Rodolfo Souto , being a tech guy at TV Globo
Rodolfo , being a tech guy at TV Globo
We met Rodolfo Souto some years ago at the Formula 1 at Interlagos, São Paulo. He was responsible for some cabling between the international Broadcasters and the Host TV Globo. In their booth at the TV compound we found Rodolfo with his head in a rack. There was a ‘small problem’ in which he had to solve’ he said. The next morning we spoke to him again, he told us he re-cabled the whole rack overnight to solve the problem. A Die-Hard technician this Rodolfo. And…. he spoke very good english. so we invited him for our blog.
BB: Can you tell us about yourself and your job at - External events São Paulo?
Rodolfo: My Name is Rodolfo, and I`m a Technician of TV System. I am working for TV Globo since December 2006, almost 10 years now.
BB: Tell us about the company TV Globo - External events São Paulo and how long does TV Globo - External events São Paulo exist?
Rodolfo: The External team of Events in São Paulo exists since 1975 i think. The first soccer game that the External events team broadcasted was with only 3 cameras, the signal output were a Analog MicroWave route between the Soccer-Stadium and TV Globo in São Paulo. The guys that worked on that production time are still very proud of what they achieved those days.
BB: Did you see a growth past years in working at international events for you in Brazil?
Rodolfo: Yes a lot. I Worked at productions like the Confederations Cup, the World Cup in 2014 and this year i will be at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Aldo, i worked on the last 5 Formula 1 GrandPrix’s at Interloagos in Brazil.
Our OBvan at TV Globo is one of the top of Latin America. I can see that after all this years Broadcast production are getting bigger and harder to achieve in the technical sense. I like that, it makes me feel good when i am working on an International Event, meeting colleagues from all over the planet and being able to talk with them.
BB: What this growth ment for you and your colleagues at TV Globo - External events?
Rodolfo: TV Globo has 5 department: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia and Recife. When we have something new coming for us, normally it starts in Rio and São Paulo. So we get a lot of time to learn and understand the new technology, equipment and solutions. This is very well arranged at TV Globo.
BB: Do you work besides Brazil also in other regions on the planet?
Rodolfo: Yes i did. In 2014 i went to China and also Singapore. The Brazilian national team played 2 friendly games over there. I spent even 12 days on this location job. It was amazing meet the other side of the world. In 2015 i went to Colombia to broadcast a Corinthians`s game at the Libertadores championship. That was awesome too. Speaking English is very important on International events. It was because of the english that i got this opportunity to go to China and Singapore. Knowing the english language did give me this opportunity.
BB: On location at international events, is it difficult for you to communicate with Europeans, Americans, Australians or LATAM countries?
Rodolfo: Yes, with the LATAM’s i try to speak in Spanish but especialy with the Argentines it is hard. They speak to fast. With the Europeans it is alright, they speak very well english. It is only boring for me when they speak their own language. I do not understand anything they speak than. I worked with Australians at the World Cup in Sao Paulo, that was ok too. At the Formula 1 i speak a lot with the British guys. For me it is kind hard, to understand them. It is because i studied American English, so it is hard to get used to understand their they speak english, but in the second day everything goes already better. Every time you learn.
BB: How do you see your job due to Olympic Games 2016 in Brazil?
Rodolfo: It will be awesome for sure. We will never see an event like this in Brazil soon again. I am very excited to be part of this event. I will be working at Arena Corinthians in São Paulo working for the OBS. It will be unique experience, my expectation are the best you can imagine.
BB: Is there any surprising challenges you had at events past years?
Rodolfo: No, not really. We always have something new popping up every day in this kind of job. After some years i got used to all types of bad and good surprises. The challenges make us better and stronger. Things that i learned on International events i carry with me at every other production i do, in Brazil and abrought.
BB: What surprising challenges you think you will have at the Olympics this year?
Rodolfo: I think that we will have all the possible surprises thinkable. We will be the Host Broadcaster at the Olympic Games. All the broadcasters in the world will come to us to ask for some signals or assistance. A lot to solve and help fur sure.
Video Olympic Games (Official Theme) - Rio 2016:
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mentioned:
Globo TV: website
UFC in Rio de Janeiro
UFC in Rio de Janeiro
The 2nd and 3rd of august BroadcastBrazil was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the UFC event.
