Hub of Production

Space is a critical commodity in Cape Fear Community College''s TV production studio. One reason the school chose For-A''s Hanabi switcher for the studio was because of its DigiWarp Virtual Set system, which allows use of virtual sets instead of physical sets that would require lots of construction and storage space.

At Cape Fear Community College, we have a television production studio that rivals those found at many TV stations. Most of our work revolves around student training and production of public affairs programs, which run on The Learning Network (TLN), a channel that's available on Time Warner's local cable system.

The centerpiece of our studio, For-A's Hanabi HVS-3000S digital video switcher, gives us a lot of versatility in our tightly budgeted operation, as we've equipped it with For-A's DigiWarp Virtual Set system.

While I manage all of the productions for Cape Fear and TLN, the students operate the equipment in the studio, which includes four Ikegami studio cameras, a Mackie 32-channel soundboard, and the switcher. We do post on Adobe Premiere, with final mastering onto Sony DVCAM tape and DVDs.

The students like the 2-M/E For-A switcher because it's user-friendly, which makes it quick to learn, while the ergonomic control panel is comfortable to use. Its ease of operation lets us produce more programs than we otherwise could.

The Hanabi plays a central role in the studio, tying together live production on our stages, postproduction, and even switching the satellite feeds we use as part of our distance education program.

The switcher integrates with our Sigma Electronics HSY1616 digital router (one of four Sigma 2100 series routers), while also tying together the Mackie soundboard and For-A DigiWarp system. While the Sigma router is digital, it also includes two analog-to-digital converters. One is used for our cable demodulator, while the other one has been modified to accommodate a fifth “monkey camera” in the studio.

That monkey cam — actually a Panasonic AG-DVX100 camcorder running in 24p mode — is used for a student entertainment show that features live bands. The camcorder provides close angles, while the 24p gives the footage a film look. The camcorder output runs to a converter, and is then switched directly into the system.

To handle CG, we keep a PC, which runs Inscriber software, just to the right of the switcher. Since the PC is hardwired into the Hanabi board, we can quickly call it up by pressing its designated button on the switcher. We also route the CG to Key 3 on our chromakeyer, allowing us to seamlessly integrate lower thirds, credits, and some graphics effects.

All our programming goes to two JVC decks that record either MiniDV or DVCAM. We can also route programs into the PC for editing and graphics. For live shows, we can take the mix directly off the board and burn a DVD.

Luckily, the For-A DigiWarp is compact. The main hub sits in the monitor rack behind the switcher, while its hard drive is on a shelf below the switcher. Its monitor sits upright next to the keyboard. The DigiWarp is hardwired directly to the switcher, and works seamlessly with the four studio cameras. Our setup is fast and simple to use. I can punch a normal show, work with my virtual sets, bring in feeds, punch up one of four routers (sound, CG, director, video control), and generate graphics, all while sitting in my chair.

When the decision was made to buy the For-A switcher, one of the key selling points was its ability to work with the virtual set system. This appealed to us because we do not have a lot of space for physical set construction and storage, and it's difficult to move sets in and out of our relatively small studio. Our goal is to produce several different shows simultaneously — news, news magazines, cooking shows, instructional shows, as well as a local variety show — so having many 3D computer-generated sets to choose from is very advantageous.

In 2004, we won two Addy Awards (one Gold and one Silver) for our local region (North and South Carolina) for outstanding production of two commercial campaigns.

Timothy Vandenberg is a TV video production specialist at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, N.C.

For-A reports that its Hanabi HVS-3000 (separate SD and HD models) series has proved successful enough that at NAB 2005 it expanded the series by delivering an all-in-one version, the Hanabi HVS-3800HS. The multi-bit-rate 2-M/E switcher combines both HD and SD, and supports all the major formats, including 1080i, 24p, 23.98fps, and 720p.

The HVS-3800HS also features what the company calls the first polygon-based HD DVE available in the United States. Up to two 3D DVE cards can be installed on the switcher.

Other Hanabi features include 16 I/O (with an optional configuration of up to 28 inputs), four still stores, and optional color correction features. With its compact 4RU frame size, the company spots this switcher as ideal for mobile production or other tight spaces.

—Dan Ochiva

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