ACS debuts 3D Flown Railcam

SKY Sports coverage of the Super League Grand Final from Old Trafford had a new rig this weekend in the form of a 3D flown railcam system. In previous years, ACS has successfully provided a 100m flown system for Sky Sports’ 2D coverage of the Grand Final using a HD Cineflex V14 stabilised camera mount to provide a unique and dynamic view of the action below. This year, Sky Sports upped the challenge by requesting ACS provide the same view but in 3D.

After further development and testing, ACS supplied a specially configured 3D gyro mount, comprising of a STAB-C Compact stabilised head mounted with an ET Pulsar rig in a side by side configuration and fitted with two Sony HDCP1 cameras and Canon HJ22 lenses.

An ACS Telecast Copperhead fibre transmission system fitted to the railcam camera buggy allowed all signals and control data to be routed back to the OB via a single SMPTE cable. The railcam operator and stabilised mount operator were positioned within the stand with a clear view of the pitch and the railcam itself, whilst full control from the convergence position in ACS’ dedicated 3D OB unit was carried out using a Sony MPE 200 3D processor to aid mechanical and optical alignment. Capable of moving at speeds up to 8m/second, not only did the track and mount play a significant part in Sky Sport’s 3D coverage of the game, it also featured heavily in the simultaneous 2D coverage of the event with a HD feed taken from the ‘left eye’ of the rig.

ACS has made a significant investment in the development and delivery of 3D specialist camera systems and has provided facilities for the 3D coverage of Horseracing, Rugby, Premiership football and live music events amongst others.

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ACS Australia prepares for busy Summer season

Crews from our Australian office have been gearing up for their busiest season of the year which begun with ACS aerial cameraman, Peter Davis, filming aerials of the Red Bull X Fighters on Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour.  Special approval was granted by CASA to fly at 200 feet in the harbour to achieve dramatic shots of the riders during their performances which finished with the overall champion being crowned for the Red Bull X Fighters World Tour.  Re-locating to the Gold Coast, ACS then filmed aerials for the Coolangatta Gold endurance race.

Our crews will also be supplying live aerials on this week’s AFL Final in Melbourne and railcam at the NRL Final in Sydney as well as tracking vehicles at Royal Randwick.  With teams operating in Sydney for the start of the horse racing season for ACS, coverage will continue with the Carnival season in Melbourne where two ACS tracking vehicles will be used to follow the racing around the course.

ACS Australia’s Managing Director, Mick Kagel, commented, 'We’ve had a great start to the season with some really positive feedback from clients.  A lot of the jobs we’re doing this year are repeat work which is really encouraging to see, including the provision for Moto GP at Phillip Island at the end of the month.  The crews are working really hard and the results have been fantastic.’

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ACS’ 3D Railcam at Heineken Cup Final

ACS has successfully completed another 3D railcam shoot for Sky Sports. Covering the Heineken Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on the 21^st May, the ACS railcam was fitted with a Stab-C COMPACT stabilised mount supporting an Element Technica Pulsar 3D mirror rig. Two Sony P1 cameras fitted with HJ22 lenses were installed in the Pulsar rig in the under through configuration. The mirror rig and camera combination was controlled and powered via one SMPTE cable, utilising a Telecast Copperhead 3G Fibre transmission unit with real time correction of the 3D output via a Sony MPE200 processor. A HD feed was also taken from one of the cameras providing simultaneous HD & 3D outputs for both SKY Sports HD1 and Sky Sports 3D channels. The complete 3D Railcam system was installed and operated by ACS’ in-house operators and technicians.

The game also coincided with the first outing of ACS’ new 3D operating vehicle which the team took delivery of this month. The vehicle, fitted with five operating/engineering positions, allows control of eight ACS SMARThead™ remote heads in standard configuration. A 3D position is also included which consists of a Sony LMD 2451TD 3D monitor and Sony MPE200. The unit is 3G/3D capable up to 1080 50P with twin 40x40 routers and 16 way 3D multi viewer with dual independent outputs.

The 3D track and operating vehicle represents just some of ACS’ continuing investment into 3D with research and development currently being conducted on various specialist rigs including mini cameras and remote heads.

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ACS plays part in The Royal Wedding

It’s been another exciting, hard working and successful week for all those at ACS none more so than for our team of technicians and operators who worked on the Royal Wedding.

ACS provided over twenty SMARThead™ remote head systems and camera channels supplying coverage for the BBC, Sky News and ITN, not forgetting the world’s media. An HD Cineflex V14 Stabilised Mount was also supplied and operated by ACS providing aerial coverage of the crowds and balcony scenes at Buckingham Palace. But it was perhaps within Westminster Abbey itself that our crew met their biggest challenge fulfilling the majority of the camera positions that were to broadcast the ceremony world-wide.

ACS Technical Director, Sam Heaphy, and his team delivered and installed 16 of the 23 camera positions within the Abbey for the BBC.   Utilising 12 Sony P1 Camera channels and 4 Ikegami HDL 51 cameras, two of the remote heads included a 40x lens; a first for ACS’ new development with this particular lens and SMARThead™.

Several spectacular shots were achieved including a dramatic high shot over the Sacrarium for the first time in HD and with the shot developing to show the incredible scale of the internal architecture of Westminster Abbey. Two cameras were also discretely positioned in very sensitive areas to the side of the high altar in order to show the couple from the front during the very intimate and important parts of the wedding service. Shots of the Abbey’s bells peeling at the conclusion of the ceremony were also a first.

