CJP Commence Technology Refresh for University of Sunderland

CJP Broadcast Service Solutions, a leading provider of products and services for the broadcast and wider television industry, announces the start of a major project for the University of Sunderland.

Mo-Sys StarTracker

"This latest venture comprises four elements," comments CJP Broadcast founder and Managing Director Chris Phillips. "Each element will enable the Faculty of Arts & Creative Industries to teach the very latest techniques in virtual production, TV production and outside broadcasting.

"The first project element will be the provision of a curved LED volume incorporating the latest Mo-Sys LED technology and Bendac InfiLED 1.9 mm LED panels. The faculty will use a Mo-Sys VP Pro XR LED content server to drive the LED volume, featuring seamless Multi-Camera switching, Cinematic XR Focus for pulling focus between real and virtual objects, and Set Extensions. Tracking will be provided by a Mo-Sys StarTracker.

"The second project will be the upgrade of an existing TV studio. It was important for the faculty to upgrade its legacy production infrastructure to full broadcast quality. We recommended and will be implementing a full Ross Video workflow, ready for 4K-UHD expansion.

"Third will be the integration of a motion capture and virtual camera system into the 4K-UHD chromakey studio which we installed last year. This presents an opportunity to incorporate new solutions that further enhance the film and television course modules. It will include areas such as virtual cinematography linked with the Mo-Sys VP Pro Unreal Engine plugin.

"The fourth element of this group will be a mobile production kit based on a StreamStar X4 capable of accommodating up to four camera channels plus a wireless camera link, LiveU LU300 field unit and Hollyland wireless intercom. This will enable students to capture live events on the fly, with integration back to studio."

"CJP made a great job of the 4K-UHD virtual studio which we commissioned in 2021 for the David Puttnam Media Centre on the Sir Tom Cowie Campus, St Peter's," adds Craig Moore, Senior TV Technician. "The CJP team were the logical choice for this next phase in the modernisation of our creative and technical resources. Chromakey has long been one of the most powerful tools available to film and television producers. We are also investing in one of the largest EDU LED stages in the UK. This will incorporate the very latest technology and workflows for virtual production, enabling our students to gain the knowledge and practical experience of new concepts that will become industry standard. The system CJP has recommended and is providing will equip DPMC students with a true state-of-the-art solution which will open creative opportunities limited only by their imagination."

Kieran Phillips tells us more about this new project below:

"It is important in the creative industries to ensure that our students get access to the technologies that are current and the technological changes that will influence the sector into the future," states Professor Arabella Plouviez SFHEA, Academic Dean, Faculty of Arts & Creative Industries. "With this further investment in our virtual production studios, we will be able to ensure that our students have hands-on experience and also get to use their creative skills to challenge and push the technology. This investment provides exciting opportunities to bring together students with different skillsets – from TV, film, sound, photography, animation, performance and design as well as students from sciences such as technology and computing."

"Through virtual production, the converging worlds of film, TV, games, animation and VFX are changing traditional film and television practices," says Nicholas Glean, University of Sunderland Senior Lecturer in Video & New Media. "The new technological tools and skills needed for virtual production are also challenging traditional film and media production pedagogy. CJP is collaborating with us to navigate and integrate these new skills and tools into our programmes so that we can instruct a new generation of filmmakers. We are happy and excited to be working with them."

"In addition to the major investment in virtual production, further investment in outside broadcasting equipment, studio cameras and an extensive refit of the vision gallery is fantastic news for our students as it enables them to use industry-standard equipment and learn a variety of new production processes that will place them at the forefront of a number of cutting-edge technologies which are now being used in high-profile productions such as The Mandalorian and the forthcoming series of Doctor Who," summarises Sue Perryman SFHEA, Senior Lecturer. "This additional investment in outside broadcast technologies also means that our students can work on live, real-time productions, both inside and outside the TV studio, such as music, sport, dance, and performance. These opportunities will further develop students’ creativity as they gain the vital skills needed to work with new state-of-the-art production processes that are revolutionising TV production around the world. I, for one, cannot wait!"

The project is scheduled for completion in Q3 2022.