Fremont, CA, USA - Blackmagic Design announced today that the digital learning facility for children, "REDEE," has incorporated several Blackmagic Design products, including ATEM 4 M/E Constellation HD live production switcher, ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panel 20 and Blackmagic Web Presenter 4K streaming solution, to build an esports hall called “Stadium.” The new facility, recently relocated from Osaka to Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka, opened in November 2023.
REDEE provides programming classes and places for students to spend time freely after school, providing a fun and educational environment for children. It also allows students to experience extracurricular learning in the facility, and is projected to attract around 300 schools annually. Additionally, there are facilities in Tokyo and other regions operated by group companies, allowing visitors to experience similar content under different names.
The facility’s "Stadium" hall holds esports competitions, seminars, and online or hybrid events. ATEM 4 M/E Constellation HD serves as the main switcher, with ATEM 2 M/E Advanced Panel 20 used as the control panel and Blackmagic Web Presenter 4K used for streaming. Other Blackmagic Design products such as HyperDeck Studio HD Plus broadcast deck, DeckLink Quad 2 capture and playback card, as well as Mini and Micro Converters are also extensively used.
Sato Fuminori from REDEE Co., Ltd., said: "We were using Blackmagic products like ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K even before the relocation. We had initially adopted a different switcher in the old facility, but due to the ease of use with Blackmagic's switcher, we began using ATEM, and also decided to continue using Blackmagic products in the new facility. As an event company, we handle numerous projects, including streaming for nationwide esports tournaments and experiential events for digital learning. The equipment from the old facility is used as portable equipment for such events, which led us to build a new system."
The venue is equipped with three main cameras, with additional cameras added as needed to capture the faces of players sitting at esports battle stations, resulting in a total of 10 camera sources switched using ATEM 4 M/E Constellation HD.
"For esports, we often switch between various video sources, such as game screens, backgrounds and graphics. ATEM 4 M/E Constellation HD handles all these switches. HyperDeck Studio HD Plus is mainly used for replays during the game while DeckLink Quad 2 is used to output video to embedded monitors for spectators on the game battle table (battle station). Multiple battle stations are deployed on the stage depending on the esports scene. Since each battle station monitor needs to output the same or different videos from one PC simultaneously, we use DeckLink," explained Daiki Koga, director of operations at the company.
Regarding group use for extracurricular learning, Sato said: "Based on the track record of the previous facility, about 300 schools per year will utilize this facility. We conduct programming experiences, allowing students and teachers to hold mini esports tournaments in this hall. We provide live commentary, lighting, and even interviews for the student who becomes the final winner, giving students the opportunity to experience what it's like to be a professional."
Finally, Koga commented on the introduction of Blackmagic products for the new facility: "We were previously using ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K, but using ATEM 4 M/E Constellation HD this time has been highly appreciated, not only because the number of inputs/outputs increases the flexibility of production, but also for the frame rate/format converter. Generally, we use the equipment in the esports scene, connecting various devices such as player cameras, game footage, and VTR. Previously, with ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K, we used a separate Mini Converter UpDownCross for each device, but with the new functionality, the ease of connection has improved."
