JVC Professional Video Makes Livestreaming A Breeze for Filmscape Chicago

CHICAGO, AUGUST 26, 2024 ― Filmscape, an educational, non-profit that helps develop resources in the Chicago metro and surrounding areas for people pursuing careers in film and television, provides engaging content covering all things production. To build knowledge for those working behind the scenes in the industry, the organization hosts its “Filmscape Conference” each year. To livestream this year’s sessions on YouTube, the organization deployed one KY-PZ510WU and two KY-PZ400NWU PTZ cameras,managed by theRM-LP100U remote camera controller, from JVC Professional Video.

The KY-PZ510 was used as the primary camera to track the individual presenter, while the two KY-PZ400 cameras flanked the stage for panel discussions. “The low profile of the JVC PTZ cameras enabled us to place them in environments that are otherwise not possible with a traditional camera setup,” says Gary Adcock, Executive Director of Filmscape. “Due to the compact construction of the cameras, we were able to mount one of the KY-PZ400 PTZs on a wall, suspend the other KY-PZ400 from the ceiling, and place the single KY-PZ510 PTZ on a large stand. With this setup, we captured the event and fulfilled Filmscape’s continued mission of providing the necessary impact with the best possible technology.”

Adcock adds that the JVC PTZ cameras helped expand the floorplan, bringing the attendees closer to the stage. “Having PTZs out of the way of traffic meant we no longer had to lose those seating positions for the cameras; we were actually able to add seats in this environment,” he says. “This allowed us to livestream this content in a way that we hadn’t previously been able to do, in an effective manner.”

Adcock says that this was further impacted by the features of the KY-PZ510 camera. “We were fascinated by JVC’s AI-enabled auto-tracking feature, which efficiently followed the speaker throughout our presentations,” he explains. “It simplified the process for the film crew as they didn’t have to manually track the speaker. This also benefitted the speaker, as they could walk around the stage without worrying whether they were in the shot. This enhanced the experience for our livestream viewers, who were afforded an intimate feeling as though they were attending the event in person.”

Among the other standout features of the cameras was the ability for it to connect over the internet. “Our staff was also impressed by the ability to livestream directly to our YouTube channel,” says Adcock. “The simplicity of the built-in technologies of the JVC PTZs, such as the ability to connect over Ethernet and control the cameras in multiple ways, is amazing to me. These features allowed the camera operators to perform at a higher level, and that’s important.”

Furthermore, Adcock adds: “Creating a seamless livestream can become very complicated when you have more than 1,000 people around you while you’re trying to run simple, efficient camera workflows with non-traditional camera placements. We are proud and honored to have the JVC PTZs to capture this event, and to join us in building our community — not only locally in Chicago, but across the Midwest; bringing film and television education right into homes.”