Live Shot Manager — Introduction

Introduction

The Live Shot Manager is an application that digitizes and automates the control room process of managing live shots. Live shots are feed instances of a person in a location, an event, or a show. Shows can grab live shots to edit and incorporate into their programming. Currently, the workflow for managing live shots is very manual and communication-heavy. This application aims to remove the need to rely on verbal communication and spreadsheets, which will simplify their workflow and reduce human error. Users will be able to view and have better control of live shots. This application has huge implications for our broadcasting services and there may be potential integrations with many other applications in the future.

Contents

Current Workflow

1

A user creates a live shot by typing information like the name, location, and all relevant metadata into an Excel spreadsheet called the Live Shot Sheet. The same information put into this sheet should live in the Live Shot Manager.

2

The user will send the sheet to Media Traffic.

3

Media Traffic takes this information and translates it, pick REMs and assigns other global routing information.

4

Media Traffic sends this back and the TCAM takes it and sends it to a couple of other places.

LSM Prototype UI and Functionality

Media Traffic's View

  • Media Traffic has their own view of the Live Shot Manager – they have their own tab within the application that allows them to manage objects.
  • Media Traffic is able to add global routing information for an object.

Creating an Object

  • Users can add an object into the system via the “+” symbol on the top right corner of the application.
    • When creating an object, a user can select a shot template (Host, Guest, Studio, Event, or Phoner) that will pre-populate a number of different signals you would expect to get from that sort of live shot.
    • These templates allow users to quickly create live shots with pre-determined routes.
    • If the same person appears twice a day in two locations, that counts as two live shots.
  • Signal Selection
    • There are dropdowns representing different router sources and destinations based on each of these signal types (Send, Receive, Phone) selected.
    • If we select “Send,” the dropdown will show us local router sources. If we select “Receive,” it will show us local router destinations. For “Phone” line, we’ll select an IFB or PL slots.
    • These dropdowns are populated from the Magnum router list so we want to be able to query and have the most up to date information in this application so it knows router sources and destinations that actually exist.
  • Metadata
    • Object metadata can be added or edited after an object is created.
    • This metadata can contain information such as production notes and technical notes, like equipment, people involved, and set info.
  • Shot ID
    • Every object has a unique ID.
    • Four characters with uppercase letters and numbers omitting Os and 0s permits around 2 million objects over the course of time. Adding a 5th character brings that to 30 million.
  • Expiration of shots
    • When creating an object and/or editing an object, the expiration time frame of shots can be set to: never, 1 week, 1 day, or 1 hour.
    • Objects are never truly deleted from the system, but when they expire, they will no longer appear in search results.
    • Users who have added a shot to their canvas before their expiration can still use the shot and have the functionality of renewing it.

Prototype Layout and UI

  • Objects added to the system populate on the left side of the application called the canvas.
  • Buttons on the top left side of the application serve as filters to show you which objects are of the grabbed variety, taken variety, unassigned variety, or all.
  • The right side of the application is for viewing different attributes of an object.
  • Buttons on the top right side of the application allow users to: create an object, search for an object, and view object attributes.
    • In this prototype, there is a tab with a gear icon specifically for Media Traffic and a button with a trash icon for resetting the database.

Object Statuses

  • Objects change color depending on their status: taken (yellow), grabbed (green), attempt to grab error (red), and unassigned (grey).
  • Checkboxes appear on the objects as indicators for checking in a shot.
    • The right-most checkbox indicates that Media Traffic has approved a shot and it can now be taken and grabbed.
    • The adjacent left checkbox indicates that the control room has given the shot a QC.

User Behavior

  • Multiple control rooms can take an object, but only one control room can grab an object.
    • “Take” will route all inbound lines into our local destination, or execute routes marked as receive only. Any number of control rooms can take at the same time with no conflicts.
    • “Grab Control” will actually force the outbound to this control room to that remote location. This executes routes marked as receive and send (and probably phone as well). Only one control room can grab a shot at a time.
    • “Grab Control” also executes both local and global routes. Thus, it affects the control room and Media Traffic routes.
    • Two control rooms can view a shot at the same time. However, only one control can own the outbound line going to that remote destination. So there can only be one control room feeding that IFB or monitor.
  • Notifications
    • If another control room attempts to grab an object that has been grabbed by another control room, the control room with the control will get a notification that another control room is attempting to grab control and which control room it is. Then, they have the option to release control (this can serve as a reminder if they forgot to).
    • The control room attempting to grab control is notified that another room currently has control of a shot and which room that is.
    • The control room attempting to grab control is notified when the shot has been released from a control room.
  • Routing Information
    • Media Traffic adds local routing information for a live shot and the Technical Production Manager (TPM) adds local routing information.
    • When a live shot is added to a control room, each control room has their own version of the shot and the local routing dropdown will be specific to each control room.

