PTZ ComposerBlackmagic ATEM
The ATEM says which camera is live, so that camera does not move under the cut.
An ATEM already knows the one fact automated camerawork most needs: which camera is on program. The software reads that on-air status from the ATEM over your production network. A camera on program holds still. A cue for a live camera waits for the cut, then runs the moment that camera is clear. Cameras that are clear of the cut can be sent ahead, into position for the moment that is coming. The person on the switcher keeps cutting exactly as before, and the video path through the ATEM does not change at all.
How it connects
The software reads on-air status from the ATEM over your production network. Camera SDI keeps going straight into the switcher, as it always has.
What it does
- It reads which camera the ATEM has on program, over your production network, and keeps that knowledge current as the switcher operator cuts.
- A camera that is live on program holds still, so a prepared move does not happen in the picture the room is watching.
- A cue for a camera that is on air waits for the cut, then runs the moment that camera is clear, so the move still happens.
- Cameras that are clear of the cut can be sent ahead, so the next cut lands on a shot that is already composed rather than still arriving.
What it does not do
- It does not switch your show. The person on the ATEM decides what goes to air and cuts exactly as before.
- It does not touch the video. Camera pictures go into the ATEM by the route they use today, and the software is not in that path.
- It does not move cameras on its own. It holds a live camera and lets waiting cues run; the camerawork is what your team prepared and cued.
Setting it up
Point the software at the ATEM
Give the software the address of your ATEM on the production network. It reads on-air status from there, and nothing changes in the ATEM or its video wiring.
Match cameras to switcher inputs
Tell the software which ATEM input each camera arrives on. That is how it knows which head to hold when an input goes to program.
Rehearse a cut
Cue a move on a live camera during rehearsal and watch it wait for the cut. Your switcher operator sees the rule working before the audience does.
Questions
What does the software read from the ATEM?
On-air status: which camera is on program right now. That is the one fact it needs to keep a live camera still. It does not change your ATEM settings, and the switcher keeps cutting the show.
What happens if I cue a move on the camera that is live?
The cue waits. The camera holds still while it is on program, and the move runs the moment the switcher operator cuts away. Nothing moves in front of the room, and nothing is lost.
Does the ATEM cue the camera moves?
No. The ATEM tells the software which camera is live, and the software respects that. Your team cues the prepared camerawork from the software or a controller, as it does without an ATEM.
Does our camera video have to change route?
No. Camera pictures keep going straight into the ATEM, as they always have. The software reads on-air status over the network and drives the heads, and it never joins the video path.
Where it comes up
Performing-arts venues
Tech week, then opening night.
BroadcastLive production and broadcast
Preset punches become moves the director can take.
CorporateCorporate events and town halls
Compose the room's camerawork once. Run it at every all-hands.
WorshipHouses of worship
Prepare the camerawork before Sunday. Perform it with the moment.
Music venuesMusic venues and concert halls
The reveal on the downbeat. The slow push through the solo.