Engineers can make or break the show and are often the unsung heroes of any TV Production. When choosing a TV Truck company, age of the truck may not always be the best predictor of a successful show. We've listed some questions to ask your sales consultant when choosing a TV production truck. TV Trucks offer the flexibility over fly packs due to the ability to plug your connects and get started, leaving you to focus on your production.

• What is the engineer's experience? Credentials, are a must as well as experience with gear, workflows, type of productions and more. Learn the size and capabilities of previous production facilities an engineer has worked on.
• What is the number of shows he or she has completed? Number of shows shouldn't be the sole determining factor but would allow you to learn more about the engineer and their strengths and weaknesses.
• What is the highest show experience they have worked, is it relevant to your production? Our engineers have worked on the highest level of productions in the US with titles and credentials that would be more than adequate for your production. Contact us to discuss how our experience in the industry and professionalism can make the difference with a successful production.
• Will he or she serve multiple roles/duties on your production? We understand budgets are tight, sometimes engineer staff will need to combine multiple roles. Our sales staff will work with you and your client to determine the best plan of action when it comes to tight budgets on productions.
• Is the engineer often on this mobile unit? A truck engineer familiar with the truck will be more more agile in setting up a show on a particular truck leading to a more successful show.
• Is the engineer familiar with the show and client/network requirements? Every network has different requirements for video format, audio channels, graphic machines computers, replay codec requirements, and camera compliment. Having an engineer familiar with the event helps make an easier day for the crew and a better experience for above the line personnel.
• Does the engineer frequently game plan in the event of equipment failures or situations? Trucks experiences issues due to their traveling nature. A good engineer can recognize failures and quickly repair or work around them so the production doesn't suffer. Good engineers are problem solvers and hard workers and will work tirelessly in an event. Our crew regularly goes through the "What if's" and the "scenarios". Proper training allows our engineers to calmly work through an issue with our customers to create a satisfactory resolution. Our production truck units are well maintained and are constantly checked before during and after events for failures or maintenance issues.

We have heard countless stories of trucks touted as the best possible, but supplied inadequate engineering staff which results in a difficult experience on location and sometimes catastrophy. Carefully choosing your truck, sales staff, production coordinator, and engineer all spell a recipe of success for your event. We are happy to convey our level of competency and earn your trust. Contact us today to see how we can make a difference on your next production

In the new normal of Virtual Events, we often are asked about streaming services and how the product is delivered to the end user. We have seen the good the bad and ugly and have some recommendations for your next virtual event. As we provide custom mobile media for your next event... consider us for your next production whether in person, virtual, or a hybrid of both.

YouTube And Facebook
YouTube & Facebook is a solid choice for streaming, they are both popular platforms that are reliable and contain familiar controls for users. However, we have experiences where firewall and content filtering systems disable those sites even if they are contained 'embedded' on a website you own. Simplicity is key for live streaming and making the product harder to view for viewers will greatly increase the support required to assist viewers.

But! We have a solution!

Proprietary AWS Solution
We have worked countless productions offering a solution utilizing a scalable Amazon Web Services streaming platform model which will allow your event to scale from 1 to millions of viewers without struggle. Our system also allows backups stream paths in the event of encoder or internet failure. Although YouTube and Facebook are free solutions, the reliability you gain with our proprietary AWS solution provides custom mobile media solutions for your event at benefit that outweighs the cost.

We are so Happy that St. Mark Episcopal Church and St. Anne Catholic Church in Beaumont, TX is happy with their new robotic camera installation and setup for live streaming their church services. Our install included Blackmagic Design ATEM Switcher, DataVideo PTC-150 PTZ Cameras, Datavideo Remote RS422 Camera Controller, HDMI Capture Dongle and of course our legendary training and service.

Some of the challenges presented and overcome included camera location, cost, longevity and quality of equipment, ease of operation, and aesthetics.

We thank St. Mark's and St. Anne's in Beaumont for awarding us this project and we are happy to build another lifelong customer!

You Can Watch Both Services on Their Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/stmarksbeaumont
https://www.facebook.com/stannebmt

Choosing the right type of production truck for your next event production can be exhausting and time consuming. We make it easy to find the right truck and gear for the job and can make recommendations that will make your event even more of a success without sacrificing your budget. We've detailed below a few things to consider while you are on your search for a potential TV Truck for your next event production.

Type of Equipment and capabilities: Not all TV trucks are created equally… Ask yourself…

• Will the switcher accomplish the task?
• Will the show I am doing need motion graphics, and specific software to operate.
• How many inputs and outputs of replay will I need?
• Is specific hardware needed such as file capabilities for importing and exporting video files?
• How many cameras are needed, what type of lenses are needed, what configuration, big box sports lenses, or handheld?
• How many microphones, talent earpieces, intercom communication boxes and other audio gear needed to complete the production?

Our qualified sales staff will walk through the scenarios and options including what is the desired workflow and how does a TV truck fit in it.
 
