The Collectv designed new broadcast and production hub
The Collectv has revealed its work on Whisper’s new broadcast and production hub at its Kew headquarters.
The Collectv designed the new facilities, which were installed on a dedicated floor in a timeframe of just seven weeks from sign-off to the first live edits.
The facility has been created to handle the increased volume of content that Whisper is creating. Whisper has picked up a number of new broadcast and digital content production partners since the beginning of 2021, including World Rugby and the Rugby League World Cup.
One of the deliverables for Whisper’s deal with a major sports federation includes a magazine show series, covering fast turnaround highlights of midweek events by a Friday morning deadline. With this in mind, The Collectv specced and delivered a high bandwidth, flexible system comprising six dedicated edit suites running Adobe Premiere Pro alongside one audio suite / VO booth, as well as numerous desk pods for the 40-strong production team.
Connection is via Cat6a cable throughout, while storage and remote working integration is handled by Editshare. An innovative IP-based talkback system from Unity Intercom allows Whisper staff to join via their computers and devices, as well as accommodating external freelancers who can join via a weblink,
Covid-19 and global supply chain issues were other challenges for the project, with The Collectv even having to install an interim solution for one aspect when it was discovered that the preferred components would be delayed.
Nick Long, project manager for The Collectv, said: “We had to react and move fast many times during the build, and it was vital that we were there on the ground as the walls were going up so we could identify any issues as they arose.
“We have worked with Whisper for a number of years, and that enabled us to be pre-emptive regarding their requirements and their preferred workflows, providing SDI matrixes to enable them to display images from any source, whether edit suite, incoming feed, or PowerPoint presentation on their big screens, for instance.
“We’ve also been able to build in robust hooks to the production networks on the other floors in their building, ensuring that it can lean on capacity in other areas if required.”
Whisper director of production Bethan Evans added: “We set the Collectv the challenge of installing these new edit facilities, together with the sound and QC suite in a tight time frame. They worked excellently with the construction company and other suppliers to ensure all requirements were covered and to foresee future challenges.
“With their knowledge of our workflows they were also able to design a system that integrated effectively with our existing infrastructure. The installation has provided us with a great space from which to produce and deliver Whisper’s ambitious and entertaining sport output.”
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