MediaStorm build their own highly customised IP and cloud-based live production workflows with Blackmagic Design cameras, switchers, converters and DaVinci Resolve.
Production company MediaStorm in China specialise in filmmaking and digital content innovation. They are especially interested in live production, and have been building their own pipelines and systems for client productions.
Blackmagic devices and cameras feature widely in these systems. Early on in 2014, Media Storm founder Tim Pan first connected with Blackmagic Design when he purchased the original Pocket Cinema Camera. As his first professional camera, its Super 16 sensor impressed him tremendously with its image quality and colour science. From there, the Pocket Cinema Camera lineup, URSA Mini series were added to their inventory.
Most recently, the company has adopted the Blackmagic URSA Cine 17K 65 and Blackmagic PYXIS 6K digital film cameras. The company has also built a new ST 2110 IP live production system using ATEM Constellation 8K live production switcher, ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panel 20, Blackmagic 2110 IP Converters and DaVinci Resolve Replay system based on Resolve and HyperDeck recorders. Further to that, MediaStorm developed a complete end to end production pipeline – from acquisition and live streaming to post production – using DaVinci Resolve Studio and Blackmagic Cloud for collaborative editing.
New Perspectives
“In recent years, we’ve used the URSA Mini Pro 12K extensively to film artifacts from the Sanxingdui archaeological site, capture starry skies through telescopes, and record rocket launches at the Wenchang Space Centre,” Tim said. “The 12K resolution allows us to zoom deeply into the footage to create unique visual perspectives. That creative flexibility is exactly what we’ve always pursued and it’s one of Blackmagic Design’s greatest strengths.”
Tim and the MediaStorm team had been anticipating the arrival of the URSA Cine 17K 65 ever since its release. “The extreme 17K resolution combined with the 65mm sensor delivers a very high level of detail and cinematic depth,” he remarked.
“We’re planning to use it for some shows that are a bit, or perhaps a billion bits, different. The 65mm format is a good match for scenes that demand a strong sense of immersion and visual impact, really drawing the audience into the story.”
He also noted that the body design of the full frame PYXIS 6K left a strong impression on Media Storm’s cinematographers. “When shooting vertically, the built-in screen can serve as a top monitor, and with its numerous mounting points, we can attach all kinds of accessories. It’s great both for creative, non traditional shooting, and for conventional live production applications,” he said.
Live Workflow Evolution
Since entering the live streaming market in 2020, MediaStorm has expanded from live commerce to large scale events and outdoor productions. Its live workflow has evolved from HD to UHD at up to 60p, now incorporating multi camera setups, motion graphics, slow motion replay, multichannel audio and professional sound mixing.
Throughout this evolution, the team integrated various Blackmagic Design live production switchers, including the ATEM Mini and Mini ISO, ATEM Television Studio 4K Pro and ATEM Constellation 8K. The team uses these with the ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panel 20, ATEM Camera Control Panel, HyperDeck Studio 4K Pro broadcast decks, and the Videohub 40x40 12G router. Their configurations are supported by DeckLink 8K Pro, DeckLink Quad 2 and UltraStudio 4K Mini capture and playback devices, and a wide range of converters for video I/O.
Live Production Studio Design
In Media Storm’s new live production building, the entire studio layout follows standard broadcast engineering practices, featuring a separate studio, control room and equipment room, designed to minimise interference between spaces. Combined with access control management, this structure enhances the security and reliability of live productions.
During the initial construction phase, the design team pre installed numerous audio, video and network connection points throughout the building, with all cabling centralised in the equipment room. This set-up allows fast, flexible signal routing regardless of the shooting configuration, eliminating the need to repeatedly lay large amounts of cable.
“Blackmagic ATEM switchers control cameras very effectively through SDI embedded signals. We can make iris, colour and other remote adjustments directly on our cameras,” Tim noted. “With the VISCA-over-IP support added to the ATEM Constellation series, we control IP PTZ cameras over the network without RS-232/422 cabling.”
Converters and Recorders – New Networked Applications
Media Storm also uses Blackmagic 2110 IP Mini BiDirect 12G SFP converters as ST 2110 IP gateways. “With ST 2110, we can transmit low latency, high quality 4K UHD signals over our existing network infrastructure. The converters’ NMOS support means we are able to use third party NMOS management platforms to control and route all 2110 IP devices, achieving interoperability with other ST 2110 audio and video sources,” said Tim.
“One typical use case is using the 2110 IP converters to de-embed 16 channel audio from SDI into ST 2110-30 streams, enabling our sound engineers to mix multichannel audio directly on Dante compatible consoles. It’s much more convenient than traditional multichannel audio de-embedding.”
With a live production workflow deploying DaVinci Resolve Studio, DaVinci Resolve Replay Editor, HyperDeck recorders and the Blackmagic Cloud Dock 2 network storage, the team can produce slow motion replays and cut instant highlights during live streams.
Tim talked through the process. “Each camera feed is independently recorded to the Cloud Dock 2 via HyperDecks. The replay operator can then use the Cut page in DaVinci Resolve to quickly review clips, find the best moments, and insert them into the timeline for playback. The Replay feature supports stinger transitions and simultaneous key/fill output from the video capture and playback device for smooth integration into live broadcasts. The Replay Editor Keyboard further eases control and, in turn, improves efficiency.”
Making Edits Flow
Post production for MediaStorm’s three major channels, MediaStorm, One in a Billion and STORMCREW, is entirely handled within DaVinci Resolve Studio.
“DaVinci Resolve’s collaborative workflow is truly efficient,” said Tim. “Across our three channels, we typically produce more than 15 episodes per month. Editors, colourists and sound engineers can work on the same project simultaneously. Once the editor finishes the A roll, the colourist can begin grading it, and the mixer can start audio adjustments, even while editing continues. This keeps our turnaround within about two weeks per episode, which would be impossible without Resolve.”
Similarly, for their STORMCREW variety show, they often deal with nearly 100 camera angles. Three editors work on different sections simultaneously. Using shared markers that are visible to everyone, they tag the funniest or most interesting moments. Each editor then cuts their segment on separate timelines, then merges them for final assembly and review. The DaVinci AI Neural Engine enables smooth playback of up to nine 4K tracks, making complex edits flow.
Everywhere is Local
MediaStorm often attends overseas product launch events, but due to travel schedules and visa constraints, post production can’t always happen on site. “But our viewers expect same day coverage,” Tim said. “Through Blackmagic Cloud, we can upload footage shot on iPhones or PYXIS cameras directly from overseas, while our post team in China downloads the proxies and starts editing immediately. The Cloud first uploads proxy files before syncing camera originals, so editors can begin within a few minutes of uploading.
“For example, during a major tech event last year, the presentation ended at around 3am Beijing time, and by 6am, we had already published our first hands-on video. That kind of turnaround was unimaginable before. There’s no more waiting for card transfers or shipping drives. The efficiency gains are enormous.” www.blackmagicdesign.com
