MIAMI—In recent weeks a crew of about 150 have been transforming Telemundo’s Miami headquarters into two studios that will play a central role in its election-night coverage Nov. 5, enabling the Spanish-language network to use virtual reality technologies in that coverage for the first time.
“We have created a beautiful, really interactive stage here at the Telemundo center,” with virtual and augmented reality capabilities to dramatically convey election night voting patterns and developments, John Perez, senior vice president, production and technical operations, network news at Telemundo Enterprises, said in an interview.
Telemundo crews have created two studios totaling 20,000 square feet by repurposing what is normally the second-floor newsroom at Telemundo Center. The network will use a 15,000-square-foot studio as its Election Center and another 5,000-square-foot studio as a 360 virtual reality set.
While Telemundo regularly uses augmented reality in its newscasts, this will be the first time it will employ virtual reality in its election coverage, Perez said.
Overall, the coverage will feature eight sets, including real and virtual reality, eight 4K video screens with 8.5 million pixels, more than 250 lighting instruments and 12 on-camera locations.
More specifically, the entire production space is wrapped in over 3,000 feet of painted light, with 8.5 million pixels of LED video technology and over 250 lighting instruments. At the center is a three-part curved anchor desk with LED displays for real-time election updates, key race alerts, and state projections.
The anchor area is complemented by a 20-foot curved LED video wall and three LED screen displays with integrated touchscreens. In addition, multiple vertical Planar LookThru monitor towers are located on the building columns and ceiling to add depth and visual appeal, Perez said.
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) will play a pivotal role in election night coverage to deliver visualizations, real-time updates on election results, key race alerts, and state projections.
As part of that, the center staircase of Telemundo Center has been transformed to showcase AR elements such as projected winners and “Camino a Los 270” (Road to 270), which will visually represent the path to the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.
To offer that, Telemundo tech teams have integrated Vizrt’s broadcast solutions and Unreal Engine to create lifelike animations and real-time visualizations. “It will make the election night coverage more engaging and informative,” Perez said.
The 360-degree virtual reality set, inspired by the U.S. Capitol, consists of four virtual sets with elements that create a parallax effect, enhancing the depth and realism of the broadcast. This virtual environment will allow viewers to feel as though they are fully immersed in the election night action, Perez said.
AR and VR graphics will be used to display real-time social media content from both campaigns, providing a comprehensive view of the election landscape as it unfolds.
A Facebook video showing the real-time creation of the studios is available here.
