A FOR-A HVS-390HS 2M/E vision mixer has been installed as a part of the new Mini-Rig portable production unit from Minicams. The rig has already been at work shooting Twofour’s new fly-on-the-wall ‘Happy Families’ production for ITV.
The 20 RU Mini-Rig, designed for easy transport and quick set-up, supports up to 24 Panasonic PTZ and GoPro miniature cameras, 64 microphones. The many built-in features of the HVS-390HS mixer, including the multiviewer and frame synchronisation for all 24 video inputs, help to fit all the technical requirements into a small space, and to achieve a quick set-up. This is particularly important for the production as the rig continuously moves between four diverse family homes and can be run by one operator.
Peter Jones, Sales Manager FOR-A (UK), comments. “We are delighted that Minicams is using the HVS-390HS vision mixer in this innovative way. It’s perfect for the Mini-Rig with all the production features needed in one box, as fast plug-in-and-go set-up.”
“The mobile Minicams Mini-Rig is designed for fast-paced broadcast production,” says Nick McLachlan, MD of Minicams. “We put the FOR-A mixer at the heart of the Mini-Rig for the Happy Families series because we needed a robust, compact and creative mixer that would not let us down. It’s proven to be the ideal choice, being easy to control, dynamic and highly portable.”
The HVS-390HS is a compact, cost-effective vision mixer that is available in 1 M/E and 2 M/E versions. It includes 16 HD/SD-SDI inputs and eight outputs (expandable to 24 inputs and 13 outputs), with frame synchronizers for all inputs, as well as a dual 16-channel multiviewer. Built-in resizing engines on four inputs allow mixing HD, SD, and PC sources. Two chroma keyers and four keyers per M/E are standard. All keyers have 2.5D DVE and there are two 3D DVEs (for background and keyer) for each M/E. The switcher includes stores for up to 480 video frames and up to 100 events.
Minicams was established in 2008 to provide specialist cameras and systems for both wet and dry hire to the broadcast industry. The team has operated and installed specialist camera systems around the world on some of the highest profile sporting events. With considerable experience in aerial photography and with Winter and Summer Olympics events, Minicams specializes in getting hard-to-achieve shots. As a result, the founder, Nick McLachlan, won an RTS award for his camera work on The Family series 1. After a recent move to larger premises in Staines, the company has seen rapid growth for its services, expertise and equipment.
