Francesco Donato, CTO of EMG Italy: “Efficiency exists only if certain conditions are met”
Is it correct to think that there are multiple levels of Remote Production to be put into play in proportion to the budget and importance of the event?
Francesco Donato: “Of course. The conditions of the large television production market have changed a lot today. If we focus only on Remote Production, there are different ways to do this. There is a relatively ‘light’ version, which usually is confined to the use of a maximum of one, two, or three tv cameras managed remotely by the Remote Operation Center, and a more “heavy remote” that can manage up to 5-8 cameras and often requires a Outside Broadcast vehicle at the stadium”.
In the case of “light” remote production, can the mobile van of production always remain “at home”?
F.D.: “In television production, market conditions have changed, and margins are significantly reduced. With a “heavy remote setup” configuration, an OB unit must be at the venue and therefore the costs are higher, while a “light remote setup” configuration requires a lower commitment of resources and, if the editorial plan is designed to adapt to the technique on field, then it is certainly possible to bring the operating margin back within limits that justify the activity. The advantage of the light solution consists, above all, in the efficiency of the production and creation processes as it allows for product uniformity in terms of quality and narrative. It is clear that, the presence and supervision of the editorial team at the “remote center” allows the publisher to have precise and timely control of the entire supply chain, from capture to delivery of the product, including multi-platform”.
What are the general reasons why RP entered the market? And the real advantages?
F.D.: “Many think that Remote Production is born only for an optimization of costs in response to the contraction of the market and investments, and for the interpersonal distancing needs created by the pandemic. For us in Italy who have already been using it for over 5 years, this is not the case, and the use of these recent remote production techniques is above all equivalent to being able to create better production flows, both linear and on demand, to obtain complete product packaging and declinable on different “outputs” as required today by digital markets, which are now consolidated and can no longer be considered as a new market”.
What are the audiovisual markets in Italy that are most interested in your Remote Production?
F.D.: Our solutions for the creation and publication of sporting events, but not only, follow customer requests. For the moment, in Italy we have consolidated ourselves as a leader in the smaller market segments, but we also have solutions that allow you to export the concept of remote realization for Top Tier sport markets. Certainly, in recent years, we have, with gratification, presided over and reached a position of reference in the remote production market and we believe that, with our activity and the trust of broadcasters, we have managed to allow the use of RP in sports disciplines that otherwise would not have had the presence and visibility that is consolidated today. Then, a very growing sector is the corporate market, in which it is necessary to manage more institutional events; and this applies to all sectors, from fashion to banks to all markets in general, to cover the requests for “efficiency” of B2B but also B2C communication.
Is it true that Remote Production allows you to raise the level of efficiency?
F.D.: “In a way it does, but it needs nuance: producing many events does not always mean being efficient. In reality, it is important to understand that efficiency is achieved only when you have the ability to maximize the use of production solutions. In other words, we could say that the greater the investment, the greater the costs, but if this cost is spread more precisely and not only – as often happens – during the typical period of the realization of events, i.e. during the weekend, but even during the week, then you get the great efficiency that everybody will like”.
At the moment, how is the Remote Production line organized and what management capacity does EMG Italy have?
F.D.: “In the case of EMG Italy we have 26 production lines that cover the “traffic” generated in two or three days. This forces us to use a large number of technical and human resources. Our Remote Production Center in Milan is now able to produce almost 2000 events a year just for sport. The ability to manage contemporary events reaches up to 32 events and the productions are normally “light” versions made with single-camera, double-cameras, and tri-cameras. As previously stated, we are able to deliver both linear and typically television content, as well as digital and VOD”.
So, is it correct to think that it is, above all, the calendar of events that determines whether or not the entire system is efficient or not?
F.D.: “The calendar of sporting events is crucial, but it must be said that the programming of events is designed to capture the presence and availability of the public who clearly have different habits, which often do not coincide with our search for efficiency”.
What other advantages can be identified immediately in Remote Production?
F.D.: “RP allows better production flows and, above all, the immediate delivery of both linear, OTT and on demand contents.
Traditional broadcasters maintain their positions, but these have been joined by digital platform broadcasters who have other and very different needs in terms of publication.
From the production center we are able to feed the new platforms adequately, which we could not do from the playing field. The big difference of remote production compared to traditional production is actually in the packaging of the product, because with it we are able to package the contents and distribute them as we could not do before”.
Does Remote Production therefore become decisive in the distribution of digital content on OTT and VOD platforms?
F.D.: “In fact, the big difference resides mainly in the variation of the product being quite different: from linear to VOD, it is only remote production that allows you to manage these processes that otherwise in the field, in a fragmented production regime such as the traditional one, could not be achieved. As per EMG Italy, the factors that decisively influence one choice rather than another concern, first of all, the understanding of the conditions in which the activities are required to be carried out. Moreover, traditional television is not anymore the only way to distribute contents and remote production is the perfect way to deliver on a multi-platform basis. For EMG Italy, remote production is above all a way of maximizing the use of resources against a widespread benefit and creating services and products that were previously not economically conveyable to the public.
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