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Originally published on NewTek Europe.
Delta Média is a local press group situated in Gravelines (in the north of France) that is made up from three entities. A radio station with a strong coastal image, a TV station that's trying to become a true local authority and a website that allows everyone, especially those who've moved away, access to local news at the click of a button.
We spoke to Karim Maatem, the director of Delta TV - the TV station arm of Delta Média, a venture that supports 17 competent and motivated professionals - about their use of VT[4] to make their headline TV programme "La Quotidienne" (The Daily). A morning show broadcast live every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning at 10:30, the presenters hold live chats in the section entitled "aquarium" with guests who discuss all manner of local events, whether they be sporting, cultural or merely odd.
Live TV is a constant challenge - not only for technical or human reasons, there's a majority agreement to be made every second by the team at Delta TV. Strict organisation, precise and motivated choices, a clip for every program, a guest every day and recurring themes.
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Hi Karim, can you tell us exactly what your role is at Delta Média?
Karim Maatem: I am responsible for the Television arm and I supervise five people.
Can you tell us a bit about Delta Média? How many people make up the Delta TV team?
KM: A journalist; an editor; a cameraman; a Video Toaster technician/operator; a trainee cameraman; and me, a reporter and the editor in chief.
When did you first hear about VT[4]?
KM: I found VT[4] on the net, a bit by chance. I was actually looking for an alternative to analogue editors that were completely out of our price range. After the first taster, we searched further: into English-speaking forums and finally we got in touch directly with NewTek Europe. |
What about VT[4] convinced you to integrate it into your production pipeline?
KM: The all-in-one aspect of VT[4] was already really exciting on paper. DDRs, professional titling and above all live mixing of multiple video streams. Once we saw it at a demonstration, we were conquered by the ease of use of the program. It really worked! And for our twisted but committed digital video minds, with a limited budget and no time, it turned out to be the ideal tool. In addition, with needs based around a live morning show, we needed to base our work around a key machine without the means or space to get loads of recorders or a dedicated titling system - there are only four of us in the production suite! VT[4] enables us to solve all these problems with a quality suited to our broadcast facilities. From sound to titling avoiding dedicated video recorders or titling machines, all for the price of a DSR 80!
Mathieu Vanquelef, editor and Video Toaster operator for Delta TV joined us for the following questions:
What equipment did you work on previously?
Mathieu Vanquelef: Panasonic W J 50, 1 DSR 90, a DVD player and a titler, and a PC equipped with Flash for titling. |
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You use VT[4] to produce your TV programme "La Quotidienne", I'd like to know a bit more.
What subjects do you cover?
MV: Local information mainly, but very general - sports, culture, politics.
Is it a pre-recorded or live TV programme?
MV: It's live but certain sections are pre-recorded.
If pre-recorded, is the programme's post-production carried out on VT[4]?
MV: Some elements are, especially when we need overlays - VT[4]-Edit is very flexible.
If live, is VT[4] used to broadcast?
KM: Yes, VT[4] is the final mixer.
How many people have been trained on VT[4]?
MV: Three people with one of them being the permanent operator (Mathieu Vanquelef - ed's note).
What were their respective jobs (journalists, reporters, editors, playback)?
KM: Technician, journalist and editor/director. |
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What differences in productivity have you noticed since you started using VT[4]?
MV: We organise production around "La Quotidienne". The DDRs allow us to start clips directly from the RS-8 thanks to the CUE function. The director only has to switch to the dedicated bus and the clip starts - that's magic! We always use the same compression codec (DV type 2), which ensures a good quality broadcast signal. In addition, the Proc Amps allow us to correct any small problems with lighting.
What is the configuration of VT[4] machine? What cameras do you use?
MV: Two video hard drives (a SCSI 60GB drive for DVEs and a Medéa 250GB RAID for video). In the production suite a cameraman controls Sony BRC 300s, sound is mixed on a Yamaha 01V.
Which tools in VT[4] suite do you use most?
MV: In order: the switcher, the DDRs, the CG (for creating and playback) and Edit for some post-production. We rarely use 3D or Aura (because we haven't been trained on it).
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How do you produce your live programme?
KM: Before the live feed:
An operator digitises all the clips from the DSR 80 and brings the titles into the CG. The clips are placed in one or more DDRs following the play order.
(The operator will edit and post-produce certain clips directly on VT[4]).
During the live feed:
The director mixes the video tracks and launches the clips from the SX-8. Another team member sends the results from the CG. Titles (the DSK) can be activated from the T-Bar, but using keyboard shortcuts gives more possibilities (changing sources and activating or deactivating the DSK simultaneously thanks to the S key for example).
A director of photography directs the three cameras on stage.
A script acts as a tape controller to launch certain clips directly from a DSR 80. |
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Thanks for taking part and answering our questions Karim and Matthieu, and good luck for the next "Quotidienne".
You can see "La Quotidienne" Tuesdays to Thursdays live at 10:30, and repeated at 12:30, 18:30, 19:30 and 22:30.
All news reported by Delta TV, reports and archives are available on their web TV stream. |
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