Impressive technology inside Atlanta United’s new content studios
Atlanta United’s new content studio, unveiled Tuesday as part of the opening of the $25 million expansion of the training ground, has a curved LED screen, three smaller LED panels, three cameras and 62 lights. It is the size of a home.
Atlanta United’s old studio didn’t have a curved LED screen. It had no smaller panels. It had two lights. It was the size of a small office. Bigger projects would require the team to take players to studios 45 minutes away, which wasn’t ideal.
Studio 17, as the new workspace is called, will give the MLS team the technology to produce content in-house and push it out to anywhere in the world.
“The more content that we can get out about the players, the more opportunity for connection and inspiration,” Atlanta United Chief Business Officer Sarah Kate Noftsinger said.
The team hasn’t yet decided what kinds of content it will produce with all of its new technology. The team consistently produces short films, including a recent one about Miguel Almirón leading Paraguay to the World Cup, about everything from FIFA ratings to “West Wing”-style walk-and-talks with players.
“We also need to make sure we understand what our fans want and our fans need well before they know it,” Noftsinger said. “So over the next few months, it’ll be a lot of ideation, it’ll be working with various content partners because we don’t want to be the only ones in there producing.”
There are discussions to provide some exclusive content to season-ticket holders. Content that is produced can include advertising revenue.
The curved LED wall and digital panels enable the producers to compose fresh backgrounds for any piece of content. During Tuesday’s tour, a drone tour of the expansion was shown on the curved wall, and other items were shown on the three LED panels, which are on the other side of the studio. The colors of the panels can be changed.
According to Matt Moore, the team’s director of broadcast and media production, the team used to do a lot with a little, which was good enough for it to be named the Digital Team of the Year in MLS in 2018. Now it can do a lot with a lot.
There were more upgrades built in the expansion.
Across the hall from the video studio is a photo studio that is three times larger than the room that was being used. It features more than 30 lights overhead and the room’s walls are curved, eliminating any corners. It includes a color board that gives the team photographers the ability to choose any color for lighting. There can create hard light or soft light. Sears Portrait Studios would be jealous.
Upstairs is the control room, where 76,000 feet of cabling come together.
Within the room are four control banks. Each bank has a different purpose.
The furthest from the entrance is where the technical director and producers sit. Behind them is a row of controls for the four PTZ (Pan, tilt, zoom) cameras and graphics. The third row controls the teleprompter and clips. The fourth row, closest to the door, is for audio controls for the microphones in Studio 17 and the podcast studio.
Yes, there also is a podcast studio. It is on the second floor. Three of the PTZ cameras are in the studio. The last PTZ camera is in the media room on the first floor, where interviews with journalists will be held.
“It is one of the best content studios in MLS, and I would argue in all pro sports,” Noftsinger said.
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