Bildquadrat expands its production communications with the Riedel Virtual SmartPanel

Bildquadrat brings together creative media production, live and broadcast production, and technological development under one roof. Its remit ranges from concept development, production and post-production, through complex live and remote workflows, to in-house software and innovation projects. In live productions in particular, a wide variety of trades, camera crews, reporters and production managers need to communicate reliably with one another – both on site and at changing and remote locations.

As part of the ongoing development of its intercom infrastructure, Bildquadrat has replaced its existing Artist G2 frames with IP-based Artist 1024 systems. Among other things, the new infrastructure enables the company to make flexible use of various interfaces and port licences. With the Virtual SmartPanel, Bildquadrat is now expanding this setup to include software-based access for users who do not need to be connected via a dedicated hardware panel.

“For us, the major advantage of VSP lies in its flexibility and scalability,” says Niklas Windeck, Managing Director at Bildquadrat. “If teams expand at short notice or additional colleagues at other locations need to be brought on board, we can easily integrate them into our production communications via their smartphones. This is a real added value for us, particularly in dynamic live productions.”

Bildquadrat operates the STAGE infrastructure used for VSP in its server environment in Düsseldorf. Via the connection to Artist-1024, VSP users can be integrated into a production’s intercom system. This allows, for example, reporters, mobile camera crews or other production staff to be integrated into existing communication structures via suitable devices. In addition, Bildquadrat has developed its own dashboard, which enables the company to remotely monitor and manage status information and user data from its VSP environment. In this way, the company combines flexible access for users with centralised monitoring of its production communications.

One example of this concept in action is Cologne Pride in Cologne, where Bildquadrat has been supporting the live production for several years. In addition to camera production, LED displays and the live stream, the company also supported mobile reporter and camera teams moving through the city centre during the event. VSP enabled Bildquadrat to integrate these teams into the production communications even outside the local radio coverage area and to provide them with directing instructions and other relevant communications.

“Bildquadrat is a valuable partner for us because the team consistently integrates new technologies into real-world production workflows whilst also providing us with direct feedback from the field,” said Benedikt Krönung, Sales Manager Broadcast West at Riedel Communications. “Our collaboration goes back many years and covers various areas of our portfolio – from MediorNet to Bolero and Artist, right through to VSP.”

“We enjoy trying out new technologies and identifying at an early stage where they can deliver real added value for our productions,” says Dominic Zürn, Head of Broadcast Production at Bildquadrat. “This is why direct dialogue with Riedel is particularly important to us, especially with products such as VSP: together, we can discuss relevant use cases, share practical experience and consider how the technology can be integrated into other types of production. It is precisely this dialogue that helps us turn new possibilities into concrete workflows.”

About Riedel

The Riedel Group, led by founder and Group CEO Thomas Riedel, brings together a diverse portfolio of technology companies and service providers with complementary expertise in the fields of media, sport, entertainment and related markets. Key operating companies include Riedel Communications, comprising the Product Division and the Managed Technology Division, and Riedel Networks, which provides global network solutions and services.

Riedel Communications is a leading provider of technologies and services for live productions. The company’s hardware and software portfolio ranges from distributed video and audio networks, through intercom systems, live video production and broadcast control systems, to private 5G networks. The offering is complemented by Managed Technology services for complex live productions and events. This broad portfolio enables customers to implement projects on-site, remotely or in the cloud. Riedel Communications is headquartered in Wuppertal and employs more than 1,000 staff across 30 locations in Europe, Australia, Asia and the Americas.
Further information about Riedel can be found at www.riedel.net.

About Bildquadrat

Bildquadrat is a video and media production company based in Düsseldorf (founded in 2013). The young, motivated team combines creative concepts with professional TV production and supports companies, events and products from the planning stage right through to the distribution of the video material.

Further information about Bildquadrat can be found at https://www.bildquadrat.com.