The grand live finale of the 17th season of „Dein Song“ was once again successfully produced from Studio 8 at EMG / Gravity Media’s Hürth location this year. On behalf of MB-TV Produktions GmbH, Studio 8 provided the perfect setting for the emotional highlight of the popular young talent music show.
As always, the focus was on the young singer-songwriters, who captivated the audience and the celebrity jury with their self-composed songs. The large LED sign of the show was once again an essential part of the stage design, creating a high level of recognition among fans and viewers of KiKA (the children’s and youth channel of ZDF).
The experienced team at EMG / Gravity Media ensured a smooth and expert execution of the finale.
Credits: © EMG
Weeks of intensive preparation lay behind us before the three RTL live shows of “Chefsache ESC 2025 – Wer singt für Deutschland?” kicked off on February 14, 2025. In these live shows, each act was individually and impressively staged. Hand in hand, our colleagues at EMG / Gravity Media worked closely every day with all departments and our client Raab ENTERTAINMENT GmbH to make this great project in our Studio 8 truly special. The fourth and decisive live show finally took place on March 2, 2025. Live on ARD, Abor & Tynna were crowned winners and thus sent to represent Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 finale in Basel.
With this highlight, an exciting chapter came to an end at the German location. Behind the EMG / Gravity Media team lay intensive but also impressive weeks.
Credits: © NDR, Raab ENTERTAINMENT/Willi Weber
On December 21, 2024, Raab Entertainment GmbH celebrated a spectacular prime-time highlight on RTL with the game show “Stefan und Bully gegen irgendson Schnulli.” Following the formats “EM Studio” and the weekly show “Du Gewinnst Hier Nicht Die Million,” this was the production company’s first major event show – and it delighted both fans and critics alike.
The show was produced in Studio 8 and on the outdoor grounds of EMG / Gravity Media at the Hürth location.
Starring: Stefan Raab and Michael “Bully” Herbig, who teamed up to take on the humorously dubbed challenger, the “Schnulli.” The show scored with a mix of creative games and a spirited battle of wits in nostalgic show charm.
Credits: © RTL, Markus Hertrich
At the 2024 RTL Charity Marathon, EMG / Gravity Media’s Hürth location was once again dedicated to a good cause: On behalf of MB-TV Produktions GmbH, the 24-hour live broadcast was produced from Studio 8 – with full commitment and well-known precision.
Operating around the clock in shifts, the experienced EMG / Gravity Media team ensured the smooth running of the marathon-like production. With proven live expertise, they created an impressive stage for the good cause – live and nonstop for millions of viewers.
Numerous celebrities, including athletes, actors, and public figures, as well as renowned companies and committed sponsors, supported the campaign. Together, they raised donations for aid projects benefiting children in need – in Germany and worldwide.
The RTL Charity Marathon is Germany’s longest charity live broadcast on television – and EMG / Gravity Media is proud to have been part of it again in 2024.
Credits: © RTL, Stefan Gregorowius
Key industry players collaborate for top-tier Serie A coverage
The San Siro Stadium was chosen for a pivotal test on the feasibility and quality of 4K UHD in live sports production, using a new setup. For the first time in Serie A, the Milan-Udinese match on Saturday, 19th October featured two Hitachi UHD7000-S11 cameras, part of a full 4K UHD production chain in Rec. 709 standards. This innovation introduced new viewing angles compared to traditional shots, leveraging the Hitachi 4K UHD cameras.
The Team
This trial was achieved thanks to the collaboration of multiple companies, each playing a crucial role in coordinating efforts to reach the goal. Milan, as the producer of home matches, worked alongside Lega Serie A, which authorised and supervised the project, managing Serie A production from the IBC in Lissone.
EMG Italy, responsible for the match and several Serie A productions, deployed its flagship mobile unit, the Nova 128, along with a production team. CVE, importer of Hitachi and Domo Broadcast Systems products, contributed with camera equipment and an RF transmission kit from the two respective brands. This integration of technology and expertise allowed for a successful test of 4K UHD in a high-level sports environment.
The Setting
San Siro Stadium, recently upgraded with a fibre optic infrastructure by EMG Italy, provided the ideal setting for this trial. One of the two Hitachi cameras was shoulder-mounted, allowing extensive movement along the left touchline and offering goal-line shots in RF mode. An embedded Domo Broadcast system in the camera transmitted an HEVC 1080p signal, received by a set of antennas and then routed via fibre optic to the mobile unit. The second camera, using a standard SMPTE chain, recorded UHD footage and relayed it to the EMG Italy mobile unit’s CCU. Strategically positioned at 45° along the length of the field near the benches, this camera was mounted on a tripod for optimum coverage.
EMG Italy CTO
“The test yielded very positive results,” says Francesco Donato, CTO of EMG Italy, “both for image quality and fluidity, perfectly integrated into our OB Truck Nova 128 workflow.”
General Manager of CVE
“Hitachi,” emphasises Mauro Contursi, CVE’s General Manager, “has long offered a proven studio broadcasting technology, but this is the first time in Italy that we have been able to showcase the HD7000 cameras in the field during Serie A. The 4K UHD solutions proved perfect for live broadcast, with one camera, in particular, used wirelessly thanks to an integrated transmission board developed by Domo Broadcast Systems.”
