Mobile Image Co

Digital Outside Broadcast Van
for Live-switched multicam TV production

phone 61 2 9953 3833
mobile 0408 446 603
email: mail@mobileimage.com.au

20 YEARS IN SEPTEMBER 2006

A BRIEF HISTORY

Pre 1986

Peter works fulltime and freelance, whilst completing his studies and training, variously as a TD, camera operator, lighting and sound provider, editor and studio tech.

THE WORLD IN 1986:

(The Eightozoic Era)

Unimaginably different to today:

No internet

No cellphones

No SMS

No PDAs

No DV cameras

No Digibeta

No laptops

No Pay TV (In Australia)

The Commodore Amiga 1000 computer had appeared,

offering the first low cost video graphics platform for video producers.

Pop music relied on synthesisers and extreme hairdressing.

Bob Hawke (the wonder of the downunder) was Prime Minister

and his mate Alan Bond hadn’t bought Nine or made it to jail yet.

Saddam was still supported by the USA.

Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen still ran Queensland,

and Nifty Nev ran NSW..

Culture Club lead singer Boy George appears on an episode of The A-Team.

Neighbours has its first season.

Channel 10 was still happily in North Ryde.

SBS ceases VHF transmissions on Channel 0 in Sydney & Melbourne.

AUSSAT launches its first satellite

People still had long-term careers with TV stations.

TV crew actually received training.

Sony hadn’t started putting leaky capacitors in its products.

SP Betacam only just released

1”C, Betacam and BVU were the main tape formats

Post-production was still linear and on tape.

SMPTE already knew all about SDI video but the rest of us were stuck with composite analogue.

Some people actually had Betamax VTRs at home.

TV crews used to pinch old oxide Betacam tapes to use in their home Betamaxes.

The first CCD cameras started to appear.

Wireless microphones ran on VHF.

Belden microphone cables still made of rubber.

1986-1987

“Mobile Image” registered.

Original objective was to run a combined facility and production operation, allowing the founders to be able to work independently, efficiently and thus happily.

Although the production side is no longer undertaken, this objective is still a driving force today.

We buy our first OB Van, an old third-hand ABC Bedford Pye van, refitted with Sony M3A 3-tube cameras, a Talia VM63 vision switcher, BVU VTRs and a TEAC audio desk.

Despite our best efforts, the van ended up working mostly as an edit suite for single-camera corporate productions, which at the time, we were producing, shooting and editing, entirely in-house.

Van was sold in 1988, and the gear retained for other usage. Valuable lessons learned about small-scale OB operations.

1988-1991

Linear on-line edit business booms; we invest in 1” and SP Betacam VTRs

Full-scale production and single-camera shooting phased out. Valuable lessons learned about the production needs of our clients.

1992

Our next van, a compact 4-camera van is constructed.

Finds immediate work on a cooking show for SBS, and lots of corporate events,

for which we also do post-production.

1993

Present premises at Neutral Bay purchased.

Two edit suites commissioned (in use 1993-2001)

Rack room.

First of our 10 cats (Boris) moves in to the house. (still here!)

1996

Video graphics studio introduced. (in use 1996-2000)

Complements our editing business.

1998

OB2 constructed (a rebuild of the AFTRS training truck),

with larger vision switcher and extra VTRs.

(in use 1998-2005)

1999

D30-series triaxial wide-screen camera chains introduced.

Digital SX VTRs purchased

2000

Su arrives from Pommyland, with her 3 cats, and moves in to Neutral Bay.

Sydney Olympic Games: we do soccer in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

We purchase additional camera chains and new digital VTRs.

Video Graphics studio separates from us and becomes Virtual Studios at Forestville.

2001

01/01/01 Digital TV transmissions commence in Australia. Nobody is watching, as our stupid government, and the stupid retail appliances industry, fail to explain it to the public, or to release any affordable set-top boxes. Retailers keep dumping new 4x3 TVs into the market, spoiling the public’s appreciation of the new technology. Broadcasters fail to offer extra content for viewers to justify going digital.

We make decision made to go to an all-digital wide-screen OB solution, and phase out linear analogue editing, and leave the non-linear editing business to other (mostly non-technical) suppliers.

We purchase the Alfa Films’ SBS digital Soccer truck (mercifully minus its cameras) as our OB3.

Immediate major refitting necessitated, and we add our best gear to it.

On-line edit suite shut down, and equipment repurposed into our OB operations.

2002

Busy year, but shortcomings of OB3’s size and design indicate need for a major rebuild.

Planning and consultation with our clients.

2003

OB3 is stripped down for a rebuild;

Larger cab-chassis added, and pantech box is extended to provide 2 compartments.

Here is the old box being attached to the longer cab-chassis,

prior to lengthening the box.

Blake Heaton and Peter (and friends!) did a complete rewiring of vision, sound and power.

2003-2005

OB3’s new configuration makes for an economical, easy to use OB package.

We specialize in providing quality OB services.

2005

Peter appointed to SMPTE Board of Managers

Peter and Su get married;

Distinguished OB Manager Matt Dorn (on right) proposes a toast.

TDs Paul Matulin and Blake Heaton and (foreground) from Sky News,

provide ENG coverage on a camera phone.

(Photo by SMPTE Chairman John Maizels)

2006

Analogue OB2 decommissioned and sold off. All equipment returned to our stock for repurposing or disposal.

OB4 (support vehicle) purchased, but not yet commissioned.

New lenses, comms and routing gear added to our equipment stock.

FUTURE:

Continuous improvements to what we do and the resources we use.

Take advantage of the dwindling of the availability of skilled TV technical people in this industry.

We won’t be considering going HD for a year or three, until if/when the technology matures, and a clear market business plan becomes apparent.

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