Case Study
Pitt Studios is an innovative joint venture between the University of
Pittsburgh Athletics and Film departments. The athletics department will work
to produce content for both the ESPN ACC Network and the on-site athletic
venues. Additionally, the production control rooms will provide content and
learning opportunities for the University's growing Film and Media Studies
Program.
Pitt Studios is a 6,000 square foot space located within Petersen Events
Center. The studio includes three production control rooms, two of which
feature back benches that can function as self-contained or shared production
environments for additional personnel. The project includes a multi-set studio
with fiber connections to all major venues on campus.
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The Challenge:
Pitt Studios required a versatile solution that combined all facility
resources to support large scale events, as well as seamlessly being
configured to simultaneously support multiple smaller events.
- Scalable end-to-end solution for numerous athletic venues and events
- Future-proof design that included High Dynamic Range, 4K-UHD and ST 2110
- Flexible replay solution that could provide functions as simple as standard capture and reliable clip playback for live sports, studio shows, film and video productions
The Industry
The demand for collegiate sports content has seen growth due to technological
and production advancements. Online platforms allow personalized access to
viewers, this - coupled with the reduced cost of live event production - has
allowed universities to create more content and distribute it directly to
their viewers. The launch of ESPN's ACC Network will take full advantage of
these factors and provide a distribution platform for ACC schools.
Rapid change in video standards, communication protocols, and graphic
interfaces presents a significant challenge to building a production facility
that will accommodate constant technological advancements.
The vision of Pitt Studios goes beyond fulfilling the ACC Network requirements
and the needs of the university's online athletic presence. Students are now
able to shadow events and run dark productions (simulate a broadcast) with the
latest technology and equipment. This allows students and operators to get
hands on experience with production workflow before being thrust into Live
Production. Confidence built in these "shadow events" will carry over as these
students become the next generation of operators.