We talked with Fernando Figueira, one of the Camera Operators of this UFC show, and had the chance to ask him some questions.
BB: So Fernando, please tell us what is your function, and what does it include
Fernando: “I am one of the Hand Held Camera Operators for the UFC events in Brazil”.
BB: How many shows are you on UFC in Brazil
Fernando: “I have worked at all the UFC Shows in Brazil, except the one that took place in Fortaleza”.
BB: What is the best part of the UFC events
Fernando: “The best part of the UFC shows is to be able to work with good professionals from all over the world”.
BB: What is the difference of Brazil and other countries at UFC events
Fernando: “At the UFC everything is detailed and structured. We receive a minute by minute script on each show, what makes our life much easier”.
BB: How is communication with foreigners in general in your work
Fernando: “ I am used working with a lot of foreigners, so I don't have any issues on communicating with them and I also made really good friends at those events”.
BB: What are the good and bad parts of Brazil as event host
Fernando: “UFC is getting bigger and bigger each day in Brazil, so hosting an event in different cities of the country will help it get even more popular.
The most difficult part of hosting international events in Brazil is to gather a good English Speaking Crew. We do have a lot of good professionals in the TV area but not all of them speak and/or understand English”.
BB: Do you notice a difference in foreign culture and your culture, in the way of working especially
Fernando: “On TV, all the engineering is the same. Sometimes we have to change the way things are done to accomodate a specific request from a different way of doing TV. But, as I mentioned, technically the process is the same all over the world. What really matters is the final result and a happy and satisfied client, no matter where they come from”.
BB: Any specific technical difficulties this last UFC, and if so, these were due to what exactly
Fernando: “No specific problems at any of the UFC events”.
BB: Any good advice for the Brazilians in this area
Fernando: “It is very important to learn a second language, preferably English, due to the upcoming events in Brazil”.
BB: Do you see a rise in the amount of (english speaking) Brazilian Broadcast Technicians and Cameraman needed during the UFC in Brazil, and in which specific areas
Fernando: “ Till today it is still very hard to gather an english speaking crew here in Brazil.
BB: How do you see the future for Brazilian broadcast Technicians the coming years with all upcoming foreign events
Fernando: “Brazil has a really good future since we will have big events as the World Cup and Olympics. We are getting more investments in the area and that makes this kind of work stay even after these events”.
BB: What is the most important for you to be able to work with foreign companies
Fernando: “We are always learning, so be able to work with people from all over the world only brings more knowledge”.
BB: What kind of gear do you use
Fernando: “On UFC shows we work with an OB Van with 16 Grassvalley HD Cameras and 5.1 dolby áudio”.
BB: Any other international events you did this year? If so which ones and what was your function there.
Fernando: “I did the World Youth Day in Rio de janeiro where I worked as Producer, also I did Pororoca Live for CCTV China as an Transmission Coordinator”.
World Youth Day:
Pororoca Live Event, behind the scenes:
So we hope this is, besides, fun to read, also a good help and insight information about foreign broadcast events held in Brazil and what the future may hold.
More photo's available on our Broadcast Brazil Facebook page, you can find them here.
Like us if you want ;)
And see our former blogposts about the UFC event held in Belo Horizonte, Jaraguá do Sul and Fortaleza
mentioned:
UFC
GrassValley
Pororoca
World Youth Day
CCTV China
UFC in Fortaleza
UFC in Fortaleza
The 6th till 8th of june BroadcastBrazil was in Fortaleza in the state of Ceará, Brazil, at the UFC event.
We talked with Marcio Moreira, the Image Director of this UFC show, and had the chance to ask him some questions.
BB: So Marcio, please tell us what is your function, and what does it include
Marcio: “I am an image director and to get here I learned photography, Studio and external camera, graphics, video control cameras and also followed the work of other directors in the most varied areas of tv production”.
BB: How many years are you on UFC
Marcio: “I don’t know exactly the years, but till now I have done 5 UFC shows here in Brazil”.
BB: What is the best part of the UFC events
Marcio: “There is not e specific ‘best part’ at the event. The production for sure is great and very well organized. It is an event full of highly trained professionals”.
BB: What is the difference of Brazil and other countries at UFC events
Marcio: “Working also with music shows, live tv programs, and sports in General, the difference is the way of working with the Americans.
