QuVu: A New Combination Of Cameras And Prompting

The 'eyeline' shot, where the presenter appears to be looking the viewer in the eye as they read their script, has long been a staple of television prompting.

The shot has been around for so long, with the beamsplitter mirror having first been developed in the 1960s, that it is simply taken for granted – the creatives in our industry pay little regard to it when they devise a show. But QuVu will certainly change that perception forever.

With QuVu those old standard prompting mirrors have been redesigned to include high-quality optical mirrors, and broadcast quality remote-control HD/SDI cameras have been positioned to capture images from those new mirrors. It means that now – uniquely – multiple eyeline shots can all be captured simultaneously. For broadcasters, simultaneously means LIVE!

Picture the scene. You start with an MCU establishing shot on camera 1. Then with QuVu you add shot 2, framed as a 2-shot to introduce your interviewee. With the next QuVu camera you have the Presenter on a Close Up and camera 4 can give you a cutaway of an entirely different angle. All from the same QuVu system, mounted on a single tripod or pedestal. All these new shots are 'live', yes – for the first time ever – even the multiple-framed eyeline shots. All these QuVu cameras can be operated by just one camera operator and either be mounted onto an existing camera – or you can use QuVu as the main camera as well.

All these options mean QuVu can be tailored to the requirements for every unique setting. It increases the amount of content that can be captured without any increase in the number of crew, additional shooting time or even any more space than is required for a single camera. Plus it's future-proofed for new internet-based applications such as object-based broadcasting – meaning you can now simultaneously shoot content to specifically suit any of the various devices it will be viewed on – from a smartphone to the largest screens around.

You have to see it to believe it. The new possibilities are huge; QuVu fires up the imagination of all who see it. It is not often that a system comes along that will change perceptions forever, but QuVu means that prompting will never be taken for granted again.

QuVu is being shown at IBC in collaboration with Cuescript (www.cuescript.tv) on Stand #12-F41.

It has been combined with Cuescript's PTZ hood, specifically designed to mount remote-controlled cameras within a prompting hood. In addition at IBC will be the Cineo Matchstick remote phosphor colour-accurate lights, uniquely mounted on Cuescript's 24-inch talent monitor.

There is also a QuVu system designed for use with conference prompting, again allowing the capturing of unique eyeline shots for the first time ever. There are video demonstrations of all the QuVu systems at www.quvu.tv.

QuVu was developed and patented by Prompting Plus Ltd, a specialist prompting company with over 40 years of experience in the industry (www.promptingplus.co.uk).

This article also features in the September edition of Broadcast Film & Video.

(JP/LM)