Virtual News Set

[Mark Suszko]

If it is for live, it will be expensive to make it look good and be foolproof. If this is just for post, go crazy. However, of the pre-built sets I have seen, too many of them look like discarded video game levels. The ones that look truly photoreal and well-designed, not surprisingly, cost beaucoup money to be made by, yes, rea; set designers.

One source has a link to the Newtek toaster web site, look for a link to additional sets or something there.

[Larry Zapotocky]

Thanks for the info. I was struggling with those same issues myself. It looks more and more like a new set should be designed.

We are a local news station and don’t have a huge budget, as was the reason to look at virtual.

Thanks again,
Larry

[Mark Suszko]

I think what I would do in your case is invest in some live projection gear or monitors. Look at the Daily Show’s set, yes, it is a little over the top, but the neat thing they have is a huge projection wall that acts like a cheomakey synthetic set but is only a simple (powerful) rear-projection, and with it, they can change the mood and theme of a set from moment to moment, and it isa ral, existing set in regualr camer shots. This is like haveing changeable dura-trans panels without the cost, and you get the benefits of al-electronic creation without the processing overhead of the chromakey effects, worries about failure modes, and you can pan and move a camera around normally.

Issues that would come up include: do you have enough room on set for a rear projection setup of decent size, how expensive is the projector, how much noise and heat does it create and can you deal with that. Most of the bigger projectors have a 2-bulb system with an instant backup so losing a bulb live opnly means the backdrop dims a bit, nand not that you are suddenyl looking at ugly blue or green blank walls during the show. And you cna also have a backup of cheap ellipsoid spots with precut gobo patterns to shine on that rear projector screen in emergencies.

If you just don’t have the room for projection, then LED or plasma walls would be a choice with similar benefits. See what CNN does with The Situation Room and their video wall.