Peter Kimball
CHICAGO—We're a mobile production company that produces two to three live events per day virtually all year round, so we don't have time for equipment failures or unhappy clients. That's why we use Grass Valley cameras. They stand up to the rigors of outside production and provide a consistent, pleasing image quality that our clients and viewers at home really like to see.
Our company operates four "A" units and two "B" support trucks. They're all high-definition capable, and equipped with Grass Valley cameras. Altogether, we have a total of 40 LDK 6000 and LDK 8000 series cameras.
SPORTS AND MORE SPORTS
We've built our reputation on successful projects and supplying state-of-the-art technology. That's how we've lasted for more than 20 years in this business and hold production contracts for virtually every professional local sports team in Chicago for Comcast SportsNet Chicago and WGN-TV. This includes the Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, and Black Hawks. We also help produce NFL football games for the Fox, as well as college football and basketball games for ESPN.
The equipment we bring to each project has to be a good fit and do the job efficiently and right the first time. In live production we don't get a second chance to make it right. We've never had a problem with the Grass Valley cameras.
Using a camera that can capture and manage the action in different HD formats is also key to Trio Video's business. We might be working with the 1080i HD format one day, and 720p the next. Being able to use the same equipment for both types of productions brings us a fast return on our investment and the confidence of not having to decline jobs due to inadequate gear. This market demands a lot of flexibility.
CHOICE FOR ENTERTAINMENT TOO
While Trio Video has made a name for itself in live sports production, we're also heavily involved with live entertainment shows. We shot a rock concert by U2 in 2005 using the 23.98 format that emulates the film look that entertainment producers often favor. This was easily done with the Grass Valley LDK 6000 WorldCam HD camera.
The best part about Grass Valley cameras is that we don't have to baby them and we'll get many years of service from them. That's important when you're operating a production company. Those are important considerations, as we have to justify all of the equipment we purchase and make sure it will stand up to the test of time.
We often leave the LDK 6000/LDK 8000 cameras out on the playing field (with weather covers) for an entire 14-day baseball home stand and never have any problems. The weather can be brutal in Chicago, whether it's spring baseball at Wrigley Field or late fall football at Soldier Field, and that goes for live hockey games in Canada in the winter. No matter what, our Grass Valley gear lives up to its reputation.
Peter W. Kimball has been with Trio Video since 2005. He may be contacted at peterkimball@triovideo.com.
For additional information, contact Grass Valley at 800-547-8949 or visit www.grassvalley.com.
