Tricaster Workshop

On Monday I had a workshop with Lou and Allen on how to operate the Tricaster. I believed it was important to have this workshop because I have not used the Tricaster properly before and I wanted to make sure I understood how to use it before I finished this course. In this workshop I learnt many of the Tricaster’s functions as well as the basic process of broadcasting the live show.

Firstly I learnt how to import various forms of media such as videos and photos, into the Tricaster. This is important because you need to have all your media on the Tricaster for the show, and you need to be able to find where it is and know how to open it up in the project.

Then I was given an overview of the layout of the live show screen and shown how it is essentially divided into 4 quarters, each with a different purpose. After that I was shown how to key out the green screen in the background to make use of the virtual set. There were several adjustments that you can make to ensure the presenter looks as life-like within the set as possible. I was also shown how to adjust the positioning of the presenter in the set without moving them directly as well as adjusting the framing of the camera without touching the camera.

Then I was shown how to select the various forms of media such as pictures, videos and straps, and how to play them fully or on a virtual television within the set, such as during the news. I was shown how to play the intro of CCi Live, whilst making use of the transparent layer at the top of the ‘I’ to go into the studio. Lastly, I was shown how to open up the credits through the network so that they play out of the Tricaster at the same time that they are played on the live text machine.

This workshop was very helpful and I learnt a lot from it. I hope to further my knowledge of operating the Tricaster and use it under more pressure such as during a live show. Here is an extract from the manual of the Tricaster TCXD300:

Traditionally, producing live high definition television has been very costly, requiring very expensive equipment and a large crew. TriCaster TCXD300 (like its standard definition siblings) changes all that. In one lightweight, portable system (small enough to fit in a backpack) you have a complete tool set to create, broadcast, web stream and project your HD production. TriCaster TCXD300 even includes NewTek’s revolutionary LiveSet system to provide you with network quality virtual sets, for ‘bigger than life’ production capabilities. 

TriCaster thus sets a new benchmark for “portable live production”. It is the most complete, reliable and efficient system available for live production and web streaming. Its small footprint makes it possible to broadcast from almost anywhere, and it requires just one person to operate. No matter what your live broadcast ambitions are, TriCaster can help you fulfill them. 

With TriCaster you can produce and distribute live video programs (in both Standard and High Definition) from diverse sources and materials – use multiple cameras, recorded digital video, PowerPoint presentations on networked laptops, live web pages, digital photos and graphics, and much more. Your presentations can be simultaneously displayed by video projectors, television monitors and streamed in high quality on the Internet. 

Tricaster TCXD300. (2010). Retrieved November 26, 2012, from ftp://ftp.newtek.com/pub/TriCaster/TCXD_300_Manual_02.10.10.pdf

Tricaster TCXD300 Unit

Tricaster TCXD300 Interface