Optics
“Both lenses selected were FUJINON,” comments Francesco Spisti, Head of Sales & Marketing at Fujifilm. “We opted for a UA107x8.4BESM-T45 box lens, balancing focal range and performance, mounted on the SMPTE camera. The shoulder camera used a UA22x8BERD-S8 ENG lens, ideal for realistic, high-quality 4K video production. Both lenses included full servo controls for precise zoom and focus.”
Head of production
“Using a shoulder camera in constant motion across the field,” says Giacomo Gatti, Head of Production at EMG Italy, “usually strains compression systems, producing artefacts. However, the Hitachi camera handled the stress well, delivering image quality without visual interference. Moreover, the RF section must ensure stable transmission in motion, which is not always the case. Here, the camera maintained signal stability, even within the tunnel, which other RF links have struggled with. The tunnel, symbolising the final moments before match kickoff, proved to be no issue for the embedded Domo Broadcast board in the Hitachi 7000, showcasing remarkable reliability. This gives directors greater operational confidence. Additionally, we managed colour control remotely via the panel, even for the radio camera, allowing video parameter adjustments directly over the radio link.”
Carlo Maria Di Tullio concludes: “As self-producer for our Campionato and Coppa Italia matches, AC Milan remains committed to advanced broadcasting technology to continually enhance the quality of content and viewing experiences for fans. In a competitive Serie A landscape, technological innovation is essential to deliver broadcast experiences that meet modern expectations with increasingly engaging, interactive content. The San Siro trial aligns perfectly with AC Milan’s vision of consistently exploring solutions from advanced cameras, immersive graphics, and real-time analytics to AI and machine learning to optimise production and workflows. These innovations aim to deliver a top-tier TV experience, aligning with the needs of today’s fans who expect highly interactive, customisable content accessible on multiple devices.”
© 2024 Presspool PressOffice RobertoLandini
Due to the 2021 NAB show being postponed to October this year, to keep the video-production community informed, SVG is hosting a series of SportsTech On Demand video interviews throughout April to June with executives from the industry’s top technology vendors.
Will Wright, Director of Production & Content of Gravity Media in the USA, caught up with SVG to discuss how Gravity Media found a unique spot in packaging, our commitment to new technologies, and how new workflows are creating new opportunities.
With a centralised production facility in San Francisco as well as other production assets across the country Gravity Media is playing a bigger part in sports production across the USA.
The SVG interview is available to watch in full here and to find out more about Gravity Media can help you with your next production, email enquiries@gravitymedia.com
One of the best aspects of my role is the range of projects. We do a lot of different work, including big events like the Olympics and FIFA World Cup. We support and supply Avid editing equipment suites for the French, Australian and US Opens, and Wimbledon. Then there’s the light entertainment shows, where we may do a record in an Avid system for the client to take away and edit at their own post production house. Sometimes, we provide on-site support for those types of systems as well.
In 2019, our biggest job was hit show The Circle, screened on Channel 4 in the UK and on Netflix in the US. I worked on the project from July through to December, building a fully redundant “Clustered” Avid Interplay System and 500TB of on-site Avid NEXIS storage, with more than 30 Edit Suites attached. Alongside were 10 Loggers using EVS IPDirector and 10 EVS XT-3’s capturing 40 incoming streams.
My role involves travelling at least once or twice per month. Time away is anywhere from a couple of days to a week but for the Olympics, we’re out of the office eight weeks straight. I’ve done some great jobs abroad, they tend to be the most interesting, but if in the office – we are based in Ash Vale, in Surrey – we supply edit suites for ITV drama shows. So while I might be in the office at the start of a normal day, I could end up in a film studio by the end of it.
No two jobs are the same at Gravity Media and the work is often challenging, requiring lateral thinking. You may need to get a bit creative with the kit, or it might be the client changes their mind at the last minute, or needs more in terms of kit than expected. The office is really good at letting us get on with it, although support is offered. A lot of clients, you get to know them well.
My role is similar to that of a tech support engineer or post production engineer, but more involved. We take ownership of projects from beginning to end. We will liaise with the clients for requirements, spec the system, build the system at base to test it, box it up, take it to the site, install it and then support it from there, prior to de-rig once the job’s complete.
About 20 staff are based at Ash Vale, situated in fairly close proximity. It’s great to be able to just go and talk to someone, rather than have to spend all day emailing.
There’s a good team mentality at the office. On the tech side of things, we help each other out. If one of us is stuck on a job, the others are contactable and willing to give advice.
Everything is built around PC and Mac operating systems, so for my job, you have to be an expert in both. Good basic networks knowledge is essential. I started as a runner for Input Media in 2007 – now part of Gravity Media – and worked my way up.
The ability to keep calm in high pressure situations is useful in my job. It also helps if you’re a good communicator, able to clearly explain to the client how long things will take and what’s achievable. A big plus is if you’re able to think on your feet. No matter what happens, the show has got to go out. You’ve always got to find a way to make it work.