ACS SMARTheads™ could also be found positioned along the wedding procession route at Parliament Square, Whitehall, Horseguards and The Mall contributing to the full coverage of the couple’s journey to and from the service.

SMARThead™ had been chosen by BBC Events for the Abbey because of its small size whilst offering 2/3 in full HD quality and single cable operation, an important consideration when working in such a venue. The quality of control allowing full use of the lenses zoom range from Canon HJ40 to HJ14 with total subtlety of movement were vital to this type of production. This technology is coupled to many years of continually developing the client relationship and the results have clearly won universal appreciation.

ACS Managing Director, Phillip Beckett, commented, “The team here feel an enormous sense of pride at being involved in such an historical event. Everyone has worked really hard in the planning and delivery which began at the end of last year. We’re honoured to be able to say, ACS were there.”

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Shooting in the Antarctic

ACS award winning operator, Simon Werry, has just returned after two months in the Antarctic filming, Tears of the Antarctic for MBC.  Operating the HD Cineflex V14 attached to a Unimount bracket, Simon was at sea for six weeks capturing dramatic shots of the area's wildlife.

‘We appreciate all of you guys at ACS for being so professional and being so good at what you do. Thank you so much and I hope to work with you again in the future.’ Assistant Director, Juweon Jonathan Kim.

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Aerials, Blimps, tracking vehicles and horses

March was a busy month for ACS with the 2011 racing season well underway.

ACS crews were recently at the Meydan Racecourse for the annual Dubai World Cup, providing aerial filming, tracking vehicles, remotes and mini cameras for the live TV coverage of the world’s richest race day. With a total of three HD Cineflex stabilised mounts being supplied, it was also a first outing for ACS’ new Unimount bracket since being on a two month shoot out in the Antarctic (see below). The Unimount enabled the tracking vehicle to have two stabilised camera mounts fitted to its roof to provide simultaneous wide and tight angle shots of the racing whilst a third Cineflex was used for aerials.

Previous to this, our crews were at the Cheltenham Festival which was broadcast for the first time by Channel 4 in HD. As well as providing two ACS HD tracking vehicles and mini-cameras, our blimp crew was also on site with the Sportingbet Blimp, achieving dramatic live aerials of the course and the action below. Programme Director for Channel 4 Racing, Denise Large, commented on the blimp;

‘It has provided both commentator and viewers with a unique and different insight to how the race unfolds – this angle shows something from the air that no other single camera can achieve. It also supplies us with the most astonishing shots of the tracks and surrounding areas.’

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ACS Tethered Blimp flying over Oslo

Working with host broadcaster NRK and OB Team, the ACS Tethered Blimp has been flying above the city of Oslo providing aerial coverage of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.  Fitted with a HD Cineflex V14 stabilised mount the blimp is currently operating in temperatures of around -20°C whilst achieving dramatic shots of the Championships.

Along with the Blimp our crews are also providing beauty cameras, mini cameras as well as come and go cameras on the Ski Jump.

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ACS return from Asian Winter Games 2011

A large team of personnel from ACS have recently returned from a successful Winter Asian Games where they were responsible for delivering one of the largest and diverse projects to date for the company. The 7th Asian Winter Games was held in Kazakhstan and ACS was chosen by host broadcaster International Games Broadcasting Services (IGBS) to exclusively provide specialist camera facilities for all venues in and around the city of Almaty.

With over 30 ACS crew including camera operators, the specialist cameras included 100m railcam, Wirecam, Steadicams, Jimmy Jibs, Hi-Mo cameras, Polecam, Minicams as well as the ACS Tethered Blimp covering a range of sports from Cross Country, Biathlon, Alpine and Freestyle Skiing to Ski Jumping, Bandy and Ice Hockey. Five of ACS’ HD Cineflex V14 stabilised mounts were part of the provision along with ACS’ in-house designed remote heads, SMARThead™. Coverage also included over thirty hours of helicopter aerials with ACS’ Emmy award winning camera operator, David Manton.

In addition to providing for this large scale project ACS also supplied railcam and wirecam systems for host broadcaster, Gearhouse for the 25th Winter Universiade Games in Turkey which were held during the same period. As well as delivering on two large projects ACS crews were also operating specialist cameras for the Six Nations and Premiership Football along with international filming projects in Iceland and Antarctica and on location for the latest Sherlock Holmes film from Guy Ritchie.

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SMARTheads™ capture flashmob at Terminal 5

This month our crew found themselves working alongside the flashmob at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 for the new T Mobile advert.

Passengers walking into the arrivals hall were greeted by a crowd of over 500 people which included waiting public, cabin crew, T-Mobile staff spontaneously bursting into synchronised song and dance. Using our in-house designed SMARTheads™ with Sony 1500 cameras providing a filmic look by shooting 1080 25P, the remote heads were hidden within the terminal to capture the reaction of the returning travellers.

Filmed, edited and broadcast within 36 hours, the advert was premiered on Friday 29th October with a full length 3 minute version screened across more than 80 digital and terrestrial commercial TV channels; a world’s first.

Click here to see the full length advert.

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Flying with our tracks

October has been a busy month for our track crews with two film shoots completed.

Just back from the Commonwealth Games they were rigging and operating on the set of the new X-MEN and Sherlock Holmes 2 movies plus more flying with Harry Potter.

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