Josh Groban’s ‘Bridges’ Tour Delivered by Blackmagic Design Live Workflow

Manchester, United Kingdom – Blackmagic Design today announced that Josh Groban’s 21 date ‘Bridges’ tour relied on an end to end solution from Blackmagic Design, including Blackmagic URSA Broadcast camera chains, Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K and ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K, for live big screen content and unique video backdrops.

Taking in major US and UK venues, including Madison Square
Gardens and London’s O2 Arena, the tour’s live production was handled by video
director, Stuart Merser of Vis-a-Vis Video, who was tasked with filling
the huge performance spaces with an intimate and uplifting energy.

“The scale of the production was vast, with an 14 piece
orchestra, a five member band and guest choirs on the main stage, as well
as a smaller platform, where Josh performed a selection of quieter
songs with a piano,” explains Stuart. “However, the staging for each
concert was actually very pared back and simple, so that Josh could really
engage with each audience on a personal level. Getting this balance right
for an arena audience was key, so the tone and quality of video content had to
be perfectly pitched.”

A giant 14m wide LED screen formed the entire backdrop to the
main stage and featured live performance footage from Josh and his band, which
was captured in Ultra HD 4K with a multicam set up comprising three URSA
Broadcast and four Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K.

“Having worked with the URSA Broadcast cameras on a number
of big name tours, I know they deliver stunning images for arena venues,
so they were the perfect choice for such a huge video screen production.
We paired the cameras with a range of 4K glass, including
a Canon 90:9 box, which meant every shot on screen
was flawless.”

“We’ve had a lot of fun rigging the cameras to deliver some
extremely creative and dynamic angles to elevate our production even further,”
he continues. “For example, one of the URSA Broadcast cameras was mounted
on a BlackCam B60 tracking system along the downstage edge, allowing me to
move smoothly between the audience and Josh on stage for some really
special moments.”

Live content was also fed through VideoDust, a real time
video manipulation software, built around a series of Blackmagic capture
and playback cards, and developed to create a variety of effects for
a dynamic backdrop. “We were able to mix live footage of Josh with
a series of graphics, such as sheet music or a sparkling, glittery
background, which again added another dimension to a very simple and
understated production on stage,” explains Stuart.

Stuart’s bespoke production desk is built around a Smart
Videohub 40×40 router, with an ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K
paired with an ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Panel to produce the big
screen mix.

“My set up has to be able to cope with a huge range of
staging logistics,” he explains. “Although we know the venues that we’re
traveling to, we don’t always know exactly where video will be located, whether
we’ll have direct sight of the stage, what lighting or weather conditions we
might have to deal with, so the production system has to be as flexible and as
robust as possible. So, as well as the main desk, there is a series
of Teranex AV and Mini Converters to make sure we have the ability to get video
out to screens, no matter what we are faced with upon arrival.”

“On a tour like ‘Bridges’, creative video production plays
a crucial role, as the artist wants every audience member to feel part of
the performance. Video coverage has to be crisp and clear, but it also has to
complement the staging; it can’t overpower with theatrical tricks and effects,”
concludes Stuart. “Blackmagic cameras and production kit give me the quality of
production that can stand up to large scale projection, but also have
a level of detail in their creative tools and features that allow me to
create a unique mix each night to reflect the energy and electricity of
each live performance.”

About
Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video
editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters,
video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform
monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and
television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture
cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post
production, while the company’s Emmy award winning DaVinci color correction
products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984.
Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G‑SDI
and 12G‑SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows.
Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers,
Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and
Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com.