Iceland’s RÚV makes efficiency gains with Pixotope

Sustainability plays a significant role in the operations and decision-making process at The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV). RÚV strives to align its initiatives with the UN’s Global Goals, ensuring that it not only operates efficiently but also considers its impact on future generations.

The broadcaster’s traditional production methods involved a cycle of constructing, dismantling and storing or discarding sets, which saw a significant amount of wasted materials over the course of numerous productions. Determined to weave sustainability into more aspects of its operations, RÚV sought ecofriendly solutions to optimise its production processes.

In addition to this, the high costs and time taken to construct, dismantle, and store physical sets presented a financial strain. This challenge was exacerbated during major events like the EHF Handball Championships, which required blocking out the main studio for extended periods and limiting the broadcaster’s capacity to produce other content.

Maintaining viewer engagement was equally crucial. By enabling swift set transformations, RÚV aimed to support a broader and more diverse programming lineup, catering to viewer needs or more efficiently adapting to meet changing production requirements.

Driven by these goals, RUV turned to Pixotope’s virtual production technologies. Pixotope’s user-friendly interface and ease of integration into existing workflows allowed the broadcaster to implement the software quickly, while the all-in-one platform streamlined RÚV’s workflow, reducing the need for multiple systems and ensuring interoperability.

Within three months of the initial call, RÚV was live on air with Pixotope-enhanced broadcasts for the Handball Championships. This quick deployment was facilitated by Pixotope’s on-hand support team, ensuring smooth setup and operation.

For the 2024 Handball Championships, one of Iceland’s most popular sports events, with over 50% of the country tuning in, Pixotope’s virtual production graphics enriched pre-match discussions, post-match analysis, and play breakdowns, providing viewers with a greater and more engaging overall experience. The ability to visually dissect plays, present augmented reality statistics, and build immersive virtual environments for discussions dramatically elevated the calibre of the coverage.

RÚV additionally leveraged Pixotope’s advanced features across multiple productions; virtual set extensions were utilised for entertainment shows such as Friday night comedy quiz programme Er þetta frétt? as well as coverage of major sporting events such as the European Football Championship and 2024 Olympics, enabling the creation of immersive, dynamic sets. When the physical foreground set for a major production was damaged, RÚV seamlessly integrated AR elements, enhancing the broadcast without needing a complete overhaul.

Virtual set technology enabled the creation of versatile and reusable digital environments that could be quickly adapted for different programmes. Not only did this enhance production efficiency, but it also aligned with RÚV’s eco-focused goals of reducing waste in production. By minimising the need for physical materials, set construction and storage for the dismantled sets, RÚV significantly reduced the environmental impact of its productions.

One of the other advantages RÚV experienced with Pixotope’s virtual production technology was the ability to work on multiple programmes simultaneously. By adopting Pixotope Graphics for AR and virtual studios, RÚV no longer needed to dedicate the entire main studio to a single production. Instead it could build smaller physical sets and expand them with extended reality, creating the illusion of grander environments without the previous space requirements.

“The flexibility of using a green screen has allowed us to produce more content while saving time and money. In the past, our physical sets monopolised the entire studio, necessitating the relocation of other programmes. Although there were additional costs associated with the initial setup, we anticipate even more substantial cost savings next year,” said Gisli Berg, head of production at RUV.

The implementation of Pixotope software has transformed RUV’s production landscape. The broadcaster experienced a significant increase in production capabilities, producing six new series, including 29 live broadcasts of high-profile sporting events such as the Eurocup in handball.