- Indie Filmmakers recently added a Roland V-8HD HD Video Switcher to their setup and it’s taken a leading role in their production.
- The V-8HD was recommended to Chris Verhoef by a filmmaker visiting their studio.
- Designed with an all-HDMI workflow, the V-8HD has a five layer effects and keying engine, automatic video switching, and a 18-channel digital audio mixer.
Indie Filmmakers—the filmmakers, online news site, and industry influencers—add the Roland V-8HD Video Switcher and UVC-01 Video Capture Device to their must-have list.
The V-8HD will create a different workflow for the upcoming events and content we are producing on Indie Filmmakers. Another advantage of the Roland V8-HD is that reviews, videos, and podcasts can be recorded with the Atomos monitor recorders. This makes the workflow much faster.
The Live Experience
The emergence of livestreaming for audio and video content is perhaps the story of the decade, but platforms continue to evolve and audience expectations are growing in sophistication. “People are looking for that live audio and video experience, look at the popularity of Clubhouse for example,” comments Verhoef. The full potential of this new area is yet to be explored. As the main players such as Facebook and Instagram do just that, as platforms are changing, Indie is determined to be ahead of the curve with the technology and products to deliver. “We have to make sure we are in the right place at the right time, and the V-8HD is helping us to do just that.”
Designed with an all-HDMI workflow, the V-8HD has a five-layer effects and keying engine, automatic video switching, and an 18-ch digital audio mixer as part of an all-in-one HD switching solution. With the ability to mix up to 8 HDMI sources with full HD support, seamless memory recall, and separate feeds for when you need different visual content from the main feed, the V-8HD brings a world of creative options to live switching.
Food for Thought
The V-8HD is now an integral part of the Indie Filmmakers studio, as the hub in a professional, high-quality livestreaming setup. “The V-8HD has everything you need in one product,” he shares. “Everything can be controlled by one person, meaning a two or three-person crew maximum for a live shoot or broadcast. People still have in mind that you need a truck, two directors, and a huge amount of stuff to do this professionally, but with products like the V-8HD it is just not the case anymore.”
If they ever need to prove a point about the power of a professional livestreamed video, one of the videos the team created made and shared sold 400 pieces of the featured product in 24 hours. Food for thought indeed. The Indie Filmmakers website and social media are packed with information on products: reviews, gear news, and tutorials. Plus, a large part of the audience engagement involves creating groups with filmmakers on Facebook or Instagram and answering questions.
“When we did a livestream with the V-8HD with up to 8 channels on Instagram, there were so many people asking ‘How do you do that?’ We knew this was pretty cool.”
The V-8HD was recommended to Chris Verhoef by a filmmaker visiting their studio. Familiar with the Roland brand from having some of the in-house MI products, he was curious to take a look. “Now that I work with the V-8HD, I see more of the limitations other products have.”
The V-8HD has everything you need in one product. Everything can be controlled by one person, meaning a two or three-person crew maximum for a live shoot or broadcast.
A Favorite Feature
One of the V-8HD features proving to be a favorite is the AUX output for a different video feed. “We use one for ZOOM and one for a backup, so if we have a problem it means we can fix it in a few seconds and it doesn’t pull down a whole live show. Also, with other products, if you want to do something or make changes you have to come off the live feed—which you really don’t want to do. With the V-8HD you don’t have to, which is great.”
The 24 presets and the picture-in-picture (the V-8HD has a 4.3inch Multiview display) features are also a hit where preparation and smooth running at a shoot are areas of key concern, making sure everything is in place on the day. To add high-quality livestreaming capabilities directly to the V-8HD, a Roland UVC-01 USB Video Capture device is plugged into the HDMI port of the switcher. The pocket-sized UVC-01 drives the livestream with uncompressed 1080p HD image quality, ultra-smooth 60 FPS motion, and low-latency encoding. One just needs to connect via a USB 3.0 port on a computer to start streaming to Facebook Live, YouTube, and other popular platforms.
We saw the benefits of the V-8HD after just one gig. And we’re still testing and learning and excited to see what else we can do with it.
Always Learning
“What I especially like about the UVC-01 is that it has an external audio input that I can hook up to an external mixer. Also, cables on both sides mean you don’t have to stick a chunky device straight into the computer.”
Despite, or maybe because of, their success in many areas, it’s still the education that they can share that really gives Indie Filmmakers a buzz. “We want to educate filmmakers and actually, at the same time we are learning ourselves,” he says. “With the V-8HD, we want to show that if you invest in the best products then the benefits are there. We saw the benefits of it after just one gig. And we’re still testing and learning and excited to see what else we can do with it.”
