Nine, AE Live and MRMC’s Hybrid Production Model for The Paris Summer Games

How The Studiobot XL Was Used During The Paris Summer Games

When the opportunity to take space at the Broadcast Centre for The Paris Summer Games emerged, Nine worked alongside AE Live and MRMC to create a hybrid production model that balanced the need for on-the-ground presence with cost-effective remote operations.

Nine’s Cost-Effective Remote Operations Solution

For the Games, Nine wanted to create a highly immersive and visually stunning broadcast based on a workflow spanning three continents. To achieve this, they worked with AE Live and MRMC to create a studio that integrated real-time data and graphics with a high-tech camera robotic system while also allowing the production to be managed from the control centre located in Sydney.

An MRMC StudioBot XL robotic arm was selected to drive the primary camera within the compact space at the Tracodero Broadcast Centre. A perfect choice for remote camera control, the StudioBot system enabled directors based in Sydney to manage camera angles, zooms, and panning with exact precision and consistency, using pre-programmed camera movements for automated, repeated shots. Within the space, the StudioBot XL was used to capture sweeping shots of the talent and to create dynamic movement within the virtual and augmented reality set.

The graphics system provided by AE Live had one main goal: to create a seamless blend of physical and virtual elements that were indistinguishable to viewers. Central to this was ensuring a consistent look between the natural light, minimal real-life set, and the advanced extended and augmented reality graphics designed to create the illusion of a much larger studio while maintaining the coveted Eiffel Tower backdrop. The MRMC StudioBot was synchronised with the graphics system via its advanced integration capabilities to provide accurate, coordinated camera motion.

This streamlined approach offered numerous advantages. The ability to remotely control these systems added a new level of precision and creativity to the broadcast, making robotics and graphics the key drivers of the production process. It helped reduce costs and logistical challenges while providing greater creative control over the broadcast. Directors could focus on delivering a visually dynamic, data-rich experience, combining fluid camera movements with real-time graphics, all remotely managed from afar.

In essence, this collaboration between Nine, MRMC, and AE Live not only brings cutting-edge technology to the forefront of remote broadcasting but also sets a new standard for how remote production can be efficiently managed. By placing robotics, virtual and augmented graphics at the heart of the operation, Nine’s broadcast of The Paris Summer Games showcased a new era of workflow that blends creativity with technical precision.

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