SVG Europe Sit-Down: Telegenic’s Eamonn Curtin on future challenges and expectations for IBC 2018

Telegenic commercial director Eamonn Curtin

Over three decades Telegenic has established a reputation for excellence of quality and service in delivering failsafe outside broadcasts of any size and complexity. Telegenic’s extensive fleet is equipped with the most advanced technology available for HD, 3D and 4K production of the biggest sports, entertainment, music and State events. The company’s stated goal is to ensure that creative and editorial productions are the best they can be, free from the limits of technology. Commercial director Eamonn Curtin told us more during a recent Sit Down…

Has the increasing use of remote production impacted your work? 

We ventured into the world of remote production two years ago when we built four bespoke remote vehicles to facilitate the Premier League Productions contract. With two successful seasons completed, we are beginning to see increased interest from broadcasters and independent clients looking for new and potentially more cost-effective ways to produce live content. 

 What do you see as your biggest challenges for the next twelve months? 

We have faced some big logistical challenges in recent months, getting trucks to Kiev for the UEFA Champions League Final and Moscow for ITV’s Studio in Red Square for the FIFA World Cup. However, the challenge over the coming year will be ensuring we target investment appropriately to continue growing Telegenic’s diversity in the market, offering our clients a variety of services ranging from traditional large event OBs to flexible remote productions. With so much rapidly changing in available technology, choosing when to invest is just as important as deciding what to invest in.   

Where will we be regarding HDR by the end of 2018? 

We successfully delivered the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final and the 2018 FA Cup Final in HDR. These high-profile events, along with many other tests in different sports including rugby and boxing have established us as leaders in this new technology, our engineers now being the most experienced in the UK. Tests, development and more live broadcasts will continue over the coming months as we explore the true potential of this exciting format with our broadcast partners. 

Everyone is looking to cut costs. As an OB provider what can you do to help clients in this regard? 

Telegenic is a very efficient operation. We will often complete in a single day what other companies may take two or even three to accomplish, and the savings from this are passed on to our clients. Technology advances that improve efficiency are constantly on our radar, and any associated cost savings will also flow through. Always, of course, without compromise to quality. 

What innovations would you like to see on display at IBC later this year? 

It would be great to see the next generation of UHD/4K/HDR cameras to view what is available, along with any kit that will make connectivity for remote more affordable. There are also exciting new products to enhance productions such as virtual reality and 4D systems. 

Any future plans you can share? 

We will add a fourth UHD/4K OB to our fleet in August to accommodate the growing number of events we cover in UHD. We will also develop and enhance our remote production capability as demand for this will undoubtedly increase. 

Is there a sports related case study which really shows the capabilities of Telegenic? 

It’s been a busy year for us, but two major events in particular – which were recognised with industry awards – perfectly demonstrate the talent and experience of our engineers and the quality and scope of the service that Telegenic provides. 

BT Sport won the IBC Innovation Award for Content Everywhere for its coverage of the UEFA Champions League Final 2017 in Cardiff. We supplied three trucks to BT Sport for the HD, UHD and HDR broadcasts. With over 40 staff engineers on site we had the strength in depth to successfully deliver one of our most challenging OBs to date with the professionalism and expertise Telegenic are renowned for. 

Sky Sports won Best Sports Programme at the 2018 Broadcast Awards for the Anthony Joshua v Wladimir Klitschko fight from Wembley. Technically demanding, and with an estimated global audience of over 14 million viewers, the pressure was on to deliver a technically flawless show. We succeeded, and Sky Sports’ production team were able to do what they do best.