Everything is well rehearsed and scripted”.
BB: How is communication with foreigners in general in your work
Marcio: “My communication is very good due to speaking English. We talked about the whole operation of the switcher and the camera movements before and during the events so there were no doubts left”.
BB: What are the good and bad parts of Brazil as event host
Marcio: “Brazil is a very big country. Has a geography very differentiated from other places and has a very large number of spaces for this type of event. The problem is that the best work and venues are located in urban areas and with many local rules, such as for example the city of São Paulo that has a time limit for a big event to end. In Brazil we have a lot of good professionals, but most of them do not speak a second language”.
BB: Do you notice a difference in foreign culture and your culture, in the way of working especially
Marcio: “The main difference is the way the event is produced. All those involved are very professional and organized”.
BB: Any specific technical difficulties this last UFC, and if so, these were due to what exactly
Marcio: “In the operating area I had no problem”.
BB: Any good advice for the Brazilians in this area
Marcio: “One advice that I can give to professionals in this area is to learn foreign languages, because we are having more and more international events”.
BB: Do you see a rise in the amount of (english speaking) Brazilian Broadcast Technicians needed during the UFC in Brazil, and in which specific areas
Marcio: “I realize that the need for professionals is very high in all operational areas, but having professionals for these areas that speak english is still very difficult”.
BB: How do you see the future for Brazilian broadcast Technicians the coming years with all upcoming foreign events
Marcio: “I see a good future for the Brazilian technicians. I believe many invest heavily in operational expertise, given the demand”.
BB: What is the most important for you to be able to work with foreign companies
Marcio: “To have a lot of knowledge in the making. Always do your best. Cooperate and work as a team”.
BB: What kind of gear do you use
Marcio: “My equipment is the Switcher that has several video signals and graphs that are used during the event”.
BB: Tell is some more about this equipment/brand/type
Marcio: “The equipment tends to be Sony or GrassValley with 8 video outputs at least, 2 key-ers and 2MEs”.
BB: You work both in Sao Paulo and in Rio, do you see already a difference in the Broadcast field in these 2 cities, if so in which way?
Marcio: “The professionals of the two cities meet the needs of all types of events. The difference is that in Sao Paulo, the number of events is greater”.
BB: What kind of events do you prefer to work on, sports, live music etc..
Marcio: “I like to work in all sports and mega musical shows, nationally and internationally”.
And of course, do you have other interesting notes to share from last UFC event:
“It is very good to be in the UFC and to be working with high-level professionals. It ss an event to work and learn”.
So we hope this is, besides, fun to read, also a good help and insight information about foreign broadcast events held in Brazil and what the future may hold.
More photo's available on our Broadcast Brazil Facebook page, you can find them here.
Like us if you want ;)
And see our former blogposts about the UFC event held in Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Jaraguá do Sul
mentioned:
UFC
NEP
NYDigital
Panasonic (Switcher)
UFC in Jaragua Do Sul
The 16th till 18th of may BroadcastBrazil was in Jaraguá do Sul in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, at the UFC event.
This big fighting event was held in Arena Jaraguá.
We met with Peter Addams, the Audio Mixer of this UFC show, fortunately we had the chance to ask him some questions and check out his workplace after the show.
BB: So Peter, please tell us what is your function, and what does it include
Peter: “I am a Broadcast Show Mixer, Senior Audio. Lead of the audio department and I mix the television show. Also I plan the set up and co-ordinate all equipment with the Technical Manager”.
BB: How many years are you on UFC
Peter: “My first UFC event was in February 2003 so that makes a total of 10 years already”.
BB: What is the best part of the UFC events
Peter: “That's easy - our Audio crew. We have a core group of A2's that are very talented, hard working and don't whine (too much). They complement one another and work well together. Though each is a specialist they will go into each other's areas as needed”.
BB: What is the difference of Brazil and other countries at UFC events
Peter: “From my perspective? In the USA we are familiar with the mobile units we use. Though the mobile unit in Brazil was a joint venture between American based NEP and Brazilian based Casablanca, it was different than most of the mobile units we would use in the USA. This manifested itself in capacity and accessibility. We had fewer powered intercom channels than we usually do, couldn't access as many ports in the intercom system, the desk was only 48 faders instead of the usual 64 or even up to 144 on the surface as in USA. This is typical when we go overseas. In Europe we often use UK mobile units, other countries might involve a "fly pack." The challenge is to provide all the technical elements of our show regardless of the facilities we are using”.