Proposed Workflow

1

An object is instantiated when a Technical Production Manager (TPM) creates the object, which is the equivalent of booking the studio.

2

Media Traffic goes in and look at this booking/object and assigns global routing information to it.

3

Media Traffic gives the object a checkmark when the shot is good to go and ready to be taken or grabbed by a control room.

4

A control room takes or grabs that object. The object will turn yellow if it was taken by a control room. If it was grabbed, the object will turn green and also have a lock icon at the end of the object.

  • A control room doesn’t need to take an object in order to grab it; they can just grab it first.
  • Multiple control rooms can take an object to view it. Only one control room can grab an object.
5

The TPM of that control room adds local routing information to that live shot.

6

If another control room attempts to grab an object that has been grabbed already, they will see the object flash red as a warning signal and they will be notified that the object has been grabbed by another room. A notification will be sent to the control room with the control of the object to let them know another room, which room, is attempting to grab control.

7

Once the control room with the control releases control of the object, the other control room attempting to grab control will get a notification that the object is free and they can grab it.

8

When Media Traffic was initially setting up the object, they put in an expiration time frames. When that time frame is up, the object stops appearing in search results. However, users who already added a shot to their canvas before its expiration can continue using the shot and also renew the shot.

User Groups

Media Traffic

  • They used to be called Sat Ops, but most of the windows aren't booked on satellite lines anymore, so they are now reffered to as Media Traffic.
  • A department that services all of the control rooms, all of the shows, all at the same time. They handle things on the global level.
  • They should have their own unique view of the Live Shot Manager.

TPM – Technical Production Manager

  • TPMs are the ones who book all the shots. In the control room, they are the manager. They have on-air responsibilities to be taking and grabbing all these and making sure everything’s good before we go to air.

TPC – Technical Production Coordinator

  • TPCs help book and plan shots before the control room.

TV and Video operators

  • These operators are responsible for physically operating the camera and maintaining composition and camera angles throughout a given scene or shot.

Producers

  • A producer helps coordinate, the financial, legal, administrative, technological, and artistic aspects of a production.

Audio operators

  • An audio operator is responsible for setting up sound and recording equipment, making adjustments and testing the equipment and assisting with recordings or sound production.

Desk editors

  • A desk editor works in a print or broadcast journalism newsroom to gather news tips, assign stories to writers and reporters, and edit the final product before publication or broadcast.

Superadmins

  • A superadmin will oversee all aspects of the Live Shot Manager and manage user access and rights. They will assist in troubleshooting issues and make sure the application is running smoothly for all the different users.

Essential Features

  • Integration with Evertz Magnum
  • Permission settings
    • Media Traffic has a different view than a regular user (i.e., a desk editor).
  • Notifications
    • These are important in order to reduce e-mail and verbal communication.
    • Users need to be notified that another control room has grabbed control of a shot and which control room that is.
    • Users who grabbed control of a shot need to be notified that another control room is attempting to grab control.
    • Users who grabbed a shot need to be notified/reminded that they have control of a shot.
    • Users need to be notified when a shot they are trying to grab control of has been released.
  • Indicators
    • Users need an indicator of a shot has been approved by Media Traffic, since the control room needs a signal from Media Traffic that a shot is ready to hit the air.
    • Users need an indicator that the control room has QCed and approved a shot since a shot needs to be QCed before going on air.
  • Expiration system
    • It would be ideal for the expiration system of an object to have a specific date and time. Right now, the prototype simply has an expiration time frame (i.e., one day, one week).
    • Users should be able to renew a live shot once it has expired.
  • Search
    • Users should be able to search for live shots in the system that have not hit their expiration times in order to easily find what they are looking for.
  • Metadata collection
    • The current prototype only houses a few demo metadata types. Ideally, it would be helpful to have additional metadata fields they’d be able to enter in here, like time zone, special preferences for makeup, and different things producers or tech people might be interested in seeing.
  • Take vs. Grab Control functionality
  • Visual indicator or status for each object to show how it gets passed from creation ▸ Media Traffic ▸ to unique control rooms
  • Potential integrations
    • Desk Tracker
    • ScheduAll
    • iNews