Blackmagic Design today announced that Castaic High School built a new television studio using Blackmagic Design as the backbone for its workflow, featuring three Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 live production cameras, 20 DaVinci Resolve post production editing stations, ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panel 20 and more. Students produce programming in the studio for both the school and greater Los Angeles communities.
Castaic High School’s Practical Arts Department Chair Charles Deuschle has been using Blackmagic Design with his students since he started the Career Technical Education (CTE) Film/TV program in 2023. According to Deuschle, “Many of our students have never taken any form of video production class, so ease of use of equipment right off the bat with the ability to grow into more advanced features was very desirable in outfitting the new studio with gear. Cost was also a factor. I wanted a complete, turnkey program, and Blackmagic Design pricing allowed us to get everything on our list within budget.”
Regular productions from the studio include two scheduled school focused shows, as well as project based content, that is circulated on social media and through the school’s closed circuit television channel. “The Pack” is a monthly sports show and “Good Morning Castaic” is a weekly program showcasing student creative film projects and happenings around the school and community. The new studio was also used by LA County’s Office of Education to live stream its annual CTE online meeting, with students running the entire production.
All programming is captured on the studio’s three URSA Broadcast G2s, paired with URSA Studio Viewfinder G2s, which Deuschle says are, “essential to help students set up their shots in a large and easily viewed capacity. The cameras are easy to use, and once we set them, we have to do very little adjusting on a daily basis.”
At the hub of the main production studio is an ATEM 4 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K live production switcher paired with the ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panel 20. All camera feeds and computer inputs are sent through the ATEM 4 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K, with titles running through a graphics program which are then chromakeyed using the switcher. An ATEM Camera Control Panel is used to ensure all cameras match, and for focus and exposure. Three HyperDeck Studio 4K Pro broadcast decks assist the workflow, with two being used to play back segments and features during productions, and the third recording each show. Rounding out the workflow are two Blackmagic Audio Monitor 12Gs. The school also uses a mobile studio for standalone projects, such as theatre productions or pep rallies, equipped with an ATEM Mini Pro ISO live production switcher and HyperDeck Studio HD Mini compact recording deck. All post production is completed in DaVinci Resolve.
“DaVinci Resolve is free, which we love, with no subscription maintenance. It is user friendly with a modern interface and the students are able to pick up the basics very quickly,” said Deuschle. “I love that students can also download it for free at home and continue their edits there.”
Deuschle, who has been teaching film and television for more than 20 years, had the opportunity to build Castaic High School’s program from scratch when the school opened in 2019.
“I was drawn to the school’s strong connection to career and technical education and wanted to create a space that rivaled the level of a studio one would find in college or even a smaller professional studio, a space that would truly be a training ground for the next generation of film and television students,” said Deuschle. “Our school is open enrollment, meaning any student, even outside of our immediate area, may petition to attend, so I wanted to create a draw for students with a passion for broadcasting. Blackmagic Design enabled us to offer that opportunity.”
He added, “Before our new studio was built, the students were shooting on Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4Ks, switching on an ATEM Mini Pro ISO and editing in DaVinci Resolve, and they always responded really well to it,” said Deuschle. “I like Blackmagic Design’s equipment because it maintains professional broadcasting quality without being overly complicated for beginning and advanced high school students. It only made sense to build upon that workflow and rely on Blackmagic Design gear for the bulk of the new studio as well.”
Deuschle notes that it is not uncommon for Castaic High School to enroll students specifically for its CTE Film/TV program. Approximately 100 students enroll in the intro to video production courses, with about 20 moving to the advanced program each year, a program they must audition for after completing the intro courses.
For the past two years, Castaic High School has been recognized nationally by the Student Television Network awards for outstanding achievement and broadcast excellence.
Press Photography
Product photos of URSA Broadcast G2, Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panel 20, ATEM 4 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K, ATEM Camera Control Panel, ATEM Mini Pro ISO, HyperDeck Studio 4K Pro, HyperDeck Studio HD Mini, Blackmagic Audio Monitor 12G, URSA Studio Viewfinder G2, DaVinci Resolve and all other Blackmagic Design products are available at www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/images.
About Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984.Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go towww.blackmagicdesign.com.
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