BB: How is communication in Brazil Challenging
Peter: “As I don't speak Portuguese. In the work environment I was really only dealing with English speakers so it wasn't a problem”.
BB: What are the good and bad parts of Brazil
Peter: “As event host nothing that effected me aside from the catering”.
BB: Does the latin culture influence the way of working
Peter: “In my line of work this does not influence me”.
BB: Any specific technical difficulties this last UFC, and if so, these were due to what exactly
Peter: “It was the first time we used the mobile unit, that's always a challenge. Fortunately NEP sent Nick Romano and others who had done our show before on other mobile units”.
BB: Any good advice for the Brazilians in this area
Peter: “Obviously if you're working with USA television personnel, who tend not to master any other language aside from their own, English fluency is an asset. Also, understanding the urgency and immediacy that characterizes American television is important”.
BB: And of course, do you have other interesting notes to share from last UFC event
Peter: “Due to big distances in Brazil, having the hour long bus ride to and from work makes a long day even longer.
The Hotel bar could've been open later and been more interesting. And why no Gin & Tonic? :)”
So we hope this is, besides, fun to read, also a good help and insight information about foreign broadcast events held in Brazil and what the future may hold".
More photo's available on our Broadcast Brazil Facebook page, you can find them here.
Like us if you want ;)
And see our former blogposts about the UFC event held in Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte.
mentioned:
UFC
NEP
Casablanca
UFC 147 in Belo Horizonte.
The 21st till 24th of june Broadcast Brazil was in Belo Horizonte in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, at the 147th UFC event.
This big fighting event was held in the stadium Mineirinho.
Mineirinho, Belo Horizonte - one hour before the live broadcast starts.
A well known figure at this event is Brian Froustet, a very experienced A2 (Senior audio assistant)
We had the chance to ask him a couple of questions about his work at the UFC events.
Brian Froustet, A2.
BB: So Brian, please tell us what is your function, and what does it include
Brian: "I’m an A2 or Audio assist. Basically I take care of everything not dealing with the actual mixing of audio of the show. My main position with UFC is the Booth A2 which entails setting up the Booth Announce position for Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan for them to announce the fights and do there on camera stand ups. I also set up all the comms, courtesy listen headsets and put the efx around and under the Octagon. But as you know my job is not limited to that. As an audio team we all jump in to take care of whatever needs to be done audio wise for the show whether it be running or making cables, building other interview positions and just helping each other out however we can".
Mineirinho, Belo Horizonte - setting up.
BB: How many years are you working on the UFC
Brian: "I have been working with the UFC since 2008"
BB: What is for you the best part of the UFC events
Brian: "There are many great things about working all the UFC events... Besides traveling all over the states for shows I have been lucky enough to have also gone to Australia, Japan and Brazil for events. I have also been lucky to meet some pretty amazing people because of traveling all over. But I think the best part for me is being able to do all that with the audio guys I travel with, MJ Law, Ryan Mitchel and Robert Massey. I couldn't imagine doing this job without them, they are the best at what they do and are the best friends a guy could ask for. Oh, and I get to see some pretty amazing fights, hahaha".
BB: What is the difference Brazil and other countries at UFC events
Brian: "I think the biggest difference between doing UFC events in Brazil and in other countries is definitely the language barrier. It seems that most of the other places we go English is used quite a bit more than it is in Brazil. Obviously we all try and learn some basic Portuguese to communicate, but as I'm sure you know its not an easy language to learn.
As for the equipment and venues, there is really no difference with some of the places we work in the States. Some buildings are easy to get stuff in while others are just a big pain in the ass".
Your DreamTeam for any UFC event.
BB: What are the good and bad parts of Brazil as event host
Brian: "Brazil is an amazing place to hold UFC events. The energy of the crowd is like no other place I have been with them. Its awesome to hear and see people screaming and cheering for six hours straight. I really can't think of anything bad other than its tough for me to eat at times since I don't eat meat...The Brazilians really love their meat".
BB: Does the latin culture influence the way of working
Brian: "The culture itself doesn't really influence our way of working as I am sure you guys can tell. We obviously like to have fun but when its time to work we get the job done. We do whatever we can to respect the ways of the people or country we are in".