What advice would you give a job seeker who’s thinking about applying for a job with Gravity Media?
They need to be keen. They should be willing to ‘muck in’ and help, especially on a de-rig, even if it’s boxing up cables. They must also be prepared to spend time away from home. We do a lot of travelling. Scotland and around the UK usually, but it can be further afield, such as for the Olympics, FIFA World Cup or Rugby World Cup. Spending time away from family is hard, and the job can involve long hours, sometimes at short notice. It’s good fun seeing other countries, though.
When you tell people about your job, what’s one thing that surprises them, or gets them excited about the work you do?
People tend to think of the job as being quite glamorous but often we are actually in a carpark or a small room backstage somewhere. So yeah, I was at the World Cup but I was in a carpark, inside a truck, watching on small monitors. Saying that, we do get access-all-areas passes at some really big events, which is nothing to complain about.
What is your most favourite project you have worked on with Gravity Media?
A couple of years ago we did a BBC project called Big Blue Live. It involved setting up five edit suites in California, next to Monterey Bay Aquarium. It was just me on my own out there. I set up and supported the edits suites, two ingest stations and an EVS network as well. I was out there for about seven weeks in total but once the gear was set up, it was primarily a support role. Nothing went wrong, thankfully, and I got to spend seven weeks by the beach in California.
There could only ever be one winner of this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. England cricketer Ben Stokes played two sensational innings this summer – either of which could have been career-defining, but both of which happened within the space of a few weeks. Stokes was voted man of the match for his performance as England won the World Cup for the first time with a dramatic super over victory against New Zealand at Lord’s, and the all-rounder then also hit an unbeaten 135 in the one-wicket third Ashes Test triumph against Australia at Headingley. Amazing stuff.
Back at the show, Lewis Hamilton came second, and also received a lot of support, with fans arguing his six world championships and nine months of consistent brilliance in 2019 should have been enough for him to get the gong. Perhaps next year. Record-breaking sprinter Dina Asher-Smith was a well-deserved third.
A team from Gravity Media supported the BBC’s broadcast of the event, installing two Avid Media Composer Nitris DX Suites and an EVS XFile 3 for streaming at the P&J Arena in Aberdeen.
Gravity Media supported Global Broadcast’s 2019 Jingle Bell Ball last weekend, as all the big names in pop turned out for Capital FM’s annual Christmas party. Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Stormzy and more helped deliver two days of pulsating pop at the O2 London.
Such a large-scale live event demanded 18 Adobe Premiere Pro Creative Cloud suites and a large EVS integration rig for the two-day event on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th December, supported from start to finish by Gravity Media’s onsite engineers.
Gravity Media will be working alongside BBC Sport for all upcoming fixtures in this season’s FA Cup. First up was a visit to Champion Hill, home to Dulwich Hamlet Football Club, for their match against Carlisle United on Friday 8 November. Dulwich play in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football, and Carlisle are in League Two.
Dulwich were playing in the first round of the Cup for the first time in 21 years, but an upset never looked likely. Carlisle comfortably won 4-1 to reach the second round of the competition, where they’ll meet Forest Green Rovers. Forest Green are currently sitting second in League Two.
Gravity Media provided Avid Media Composer systems and EVS integration for the game. Our next outing will be to cover Maldon & Tiptree’s second-round game against Newport County or Grimsby Town, which will be shown live on BBC Two. The match takes place on Friday, 29 November and coverage will start at 19:55 GMT.
The London Palladium rolled out its red carpet on Monday 18 November for the recording of this year’s Royal Variety Performance. Gravity Media was onsite at the venue, supporting ITV with an EVS record solution, backed up with Harding FPA for compliance.
Comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan took the helm, marking the first time in 11 years that more than one person has presented the show. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were guests of honour, and the evening included performances from Lewis Capaldi, Robbie Williams and the cast of Mary Poppins.
Since its inception in 1960, the Royal Variety Performance has been watched by over 150 million people worldwide, making it the most successful and longest-running entertainment show in the world. The event is in aid of the Royal Variety Charity, raising money to support hundreds of entertainers throughout the UK, who need help and assistance as a result of old age, ill-health or hard times.
This year’s show will be broadcast in December.
A Gravity Media team was onsite at The Royal Albert Hall last Saturday, supporting the BBC’s coverage of the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance.
This year marked the 75th anniversaries of the great battles of 1944 and the collaboration and friendship of the British, Commonwealth and Allied armies who fought them. Unique tributes marked the battles of Monte Cassino, Kohima, Imphal and D-Day, culminating in a parade of some of the last surviving veterans who fought and served in 1944.
As poppy petals fell from the ceiling, the attendees fell silent to pay tribute to all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Then, on Sunday 10th, the Gravity Media team continued their support to the BBC and CTV OB at the Remembrance Sunday service from the Cenotaph in Whitehall, where Her Majesty the Queen, members of the royal family, the prime minister and other leading politicians, and representatives of the Armed Forces gathered for the two-minute silence.
Gravity Media provided Avid Media Composer systems and a full Avid Interplay production suite to support the weekend’s transmission.
