Lightware Matrix Router Failsafes the Set for Innovative Rise Against Music Video

	Lightware Visual Engineering's MX8x8DVI-Pro matrix router played a key role on the set of the new Tragedy + Time music video from the American punk rock band, Rise Against

Lightware Visual Engineering's MX8x8DVI-Pro matrix router played a key role on the set of the new Tragedy + Time music video from the American punk rock band, Rise Against. Lightware USA is the US distributor of Lightware Visual Engineering products manufactured in Budapest, Hungary.

Tragedy + Time is from the band's latest album, "The Black Market," and was directed by Wes Kandel and Casey Hupke of Zoic Studios. It features the band performing against a backdrop of stylized skyscrapers on which lighting effects and moving video images are projected.

Media server programmer Cory Froke, of Chaos Visual Productions in Burbank, California, selected the Lightware router to work in conjunction with a mixed d3 Technologies master server and a d3 understudy, which fed two stacks of two Barco FLM-HD20 ultra-bright projectors. Rectangular cardboard boxes covered in butcher paper and standing on end were the skyscraper-like set pieces mapped with dynamic, patterned imagery.

"Lightware was there to handle failover. We were shooting straight to tape with no postproduction," says Froke. "In the event of a media server failure, we relied on d3 to send network switching commands to the Lightware router, which acted as a video signal switch from one server to another. The d3 custom scripting handles automatic failover with less than one frame of delay in the event the main media server failed."

Froke explains that the innovative music video "was loaded in, programmed, shot, and loaded out in under 12 hours with no preproduction and almost no post other than editing. All the color correction, slow motion, and framing was done in-camera so the editors simply chose the best shots for each take."

Froke says that the Lightware MX8x8DVI-Pro "is the most efficient router we have in stock. All of the Lightware gear is very seamless and reliable. You don't even notice if it switches over. And its advanced EDID management is always super useful."

In addition, "the router's compact form factor was perfect for a job like this. It didn't take up much space. There was a great feeling of relief to have it on board for this music video."

Froke finds that "Lightware USA is always there if you need support on a project. It's one of the few companies left where you call someone's cell phone and it's guaranteed that they will answer."