Mineirinho, Belo Horizonte - one hour before the live broadcast starts.
BB: Any specific technical difficulties this last UFC, and if so, these were due to what
Brian: "The only real technical difficulty we had for this past UFC in Belo Horizonte was one that, as small as it may be, caused quite a few issues and that was power for all the equipment. It wasn't the power itself but actually the plugs on the power cords. It was all 220v, but all of our equipment was Australian power and the power strips we had were Brazilian. Once that issue was solved we were good to go".
BB:Do you see a rise in the amount of (english speaking) Brazilian Broadcast Technicians needed during the UFC in Brazil. And in which specific areas.
Brian: "I do. I know there are plans to do more UFC events in Brazil and also with the World Cup And Olympics coming to Brazil, I think it would be a huge help. I'm not saying that the people coming to Brazil shouldn't learn some Portuguese, but even with that the translation does not always covey the way you would like. That being said I also don't want to take work from the locals but the reason they bring all of us is the ease of communication and we know the show and what needs to be done.
Now Obviously we have had the pleasure of having Niek van Esch, René Schaap and Danny Littlwin on the shows which is a huge help so Audio is not really an issue.
The biggest issue usually seems to be with the Camera operators. They don't send them all from the States and we do use locals. At times we have to set up a translator in the truck to tell them what the Director wants. Most of them speak some English but like I said before, what the Director say/wants and how they, the camera operators, understand, that is not always the same".
BB: Any good advice for the Brazilians in this area
Brian: "I would say to just ask questions. I know when I see new equipment or someone doing things differently than I would, I need to know about it. We all are always willing to show someone something new, it is how we all learned and how we are still learning.
All under control.
So we hope this is, besides, fun to read, also a good help and insight information about foreign broadcast events held in Brazil and what the future may hold".
More photo's available on our Broadcast Brazil Facebook page, you can find them here. Like us if you want ;)
And see our former blogpost about the UFC event held in Rio de Janeiro.
mentioned:
UFC
Danny Littwin
UFC - Rio de Janeiro
Brasil
After the huge success of the last UFC event in Rio de Janeiro on August 2011, the organization decided to have another UFC event in Rio, few months after the first edition. UFC is BIG in Brazil! Several local and foreign broadcast companies were on location to transmit live.The main TV Broadcasts were hosted by Alfacam Brasil, and two of their OB vans. Alfacam is a big international video-facility company, based in Belgium. They opened their Brazil office last year at the PoloRio Cine&Video in Rio de Janeiro, and are ready for the market in Brazil, and of course their goal, to host the FIFA World-cup 2014 & Olympic games 2016 in Brazil. Alfacam is a company with the capabilities and equipment for these international events, and provided the World-cup soccer & Olympic-games already before with OB-vans and classified people.
But also companies from Brazil are in Rio with their equipment and people, like Brasil Rig, Gabisom, Globo & GloboSat. Both Globosat & Globo brought their own OB-vans. Casablanca Online is delivering all satellite uplink facilities for live but also play-outs , and had 8 uplink trucks on site, to deliver the uplinks for the TV stations.
Foreign
One of the most important parts of this production is communications. Not only intercom between technicians cameramen, etcetera, but also the language. The main spoken language is english. For audio visual professionals to work in an international production like the UFC event, they need to be able to communicate, both in word and writing, English.
Nevertheless, walking on the production floor you also hear Flemish, Dutch & Portuguese. There is a mix of Europeans, Americans and Brazilians working together to produce the UFC event, apart from a few language problems here and there, this goes well because of the basic knowledge of english among the crew. It must be stressed however that it will be a challenge in the future of broadcasting in Brazil.
Event
The show went technically very well, but also the fighters from Brazil did their thing... they won a lot. We can expect the UFC back this year for sure in Rio de Janeiro or another city. These are important times for Broadcasting aligned companies in Brazil. With the 2 big events, the FIFA World-cup 2014 & Olympic games 2016 on our doorstep this UFC event shows that Brazil is technically ready for delivering top quality productions. If all personnel starts speaking and understanding better english there will be a wide market of jobs available for the local people.
mentioned:
UFC
Alfacam Brasil
Casablanca Online
SporTV GloboSAT
Globo TV