Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1469942
52 PRODUCTION SOUND & VIDEO – Summer 2022 After several meetings with Josh and DP Jim Denault, we created SetLink Live, which securely streamed an extremely high-quality video feed with sound to the production team with a 200ms–300ms latency, or approximately the same lag you'd experience on a cellphone call. Additionally, Josh was able to record the feed on his QTAKE system and play either live or recording for the director. (It is worth noting that QTAKE has since added similar functionality to their software.) The shoot was extremely successful, and we realized that once production came back, a similar service would be needed. We revised the software, added the ability to stream from cameras, and were ready to meet the demand when production returned in the fall of 2020. As expected, there was a huge need for streaming from the set. SetLink Live went on to be used on multiple shows, such as The Morning Show, Black-ish, and Insecure. Even today, nearly two years later, this application continues to see daily use on several shows; often with two Local 695 Engineers running both the software and the safety cameras. It remains a valuable tool that can be used either standalone or in conjunction with video assist tools like QTAKE. Additionally, it can be used for custom remote video playback feeds (such as scripted Video Chats), whether from one stage to another; or from one side of the world to another. Streaming video from set has become an integral component of production in the post-COVID world and we're pleased with the adoption of SetLink Live and the opportunity to expand the skill sets of fellow Local 695 members who are now working as full-time streaming engineers. The program is available for license to Video Assist Engineers, Playback Engineers, and directly to productions (where we can provide 695 Engineers). Our success in the past two years led to the development of several additional programs to make on-set life easier and more productive in the ever-expanding world of the Video Playback Engineer. Modern Gamma is a color-temperature control program used to handle multiple displays, powered by either Intel or Apple Silicon processors. Modern Chroma, our green screen generator, allows the operator to quickly dial in a preferred hue and brightness level, place or remove tracking marks, and even using various effects when the camera is shooting over the monitor toward an actor. It can also cue between various colors/effects, allowing an operator to start with a green image at the start of a camera move and then automatically change it to gray once the monitor is no longer blocked and then change again to another effect once the screen is no longer being photographed. Simple Cues, our QuickTime control program, allows a user to quickly jump between multiple clips and then set separate loop, pause, and advance rules for each one. All three of these programs are available to license monthly as part of a package with Scene Builder and Magic Phone. Additionally, we have also developed Vitals, an easy-to-control heart rate monitor program for hospital and EMT sets. The program can run multiple custom cues, including various heart rates, blood pressure, temperature, etc. It has multiple looks and can run on monitors of nearly any aspect ratio. Vitals is available as part of a standalone package, which can be licensed on a monthly or per-show basis. We're excited to be able to offer the tools we've been using for years to our fellow supervisors and engineers. All of our product licenses are priced to be affordable to operators so as to be sustainable within the industry. As for that canceled trip to London, well, we ended up changing plans slightly and have just opened a new ofce in Berlin to cover European and UK productions. Europe tends to shoot most screens as green screen on set. We're hoping to introduce productions there to a workow where skilled engineers can provide a better experience on set for a better price than constantly relying on a burn-in. Two years after the initial COVID shutdown, it's fascinating to see how our industry evolves and adapts. And it's exciting for us at Modern Motion Pictures to be a small part of that change.