LitUp Digital chooses Panasonic P2HD for two major children’s TV productions

Panasonic’s P2HD solid state broadcast camera equipment is the technology behind two new children’s programs screened on the ABC and Nick Jr in Australia.

LitUp Digital, a production company that specialises in post-production management, editing and colour grading, selected a Panasonic P2HD broadcast solution for their work on both the ABC’s ‘Dirtgirl World’ series and also ‘Lah-Lah’s Big Live Band’ for Nick Jr.

LitUp Digital spent considerable time researching and testing the P2’s capabilities and workflow, to ensure they selected the right equipment for the project.

According to Michael Jones, Director/Editor of LitUp Digital, it was important to carry out the correct research before starting such a large production:

There was a period of testing cameras and workflow before the studio shoot for Dirtgirl World began. We looked at the whole work flow before deciding what product to go for. My colleague, David Wakeley was running two cameras side by side and I was testing the workflow.

Jones considered various factors including file format (REDCODE verses AVC INTRA), file size, transcoding times and the post-production workflow. The files needed to be transcoded to Apple’s Pro Res format on their way to Final Cut Pro. The project needed to be delivered as 720 HD so the broadcast camera was the solid choice for the finishing format.

Jones continued:

In the end the Panasonic AJ-HPX3000 was the clear choice. It captures outstanding picture quality, but the stand-out feature is the speed at which AVC intra transcoded to Pro Res.

Following the success of the ‘Dirtgirl World’ production, the company was then asked to produce ‘Lah-Lah’s Big Live Band’.

For this production, LitUp Digital stayed with P2HD but used AG-HPX502 and HVX202 cameras with the DVCPRO HD codec. Again the company used Apple’s Final Cut Pro for editing and onset ingest and file management. The content for the show consisted of music videos for kids aged two to six years old and involved a mix of live action and animation. The studio shoot was completely green screen and all the locations and sets were CGI.

Panasonic P2HD products are designed for video professionals and incorporate industry-leading technology, which proved a great advantage for Jones and his team.

I am really pleased to see these Australian productions go so well and to be shown not only here in Australia but exported around the work. They show how when a production company like Lit-Up Digital and the rental house like Procam work together to evaluate the entire workflow that the results are spectacular. Despite their tight shooting schedule everything went well.
Mathew Alexander, Broadcast Manager at Panasonic Australia

Panasonic P2 cards are designed for professional users to offer fast, easy IT-based operations and ultra high reliability. They are reusable so that P2 acquisition requires no media consumption, resulting in tremendous savings in media costs. Packaged in a rugged, die-cast frame, the P2 card is resistant to impact, vibration, shock, dust and environmental extremes.

For more about Panasonic Broadcast Australia visit our website