Maintenance Program:

• How often is gear maintained, ask when the last time something was maintained?
• Ask detailed questions about how old certain equipment is. What is the oldest equipment on the truck? How important is it to the broadcast?

Engineer and Sales Staff

• What is the engineer's experience?
• What is the number of shows he or she has completed?
• What is the highest show experience they have worked, is it relevant to your production?
• Will he or she serve multiple roles/duties on your production?
• Is the engineer often on this mobile unit?
• Is the engineer familiar with the show and client/network requirements?

        
We have heard countless stories of trucks touted as the best possible, but supplied inadequate engineering staff which results in a difficult experience on location and sometimes catastrophy. Carefully choosing your truck, sales staff, production coordinator, and engineer all spell a recipe of success for your event.
Logistics:

• Can it fit?
• Is power on-site? Or Generator Required?
• How far will cameras and other key areas be away from the unit?

Years in business

• Years in business is a good predictor of company success.
• Choose a company with a good track record, and a willingness to listen and put the customer first.
• Ask what are the largest shows they have produced and worked apart of.
• Check References!

Location location location.

• Where is truck based out of?
• Where will it be coming from prior to your event?
• Are there any travel costs associate with truck booking?

The qualified team at Bounce Multimedia is your event production experts! We will walk you through the entire process from start to finish and guarantee the success of your event. Choose us for your next production and see why so many of our customers and clients love us!

REMI Stands for "Remote Integration" and is a concept that has been developed and worked on for the last three years by various networks and only recently gained popularity due to the recent pandemic. We are experts at REMI production and have developed our own systems and procedures that help make REMI productions smooth.

First lets explain why clients would want to use REMI production...

• Clients gain additional cash savings than traditional remote production as most travel is eliminated
• Crews can operate in a familiar environment and workflow. Repetition is key... Using the same method and studio to operate allows a consistent product creates a better product.
• The equipment is already installed, operational and working in a studio.
• Announcers can stay on site, not travel on-site.
• Safer: With pandemics, REMI's can help separate people and keep your crew safer with better.
• Engineers on site have fewer things to work on on-site. Using KISS! (Keep It Simple Studio!)... Engineers have more time and resources to focus on camera operators, transmission, and audio. Fewer moving parts, means a more successful show, and no need for a E2 (Second Engineer) to make the show a success.

Now lets explain the things a company must consider before booking one of our REMI Solutions:

• Internet is a MUST!: Good stable Internet is a requirement to transmit. Using a website like speakeasy.net to test not only the download speed but the upload speed, in addition to testing the health with other various software, we can see the health of the network. Since we are transmitting, upload speed is the important number to consider. It will determined the CODECS, number of transmit feeds, and bit-rate the encoders are set at for the event.
• Transmission Method: There is a plethora of technology available from LiveU encoders, our proprietary H.265 HEVC encoder, LTN Connectivity and more. Choosing the right solution not only saves you money, but also determines the reliability. Some networks also have strict requirements about which encoders are acceptable and "Broadcast Quality" for their network. We can carefully help you navigate the correct choice and combination of network/equipment topography for the event.
• Audio Encoding Method: Unless you are producing the "Charlie Chaplin Look-a-like Contest", you must have audio to accompany the video. Two popular methods exist, Embedding the audio alongside the HDSDI feed down into the encoder or using a DANTE or MADI to IP solution. Both have its drawbacks and advantages, but the main thing to note is having a redundant solution in case a malfunction happens. Duplicating the audio signals in a redundant fashion can save headache during the production.
• Intercom Connectivity: Talking to your camera operators and other support staff on site is an important thing to consider. Depending on the intercom systems available there are several solutions available including Unity Intercom which can connect multiple channels and people to your event, even by cell phone if needed in certain situations. We can walk you through the different solutions and help you decide the best intercom solution for your event.
• GPI and Tally: This may be necessary for your camera operators to know if they are are. Also software exists where you can preset a tally delay (since the transmission has a selectable delay time) to prevent the operator from swish-panning or making vast adjustments while inadvertently on-air. GPIO has many functions in triggering devices, triggering master control commands and more. Depending on your workflow and needs, we can help you make the right decision.
• The "Plan-B": Creating a solid REMI solution requires the "what-ifs" and "plan-b", and maybe "plan-c". Engineers must be well versed in many options including on-site graphics, on site line cut in an emergency, incase of internet failure, studio failures, etc. If the truck becomes primary, then care must be exercised to have an alternate transmit path. A separate encoder can be used to transmit to your master control or final endpoint or streaming destination. Graphics and replay can also be accomplished on site in an emergency fashion as well. Finally another thing we recommend is in the event of a hiccup or event happening on site that prevents cameras from getting the desired shot is to have cover or safety video saved on the video playback or replay computer.

We hope these ideas and considerations can help you in choosing the right REMI provider. We are glad to help you along with your journey, providing much more than a conventional television truck for your next event. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us!