravel World Championships

Gravity Media developed a bespoke remote production for Beyond Productions’ coverage of the UCI Gravel World Championships that connected specialist crews in Western Australia with production control in Melbourne, more than 3,000 kilometres away. 

The UCI Gravel World Championships was held in Nannup, Western Australia, which meant the travel, accommodation and logistical demands of a conventional outside broadcast would have consumed almost the entire local production budget. 

Instead, Gravity Media centralised production control at its Production Centre in Melbourne and reduced the operational footprint in Nannup.

The camera operation combined fixed cameras at key points, including the start and finish, with mobile and aerial coverage from chase motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), drones and helicopters.

Getting those pictures back from a geographically dispersed course was a significant technical undertaking, says Gravity Media.

RF links, supported by mobile and cellular-bonded connectivity, helped connect the live camera operation across the course. Multiple digital satellite news gathering (DSNG) vans were also positioned at different sites, transporting feeds back to the Production Centre in Melbourne. 

Meanwhile, CELBO, Gravity Media’s remote production technology, supported the ground-based start and finish cameras. 

This distributed approach enabled the production to draw on multiple camera platforms across the course while keeping production control centralised in Melbourne. 

Multiple live feeds from Nannup were received, processed and synchronised in real time in Melbourne. The domestic and world feeds were produced within the control room, supported with localised commentary in the virtual hosting studio environment. 

The communications infrastructure involved a complex IP network being established, with satellite internet zones helping complete the communications loop, while GPS tracking was integrated through the motorcycle links to support the production. 

A key contribution also came from Boost Graphics, Gravity Media’s Belgium-based live graphics and virtual production subsidiary. The team helped integrate GPS tracking into the broadcast to elevate the viewing experience. 

Marcus Doherty, account executive for media services and facilities at Gravity Media in Australia, said: “Working with a Beyond on this project demonstrated what’s possible when we bring together the full breadth of Gravity Media’s services, expertise and capabilities and an experienced editorial production team. Operating in a challenging environment required our teams to think differently, adapt our approach and develop innovative solutions to deliver a successful outcome.  

“It’s particularly rewarding to see our engineers challenged beyond the demands of day-to-day broadcast operations, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and turning complex technical challenges into practical solutions.” 

Beyond executive producer, Frank Chidiac, added: “Working with Gravity Media on this project was a great experience. Their team brought outstanding technical expertise, flexibility and a practical approach to solving challenges in a demanding environment. Their collaboration and commitment played an important role in delivering a successful outcome to a complex production model.”